Novena for Grief

O sweet mother Mary,
who knew the sadness of mourning those your heart loved most, Jesus, your Son, and Joseph, your devoted spouse, pray for me in my time of loss.

O, mother most holy and mournful, Queen of Sorrows, you who stood by your Son as He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard.

Please greet my loved one with gentle and open arms and guide them to Heaven, where pain, sadness, fear, guilt and sorrow are replaced by love, laughter, beauty and everlasting life. Please pray for me, my family, and friends who suffer still on Earth with our grief as we miss the presence of the one we love, who we will not see again in this life. Please pray that we may come to understand God’s plan in each of our lives, and give us hope that he can turn our pain into something beautiful, even if we don’t see it right now.

God, do not let my feelings overwhelm me. During moments of anguish, touch my heart with courage, my soul with your compassion and with your love to comfort me. Despite my pain, let me know healing is occurring. Let me hear often that you are always with me.  God, today is different; I am faced with my many challenges. Help me know I am not powerless and that I am surviving. Give me hope for tomorrow. Let me believe in myself and allow others to comfort me. Please be my refuge in confusion, my solace in uncertainty, and my strength as I begin to understand the painful absence of my loved one.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today; for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family, especially those who are dying and are in need of prayer.

I offer the pain of grief to be united to your Sacred Heart, dear Jesus, there on the cross. You died for love of me, I return the love unrequited to me in my grief. Let it ease your suffering, and let my agony not go to waste.

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Amen.

Say Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be, three times.

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