# Novena Day 7: Immaculate Conception
*2008-12-05*

> Bill Young leads the seventh day of the novena to the Immaculate Conception, reflecting on Revelation, the Hail Mary, and the ongoing spiritual battle for purity.

## Opening Prayer and Creed

Good morning, I’m Bill Young. We begin with the sign of the cross and a short opening prayer: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

We then pray the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.”

## Revelation and the Woman Clothed with the Sun

We turn to the Book of Revelation, chapter 12. A great sign appears in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She is in labor, crying out in the pains of childbirth. A great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns appears, its tail sweeping a third of the stars from the sky. The dragon waits to devour the child as soon as it is born, but the child is taken up to God and His throne. The woman flees into the wilderness, where God has prepared a place for her for 1,260 days.

## The Hail Mary and Glory Be

We pray the traditional prayers:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

## Meditation on the Cosmic Battle

At dawn, a battle began between a woman and the ancient serpent when original sin entered the world. God promised to put enmity between the serpent and the woman, between its offspring and hers, and that the offspring would crush the serpent’s head.

St. John’s vision shows this cosmic conflict: the woman (Mary) and her children (the Church) versus the dragon (Satan). Mary, radiant as the sun and fair as the moon, gathers her children under her protective wings.

We are called to fight for purity and holiness, following Mary’s example. This battle is won through continual “yes” to God and “no” to Satan—through prayer, acts of love, and the control of our passions. It cannot be fought without the sacraments, without communion with the Immaculate Virgin, and without the support of the faithful community.

## Prayer of Commitment

Let us pray in silence for a moment, then offer this prayer of dedication:

Grant, O Immaculate Virgin, that I may praise you with my whole heart, that I may live, work, suffer, and even die for you alone. Grant that I may lead others to you, that my life may bring greater glory to your name. May those who share this zeal surpass me, that together we may magnify your glory ever more intensely, according to the will of God who excels all. Amen.

*Purity is attained through constant prayer, sacramental life, and united effort with Mary and the community.*