Part 4

Litanies and Novenas
For Your Salvation

by S. M. Flavius



Living Water at the Oasis
Living Water at the Oasis


Part 4
Litanies and Novenas for Your Salvation




Novena of the Immaculate Conception

Day One

O most Holy Virgin, who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother, immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, who by your blessed Immaculate Conception, from the first moment of your conception did crush the head of the enemy, receive our prayers as we implore you to present at the throne of God the favor we now request... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Two

O Mary, ever blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Queen of angels and of saints, we salute you with the most profound veneration and filial devotion as we contemplate your holy Immaculate Conception, We thank you for your maternal protection and for the many blessings that we have received through your wondrous mercy and most powerful intercession. In all our necessities we have recourse to you with unbounded confidence. O Mother of Mercy, we beseech you now to hear our prayer and to obtain for us of your Divine Son the favor that we so earnestly request in this novena... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Three

O Blessed Virgin Mary, glory of the Christian people, joy of the universal Church and Mother of Our Lord, speak for us to the Heart of Jesus, who is your Son and our brother. O Mary, who by your holy Immaculate Conception did enter the world free from stain, in your mercy obtain for us from Jesus the special favor which we now so earnestly seek... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Four

O Mary, Mother of God, endowed in your glorious Immaculate Conception with the fullness of grace; unique among women in that you are both mother and virgin; Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ, we ask you to look down with a tender heart from your throne and listen to our prayers as we earnestly ask that you obtain for us the favour for which we now plead... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Five

O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you that as by the foreseen death of your Son, you did preserve her from all stain of sin, grant that through her intercession, we may be favored with the granting of the grace that we seek for at this time... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Six

Glorious and immortal Queen of Heaven, we profess our firm belief in your Immaculate Conception preordained for you in the merits of your Divine Son. We rejoice with you in your Immaculate Conception. To the one ever-reigning God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one Person, one in nature, we offer thanks for your blessed Immaculate Conception. O Mother of the Word mad Flesh, listen to our petition as we ask this special grace during this novena... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Seven

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, and my mother, from the sublime heights of your dignity turn your merciful eyes upon me while I, full of confidence in your bounty and keeping in mind your Immaculate conception and fully conscious of your power, beg of you to come to our aid and ask your Divine Son to grant the favour we earnestly seek in this novena, if it be beneficial for our immortal souls and the souls for whom we pray. Amen. (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen

Day Eight

O Most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, intercede with him for us that we be granted the favor which we petition for so earnestly in this novena... (State your intention here...) O Mother of the Word Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. O Glorious Mother of God, in memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception, hear our prayers and obtain for us our petitions. O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Day Nine

O Mother of the King of the Universe, most perfect member of the human race, "our tainted nature's solitary boast," we turn to you as mother, advocate, and mediatrix. O Holy Mary, assist us in our present necessity. By your Immaculate Conception, O Mary conceived without sin, we humbly beseech you from the bottom of our heart to intercede for us with your Divine Son and ask that we be granted the favour for which we now plead... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

On the last day of this Novena, recite the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. Recite the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

Before Christmas Novena

Divine Infant, after the wonders of Your birth in Bethlehem, You wished to extend Your infinite mercy to the whole world by calling the Wise Men by heavenly inspiration to Your crib, which was in this way changed into a royal throne. You graciously received those holy men who were obedient to the divine call and hastened to Your feet. They recognized and worshipped You as Prince of Peace, the Redeemer of mankind, and the very Son of God. Show us also Your goodness and almighty power. Enlighten our minds, strengthen our wills, and inflame our hearts to know You, to serve You, and to love You in this life, that we may merit to find our joy in You eternally in the life to come. Jesus, most powerful Child, I implore You again to help me:

(State your intention here...)

Divine Child, great omnipotent God, I implore through Your most Holy Mother's most powerful intercession, and through the boundless mercy of Your omnipotence as God, for a favorable answer to my prayer during this Novena. Grant me the grace of possessing You eternally with Mary and Joseph and of adoring You with Your holy angels and saints. Amen.

Christmas Novena

Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment At which the Son of God was born Of a most pure Virgin At a stable at midnight in Bethlehem In the piercing cold At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, To hear my prayers and grant my desires:

(Mention your request[s] here).

Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.

Day One - God's Love Revealed in His Becoming Man.

Thought:

Because our first parent Adam had rebelled against God, he was driven out of paradise and brought on himself and all his descendants the punishment of eternal death. But the son of God, seeing man thus lost and wishing to save him from death, offered to take upon Himself our human nature and to suffer death Himself, condemned as a criminal on a cross. "But, My Son," we may imagine the eternal Father saying to Him, "think of what a life of humiliations and sufferings Thou wilt have to lead on earth. Thou wilt have to be born in a cold stable and laid in a manger, the feeding trough of beasts. While still an infant, Thou wilt have to flee into Egypt, to escape the hands of Herod. After Thy return from Egypt, Thou wilt have to live and work in a shop as a lowly servant, poor and despised. And finally, worn out with sufferings, Thou wilt have to give up Thy life on a cross, put to shame and abandoned by everyone." "Father," replies the Son, "all this matters not. I will gladly bear it all, if only I can save man." What should we say if a prince, out of compassion for a dead worm, were to choose to become a worm himself and give his own life blood in order to restore the worm to life? But the eternal Word has done infinitely more than this for us. Though He is the sovereign Lord of the world, He chose to become like us, who are immeasurably more beneath Him than a worm is beneath a prince, and He was willing to die for us, in order to win back for us the life of divine grace that we had lost by sin. When He saw that all the other gifts which He had bestowed on us were not sufficient to induce us to pray His love with love, He became man Himself and gave Himself all to us. "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us;" "He loved us and delivered Himself up for us."

Prayer:

O Great Son of God, Thou hast become man in order to make Thyself loved by men. But where is the love that men give Thee in return? Thou hast given Thy life blood to save our souls. Why then are we so unappreciative that, instead of repaying Thee with love, we spurn Thee with ingratitude? And I, Lord, I myself more than others have thus ill treated Thee. But Thy Passion is my hope. For the sake of that love which led Thee to take upon Thyself human nature and to die for me on the cross, forgive me all the offenses I have committed against Thee. I love Thee, O Word Incarnate; I love Thee, O infinite goodness. Out of love for Thee, that I could die of grief for these offenses. Give me, O Jesus, Thy love. Let me no longer live in ungrateful forgetfulness of the love Thou bearest me. I wish to love Thee always. Grant that I may always preserve in this holy desire. O Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, pray for me that thy Son may give me the grace to love Him always, unto death. Amen.

Second Day - God's Love Revealed in His Being Born an Infant.

Thought:

When the Son of God became man for our sake, He could have come on earth as an adult man from the first moment of of His human existence, as Adam did when he was created. But since the sight of little children draws us with an especial attraction to love them, Jesus chose to make His first appearance on earth as a little infant, and indeed as the poorest and most pitiful infant that was ever born. "God wished to be born as a little babe," wrote Saint Peter Chrysologus, "in order that He might teach us to love and not to fear Him." The prophet Isaias had long before foretold that the Son of God was to be born as an infant and thus give Himself to us on account of the love He bore us: "A child is born to us, a son is given to us." My Jesus, supreme and true God! What has drawn Thee from heaven to be born in a cold stable, if not the love which Thou bearest us men? What has allured Thee from the bosom of Thy Father, to place Thee in a hard manger? What has brought Thee from Thy throne above the stars, to lay Thee down on a little straw? What has led Thee from the midst of the nine choirs of angels, to set Thee between two animals? Thou, who inflamest the seraphim with holy fire, art now shivering with cold in this stable! Thou, who settest the stars in the sky in motion, canst not now move unless others carry Thee in their arms! Thou, who givest men and beasts their food, has need now a little milk to sustain Thy life! Thou, who art the joy of heaven, dost now whimper and cry in suffering! Tell me, who has reduced Thee to such misery? "Love has done it," says Saint Bernard. The love which Thou bearest us men has brought all this on Thee.

Prayer:

O Dearest Infant! Tell me, what hast Thou come on earth to do? Tell me, whom art Thou seeking? Yes, I already know. Thou has come to die for me, in order to save me from hell. Thou hast come to seek me, the lost sheep, so that, instead of fleeing from Thee any more, I may rest in Thy loving arms. Ah my Jesus, my treasure, my life, my love and my all! Whom will I love, if not Thee? Where can I find a father, a friend, a spouse more loving and lovable than Thou art? I love Thee, my dear God; I love Thee, my only good. I regret the many years when I have not loved Thee, but rather spurned and offended Thee. Forgive me, O my beloved Redeemer; for I am sorry that I have thus treated Thee, and I regret it with all my heart. Pardon me, and give me the grace never more to withdraw from Thee, but constantly to love Thee in all the years that still lie before me in this life. My love, I give myself entirely to Thee; accept me, and do not reject me as I deserve. O Mary, thou art my advocate. By thy prayers thou dost obtain whatever thou wilt from thy Son. Pray Him then to forgive me, and to grant me holy perseverance until death. Amen.

Third Day - The Life of Poverty Which Jesus Led From His Birth.

Thought:

God so ordained that, at the time when His Son was to be born on this earth, the Roman emperor should issue a decree ordering everyone to go to the place of his origin and there be registered in the census. Thus it came about that, in obedience to this decree, Joseph went to Bethlehem together with his virgin wife when she was soon to have her Child. Finding no lodging either in the poor inn or in the other houses of the town, they were forced to spend the night in a cave that was used as a stable for animals, and it was here that Mary gave birth to the King of heaven. If Jesus had been born in Nazareth, He would also, it is true, have been born in poverty; but there He would at least have had a dry room, a little fire, warm clothes and a more comfortable cradle. Yet He chose to be born in this cold, damp cave, and to have a manger for a cradle, with prickly straw for a mattress, in order that He might suffer for us. Let us enter in spirit into this cave of Bethlehem, but let us enter in a spirit of lively faith. If we go there without faith, we shall see nothing but a poor infant, and the sight of this lovely child shivering and crying on his rough bed of straw may indeed move us to pity. But if we enter with faith and consider that this Babe is the very Son, God, who for love of us has come down on earth and suffers so much to pay the penalty for our sins, how can we help thanking and loving Him in return?

Prayer:

O Dear Infant Jesus, how could I be so ungrateful and offend Thee so often, if I realized how much Thou hast suffered for me? But these tears which Thou sheddest, this poverty which Thou embracest for love of me, make me hope for the pardon of all the offenses I have committed against Thee. My Jesus, I am sorry for having so often turned my back on Thee. But now I love Thee above all else. "My God and my all!" From now on Thou, O my God, shalt be my only treasure and my only good. With Saint Ignatius of Loyola I will say to Thee, "Give me the grace to love Thee; that is enough for me." I long for nothing else; I want nothing else. Thou alone art enough for me, my Jesus, my life, my love. O Mary, my Mother, obtain for me the grace that I may always love Jesus and always be loved by Him. Amen.

Fourth Day - The Life of Humiliation Which Jesus Led From His Birth.

