Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

The devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of the oldest and most beloved forms of Marian devotion in the Catholic Church. The image of Mary holding the child Jesus, with the archangels Michael and Gabriel hovering above with symbols of Christ’s Passion, has become iconic over the centuries and serves as a reminder of Mary’s intercession and protection for all who call upon her.

The origins of the devotion can be traced back to a painting that was venerated in the Church of San Matteo in Rome in the early 16th century. The painting, which depicts Mary and the child Jesus with the archangels Michael and Gabriel, was believed to have miraculous powers and was venerated by many faithful Catholics. However, the church was destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars, and the painting was lost for many years until it was rediscovered by the Redemptorist Fathers in 1865.

Since then, the devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help has spread throughout the world, and many people have experienced the intercession of Mary in their lives through this devotion. The most common form of this devotion is the novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which consists of praying the same prayer nine times over nine consecutive days, followed by a thanksgiving prayer on the tenth day. This novena has been credited with countless miracles and graces, and many people turn to it in times of need.

The prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a powerful and beautiful prayer that asks Mary to intercede on our behalf and to help us in our times of trouble. The prayer begins with the familiar invocation, “O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant me ever to be able to call upon thy powerful name, since thy name is the help of the living and the salvation of the dying.” This invocation recognizes Mary’s powerful intercession and highlights the fact that she is always ready and willing to help us in our time of need.

The prayer then goes on to ask Mary for her help in various aspects of our lives, including our physical health, our spiritual well-being, and our emotional stability. We ask her to help us with our work and our relationships, and to be with us in our times of joy and sorrow. The prayer concludes with a beautiful expression of trust in Mary’s love and protection, as we ask her to “protect us from all harm and danger of soul and body, and to guide us on the path of virtue and salvation.”

The devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a reminder of Mary’s constant presence in our lives and her unwavering love for us. Through this devotion, we are invited to turn to Mary in our times of need, confident that she will always be there to help us and to guide us on the path of holiness. This is a powerful and life-giving devotion that has the power to transform our lives and draw us ever closer to God.

In conclusion, the prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a beautiful expression of our trust in Mary’s intercession and protection. Through this prayer, we ask Mary to be with us in our times of need, to guide us on the path of virtue and salvation, and to protect us from all harm and danger. May this devotion bring us closer to Our Lady and deepen our appreciation for her role as our mother and helper in all things.