Page 22 - 54-Day Rosary Novena(Revised)

THE 54-DAY ROSARY NOVENA
The prayers in this booklet can be recited during any 54-days in the year. However, it is specially recommended that recitation be done between August 15 - the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and October 7 - the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The number of days between these two feasts is exactly 54 - days. This is no coincidence.
In the early weeks of August 1995, I received a book of Marian Novenas and Devotions from the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C. My first move was to stick my thumb into the book and by some stroke of providence ( or was it by the guidance of the Mother of God?) I opened the book on page 69 - The Fifty-Four Day Rosary Novena. The section only had two pages - a short write-up about the devotion and page 70 had a very short guide numbering from 1 to 7.
In my heart I prayed to the Mother of God and asked if she was asking me to do something. As if in answer to my question, I was drawn to my catholic calendar and I saw that August 15 was the feast of the Assumption. I then asked Her my second question in my heart - which was: “If this is a 54-day Novena, when was this going to end?” Again, in answer to my question, I was drawn to the calendar - this time counting the days starting from the feast of the Assumption. To my surprise day 54 ended exactly on October 7; which is the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.
As you can see, this was no coincidence but a definite message from the Mother of God to do the devotion yearly between these two feasts. So, in response to Her guidance, I have printed this guide-booklet.
Additionally, we have incorporated a pilgrimage to a Shrine (preferably a Marian Shrine) at the start of the novena clos- est to Aug. 15 (Feast of Assumption) (Day 2 to day 53 is on your own) and at the end closest to Oct. 7 (Feast of The Holy Rosary) to officially close the novena. Manny Crisol
The Holy Family Group
Prayer to Our Lady at the start and end of the 54-day Rosary Novena
O Mary, my Mother, I kneel before you with a heavy heart. The burden of my sins oppresses me. The knowledge of my weakness discourages me. I am beset by fears and tempta- tions of every sort. I am so attached to the things of this world that instead of longing for Heaven, I am filled with dread at the thought of death.
O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me in my distress. You are all-powerful with Your Divine Son. He can not refuse any request from Your Immaculate Heart. Show Yourself a true Mother to me by being my Advocate before His throne. O Refuge of sinners and Hope of the hopeless; to whom shall I turn if not to You?
Obtain for me then, O Mother of Hope, the grace of true sorrow for my sins; the gift of perfect resignation to God’s Holy Will and the courage to take up my cross and follow Je- sus. Beg of His Sacred Heart the special favor that I ask in this
novena.But above all I pray, O dearest Mother, that through Your most powerful intercession, my heart may be filled with holy hope; so that in life’s darkest hour I may never fail to trust in God my Savior, but by walking in the way of His command- ments, I may merit to be united with Him and with You in the eternal joys of Heaven.
O Holy Mary, my Sovereign Lady, into Your blessed trust and special custody and into the bosom of Your mercy; I, these 54-days and every day of the remainder of my life, spe- cially at the hour of my death, commend my soul and my body. To You I commit all my hope and happiness; all my anxieties and miseries; my life and the end of my life; that through Your most holy intercession and through Your merits, all my actions may be guided and governed according to Your wishes and Your Son’s Will. Amen.