Thought:

The Sign which the angel gave the shepherds to help them find the newborn Savior, points to His lowliness: "This shall be a sign to you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." No other newborn baby who was wrapped in poor swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, could be found anywhere else but in a stable. Thus in lowliness the King of heaven, the Son of God, chose to be born, because He came to destroy the pride that had been the cause of man's ruin. The prophets had already foretold that our Redeemer was to be treated as the vilest of men on earth and that He was to be overwhelmed with insults. How much contempt had not Jesus indeed to suffer from men! He was called a drunkard, a trickster, a blasphemer and a heretic. What ignominies He endured in His Passion! His own disciples abandoned Him; one of them sold Him for thirty pieces of silver, and another denied having ever known Him. He was led in bonds through the streets like a criminal; He was scourged like a slave, ridiculed as a fool, crowned with thorns as a mock king, buffeted and spit upon, and finally left to die, hanging on a cross between two thieves, as the worst criminal in the world. "The noblest of all," says Saint Bernard, "is treated as the vilest of all." But the Saint adds, "The viler Thou are treated, the dearer Thou art to me." The more I see Thee, my Jesus, despised and put to shame, the more dear and worthy of my love dost Thou become to me.

Prayer:

O Dearest Saviour, Thou hast embraced so many outrages for love of me, yet I have not been able to bear one word of insult without at once being filled with resentful thought, I who have so often deserved to be trodden under foot by the demons in hell! I am ashamed to appear before Thee, sinful and proud as I am. Yet do not drive me from Thy presence, O Lord, even though that is what I deserve. Thou hast said that Thou wilt not spurn a contrite and humbled heart. I am sorry for the offenses I have committed against Thee. Forgive me, O Jesus. I will not offend Thee again. For love of me Thou hast borne so many injuries; for love of Thee I will bear all the injuries that are done to me. I love Thee, Jesus, who was despised for love of me. I love Thee above every other good. Give me the grace to love Thee always and to bear every insult for love of Thee. O Mary, recommend me to Thy Son; pray to Jesus for me. Amen.

Fifth Day - The Life of Sorrow Which Jesus Led From His Birth.

Thought:

Jesus Christ could have saved mankind without suffering and dying. Yet, in order to prove to us how much He loved us, He chose for Himself a life full of tribulations. Therefore the prophet Isaias called Him "a man of sorrows," His whole life was filled with suffering. His Passion began, not merely a few hours before His death, but from the the first moment of His birth. He was born in a stable where everything served to torment Him. His sense of sight was hurt by seeing nothing but the rough, black walls of the cave; His sense of smell was hurt by the stench of the dung from the beasts in the stable; His sense of touch was hurt by the prickling straw on which He lay. Shortly after His birth He was forced to flee into Egypt, where He spent several years of His childhood in poverty and misery. His boyhood and early manhood in Nazareth were passed in hard work and obscurity. And finally, in Jerusalem, He died on a cross, exhausted with pain and anguish. Thus, then, was the life of Jesus but one unbroken series of sufferings, which were doubly painful because He had ever before His eyes all the sufferings He would have to endure till His death. Yet, since our Lord had voluntarily chosen to bear these tribulations for our sake, they did not afflict Him as much as did the sight of our sins, by which we have so ungratefully repaid Him for His love towards us. When the confessor of Saint Margaret of Cortona saw that she never seemed satisfied with all the tears she had already shed for her past sins, he said to her, "Margaret, stop crying and cease your lamenting, for God has surely forgiven you your offenses against Him." But she replied, "Father, how can I cease to weep, since I know that my sins kept my Lord Jesus in pain and suffering during all His life?"

Prayer:

O Jesus, my sweet Love! I too have kept Thee suffering through all Thy life. Tell me, then, what I must do in order to win Thy forgiveness. I am ready to do all Thou askest of me. I am sorry, O sovereign Good, for all the offenses I have committed against Thee. I love Thee more than myself, or a least I feel a great desire to love Thee. Since it is Thou who hast given me this desire, do Thou also give me the strength to love Thee exceedingly. It is only right that I, who have offended Thee so much, should love Thee very much. Always remind me of the love Thou hast borne me, in order that my soul may ever burn with love of Thee and long to please Thee alone. O God of love, I, who was once a slave of hell, now give myself all to Thee. Graciously accept me and bind me to Thee with the bonds of Thy love. My Jesus, from this day and forever in loving Thee will I live, and in loving Thee will I die. O Mary, my Mother and my hope, help me to love Thy dear God and mine. This is the only favour I ask of thee, and through thee I hope to receive it. Amen.

Sixth Day - God's Mercy Revealed in His Coming Down From Heaven to Save Us.

Thought:

Saint Paul says, "The goodness and kindness of God, our Savior, has appeared." When the Son of God made Man appear on earth, then was it seen how great is God's goodness towards us. Saint Bernard says that first God's power was manifested in the creation of the world and His wisdom in its conservation, but His merciful goodness was especially manifested later in His taking human nature on Himself, in order to save fallen mankind by His sufferings and death. For what greater proof of His kindness towards us could the Son of God show us than in taking on Himself the punishment we had deserved? See Him as a weak, newborn infant, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Unable to move or feed Himself, He has need of Mary to give Him a little milk to sustain His life. Or see Him again in Pilate's courtyard, tied with fast bonds to a column and there scourged from head to foot. Behold Him on the way to Calvary, falling down from weakness under weight of the cross that He must carry. Finally behold Him nailed to this tree of shame, on which He breathes His last amid pain and anguish. Because Jesus Christ wished that His love for us should win all the love of our hearts for Himself, He would not send an angel to redeem us, but chose to come Himself, to save us by His Passion and death. Had an angel been our redeemer, men would have had to divide their hearts in loving God as their Creator and an angel as their redeemer; but God, who desires men's whole hearts, as He was already their Creator, wished also to be their Redeemer.

Prayer:

O my Dear Redeemer! Where should I be now, if Thou hadst not borne with me so patiently, but hadst called me from life while I was in the state of sin? Since Thou hast waited for me till now, forgive me quickly, O my Jesus, before death finds me still guilty of so many offenses that I have committed against Thee. I am so sorry for having vilely despised Thee, my sovereign Good, that I could die of grief. But Thou canst not abandon a soul that seeks Thee. If hitherto I have forsaken Thee, I now seek Thee and love Thee. Yes, my God, I love Thee above all else; I love Thee more than myself. Help me, Lord, to love Thee always during the rest of my life. Nothing else do I seek of Thee. But this I beg of Thee, this I hope to receive from Thee. Mary, my hope, do thou pray for me. If thou prayest for me, I am sure of grace. Amen.

Seventh Day - Flight of the Child Jesus Into Egypt.

Thought:

Although the Son of God came from heaven to save men,  scarcely was He born when men began to persecute Him to death. Herod, fearing that this Child would deprive Him of his kingdom, seeks to destroy His life. But St. Joseph is warned by an angel in a dream to take the Infant and His Mother and flee into Egypt. Joseph obeys at once, and tells Mary about it. He takes the few tools of his trade, that he may use them to gain a livelihood in Egypt for himself and his poor family. Mary wraps up a small bundle of clothes for the use of her little Son, and then, going to the crib, she says with tears in her eyes to her sleeping Child, "O my Son and my God! Thou hast come from heaven to save men; but hardly art Thou born when they seek to take Thy life." Lifting Him meanwhile in her arms and continuing to weep, she sets out that same night with Joseph on the road to Egypt. Let us consider how much these holy wanderers must have suffered in making so long a journey, deprived of every comfort. The divine Child was not yet able to walk, and so Mary and Joseph had to take turns in carrying Him in their arms. During their journey through the desert towards Egypt they had to spend several nights in the open air, with the bare ground for their bed. The cold makes the Infant cry, and Mary and Joseph weep in pity for Him. And who would not weep at thus seeing the Son of God poor and persecuted, a fugitive on earth, that he might not be killed by His enemies!

Prayer:

Dear Infant Jesus, crying so bitterly! Well hast Thou reason to weep in seeing Thyself persecuted by men whom Thou lovest so much. I, too, O God, have once persecuted Thee by my sins. But Thou knowest that now I love Thee more than myself, and that nothing pains me more than the thought that I have so often spurned Thee, my sovereign Good. Forgive me, O Jesus, and let me bear Thee with me in my heart in all the rest of the journey that I have still to make through life, so that together with Thee I may enter into eternity. So often have I driven Thee from my soul by my sins. But now I love Thee above all things, and I regret above other misfortunes that I have offended Thee. I wish to leave Thee no more, my beloved Lord. But do Thou give me the strength to resist temptations. Never permit me to be separated from Thee again. Let me rather die than ever again lose Thy good grace. O Mary, my hope, make me always live in God's love and then die in loving Him. Amen.

Eighth Day - The Life of the Child Jesus in Egypt and in Nazareth.

Thought:

Our Blessed Redeemer spent the first part of His childhood in Egypt, leading there for several years a life of poverty and humiliation. In that land Joseph and Mary were foreigners and strangers, having there neither relatives nor friends. Only with difficulty could they earn their daily bread by the labor of their hands. Their home was poor, their bed was poor, their food was poor. Here Mary weaned Jesus; dipping a piece of bread in water, she would put it in the sacred mouth of her Son. Here she made His first little garments and clothed Him with them. Here the Child Jesus took His first steps, stumbling and falling as other children first do. Here too He spoke His first words, but stammeringly. O wonder of wonders! To what has not God lowered Himself for love of us! A God stumbling and falling as He walks! A God stammering in His  speech! Not unlike this was the poor and humble life that Jesus led in Nazareth after His return from Egypt. There, until He was thirty years old, He lived as a simple servant or workman in a carpenter shop, taking orders form Joseph and Mary. "And He was subject to them." Jesus went to fetch the water; He opened and closed the shop; He swept the house, gathered the fragments of wood for the fire, and toiled all day long, helping Joseph in his work. Yet who is this? God Himself, serving as a apprentice! The omnipotent God, who with less than a flick of His finger created the whole universe, here sweating at the task of planing a piece of work! Should not the mere thought of this move us to love Him?

Prayer:

O Jesus, my Saviour! When I consider how, for love of me, Thou didst spend thirty years of Thy life hidden and unknown in a poor workshop, how can I desire the pleasures and honors and riches of the world? Gladly do I renounce all these things, since I wish to be Thy companion on this earth, poor as Thou wast, mortified and humble as Thou wast, so that I may hope to be able one day to enjoy Thy companionship in heaven. What are all the treasures and kingdoms of this world? Thou, O Jesus, art my only treasure, my only Good! I keenly regret the many times in the past when I spurned Thy friendship in order to satisfy my foolish whims. I am sorry for them with all my heart. For the future I would rather lose my life a thousand times than lose Thy grace by sin. I wish never to offend Thee again, but always to love Thee. Help me to remain faithful to Thee until death. O Mary, thou art the refuge of sinners, thou art my hope. Amen.

Ninth Day - The Birth Of Jesus in the Stable of Bethlehem.

