Novena to
the Queen of Apostles
First Day
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring
and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel" (Gen
3:15).
Through God's loving foresight, Mary was placed, so to speak, on a path
different from that on which all the common children of Eve, born with original
sin, entered the world. The new path is that of the redeemed. The light of the
cross illumined Mary's conception, infancy and youth. Thus, she was worthy to
be blessed among women.
Together let us honor Mary Immaculate, Queen of Apostles, and ask her to give
Jesus, Master, Way, Truth and Life, to all of us and to all people on earth.
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united
in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Second Day
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; He will be called
Son of God" (Lk 1:35).
The grace in a soul is like a root from which a plant develops with its
branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Virtues grow in a soul in proportion to
grace. Thus, we understand why Mary reached the highest degree of virtue and
holiness: because she was full of grace. She possessed the theological,
cardinal and moral virtues, the beatitudes and the fruits of the Holy Spirit to
an eminent degree.
Mary is full of grace, the creature most intimate with God, the Blessed Mother
who gives Jesus to us and helps us to love Him. She makes us conceive a great
fear of sin and of dangerous occasions. She inspires in us the desire for
purity and for sacrifice.
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united
in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Third Day
"She gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in bands of cloth,
and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn"
(Lk 2:7). Mary fulfills her apostolate: to give Jesus to the Father, to
humanity, to heaven. She presented Jesus to the Gentiles, represented by the
Magi who came to the crib in Bethlehem. Mary always gives Jesus. She is like a
fruitful branch. She always carries Jesus and offers Him to us: the Way, the
Truth and the Life of humanity.
Let us pray to Mary, the Mother of the Infant Jesus, that through her maternal
intercession we may all welcome the message from the crib: "Glory to God
in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favors!" (Lk
2:14).
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in
prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Fourth Day
"This Child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be opposed...and a sword will pierce your own soul
too" (Lk 2:34-35). Jesus Christ saw Mary at the foot of His cross, sharing
in His Passion. The Christian possesses an inexhaustible strength and is able
to endure great sufferings without breaking. In suffering, a person can attain
great nobility of character; indeed, suffering becomes a real apostolate.
Let us always trustfully invoke Mary: "Pray for us, now and at the hour of
our death." All to Mary, from Mary, with Mary. She shows everyone on earth
her Son. Let us pray: "After this our exile, show to us the blessed fruit
of your womb, Jesus."
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united
in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Fifth Day
"His mother treasured all these things in her heart" (Lk 2:51).
The Presentation of the Lord enlightens us to live in holiness, detachment from
worldly things, and purity of thoughts and actions. The Child Jesus enters the
temple, takes possession of it and will live in the Eucharist until the end of
time. Once we have known our vocation, we must follow it and live it faithfully
until we are called to heaven.
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united
in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Sixth Day
"Standing near the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's
sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" (Jn 19:25).
Let us look at Jesus--He sacrificed Himself on the cross. Let us look at
Mary--she shared Christ's mission and passion with Him. The essence of the
redemption is on Calvary--Jesus offers himself; Mary offers herself and her
Son, Whom she loves more than herself. Jesus is the Redeemer; Mary, the
co-redemptrix.
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united
in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Seventh Day
"When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside
her, He said to his mother, 'Woman, here is Your Son.' Then He said to the
disciple, 'Here is your mother'" (Jn 19:26-27). When human perversity had
reached its height and had brought about the death of our Lord, when the
Shepherd was smitten and the entire flock of apostles and faithful were
dispersed, Jesus Christ offered hope, salvation and His Mother: "Here is
your mother" (Jn 19:26).
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united
in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Eighth Day
"All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with
certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his
brothers" (Acts 1:14).
It is clear that we have to consider and follow Mary as our model. She is the
Most Holy Virgin, the co-redemptrix and the Queen of Apostles. She offered
Jesus on Calvary, and together with the apostles she prayed in the cenacle to
obtain the Holy Spirit. She took care of the Church, newly born and already
persecuted. As Mother of the Church, she became the outstanding member of the
Mystical Body of Christ.
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united
in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Ninth Day
"Mary Immaculate, the ever-virgin Mother of God, having finished the
course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory"
(Pius XII, November, 1950).
After the death of her Son, Jesus, Mary took care of the apostles, especially
St. John, the youngest. She accompanied them with her prayers, good example and
maternal comfort. Thus, Jesus willed that Mary be with them during their first
years of evangelization, as she had accompanied him. After her earthly
pilgrimage, her mission fulfilled, she was assumed into heaven. Let us think
about the last day of the world. All the elect will gloriously enter heaven,
body and soul; thus they will have an eternal reward.
