Novena to Saint Jude ( Feast October 28 )

I. (Day One) St. Jude, Powerful Healer

St. Jude undoubtedly traveled with Jesus from village to village and witnessed Jesus' healing power. He may have seen his master cure the ten lepers, heal the woman suffering from hemorrhages and raise the dead to life. To the blind beggar who cried out, "Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!" he may have heard Jesus answer, "Receive your sight. Your faith has made you well." (Lk 18:39-43)

St. Jude was one of the disciples to whom Jesus "gave power and authority...to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick." (Lk9:1-2) He sent them out two by two, and to their amazement, "They drove out many demons, and rubbed oil on the sick and healed them." (Mk 6:13)
We may doubt that God wants what is best for us. We sometimes mistakenly think all suffering and sickness are punishment for sin. We forget how Jesus worked tirelessly to heal the infirm. When Jesus cured the man born blind, he explained, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him." (Jn 9:3)

St. Jude understood the Lord's desire to make people whole. After Jesus' ascension, St. Jude and the other apostles preached everywhere, and "the Lord worked through them and proved that their preaching was true by the miracles that were performed." (Mk 16:18) Jesus' words at the Last Supper were fulfilled in St. Jude, "Whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself and will perform even greater works." (Jn 14:12)

Prayer St. Jude, you witnessed the healing power of our Lord Jesus. You saw his compassion for the sick and dying. You yourself touched the sick, shared the sorrows of the mournful, and encouraged the despairing. You received this authority and healing power to work wonders, to cure the incurable, to make people whole. We ask you to intercede with our brother, Jesus, to send his saving grace to heal the sick and suffering, to uplift their despondent spirits, and to instill hope in their hearts. Amen.

Commitment I promise that in some way I will bring the good news of God's love to someone who is sick or infirm.

Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus
Most Holy Apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor who delivered your beloved Master into the hands of his enemies has caused you to be forgotten by many. But the Church honors you, and I invoke you as the special advocate of those who are in trouble and almost without hope. Help me to realize that through our faith we triumph over life's difficulties by the power of Jesus who loved us and gave his life for us. Come to my assistance that I may receive the consolation and succor of heaven in all my needs, trials, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the saints forever.
St. Jude, apostle of the Word of God, pray for us. St. Jude, follower of the Son of God, pray for us. St. Jude, preacher of the love of God, pray for us. St. Jude, intercessor before God, pray for us. St. Jude, friend of all in need, pray for us. St. Jude, pray for us, and for all who invoke your aid.

II. (Day Two) St. Jude, Apostle of Prayer

Jesus taught St. Jude how to pray with a faith that could move mountains. His prayer was inspired by Jesus' words: "Ask and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." (Lk 11:9-10)
We sometimes think that God has abandoned us or that our prayers have fallen on deaf ears. St. Jude prayed with the confidence instilled by Jesus' teaching: "Look how the wild flowers grow; they never have to spin or weave; yet not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. How much more will God look after you?... Don't worry... Your Father knows what you need. Instead, set your hearts on God's kingdom, and these other things will be given you as well." (Lk12:22-31)

Although we do not totally understand God's ways, we confidently place ourselves in God's hands, as Jesus himself did. St. Jude was with Jesus the night he prayed in the Garden. There, in agony, Jesus taught us how to pray: "Father, if it be possible, take this cup of suffering from me.Yet, not my will but yours be done." (Mt 26:39)

When we are insistent and confident in prayer, we also allow our prayer to transform our lives. We open our hearts to God's spirit, willingly accept the challenges God allows us and generously recommit ourselves to imitate Jesus. St. Jude understood the Lord's words, "It is not those who say to me 'Lord, Lord' who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father." (Mt 7:21)

Prayer St. Jude, through prayer you praised God for the wonderful works of Jesus. You asked God for the strength to meet the challenges of your apostolate. You put your trust in God's mercy, believing firmly that God loved you and understood your joys and sorrows, your hopes and fears, and your triumphs and failures. You understood that nothing is impossible for God. We ask you to pray for us now before the Most High so that we too might be filled with God's saving power, understand God's will for us and faithfully place ourselves in God's loving hands. Amen.