Thought:

When the edict was issued by the emperor of Rome that everyone should go to his own city to be enrolled, Joseph and Mary went to be enrolled in Bethlehem. How much the Holy Virgin must have suffered on this journey of four days, over mountainous road and in the wintertime, with its cold rain and wind! When they arrived in Bethlehem, the time of Mary's delivery was near. Joseph, therefore, sought some lodging where she might give birth to her Child. But because they were so poor, they were driven away from the houses and even from the public inn, where other poor people had found shelter. So in that night they went a short way out of the town and there found a cave that was used as a stable, and here Mary entered. But Joseph said to his virgin wife, "Mary, how can you spend the night in this cold, damp cave and here give birth to your Child?" Mary however replied, "Dear Joseph, this cave is the royal palace in which the King of kings, the Son of God, wishes to be born." When the hour of her delivery had arrived, the holy Virgin, as she knelt in prayer, all at once saw the cave illumined with a dazzling light. She lowered her eyes to the ground and there saw before her the Son of God now born on earth, a poor little Babe, crying and shivering in the cold. Adoring Him as her God, she took Him to her breast and fondled Him. Then she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him on the straw of the manger that stood in the cave. Thus did the Son of God choose to be born among us to prove His infinite love for us.

Prayer:

O Adorable Infant Jesus! I should not have the boldness to cast myself at Thy feet, if I did not know that Thou Thyself invitest me to draw near Thee. It is I who by my sins have made Thee shed so many tears in the stable of Bethlehem. But since Thou hast come on earth to pardon repentant sinners, forgive me also, now that I am heartily sorry for having spurned Thee, my Savior and my God, who art so good and who hast loved me so much. In this night, in which Thou bestowest great graces on so many souls, grant Thy heavenly consolation to this poor soul of mine also. All that I ask of Thee is the grace to love Thee always, from this day forward, with all my heart. Set me all on fire with Thy holy love. I love Thee, O my God, who hast become a Babe for love of me. Never let me cease from loving Thee ever more. O Mary, Mother of Jesus and my Mother, thou canst obtain everything from thy Son by thy prayers. This is the only favour I ask of Thee. Do thou pray to Jesus for me. Amen.

Novena Epiphany

Day 1

O holy Magi, you were living in continual expectation of the rising of the Star of Jacob, which would announce the birth of the true Sun of justice, obtain for us an increase of faith and charity, and the grace to live in continual hope of beholding one day the light of heavenly glory and eternal joy. Glory Be...

Day 2

O holy Magi, who at the first appearance of the wondrous star left your native country to go and seek the newborn king of the Jews, obtain for us the grace of corresponding with alacrity to every divine inspiration. Glory Be...

Day 3

O holy Magi, who regarded neither the severity of the season, nor the inconveniences of the journey, that you might find the new-born Messiah; obtain for us the grace not to allow ourselves to be discouraged by any of the difficulties which may meet us in the way of salvation. Glory Be...

Day 4

O holy Magi, who when deserted by the star in the city of Jerusalem, sought humbly, and without human respect, from the rulers of the Church, the place where you might discover the object of your journey, obtain for us the grace to have recourse, in faith and humility, in all our doubts and perplexities to the counsel of our superiors, who hold the place of God on earth. Glory Be...

Day 5

O holy Magi, who were gladdened by the reappearance of the star which led you to Bethlehem, obtain for us from God the grace that, remaining always faithful to Him in afflictions, we may be consoled in time by His glory. Glory Be...

Day 6

O holy Magi, who, entering full of faith into the stable of Bethlehem, prostrated yourselves on the earth, to adore the new-born King of the Jews, though He was surrounded only by signs of poverty and weakness, obtain from the Lord for us a lively faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the true spirit of poverty, and a Christlike charity for the poor and suffering. Glory Be...

Day 7

O holy Magi, who offered to Jesus Christ gold, incense, and myrrh, thereby recognizing Him to be at once King, God, and Man, obtain from the Lord for us the grace never to present ourselves before Him with empty hands, but that we may continually offer to Him the gold of charity, the incense of prayer, and the myrrh of penance and mortification. Glory Be...

Day 8

O holy Magi, who when warned by an angel not to return to Herod, traveled back to your country by another road, obtain for us from the Lord the grace that, after having found Him by true repentance, we may avoid all danger of losing Him again. Glory Be...

Day 9

O holy Magi, who were the first among the Gentiles called to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and who persevered in the faith until your deaths, obtain for us from the Lord the grace of living always in conformity to the baptismal promises and especially in accordance with our religious vows (or 'the duties of our state of life'), leading ever a life of faith, that like you we may attain to beatific vision of that God Who now is the object of our faith. Glory Be...

Novena of Our Lady of the Epiphany

O Lady of the Epiphany through your power, glory and love show us your salvation; Jesus Christ. As the shepherds of Bethlehem came to you so long ago, we come before you at this moment. To Jesus Christ reigning in your arms, we also bow in awe. O Queen and intimate friend, remember our poverty. We beg you, O tender Mother to hold our hands and listen closely to the desires and needs of our hearts. Mary, remember ... (Mention your intention here...) We promise to amend our lives. Through your powerful intercession obtain for us the beautiful manifestation of your divine Son in the lives of those we pray for so much. Mystical, glorious woman crowned with stars, obtain the miracles and heavenly signs our dear ones need to find and embrace Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. We implore you to reveal the treasures of your heart to us, your poor children, at this urgent hour. Amen.

Lenten Novena

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, During the Holy Season of Lent You call us to a closer union with Yourself. Help me to prepare to celebrate The Paschal Mystery With mind and heart renewed. Give me a spirit of loving reverence For You, our Father, And of willing service to my neighbour. As I recall the great events That gave us new life in Christ, Bring the image of Your Son To perfection within my soul. This great season of grace is Your gift To Your family to renew us in spirit. Give me strength to purify my heart, To control my desires, And so to serve You in freedom, Teach me how to live In this passing world with my heart set On the world that will never end. I ask for the grace To master my sinfulness And conquer my pride. I want to show to those in need Your goodness to me by being kind to all. Through my observance of Lent, Help me to correct my faults And raise my mind to You, And thus grow in holiness That I may deserve The reward of everlasting life. In Your mercy grant me this special favor: (State your intention(s) here...) The days of the life-giving Death And glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Your Son, are approaching. This is the hour When He triumphed over Satan's pride, The time when we celebrate The great event of our Redemption. The Suffering and Death of Your Son Brought life to the whole world, Moving our hearts to praise Your glory. The power of the Cross reveals Your judgment on this world And the kingship of Christ crucified. Father, through His love for us And through His Sufferings, Death and Resurrection, May I gain eternal life with You in heaven.

Novena of the Ascension

O Lord Jesus Christ, who ascended into heaven in glory, I adore You and praise You and beg You to ask Your Heavenly Father to look down in mercy upon us who still struggle here on earth. Amen.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, may Your Kingdom come!

Novena of The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by the Holy Trinity. Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven. From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help. I ask for this favour:

(State your intention here...)

When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.

Novena of The Miraculous Medal

O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord Jesus and our Mother, penetrated with the most lively confidence in you all-powerful and never-failing intercession, manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal, we your loving and trustful children implore you to obtain for us the graces and favours we ask during this novena, if they be beneficial to our immortal souls, and the souls for whom we pray.

(State your intention here...)

You know, O Mary, how often our souls have been the sanctuaries of you Son who hates iniquity. Obtain for us then a deep hatred of sin and that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone so that our every thought, word and deed may tend to His greater glory. Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and self-denial that we may recover by penance what we have lost by sin and at length attain to that blessed abode where you are the Queen of angels and of men. Amen.

Novena of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

O merciful Jesus! Who didst in Thine early infancy commence Thine office of Saviour, by shedding Thy precious Blood, and assuming for us that Name which is above all names; we thank Thee for such early proofs of Thine infinite love; we venerate Thy sacred Name, in union with the profound respect of the Angel who first announced it to the earth, and unite our affections to the sentiments of tender devotion which the adorable Name of Jesus has in all ages enkindled in the hearts of Thy servants. Animated with a firm faith in Thine unerring word, and penetrated with confidence in Thy mercy, we now most humbly remind Thee of the promise Thou hast made, that when two or three should assemble in Thy Name, Thou Thyself wouldst be in the midst of them. Come, then, into the midst of us, most amiable Jesus! for it is in Thy Sacred Name we are here assembled. Come into our hearts, that Thy Holy Spirit may pray in and by us; and mercifully grant us, through that adorable Name, which is the joy of heaven, the terror of hell, the consolation of the afflicted, and the solid ground of our unlimited confidence, all the petitions we make in this Novena. O Blessed Mother of our Redeemer; who didst participate so deeply in the sufferings of thy dear Son, when He shed His sacred Blood, and assumed for us the Name of Jesus; obtain for us through that adorable Name, the favours we petition in this Novena. Beg, also, that the most ardent love may imprint on our hearts that sacred Name, that it may be always in our minds, and frequently on our lips; that it may be our defence in temptations, and our refuge in danger, during our lives, and our consolation and support in the hour of death. To this may be added the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Amen.

Miraculous 54 Days Rosary Novena

Church history reveals to us that on March 3, 1884, Our Lady of Pompeii appeared before the gravely ill daughter of an Italian military officer. Through her, Our Lady gave the world the miraculous devotion of the 54 days Rosary Novena.

For over a year, Fortuna Agrelli had been in great distress even near death. So serious was her illness that her case had been given-up as hopeless by the most celebrated physicians. In desperation, on February 16th the afflicted girl and her family began a novena of Rosaries.

One evening two weeks later, the Queen of the Holy Rosary appeared to Fortuna. Sitting upon a high throne, surrounded by luminous figures, Our Lady was holding the Divine Child on her lap and a Rosary in her hand. Both were arrayed in golden garments and were accompanied by Sts. Dominic and Catherine of Siena.

Our Lady said, "Child, your faith has pleased me. Whoever desires to obtain favours from me  should make three Novenas of the prayers of the Rosary, and three Novenas in thanksgiving."

Obedient to Our Lady's invitation, Fortuna and her family completed the six novenas whereupon the young girl was restored to perfect health and her family showered with many blessings.

The Devotion of the Miraculous Rosary Novena

To complete one Novena, a person must say the Rosary for 9 days. Three Novenas of 9 days must be said to obtain the favour. Then, three more Novenas must be said in Thanksgiving. In total, there must be 27 days of Rosary prayers to obtain the favour and 27 days of Rosary prayers in Thanksgiving. This makes a total of 54 days.

Whether the prayer intention has been received or not after the first 27 days (3 Novenas), the person must still say the 3 Rosary prayer Novenas (27 days) in Thanksgiving.

From day to day, the meditations are in accordance with the guideline followed in the Catholic Church. These included the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, the Glorious Mysteries and the Mysteries of Light.

