<![CDATA[The Catacombs

<![CDATA[The Catacombs - Novenas]]> https://thecatacombs.org/ Sat, 02 May 2026 02:17:19 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Novena To The Holy Face - Starts on Feb 8 2026]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=7969 Sun, 08 Feb 2026 16:11:44 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=7969 The Novena: To The Holy Face - Starts on Feb 8 2026

The Novena: To The Holy Face
Novena Begins : Sunday February 8, 2026
Novena Ends: Monday February 16, 2026
Feast of the Holy Face: February 17, 2026
Novena to the Holy Face — League of St. Martin

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FIRST DAY
The Holy Face at Bethlehem

At the commencement say: Lord, I desire to seek thy Face; do not Thou repel me far from it on account of my sins; do not remove Thy Holy Spirit from me. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me; teach me in the way of Thy commandments.

Enter into the grotto at Bethlehem, consider the newborn Child, laid in the cradle, wrapped in poor swaddling clothes. Mary and Joseph stand before him and contemplate him. You also gaze upon his sweet and radiant Face. It is the Face of the Emmanuel, of the Son of “God with us”; of the “most beautiful of the children of men”. During four thousand years the patriarchs and prophets had desired to see it; they earnestly entreated for it as the salvation promised to the world.

“Lord,” they unceasingly exclaimed, “Show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved.” Behold it here! It shows itself at last! See how ravishing and amiable it is; how it already hastens to give you all the most precious things that it possesses.

I. It gives you its first prayer: for already in its cradle, it turns towards Heaven; towards the sovereign Father of angels and of men; the author of all things. It adores him in your name, it prays for you. “Behold me,” it says, “Oh my Father, I come to fulfill Thy will.” Now, this will is to deliver you from eternal death and to accomplish your salvation. When allowing itself to be seen for the first time, the face of Jesus is humble and suppliant; associate yourself with his prayer; determine to labor efficaciously for the great affair of your salvation which is the object of his coming.

II. It gives you its first tears. Behold the innocent and delicate cheeks of the newborn infant benumbed with cold, bathed with the tears which are caused less by the sufferings of the body, than by the grief excited in his soul by the sight of the world. The sweet Face of the little child Jesus is already the victim of reparation, of justice, and of expiation; it suffers, it weeps, it satisfies for your sins. Gather up with reverence these holy tears, one alone of which possesses infinite value; offer them to the Eternal Father for the payment of your debts towards him.

III. It gives you also one of its first smiles. It has already smiled on Mary, it has smiled on Joseph; now from out of the midst of its swaddling clothes, from out of its tears, it turns towards you, it becomes sweetly radiant whilst looking at you, it gives you its infantine smile; a smile of peace and love, a smile of heaven, which invites you, which calls you, which seems to say to you: “The face which smiles on you is that of a friend, of a brother, of a Saviour. Draw near, have confidence, I love you.”
Act of love - If the child Jesus loves you, if his Holy Face gives you the proof of it, what is it that holds you back? Render to him love for love.

Virtue to be practiced - Detach yourself, at least in heart, from all earthly things; let Jesus be your treasure!
Spiritual bouquet - Dry that first tear; carry away with you that first kind smile of the Holy Face, lay it in the deepest part of your soul, as a ray of hope, as a spark of love, and say with the prophet: “The light of Thy Face has been shed upon us, Oh Lord; Thou hast given joy to our heart.” I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

SECOND DAY
The Holy Face in the midst of the people of Judea

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Follow our Lord during his public life, traversing the towns and villages of Judea, announcing the good tidings of the Gospel, curing sicknesses and infirmities, everywhere as he passed doing good. Observe what part the Holy Face took in this mission of teaching and of charity. As the Son of God had really united the whole of our nature to himself, he showed himself to men, with a human face, having its own individual features, and a physiognomy which caused him, at all times and everywhere to be known by the aspect of his countenance; for “Man,” says the prophet, “is known by the aspect of his face.” The people strove with all their might to see the Face of Jesus. Admire the three wonders of grace, which the sight of the adorable Face produced upon all those who drew nigh to it.

I. It ravished the multitude - When Jesus appeared in public, the people surrounded him, eager to see and hear him; suspended on his divine lips, they said: “Never man spoke like this man!” And they were plunged into ecstasy and astonishment. The reason is that very different from Moses, the Man-God did not cover his Face with a veil; he revealed himself to every eye; he conversed with all indiscriminately, tempering, through the sweetness and charm of his humanity, the too dazzling rays of the divinity which dwelt corporeally in him. His Face was really the mirror of his soul, the outward expression of his heart, the visible manifestation of his internal feelings. Is it surprising that his aspect ravished all beholders? - Come you also near, contemplate with avidity His Face at once human and divine, listen with reverence to the words of his mouth; delight to listen to it, to question it, to converse with it.

II. It attracts the apostles. - On a certain day, the Saviour passed near to a publican seated at his desk: “Follow me,” he said, and the man immediately arose and followed him; he became one of his apostles and his first evangelist. “It was,” says St. Jerome, “because at the same time that Mathew heard the voice of Jesus, he saw on his Face a ray of divine Majesty which enlightened him and stirred the very depths of his soul.” On another occasion, Andrew brought him his brother. Jesus, casting a penetrating glance upon him, said: “Thou shalt be called Peter.” He transformed him and made of him the chief of his apostles, the cornerstone of his Church. Walking beside the Lake, he perceives two fishermen, two brothers, who were mending their nets; he stops, looks at them: “Follow me,” He says. On hearing the imperative command and on beholding the splendor which illuminated the Eyes and the Face of Him who called to them, they abandon their nets, their bark, their father, and immediately follow Him. Are there not moments in which the Holy Face enlightens you, urges you, and touches you? Do not make any resistance or delay when you are thus attracted by it; let it work in you the change which it desires to do.

III. It is compassionate and merciful towards all. - Little children are the object of its embraces and its caresses. It gives to the prodigal son the kiss of peace and reconciliation. Inclined towards the ground in presence of the repentant sinner, it is raised again in order to look at her and to say: “Go in peace, and sin no more.” Attentive to the needs of the multitude in the desert, it raises its eyes towards heaven and calls down the blessing which multiplies the bread necessary for the subsistence of the hungry people. It sheds tears over the tomb of Lazarus and communicates to the four days corpse a miraculous resurrection, an image of the possible conversion of the most hardened sinner. Light, grace, pardon, life, flow like rays from the adorable Face; gather them up with avidity according to the needs and the different states of your soul.

Act of confidence - Everywhere that it showed itself upon earth, the Holy Face blessed, pardoned, cured, did good. I will call upon it; wherefore should I not be heard?

Virtue to be practiced - Be docile to the impressions of grace; a grace is a glance of the Face of Jesus which solicits and urges you. Give yourself up to its heavenly influence.

Spiritual Bouquet - My beloved, show me Thy Face; make Thy voice resound in my ears; Thy voice is as sweet as Thy Face is lovely; I desire at the same time to see and to hear Thee.

I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

THIRD DAY
The Holy Face on Tabor

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Ascend with our Lord on Tabor. He climbed the mountain with three privileged disciples, Peter, James, and John, and he began to pray. Whilst he prayed, his Face was transfigured before them; his Holy Face became resplendent like the sun; his vestments were white as snow. Jesus willed to give in this manner a free outlet to the rays of the divinity which was hidden in him; for the first time he caused to appear before mortal eyes his adorable Face with the splendor of the glory and the beauty which belong to it. You will find in this mystery three subjects worthy of your attention:

I. A spectacle to contemplate - That of the Face of our Lord beaming with splendor and grace. The light which flows from his divine Face communicates to the raiment of the Saviour and to the whole of his person a virginal whiteness, incomparable in its purity. It is a light which casts its beams into the air, envelopes the whole mountain, and ravishes the three disciples who are present, with admiration. They experience an ecstasy of happiness, a foretaste of the happiness of heaven, and Saint Peter exclaims: “It is good for us to be here, let us make three tabernacles!” And yet it was only a passing ray of the eternal splendor, a drop of that ocean of felicity, of that plenitude of life of which the Face of the Lord is the source. What will it be when you drink it in copious drafts and when you will have full possession and assured enjoyment of the very source itself?

II. A conversation which to listen - Listen to the conversation which Moses and Elias have with Jesus in presence of the Holy Face thus transfigured. The subject which occupies them is the work of the Redemption of the human race, which the Son of Man has come to accomplish; they speak of his “Going out of the world,” that is to say, of his Passion and death. The Face of the Redeemer, at that moment so radiant and so beautiful, will soon be wounded, bleeding, spit upon, outraged in a thousand ways. Lifted up upon an infamous gibbet, it will utter in the face of heaven a cry of pardon when expiring, and it will be the consummation of our salvation, the conquering signal of peace, the warrant of an entire reconciliation between God and man. In this mysterious conversation, the Face of Jesus offers itself to us under two very different aspects; it is at once the glorious and the sorrowful Face. Tabor and Calvary approach each other and are united together; it was meet that it should be so; it is on Calvary, upon the Cross, by the sufferings and ignominy of the Passion concentrated in the Face of our Lord, that Redemption will be accomplished and that we shall merit together with the beatific vision, the delights of Paradise. Do not separate the idea of the sacrifice from that of the recompense; if the joys of Tabor are sometimes granted you, remember that it is to give you strength the better to follow Jesus to Calvary, and to bear the Cross with him.

III. An order to receive - This order emanates from the Eternal Father, who, from the summit of the mountain, as from an awe-inspiring tribune, desires to render, in the face of heaven and earth, a solemn homage to the Face of his Son. It is in fact the splendor of his glory, the figure of his substance, the most pure splendor of his eternal light, the spotless mirror of his justice and of his infinite perfections. He there enhances its glory, by surrounding it as in a splendid frame, with a luminous cloud, which comes down from heaven, as the symbol of the Holy Spirit, from out of the bosom of which issues a voice full of power and majesty: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.” Such is the command which God gives to every creature. He glorifies the Face of his Word, he makes a solemn exposition of it on the highest mountain of the Holy Land, in order to show in it, to all people and to all centuries, the sign of salvation and the organ of truth. Look at it then, “and act according to the model which is presented to you on the mountain.”

Act of hope - Yes, I know it; my Redeemer is living: I shall see him one day with my eyes, in his glory, myself and not another; this is the hope which is laid up in my bosom.

Virtue to be practiced - Fidelity in obeying the divine commandments. “Speak, Lord, Thy servant harkens.”

Spiritual bouquet - “It is good for us to be here.” Say these words in presence of the Tabernacle, at the foot of the altar; there is your Tabor, for the immortal and glorious Face of Jesus is through the Eucharist, present to the eyes of your faith; make it the object of your delights and of your joys. I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

FOURTH DAY
The Holy Face in the Garden of Olives

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Follow Jesus going after the last supper to the mount of Olives, in order to prepare himself for his Passion. He kneels down apart in a solitary grotto; he prays for a long lime, even during three hours. His soul is a prey to sorrow, to fear, to the anguish of death. From time to time he interrupts his prayer in order to go to his disciples and to seek from them a little support and consolation, and he meets with neither. “I have sought,” he says, “someone who would console me, and I have found none.” You may here observe three things:

I. The sorrowful state of the Holy Face. It reflects all the impressions of his soul; it is sorrowful, desolate, quivering; it sheds tears; sorrowful sighs escape from its lips. See also, how, after having prayed on his knees, the Saviour, in order to give his petitions more intensity and fervor, prostrates himself with his Face to the ground. Contemplate his Divine Face abased to the dust, cleaving to the earth which, cursed through the sin of Adam and condemned to produce nothing but thorns, was purified by the kiss of peace, by the tears of the Holy Face. Our earth will henceforth behold its inhabitants, produce a rich harvest of flowers and fruits of virtue; but Jesus takes the thorns for himself and with them crowns his brow.

II. The apparition of the angel - At that moment, the anguish of the Man-God is redoubled; he experiences mortal anguish; a mysterious sweat, a sweat of blood bathes his Face, runs down from his brow and falls, drop after drop, upon the ground where he is prostrated. An angel appears in order to strengthen him; reanimated by the heavenly aid, Jesus rises, accepts the chalice offered to him by his Father and lovingly drinks it down to the very dregs. Angel of consolation, you give me an example; I envy you your destiny; I desire to put myself in your place; let it be my portion to raise that suffering and languishing Face, to compensate it by the tenderness of my love, and the generosity of my sacrifices; since it is for me that it suffers and that it is humiliated; it is for me that it resigns itself to drink the chalice presented to it by its Father.

III. What you have to do - It is to offer yourself to it and to imitate it. Adorable Face, Thou didst not refuse the succor offered by another and the consolation of an angel. Permit me, in spite of my unworthiness, to draw nigh to Thee, and to render Thee the like service. Permit me to compassionate Thy sorrow, to raise Thee from the ground and to hold Thee reverently in my arms. It is for me to prostrate myself to the ground, to annihilate myself in a spirit of reparation; I associate myself with Thy humiliations and Thy sufferings; like Thee, I accept the chalice of suffering, and I give myself up to the divine will, saying: “Behold me, Lord, I come to do Thy will. Thy law shall be engraved forever in my heart. Thy will and not my own be done; not what I will, oh Lord, but what Thou willest!”

