O Blessed Mother Mary, before your
marriage to the carpenter St. Joseph,
you were overshadowed by the Holy Spirit
and conceived a child.
As you carried Jesus, your Divine Child, in your womb,
you overcame fear and rejoiced, anticipating His birth.
In your tender way, tough the hearts of all women
for whom being pregnant is more a problem than a joy.
Give them the help and courage they need
to bring a child into this world.
Mary, you believed that with God all things are possible.
Dispel any fear of giving the gift of life.
Replace it with trust in God.
Amen.
- A Columban Missionary
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.