Novena for the Salvation of Souls and the Conversion of Sinners

O JESUS, Thou didst suffer and die that all mankind might be saved and brought to eternal happiness. Through the Agony of Thine Crown of Thorns I offer it to Thy Eternal Father that Thou wilt hear our pleas for further the grace of final perseverance for the just and mercy on sinners:

My dear parents and grandparents,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds My brothers and sisters and other near relatives,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds My godparents and sponsors of Confirmation,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds My spiritual and temporal benefactors,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds My friends and neighbours,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds All for whom love or duty bids me pray,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who have offended me,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who will offend me,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who have suffered disadvantage of harm through me,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those whom I, still a sinner, will offend,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who are especially beloved by Thee,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those whose death is near at hand,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who desire most to be united to Thee,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who endure the greatest sufferings and trials, especially spiritual torments,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those whose death is most remote,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those sinners have no one to pray for them,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who are most deserving on account of their services to the Church,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The rich who do not need Thee and are thus the most destitute,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The mighty who spurn Thee,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The spiritually blind, that they might see their folly,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The frivolous, who spend their time in idleness,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The poor, who do not seek the treasures of Heaven,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The tepid, who devote little time to prayer,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The indolent, who neglect to perform good works,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those of little faith, who neglect the frequent reception of the Sacraments,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The habitual sinners, who require for their salvation to a miracle of grace,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Parents who fail to watch over their children,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Superiors who are not solicitous for the salvation of those entrusted to them,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who strive for worldly riches and pleasures,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The worldly minded, who fail to use their wealth and talents in the service of God,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who witness the death of others, but do not think of their own,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who blaspheme and commit sacrilege,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who violate the dignity of the human body and mind through impurity,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who sin because of my sins and bad example,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who do not provide for the life hereafter,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those whose judgment will be severe because of the great things entrusted to them,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The pope, kings and rulers,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The bishops and their counsellors,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds
My teachers and spiritual advisors,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The priests of this diocese,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The priests and religious of the Catholic Church,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds The defenders of the holy Catholic Faith,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who die on the battlefield,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who fight for their country,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who will be buried in the sea,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who are to die suddenly, in accidents and from other causes,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who will die of heart attacks,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who suffer with cancer,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who suffer with AIDS,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who shall die without the last rites of the Church,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds Those who shall die within the next twenty-four hours,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds For Catholic apostates, heretics, and other unbelievers,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds For Catholics who hold Masonic membership or in other secret societies,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds For the conversion of the Jews, Thy chosen people of old,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds For abortionists and those who aid them,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds For women who seek abortions,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds For those who promote or practice contraception,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds For those who give scandal, especially to children,
My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds My own poor soul when I shall have to appear before Thy judgment seat.

Prayer

Final perseverance and pardon grant unto all of these, O Lord; and let Thy graces through these petitions flow unto them and be fruitful. Amen.

Novena In Honour of the Nativity and Infancy of Our Lord

I.

Eternal Father, I offer to Thine honour and glory, for my eternal salvation and for the salvation of the whole world, the mystery of the birth of our divine Redeemer. Glory Be..

II.

Eternal Father, I offer to Thine honour and glory, for my eternal salvation and for the salvation of the whole world, the sufferings of the most holy Virgin and Saint Joseph on that long and weary journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and the anguish of their hearts at not finding a place of shelter when the Saviour of the world was about to be born.  Glory Be..

III.

Eternal Father, I offer to Thine honour and glory, for my eternal salvation and for the salvation of the whole world, the sufferings of Jesus in the manger where He was born, the cold He suffered, the tears He shed and His tender infant cries. Glory Be.

IV.

Eternal Father, I offer to Thine honour and glory, for my eternal salvation and for the salvation of the whole world, the pain which the Divine Child Jesus felt in His tender Body, when He submitted to the rite of circumcision: I offer Thee that Precious Blood which He then first shed for the salvation of all mankind. Glory Be.

V.

Eternal Father, I offer to Thine honour and glory, for my eternal salvation and for the salvation of the whole world, the humility, mortification, patience, charity and all the virtues of the Child Jesus; I thank Thee, I love Thee, and I bless Thee infinitely for this ineffable mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. Glory Be..

The Word was made flesh; R. And dwelt amongst us. Let us pray. O God, whose only-begotten Son hath appeared in the substance of our flesh; grant, we beseech Thee, that through Him, whom we acknowledge to have been outwardly like unto us, we may deserve to be renewed in our inward selves. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee for ever and ever. Amen.

Novena of Grace

(March 4th to 12th )

Priest: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

O Jesus, answer our petitions as we kneel before Thee.

People: O Heart of Jesus, hear and grant our prayers.

Priest: Pray for us, Saint Francis Xavier,

People: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Priest: Let us pray.

Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful. Enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy spirit and they shall be created,

People: and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Priest: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,

People: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

All Together: O most lovable and loving Saint Francis Xavier in union with thee I adore the Divine Majesty. The remembrance of the favours with which God blessed thee during life and of thy glory after death fills me with joy; and I unite with thee in offering to Him my humble tribute of thanksgiving and of praise. I implore thee to secure for me through thy powerful intercession the inestimable blessing of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beseech thee to obtain for me the favour I ask in this novena. (State your intentions here...) But if what I ask is not for the glory of God and for the good of my soul do thou obtain for me what is more conducive to both. Amen.

Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be....

Priest: Pray for us, Saint Francis Xavier,

People: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Hymn to Saint Francis Xavier

Oh, Father Saint Francis, we kneel at thy feet, While blessings and favours we beg and entreat, That thou from thy bright throne in heaven above Wouldst look on thy clients with pity and love. Saint Francis Xavier, Oh pray for us! Saint Francis Xavier, Oh pray for us! Oh, Father Saint Francis, thy words were once strong Against Satan's wiles and an infidel throng. Not less is thy might where in heaven thou art; Oh, come to our aid, in our battle take part. Saint Francis Xavier, Oh pray for us! Saint Francis Xavier, Oh pray for us!

St. Francis Xavier's Prayer for Unbelievers

All Together: Eternal God, Creator of all things remember that the souls of unbelievers have been created by Thee and formed to Thy own image and likeness. Behold, O Lord, how to Thy dishonour hell is being filled with these very souls. Remember that Jesus Christ, Thy Son for their salvation suffered a most cruel death. Do not permit, O Lord, I beseech Thee that Thy divine Son be any longer despised by unbelievers, but rather, being appeased by the prayers of Thy saints and the Church the most holy spouse of Thy Son deign to be mindful of Thy mercy and forgetting their idolatry and their unbelief bring them to know Him Whom Thou didst send Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord Who is our health, life, and resurrection through Whom we have been redeemed and saved to Whom be all glory forever. Amen.

Priest: Pray for us, Saint Francis Xavier,

People: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Priest: O God, Who did deign, by the preaching and miracles of Saint Francis Xavier, to join unto Thy Church the nations of the Indies, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who reverence his glorious merits, may also imitate his example, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen

Novena to Mary, Queen of the Apostles

Day One

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel" (Gen 3:15). Through God's loving foresight, Mary was placed, so to speak, on a path different from that on which all the common children of Eve, born with original sin, entered the world. The new path is that of the redeemed. The light of the cross illumined Mary's conception, infancy and youth. Thus, she was worthy to be blessed among women. Together let us honour Mary Immaculate, Queen of Apostles, and ask her to give Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life, to all of us and to all people on earth.

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Day Two

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; He will be called Son of God" (Lk 1:35). The grace in a soul is like a root from which a plant develops with its branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Virtues grow in a soul in proportion to grace. Thus, we understand why Mary reached the highest degree of virtue and holiness: because she was full of grace. She possessed the theological, cardinal and moral virtues, the beatitudes and the fruits of the Holy Spirit to an eminent degree. Mary is full of grace, the creature most intimate with God, the Blessed Mother who gives Jesus to us and helps us to love him. She makes us conceive a great fear of sin and of dangerous occasions. She inspires in us the desire for purity and for sacrifice.

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Day Three

"She gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Lk 2:7). Mary fulfils her apostolate: to give Jesus to the Father, to humanity, to heaven. She presented Jesus to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi who came to the crib in Bethlehem. Mary always gives Jesus. She is like a fruitful branch. She always carries Jesus and offers him to us: the Way, the Truth and the Life of humanity. Let us pray to Mary, the Mother of the infant Jesus, that through her maternal intercession we may all welcome the message from the crib: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!" (Lk 2:14).

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Day Four

"This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed... and a sword will pierce your own soul too" (Lk 2:34-35). Jesus Christ saw Mary at the foot of his cross, sharing in His passion. The Christian possesses an inexhaustible strength and is able to endure great sufferings without breaking. In suffering, a person can attain great nobility of character; indeed, suffering becomes a real apostolate. Let us always trustfully invoke Mary: "Pray for us, now and at the hour of our death." All to Mary, from Mary, with Mary. She shows everyone on earth her Son.

Let us pray.

"After this our exile,

show to us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus."

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Day Five

"His mother treasured all these things in her heart" (Lk 2:51). The presentation of the Lord enlightens us to live in holiness, detachment from worldly things, and purity of thoughts and actions. The child Jesus enters the temple, takes possession of it and will live in the Eucharist until the end of time. Once we have known our vocation, we must follow it and live it faithfully until we are called to heaven.

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Day Six

"Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" (Jn 19:25). Let us look at Jesus, He sacrificed himself on the cross. Let us look at Mary, she shared Christ's mission and passion with Him. The essence of the redemption is on Calvary, Jesus offers himself; Mary offers herself and her Son, whom she loves more than herself. Jesus is the Redeemer; Mary, the co-redemptrix.

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Day Seven

"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, 'Woman, here is your son.' Then He said to the disciple, 'Here is your mother'" (Jn 19:26-27). When human perversity had reached its height and had brought about the death of our Lord; when the Shepherd was smitten and the entire flock of apostles and faithful were dispersed, Jesus Christ offered hope, salvation, his Mother: "Here is your mother" (Jn 19:26).

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Day Eight

"All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers" (Acts 1:14). It is clear that we have to consider and follow Mary as our model. She is the most holy Virgin, the co-redemptrix and the Queen of Apostles. She offered Jesus on Calvary, and together with the apostles she prayed in the cenacle to obtain the Holy Spirit. She took care of the Church, newly born and already persecuted. As Mother of the Church, she became the outstanding member of the Mystical Body of Christ.

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Day Nine

"Mary Immaculate, the ever-virgin Mother of God, having finished the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory" (Pius XII, November, 1950). After the death of her Son, Jesus, Mary took care of the apostles, especially St. John, the youngest. She accompanied them with her prayers, good example and maternal comfort. Thus, Jesus willed that Mary be with them during their first years of evangelization, as she had accompanied him. After her earthly pilgrimage, her mission fulfilled, she was assumed into heaven. Let us think about the last day of the world. All the elect will gloriously enter heaven, body and soul; thus they will have an eternal reward.

Reflection and Resolution

Prayer:

O God, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us to serve your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your Name by word and example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

Novena in Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Jesus, Who because of Your burning love for us willed to be crucified and to shed Your Most Precious Blood for the redemption and salvation of our souls, look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for:

(State your intention here...)

We trust completely in Your Mercy. Cleanse us from sin by Your Grace, sanctify our work, give us and all those who are dear to us our daily bread, lighten the burden of our sufferings, bless our families, and grant to the nations, so sorely afflicted, Your Peace, which is the only true peace, so that by obeying Your Commandments we may come at last to the glory of Heaven.