Act of abandonment - Offer yourself wholly to God in order never to do aught save his adorable will; make the offering in union with Jesus praying in the garden.

Virtue to be practiced - Do penance; excite yourself to contrition for your own sins and for those of others; accept, in a spirit of expiation the trials of life and the bitter sorrows it may please God to send you.

Spiritual bouquet - My food, that is to say, my joy and my delight, are to do the will of my Father who is in heaven.
I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

FIFTH DAY
The Holy Face in the House of Caiphas

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

It is the night of the Passion. Jesus, after a decisive judgment, has been disdainfully sent, with his hands tied, to the house of Caiphas.

I. Outrages - He is at the mercy of a band of servants and of soldiers, who make it a cruel sport to load him with outrages and insults of every kind. His Holy Face is their target. The whole night it has to suffer the most humiliating insults which can be invented by the malice of men and the rage of devils. They outrage him by blows, they wound him and cover him with blood by giving him cuffs with their hands, they soil him with spits, a kind of insult particularly felt by the Saviour. He complains of it by the mouth of the prophet: “They were not afraid to spit in my Face,” and when predicting to his apostles the Passion which he was about to undergo at Jerusalem, he specified the spits which would be given him: “The Son of Man shall be spit upon.”

II. Conversion of Saint Peter - In the midst of this ignominious treatment, what patience on the part of the Saviour! what serenity! what sweetness! He does not complain, he does not murmur; he prays, he loves, he expiates and repairs the outrages which our sins have inflicted and still inflict on the majesty of his heavenly Father. At the very culmination of his ignominies, his sorrowful Face finds means to perform an act of mercy and of ineffable charity; it casts its eyes on the prince of the apostles and raises him up after his fall. Peter was there, at some distance from him, an unfaithful disciple, mingling in the crowd of the enemies of his master. He had shamefully denied him, no less than three times. All at once, he encounters the divine eyes fixing upon him a look of gentle reproach, of compassion, and of love. It is enough. The sight of that sorrowful Face, of that ray of light which issues from those sad eyes, pierces the heart of the apostle; penetrated with shame and repentance, he turns aside and weeps bitterly.

III. Application to yourself - Oh divine Face who raisest up and transformest wandering souls, cast Thine eyes upon me. Have pity on me. I have not, after having offended God, responded to the attractions of Thy grace. Or, if I have shed a few tears, they have only been the result of a passing feeling of humility, of a sadness in which self-love had a larger part than true repentance. Since Thou art, oh adorable Face, a sun of justice, able to soften our souls and to purify our consciences, burn and consume in me all that is contrary to the purity of Thy love; may Thy heavenly rays inflame me, and make me weep secretly over my past offenses; I also, am an unfaithful disciple, or rather, I have been, but will no longer be one! Thou hast been so merciful as to forgive me my revolts and to turn away Thine eyes from my sins. No, my Jesus, whatever may happen, and whatever it may cost me, I will not renounce Thee anymore; I will, on the contrary, glorify Thee by my penitence and my good works.

Act of contrition - Lord, turn away Thy Face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. I detest them and desire to make reparation for them.

Virtue lo be practiced - Have the courage of your faith. Do not fear the eyes and the words of men when there is a question of a duty to be fulfilled or of a fault to be avoided.

Spiritual bouquet - Jesus looked at Peter, and Peter wept bitterly. I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

SIXTH DAY
The Holy Face at the Praetorium of Pilate

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

I. The sufferings of the Holy Face - The lashes which the executioners inflicted on Jesus did not spare his sweet and amiable Face. It is furrowed in every direction, wounded, bleeding, lacerated by scourges. Then, seeing that Jesus was condemned to death because he had called himself “King,” the soldiers turn this title into a subject of bitter derision and of sacrilegious mockeries. They cast upon his shoulders a purple robe; instead of a scepter, they place a reed in his hand, and by an incredible refinement of malice they fashion a crown for him out of thorns which they interlace together, and which they fasten on his brow with great blows. The long, hard, sharp thorns entering deeply into the head of the Saviour caused him dreadful suffering and inundated his Holy Face with streams of blood.

II. Humiliations of the Holy Face - It was in this pitiable state Pilate presented Jesus to the people, hoping thereby to excite their compassion and to deliver him. “Behold the man!” he said. The sight only inflamed their fury. “Crucify him, crucify him, they exclaimed. - Shall I crucify your king? - We have no other king than Cesar, we will not have this man to reign over us.” The enemies of the Saviour triumphed. Amongst the crowd there were many whom he had overwhelmed with blessings, who perhaps, in secret, called themselves his disciples and friends; yet not one amongst them raised his voice in order to declare himself in his favor, and to defend him. Not one of them dared to recognize him for his king and his God. This miserable, cowardly abandonment, joined to the other outrages inflicted on the Holy Face, was a sorrowful martyrdom for Jesus. “My people, what have I done to you? Why do you outrage the Face of your Saviour? Why have you surrounded it with a diadem of thorns?”

III. Honor due to the Holy Face - There is a profound mystery contained in the crowning of the divine Face; it was destined to reign. The soldiers, though unconscious of it, attest the royalty of Jesus Christ, as well as Pilate; without being aware of it, they enter into the designs of God, who wills that his Son should be recognized as King and under that title, should receive the homage of all creatures. Yes, Oh Jesus, by the diadem which crowns Thy Face, Thou hast acquired the right of reigning over my heart; Thy diadem of ignominy and of suffering is a crown of expiation and of love. Many times I have cast dishonor upon Thy royalty by despising Thy holy law and Thy divine teachings; many times I have caused the blood to flow down Thy august Face through my reiterated sins, which have driven ever deeper into Thy flesh the thorns which transpierce Thy brow; I have run after the joys of this world, and I have crowned myself with roses; I have longed after the luxurious delights of an easy and pleasant life, not remembering that I am the subject of a king crowned with thorns. No, adorable Face, I will not allow Thee any more to suffer the thorns of my iniquities. I desire that Thou shouldst rejoice in my homage; that thou shouldst be crowned with the flowers of my virtues, and that Thou shouldst triumph in me by a generous love worthy of Thee.

Act of offering - Oh Jesus, my king, and my God, behold my mind with its thoughts, my heart with its affections, my will with its tendencies, behold my soul and my body; I put them wholly and entirely under the empire of Thy Holy Face, reign over me forevermore.

Virtue to be practiced - Make all the desires and ill-regulated movements of your heart and mind which may offend the Holy Face and renew its sufferings, to die in you by means of mortification.

Spiritual bouquet - Can a member be fastidious and sensual under a Head that is crowned with thorns? I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

SEVENTH DAY
The Holy Face on the path to Calvary

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Behold Jesus ascending the mount of his sacrifice, laden with the weight of his Cross. After the painful and humiliating fall which he has had, his adorable Face is soiled with dust, with sweat and with blood. The spectacle excites the contempt of the crowd and the mockeries of the executioners.

I. Reparation offered to the Holy Face - In this state of abandonment and of opprobrium, the Saviour, all at once, receives a mark of devotion and of tenderness which compensates and consoles him. A courageous woman, Veronica, has been touched with compassion. Listening only to her faith and her love, she makes her way through the crowd, puts aside the executioners, and, filled with reverence and emotion, draws near to Jesus. Then she takes the soft white veil of fine Egyptian linen which covers her head; she spreads it over and gently applies it to the bleeding and wounded Face of the Man-God! she wipes it and raises it; it is a real service which she renders to him, and which for a moment relieves his sufferings and reanimates him. As a recompense, Jesus immediately leaves the impression of his Holy Face upon the linen of which she had made use for the performance of this heroic act.

II. Veronica our pattern - Congratulate Veronica; look upon her as an admirable model, learn from that generous woman to make reparation to the suffering Face of your God. Impiety renews, in these our days, the outrages he endured on Calvary. His Holy Face is especially insulted and spit upon by all the horrible blasphemies which hell vomits forth against his divinity. The Saviour complains; he seems to say to those who know him and who love him: “I have sought around me for consolers, and I have found none.” Let your heart answer: “Behold me, Lord; I am Thine, ready to do Thy good pleasure. Must I oppose my faith, my adoration, my example to hatred and contemptuous impiety? I am ready.”

III. A good inspiration to follow - Divine Master, Thou hast said in Thy Gospel: “Whoever shall glorify me before man, I will glorify him in my turn before my Father who is in heaven.” At the present day, perverse and sacrilegious deeds outrage Thy adorable Face; I desire to glorify it by my expiations, by my praises, by all the fervor of my love. Animate me with the spirit with which Veronica was inspired upon the ascent to Calvary. What signifies to me the raillery of the world, and the rage of hell? I will listen to the voice of the Church, I will follow the inspirations of my heart, I will go to Thee, oh sweet Peace of my Saviour; I will wipe away the tears with which it is inundated; I will soothe the wounds which make it suffer, I will efface the ignominious blemishes with which wicked men have attempted to soil it. In Thy turn, inspire me with the rays of Thy grace, and engrave in my heart the celestial impress of Thy virtues.

Act of charity - Love the Holy Face and have compassion on the outrages it was made to suffer; love your wandering brethren, and pray to God to spare and convert them.

Virtue to be practiced - Let zeal for reparation inflame you; exercise it by communions, by your prayers, by your words, by your example, by all the means with which the sight of evil committed ought to inspire you.

Spiritual bouquet - “I want Veronicas,” said our Lord to Marie de Saint Pierre. “My daughter, take my Face as a precious coin wherewith to pay to my Father the debts of His justice.” I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

EIGHTH DAY
The Holy Face on the Cross

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Upon the Cross, where it is placed as upon an altar of propitiation between heaven and earth, the Holy Face acts as our intercessor and our mediator.

I. The pardon of the Holy Face - Raising its eyes bathed in tears towards the heavenly Father, it entreats our pardon: Paler, dimitte illis. Oh Father, remit the debt of these sinners; give back to them Thy friendship. Then turning towards us, it inclines itself lovingly, as though to offer us the kiss of peace and of reconciliation. Oh! how touching, at that moment, is the aspect of the sorrowful Face of the Redeemer; what sufferings upon that bed of anguish! what a prolonged agony! and what patience also! what gentleness, what an ineffable serenity in its movements and its words! As often as seven times the divine Face, giving a truce to its sufferings opens its blessed lips; each one of its words is a lesson, a grace, and as it were, a reiterated and supreme adieu which it addresses to the world. It does not murmur; it is not irritated; it prays, it pardons, it blesses; at last it utters a loud cry and expires.

II. The appeal made to divine mercy - Oh God, our Creator, and our Father, we dare not raise our eyes towards Thee; for we have sinned; we have abused Thy innumerable blessings; we are guilty in the highest degree, we deserve the blows of Thy divine justice. But, Lord, behold Thy Christ on the Cross, look at his merciful and compassionate Face which implores Thee. Listen to the voice of its prayer. Behold its tears, the thorns of its crown, the blood with which it is inundated. Behold it mute, inanimate, growing cold in the death agony. It is given up to death for us, oh Father; it has taken our place before Thee, it has deserved to disarm Thy anger. Look, look at the Face of Thy well-beloved Christ, in the state to which it has been reduced. Pardon us, oh most merciful Father, and save us.

III. Christian pardon - Most Holy Face of Jesus on the cross, what a lesson Thou givest to me! Thy charity has reached even to the extent of pardoning Thy executioners and praying for them. It is, above all, for those who struck Thee, wounded Thee, dealt Thee blows, covered Thee with spittle, that Thou saidst: “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.” When they struck Thee, Thou didst endure them, gently and in silence. Now, Thou raisest Thy voice to excuse and defend them, to obtain pardon for them; in offering for them Thy blood, Thou givest them the greatest proof of Thy love. Teach me this Thy endurance of our neighbor and this Thy generosity in pardoning even our most cruel enemies. Yes, I forgive, for love of Thee, all who have offended me. With you, I pray for the sinners who outrage Thee, for the wretched men who blaspheme Thee; I beg of Thee their conversion and their salvation. Let them but turn to Thee, oh most Holy Face, let them invoke Thee; it is enough! Whoever looks on Thee, oh blessed Face, with faith and repentance, will escape the sting of the serpent and will find life.

Act of generous love - My God, I forget the injuries which have been inflicted on me; I pardon all those who have offended me in any way whatever; I love them sincerely, I pray for them, and I entreat thee to save them.

Virtue to practice - Bear the injuries inflicted on you and the coldness shown you by your neighbor, accept all that is painful in them to your heart and mind in reparation for what the Holy Face has suffered.

