The novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe is prayed for nine days in a row to prepare for her feast on December 12. Traditionally it begins on December 3 and ends on December 11, the eve of the feast, though you can pray it at any time of year for a special intention. Here is the complete novena: the prayer for each day, a short meditation on the apparitions at Tepeyac, and the closing prayer.
How to pray the novena
Each day of the novena is prayed the same way. You can do it alone or with your family, before an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe if you have one:
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Pray the opening prayer, the same every day.
- Read the meditation of the day and keep a moment of silence.
- Bring your petition to Our Lady.
- Pray an Our Father, three Hail Marys, and a Glory Be.
- Finish with the closing prayer.
If you wish, you can also pray a mystery of the rosary each day. The whole novena takes about ten minutes a day.
Opening prayer (every day)
Most Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the true God for whom we live, you showed yourself on the hill of Tepeyac as a mother full of tenderness to humble Juan Diego. Look on me and my family with those same eyes of mercy.
As I begin this novena, I want to prepare to celebrate your feast with a clean and grateful heart. I bring you my joys, my worries, and this special intention: (say your petition here).
Carry it to your Son Jesus, and obtain for me the grace of always doing his will. Amen.
Day 1 (December 3): Mother of the true God
On December 9, 1531, very early in the morning, Juan Diego was walking to Mass when he heard singing on the hill of Tepeyac. A lady called him lovingly by name, "Juanito, Juan Dieguito," and introduced herself as the ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God.
Our Lady does not come with threats or demands. She comes calling a simple man by name. She knows us in the same way.
Petition: My Mother, help me hear the voice of God calling me by name in the midst of my busy days. May I not pass by when he speaks.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Day 2 (December 4): She who chooses the humble
Our Lady could have appeared to a bishop or a ruler, but she chose a poor, recently baptized Indigenous man. Through him she asked for a church to be built, where she could show her love to all who sought her.
God still chooses the little ones to do great things. No one is too unimportant for him.
Petition: Our Lady of Guadalupe, teach me to be humble and to look down on no one. I pray for the poor, for Indigenous peoples, for migrants, and for all who feel forgotten.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Day 3 (December 5): Patience when no one believes us
Juan Diego went to see the bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, and told him what he had seen. The bishop listened, but did not believe him and asked him to come back another day. Juan Diego returned sadly to Tepeyac.
We all go through times when our efforts bear no fruit or no one understands us. Our Lady does not reproach Juan Diego. She encourages him to keep going.
Petition: Mother, give me patience when things do not go as I hope. May I not give up at the first failure, and may I learn to wait for God's time.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Day 4 (December 6): When we feel worthless
Discouraged, Juan Diego asked Our Lady to send someone more important, because he felt he was a man of no value. She answered that she had many servants, but that she had chosen him.
How often we think that we are not worth anything, that we are not capable, or that God cannot count on us. Our Lady thinks otherwise.
Petition: Our Lady of Guadalupe, heal my insecurities and my wounds. Help me discover the value I have in God's eyes and fulfill the mission he has entrusted to me.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Day 5 (December 7): A faith that asks for signs
On his second visit, the bishop asked Juan Diego for a sign to confirm that the Lady was truly the Mother of God. Juan Diego took the message to Our Lady, and she promised to give it.
Asking for signs is not wrong when it comes from a sincere desire to know the truth. God is patient with our doubts.
Petition: Mother, increase my faith. When I have doubts, do not let me drift away from God. Help me seek answers in prayer, in the Word of God, and in the Church. I pray for those who have lost their faith.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Day 6 (December 8): For the sick
Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary. In 1531, Juan Bernardino, Juan Diego's uncle, fell gravely ill. Juan Diego spent the day caring for him, and the next morning set out to find a priest to give him the last sacraments.
Worry over a sick family member is one of the heaviest crosses. Juan Diego carried it, and Our Lady did not forget him.
Petition: Our Lady of Guadalupe, I entrust to you all the sick, especially (name). Give them relief in their pain and strength in their treatment. Comfort their families and those who care for them.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Day 7 (December 9): "Am I not here, I who am your mother?"
Today is the feast of Saint Juan Diego. In a hurry to reach his uncle, Juan Diego took a detour to avoid meeting Our Lady. But she came out to meet him and spoke the most beloved words of the apparitions: "Am I not here, I who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection?" And she assured him that his uncle was already healed.
Sometimes, when we are overwhelmed, we try to avoid God. He comes out to meet us anyway.
Petition: Mother, when I feel alone or full of anguish, remind me that you are here. I pray for those who suffer from anxiety, depression, or loneliness.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Day 8 (December 10): Roses in winter
Our Lady told Juan Diego to climb to the top of Tepeyac, a rocky place where in December only thorns and cactus grew. There he found fresh Castilian roses. He gathered them in his tilma, and Our Lady arranged them with her own hands.
Roses in the middle of winter are a sign of hope: God can make what seems dead bloom again.
Petition: Our Lady of Guadalupe, I bring you the situations in my life that seem to have no way out: (name one). May hope bloom in them. I pray for divided families and for those who cannot find work.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Day 9 (December 11): The Mother who stays with us
Juan Diego came before the bishop and opened his tilma. The roses fell, and on the cloth appeared the image of Our Lady, as we see it today in the Basilica of Guadalupe. The bishop fell to his knees, and the chapel Our Lady had asked for was soon built.
Our Lady did not leave. She stayed in the image as a sign that she continues to accompany her people. Her mantle full of stars and the ribbon at her waist remind us that she carries Jesus and wants to give him to everyone.
Petition: Mother, thank you for staying with us. As I finish this novena, I consecrate my life and my family to you. Tomorrow, on your feast, may I thank you with joy and bring Jesus to others.
Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory Be.
Closing prayer (every day)
Most Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas, thank you for listening to your children.
Bless our families, protect our children and young people, comfort the sick and those who mourn, accompany migrants and those far from home. Give peace and justice to our peoples.
Do not let go of our hand, and lead us always to your Son Jesus, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
December 12, the feast day
On the feast day, the most important thing is to take part in Mass. Many families begin the night before with Las Mañanitas to Our Lady, and decorate her image at home with roses. If you can, end the day by praying together the prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe for the family.
Frequently asked questions
When is the novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe prayed? Traditionally from December 3 to 11, finishing on the eve of the feast. You can also pray it at any time of year, for nine days in a row, for a special intention.
What if I miss a day? Nothing bad happens. A novena is not a magic formula. If you miss a day, pick up where you left off, or pray two days together. What matters is faith and perseverance.
Can it be prayed as a family? Yes, and it is highly recommended. One person can read the meditation and everyone can pray the responses together. Children can offer the petitions.
Do I have to pray the rosary every day? It is not required, but many people pray a full rosary or one mystery during the novena. To learn how, read how to pray the rosary.
You can complete the novena with the Hail Holy Queen.