rtue, dedicated to God alone;
obtain for me the grace that, following thy example, I may detach my
heart from this world, and patiently bear affliction and adversity,
carefully avoid sin, and always strive to advance in the love of God.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
FIFTH DAY
Mary's Glorious Entrance into Heaven
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
A JOY greater than human heart can conceive fills the heavenly spirits
when a soul enters heaven to receive her reward. What jubilant
transports, then, must those have been with which they hailed the
entrance into heavenly bliss of the most pure and holy Virgin, the
Mother of the Son of God, body and soul, transfigured in glory! And she
is, and shall be, for all eternity, their mistress and queen! What an
ineffable joy, too, for the Blessed Virgin, to behold the countless
numbers of angels, to admire their beauty, their purity, their intense
love of God! But as the feeble light of a candle disappears before the
splendor of the sun's rays, thus are these choirs of angels obscured by
the ineffable glory of her divine Son coming to welcome His Mother. Who
can describe this affecting meeting? What a superabundant reward for
affliction and suffering! What an ocean of joy and bliss, when the Son
of God presented His Mother before the throne of His heavenly Father,
who greeted her as His beloved Daughter! What a joy to behold the Holy
Ghost, whose pure Spouse she had been even on earth! These transports of
bliss baffle all attempts at description.
PRACTICE
THOUGH we are unable to have an adequate perception of Mary's glory in
heaven, by which she is raised above all angels and saints, yet it is in
our power to do one thing; we can rejoice at the glory of our blessed
Mother, and join the heavenly spirits and the saints in paying homage to
her. Let us resolve to do this, and never to forget that Mary attained
to the largest share of her divine Son's glory because she was foremost
in sharing His sufferings. Let this encourage us to bear our cross, to
bear it with our Saviour even to the height of Calvary, there to die
with Him.
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
O GLORIOUS Virgin and Mother of God, Mary! I beseech thee through the
preparation with which thou wast glorified by God--b
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