| Novena: October 2 - 10
| Feast: October 11
"Mary, mother who nursed Jesus - you understand every mother."
For mothers, for safe delivery, for milk, for babies, for couples longing for child.
✝ Day 1 - October 2 - For You, Mary, Mother Who Nursed
"You, Mary, nursed Jesus at Bethlehem - you know what it is to be mother."
Reflection - Our Lady of La Leche - La Leche means milk - Mary nursing Jesus. Think of it - Mary held Jesus to her breast and fed Him, God became baby needing milk from mother. For us mothers who nurse - Mary understands tired nights, baby crying for milk. For us mothers who cannot nurse - Mary understands pain. For us who never nursed but mother in heart - Mary is mother of all. First shrine in America - St. Augustine, Florida - Our Lady of La Leche - because mothers needed Mary who knows milk.
Prayer: Dear Mother La Leche, you who nursed Jesus, you who know what mother feels, help us mothers. You know nights without sleep, milk and love together. Pray for us mothers, for our babies, that as you nursed Jesus, we may nurse our children with love and milk that you bless.
(Here tell Mary your intention... for motherhood)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary, mother who gave milk to Jesus, give us your motherly love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 2 - October 3 - For Happy Delivery - Safe Birth
"Mary, you delivered Jesus in Bethlehem without fear - help our delivery."
Reflection - So many mothers fear delivery - fear pain, fear something goes wrong. Mary also delivered - in poor stable, no doctor, but God was with her. Our Lady of La Leche is also Our Lady of Happy Delivery - because mothers prayed to her for safe birth and she answered. For us pregnant now - fearing - Mary, help us have happy delivery. For us who had difficult delivery before - Mary heals memory. For us husbands watching wives fear - pray to La Leche for your wives.
Prayer: Mother of Happy Delivery, you gave birth to Jesus in peace, help us who fear birth. I am scared, Mary, or my wife is scared. Hold our hand as you held Jesus. Give us happy delivery, safe mother, safe baby, as you had safe delivery of Jesus.
(Here tell Mary your intention... for safe delivery)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary, who delivered Jesus safely, deliver us safely too. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 3 - October 4 - For Milk - When Milk Is Not Enough
"Mary, you had enough milk for Jesus - you know when mother has no milk."
Reflection - Some mothers have so much milk, some have no milk and cry because baby hungry. Our Lady of La Leche is for milk - La Leche. Mothers in St. Augustine prayed when no milk, and milk came. For us mothers with no milk - don't feel guilt, Mary understands, she will help. For us mothers with too much pain nursing - Mary knows pain too, but she nursed with love. For us who bottle feed - Mary does not judge, Mary loves you as mother whether breast or bottle - love is milk.
Prayer: Mother La Leche, mother of milk, you fed Jesus from your breast. I have no milk or milk is less or nursing is painful. Help me, Mother, give me enough milk for my baby. If not milk in breast, give me enough love which is true milk. Bless my breast, bless my baby.
(Here tell Mary your intention... for milk)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary, you who gave milk to God, give us our daily milk. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 4 - October 5 - For Couples Who Long for Baby
"Mary, you waited, you said yes, and Jesus came - help those waiting for child."
Reflection - Some couples wait years for baby, every month disappointment, tears, doctor visits. Our Lady of La Leche is patron for those waiting - because she is mother, she understands longing. Many couples in America went to St. Augustine shrine and got baby after prayer to La Leche. For us waiting - Mary waited too for Jesus, nine months. For us who lost baby - miscarriage - Mary lost Jesus on cross but got Him back resurrected. Your longing is holy, like Mary's longing.
Prayer: Mother La Leche, we wait for baby, long time waiting, no baby yet. You know longing of mother. You said yes and Jesus came to you. Help us say yes and may baby come to us too. If it is God's will, give us child. If not, give us peace and show us how to mother others.
(Here tell Mary your intention... for child)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary, mother who understands waiting, give us child if God wills, or give us peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 5 - October 6 - For Baby - For Healthy Baby
"Mary, you held Jesus baby - hold our babies."
Reflection - When baby is inside womb, mother worries - is baby healthy, will baby be okay. When baby born, mother worries more. Our Lady of La Leche holds baby Jesus - she holds our babies too. For us with ultrasound worries - doctor said something - Mary, hold my baby. For us with sick baby in NICU - Mary, you held Jesus who was healthy but you know mothers whose babies sick. For us whose baby healthy - thank Mary and ask her to keep baby healthy.
Prayer: Mother La Leche, you held baby Jesus close to your heart, hold my baby too - inside womb or outside. Protect my baby, keep baby healthy, safe, happy. If baby sick, heal baby as you would heal Jesus if He were sick. Keep baby in your arms.
