Day NineDecember 24
Prayer for Every Day
Most gracious God of infinite charity, who so loved mankind that you gave us in your Son the greatest pledge of your love, so that, made man in the womb of a Virgin, he might be born in a manger for our salvation and remedy. I, in the name of all mortals, give you endless thanks for so sovereign a benefit. In return I offer you the poverty, humility, and other virtues of your Son made man, begging you by his divine merits, by the hardships with which he was born, and by the tender tears he shed in the manger, to dispose our hearts to profound humility, to burning love, and to such contempt for all that is earthly, that the newborn Jesus may find in them his cradle and dwell there forever. Amen.
(Pray “Glory be to the Father” three times.)
Reflection
Night has completely fallen over the fields of Bethlehem. Rejected by men and without shelter, Mary and Joseph leave the inhospitable town and take refuge in a grotto at the foot of the hill. Following the Queen of Angels came the donkey that had served them as a humble mount during the journey, and in that cave they found a gentle ox, probably left there by one of the travelers who had gone to seek lodging in the town.
The divine Child, unknown to his rational creatures, must turn to the irrational so that, with their warm breath, they may temper the frozen air of that winter night and thus show him their humble attitude, the respect and adoration that Bethlehem had denied him. The reddish lantern Joseph held in his hand dimly lit that poorest of enclosures, that manger filled with straw, a prophetic figure of the wonders of the altar and of the intimate and marvelous Eucharistic union Jesus is to contract with men. Mary is in adoration in the midst of the grotto, and thus the hours of that night full of mystery pass in silence.
But midnight has come, and suddenly we see within that manger, a little while before empty, the divine Child awaited, foretold, desired for four thousand years with such ineffable longing. At his feet his most holy Mother prostrates herself in transports of adoration beyond all description. Joseph also approaches and offers him the homage by which he inaugurates his mysterious and immeasurable office as putative father of the Redeemer of men.
The multitude of angels descending from heaven to contemplate this matchless wonder burst into joy and make the air resound with the harmonies of that hymn of glory to God on high, which is the echo of adoration produced around the throne of the Most High, made perceptible for an instant to the ears of poor earth. Summoned by them, the shepherds of the countryside come in crowds to adore the newborn Child and to offer him their humble gifts.
Now the mysterious star shines in the East, and the splendid caravan of the Magi sets out toward Bethlehem; within a few days they will come to place at the feet of the divine Child gold, frankincense, and myrrh—symbols of charity, prayer, and mortification.
O adorable Child! We too, who have made this novena to prepare for the day of your Nativity, wish to offer you our poor adoration; do not reject it. Come into our souls, come into our hearts filled with love. Kindle in them devotion to your holy childhood—not intermittent and confined only to the time of Christmas, but always and in every season; a devotion faithfully practiced and zealously spread, which will lead us to eternal life, deliver us from sin, and sow in us all Christian virtues.
(Everything else as on day one.)
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sovereign Mary, who by your great virtues and especially by your humility deserved that God himself should choose you as his Mother, I beg you to prepare and dispose my soul, and the souls of all who make this novena at this time, for the spiritual birth of your adored Son.
O sweetest Mother! Share with me something of the deep recollection and divine tenderness with which you awaited him, so that you may make us less unworthy to see him, love him, and adore him for all eternity. Amen.
(Pray the Hail Mary nine times.)
Prayer to Saint Joseph
O most holy Joseph, spouse of Mary and putative father of Jesus! I give infinite thanks to God for choosing you for such lofty ministries and adorning you with every gift suited to so excellent a dignity. I beg you, by the love you had for the Divine Child, to inflame me with fervent desires to see him and receive him sacramentally, while in his divine essence I see and enjoy him in heaven. Amen.
(Pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be.)
Aspirations for the Coming of the Child Jesus
My sweet Jesus, my adored Child,
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
O highest Wisdom of the sovereign God, who to a child’s reach yourself humbly bend! O Divine Child, come to teach us the prudence that makes true sages indeed!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
O mighty Adonai, who speaking to Moses to Israel’s people gave the commandments! Ah, come swiftly to rescue us, and let a feeble Child show his mighty arm!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
O holy Root of Jesse, who on high to the world presents your fragrant blossom! O sweetest Child, called the lily of the valleys, fair flower of the field!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
Key of David, who opens to the exile the closed doors of the royal palace! Lead us out, O Child, with your spotless hand, from the gloomy prison built by sin!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
O Dawn’s Radiance, Sun of eternal rays, let us see your splendor amid the darkness! Most precious Child, delight of the Christian, let the smile of your sweet lips shine!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
Spotless Mirror, Holy of holies, peerless image of the sovereign God! Blot out our faults, save the exile, and, as a Child, give the wretched shelter!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
King of nations, bright Emmanuel, Israel’s longing, Shepherd of the flock! Child who guides with gentle staff both the stubborn sheep and the meek lamb!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
Let the heavens open and from on high rain down life‑giving dew like holy watering! Come, beautiful Child, come, God made man! Let the fair star shine, let the flower of the field spring forth!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
Come, for Mary prepares her arms, that soon she may see her Child! Come, for Joseph, with holy longing, makes himself ready to be the shrine of your love!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
Help of the weak, comfort of the afflicted, consolation of the sad, light of the exile! Life of my life, my beloved Lord, my constant friend, my divine brother!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
May my eyes see you, with love for you! Let me kiss your feet, let me kiss your hands. Prostrate on the earth, I stretch out my arms, and more than my words my tears speak to you.
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
Come, our Savior, for whom we sigh!
Come into our souls!
Come, do not delay so long!
Prayer to the Child Jesus
Remember, O sweetest Child Jesus, that you said to the venerable Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament, and in her person to all your devotees, these words so consoling for our poor afflicted and suffering humanity: “Whatever you wish to ask, ask it through the merits of my childhood and nothing shall be denied you.” Full of confidence in you, O Jesus, who are Truth itself, we come to lay before you all our misery. Help us to live a holy life so as to obtain a blessed eternity. Grant us, through the infinite merits of your Incarnation and your childhood, the grace we so greatly need.
(Brief pause for a silent petition.)
We give ourselves to you, O almighty Child, certain that our hope will not be disappointed and that, by virtue of your divine promise, you will graciously receive and answer our supplication. Amen.