Spiritual bouquet - God our protector, cast Thine eyes upon the Face of Thy Christ. I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

NINTH DAY
The Holy Face on the day of the Resurrection

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

On the day of his resurrection, our Saviour showed himself several times to his holy mother, to the holy women, and to his Apostles. He came forth from the sepulcher, endowed with a spiritual and incorruptible life, shining with glory and immortality. In this state, that which above all attracted attention, was the beauty and triumphant splendor of his Holy Face.

I. Glory of the Holy Face after the Resurrection - Look at it yourself in spirit and with the eyes of faith. What celestial fire in its eyes! What serenity on its brow! What harmony in its features! What a smiling and majestic countenance! During his Passion we beheld the Face of Jesus bleeding and full of grief; at this moment, joy beams forth from it; it overflows with consolation in proportion to the sufferings and ignominies it has suffered. Oh, adorable Face of my Saviour, it is meet that victorious now, over death and sin, you should appear dazzling in strength and splendor. Show what Thou art; shed all-around in softened majesty, the rays of honor and glory with which Thou art crowned; advance and reign over all hearts. Prospere procede, et regna.

II. Joy which it communicates - The first time that the apostles, when they were assembled together in the cenacle, saw the risen Face of their divine Master, they were thrilled, says the Evangelist, with great joy. His smile, his sweet gaze, his kind and paternal words, the breath of his lips which he shed upon them, inundated them interiorly with a delicious peace which they had never before experienced. What will be the joy of the elect, when they shall behold, in its full splendor, without a cloud, and without a shade, the glorious Face of the Incarnate Word. The sight will enable them to penetrate as through a most pure mirror, into the secrets of the divine essence, where they will find perfect beatitude and the sovereign good. They will see it even as it is, that most Holy Face and they will become like to it; perfection of soul and of body will be theirs through the light of its glory with which they will feel themselves to be penetrated.

III. Its praises throughout eternity - Lord, permit me “To behold Thee,” permit me to see Thy Face in its pure and real glory; when Thy glory shall thus appear to me, then my heart will be satiated with joy. Being then says Saint Augustine, free and disengaged from all cares, “we shall see, we shall love, we shall praise.” We shall see the Face of the divine King so ravishing and so beautiful; we shall love the Face of the Man-God, of the Son of Mary so sweet and so amiable; we shall praise the Face of the Redeemer, so victorious and so powerful. We shall behold it forever, we shall love it without distaste; we shall praise it without weariness, with transports of ever reviving, ever renewed joy, forever and ever. Amen.

Act of desire - When shall I go and appear before the Face of my God? When shall I see him face to face?

Virtue to be practiced - Detach yourself, little by little, from the deceptive and passing joys of this world; seek the treasures of Heaven where the risen Jesus awaits you.

Spiritual bouquet - May I expire thirsting with an ardent thirst to see the desirable Face of our Lord, Jesus Christ. (Last words of Mr. Dupont) I have entreated Thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to thy promise. Make the light of Thy Face to shine upon me; save me in Thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded, because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - Almighty and merciful God, grant, we beg of Thee, that whilst venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in the Passion because of our sins, we may merit to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of its heavenly glory. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.]]> The Novena: To The Holy Face - Starts on Feb 8 2026

FIRST DAY
The Holy Face at Bethlehem

At the commencement say: Lord, I desire to seek thy Face; do not Thou repel me far from it on account of my sins; do not remove Thy Holy Spirit from me. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me; teach me in the way of Thy commandments.

Enter into the grotto at Bethlehem, consider the newborn Child, laid in the cradle, wrapped in poor swaddling clothes. Mary and Joseph stand before him and contemplate him. You also gaze upon his sweet and radiant Face. It is the Face of the Emmanuel, of the Son of “God with us”; of the “most beautiful of the children of men”. During four thousand years the patriarchs and prophets had desired to see it; they earnestly entreated for it as the salvation promised to the world.

“Lord,” they unceasingly exclaimed, “Show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved.” Behold it here! It shows itself at last! See how ravishing and amiable it is; how it already hastens to give you all the most precious things that it possesses.

I. It gives you its first prayer: for already in its cradle, it turns towards Heaven; towards the sovereign Father of angels and of men; the author of all things. It adores him in your name, it prays for you. “Behold me,” it says, “Oh my Father, I come to fulfill Thy will.” Now, this will is to deliver you from eternal death and to accomplish your salvation. When allowing itself to be seen for the first time, the face of Jesus is humble and suppliant; associate yourself with his prayer; determine to labor efficaciously for the great affair of your salvation which is the object of his coming.

II. It gives you its first tears. Behold the innocent and delicate cheeks of the newborn infant benumbed with cold, bathed with the tears which are caused less by the sufferings of the body, than by the grief excited in his soul by the sight of the world. The sweet Face of the little child Jesus is already the victim of reparation, of justice, and of expiation; it suffers, it weeps, it satisfies for your sins. Gather up with reverence these holy tears, one alone of which possesses infinite value; offer them to the Eternal Father for the payment of your debts towards him.

III. It gives you also one of its first smiles. It has already smiled on Mary, it has smiled on Joseph; now from out of the midst of its swaddling clothes, from out of its tears, it turns towards you, it becomes sweetly radiant whilst looking at you, it gives you its infantine smile; a smile of peace and love, a smile of heaven, which invites you, which calls you, which seems to say to you: “The face which smiles on you is that of a friend, of a brother, of a Saviour. Draw near, have confidence, I love you.”
Act of love - If the child Jesus loves you, if his Holy Face gives you the proof of it, what is it that holds you back? Render to him love for love.

Virtue to be practiced - Detach yourself, at least in heart, from all earthly things; let Jesus be your treasure!
Spiritual bouquet - Dry that first tear; carry away with you that first kind smile of the Holy Face, lay it in the deepest part of your soul, as a ray of hope, as a spark of love, and say with the prophet: “The light of Thy Face has been shed upon us, Oh Lord; Thou hast given joy to our heart.” I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

SECOND DAY
The Holy Face in the midst of the people of Judea

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Follow our Lord during his public life, traversing the towns and villages of Judea, announcing the good tidings of the Gospel, curing sicknesses and infirmities, everywhere as he passed doing good. Observe what part the Holy Face took in this mission of teaching and of charity. As the Son of God had really united the whole of our nature to himself, he showed himself to men, with a human face, having its own individual features, and a physiognomy which caused him, at all times and everywhere to be known by the aspect of his countenance; for “Man,” says the prophet, “is known by the aspect of his face.” The people strove with all their might to see the Face of Jesus. Admire the three wonders of grace, which the sight of the adorable Face produced upon all those who drew nigh to it.

I. It ravished the multitude - When Jesus appeared in public, the people surrounded him, eager to see and hear him; suspended on his divine lips, they said: “Never man spoke like this man!” And they were plunged into ecstasy and astonishment. The reason is that very different from Moses, the Man-God did not cover his Face with a veil; he revealed himself to every eye; he conversed with all indiscriminately, tempering, through the sweetness and charm of his humanity, the too dazzling rays of the divinity which dwelt corporeally in him. His Face was really the mirror of his soul, the outward expression of his heart, the visible manifestation of his internal feelings. Is it surprising that his aspect ravished all beholders? - Come you also near, contemplate with avidity His Face at once human and divine, listen with reverence to the words of his mouth; delight to listen to it, to question it, to converse with it.

II. It attracts the apostles. - On a certain day, the Saviour passed near to a publican seated at his desk: “Follow me,” he said, and the man immediately arose and followed him; he became one of his apostles and his first evangelist. “It was,” says St. Jerome, “because at the same time that Mathew heard the voice of Jesus, he saw on his Face a ray of divine Majesty which enlightened him and stirred the very depths of his soul.” On another occasion, Andrew brought him his brother. Jesus, casting a penetrating glance upon him, said: “Thou shalt be called Peter.” He transformed him and made of him the chief of his apostles, the cornerstone of his Church. Walking beside the Lake, he perceives two fishermen, two brothers, who were mending their nets; he stops, looks at them: “Follow me,” He says. On hearing the imperative command and on beholding the splendor which illuminated the Eyes and the Face of Him who called to them, they abandon their nets, their bark, their father, and immediately follow Him. Are there not moments in which the Holy Face enlightens you, urges you, and touches you? Do not make any resistance or delay when you are thus attracted by it; let it work in you the change which it desires to do.

III. It is compassionate and merciful towards all. - Little children are the object of its embraces and its caresses. It gives to the prodigal son the kiss of peace and reconciliation. Inclined towards the ground in presence of the repentant sinner, it is raised again in order to look at her and to say: “Go in peace, and sin no more.” Attentive to the needs of the multitude in the desert, it raises its eyes towards heaven and calls down the blessing which multiplies the bread necessary for the subsistence of the hungry people. It sheds tears over the tomb of Lazarus and communicates to the four days corpse a miraculous resurrection, an image of the possible conversion of the most hardened sinner. Light, grace, pardon, life, flow like rays from the adorable Face; gather them up with avidity according to the needs and the different states of your soul.

Act of confidence - Everywhere that it showed itself upon earth, the Holy Face blessed, pardoned, cured, did good. I will call upon it; wherefore should I not be heard?

Virtue to be practiced - Be docile to the impressions of grace; a grace is a glance of the Face of Jesus which solicits and urges you. Give yourself up to its heavenly influence.

Spiritual Bouquet - My beloved, show me Thy Face; make Thy voice resound in my ears; Thy voice is as sweet as Thy Face is lovely; I desire at the same time to see and to hear Thee.

I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

THIRD DAY
The Holy Face on Tabor

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Ascend with our Lord on Tabor. He climbed the mountain with three privileged disciples, Peter, James, and John, and he began to pray. Whilst he prayed, his Face was transfigured before them; his Holy Face became resplendent like the sun; his vestments were white as snow. Jesus willed to give in this manner a free outlet to the rays of the divinity which was hidden in him; for the first time he caused to appear before mortal eyes his adorable Face with the splendor of the glory and the beauty which belong to it. You will find in this mystery three subjects worthy of your attention:

I. A spectacle to contemplate - That of the Face of our Lord beaming with splendor and grace. The light which flows from his divine Face communicates to the raiment of the Saviour and to the whole of his person a virginal whiteness, incomparable in its purity. It is a light which casts its beams into the air, envelopes the whole mountain, and ravishes the three disciples who are present, with admiration. They experience an ecstasy of happiness, a foretaste of the happiness of heaven, and Saint Peter exclaims: “It is good for us to be here, let us make three tabernacles!” And yet it was only a passing ray of the eternal splendor, a drop of that ocean of felicity, of that plenitude of life of which the Face of the Lord is the source. What will it be when you drink it in copious drafts and when you will have full possession and assured enjoyment of the very source itself?

II. A conversation which to listen - Listen to the conversation which Moses and Elias have with Jesus in presence of the Holy Face thus transfigured. The subject which occupies them is the work of the Redemption of the human race, which the Son of Man has come to accomplish; they speak of his “Going out of the world,” that is to say, of his Passion and death. The Face of the Redeemer, at that moment so radiant and so beautiful, will soon be wounded, bleeding, spit upon, outraged in a thousand ways. Lifted up upon an infamous gibbet, it will utter in the face of heaven a cry of pardon when expiring, and it will be the consummation of our salvation, the conquering signal of peace, the warrant of an entire reconciliation between God and man. In this mysterious conversation, the Face of Jesus offers itself to us under two very different aspects; it is at once the glorious and the sorrowful Face. Tabor and Calvary approach each other and are united together; it was meet that it should be so; it is on Calvary, upon the Cross, by the sufferings and ignominy of the Passion concentrated in the Face of our Lord, that Redemption will be accomplished and that we shall merit together with the beatific vision, the delights of Paradise. Do not separate the idea of the sacrifice from that of the recompense; if the joys of Tabor are sometimes granted you, remember that it is to give you strength the better to follow Jesus to Calvary, and to bear the Cross with him.

III. An order to receive - This order emanates from the Eternal Father, who, from the summit of the mountain, as from an awe-inspiring tribune, desires to render, in the face of heaven and earth, a solemn homage to the Face of his Son. It is in fact the splendor of his glory, the figure of his substance, the most pure splendor of his eternal light, the spotless mirror of his justice and of his infinite perfections. He there enhances its glory, by surrounding it as in a splendid frame, with a luminous cloud, which comes down from heaven, as the symbol of the Holy Spirit, from out of the bosom of which issues a voice full of power and majesty: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.” Such is the command which God gives to every creature. He glorifies the Face of his Word, he makes a solemn exposition of it on the highest mountain of the Holy Land, in order to show in it, to all people and to all centuries, the sign of salvation and the organ of truth. Look at it then, “and act according to the model which is presented to you on the mountain.”

Act of hope - Yes, I know it; my Redeemer is living: I shall see him one day with my eyes, in his glory, myself and not another; this is the hope which is laid up in my bosom.