Novena to Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

Kateri, favoured child and Lily of the Mohawks, come to seek your intercession in my present need:

(State your intention here...)

I admire the virtues which adorned your soul: love of God and neighbour, humility, obedience, patience, purity and the spirit of sacrifice. Help me to imitate your example in my state of life. Through the goodness and mercy of God, Who has blessed you with so many graces which led you to the true faith and to a high degree of holiness, pray to God for me and help me. Obtain for me a very fervent devotion to the Holy Eucharist so that I may love Holy Mass as you did and receive Holy Communion as often as I can. Teach me also to be devoted to my crucified Saviour as you were, that I may cheerfully bear my daily crosses for love of Him Who suffered so much for love of me. Most of all I beg you to pray for me that I may avoid sin, lead a holy life and save my soul. AMEN

In Thanksgiving to God for the graces bestowed upon Kateri:

(Recite the following prayers...)

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be... (3 times)
Kateri, Lily of the Mohawks, pray for me.

Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially...

(State your request here...)

We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever. Amen.

Novena to Blessed Margaret Castello

First Day:

O Blessed Margaret of Castello, In embracing your life just as it was, You gave us an example of resignation To the Will of God. In so accepting God's Will, You knew that you would grow in virtue, Glorify God, save your own soul, And help the souls of your neighbours. Obtain for me the grace, To recognize the will of God, In all that may happen to me in my life, And so resign myself to it. Obtain for me also the special favor, Which I now ask, Through your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favour We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honour and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Second Day:

O Blessed Margaret of Castello, In reflecting so deeply Upon the sufferings and death Of our Crucified Lord, You learned courage And gained the grace To bear your own afflictions. Obtain for me The grace and courage That I so urgently need So as to be able to bear My infirmities and endure my afflictions In union with our Suffering Saviour. Obtain for me also The special favour which I now ask Through your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favour We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honour and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Third Day:

O Blessed Margaret of Castello, Your love for Jesus In the Blessed Sacrament Was intense and enduring. It was here In intimacy with the Divine Presence That you found spiritual strength To accept suffering, To be cheerful, patient and kindly Towards others. Obtain for me the grace That I may draw from this same source, As from an exhaustible font, The strength whereby I may be Kind and understanding Of everyone despite whatever pain or discomfort May come my way. Obtain for your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favor We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honor and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Fourth Day:

O Blessed Margaret of Castello, You unceasingly turned to God in prayer With confidence and trust In His Fatherly love. It was only through continual prayer That you were enabled To accept your misfortunes, To be serene, patient, and at peace. Obtain for me the grace To persevere in my prayer, Confident that God will give me the help to carry whatever cross Comes into my life. Obtain for me also the special favour Which I now ask Through your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favour We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honour and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Fifth Day:

O Blessed Margaret of Castello, In imitation of the Child Jesus, Who was subject to Mary and Joseph, You obeyed your father and mother, Overlooking their unnatural harshness. Obtain for me That same attitude of obedience Toward all those Who have legitimate authority over me, Most especially toward The Holy Roman Catholic Church. Obtain for me also The special favor which I now ask Through your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favor We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honor and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Sixth Day:

O Blessed Margaret of Castello, Your miseries taught you Better than any teacher The weakness and frailty Of human nature. Obtain for me The grace to recognize My human limitations And to acknowledge My utter dependence upon God. Acquire for me That abandonment which leaves me Completely at the mercy of God To do with me whatsoever He wills. Obtain for me also The special favour which I now ask Through your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favour We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honour and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Seventh Day:

O blessed Margaret of Castello, You could have so easily Become discouraged and bitter; But, instead, you fixed your eyes On the suffering Christ And there you learned from Him The redemptive value of suffering - How to offer your pains and aches, In reparation for sin And for the salvation of souls. Obtain for me the grace To learn how to endure My sufferings with patience. Obtain for me also The special favour which I now ask Through your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favour We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honour and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Eighth Day:

O Blessed Margaret of Castello, How it must have hurt When your parents abandoned you! Yet you learned from this That all earthly love and affection, Even for those who are closest, Must be sanctified. And so, despite everything, You continued to love your parents - But now you loved them in God. Obtain for me the grace That I might see All my human loves and affections In their proper perspective... In God and for God. Obtain for me also The special favour which I now ask Through your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favour We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honour and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Ninth Day:

O Blessed Margaret of Castello, Through your suffering and misfortune, You became sensitive To the sufferings of others. Your heart reached out To everyone in trouble - The sick, the hungry, the dying prisoners. Obtain for me the grace To recognize Jesus in everyone With whom I come into contact, Especially in the poor, The wretched, the unwanted! Obtain for me also The special favour which I now ask Through your intercession with God.

Let us pray.

O God by whose Will The blessed virgin, Margaret, Was blind from birth, That the eyes of her mind Being inwardly enlightened She might think without ceasing On You alone; Be the light of our eyes, That we may be able To flee the shadows in this world, And reach the home Of never-ending light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Glorify your servant blessed Margaret, By granting the favour We so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission To God's Will, For His Honour and Glory And the salvation of souls.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...

Prayer

O my God, I thank you For having given Blessed Margaret of Castello To the world as an example Of the degree of holiness That can be attained by anyone Who truly loves you, Regardless of physical abnormalities. In today's perverted culture, Margaret would have, most likely, Never been born; Death through abortion Being preferable to life, Especially life In an ugly distorted twisted body. But Your ways are not the world's ways... And so it was Your Will That Margaret would be born into the world With just such a malformed body. It is Your way that uses our weakness To give testimony to Your power. Margaret was born blind, So as to see You more clearly; A cripple, so as to lean on You completely; Dwarfed in physical posture, So as to become a giant in the spiritual order; Hunch-backed, So as to more perfectly resemble The twisted, crucified body of Your Son. Margaret's whole life Was an enactment of the words Expressed by Paul: "So I shall be very happy To make my weaknesses my special boast So that the power of Christ may stay over me And that is why I am content With my weaknesses, And with insults, hardships, Persecutions and the agonies I go through for Christ's sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong." (2 Cor 12:10). I beseech you, O God, To grant through the intercession Of Blessed Margaret of Castello, That all the handicapped ... And who among us is not?... All rejected, all unwanted of the world May make their weaknesses Their own special boast So that your power may stay over them Now and forever. Amen.

Blessed Margaret of Castello, pray for us.

Our Father... Hail Mary...

Novena to Mary, Queen of All Hearts

O Mary, Queen of All Hearts, Advocate of the most hopeless cases; Mother most pure, most compassionate; Mother of Divine Love, full of divine light, we confide to your care the favours which we ask of you today. Consider our misery, our tears, our interior trials and sufferings!

We know that you can help us through the merits of your Divine Son, Jesus.

We promise, if our prayers are heard, to spread your glory, by making you known under the title of Mary, Queen of the Universe. Grant, we beseech you, hear our prayers, for every day you give us so many proofs of your love and your power of intercession to heal both body and soul.

We hope against all hope: Ask Jesus to cure us, pardon us, and grant us final perseverance. O Mary, Queen of all Hearts, help us, we have confidence in you. (3 times)

Novena to Our Guardian Angel

O most faithful companion, appointed by God to be my guardian, and who never leaves my side, how shall I thank you for your faithfulness and love and for the benefits which you have obtained for me! You watch over me when I sleep; you comfort me when I am sad; you avert the dangers that threaten me and warn me of those to come; you withdraw me from sin and inspire me to good; you exhort me to penance when I fall and reconcile me to God. I beg you not to leave me. Comfort me in adversity, restrain me in prosperity, defend me in danger, and assist me in temptations, lest at any time I fall beneath them. Offer up in the sight of the Divine Majesty my prayers and petitions, and all my works of piety, and help me to persevere in grace until I come to everlasting life. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Peace

Most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, you stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of your dying Son.

Look with a mother's tenderness and pity on us, as we kneel before you.

We venerate your sorrows, and place our request with dutiful confidence in the sanctuary of your wounded heart. Present them, we beseech you, on our behalf to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most Sacred Passion and Death, together with your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Through the united efficacy of both, obtain the granting of our petition. To whom shall we have recourse in our wants and miseries if not to you, Mother of Mercy?

You have drunk so deeply of the chalice of your Son, you can with compassion receive our sorrows. Holy Mary, your soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of your Divine Son.

Intercede for us and obtain from Jesus these petitions if they be for His honor and glory and for our good and the good of our nation:

That our nation's leaders remove those U.S. Marshals who guard abortion chambers and station them on airplanes to protect innocent travelers, Our Lady of Sorrows, hear us.

That our president may call for a moratorium on abortion while the war against terrorism is waged, Our Lady of Sorrows, hear us.

That all those injured in the terrorist attacks recover quickly, Our Lady of Sorrows, hear us.

That the souls of the departed rest in the eternal peace of your Crucified Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lady of Sorrows, hear us.

That the families of all those lost in the terrorist attack may know the comfort of Christ's constant love, Our Lady of Sorrows, hear us.

That the parents, grandparents and health care professionals who kill the innocent by abortion may receive the strength to seek Christ's forgiveness, Our Lady of Sorrows, hear us.

That the biologists, scientists, pharmaceutical company executives, medical school professors and others who are involved in the daily killing of the preborn may recognize the evil they perpetrate, and repent, Our Lady of Sorrows, hear us.

That our soldiers, fire fighters, policeman, and medical personnel will be protected by the grace of God, Our Lady of Sorrows, hear us. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Fatima

Most Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with a sincere love of this devotion, so that by meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in it, we may gather the fruits and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, and this favour that I so earnestly seek.... (State your request here...) which I ask of you in this novena, for the greater glory of God, for your own honour, and for the good of all people. Amen,

Recite the following prayers...

3 Our Father...
3 Hail Mary's...
3 Glory Be...

Novena of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe, According to your message in Mexico I venerate you as "the Virgin Mother Of the true God for whom we live, The Creator of all the world, Maker of heaven and earth." In spirit I kneel before your most holy Image Which you miraculously imprinted Upon the cloak of the Indian Juan Diego, And with the faith Of the countless numbers of pilgrims Who visit your shrine, I beg you for this favor: To be a generous, self-sacrificing, Faithful Marian Catechist all the days of my life. Remember, O Immaculate Virgin, The words you spoke to your devout client, "I am a merciful Mother to you And to all your people Who love me and trust in me And invoke my help. I listen to their lamentations and solace All their sorrows and their sufferings." I beg you to be a merciful Mother to me, Because I sincerely love you and trust in you And invoke your help. I entreat you, Our Lady of Guadalupe, To grant my request, If this should be the Will of God, In order that I may "Bear witness to your love, your compassion, Your help and protection." Do not forsake me in my needs. Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

Say the following prayers...

Day One

Dearest Lady of Guadalupe, fruitful Mother of holiness, teach me your ways of gentleness and strength. Hear my humble prayer offered with heartfelt confidence to beg this favour...

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Day Two

O Mary, conceived without sin, I come to your throne of grace to share the fervent devotion of your faithful Mexican children who call to you under the glorious Aztec title of Guadalupe. Obtain for me a lively faith to do your Son's holy will always: May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Day Three

O Mary, whose Immaculate Heart was pierced by seven swords of grief, help me to walk valiantly amid the sharp thorns strewn across my pathway. Obtain for me the strength to be a true imitator of you. This I ask you, my dear Mother.