Commitment I recommit myself to pray daily with greater confidence and faith that God's will be done in me.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~

III . (Day Three) St. Jude, Suffering Christian Apostle of Prayer

Like the other apostles, St. Jude suffered a martyr's death because he was committed to carry out the mission of our Lord. He accepted Jesus challenge, "If any want to follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me." (Lk 9:23)
In the midst of his difficulties St. Jude trusted the Lord, who said, "Come to me all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden light." (Mt 11:28-30)

St. Jude undoubtedly understood that his sufferings were joined to those of Jesus and therefore were also redemptive. St. Paul declared, "I am happy to suffer for you, for by means of my sufferings, I help complete what still remains of Christ's sufferings on behalf of his body, the church." (Col 1:24)

St. Jude was human. He felt pain as we do. But he remembered the suffering of Jesus, his sense of abandonment on the cross, when he cried out "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Mt 27:46) These memories helped St. Jude endure his pain because he knew he suffered in union with the Lord.
In our sufferings we reflect on those of our Savior, Jesus. He was spit upon, beaten, and nailed to the cross where he hung in agony for three hours. Perhaps the most painful suffering that pierced his heart was the rejection by the people's leaders and the abandonment by his friends. Nevertheless, Jesus was faithful until the end when he cried out, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." (Lk 23:46)

Prayer : St. Jude, you remained faithful to our Lord, even unto death. You gave your life so that others might live. You endured physical pain and emotional abandonment. But you gladly joined your sufferings to those of our Savior, Jesus, and thus shared in the redemption of the world. We ask you now to intercede with our brother, Jesus Christ, so that we too might be faithful in the face of our suffering. Help us to trust in God and put our life in his hands. Amen.

Commitment I will join all my sufferings to those of Jesus for the redemption of the world, and I will encourage someone who is suffering.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~

IV .Day Four: St. Jude, Champion of Justice and Peace

Like the other apostles, St. Jude learned to struggle for justice and peace by accompanying Jesus and listening to his teaching. He heard the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus taught, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God....Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward awaits you in heaven." (Mt 5: 9, 11-12)
St. Jude wrote in his letter, "I encourage you to fight on for the faith which once and for all God has given to people." (Jude 1:3) St. Jude struggled for all that Jesus worked to establish. As did Jesus, he preached the Good News to the poor, proclaimed liberty to captives, restored sight to the blind, and set free the oppressed. (Lk 4: 18)

We sometimes resist the Lord's challenge to work for God's reign of justice and peace. We fear criticism and conflict; we seek comfort and convenience. Not St. Jude! He fought non-violently for peace through reconcilation and compassion, and understood that without justice there is no true peace.

For his commitment to the reign of justice and peace, St. Jude suffered, just as Jesus had predicted, "You will be hated on account of my name." (Mt 10:22) Nevertheless, he enjoyed the peace promised by the Lord at the Last Supper when he said: "Peace I give to you, my own peace I leave you; a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you." (Jn14:27)

Prayer St. Jude, you courageously preached the Word of God in the most difficult situations. Like Jesus, you defended the poor and oppressed and challenged the rich and powerful. When threatened with death, you did not resort to violence or despair but recalled Jesus' words of peace and forgiveness. Hear our prayer, today, for peace and justice in our world. Ask the Lord to give us the courage to stand up for what is right. Pray that we be effective peacemakers like you, especially in the world where there is war and oppression, in our communities where there is violence and strife, and in our families where there is conflict and tension. Amen.

Commitment I promise to act against some injustice and take some action that will restore peace somewhere in the world.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~

V. Day Five) St. Jude, Servant of God's People

St. Jude was privileged to accompany Jesus nearly every day. He learned from the Lord how God loves us and how we must love one another. At times we may want others to serve us, to do our bidding and to attend to our needs. Sometimes we compete with others in order to be first or the best. Like St. Jude, we need to learn from Jesus, "Anyone who wants to be great, must be the servant of the rest, and anyone who wants to be first, must be the slave of all, like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many." (Mt 20:26-28)

At the Last Supper Jesus showed St. Jude and the other apostles how they were to serve. He washed their feet and then said, "I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you." (Jn13:15)

St. Jude did not look for a reward for doing good for others. Rather, he lived what Jesus taught, "When you have done all you have been told to do, say, 'We are merely servants; we have done no more than our duty.'" (Lk 17:10)

St. Jude fulfilled the greatest commandments identified by Jesus: to love God with our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. (Mt 22:37-40) Jesus wants us to love like this, just as he does: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you do love one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples." (Jn 13:34-35)

Prayer St. Jude, although you were chosen by Jesus as one of the twelve apostles, you learned not to be proud, not to pursue honors or the highest places. Instead, you humbled yourself in the service of your sisters and brothers. We pray that you help us to serve with a more generous heart, to sacrifice our own interest for the good of others. Intercede for us with our crucified Christ, who humbled himself on the cross, who sacrificed his life that we might live. May we imitate him by a life of dedicated, selfless service to others. Amen.