(Here tell Mary your intention... for baby health)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary, who held Jesus baby, hold our babies. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 6 - October 7 - For Fathers - Joseph Who Watched Mary Nurse
"Joseph watched Mary nurse Jesus - Joseph, father who protected milk and mother."
Reflection - We talk of mothers but fathers also - Joseph saw Mary nursing Jesus, Joseph protected Mary and milk. For us fathers - how to help wife nursing - protect, bring water, let her rest, tell her she is good mother even if milk less. Our Lady of La Leche needs St. Joseph fathers - fathers who don't say my wife no milk is failure, but say you are mother, milk or no milk. For us fathers waiting for child with wife - pray with wife to La Leche, not just wife praying.
Prayer: Mother La Leche, and St. Joseph who watched you nurse, help us fathers. Teach us to help our wives nursing, to not pressure, to love. Help us fathers who wait for baby, who fear delivery for wife, who worry for baby. Make us Joseph fathers who protect mother and child.
(Here tell Mary your intention... for fathers)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary and Joseph, parents of Jesus, make us good parents. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 7 - October 8 - For First Shrine in America - St. Augustine
"First shrine of Mary in America - La Leche - America began with mother nursing."
Reflection - First shrine of Mary in America - not big cathedral, but small shrine of mother nursing - La Leche in St. Augustine, Florida 1600s. Spanish settlers brought devotion. America began with mother nursing - beautiful. For us Americans, for us all - Church began with mother nursing Jesus. For us who visit shrines - if you can go to St. Augustine La Leche shrine, go and pray for milk, delivery. If cannot go, Mary La Leche comes to us here.
Prayer: Mother La Leche, first mother shrine in America, you began America with image of mother nursing - keep America and all nations as mothers nursing children with love. Keep our families as small shrines where mother nurses child as you nursed Jesus.
(Here tell Mary your intention... for family as shrine)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary, first shrine in America as nursing mother, make our homes shrines of nursing love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 8 - October 9 - For Mothers Who Lost - Miscarriage, Stillbirth
"Mary, you lost Jesus for three days in Temple and lost Him on cross - you know losing."
Reflection - Some mothers lose baby - miscarriage, stillbirth, baby dies after birth. Pain no words can say. Our Lady of La Leche is also for mothers who lost - because Mary lost Jesus on cross, she knows empty arms. For us who lost - Mary holds your baby now, your baby in her arms nursing heavenly milk. For us who fear losing again after losing before - Mary, hold me, don't let me lose again. For us friends of mothers who lost - don't say many words, just pray to La Leche for her.
Prayer: Mother La Leche, you lost Jesus on cross, you know empty arms of mother who lost baby. I lost my baby, or I fear losing. Hold my baby in Heaven, give my baby your milk of Heaven. Heal my arms that are empty, heal my heart that bleeds. Help me to mother again if God wills.
(Here tell Mary your intention... for loss)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary, who lost Jesus and found Him risen, hold our lost babies and heal our empty arms. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 9 - October 10 - For Final Day Before Feast - Mother of All Mothers
"Tomorrow feast - today we place all mothers in your arms, La Leche."
Reflection - Tomorrow feast Oct 11 Our Lady of La Leche. Today final day Oct 10 we place everything - all mothers, all fathers waiting, all babies, all who long, all who lost, all milk, all delivery fears, all in arms of Mary La Leche. She is mother of all mothers - because she nursed God, she can nurse us all with grace. For us who prayed 9 days - what we asked - for milk, for baby, for delivery, for child - place again with trust. Mary La Leche never fails mother who asks. She is mother who says come, I will give you milk - milk is grace, milk is love, milk is Jesus.
Prayer: Dearest Mother La Leche, tomorrow your feast, today final day I give you all - my motherhood, my longing, my fear of delivery, my milk worries, my baby, my loss, my family. Take all in your arms as you took Jesus. Nurse us with your grace as you nursed Jesus with milk. Give us what we asked if it is good for us, and give us your Son Jesus who is true milk, true La Leche. Make us mothers and fathers like you and Joseph.
(Here tell Mary your most important intention... all you long for)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
V. Our Lady of La Leche, mother of happy delivery
R. Pray for us mothers and babies.
Let Us Pray: Mary, Mother La Leche, you nursed Jesus, nurse us. Grant our intentions and give us Jesus, true milk of life, that we may be mothers and fathers nursing souls with your love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Lady of La Leche - Pray for us mothers!
This novena is a private devotion, prayed in communion with the Catholic Church, asking Our Lady's intercession, always subject to God's will and the teachings of the Magisterium. Nihil obstat.
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