# Novena to Our Lady, Help of Christians: Day Three
*2015-05-17*

> Bill Young leads the third day of a novena to Our Lady, Help of Christians, offering special intentions for the sick, including Dwayne in Miami.

## Opening Intentions

Good afternoon. This is Bill Young and welcome to the Prayer N Lunch podcast. Today is Monday, May 18th, and we continue with our novena to Our Lady, Help of Christians. We are praying this novena from May 16th through May 24th, with a special intention for the sick—specifically for Dwayne, who is in the hospital in Miami, and for all of his friends and family. I hope some of you are listening and praying this novena with us.

## The Day Three Prayer

Today is the third day of prayer: O Mary, most powerful Queen, who alone triumphed over the false doctrines that sought to take away so many children from the bosom of Holy Mother Church, help me, I beg you, to keep and preserve my faith firmly and my heart pure amidst the snares and venom of such harmful errors.

## Traditional Prayers

We continue with the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be. We also pray the Hail Holy Queen: Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

## Scripture and Reflection

Our short Bible reading today is from Luke 1:39-56. Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Mary abode with her about three months, and then she returned. 

Mary returned before the birth of John the Baptist because she knew that expectant mothers need special care and help. Here we have a beautiful example of charity.

*I promise to always practice charity in acts of mercy.*