Virtue to be practiced - Fidelity in obeying the divine commandments. “Speak, Lord, Thy servant harkens.”

Spiritual bouquet - “It is good for us to be here.” Say these words in presence of the Tabernacle, at the foot of the altar; there is your Tabor, for the immortal and glorious Face of Jesus is through the Eucharist, present to the eyes of your faith; make it the object of your delights and of your joys. I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

FOURTH DAY
The Holy Face in the Garden of Olives

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Follow Jesus going after the last supper to the mount of Olives, in order to prepare himself for his Passion. He kneels down apart in a solitary grotto; he prays for a long lime, even during three hours. His soul is a prey to sorrow, to fear, to the anguish of death. From time to time he interrupts his prayer in order to go to his disciples and to seek from them a little support and consolation, and he meets with neither. “I have sought,” he says, “someone who would console me, and I have found none.” You may here observe three things:

I. The sorrowful state of the Holy Face. It reflects all the impressions of his soul; it is sorrowful, desolate, quivering; it sheds tears; sorrowful sighs escape from its lips. See also, how, after having prayed on his knees, the Saviour, in order to give his petitions more intensity and fervor, prostrates himself with his Face to the ground. Contemplate his Divine Face abased to the dust, cleaving to the earth which, cursed through the sin of Adam and condemned to produce nothing but thorns, was purified by the kiss of peace, by the tears of the Holy Face. Our earth will henceforth behold its inhabitants, produce a rich harvest of flowers and fruits of virtue; but Jesus takes the thorns for himself and with them crowns his brow.

II. The apparition of the angel - At that moment, the anguish of the Man-God is redoubled; he experiences mortal anguish; a mysterious sweat, a sweat of blood bathes his Face, runs down from his brow and falls, drop after drop, upon the ground where he is prostrated. An angel appears in order to strengthen him; reanimated by the heavenly aid, Jesus rises, accepts the chalice offered to him by his Father and lovingly drinks it down to the very dregs. Angel of consolation, you give me an example; I envy you your destiny; I desire to put myself in your place; let it be my portion to raise that suffering and languishing Face, to compensate it by the tenderness of my love, and the generosity of my sacrifices; since it is for me that it suffers and that it is humiliated; it is for me that it resigns itself to drink the chalice presented to it by its Father.

III. What you have to do - It is to offer yourself to it and to imitate it. Adorable Face, Thou didst not refuse the succor offered by another and the consolation of an angel. Permit me, in spite of my unworthiness, to draw nigh to Thee, and to render Thee the like service. Permit me to compassionate Thy sorrow, to raise Thee from the ground and to hold Thee reverently in my arms. It is for me to prostrate myself to the ground, to annihilate myself in a spirit of reparation; I associate myself with Thy humiliations and Thy sufferings; like Thee, I accept the chalice of suffering, and I give myself up to the divine will, saying: “Behold me, Lord, I come to do Thy will. Thy law shall be engraved forever in my heart. Thy will and not my own be done; not what I will, oh Lord, but what Thou willest!”

Act of abandonment - Offer yourself wholly to God in order never to do aught save his adorable will; make the offering in union with Jesus praying in the garden.

Virtue to be practiced - Do penance; excite yourself to contrition for your own sins and for those of others; accept, in a spirit of expiation the trials of life and the bitter sorrows it may please God to send you.

Spiritual bouquet - My food, that is to say, my joy and my delight, are to do the will of my Father who is in heaven.
I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

FIFTH DAY
The Holy Face in the House of Caiphas

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

It is the night of the Passion. Jesus, after a decisive judgment, has been disdainfully sent, with his hands tied, to the house of Caiphas.

I. Outrages - He is at the mercy of a band of servants and of soldiers, who make it a cruel sport to load him with outrages and insults of every kind. His Holy Face is their target. The whole night it has to suffer the most humiliating insults which can be invented by the malice of men and the rage of devils. They outrage him by blows, they wound him and cover him with blood by giving him cuffs with their hands, they soil him with spits, a kind of insult particularly felt by the Saviour. He complains of it by the mouth of the prophet: “They were not afraid to spit in my Face,” and when predicting to his apostles the Passion which he was about to undergo at Jerusalem, he specified the spits which would be given him: “The Son of Man shall be spit upon.”

II. Conversion of Saint Peter - In the midst of this ignominious treatment, what patience on the part of the Saviour! what serenity! what sweetness! He does not complain, he does not murmur; he prays, he loves, he expiates and repairs the outrages which our sins have inflicted and still inflict on the majesty of his heavenly Father. At the very culmination of his ignominies, his sorrowful Face finds means to perform an act of mercy and of ineffable charity; it casts its eyes on the prince of the apostles and raises him up after his fall. Peter was there, at some distance from him, an unfaithful disciple, mingling in the crowd of the enemies of his master. He had shamefully denied him, no less than three times. All at once, he encounters the divine eyes fixing upon him a look of gentle reproach, of compassion, and of love. It is enough. The sight of that sorrowful Face, of that ray of light which issues from those sad eyes, pierces the heart of the apostle; penetrated with shame and repentance, he turns aside and weeps bitterly.

III. Application to yourself - Oh divine Face who raisest up and transformest wandering souls, cast Thine eyes upon me. Have pity on me. I have not, after having offended God, responded to the attractions of Thy grace. Or, if I have shed a few tears, they have only been the result of a passing feeling of humility, of a sadness in which self-love had a larger part than true repentance. Since Thou art, oh adorable Face, a sun of justice, able to soften our souls and to purify our consciences, burn and consume in me all that is contrary to the purity of Thy love; may Thy heavenly rays inflame me, and make me weep secretly over my past offenses; I also, am an unfaithful disciple, or rather, I have been, but will no longer be one! Thou hast been so merciful as to forgive me my revolts and to turn away Thine eyes from my sins. No, my Jesus, whatever may happen, and whatever it may cost me, I will not renounce Thee anymore; I will, on the contrary, glorify Thee by my penitence and my good works.

Act of contrition - Lord, turn away Thy Face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. I detest them and desire to make reparation for them.

Virtue lo be practiced - Have the courage of your faith. Do not fear the eyes and the words of men when there is a question of a duty to be fulfilled or of a fault to be avoided.

Spiritual bouquet - Jesus looked at Peter, and Peter wept bitterly. I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

SIXTH DAY
The Holy Face at the Praetorium of Pilate

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

I. The sufferings of the Holy Face - The lashes which the executioners inflicted on Jesus did not spare his sweet and amiable Face. It is furrowed in every direction, wounded, bleeding, lacerated by scourges. Then, seeing that Jesus was condemned to death because he had called himself “King,” the soldiers turn this title into a subject of bitter derision and of sacrilegious mockeries. They cast upon his shoulders a purple robe; instead of a scepter, they place a reed in his hand, and by an incredible refinement of malice they fashion a crown for him out of thorns which they interlace together, and which they fasten on his brow with great blows. The long, hard, sharp thorns entering deeply into the head of the Saviour caused him dreadful suffering and inundated his Holy Face with streams of blood.

II. Humiliations of the Holy Face - It was in this pitiable state Pilate presented Jesus to the people, hoping thereby to excite their compassion and to deliver him. “Behold the man!” he said. The sight only inflamed their fury. “Crucify him, crucify him, they exclaimed. - Shall I crucify your king? - We have no other king than Cesar, we will not have this man to reign over us.” The enemies of the Saviour triumphed. Amongst the crowd there were many whom he had overwhelmed with blessings, who perhaps, in secret, called themselves his disciples and friends; yet not one amongst them raised his voice in order to declare himself in his favor, and to defend him. Not one of them dared to recognize him for his king and his God. This miserable, cowardly abandonment, joined to the other outrages inflicted on the Holy Face, was a sorrowful martyrdom for Jesus. “My people, what have I done to you? Why do you outrage the Face of your Saviour? Why have you surrounded it with a diadem of thorns?”

III. Honor due to the Holy Face - There is a profound mystery contained in the crowning of the divine Face; it was destined to reign. The soldiers, though unconscious of it, attest the royalty of Jesus Christ, as well as Pilate; without being aware of it, they enter into the designs of God, who wills that his Son should be recognized as King and under that title, should receive the homage of all creatures. Yes, Oh Jesus, by the diadem which crowns Thy Face, Thou hast acquired the right of reigning over my heart; Thy diadem of ignominy and of suffering is a crown of expiation and of love. Many times I have cast dishonor upon Thy royalty by despising Thy holy law and Thy divine teachings; many times I have caused the blood to flow down Thy august Face through my reiterated sins, which have driven ever deeper into Thy flesh the thorns which transpierce Thy brow; I have run after the joys of this world, and I have crowned myself with roses; I have longed after the luxurious delights of an easy and pleasant life, not remembering that I am the subject of a king crowned with thorns. No, adorable Face, I will not allow Thee any more to suffer the thorns of my iniquities. I desire that Thou shouldst rejoice in my homage; that thou shouldst be crowned with the flowers of my virtues, and that Thou shouldst triumph in me by a generous love worthy of Thee.

Act of offering - Oh Jesus, my king, and my God, behold my mind with its thoughts, my heart with its affections, my will with its tendencies, behold my soul and my body; I put them wholly and entirely under the empire of Thy Holy Face, reign over me forevermore.

Virtue to be practiced - Make all the desires and ill-regulated movements of your heart and mind which may offend the Holy Face and renew its sufferings, to die in you by means of mortification.

Spiritual bouquet - Can a member be fastidious and sensual under a Head that is crowned with thorns? I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

SEVENTH DAY
The Holy Face on the path to Calvary

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Behold Jesus ascending the mount of his sacrifice, laden with the weight of his Cross. After the painful and humiliating fall which he has had, his adorable Face is soiled with dust, with sweat and with blood. The spectacle excites the contempt of the crowd and the mockeries of the executioners.

I. Reparation offered to the Holy Face - In this state of abandonment and of opprobrium, the Saviour, all at once, receives a mark of devotion and of tenderness which compensates and consoles him. A courageous woman, Veronica, has been touched with compassion. Listening only to her faith and her love, she makes her way through the crowd, puts aside the executioners, and, filled with reverence and emotion, draws near to Jesus. Then she takes the soft white veil of fine Egyptian linen which covers her head; she spreads it over and gently applies it to the bleeding and wounded Face of the Man-God! she wipes it and raises it; it is a real service which she renders to him, and which for a moment relieves his sufferings and reanimates him. As a recompense, Jesus immediately leaves the impression of his Holy Face upon the linen of which she had made use for the performance of this heroic act.

II. Veronica our pattern - Congratulate Veronica; look upon her as an admirable model, learn from that generous woman to make reparation to the suffering Face of your God. Impiety renews, in these our days, the outrages he endured on Calvary. His Holy Face is especially insulted and spit upon by all the horrible blasphemies which hell vomits forth against his divinity. The Saviour complains; he seems to say to those who know him and who love him: “I have sought around me for consolers, and I have found none.” Let your heart answer: “Behold me, Lord; I am Thine, ready to do Thy good pleasure. Must I oppose my faith, my adoration, my example to hatred and contemptuous impiety? I am ready.”

III. A good inspiration to follow - Divine Master, Thou hast said in Thy Gospel: “Whoever shall glorify me before man, I will glorify him in my turn before my Father who is in heaven.” At the present day, perverse and sacrilegious deeds outrage Thy adorable Face; I desire to glorify it by my expiations, by my praises, by all the fervor of my love. Animate me with the spirit with which Veronica was inspired upon the ascent to Calvary. What signifies to me the raillery of the world, and the rage of hell? I will listen to the voice of the Church, I will follow the inspirations of my heart, I will go to Thee, oh sweet Peace of my Saviour; I will wipe away the tears with which it is inundated; I will soothe the wounds which make it suffer, I will efface the ignominious blemishes with which wicked men have attempted to soil it. In Thy turn, inspire me with the rays of Thy grace, and engrave in my heart the celestial impress of Thy virtues.

Act of charity - Love the Holy Face and have compassion on the outrages it was made to suffer; love your wandering brethren, and pray to God to spare and convert them.

Virtue to be practiced - Let zeal for reparation inflame you; exercise it by communions, by your prayers, by your words, by your example, by all the means with which the sight of evil committed ought to inspire you.

Spiritual bouquet - “I want Veronicas,” said our Lord to Marie de Saint Pierre. “My daughter, take my Face as a precious coin wherewith to pay to my Father the debts of His justice.” I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

EIGHTH DAY
The Holy Face on the Cross

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

Upon the Cross, where it is placed as upon an altar of propitiation between heaven and earth, the Holy Face acts as our intercessor and our mediator.