Reflection and Resolution
Prayer--O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united
in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same
Mother of us all, help us to serve Your Majesty faithfully, and to spread the
glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Chaplet to Mary, Queen of Apostles (By Blessed James Alberione)
1. Most loving Queen of heaven and of earth, I venerate and praise that
privilege, unique in the world, whereby--pleasing God in your humility and
faith, and preserving your spotless virginity--you became the great Mother of
the Divine Savior, source of all truth and first apostle of truth. You gave the
world the Book to read: the Eternal Word. For the indescribable joy you felt
and for that privilege so sublime, I bless the Holy Trinity. I ask you to
obtain for me the grace of heavenly wisdom, to be a humble and fervent disciple
of Jesus, a devoted child of the Church, the pillar of truth. Make the light of
the Gospel shine to the farthest bounds of the earth, overcome errors, gather
all people around the See of Peter. Enlighten theologians, preachers and
writers, O Mother of Good Counsel, O Seat of Wisdom, O Queen of All Saints.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
2. O Mary, Queen of All the Angels, Full of Grace, Conceived without Sin,
Blessed among Creatures, Living Tabernacle of God, remember that painful and
solemn moment in which the dying Jesus from the cross gave you John as your
son, and in him all humanity and especially all the apostles. What tender love
flooded your heart at that moment for those consecrated to the apostolate, to
the following of the cross, to the love of Jesus! For your indescribable
sufferings and those of your divine Son, for your motherly heart, O Mary,
increase the number of apostles, missionaries, priests and virgins. May they be
resplendent for sanctity of life, integrity of morals, solid piety, the deepest
humility, the most firm faith, the most ardent charity. May they all be holy,
purifying salt of the earth and light of the world.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
3. O Most Pure Virgin, noble Queen of Martyrs, Morning Star, Safe Refuge of
Sinners, rejoice for the days in which you were Teacher, Comforter and Mother
of the Apostles in the cenacle, to invoke and receive the Divine Paraclete, the
Spirit with the seven gifts, Love of the Father and of the Son, Transformer of
the Apostles. By your all-powerful intercession and by your humble and
irresistible prayers, which always move God's Heart, obtain for me the grace to
realize the value of every human person, for whom Jesus Christ shed His most
precious blood. May each one of us be enthusiastic about the beauty of the
Christian apostolate. May the Charity of Christ urge us on. May the spiritual
misery of poor humanity move us. Grant that we may feel in our hearts the needs
of childhood, of adolescence, of adulthood, of old age. Grant that vast Africa,
immense Asia, promising Oceania, troubled Europe, the two Americas may exercise
a powerful attraction on our souls. Grant that the apostolate of example and
word, of prayer and the press, of films, radio and television, of the souls in
purgatory, may conquer many generous persons, even to the point of the most
heroic sacrifices. O Mother of the Church, O Queen of Apostles, our Advocate,
to you we sigh, mourning in this valley of tears.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
4. O our tender Mother Mary, Gate of Heaven, Source of Peace and Happiness,
Help of Christians, Trust of the Dying, and Hope even of the Desperate, I
recall the blessed moment for you in which you left the earth to fly to the
blessed embrace of Jesus. It was the omnipotent favor of God which assumed you
into heaven, beautiful and immortal. I see you exalted above the angels and
saints, confessors and virgins, apostles and martyrs, prophets and patriarchs,
and even I, from the midst of my sins, dare to add the voice of an unworthy but
repentant sinner to praise and bless you. O Mary, convert me once and for
always. Give me a repentant life, that I may have a holy death and one day join
my voice to that of the saints to praise you in heaven. I consecrate myself to
you and through you to Jesus. With full awareness and here in the presence of
all the heavenly court, I renew the promises made in holy Baptism. I renew the
resolution, which I place in your heart, to fight my self-love and to combat
unceasingly against my principal defect, which so often has cast me into sin. O
Mary, gain for yourself the greatest glory: change a great sinner into a great
saint, O Refuge of Sinners, O Morning Star, O Comforter of the Afflicted.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
5. O Mary, Star of the Sea, my gentle sovereign, our life and Queen of Peace,
how great and how wonderful the day on which the Holy Trinity crowned you Queen
of Heaven and Earth, Dispenser of All Graces, our most lovable Mother--what a
triumph for you! What happiness for the angels, for the saints, for the earth,
for purgatory! I know, O Mary, that those who love you will be saved, and that
those who love you greatly will be holy and will participate one day in your
glory in heaven. I do not doubt your clemency nor your power; I fear my inconstancy
in praying to you. Obtain for me perseverance. O Mary, be my salvation. I feel
my passions, the devil, the world. O Mary, hold me close to you and to your
Jesus! Do not permit me to fall; do not leave me even for an instant, O Mother.
It is consoling to cast the first glance upon you in the morning, to walk under
your mantle during the day, to fall asleep under your gaze at night. You have
smiles for innocent children, strength for struggling youth, light for working
men and women, comfort for old age awaiting heaven. O Mary, to you I consecrate
my entire life; pray for me now and in the final battle at the hour of my
death. Receive my soul when it breathes its last, and do not leave me until I
kneel before your throne in heaven, to love you for all eternity. O Mary, my
Queen, my advocate, my sweetness, obtain for me holy perseverance.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
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