Commitment I will do some service for those who need it most or expect it least.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~

VI.Day Six) St. Jude, Compassionate Reconciler

St. Jude was a human being like all of us, and forgiveness did not come easily to him. He learned how to forgive others from the Master, our Lord, Jesus. He probably was shocked to hear Jesus say, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," so that you may "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:44, 48) But that is just what he did, and so must we. Jesus extended his mercy and forgiveness to sinners and even to those who attacked him. Even when he was dying on the cross, Jesus forgave his executioners, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."(Lk 23:34)

Like Paul, St. Jude preached that we should not let the sun go down upon our anger. (Eph 4:26) If we have anything against anyone, we must first reconcile with that person before presenting our gift at the altar. (Mt5:23-24)

Can we really forgive those who have offended us? And how many times can we forgive? When Peter asked Jesus that question, St. Jude probably heard about Jesus' answer: "Not seven times seven, but seventy times seven." (Mt 18:22)

When teaching St. Jude and the other apostles how to pray, Jesus explained, "If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you." (Mt 6:14) For this reason we ask for the strength to forgive those who have offended us as we pray the words Jesus taught us, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Prayer St. Jude, apostle of mercy and reconciliation, help us to forgive one another. You understand the depth of God's compassion and our hesitancy to forgive. You learned how to be merciful from Jesus, the Son of God. He taught you how to forgive those who persecuted you and put you to death. Intercede for us now before our compassionate God that we might forgive those who have offended us. Help us to remove every trace of hatred, bitterness or revenge from our hearts. May we have the strength to forgive as God forgives. Amen.

Commitment I will forgive someone who has offended me and try to reconcile myself with that person.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~

VII .Day Seven) St. Jude, Preacher of the Good News of God's Reign

Jesus trained St. Jude and sent him and others to outlying villages to preach the Good News and work for the Kingdom of God. After Jesus ascended into heaven, St. Jude continued the Lord's work and followed his command, "Go, therefore; make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I have given you. And know that I am with you always, even, to the end of time." (Mt28:19-20)

We sometimes think that we are not called or sent; mistakenly we think we have nothing to offer to the world or that we lack sufficient knowledge or power to change anything. We forget that through baptism we were commissioned just like St. Jude, "You are the salt of the earth....You are the light of the world....Your light must shine before all, so that, seeing your good works, they may praise your Father in heaven." (Mt 5:13-16) Jesus warned us not to hide our light under a basket.

St. Jude knew how to bring the Good News of Jesus to others. He learned from the Lord that whenever we give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick or imprisoned, we befriend Jesus himself. (Mt 25:31-46)

St. Jude courageously announced the Good News of God's love and energetically preached the coming of God's reign of justice, peace, and love wherever he went. He remembered Jesus' words at the Last Supper, "In the world you will have trouble, but be brave; I have conquered the world." (Jn 16:33)

Prayer St. Jude, you left home and traveled afar in order to bring the Good News of God's love to all the nations. You preached enthusiastically about what you learned personally from the words and works of our Lord, Jesus. You courageously faced criticism, rejection and eventually martyrdom. Ask the Lord to send us his Spirit so that we might be faithful messengers of God's love, forgiveness and justice to our selfish, violent and unjust world. Help us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world by the loving and compassionate way we speak to and treat one another. Amen.

Commitment I will act on my faith and bring the Good News of Jesus Christ by word, deed and example to someone.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~

VIII.Day Eight) St. Jude, Advocate of Difficult Cases

St. Jude was not only a follower of Jesus but probably his cousin and friend as well. His close relationship to Jesus not only changed his life but made him a powerful advocate on our behalf. From Jesus he learned about God's boundless compassion and infinite power. He learned not to doubt God's wisdom but confidently to trust divine mercy.

St. Jude understood how we all desire to be close to Jesus, to be his friend, to feel the warmth of his love and to experience his healing power. St. Jude heard the Lord say, "I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learned from my Father. You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and the Father will give you anything you ask in my name." (Jn 15:15-16)

At times we despair of God's love for us or at least doubt that God hears our prayer. We question: "Why has this happened to me?" "Where is the Lord when I need him?"