I. The pardon of the Holy Face - Raising its eyes bathed in tears towards the heavenly Father, it entreats our pardon: Paler, dimitte illis. Oh Father, remit the debt of these sinners; give back to them Thy friendship. Then turning towards us, it inclines itself lovingly, as though to offer us the kiss of peace and of reconciliation. Oh! how touching, at that moment, is the aspect of the sorrowful Face of the Redeemer; what sufferings upon that bed of anguish! what a prolonged agony! and what patience also! what gentleness, what an ineffable serenity in its movements and its words! As often as seven times the divine Face, giving a truce to its sufferings opens its blessed lips; each one of its words is a lesson, a grace, and as it were, a reiterated and supreme adieu which it addresses to the world. It does not murmur; it is not irritated; it prays, it pardons, it blesses; at last it utters a loud cry and expires.

II. The appeal made to divine mercy - Oh God, our Creator, and our Father, we dare not raise our eyes towards Thee; for we have sinned; we have abused Thy innumerable blessings; we are guilty in the highest degree, we deserve the blows of Thy divine justice. But, Lord, behold Thy Christ on the Cross, look at his merciful and compassionate Face which implores Thee. Listen to the voice of its prayer. Behold its tears, the thorns of its crown, the blood with which it is inundated. Behold it mute, inanimate, growing cold in the death agony. It is given up to death for us, oh Father; it has taken our place before Thee, it has deserved to disarm Thy anger. Look, look at the Face of Thy well-beloved Christ, in the state to which it has been reduced. Pardon us, oh most merciful Father, and save us.

III. Christian pardon - Most Holy Face of Jesus on the cross, what a lesson Thou givest to me! Thy charity has reached even to the extent of pardoning Thy executioners and praying for them. It is, above all, for those who struck Thee, wounded Thee, dealt Thee blows, covered Thee with spittle, that Thou saidst: “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.” When they struck Thee, Thou didst endure them, gently and in silence. Now, Thou raisest Thy voice to excuse and defend them, to obtain pardon for them; in offering for them Thy blood, Thou givest them the greatest proof of Thy love. Teach me this Thy endurance of our neighbor and this Thy generosity in pardoning even our most cruel enemies. Yes, I forgive, for love of Thee, all who have offended me. With you, I pray for the sinners who outrage Thee, for the wretched men who blaspheme Thee; I beg of Thee their conversion and their salvation. Let them but turn to Thee, oh most Holy Face, let them invoke Thee; it is enough! Whoever looks on Thee, oh blessed Face, with faith and repentance, will escape the sting of the serpent and will find life.

Act of generous love - My God, I forget the injuries which have been inflicted on me; I pardon all those who have offended me in any way whatever; I love them sincerely, I pray for them, and I entreat thee to save them.

Virtue to practice - Bear the injuries inflicted on you and the coldness shown you by your neighbor, accept all that is painful in them to your heart and mind in reparation for what the Holy Face has suffered.

Spiritual bouquet - God our protector, cast Thine eyes upon the Face of Thy Christ. I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

NINTH DAY
The Holy Face on the day of the Resurrection

(Prayers at the commencement are the same as for the first meditation above)

On the day of his resurrection, our Saviour showed himself several times to his holy mother, to the holy women, and to his Apostles. He came forth from the sepulcher, endowed with a spiritual and incorruptible life, shining with glory and immortality. In this state, that which above all attracted attention, was the beauty and triumphant splendor of his Holy Face.

I. Glory of the Holy Face after the Resurrection - Look at it yourself in spirit and with the eyes of faith. What celestial fire in its eyes! What serenity on its brow! What harmony in its features! What a smiling and majestic countenance! During his Passion we beheld the Face of Jesus bleeding and full of grief; at this moment, joy beams forth from it; it overflows with consolation in proportion to the sufferings and ignominies it has suffered. Oh, adorable Face of my Saviour, it is meet that victorious now, over death and sin, you should appear dazzling in strength and splendor. Show what Thou art; shed all-around in softened majesty, the rays of honor and glory with which Thou art crowned; advance and reign over all hearts. Prospere procede, et regna.

II. Joy which it communicates - The first time that the apostles, when they were assembled together in the cenacle, saw the risen Face of their divine Master, they were thrilled, says the Evangelist, with great joy. His smile, his sweet gaze, his kind and paternal words, the breath of his lips which he shed upon them, inundated them interiorly with a delicious peace which they had never before experienced. What will be the joy of the elect, when they shall behold, in its full splendor, without a cloud, and without a shade, the glorious Face of the Incarnate Word. The sight will enable them to penetrate as through a most pure mirror, into the secrets of the divine essence, where they will find perfect beatitude and the sovereign good. They will see it even as it is, that most Holy Face and they will become like to it; perfection of soul and of body will be theirs through the light of its glory with which they will feel themselves to be penetrated.

III. Its praises throughout eternity - Lord, permit me “To behold Thee,” permit me to see Thy Face in its pure and real glory; when Thy glory shall thus appear to me, then my heart will be satiated with joy. Being then says Saint Augustine, free and disengaged from all cares, “we shall see, we shall love, we shall praise.” We shall see the Face of the divine King so ravishing and so beautiful; we shall love the Face of the Man-God, of the Son of Mary so sweet and so amiable; we shall praise the Face of the Redeemer, so victorious and so powerful. We shall behold it forever, we shall love it without distaste; we shall praise it without weariness, with transports of ever reviving, ever renewed joy, forever and ever. Amen.

Act of desire - When shall I go and appear before the Face of my God? When shall I see him face to face?

Virtue to be practiced - Detach yourself, little by little, from the deceptive and passing joys of this world; seek the treasures of Heaven where the risen Jesus awaits you.

Spiritual bouquet - May I expire thirsting with an ardent thirst to see the desirable Face of our Lord, Jesus Christ. (Last words of Mr. Dupont) I have entreated Thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to thy promise. Make the light of Thy Face to shine upon me; save me in Thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded, because I have called upon Thee.

PRAYER - Almighty and merciful God, grant, we beg of Thee, that whilst venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in the Passion because of our sins, we may merit to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of its heavenly glory. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.]]> <![CDATA[Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=3869 Sun, 12 Jun 2022 14:11:18 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=3869 Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

[This powerful prayer was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who asked for his prayers.

It brought about thousands of miracles and it was Padre Pio’s favorite prayer.]

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I. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of…… (here name your request)

Our Father….Hail Mary….Glory Be to the Father….Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of…….(here name your request)

Our Father…Hail Mary….Glory Be To the Father….Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of…..(here name your request)

Our Father….Hail Mary….Glory Be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.]]> Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

[This powerful prayer was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who asked for his prayers.

It brought about thousands of miracles and it was Padre Pio’s favorite prayer.]

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3...%3DApi&f=1]

I. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of…… (here name your request)

Our Father….Hail Mary….Glory Be to the Father….Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of…….(here name your request)

Our Father…Hail Mary….Glory Be To the Father….Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of…..(here name your request)

Our Father….Hail Mary….Glory Be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.]]> <![CDATA[Christmas Novena of St. Alphonsus Liguori]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=3106 Fri, 17 Dec 2021 14:13:35 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=3106 Christmas Novena

This Novena is translated from the Italian of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguoiri and was first published in 1758. Although this novena is intended primarily as a preparation for the feast of our Lord's Nativity, it can be used with spiritual profit at any time of the year as a devotion in honor of the Infant Jesus.

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First Day

God's Love Revealed in His Becoming Man.

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 repay 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 offences I have committed against Thee.

I love Thee, O Word incarnate; I love Thee, O infinite goodness. Out of love for Thee, my God, I am so sorry for all the injuries I have done Thee, that I could die of grief for these offences. 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 persevere 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.

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 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, hast need now of 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 hast 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.

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 of 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 embraces! for love of me, make me hope for the pardon of all the offences 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.

The Sign which the angel gave the shepherds to help them find the new-born 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 new-born 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, buffetted 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 art 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 Savior, 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 offences 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 art done to me. I love Thee, Jesus, who wast 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.

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 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 offences 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 offences I have committed against Thee. I love Thee more than myself, or at 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 favor 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.

Saint Paul says, "The goodness and kindness of God, our Savior, has appeared." When the Son of God made Man appeared 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, new/born 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 offences 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

The Flight of the Infant Jesus into Egypt.

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 on 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.

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 from 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 Savior! 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.

When the edict was issued by the emperor of Rome that everyone should go to his own 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.

Prayers

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 evermore.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and my Mother, thou canst obtain everything from thy Son by thy prayers. This is the only favor I ask of Thee. Do thou pray to Jesus for me. Amen.]]> Christmas Novena

This Novena is translated from the Italian of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguoiri and was first published in 1758. Although this novena is intended primarily as a preparation for the feast of our Lord's Nativity, it can be used with spiritual profit at any time of the year as a devotion in honor of the Infant Jesus.

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First Day

God's Love Revealed in His Becoming Man.

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 repay 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 offences I have committed against Thee.

I love Thee, O Word incarnate; I love Thee, O infinite goodness. Out of love for Thee, my God, I am so sorry for all the injuries I have done Thee, that I could die of grief for these offences. 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 persevere 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.

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 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, hast need now of 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 hast 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.

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 of 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 embraces! for love of me, make me hope for the pardon of all the offences 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.

The Sign which the angel gave the shepherds to help them find the new-born 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 new-born 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, buffetted 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 art 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 Savior, 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 offences 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 art done to me. I love Thee, Jesus, who wast 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.

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 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 offences 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 offences I have committed against Thee. I love Thee more than myself, or at 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 favor 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.

Saint Paul says, "The goodness and kindness of God, our Savior, has appeared." When the Son of God made Man appeared 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, new/born 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 offences 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

The Flight of the Infant Jesus into Egypt.

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 on 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.

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 from 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 Savior! 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.

When the edict was issued by the emperor of Rome that everyone should go to his own 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.

Prayers

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 evermore.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and my Mother, thou canst obtain everything from thy Son by thy prayers. This is the only favor I ask of Thee. Do thou pray to Jesus for me. Amen.]]> <![CDATA[Calendar of Various Novenas]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=3037 Sun, 05 Dec 2021 18:28:25 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=3037 Calendar of Various Novena

Taken from here.

Novena to the Sacred Heart (Beginning on the Feast of Corpus Christi and ending on the Feast of the Sacred Heart)

Novena to the Holy Face (Feast Day Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras)

Novena to the Holy Name

Novena to the Magi in anticipation of the Epiphany (beginning on 28 December and ending on 5 January (the Vigil of the Epiphany)

Novena to the Infant of Prague (Starts 5 January – 13 January — Feast Day 14 January)

Novena to the Holy Family (Feast Day: Sunday between 7 January and 13 January)

Novena to St. Brigid (beginning on 23 January and ending on 1 February — Feast Day 2 February)

Novena to Our Lady of Good Success (starting on 24 January and ending on 1 February)

Novena to St. Blaise (beginning on 25 January and ending on 2 February — Feast Day 3 February)

Novena to St Agatha (Beginning 27 January and ending on 4 February — Feast Day 5 February)

Novena to St. Valentine (beginning on February 5 and ending on February 14)

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes (Begins 2 February through 10 February — Feast Day 11 February)

Novena to St Thomas Aquinas (Feast Day 7 March)

Novena to St John of God (Feast Day 8 March)

Novena of Grace (in honor of St. Francis Xavier) (starting on 4 March and ending on 12 March)

Novena to St. Patrick (beginning on 8 March and ending on 16 March — Feast Day 17 March)

Novena to St. Joseph (beginning on 10 March and ending on 18 March — Feast Day 19 March)

Novena to St. Benedict (beginning on 12 March and ending on 20 March — Feast Day 21 March)

Novena in Honor of the Annunciation to Our Lady (Beginning March 16)

Novena to the Holy Ghost (starting on the day after Ascension Thursday, ending on the Pentecost)

Novena to St. George (beginning on 14 April and ending on 22 April — Feast Day 23 April)

Novena to St. Monica (beginning on 25 April and ending on 3 May — Feast Day 4 May)

Novena to St. Dymphna (beginning on 6 May and ending on 14 May — Feast Day 15 May)

Novena to St. Rita of Cascia (beginning on 13 May and ending on 21 May — Feast Day 22 May)

Novena to St. Anthony of Padua (beginning on 4 June and ending on 12 June — Feast Day 13 June)

Novena to St Aloysius (Beginning 12 June and ending 20 June — Feast Day 21 June)

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Begins 18 June – 26 June — Feast Day 27 June)

Novena to the Precious Blood (Begins 23 June and ending on 1 July — Feast Day 2 July)

Novena to St. Anne (beginning on 17 July and ending on 25 July — Feast Day 26 July)

Novena to St. Martha (Feast Day 29 July)

Novena to St Alphonsus (Beginning 24 July and ending 1 August — Feast Day 2 August)

Novena to St. Dominic (beginning on 30 July and ending on 7 August — Feast Day 8 August)

Novena to St. Philomena (beginning on 2 August and ending on 10 August — Feast Day 11 August)

Novena to St. Clare of Assisi (beginning on 3 August and ending on 11 August — Feast Day 12 August)

Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe (beginning on 5 August and ending on 13 August — Feast Day 14 August)