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Day Four

Dearest Mother of Guadalupe, I beg you for a fortified will to imitate your divine Son's charity, to always seek the good of others in need. Grant me this, I humbly ask of you.

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Day Five

O most holy Mother, I beg you to obtain for me pardon of all my sins, abundant graces to serve your Son more faithfully from now on, and lastly, the grace to praise Him with you forever in heaven.

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Day Six

Mary, Mother of vocations, multiply priestly vocations and fill the earth with religious houses which will be light and warmth for the world, safety in stormy nights. Beg your Son to send us many priests and religious. This we ask of you, O Mother.

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Day Seven

O Lady of Guadalupe, we beg you that parents live a holy life and educate their children in a Christian manner; that children obey and follow the directions of their parents; that all members of the family pray and worship together. This we ask of you, O Mother.

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Day Eight

With my heart full of the most sincere veneration, I prostrate myself before you, O Mother, to ask you to obtain for me the grace to fulfill the duties of my state in life with faithfulness and constancy.

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Day Nine

O God, You have been pleased to bestow upon us unceasing favors by having placed us under the special protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Grant us, your humble servants, who rejoice in honouring her today upon earth, the happiness of seeing her face to face in heaven.

State your request here...

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

O St. John Vianney, Patron of Priests, Pray for us and for all priests!

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest your shining with life, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception." A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings; deign to cast upon us a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favours, and already many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O loving Mother, the granting of our request...

(Make your request here...)

Through gratitude for your favours, we will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that we may on day share your glory. Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your divine son while upon earth. You have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

(Recite the appropriate daily prayer..)

Day One

O Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, virgin and mother, queen of heaven, chosen from all eternity to be the Mother of the Eternal Word and in virtue of this title preserved from original sin, we kneel before you as did little Bernadette at Lourdes and pray with childlike trust in you that as we contemplate your glorious appearance at Lourdes, you will look with mercy on our present petition and secure for us a favourable answer to the request for which we are making this novena...

(Make your request here...)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day Two

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest yourself shining with light, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child Saint Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception!" O Mary Immaculate, inflame our hearts with one ray of the burning love of your pure heart. Let them be consumed with love for Jesus and for you, in order that we may merit one day to enjoy your glorious eternity. O dispenser of His graces here below, take into your keeping and present to your Divine Son the petition for which we are making this novena....

(Make your request here...)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day Three

"You are all fair, O Mary, and there is in you no stain of original sin." O Mary, conceived without sin, Pray for us who have recourse to thee. O brilliant star of sanctity, as on that lovely day, upon a rough rock in Lourdes you spoke to the child Bernadette and a fountain broke from thee plain earth and miracles happened and the great shrine of Lourdes began, so now I beseech you to hear our fervent prayer and do, we beseech you, grant us the petition we now so earnestly seek...

(Make your request here...)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day Four

O Immaculate Queen of Heaven, we your wayward, erring children, join our unworthy prayers of praise and thanksgiving to those of the angels and saints and your own the One, Holy, and Undivided Trinity may be glorified in heaven and on earth. Our Lady of Lourdes, as you looked down with love and mercy upon Bernadette as she prayed her rosary in the grotto, look down now, we beseech you, with love and mercy upon us. From the abundance of graces granted you by your Divine Son, sweet Mother of God, give to each of us all that your motherly heart sees we need and at this moment look with special favour on the grace we seek in this novena...

(Make your request here...)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day Five

O Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our mother, from the heights of your dignity look down mercifully upon us while we, full of confidence in your unbounded goodness and confident that your Divine Son will look favourably upon any request you make of Him in our behalf, we beseech you to come to our aid and secure for us the favour we seek in this novena...

(Make your request here...)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day Six

O glorious Mother of God, so powerful under your special title of Our Lady of Lourdes, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare and for the special favour we so earnestly seek in this novena...

(Make your request here...) O Lady of Bernadette, with the stars of heaven in your hair and the roses of earth at your feet, look with compassion upon us today as you did so long ago on Bernadette in the Grotto of Lourdes.

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day Seven

O Almighty God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary did prepare a worthy dwelling place for your Son, we humbly beseech you that as we contemplate the apparition of Our Lady in the Grotto of Lourdes, we may be blessed with health of mind and body. And, O most gracious Mother Mary, beloved Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer, look with favour upon us as you did that day on Bernadette and intercede with him for us that the favour we now so earnestly seek may be granted to us...

(Make your request here...)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day Eight

O Immaculate Mother of God, from heaven itself you came to appear to the little Bernadette in the rough Grotto of Lourdes! And as Bernadette knelt at your feet and the magic spring burst forth and as multitudes have knelt ever since before your shrine, O Mother of God, we kneel before you today to ask that in your mercy you plead with your Divine Son to grant the special favour we seek in this novena...

(Make your request here...)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day Nine

O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favour we seek at this time...

(Make your request here...) We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Day One

O Beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessity! O Star of the Sea, help and protect us! Show us that you are our Mother!

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Day Two

Most Holy Mary, Our Mother, in your great love for us you gave us the Holy Scapular of Mount Carmel, having heard the prayers of your chosen son Saint Simon Stock. Help us now to wear it faithfully and with devotion. May it be a sign to us of our desire to grow in holiness.

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Day Three

O Queen of Heaven, you gave us the Scapular as an outward sign by which we might be known as your faithful children. May we always wear it with honor by avoiding sin and imitating your virtues. Help us to be faithful to this desire of ours.

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Day Four

When you gave us, Gracious Lady, the Scapular as our Habit, you called us to be not only servants, but also your own children. We ask you to gain for us from your Son the grace to live as you children in joy, peace and love.

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Day Five

O Mother of Fair Love, through your goodness, as your children, we are called to live in the spirit of Carmel. Help us to live in charity with one another, prayerful as Elijah of old, and mindful of our call to minister to God's people.

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Day Six

With loving provident care, O Mother Most Amiable, you covered us with your Scapular as a shield of defense against the Evil One. Through your assistance, may we bravely struggle against the powers of evil, always open to your Son Jesus Christ.

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Day Seven

O Mary, Help of Christians, you assured us that wearing your Scapular worthily would keep us safe from harm. Protect us in both body and soul with your continual aid. May all that we do be pleasing to your Son and to you.

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Day Eight

You give us hope, O Mother of Mercy, that through your Scapular promise we might quickly pass through the fires of purgatory to the Kingdom of your Son. Be our comfort and our hope. Grant that our hope may not be in vain but that, ever faithful to your Son and to you, we may speedily enjoy after death the blessed company of Jesus and the saints.

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Day Nine

O Most Holy Mother of Mount Carmel, when asked by a saint to grant privileges to the family of Carmel, you gave assurance of your Motherly love and help to those faithful to you and to your Son. Behold us, your children. We glory in wearing your holy habit, which makes us members of your family of Carmel, through which we shall have your powerful protection in life, at death and even after death. Look down with love, O Gate of Heaven, on all those now in their last agony! Look down graciously, O Virgin, Flower of Carmel, on all those in need of help! Look down mercifully, O Mother of our Savior, on all those who do not know that they are numbered among your children. Look down tenderly, O Queen of All Saints, on the poor souls!

(State your request here...)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us.

Novena to the Precious Blood

By the Voice of your Blood, O Jesus, I would press you, solicit you, importune you. Though you seem to reject my supplications I will not leave your bleeding feet until you hear me. Too many graces, too many mercies flow from your Blood for me not to hope in its efficacy. Then, O Jesus, by the Precious Blood seven times shed for the welfare of all, by each drop of that sacred price of our redemption, by the tears of your immaculate mother, I implore you, hear my earnest prayer. (here specify your request) O Jesus, during all the days of your mortal life you consoled so many sufferers, healed so many infirmities, raised so often a sinking courage, you will not fail to have pity on one who cries to you from the depths of anguish. Oh! No, it is impossible. Another profound sigh from my heart, and from the wound in your own there will flow to me upon a wave of your merciful Blood the grace so ardently desired. O Jesus, Jesus, hasten the moment when you will change my tears into joy, my sighs into thanksgiving. Holy Mary, source of the divine Blood, I implore you not to lose this occasion of glorifying the Blood which made you immaculate. Amen.

Novena to the Sacred Heart

O Sacred and adorable Heart of Jesus! Furnace of Eternal charity! Ocean of infinite mercy! Consolation of the afflicted! Refuge of sinners! and Hope of the whole world! I most fervently adore Thee, and unite my heart, my affections, and supplications, to the perpetual homage Thou Thyself renderest to the Divinity on our Altars. Most amiable Heart, which hast loved us with an eternal love, supply Thyself for my insensibility, and receive my desire at least of loving Thee with all the ardour and sincerity Thou so justly meritest. But remember, O adorable Heart! that Thou hast not disclosed Thyself to us only as an object of our adorations; Thou desirest much more to engage our love, and to become the ground and motive of our loving confidence. For this end, Thou wert pierced through with a lance on the Cross; and for the same purpose Thou remainest a daily Victim of Thine own love on our Altars. O infinitely compassionate Heart of Jesus! which was overwhelmed with sorrow in the Garden of Olives, at the view of our spiritual and corporal miseries, I recur of Thee now with all the confidence Thou desirest I should have in the extent of Thy power and the riches of Thy mercy. Convinced that those things which are impossible to human beings are infinitely easy to Thee, and relying with an humble steadfast faith on the sacred words of Truth itself, that whatever we ask the Father in the Name of Jesus should be granted, I now most humbly implore in that adorable Name, in virtue of that promise, and through the abundant mercies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the particular favour I petition for in this Novena.

- (Specify it.)

O blessed saint Gertrude! and all you glorious servants of Christ; who while on earth were particularly devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, join your prayers with mine, and implore from the Divine Object of all your devotion the obtaining of the petition which I now make, and specially offer up through your intercession. Beg likewise, from this adorable Heart, which has dominion over all hearts, and could in a moment change the most obdurate, to have compassion on those who are in the dreadful state of mortal sin, and to open to us the treasure of its mercy at the hour of our death. Amen.

Novena of Confidence to the Sacred Heart

O Lord Jesus Christ, To your most Sacred Heart, I confide this/these intention(s): (Sate you intention(s) here...) Only look upon me, And then do What your Sacred Heart inspires. Let your Sacred Heart decide, I count on it, I trust in it, I throw myself on Your mercy, Lord Jesus! You will not fail me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Your love for me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Your Kingdom come. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked you for many favors, But I earnestly implore this one. Take it. Place it in Your open, broken Heart; And, when the Eternal Father looks upon It, Covered with Your Precious Blood, He will not refuse it. It will be no longer my prayer, But Yours, O Jesus. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You. Let me not be disappointed. Amen.

Novena to Our Lord of Transfiguration

I. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

O Saving Victim opening wide the gate of heaven to all below.
Our foes press on from every side;
Thine aid supply,
Thy strength bestow.
To Thy great name be endless praise Immortal Godhead,
One in Three;
Oh, grant us endless length of days,
In our true native land with Thee.
Amen.

