Novena to our Guardian Angel ( October 2 )

O Holy Angel, whom God,
by the effect of His goodness and His tender regard for my welfare,
has charged with the care of my conduct,
and who assists me in all my wants
and comforts me in all my afflictions,
who supports me when I am discouraged
and continually obtains for me new favors,
I return thee profound thanks,
and I earnestly beseech thee,
O most amiable protector,
to continue thy charitable care and defense of me
against the malignant attacks of all my enemies.
Keep me away from all occasions of sin.
Obtain for me the grace of listening attentively
to thy holy inspirations
and of faithfully putting them into practice.
In particular, I implore thee to obtain for me
the favor which I ask for by this novena.

[Here mention your need(s).]

Protect me in all the temptations and trials of this life,
but more especially at the hour of my death,
and do not leave me until thou hast conducted me
into the presence of my Creator
in the mansions of everlasting happiness.


Amen.

Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of The Child Jesus

I'm starting very late two novenas of the Liturgical year : in the honor of Saint Therese of Lisieux ~ our little Flower , and in the honor of Our Guardian Angel . I was delaying to pray , because I'm passing through sorrowful moments in my life , many hardships and worries , so many that I just can't describe . But I trust in God , in His endless Divine Mercy that soon I shall find the good answer to all this present moment problems .

First, recite the prayer...

O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...

(State your intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.

Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.

Amen.

Next, recite the prayer of the appropriate day...

DAY ONE

O Therese of the Child Jesus,
well beloved and full of charity,
in union with you,
I reverently adore the majesty of God,
and since I rejoice with exceeding joy
in the singular gifts of grace
bestowed upon you during your life,
and your gifts of glory after death,
I give Him deepest thanks for them;
I beseech you with all my heart’s devotion
to be pleased to obtain for me

(State your intention here....)

But if what I ask of you so earnestly
does not tend to the glory of God
and the greater good of my soul,
do you, I pray, obtain for me
that which is more profitable to both these ends.

Amen.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.


DAY TWO

Almighty God,
giver of all good gifts,
who did will that Blessed Therese,
being watered by the heavenly dew of your guiding grace,
should bloom in Carmel with the beauty of virginity
and patience in suffering,
grant that I your servant
may go forward in the order of her sweetness
and may be found worthy to become a devoted
and loyal follower of Christ.

Amen.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.


DAY THREE

O Therese of the Child Jesus,
lily of purity,
ornament and glory of Carmel,
I greet you, great saint,
seraph of divine love.
I rejoice in the favors
our Lord so liberally bestowed on you.
In humility and confidence
I ask you to help me,
for I know God has given you love
and pity as well as power.
Tell Him, now, I beseech you,
of the favor I seek in this novena...

(State your intention here....)

Your request will crown my petition
with success and bring joy to my heart.
Remember your promise to do good here on earth.
"I shall spend my heaven doing good on the Earth.
After death I shall let fall a shower of roses."

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.


DAY FOUR

O Little Flower of Jesus,
who at an early age had your heart set on Carmel
and in your brief earthly life
did become the mirror of angelic purity,
of courageous love
and of whole hearted surrender to Almighty God,
turn your eyes of mercy upon me who trusts in you.
Obtain for me the favor I seek in this novena...

(State your intention here....)

and the grace to keep my heart and mind pure and clean.
O dear saint, grant me to feel in every need
the power of your intercession;
help to comfort me in all the bitterness of this life
and especially at its end,
that I may be worth
to share eternal happiness with you in heaven.

Amen.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.


DAY FIVE

O Little Flower of Carmel,
Almighty God endowed you,
consumed by love for him,
with wondrous spiritual strength
to follow the way of perfection
during the days of your short life.
Sickness touched you early
but you remained firm in faith
and prayer was your life.
O pray for me that I may benefit
by your intercession
and be granted the favor I ask in this novena...

(State your intention here....)

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.


DAY SIX

O Little Flower of Jesus,
you have shown yourself so powerful in your intercession,
so tender and compassionate toward those
who honor you and invoke you
in suffering and distress,
that I kneel at your feet
with perfect confidence
and beseech you most humbly
and earnestly to take me under your protection
in my present necessity
and obtain for me the favor I ask in this novena...

(State your intention here....)

Vouchsafe to recommend my request to Mary,
the merciful Queen of Heaven,
that she may plead my cause with you
before the throne of Jesus, her divine Son.
Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.