Novena to St Raymond Nonnatus (beginning 22 August and ending 30 August — Feast Day 31 August)

Novena in Honor of Our Lady’s Nativity (Beginning August 30)

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows (beginning 6 September and ending on 14 September — Feast Day 15 September

Novena to St. Pio of Pietrelcina (beginning on 14 September and ending on 22 September — Feast Day 23 September)

Novena to St. Michael (beginning on 20 September and ending on 28 September — Feast Day 29 September)

Novena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower (beginning on 24 September and ending on 2 October — Feast Day 3 October)

Novena to St. Francis of Assisi (beginning on 25 September and ending on 3 October– Feast Day 4 October)

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of the Rosary (Beginning 28 September)

Novena in Honor of Our Lady’s Divine Maternity (Beginning October 2)

Novena to St. Teresa of Avila (beginning on 6 October and ending on 14 October — Feast Day 15 October)

Novena to St. Gerard (7 October and ending on 15 October — Feast Day 16 October)

Novena in Honor of St. Raphael, Archangel (Beginning October 15)

Novena to St. Jude (beginning on 20 October and ending on 28 October — Feast Day 29 October)

Novena to Christ the King (beginning 10 days before the Feast of Christ the King (the last Sunday in October)

Novena for the Holy Souls in Purgatory (Beginning October 24)

Novena to St Martin de Porres (Beginning 25 October and ending on 2 November — Feast Day 3 November)

Novena to Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini) (beginning on November 4 and ending on November 12 — Feast Day 13 November)

Novena in Honor of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (21 November)

Novena to St. Catherine of Alexandria (beginning November 16 and ending on November 25)

Christmas Novena I (St. Andrew Novena) (from St. Andrew’s Day (30 November), ending on Christmas Eve)

Novena to St. Nicholas (beginning on 27 November and ending on 5 December — Feast Day 6 December)

Novena to the Immaculate Conception (starting on November 29 and ending on December 7 —- Feast Day 8 December)

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe (Beginning 3 December and ending 11 December — Feast 12 December)

Novena to St Lucy (beginning 4 December and ending 12 December — Feast Day 13 December)

Christmas Novena II (beginning on 16 December and ending on 24 December)

]]> Calendar of Various Novena

Taken from here.

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Christmas Novena of St. Andrew

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Imprimatur
† Michael Augustine,
Archbishop of New York
New York, February 6, 1897]]> [Image: ?u=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-OnH...f=1&nofb=1]

Christmas Novena of St. Andrew

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Imprimatur
† Michael Augustine,
Archbishop of New York
New York, February 6, 1897]]> <![CDATA[Novena in Honor of Our Lady's Assumption (August 7th - 15th)]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2263 Sat, 07 Aug 2021 12:17:03 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2263 here:

Novena in Honor of the Assumption
Start August 7, Complete on August 15

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Eternal Father, you graciously looked upon the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and made her to be the Mother of the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant we beseech you that we who honor her Assumption into the Kingdom of Heaven, may by her Motherly intercession also come to share in the inheritance of those whom you have redeemed by the precious Blood of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Most holy Immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, and the refuge of sinners, I have recourse today, I who am the most miserable of all. I render thee my most humble homage, 0 great Queen, and I thank thee for all the graces thou hast conferred on me until now. I love thee, 0 most amiable Lady; and for the love which I bear thee, I promise to serve thee always, and to do all in my power to make others love thee also. Dearest Mother bring before the throne of your beloved Son the prayers and intentions I ask during this novena

(Here we mention our prayers. Pray for the intentions of our Holy Father the Pope, and for all the clergy. Pray also for the sick and dying, and for the suffering souls in purgatory)

I place in thee all my hopes; I confide my salvation to thy care. Accept me for thy servant, and receive me under thy mantle, 0 Mother of Mercy. And as thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. Of thee I ask a perfect love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a good death. 0 my Mother, by the love which thou bearest to God, I beseech thee to help me at all times, especially at the last moment of my life. Leave me not, I beseech thee, until I am safe in heaven, blessing thee, and singing thy mercies for all eternity. Amen.

Say 9 Hail Marys]]> here:

Novena in Honor of the Assumption
Start August 7, Complete on August 15

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Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 1

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Great Saint Anne, engrave indelibly on my heart and in my mind the words that have reclaimed and sanctified so many sinners:

“What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world if he lose his own soul?” May this be the principal fruit of these prayers by which I will strive to honor you during this novena.

At your feet, renew my resolution to invoke you daily, not only for the success of my temporal affairs and to be preserved from sickness and suffering, but above all, that I may be preserved from all sin, that I may gain eternal salvation and that I will receive the special grace of…

(State your intention here.)

O most powerful Saint Anne, do not let me lose my soul, but obtain for me the grace of heaven, there with you, your blessed spouse, and your glorious daughter, to sing the praise of the Most Holy and Adorable Trinity forever and ever.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 2

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glorious Saint Anne, how can you be anything other than overflowing with tenderness toward sinners like me, since you are the grandmother of Him who shed His blood for us, and the mother of her whom the saints call advocate of sinners? To you, therefore, I address my prayers with confidence.

Vouchsafe to commend me to Jesus and Mary so that, at your request, I may be granted remission of my sins, perseverance, the love of God, charity for all mankind, and the special grace of…

(State your intention here.)

…for which I stand in need at the present time. O most powerful protectress, let me not lose my soul, but pray for me that through the merits of Jesus Christ and the intercession of Mary, I may have the great happiness of seeing them, of loving and praising them with you through all eternity.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 3

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Beloved of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, mother of the Queen of Heaven, take us and all who are dear to us under your special care. Obtain for us the virtues you instilled in the heart of her who was destined to become Mother of God, and the graces with which you were endowed. O model of Christian womanhood, pray that we may imitate your example in our homes and families. Please listen to our petitions,

(State your intention here.)

Guardian of the infancy and childhood of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain the graces necessary for all who enter the marriage state, that by imitating your virtues, they may sanctify their homes and lead the souls entrusted to their care to eternal glory. Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 4

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glorious Saint Anne, I kneel in confidence at your feet, for you also have tasted the bitterness and sorrow of life. My need, the cause of my request, is…

(State your intention here.)

Good Saint Anne, you who did suffer much during the twenty years that preceded your glorious maternity, I beseech you, by all your sufferings and humiliations, to grant my prayer.

I pray to you, through your love for your glorious spouse Saint Joachim, through your love for your immaculate child, through the joy you felt at the moment of her happy birth, not to refuse me. Bless me, bless my family and all who are dear to me, so that someday, we may all be with you in the glory of heaven, for all eternity.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 5

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Great Saint Anne, how far I am from resembling you. I so easily give way to impatience and discouragement; and so easily give up praying when God does not at once answer my request. Prayer is the key to all heavenly treasures and I cannot pray, because my weak faith and lack of confidence fail me at the slightest delay. O my powerful protectress, come to my aid, listen to my petition…

(State your intention here.)

Make my confidence and fervor, supported by the promise of Jesus Christ, increase as the trial to which God, in His goodness, subjects me is prolonged, that I may obtain, like you, more than I can venture to ask for. In the future I will remember that I am made for heaven and not for earth; for eternity and not for time; that consequently I must ask, above all, for the salvation of my soul.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 6

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glorious Saint Anne, mother of the Mother of God, I beg for your powerful intercession for the freedom from my sins and the assistance I need in my troubles…

(State your intention here.)

What can I not hope for if you deign to take me under your protection? The Most High has been pleased to grant the prayers of sinners, whenever you have been charitable enough to be their advocate.

Therefore, I beg you to help me in all spiritual and temporal dangers; to guide me in the true path of Christian perfection, and finally to obtain for me the grace of a happy death, so that I may contemplate your beloved Jesus and daughter, Mary, in your loving companionship throughout all eternity.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 7

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Good Saint Anne, so justly called the mother of the infirm, the cure for those who suffer from disease, look kindly upon the sick for whom I pray.

Alleviate their sufferings; cause them to sanctify their sufferings by patience and complete submission to the Divine Will; finally, deign to obtain health for them and with it, the firm resolution to honor Jesus, Mary, and yourself by the faithful performance of duties.

But, merciful Saint Anne, I ask you above all for the salvation of my soul, rather than bodily health, for I am convinced that this fleeting life is given to us solely to assure us a better one. I cannot obtain that better life without the help of God’s graces. I earnestly beg for them from you for the sick and for myself, and especially for the petition for which I am making in this novena…

(State your intention here.)

…through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of His Immaculate Mother, and through your efficacious and powerful mediation, I pray.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 8

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Remember, O Saint Anne, you whose name signifies grace and mercy, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, and sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, good, and kind mother; I take refuge at your feet, burdened with the weight of my sins. O holy mother of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, despise not my petition…

(State your intention here.)

…but hear me and grant my prayer.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

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

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 9

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Most holy mother of the Virgin Mary, glorious Saint Anne, I, a miserable sinner, confiding in your kindness, choose you today as my special advocate. I offer all my interests to your care and maternal solicitude. O my very good mother and advocate, deign to accept me and to adopt me as your child.

O glorious Saint Anne, I beg you, by the passion of my most loving Jesus, the Son of Mary, your most holy daughter, to assist me in all the necessities both of my body and my soul. Venerable Mother, I beg you to obtain for me the favor I seek in this novena…

(State your intention here.)

…and the grace of leading a life perfectly conformed to all things of the Divine Will. I place my soul in your hands and in those of your kind daughter. I ask for your favor in order that, appearing under your patronage before the Supreme Judge, He may find me worthy of enjoying His Divine Presence in your holy companionship in Heaven.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne & Saint Joachim, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.]]> Traditional St. Anne Novena
Typically July 18th - July 26th

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Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 1

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Great Saint Anne, engrave indelibly on my heart and in my mind the words that have reclaimed and sanctified so many sinners:

“What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world if he lose his own soul?” May this be the principal fruit of these prayers by which I will strive to honor you during this novena.

At your feet, renew my resolution to invoke you daily, not only for the success of my temporal affairs and to be preserved from sickness and suffering, but above all, that I may be preserved from all sin, that I may gain eternal salvation and that I will receive the special grace of…

(State your intention here.)

O most powerful Saint Anne, do not let me lose my soul, but obtain for me the grace of heaven, there with you, your blessed spouse, and your glorious daughter, to sing the praise of the Most Holy and Adorable Trinity forever and ever.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 2

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glorious Saint Anne, how can you be anything other than overflowing with tenderness toward sinners like me, since you are the grandmother of Him who shed His blood for us, and the mother of her whom the saints call advocate of sinners? To you, therefore, I address my prayers with confidence.

Vouchsafe to commend me to Jesus and Mary so that, at your request, I may be granted remission of my sins, perseverance, the love of God, charity for all mankind, and the special grace of…

(State your intention here.)

…for which I stand in need at the present time. O most powerful protectress, let me not lose my soul, but pray for me that through the merits of Jesus Christ and the intercession of Mary, I may have the great happiness of seeing them, of loving and praising them with you through all eternity.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 3

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Beloved of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, mother of the Queen of Heaven, take us and all who are dear to us under your special care. Obtain for us the virtues you instilled in the heart of her who was destined to become Mother of God, and the graces with which you were endowed. O model of Christian womanhood, pray that we may imitate your example in our homes and families. Please listen to our petitions,

(State your intention here.)

Guardian of the infancy and childhood of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain the graces necessary for all who enter the marriage state, that by imitating your virtues, they may sanctify their homes and lead the souls entrusted to their care to eternal glory. Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 4

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glorious Saint Anne, I kneel in confidence at your feet, for you also have tasted the bitterness and sorrow of life. My need, the cause of my request, is…

(State your intention here.)

Good Saint Anne, you who did suffer much during the twenty years that preceded your glorious maternity, I beseech you, by all your sufferings and humiliations, to grant my prayer.

I pray to you, through your love for your glorious spouse Saint Joachim, through your love for your immaculate child, through the joy you felt at the moment of her happy birth, not to refuse me. Bless me, bless my family and all who are dear to me, so that someday, we may all be with you in the glory of heaven, for all eternity.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 5

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Great Saint Anne, how far I am from resembling you. I so easily give way to impatience and discouragement; and so easily give up praying when God does not at once answer my request. Prayer is the key to all heavenly treasures and I cannot pray, because my weak faith and lack of confidence fail me at the slightest delay. O my powerful protectress, come to my aid, listen to my petition…

(State your intention here.)

Make my confidence and fervor, supported by the promise of Jesus Christ, increase as the trial to which God, in His goodness, subjects me is prolonged, that I may obtain, like you, more than I can venture to ask for. In the future I will remember that I am made for heaven and not for earth; for eternity and not for time; that consequently I must ask, above all, for the salvation of my soul.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 6

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glorious Saint Anne, mother of the Mother of God, I beg for your powerful intercession for the freedom from my sins and the assistance I need in my troubles…

(State your intention here.)