II. Invocation of the Holy Spirit (or Come Holy Spirit song)

Come Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of Your love.
Send forth Your Spirit
and they shall be created.
And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,
did instruct the hearts of the faithful,
grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever enjoy His consolations,
Through Christ Our Lord,
Amen.

III. Words of Wisdom / Reflection / Homiletics Services:

Here you have a choice of one of the above...

IV. Prayer

Father of mercies,
You glorified Your heavenly Son
and revealed Yourself in the bright cloud,
grant that we may listen in faith to have a love for the word of Christ.
Amen.

V. Profession of Faith

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit;
born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
died and was buried.
He descended to the dead,
on the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven
seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence, He shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

VI. Concluding prayer

God, our Father,
in the transfigured glory of Christ Your Son,
You strengthen our faith by confirming the witness of Your prophets
and by showing to us the splendour of your beloved Son,
help us to become heirs to the eternal life with Him,
who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

VII. Benediction

Tantum Ergo Sacramentum

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! The Sacred Host we hail.
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of Grace prevail:
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
To The Everlasting Father
And The Son Who reigns on high,
With The Spirit blessed proceeding Forth,
from Each eternally,
Be salvation, honour, blessing,
Might and endless majesty. Amen.

VIII. To be followed by the Holy Mass.

First Day

Recommended theme for the day: Today is a Joyful Day. One day Jesus left Nazareth, His hometown, and lived in Capernaum. During that time it was a big city, not distant from Nazareth. The decision entailed a gesture of farewell to His mother and his town mates. Everyone making a decision must say goodbye and give up something. A vocation of service always signifies some form of sacrifices. It is the price of the Kingdom of God. Mary, our mother, like her Son was growing in her faith, her understanding of Jesus' vocation and her acceptance of the mission God destined for her Son. For her, this process means uncertainties, sufferings, fears and anxieties just as for many mothers who share with their son's commitment to fight for injustice on the risks of their lives. 

Second Day

Recommended theme for the day: My Own Transfiguration. Sometimes during the intense moments of our lives, we ask ourselves, in a very special way, "what we ought to do... what our vocation and responsibility is..." These are moments when we are touched by the pain of injustice around us, and with our strength, we share something in the hope that the things may change. This is the time when we experience the presence of God who leads us toward the future full of hope. This is the moment when God speaks to us and we become so enlightened as to understand the meaning. This is how Jesus felt when He was transfigured in the Mountain of Tabor.

Prayer

God You have scattered the darkness with Your light and have poured Your light into our hearts so that we might look upon the radiant face of Jesus Christ. Nourish in us the desires to contemplate Your beloved Son. Amen.

Third Day

Recommended theme for the day: Way of Witnessing to the Resurrection. The Transfiguration was necessary to help the apostles increase their faith and recognize the divinity of Jesus, His union with the Father and the Spirit as well as with the prophets of the Old Testament. Maybe there is another kind of transfiguration that is needed for us so that, like the apostles, when the vision was over, we may be able to "look up and see no none, but only Jesus." The transfiguration to which we refer is the indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Word, in our neighbour as well as in us. The kind of transfiguration will enable us to see the common things of earth, sky and sea with a new wonder and fresh joy. It will also enable us to see the presence of Jesus within ourselves and in the people who cross our path, even if they drive us crazy. We may think that such an attitude is too difficult to acquire but it is something that we can continuously ask for and desire.

Prayer

O God, according to Your plan, You have called us to holiness by Your grace which You have revealed in Jesus Christ, through Your Gospel show us the way so we could share in Your mission of glorious splendour of unending life. Amen.

Fourth Day

Recommended theme for the day: Experiencing God's Presence in our Lives - The Joy of Having Christ. In the transfiguration episode, we can see just how much Peter lived his calling with enthusiasm and with a sense of responsibility. "Master, it is wonderful for us to be here, so let us make three tents, one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Here we see Peter in all his generosity. At this moment he feels at the height of his power and ability. He is growing in awareness of his responsibility, the weight he carries on his shoulders.

Prayer

Loving Father, You have so loved us that we have been called to be sons of God, when Christ comes grant us that we may be like him. Amen.

Fifth Day

Recommended theme for the day: Transfiguration and Agony. The transfiguration anticipates the paschal mystery which begins with the cross. Jesus can attain His permanent glory in His resurrection. But first He must die on the cross. Transfiguration appears as a preparation and strengthening for the disciples to face the coming passion and death of Jesus, when His glory seems most unseen. It was given to the disciples to prepare them for the tragedy of the cross.

Prayer

O Christ, before Your passion and death You revealed the resurrection to Your disciple on Mount Tabor; we pray for Your church which labors amid the cares and anxieties of this world, that in its trials it may always be transfigured by the joy of Your victory. Amen.

Sixth Day

Recommended theme for the day: Our Mission as Disciples of Jesus. The value of the vision and the accompanying glory is its gift of equipping us for service and endurance. No one can stay on the mountaintop of Tabor forever, for there are responsibilities in the valley. Christ fulfilled His life's work not in the glory but in the valley, and it was there He was truly and completely the Messiah.

Prayer

O Christ, You took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. We pray for our Pope and bishops that they may inspire in Your people the hope of being transfigured at the last day. Amen.

Seventh Day

Recommended theme for the day: Transfiguration and Resurrection. Without the Risen Christ, Transfiguration has no meaning. It would appear to be just futile show without a happy ending. But the Resurrection confirms the glory that was shown during the transfiguration and which rightly belongs to Jesus. The glory will be manifested eventually in His second coming for the last judgment.

Prayer

O Christ, You gave light to the world when the glory of the Creator arose over You. We pray for the men and women of good will that they walk in your light. Amen.

Eighth Day

Recommended theme for the day: Revelation of Jesus to the Three. The Transfiguration of the Lord is one shining moment in the life of the apostles that prepares them for the trials ahead. Peter, James and John experience the glory in the mountain of Transfiguration. This is a foretaste of the glory that will be theirs in the Father's kingdom, and it will let them see them through the "terrible" days when Jesus undergoes His passion and death, and when they themselves are persecuted in His name.

Prayer

O Christ, upon the mountaintop You let the light of Your face shine over Moses and Elijah. We ask Your blessing upon Your people who call on Your Name, who want to belong to the kingdom of light and life. Amen.

Ninth Day

Recommended theme for the day: Transfiguration and the Blessed Trinity. The event of the transfiguration marks a decisive moment in the ministry of Jesus. A revelatory event which prefigures the glory of the Resurrection, it was given to the disciples to prepare them for the tragedy of the Cross. The resurrection of Jesus is the epiphany of the Trinity. The Father raises Jesus from the dead and the first gift of the glorification is the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

O Christ, You will reform our lowly body and make it like Your glorious one, we pray for our brothers and sisters who have died that they may share Your glory forever. Amen.

Novena to St. Joseph

O glorious Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death and the special favour we now request...

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. O glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. Amen.

Day One

O great St. Joseph, with feelings of unlimited confidence, we beg you to bless this novena that we begin in your honor. "You are never invoked in vain" says the seraphic St. Theresa of Jesus. Be you then to me what you have been to that spouse of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and graciously hear me as you did her. Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Day Two

O blessed Saint Joseph, Tender hearted father, faithful guardian of Jesus, chaste spouse of the Mother of God, we pray and beseech you to offer to God the Father, His divine son, bathed in blood on the Cross for sinners, and through the thrice holy name of Jesus obtain for us of the eternal Father the favor for which we implore your intercession...

(State your request here...)

Amid the splendors of eternity, forget not the sorrows of those who pray, those who weep; stay the almighty arm which smites us, that by your prayers and those of your most holy spouse, the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon. Amen

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Day Three

Blessed St. Joseph, enkindle in our cold hearts a spark of your charity. May God be always the first and only object of our affections. Keep our souls always in sanctifying grace and, if we should be so unhappy as to lose it, give us the strength to recover it immediately by a sincere repentance. Help us to such a love of our God as will always keep us united to Him. Amen. O glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

(State your request here...) Amen.

Day Four

Saint Joseph, pride of Heaven, unfailing hope for our lives, and support of those on earth, graciously accept our prayer of praise. You were appointed spouse of the chaste Virgin by the Creator of the world. He willed that you be called "father" of the Word and serve as agent of our salvation. May the triune God who bestowed upon you heavenly honors, be praised forever. And may He grant us through your merits the joy of a blessed life and a favorable answer to our petition.

(State your request here...) Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Day Five

O holy St. Joseph, what a lesson your life is for us, ever so eager to appear so anxious to display before the eyes of men the graces that we owe entirely to the liberality of God. In addition to the special favor for which we plead in this novena...

(State your request here...)

Grant that we may attribute to God the glory of all things, that we may love the humble and hidden life, that we may not desire any other position than the one given us by Providence and that we may always be a docile instrument in the hands of God. Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Day Six

O glorious Saint Joseph, appointed by the Eternal Father as the guardian and protector of the life of Jesus Christ, the comfort and support of His Holy Mother, and the instrument in His great design for the redemption of mankind; you who had the happiness of living with Jesus and Mary, and of dying in their arms, be moved with confidence we place in you, and procure for us from the Almighty, the particular favor which we humbly ask through your intercession...

(State your request here...) Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Day Seven

O faithful and prudent Saint Joseph, watch over our weakness and our inexperience; obtain for us that prudence which reminds us of our end, which directs our paths and which protects us from every danger. Pray for us, then, O great Saint, and by your love for Jesus and Mary, and by their love for you, obtain for us the favor we ask in this novena...

(State your request here...) Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Day Eight

O blessed Joseph, to whom it was given not only to see and to hear that God whom many kings longed to see and saw not; to hear and heard not; but also to carry Him in your arms, to embrace Him, to clothe Him, and to guard and defend Him, come to our assistance and intercede with Him to look favorably on our present petition.

(State your request here...) Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Day Nine

O good Saint Joseph, help us to be like you, gentle to those whose weakness leans on us; help us to give to those who seek our aid, succor that they may journey unafraid. Give us your faith, that we may see the right shining above the victories of might. Give us your hope that we may stand secure, untouched by doubting, steadfast to endure. Give us your love that as the years increase an understanding heart may bring us peace. Give us your purity that the hour of death finds us untouched by evil's breath. Give us your love of labour that we shirk no lot in life that calls us for honest work. Give us your love of poverty so that we live contented, let wealth come or go. Give us your courage that we may be strong; give us your meekness to confess our sins. Give us your patience that we may possess the kingdom of our souls without distress. Help us, dear Saint, to live that when life ends we pass with you to Jesus and His friends. O Glorious Saint Joseph, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

Novena to the Holy Family

The feast of the Holy Family which is celebrated at the end of December.

Prayer:

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving Holy Church as I should, above every earthly thing, and of ever showing my love by deeds.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of openly professing as I should, with courage and without human respect, the faith that I received as your gift in holy Baptism.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of sharing as I should in the defense and propagation of the Faith when duty calls, whether by word or by the sacrifice of my possessions and my life.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving my family and others in mutual charity as I should, and establish us in perfect harmony of thought, will, and action, under the rule and guidance of the shepherds of the Church.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of conforming my life fully as I should to the commandments of God's law and those of His Holy Church, so as to live always in that charity which they set forth.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I ask in particular this special favor:

(State your intention(s) here...)