DAY SEVEN

Therese of the Child Jesus,
most loving Saint,
in union with you I adore the Divine Majesty.
My heart is filled with joy
at the remembrance of the marvelous favors
with which God blessed your life on earth
and of the great glory that came to you after death.
In union with you,
I praise God,
and offer Him my humble tribute of thanksgiving.
I implore you to obtain for me,
through your powerful intercession,
the greatest of all blessings
that of living and dying in the state of grace.
I also beg of you to secure for me
the special favor I seek in this novena...

(State your intention here....)

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.


DAY EIGHT

O glorious St. Therese, who,
burning with the desire of increasing the glory of God,
invariably attended to the sanctification of your soul
by the constant practice of prayer and charity so that,
becoming in the Church a model of holiness,
you are now in Heaven the protector of all those
who have recourse to you in faith,
look down upon me who invokes your powerful patronage
and join your petition to mine
that I be granted the favor I seek in this novena...

(State your intention here....)

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.


DAY NINE

O St. Therese,
seraphic virgin,
beloved spouse of our Crucified Lord,
you who on earth did burn with a love
so intense toward your God and my God,
and now glow with a bright
and purer flame in paradise,
obtain for me, I beseech you,
a spark of that same holy fire
which shall help me to put things of the world
in their proper place
and live my life always conscious of the presence of God.
As I conclude my novena
I also beg of you to secure for me
the special favor I seek at this time...

(State your intention here....)

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.

Amen

Novena to Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels ( September 29 )

Today I'm starting Novena to Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels . We all know that a novena is nine days of special and focused prayer . I see this as a time to focus our prayers toward areas of struggle in our lives and world, and to recognize that we are in a spiritual battle. But we are not alone. We have the help of God's Holy Angels and mighty Archangels. And there are brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us and encourage us still with their prayers and example. And we know that within this communion of saints there is victory acheived through prayer. So please join me in praying each of these days , knowing that we are united in prayer . Know that my prayers are with all of you too, for we are all called to be part of this communion of saints within the Church.
This novena is adressing to all three Holy Archangels : Michael , Gabriel and Raphael . I think we have to pray this way , respecting the importance and the role of each of Holy Archangels . So let us pray :

St. Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His people, I turn to you with confidence and seek your powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who made you so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer. You know the value on my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate your loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and your great love for God and people. And since you are God's messenger for the care of his people, I entrust to you this special request: (Mention your request).

St. Michael, since you are, by the Will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in your prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God's holy Will, my petition will be granted.

Pray for me, St. Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through your powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach heaven where we may praise and love God with you forever. Amen.

St. Gabriel the Archangel, I venerate you as the "Angel of the Incarnation," because God has specially appointed you to bear the messages concerning the God-Man to Daniel, Zechariah, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Give me a tender and devoted Mother, more like your own.

I venerate you also as the "strength from God," because you are the giver of God's strength, consoler and comforter chosen to strengthen God's faithful and to teach them important truths. I ask for the grace of a special power of the will to strive for holiness of life. Steady my resolutions, renew my courage, comfort and console me in the problems, trials, and sufferings of daily living, as you consoled our Savior in His agony and Mary in her sorrows and Joseph in his trials. I put my confidence in you.

St. Gabriel, I ask you especially for this favor: (Mention your request). Through your earnest love for the Son of God-Made-Man and for His blessed Mother, I beg of you, intercede for me that my request may be granted, if it be God's holy Will.

Pray for us, St. Gabriel the Archangel. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray. Almighty and ever-living God, since You chose the Archangel Gabriel from among all the Angels to announce the mystery of Your Son's Incarnation, mercifully grant that we who honor him on earth may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven. You live and reign for ever. Amen.

Holy Archangel Raphael, standing so close to the throne of God and offering Him our prayers, I venerate you as God's special Friend and Messenger. I choose you as my Patron and wish to love and obey you as young Tobiah did. I consecrate to you my body and soul,all my work, and my whole life. I want you to be my Guide and Counselor in all the dangerous and difficult problems and decisions of my life.

Remember, dearest, St. Raphael, that the grace of God preserved you with the good Angels in heaven when the proud ones were cast into hell. I entreat you, therefore, to help me in my struggle against the world, the spirit of impurity, and the devil. Defend me from all dangers and every occasion of sin. Direct me always in the way of peace, safety, and salvation. Offer my prayers to God as you offered those of Tobiah, so that through your intercession I may obtain the graces necessary for the salvation of my soul. I ask you to pray that God grant me this favor if it be His holy Will: (Mention your request).

St. Raphael, help me to love and serve my God faithfully, to die in His grace, and finally to merit to join you in seeing and praising God forever in heaven. Amen.

Glory to the God Father Almighty Who is wonderful in His Angels and Saints .

Prayer for the Grace from all the world's Masses

My Lord and my God !
Eternal Father, we humbly offer Thee our poor presence, and that of the whole of humanity, from the beginning to the end of the world at all the Masses that ever have or ever will be prayed. We offer Thee all the pains, sufferings, prayers, sacrifices, joys, and relaxations of our lives, in union with those of our Lord Jesus here on earth. May the Most Precious Blood of Christ, all His Blood, Wounds, and Agony save us, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.

[This prayer should be recited daily, and be made known.]

Novena to Saint Padre Pio ( September 23 )

First Day :

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, loving father, you bore the visible wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ on your body. You carried the Cross for all humanity. In bearing the physical and moral sufferings that continually tortured your body and soul you became a martyr of love for all people. We beg you to intercede for us with our Almighty Father that we may have the courage to accept the great and small crosses of life that transform individual suffering into a sure link that leads us to eternal life.

Padre Pio : You should feel at home with sufferings that it pleases Jesus to send you, since you always have to live with them. Acting thus you think less of being freed from them. Jesus who cannot suffer long to keep you in affliction will come to relieve and comfort you by infusing fresh courage into your soul.

Closing Prayer :

O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock in it will be open to you". Behold I knock , I seek and ask for the grace of (name your request)

Our Father , Hail Mary , Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust You.

O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of my Father in My Name, He will give it to you." Behold in Your Holy Name I Asked the Father for the grace of (name your request).

Our Father , Hail Mary , Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust You.

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 (maybe request).

Our Father , Hail Mary , Glory be to the Father
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust 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 and through the intercession of Saint Padre Pio .

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

Second Day:

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, holy father, you now live with our loving Father and God Jesus Christ. You grew in holiness and resisted the seductions of the evil One. You were physically beaten by the infernal spirits of evil who sought to force you to leave the road to holiness that you had chosen to follow. Pray for us to God that through your intercession and in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we may find the spiritual courage to renounce sin and be strengthened in faith until death.

Padre Pio: Courage, do not be afraid of lucifer’s anger. Temptations, discouragement and unrest are the wares offered by the enemy. Remember this: if the devil makes noise it is a sign that he is still outside and not yet within. That which must terrify us is his peace and concord with the human soul.

End with the Closing Prayer .


Third Day:

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, virtuous father, you loved Our Blessed Mother very much. You were gifted every day with the graces and comforts that only She can give. We beg you to pray for us to our Heavenly Mother and place our sins and petitions in Her hands. As at Cana in Galilee, may She intercede for us that Her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, may hear Her prayers on our behalf and inscribe our names in the Book of Life.

Padre Pio: May Mary be the star that gives light to your way and indicates the certain road that leads to the Heavenly Father. May she be a sure sign that keeps you united with each other in times of trial.

End with the Closing Prayer .

Fourth Day:

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, chaste father, you taught us to love our Guardian Angel as you loved yours so much. Your Guardian Angel was your constant companion, guide, defender and messenger. The Angels even brought the prayers of your spiritual children to you. Since they are a presence of the Living God who help to avoid the disgrace of sin and are always ready to indicate the road that leads us to goodness and keep us from evil, pray that we too may learn, as you, to appreciate the ministry of our Guardian Angels and speak to them that we may be receptive to their inspiration and learn to obey them at all times.

Padre Pio: Invoke your Guardian Angel who will enlighten you. God gave you your Guardian Angel for this reason. So make use of your Angel’s service.

End with the Closing Prayer .

Fifth Day:

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, prudent father, you loved the Souls in Purgatory so much and taught us to love them as well. You offered yourself as a victim to expiate their sufferings in Purgatory. Intercede for us with Our Lord and God Jesus Christ that our hearts may be filled with compassion and love for the Holy Souls. Following your example, we too desire to assist the Holy Souls and reduce their time of affliction in Purgatory. We ask that our prayers and sacrifices may grant them relief in their sufferings, the holy indulgences necessary to liberate them from their place of torment and a speedy entrance into the eternal joys of heaven.

Padre Pio: Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to give me the punishment due to sinners and the Souls in Purgatory. Increase the sufferings in me that will convert and save sinners, and quickly liberate the souls from the torments of Purgatory.

End with the Closing Prayer .


Sixth Day:

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, obedient father, your loved the sick and infirm more than yourself because in them you saw Jesus. In the name of God you performed miracles of healing in body, soul and mind. Your intercession with God healed the ills of past and present and strengthened people to respond with confidence to future challenges. Those who came to you regained a sense of spiritual integrity as you re-kindled hope in their lives, and encouraged them to renew the spirit in their hearts. Through the intercession of Our Heavenly Mother, may we experience your powerful assistance and be healed in our bodily and spiritual needs, and gratefully give praise and thanks to God for all his blessings.

Padre Pio: If I knew that someone were suffering, whether in body or soul, I would ask God to free that person from whatever their problem is. And I would willingly accept that person’s sufferings on myself if that would save the person and allow the person to share in the fruits of that suffering.

End with the Closing Prayer .

Seventh Day:

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, holy father, you fulfilled the salvation plan of God and offered yourself as a victim to free all people from their bondage to Satan. Pray for us to God. Intercede for all those people who have no faith, that they cooperate with God’s gifts and grow in a strong and sincere faith, and thus be converted to the Lord, through a sincere and heartfelt repentance of their sins. May those whose faith is weak grow strong in their Christian life, and may the faithful children of God continue with greater commitment on the road to salvation.

Padre Pio: If the world could see the beauty of a soul without sin, all sinners, all non-believers would instantly convert (their lives).

End with the Closing Prayer .

Eighth Day:

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, pure father, you loved your Spiritual Children very much. How many of your children were acquired at the price of your blood! Pray that we who have not known you personally, may also be numbered among your Spiritual Children. Through your fatherly protection, saintly guidance and the spiritual strength you gain for us from God, at the moment of our death may we encounter you waiting for us at the Gates of Paradise.

Padre Pio: If it were possible, I would like one favor from the Lord: I would want, if He said to me ‘Go to heaven’, I would like to have this grace: Lord, do not allow me to enter heaven until the last of my children, the last of those persons entrusted to my priestly care, have entered before me...I have made an agreement with the Lord that when my soul is purified by the flames of Purgatory and is worthy to enter heaven, I will stand at the gates of paradise and will not enter until I have seen the last of my sons and daughters enter.

End with the Closing Prayer .

Ninth Day:

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, humble father, you truly loved our Holy Mother the Church. Ask God, the Lord of the Harvest, to send laborers into His vineyard. May He fill the world with many and holy priests who are filled with the strength and inspiration that comes only from God. Intercede for us with the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, that she may lead to unity all our brothers and sisters who call upon Jesus, the Christ, as Lord and Savior. May they find their unity in the one great family of God in Christ on earth, so that the Church may be a beacon of light and sure hope of salvation in the storm-tossed sea of life.
Always remain united to the Holy Catholic Church, because only She can save you. Only She possesses Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, Who is the true Prince of Peace. Outside the Church there is no salvation. The Church alone gives Baptism; the Forgiveness of Sins; and the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ that offer you eternal life; and all the other Sacraments that assist us in living a holy life.

End with the Closing Prayer .

Amen

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ( September 14 )

Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, where we recall the triumph of the Cross against sin, satan, and death as well as fact that when we are baptised each one of us becomes part of Christ on His Cross so that through our daily crosses we may be brought to the Resurrection (Luke 9:23, 24) .

Exaltation of the Holy Cross is named also Roodmas , or more commonly known simply as "Holy Cross Day" -- was first begun to commemorate the Dedication of the Basilica of the Resurrection, built by St. Helena (Constantine the Great's mother), in Jerusalem in A.D. 355 -- but the true Cross was found shortly thereafter, also by St. Helena, so the two events were joined.

The story of the finding of the True Cross , from Wikipedia :



Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, discovered the True Cross or Holy Cross on 14 September 325 AD in the vicinity of Golgotha, where it lay buried in the dust of the centuries. Whenever the waves of persecutions directed against Christians died down and the Christians emerged, tormented and bloodied, from the catacombs and caves into God’s light, signing themselves with an extensive sign of the cross, then it was Constantine the Great, who more than once had felt the power of the Cross, decided to find the same Tree to which the Body of Christ had been nailed.

His eighty-year old holy mother Helen took upon herself this sacred task. Arriving in Jerusalem she spent much time and means to discover exactly where the Holy Cross of the Lord was hidden. She managed to establish the fact that soon after the Resurrection of Christ the Jews had deeply filled up the crag of the Lord’s tomb, since it was a living monument of their rejection of the Lord. There, covered by rocks and all sorts of refuse, was discovered the life-giving Tree of Christ with the crosses of the thieves. In order to weaken the respect of the early Christians towards the holy places, in later times the heathen had placed idols upon Golgotha, had built a temple in honor of the shameless goddess Venus. Later it was found that a certain old Jew, Judas by name, on the basis of written family traditions, knew exactly where the Cross of Christ was hidden. For a long time he did not agree to reveal his secret and only forced by hunger and poverty did he lead the Empress Helen and Patriarch Macarius to Golgotha. Pointing to the exact spot, he said : “Here you will find the Cross of your Christ.’’

With piety, burning with impatience, the people started to work, animated by the sweet-odour emerging from the earth at that spot. Sure enough, soon there were found three well-preserved crosses which were exactly alike by their exterior shape. It was therefore impossible to ascertain which of them was the Cross of Christ, since the board with the inscription J.N.KJ. was lying separately. The perplexity was dispersed by Patriarch Macarius who said: “If Providence did not favor the leaving of the Lord’s Cross in the ground, will it allow it to remain unknown now? Will it allow us to give honor to a robber’s cross in place of the Lord’s Cross? God Himself will show us the Cross of Our Saviour.” With these words he commanded that the crosses he taken to the home of a grievously-ill woman. Here, after fervent prayer, he placed on her the crosses, one after another. The first two did not show any effect on the sick woman, but as soon as he placed on her the third cross—the ill woman immediately felt herself healed and arose from her bed. Giving praise to God, everyone unanimously recognized this wonder-working Cross as the Lord’s.

It was pleasing to the Providence of God to reveal new glory for the life-bearing Tree. Just at that time a dead man was being carried to burial past the house of the woman who had been healed. Filled with faith, the Patriarch, in the presence of the Empress and a great multitude of people, stopped the sorrowful procession and began to lay the crosses upon the dead man. And the same one of them, the Holy Cross, which gave health to the sick woman, resurrected the dead man to the indescribable joy of the surrounding populace. All those present could not be controlled in their desire to venerate the precious Holy Cross and kiss it.

Since this was impossible because of the tremendous gathering of people, Patriarch Macarius stood upon an elevated place, and with help raised the Holy Cross high in the air several times so that it could, at least, be seen by all. Bowing down to the ground with piety, the people cried out : "Lord, have mercy!" It is from this festive act of the raising or elevation of the life-giving Cross of the Lord that today’s feast received its name. In this glorification of Christ’s Holy Cross, His very enemies were forced to give it veneration. Judas, with whose help the Lord’s Cross was found, received Holy Baptism with the name Cyriacus and, little by little, being elevated in the degrees of the Priesthood, later occupied the place of Patriarch of Jerusalem, and later still was made worthy of a martyr’s crown.

On the spot where the Holy Cross was discovered, there was also found a hitherto unknown flower of rare beauty and fragrance, which has been named Vasiliko (Basil), meaning the flower of royalty, out of respect for the Dowager Queen who led the expedition. For the next three hundred years, the Holy Cross stayed in the possession of the Christians in Jerusalem, but the city was captured by the Persians in 614 AD and the Holy Cross fell into their hands. It was later recovered by the forces of the Eastern Roman Empire (or Byzantine Empire).

Because of the many diseases that occur in the month of August, the custom prevailed of old in Constantinople to carry the precious Wood of the Holy Cross in procession throughout the city for its sanctification and its deliverance from illnesses. It was brought forth from the imperial treasury on the last day of July and placed upon the Holy Table of the Great Church of the Holy Wisdom; and beginning August 1, until the Dormition of the Theotokos, it was carried in procession throughout the city and was set forth for veneration before the people. This was called the Feast of the Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Cross, Procession of the Cross or the Feast of the Cross.

On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (or Triumph of the Cross) we honor the Holy Cross by which Christ redeemed the world. We made the Sign of the Cross before prayer which helps to fix our minds and hearts to God. After prayer we make the Sign of the Cross to keep close to God. During trials and temptations our strength and protection is the Sign of the Cross. At Baptism we are sealed with the Sign of the Cross, signifying the fullness of redemption and that we belong to Christ. Let us look to the cross frequently, and realize that when we make the Sign of the Cross we give our entire self to God — mind, soul, heart, body, will, thoughts.

O cross, you are the glorious sign of victory.
Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.

Let us pray

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows

MOST BLESSED and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother’s pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart.

I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,

Here pause and name the favours which you are asking Our Sorrowful Mother to obtain for you through this Novena. (Let your secondary intention be to pray for the intentions of all the people making this Novena anywhere in the world. Thus a great mass prayer for all Novena intentions will arise to Our Blessed Mother.)

For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one beat of His adorable Sacred Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hail Mary, Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us. (Seven times)

Novena in the glory of Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary , Holy Mother of God

The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary announced joy and the approaching salvation of a lost world. Mary was brought into the world not like other children of Adam, infected with the contagion of sin, but pure, holy, beautiful, and glorious, adorned with all the most precious graces fitting for the One predestined to be the Mother of the Saviour. Never did She have the slightest inclination towards anything other than the absolute and immediate Will of God. She appeared indeed in the weak condition of all mortals, but in the eyes of Heaven She already transcended the highest seraphim in purity, humility, charity, and the richest ornaments of grace. God had created Her in the original grace, as in the beginning Adam and Eve had enjoyed that ineffable privilege; after original sin, it was lost for all Adam’s posterity, until the time of the Redemption dawned in Mary.


The nations celebrate, often too noisily, the birthdays of the great ones of this earth... How then ought we, Christians, to rejoice in that of the Virgin Mary, Mother of our Salvation, and to present publicly to God the homage of our best praises and thanksgiving for the great mercies He has shown in Her, imploring Her mediation with Her Divine Son! Jesus of Nazareth will not reject the supplications of His most holy Mother, through whom He chose to descend from Heaven; She, the Spouse of the Canticle, is all beautiful and is the One He was pleased to obey while on earth. Her love, care, and tenderness for Him, the title and qualities which She bears, the charity and graces with which She is adorned, and the crown of glory with which She is honored, incline Him readily to receive Her recommendations and petitions.

Let us pray :

Holy Child Mary of the royal house of David, Queen of the angels,
Mother of grace and love, I greet you with all my heart.
Obtain for me the grace to love the Lord faithfully during
all the days of my life. Obtain for me, too, a great devotion
to you, who are the first creature of God's love.

Hail Mary, full of grace................

O heavenly Child Mary, who like a pure dove was born
immaculate and beautiful, true prodigy of the wisdom of
God, my soul rejoices in you. Oh! Do help me to preserve
the angelic virtue of purity at the cost of any sacrifice.

Hail Mary, full of grace................

Hail, lovely and holy Child, spiritual garden of delight, where,
on the day of the Incarnation, the tree of life was planted,
assist me to avoid the poisonous fruit of vanity and pleasures of the world.
Help me to engraft into my soul the thoughts, feelings,
and virtues of your divine Son.

Hail Mary, full of grace................

Hail, admirable Child Mary, Mystical Rose, closed garden,
open only to the heavenly Spouse. O Lily of paradise,
make me love the humble and hidden life;
let the heavenly Spouse find the gate of my heart always open
to the loving calls of His graces and inspiration.

Hail Mary, full of grace................

Holy Child Mary, mystical dawn, gate of heaven,
you are my trust and hope.
O powerful advocate, from your cradle stretch out your hand,
support me on the path of life.
Make me serve God with ardor and
constancy until death and so reach an eternity with you.

Hail Mary, full of grace................

Prayer :

Blessed Child Mary, destined to be the Mother of God and our loving Mother, by the heavenly graces you lavish upon us, mercifully listen to my supplications. In the needs which press upon me from every side and especially in my present tribulation, I place all my trust in you.

O holy Child, by the privileges granted to you alone and by the merits which you have acquired, show that the source of spiritual favors and the continuous benefits which you dispense are inexhaustible, because your power with the Heart of God is unlimited.

Deign through the immense profusion of graces with which the Most High has enriched you from the first moment of your Immaculate Conception, grant me, O Celestial Child, my petition, and I shall eternally praise the goodness of your Immaculate Heart.


Holy Mother of God , please pray for us , we love and praise you from all our soul and heart !