What can I not hope for if you deign to take me under your protection? The Most High has been pleased to grant the prayers of sinners, whenever you have been charitable enough to be their advocate.

Therefore, I beg you to help me in all spiritual and temporal dangers; to guide me in the true path of Christian perfection, and finally to obtain for me the grace of a happy death, so that I may contemplate your beloved Jesus and daughter, Mary, in your loving companionship throughout all eternity.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 7

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Good Saint Anne, so justly called the mother of the infirm, the cure for those who suffer from disease, look kindly upon the sick for whom I pray.

Alleviate their sufferings; cause them to sanctify their sufferings by patience and complete submission to the Divine Will; finally, deign to obtain health for them and with it, the firm resolution to honor Jesus, Mary, and yourself by the faithful performance of duties.

But, merciful Saint Anne, I ask you above all for the salvation of my soul, rather than bodily health, for I am convinced that this fleeting life is given to us solely to assure us a better one. I cannot obtain that better life without the help of God’s graces. I earnestly beg for them from you for the sick and for myself, and especially for the petition for which I am making in this novena…

(State your intention here.)

…through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of His Immaculate Mother, and through your efficacious and powerful mediation, I pray.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 8

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Remember, O Saint Anne, you whose name signifies grace and mercy, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, and sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, good, and kind mother; I take refuge at your feet, burdened with the weight of my sins. O holy mother of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, despise not my petition…

(State your intention here.)

…but hear me and grant my prayer.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne!

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

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Traditional St. Anne Novena - Day 9

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Most holy mother of the Virgin Mary, glorious Saint Anne, I, a miserable sinner, confiding in your kindness, choose you today as my special advocate. I offer all my interests to your care and maternal solicitude. O my very good mother and advocate, deign to accept me and to adopt me as your child.

O glorious Saint Anne, I beg you, by the passion of my most loving Jesus, the Son of Mary, your most holy daughter, to assist me in all the necessities both of my body and my soul. Venerable Mother, I beg you to obtain for me the favor I seek in this novena…

(State your intention here.)

…and the grace of leading a life perfectly conformed to all things of the Divine Will. I place my soul in your hands and in those of your kind daughter. I ask for your favor in order that, appearing under your patronage before the Supreme Judge, He may find me worthy of enjoying His Divine Presence in your holy companionship in Heaven.

Amen.

Pray for us, Saint Anne & Saint Joachim, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.]]> <![CDATA[1852: Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2123 Fri, 16 Jul 2021 15:05:56 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2123 [Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fwww.discern...f=1&nofb=1]

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A Novena in Honor of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel

There is no true Catholic who does not know that the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin Mary is a most powerful method of obtaining benefits and favours from the Majesty of God; since, as this Holy Queen is really and truly the Mother of God, Her dear Son will not deny Her any thing which She asks of Him. For this reason, Christian piety has discovered many ways of honouring this dear Lady, so that by Her powerful intercession She may obtain for us help in our necessities, consolation in our afflictions, and the fulfilment of any just desires. And the faithful, experiencing the power of Her intercession with God in the graces they constantly receive through Her, recognise Her as their Mother, and as such venerate and love Her. But above all, the Carmelites and those who wear the Holy Scapular ought to love this Blessed Virgin, for She enriched them with this singular privilege, so that by it they might be known and distinguished as Her children, and particularly under Her protection; confirming this favour by continual and great prodigies and miracles, which have been and still are experienced. And so that they may shew their love and gratitude towards this great Queen and most loving Mother, as also to implore Her especial assistance to obtain what they desire, this Novena has been written, in which Her most extraordinary favours are commemorated, and which is to be performed according to the following directions.

Directions for performing this Novena.

1.) The first thing to be remarked is, that this Novena may be made at any time of the year, either on nine consecutive days or on nine consecutive Saturdays (this day being chosen as consecrated to the Mother of God); but the proper time for performing it is in the month of July, beginning it on the eighth of July, and ending it on the sixteenth day of that month, which is the Feast of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel; or beginning it on the fifteenth--that is, on the eve of the Feast,--and concluding it on the twenty-third, which is the last day of the Octave.

2.) The second is, that this Novena may be said in the person's own house before an image or picture of our Lady of Mount Carmel; but the best place to say it in is the church, before an altar of the Blessed Virgin, if there be one, or if not, a picture or medal may be used. And the Novena is to be said kneeling, if illness or any other just cause does not prevent.

3.) The third is, that the person who makes the Novena is to confess and communicate on the first day of the Novena if possible, or at least on some day during the course of it; and that, in order to be better prepared to recite this Novena, they are to make very devoutly the acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, as contained in the first prayer, in order to purify the soul to praise God and the Holy Virgin: for if a soul full of failings and imperfections were to offer to God and our Lady prayers and praises, it would be like presenting delicious viands in an unclean vessel, so that they could not be eaten; and it would also be well to confess and communicate on the last day of the Novena.

4.) The fourth is, that on the first day of the Novena, the person who performs it is to determine for what end or intention he wishes to make it,--that is, what he desires to obtain from God by the intercession of His Holy Mother; and he is to ask it with great humility and entire resignation to the will of God, only desiring it if it be for the greater glory of His Divine Majesty and good of his own soul; and also he is to be disposed, if he does not obtain what he asks, to be as satisfied as if God had granted his desire, preferring the Divine will and pleasure to his own.

5.) The fifth remark is, that any person who cannot read or hear the Novena read, can make it by saying every day five Salve Reginas and five Ave Marias, saying first an act of contrition, and observing as far as possible the directions here given.

6.) The sixth and last is, that the person who makes the Novena ought to offer to God and the Blessed Virgin some act of virtue every day during the Novena: as giving alms, hearing Mass, a short time of mental prayer, frequent acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, as also of conformity with the holy will of God. And he ought to have great confidence, through the intercession of the Holy Virgin, that he will obtain from the Majesty of God what he asks in this Novena, if it be for the good of his soul.--pages 3 - 7

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A Novena in Honor of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel

There is no true Catholic who does not know that the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin Mary is a most powerful method of obtaining benefits and favours from the Majesty of God; since, as this Holy Queen is really and truly the Mother of God, Her dear Son will not deny Her any thing which She asks of Him. For this reason, Christian piety has discovered many ways of honouring this dear Lady, so that by Her powerful intercession She may obtain for us help in our necessities, consolation in our afflictions, and the fulfilment of any just desires. And the faithful, experiencing the power of Her intercession with God in the graces they constantly receive through Her, recognise Her as their Mother, and as such venerate and love Her. But above all, the Carmelites and those who wear the Holy Scapular ought to love this Blessed Virgin, for She enriched them with this singular privilege, so that by it they might be known and distinguished as Her children, and particularly under Her protection; confirming this favour by continual and great prodigies and miracles, which have been and still are experienced. And so that they may shew their love and gratitude towards this great Queen and most loving Mother, as also to implore Her especial assistance to obtain what they desire, this Novena has been written, in which Her most extraordinary favours are commemorated, and which is to be performed according to the following directions.

Directions for performing this Novena.

1.) The first thing to be remarked is, that this Novena may be made at any time of the year, either on nine consecutive days or on nine consecutive Saturdays (this day being chosen as consecrated to the Mother of God); but the proper time for performing it is in the month of July, beginning it on the eighth of July, and ending it on the sixteenth day of that month, which is the Feast of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel; or beginning it on the fifteenth--that is, on the eve of the Feast,--and concluding it on the twenty-third, which is the last day of the Octave.

2.) The second is, that this Novena may be said in the person's own house before an image or picture of our Lady of Mount Carmel; but the best place to say it in is the church, before an altar of the Blessed Virgin, if there be one, or if not, a picture or medal may be used. And the Novena is to be said kneeling, if illness or any other just cause does not prevent.

3.) The third is, that the person who makes the Novena is to confess and communicate on the first day of the Novena if possible, or at least on some day during the course of it; and that, in order to be better prepared to recite this Novena, they are to make very devoutly the acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, as contained in the first prayer, in order to purify the soul to praise God and the Holy Virgin: for if a soul full of failings and imperfections were to offer to God and our Lady prayers and praises, it would be like presenting delicious viands in an unclean vessel, so that they could not be eaten; and it would also be well to confess and communicate on the last day of the Novena.

4.) The fourth is, that on the first day of the Novena, the person who performs it is to determine for what end or intention he wishes to make it,--that is, what he desires to obtain from God by the intercession of His Holy Mother; and he is to ask it with great humility and entire resignation to the will of God, only desiring it if it be for the greater glory of His Divine Majesty and good of his own soul; and also he is to be disposed, if he does not obtain what he asks, to be as satisfied as if God had granted his desire, preferring the Divine will and pleasure to his own.

5.) The fifth remark is, that any person who cannot read or hear the Novena read, can make it by saying every day five Salve Reginas and five Ave Marias, saying first an act of contrition, and observing as far as possible the directions here given.

6.) The sixth and last is, that the person who makes the Novena ought to offer to God and the Blessed Virgin some act of virtue every day during the Novena: as giving alms, hearing Mass, a short time of mental prayer, frequent acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, as also of conformity with the holy will of God. And he ought to have great confidence, through the intercession of the Holy Virgin, that he will obtain from the Majesty of God what he asks in this Novena, if it be for the good of his soul.--pages 3 - 7

Download the Novena here]]> <![CDATA[Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2019 Sun, 27 Jun 2021 11:53:21 +0000 Stone]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=2019 Novena in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

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Behold at Thy feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help! a wretched sinner who has recourse to Thee, and confides in Thee. O Mother of Mercy! have pity on me. I hear Thee called by all, the Refuge and the Hope of sinners; be then, my refuge and my hope. Assist me, for the love of Jesus Christ; stretch forth Thy hand to a miserable fallen creature, who recommends himself to Thee, and who devotes himself to Thy service forever. I bless and thank Almighty God, Who in His mercy has given me this confidence in Thee, which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation. It is true, dearest Mother, that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin, because I had not recourse to Thee. I know, that with Thy help, I shall conquer. I know, too, that Thou wilt assist me, if I recommend myself to Thee; but I fear, dear Mother that in time of danger, I may neglect to call on thee and thus lose my soul. This grace, then, I ask of Thee, and this I beg, with all the fervor of my soul, that, in all the attacks of hell, I may ever have recourse to Thee. O Mary! help me; O Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God.

Hail Mary (nine times)

O Mother of Perpetual Help! grant that I may ever invoke Thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. O Purest Mary! O Sweetest Mary! Let Thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady! to help me whenever I call on Thee; for, in all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call on Thee, ever repeating Thy Sacred Name, Mary! Mary! O, what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fills my soul when I utter Thy Sacred Name, or even only think of Thee! I thank the Lord for having given Thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering Thy name. Let my love for Thee prompt me ever to hail Thee, Mother of Perpetual Help.

Hail Mary (nine times)

Mother of Perpetual Help. Thou art the dispenser of all the gifts which God grants to us miserable sinners; and for this end He has made Thee so powerful, so rich and so bountiful in order that Thou mayest help us in our misery. Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners who have recourse to Thee; come to my aid, dearest Mother, for I recommend myself to Thee. In Thy hands I place my eternal salvation, and to Thee I entrust my soul. Count me among Thy most devoted servants; take me under Thy protection, and it is enough for me. For, if Thou protect me, dear Mother, I fear nothing; not from my sins because Thou wilt obtain for me the pardon of them; nor from the devils, because Thou art more powerful than all hell together; nor even from Jesus, my Judge, because by one prayer from Thee, He will be appeased. But one thing I fear, that in the hour of temptation, I may through negligence fail to have recourse to Thee and thus perish miserably. Obtain for me, therefore, the pardon of my sins, love for Jesus, final perserverance, and the grace to have recourse to Thee, O Mother of Perpetual Help. Amen.

Hail Mary (nine times)]]> Novena in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Taken from the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel (Massachusetts) newsletter

Begins nine days before Pentecost - this year on Friday, May 27th 2022

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The Novena to the Holy Ghost is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord when He sent His Apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Ghost on the First Pentecost. There, in company with the Mother of God, they prayed.

It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength and love so sorely needed by every Catholic today.

FIRST DAY

Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!

From Thy clear celestial height.

Thy pure beaming radiance give!

THE HOLY GHOST

Only one thing is important -- eternal salvation. Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared -- sin. Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us."

Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, Who has vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

ACT OF CONSECRATION to the HOLY GHOST
On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body, to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light, and listen to Thy voice, and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee, by Thy compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus, and looking at His five wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood, and adoring His opened side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace, O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, "Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Amen.

PRAYER for the SEVEN GIFTS of the HOLY GHOST
O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thy Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth; the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with Thee and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints; the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.

SECOND DAY

Come, Thou Father of the poor!
Come, with treasures which endure!
Come, Thou Light of all that live!

THE GIFT OF FEAR

The gift of Fear fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread nothing so much as to offend Him by sin. It is a fear that arises, not from the thought of hell, but from sentiments of reverence and filial submission to our heavenly Father. It is the fear that is the beginning of wisdom, detaching us from the worldly pleasures that could in any way separate us from God. "They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls."