Dedication of One's Family:

Most loving Jesus, by Your sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience, and gentleness, You blessed with peace and happiness the family which You chose on earth. In Your mercy look upon my family. We belong to You, for we have received Your many blessings over many years and we entrust ourselves to Your loving care. Look upon my family in Your loving kindness, preserve us from danger, give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in imitation of Your holy Family, so that having revered You and loved You faithfully on earth, we may praise You eternally in heaven.

Mary, dearest Mother, to your intercession we have recourse, knowing that your Divine Son will hear your prayers. Glorious patriarch, Saint Joseph, help us by your powerful prayers and offer our prayers to Jesus through Mary's hands. Amen.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to Mary and Joseph, You sanctified family life by Your beautiful virtues. Grant that we, with the help of Mary and Joseph, may be taught by the example of Your holy Family, and may after death enjoy its everlasting companionship. Lord Jesus, help us ever to follow the example of Your holy Family, that in the hour of our death Your glorious Virgin Mother together with Saint Joseph may come to meet us, and we may be worthy to be received by You into the everlasting joys of heaven. You live and reign forever. Amen.

Novena to the Angels

Invocation

Come, let us worship the Lord in the company of his angels.

Reading (Ex 23:20-21a)

See, I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.

Intercessions

Let us entreat the Lord that, with the angels who do His will, we may respond more promptly to the sense of His message:

R. With the angels we sing of Your glory.

Lord, You made Your angels messengers of Your wonders; fashion us into heralds of Your mighty deeds before all.

R. With the angels we sing of Your glory.

The angels ceaselessly proclaim Your holiness; fashion Your Church into a worthy voice for Your praise.

R. With the angels we sing of Your glory.

You commanded the angels to protect Your servants; may they be with us in all our endeavors.

R. With the angels we sing of Your glory.

Through the agency of the angels may all our petitions rise to You.

R. With the angels we sing of Your glory.

May the angels help us in our final hour and lead us to the land of paradise.

R. With the angels we sing of Your glory.

Prayer

Father with great wisdom You direct the ministry both of Angels and human beings. Grant that those who always minister to You in heaven may also defend us during our life on earth. We ask this in the Name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary

O Most Holy Virgin! who were chosen by the adorable Trinity from all eternity to be the Most Pure Mother of Jesus, permit me, thy humble and devoted client, to remind thee of the joy thou didst receive in the instant of the most sacred Incarnation of our Divine Lord, and during the nine months thou didst carry Him in thy chaste womb.

O tender Mother of the afflicted! grant me, under my present necessities, that peculiar protection thou hast promised to those who devoutly commemorate this ineffable joy. Relying on the infinite mercies of thy Divine Son, trusting in that promise which He has made, that those who ask should receive; and penetrated with confidence in thy powerful prayers; I most humbly entreat thee to intercede for me; and to obtain for me the favours which I petition for in this Novena, if it be the holy Will of God to grant them; and if not, to ask for me whatever graces I need most.

(Here specify your requests.)

I desire by this Novena, which I now offer in thy honour, to prove the lively confidence I have in thine intercession. Accept it, I beseech Thee, in honour of that supernatural love and joy with which thy sacred heart was replenished during the abode of thy dear Son in Thy womb; in veneration of which I offer thee the sentiments of my heart, and these nine Hail Mary's. Repeat the Hail Mary.. nine times, and then say the following:

Prayer

O Mother of God, accept these salutations, in union with the respect and veneration with which the Angel Gabriel first hailed thee full of grace. May they become so many gems in the crown of thy glory, which will increase in brightness to the end of the world.

I beseech Thee, O Comfortress of the afflicted! by the joy thou didst receive in the nine months of thy pregnancy, to obtain for me the granting of the favours which I have now implored through thy powerful intercession. For this end, I offer Thee all the good works which have ever been performed in thy honour. I most humbly entreat thee, for the love of the amiable Heart of Jesus, with which thine was ever so inflamed, to hear my humble prayers, and to obtain my requests.

Novena to St. Michael the Archangel

Glorious Saint Michael, guardian and defender of the Church of Jesus Christ, come to the assistance of His followers, against whom the powers of hell are unchained.

Guard with special care our Holy Father, the Pope, and our bishops, priests, all our religious and lay people, and especially the children.

Saint Michael, watch over us during life, defend us against the assaults of the demon, and assist us especially at the hour of death. Help us achieve the happiness of beholding God face to face for all eternity. Amen.

Saint Michael, intercede for me with God in all my necessities, especially

(State your intention here...)

Obtain for me a favourable outcome in the matter I recommend to you. Mighty prince of the heavenly host, and victor over rebellious spirits, remember me for I am weak and sinful and so prone to pride and ambition.

Be for me, I pray, my powerful aid in temptation and difficulty, and above all do not forsake me in my last struggle with the powers of evil. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary

(This Novena is to be said with a Rosary on each day.)

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart, and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena:

(State your intention(s) here...)

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God's holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual "Bouquet of Roses" because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Novena to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

(May 5th to May 13th )

First Day - The Title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate, Mother of Jesus and our tender Mother, we invoke thee under the title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, because thou art the Mother of the Savior who lives in the Eucharist, and because it was from thee that He took the Flesh and Blood with which He there feeds us! We invoke thee under that title because, again, thou art the sovereign dispensatrix of all graces and, consequently, of those contained in the august Eucharist, also, because thou didst first fulfill the duties of the Eucharistic life, teaching us by thy example how to assist properly at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, how to communicate worthily, and how to visit frequently and piously the Most Blessed Sacrament.

V. Pray for us, O Virgin Immaculate, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

R. That the Eucharistic Kingdom of Jesus Christ may come among us!

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, our King and our God, who having become Man to make us sharers in The Divinity, art truly our Bread in the adorable Eucharist, grant, we beseech Thee, that in venerating so great a Mystery, we may be mindful of the most sweet Virgin Mary, of whom Thou didst will to be conceived by the operation of the Holy Ghost! Grant, also that we may imitate the worship that she rendered while on earth to this most august Sacrament, so we may behold Thy Eucharistic Kingdom spread and flourish throughout the whole world! O Thou who livest and reignest forever and ever! Amen.

Prayer to Our Lady of The Most Blessed Sacrament

O Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the glory of Christians, the joy of the universal Church, and the hope of the world, Pray for us. Kindle in all the faithful a lively devotion to the most Holy Eucharist, so that they may be worthy to receive Holy Communion every day. Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us. Let us with Mary Immaculate adore, thank, supplicate, and console the most sacred and beloved Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.

Second Day - Mary and the Holy Mass

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate, after having been present at the death of thy Divine Son on Calvary, where thou didst unite thy immense sorrow to the Redeemer's sacrifice, thou didst frequently assist at the real, though mysterious, renewal of that adorable sacrifice in the celebration of the Holy Mass. Teach us by thy example to esteem as it deserves the Divine action performed at the altar, and obtain for us the grace to be able often, and even daily, to assist piously at the Holy Sacrifice.

(Versicle, Response, and Prayer as on the first day)

Third Day - Mary and Holy Communion

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate, thy Communions were the most fervent, the most holy that were ever made! When thou didst possess thy Divine Son in thy breast, thou didst love Him with a love exceeding that of any other creature soever for his God. Teach us to make Holy Communion the center of our life, and may that life be spent in preparing us for so great an action and in thanking God for so inappreciable a benefit!

(Versicle, Response, and Prayer as on the first day)

Fourth Day - Mary and the Real Presence

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate, who after the ascension of thy Divine Son, didst console thy exile on earth by thy Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacrament, and didst spend before the tabernacle the greater part of thy days and even thy nights, make us comprehend the treasure we possess on the altar. Inspire us to visit often the God of Love in the Sacrament in which He abides to receive the homage that He deserves by so many titles, and to guide, protect, and console us in this exile!

(Versicle, Response, and Prayer as on the first day)

Fifth Day - Mary, the Model of Adorers

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate, thou art our perfect Model in the service of the Divine Eucharist. With the most lively faith and the most profound respect thou didst adore Jesus hidden under the sacramental veils. After thy example we desire to render to the Sacred Host all the honor due the Divinity and the glorified Humanity of the Son of God made Man. We wish to maintain at all times in the holy place the modesty and recollection becoming true adorers.

(Versicle, Response, and Prayer as on the first day)

Sixth Day - Mary, the Model of Thanksgiving

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate, who didst return to Jesus so perfect a Thanksgiving for the institution of the Divine Eucharist and the ineffable Gift in which the Savior exhausted His power and the treasures of His Heart, teach us to thank thy Divine Son for this great benefit, and especially to make our thanksgiving well when we have had the happiness of receiving Him in Holy Communion.

(Versicle, Response, and Prayer as on the first day)

Seventh Day - Mary, the Model of Reparation

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate thou didst adore thy Divine Son in His state of perpetual Victim, always immolated on our altars, incessantly demanding, by His death, grace and mercy for sinners. We unite with thy dolors and thy perfect reparation. We desire to accept our daily trials for love of Him, and with thee to console Jesus for the ingratitude of men and the outrages He daily receives in the Blessed Sacrament.

(Versicle, Response, and Prayer as on the first day)

Eighth Day - Mary, the Model of Prayer

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate, while the Apostles went to preach the Gospel, thou didst remain close to the tabernacle, supplicating for them the goodness of the Savior, and thy prayer obtained for them the grace to convert the world! Teach us to pray, above all, to pray near the tabernacle, where Jesus wills to abide continually in order to hear our petitions. Teach us to pray for the extension of the Eucharistic kingdom, for the salvation of the whole world, for the exaltation of the Holy Church, and most especially for the sanctification of the clergy and the conversion of sinners.

(Versicle, Response, and Prayer as on the first day)

Ninth Day - Mary, the Dispensatrix of Eucharistic Graces

O Sacrament Most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God! O Virgin Immaculate, Mother most loving and admirable Model of adorers of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, thou art also the dispensatrix of the graces necessary to fulfill that great duty! Grant us, then, we beseech thee, as the fruit of this novena, the virtues that will render our adoration less unworthy of thy Divine Son. Teach us to honor so well this Mystery of mysteries that we may receive here below the graces it contains, in order to enjoy in heaven the eternal life of which it is the pledge!

(Versicle, Response, and Prayer as on the first day)
[Taken from Volume VII of the Eymard Library. Courtesy of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament]

Act of Consecration Prayer

O Mary, Virgin and most powerful Mother of Mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves today, to thy Immaculate Heart. We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life, all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and souls, to thee we give our homes, our families, and our country. Mindful of this consecration, we now promise to imitate thee by the practice of Christian virtues. We resolve to receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of every month when possible, and to offer daily, five decades of the Rosary with all our sacrifices in the spirit of penance and reparation. Amen.


Click the link below to return to
Purity Publications Free Christian Ebook Store: