Our Lady of the Forsaken: start your novena to end on April 7

Statue of Our Lady of the Forsaken, from Valencia, Spain.

In the memorare prayer, we say:

"...never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided."

The conclusion we take from this is that we will not be the first ones to be forsaken in history by Our Lady.

In this regard, devotion to Our Lady of the Forsaken is very important.

It started on the first Sunday of Lent in 1409.  On his way to preach a homily in the Valencia Cathedral, a friar saw boys cruelly mistreating a group of insane people. The friar defended the unfortunate insane ones, reprimanded the boys, and continued his way, very impressed by the event.

He changed the content of his sermon, including an emotional appeal for charity and for the insane of the city who were left to their misery, subject to abuse.

To make a long story short, charitable souls came forward and funded a hospital to care for the mentally ill who were forsaken at the time.  The hospital was founded on March 15, 1410.

It was the first ward for the mentally ill in the world.

Let's turn our attention from mental illness to spiritual illness.

In the modern world, mental illness is far from the gravest of evils. 

Spiritual insanity is far worse; sin and the loss of the notion of good and evil are the greatest evils. 

So let's pray a nine day novena to Our Lady of the Forsaken, asking her to save us and the souls in our world from the greatest insanity of all: sin!

Prayer

My Lord Jesus Christ, remember that I am a sinner.  Blessed Virgin, pray for me.  May  you always be praised and blessed. 

Pray for this sinner to your beloved Son, precious beauty of the angels, prophets and Patriarchs, crown of virgins; save me from the appalling figure of the devil when my soul leaves my body.

O holy source of piety and beauty, joy of heavenly glory, consolation of heaven, rest after work! With you, Virgin most prudent, the angels rejoice. 

Safeguard my soul, and the souls of the faithful; pray for us to your most blessed Son and lead us to eternal paradise, where you live and reign forever, and there we will praise you forever. Amen, Jesus.