Prayer
Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set Thee, my Lord and God, before my face forever, help me to shun all things that can offend Thee, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Thy Divine Majesty in heaven, where Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God, world without end. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

THIRD DAY

Thou, of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

THE GIFT OF PIETY
The gift of Piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our most loving Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake persons and things consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority, His Blessed Mother and the Saints, the Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors, our country and its rulers. He who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of his religion, not a burdensome duty, but a delightful service. Where there is love, there is no labor.

Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

FOURTH DAY

Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE
By the gift of Fortitude the soul is strengthened against natural fear, and supported to the end in the performance of duty. Fortitude imparts to the will an impulse and energy which move it to undertake without hesitancy the most arduous tasks, to face dangers, to trample under foot human respect, and to endure without complaint the slow martyrdom of even lifelong tribulation. "He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved."

Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude uphold my soul in time of troubles and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

FIFTH DAY

Light immortal! Light Divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill!

THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE
The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth–in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretense of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity, and directs us to glorify Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first, and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. "Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it."

Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

SIXTH DAY

If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay;
All his good is turned to ill.

THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING
Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Ghost, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to "walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light of Thy Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

SEVENTH DAY

Heal our wounds–our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away!

THE GIFT OF COUNSEL
The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must be done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. "Above all things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct thy way in truth."

Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

EIGHTH DAY

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray!

THE GIFT OF WISDOM
Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of Wisdom it is written "all good things come to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands." It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, whilst the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Savior: "Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light."

Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them forever. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

NINTH DAY

Thou, on those who evermore
Thee confess and Thee adore
In Thy sevenfold gifts, descend:
Give them comfort when they die;
Give the life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end. Amen.

THE FRUITS of the HOLY GHOST
The gifts of the Holy Ghost perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Ghost, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue becomes more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Ghost. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.

Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary on the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts

********************************

PRAYER TO THE HOLY GHOST

Come, O Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created;

R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray - Oh God, Who hast instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the same Spirit we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

- From the Roman Missal

]]> NOVENA to the HOLY GHOST

Taken from the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel (Massachusetts) newsletter

Begins nine days before Pentecost - this year on Friday, May 27th 2022

********************************

PRAYER TO THE HOLY GHOST

- From the Roman Missal

]]> <![CDATA[Novena of St. Vincent Ferrer]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1481 Tue, 30 Mar 2021 23:25:00 +0000 Hildegard of Bingen]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1481

Novena of St. Vincent Ferrer

Day 1 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 2 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 3 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 4 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 5 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.
If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 6 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 7 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.
If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 8 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 9 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our
friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.]]>

Novena of St. Vincent Ferrer

Day 1 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 2 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 3 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 4 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 5 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.
If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 6 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 7 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.
If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 8 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.

Day 9 Prayer

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian, because God our eternal Father has blessed you with an inexhaustible fountain of grace and blessing, we beg you to hear our prayers and to assist us with your powerful intercession which is even more effective now that you are in heaven than it was when you were on earth.
Full of confidence in your mercy and compassion, we kneel in prayer before you, and commend to your powerful intercession all our needs, those of our families, our
friends, relatives, and especially

(mention your intention here)

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer, let not our hope and confidence in your protection be deceived.

Intercede for us before the throne of God. Watch over our eternal welfare.

If our trials and tribulations in this world multiply, may they serve to give us spiritual joy and happiness.
If God will only grant us the grace of ever increasing patience to the end that we may save our souls.
Amen.]]> <![CDATA[St. Thérèse Novena Rose Prayer]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1453 Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:53:06 +0000 Hildegard of Bingen]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1453 [Image: saint-therese-of-lisieux38.jpg]

St. Thérèse Novena Rose Prayer

O Little Thérèse of the Child Jesus,

please pick for me a rose from

the heavenly garden and send it

to me as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God

today to grant the favors I now place

with confidence in your hands.

(Mention specific requests)

St. Thérèse, help me to always

believe, as you did, in God's great

love for me, so that I might imitate

your "Little Way" each day.

Amen.

]]>

St. Thérèse Novena Rose Prayer

O Little Thérèse of the Child Jesus,

please pick for me a rose from

the heavenly garden and send it

to me as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God

today to grant the favors I now place

with confidence in your hands.

(Mention specific requests)

St. Thérèse, help me to always

believe, as you did, in God's great

love for me, so that I might imitate

your "Little Way" each day.

Amen.

]]> <![CDATA[Novena to St. Martha]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1309 Mon, 08 Mar 2021 18:20:49 +0000 Hildegard of Bingen]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1309

Novena to St. Martha

This Novena is prayed on nine consecutive Tuesdays and involves lighting a candle. Pray also especially beginning 9 Tuesdays before 29 July,
the Feast of St. Martha.

(Light a candle) O admirable Saint Martha, I have recourse to thee and I depend entirely on thy intercession in my trials. In thanksgiving, I promise to spread this devotion everywhere. I humbly beg thee to console me in all my difficulties. By the immense joy that filled thy soul when thou didst receive the Redeemer of the world at thy home in Bethany, be pleased to intercede for me and my family, in order that we may keep God in our hearts and therefore, deserve to obtain the remedy to our necessities, especially the present situation that overwhelms me.

(Mention your intentions here)

I implore thee, O Auxiliatrice in all needs; help us to overcome our difficulties, thou who so victoriously fought the devil. Amen.

Recite three times one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be, and the invocation "Saint Martha, pray for us."]]>

Novena to St. Martha

This Novena is prayed on nine consecutive Tuesdays and involves lighting a candle. Pray also especially beginning 9 Tuesdays before 29 July,
the Feast of St. Martha.

(Light a candle) O admirable Saint Martha, I have recourse to thee and I depend entirely on thy intercession in my trials. In thanksgiving, I promise to spread this devotion everywhere. I humbly beg thee to console me in all my difficulties. By the immense joy that filled thy soul when thou didst receive the Redeemer of the world at thy home in Bethany, be pleased to intercede for me and my family, in order that we may keep God in our hearts and therefore, deserve to obtain the remedy to our necessities, especially the present situation that overwhelms me.

(Mention your intentions here)

I implore thee, O Auxiliatrice in all needs; help us to overcome our difficulties, thou who so victoriously fought the devil. Amen.

Recite three times one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be, and the invocation "Saint Martha, pray for us."]]> <![CDATA[Novena to St. Joseph - Feast Day March 19th]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1306 Mon, 08 Mar 2021 17:56:16 +0000 Hildegard of Bingen]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1306

Novena to St. Joseph

Say once a day for nine days, especially beginning on 10 March and ending on 18 March, the eve of the Feast of St. Joseph

St. Joseph

O Glorious St. Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, to thee do we raise our hearts and hands to implore thy powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special favor we now implore (state your petitions).

O guardian of the Word Incarnate, we have confidence that thy prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

[Then the following seven times, in honor of the seven joys or sorrows of St. Joseph.]

V. O glorious St. Joseph, through the love thou dost bear to Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His name,
R. Hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
V. Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
R. Assist us!]]>

Novena to St. Joseph

Say once a day for nine days, especially beginning on 10 March and ending on 18 March, the eve of the Feast of St. Joseph

St. Joseph

O Glorious St. Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, to thee do we raise our hearts and hands to implore thy powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special favor we now implore (state your petitions).

O guardian of the Word Incarnate, we have confidence that thy prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

[Then the following seven times, in honor of the seven joys or sorrows of St. Joseph.]

V. O glorious St. Joseph, through the love thou dost bear to Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His name,
R. Hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
V. Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
R. Assist us!]]> <![CDATA[The Miraculous Novena of Grace of St. Francis Xavier]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1225 Mon, 01 Mar 2021 18:03:56 +0000 Hildegard of Bingen]]> https://thecatacombs.org/showthread.php?tid=1225

The Miraculous Novena of Grace

March 4 -March 12

Origins of the Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier

In Naples in 1633 there lived Fr. Marcello Mastrilli, S.J. He had taken the vow to ask to be assigned to the Japan Mission, then the most difficult; for at that time the Buddhist persecution was most cruel against the Catholic religion and the new form of martyrdom introduced was most excruciating. It was known as the "Pit" for the martyrs were kept hung, head downwards over a volcanic pit from which sulphurous gases and waters welled up. At times the martyrdom was protracted for several days before the victim expired.

The torture was so horrible that in 1633 the Provincial of the Japan Mission Fr. Ferrara after five days of agony over the "Pit" apostatized. But hundreds of others, priests and laymen, Europeans and Japanese in holy emulation reached the martyr's crown through the terrible "Pit".

When the news of the unfortunate Ferrara's apostasy reached Europe, many Jesuits vowed themselves to the Japan Mission to replace their martyred brethren and to atone for the apostate. Marcello Mastrilli was one of them. (Fr. Ferrara was subsequently reconverted and atoned for his fall by dying a martyr's death over the "Pit" in 1652.)

In December 1633, while waiting for the passage to Japan, Fr. Mastrilli organized on a grand scale the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the College of Naples, putting up for the occasion an elaborate structure that drew the admiration of the whole town. The feast was a stupendous success that helped so much to bring home to the faithful the great privilege of Our Lady, which then was not yet defined as a dogma of the Faith.
The feast over, Fr. Mastrilli was supervising the removal of the temporary structure when a heavy hammer slipped from the hands of a worker and fell with deadly precision on Fr. Mastrilli's head. The injury caused thereby was severe, and Fr. Mastrilli was on the verge of death.

Just when the crisis was on, St. Francis Xavier appeared to Fr.Mastrilli and, bidding him renew the vow to go to Japan, said to him: "All those who implore my help daily for nine consecutive days, from the 4th to the 12th of March included, and worthily receive the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist on one of the nine days, will experience my protection and may hope with entire assurance to obtain from God any Grace they ask for the good of their souls and the glory of God."

The Father arose, instantly cured. So well has the Saint kept this promise that this devotion in his honor became universally known as the Novena of Grace. Its efficacy is not restricted to the dates mentioned. It may be made very appropriately from November 25 -December 3, the Feast of St. Francis Xavier.

HISTORY: The Novena of Grace, which begins March 4th and ends on the 12th, the day of the canonization of St. Francis Xavier, owes its origin to the Saint himself.

PRAYERS FOR NOVENA

PRAYER TO ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
Attributed to Father Marcello Mastrilli, S.J. (17th century)

O SAINT Francis Xavier, well beloved and full of charity, in union with thee, I reverently adore the Majesty of God; and since I rejoice with exceeding joy in the singular gifts of grace bestowed upon thee during thy life, and thy gifts of glory after death, I give Him hearty thanks therefore; I beseech thee with all my heart's devotion to be pleased to obtain for me, by thy effectual intercession, above all things, the grace of a holy life and a happy death. Moreover, I beg of thee to obtain for me (here mention the spiritual or temporal favor to be prayed for). But if what I ask of thee so earnestly doth not tend to the glory of God and the greater good of my soul, do thou, I pray, obtain for me what is more profitable to both these ends. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

If, for any reason, the above prayer cannot be said, it will suffice to say five times Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.-----S.C. Ind., March 23, 1904.

PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER FOR THE CONVERSION OF INFIDELS

ETERNAL God, Creator of all things, remember that Thou Alone didst create the souls of infidels, framing them to Thine Own image and likeness; behold, O Lord! how, to Thy dishonor, Hell is daily replenished with them. Remember, O Lord! Thine Only Son, Jesus Christ, Who suffered for them, most bountifully shedding His Precious Blood: suffer not, O Lord Thy Son and Our Lord to be any longer despised by infidels; but rather, being appeased by the entreaties and prayers of the elect, the Saints, and of the Church, the most blessed spouse of Thy Son, vouchsafe to be mindful of Thy mercy, and forgetting their idolatry and infidelity, cause them also to know Him Whom Thou didst send, Jesus Christ Thy Son, Our Lord, Who is our health, life, and resurrection, through Whom we are freed and saved, to Whom be all glory forever. Amen.

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER'S HYMN OF LOVE

O GOD, I love Thee for Thyself, and not that I may Heaven gain,
Nor because those who love Thee not, must suffer Hell's eternal pain.
Thou, O my Jesus! Thou didst me upon the Cross embrace;
For me didst bear the nails and spear and manifold disgrace;
And griefs and torments numberless, and sweat of agony;
E'en death itself-----and all for one who was Thine enemy.
Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, Should I not love Thee well:
Not for the sake of winning Heaven, or of escaping Hell;
Not with the hope of gaining aught, not seeking a reward;
But, as Thyself hast loved me, O ever-loving Lord?
E'en so, I love Thee, and will love, and in Thy praise will sing;
Solely because Thou art my God and my Eternal King.

(From My Prayerbook, by Fr. Lasance)]]>

The Miraculous Novena of Grace

March 4 -March 12