We come to St. Jude because we believe he is a man of faith and understands that nothing is impossible for God. He believed what Jesus had told him at the Last Supper, "If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it." (Jn 14:14) He heard Jesus say, "...with God everything is possible." (Mk 10:27)

Prayer St. Jude, you are Jesus' cousin and friend. Accompanying him on his journeys and watching him cure the sick, you felt his infinite compassion and experienced his saving grace. You believed that he has the words of eternal life and power over sickness and death. Intercede for us now so that we might feel the comfort of his friendship, the warmth of his presence, and the healing power of his spirit. Because nothing is impossible for our God, pray that the Spirit will make us whole in body and soul. Amen.

Commitment I promise to encourage someone who is facing a seemingly hopeless situation.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~

IX.Day Nine) St. Jude, Founder of the Church

As one of the twelve apostles, St. Jude is a part of the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ. (Rev 21:14) Wherever he traveled, he established communities of faith in which "the faithful lived together and owned everything in common... sharing among themselves according to what each one needed. Day after day they went as a body to the temple but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously." (Acts 2:44-46)

St. Jude believed in unity and equality within the Church. Like St. Paul, he understood that "all of us are part of Christ's body." (I Cor 12: 27) Because we are all equal in Christ, St. Jude professed with St. Paul, "There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free, between men and women; we are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3:28)

Jesus promised the apostles that he would send his Spirit, the advocate, "to lead them to complete truth." (Jn 16:13) On Pentecost, they received that Spirit "like a powerful wind from heaven," and began to make bold proclamations as the Spirit prompted them. (Acts 2:2,4) They overcame their fear and preached with wisdom and strength.

The Lord calls us to be active members of our parish communities, sharing our gifts and placing them at the service of others. We need to overcome our fears, timidity and selfish individualism in order to join with others to share our faith, unite in prayer, and work together to build up Christ's body, which is the church. Jesus longed that we all be one as he and the Father are one. May we work for that unity and equality among all believers in Jesus Christ.

Prayer St. Jude, you traveled far and wide to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all nations. You gathered people into communities of faith so that they might live the Gospel of the Lord, sharing their lives and resources, joining their hearts and minds in the Lord. You recognized the dignity of all, the diversity of gifts, and the equality among all God's children. Pray to the Lord to send his Spirit to our church leaders and to each of us so that we might create unity and equality amid the division and discrimination in our church communities. Help us overcome our own fear, our timidity or self-centeredness in order to place our gifts at the service of our sisters and brothers in our local church communities. Amen.

Commitment I will do something to help build up my local church.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~

Happy Feast of one's Guardian Angel ( today October 2 )

Consecration to One's Guardian Angel

O Holy Angel of God, here, in the presence of the Triune God and in the love of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer, I, (name), a poor sinner, want to make a covenant with thee, his servant and my appointed Guardian, so that in union with thee, I might work with humility and fortitude for the glory of God and the coming of his Kingdom. Therefore, I implore thee to assist me, especially in the adoration of God and of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar; in the contemplation of the word and the salvific works of God; in the imitation of Christ and in the love of His Cross in a spirit of expiation; in the faithful fulfillment of my mission within the Church, serving humbly after the example of Mary, my heavenly Mother, thy Queen. Thou, my good guardian Angel, who continually behold the face of our Father in Heaven, God entrusted me to thee from the very beginning of my life. I thank thee with all my heart for thy loving care. I commit myself to thee and promise thee my love and fidelity. I beg thee: protect me against my own weakness and against the attacks of the wicked spirits; enlighten my mind and my heart so that I may always know and accomplish the will of God; and lead me to union with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Meditation for the Feast of our Guardian Angel ( by Pope John XIII )

According to the teaching of the Roman catechism, we must remember how admirable was the intention of divine Providence in entrusting to the angels the mission of watching over all mankind, and over individual human beings, lest they should fall victims to the grave dangers which they encounter. In this earthly life, when children have to make their way along a path beset with obstacles and snares, their fathers take care to call upon the help of those who can look after them and come to their aid in adversity. In the same way our Father in heaven has charged his angels to come to our assistance during our earthly journey which leads us to our blessed fatherland, so that, protected by the angels' help and care, we may avoid the snares upon our path, subdue our passions and, under this angelic guidance, follow always the straight and sure road which leads to Paradise...
Everyone of us is entrusted to the care of an angel.
That is why we must have a lively and profound devotion to our own Guardian Angel, and why we should often and trustfully repeat the dear prayer we were taught in the days of our childhood.
May we never fail in this devotion to the angels! During our earthly pilgrimage we may often run the risk of having to face the natural elements in turmoil, or the wrath of men who may seek to do us harm. But our Guardian Angel is always present. Let us never forget him and always remember to pray to him.

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day (or night), be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

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)