DEVOTION TO MOTHER MARY – https://faithhopeloveministry.org/

MOTHER MARY
AND THE SAINTS

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 6

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 6

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 5

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 4

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 3

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 2

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Day 8

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

Almighty, Eternal God, in Your ineffable goodness You have assigned a special Angel to all men, from the womb onwards, as a protection for body and soul. Graciously grant that I may follow my holy Angel so faithfully and love him so dearly, that through Your grace and under his protection I may one day reach the heavenly Father’s House and may merit to behold Your Divine Countenance together with him and all the holy Angels. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly Friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection.

Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company. Amen

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Go, kneel devoutly at my place and treasure for me every grace. At the Offertory time Please offer me to God Divine. All I have and all I am, present it with the Precious Lamb. Adore for me the great Oblation. Pray for all I hold most dear, be they far or be they near.

Remember too, my own dear dead for whom Christ’s Precious Blood was shed. And at Communion bring to me Christ’s Flesh and Blood, my Food to be. To give me strength and holy grace , a pledge to see Him face to Face. And when the Holy Mass is done, then with His blessing, come back home. Amen.

Day 8

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 7

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 6

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 5

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 4

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 3

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 2

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 1

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 9 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

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 (Mention your request here….)

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

(Mention your request here…)

Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory Be … 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.

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 8 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 7 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 6 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 5 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 4 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 3 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 2 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 2 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 1 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 9

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Give us servant’s hearts so that we respond easily to those suffering around us. For we know that when we help the abandoned and needy we are actually serving you

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Trophy of victory over hell, Hope of the hopeless, Light of those who sit in darkness, Foundation of the Church, Salvation of the world, Bread of the hungry, Fountain of those that thirst, Clothing of the naked,

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

O Jesus, your cross is life-giving! Your death and resurrection brought us salvation. Send us the Holy Spirit while we praise You and meditate on the meaning of your death. Through the Holy Spirit, open our hearts so that we may be able to know that without sacrifice, we can never be your disciples.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 7

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Help us to avoid domineering attitudes and make us servants to one another.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 6

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Give us the grace to not be desperate in our moments of suffering. Help us to carry our cross with courage and dignity, so that even in the midst of pain we may be of help to others.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 6

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Give us the grace to not be desperate in our moments of suffering. Help us to carry our cross with courage and dignity, so that even in the midst of pain we may be of help to others.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 5

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Teach us to be patient as we endure the insults and harsh words of people who don’t like us. Help us to respond with silence and give us the grace that we may pray for them so we may help you redeem our troubled world.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 4

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Be with us, so that we can face our trials with courage. For we know that through you, we can draw something good from these experiences

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

The word novena is derived from the Latin term novem, meaning nine. Novena is a nine day period of prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or make special petitions.

Here you’ll find Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Novenas But Were Afraid to Ask

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is held every year on September 14th. Begin the Novena on September 5th to complete it prior to the feast day. But you can pray the Novena anytime during the month of September, or throughout the year.

Day 2

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Teach us to accept our sufferings, uniting them to your cross. Give us the grace to believe that you are able to draw something good from even the worst situations.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

The word novena is derived from the Latin term novem, meaning nine. Novena is a nine day period of prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or make special petitions.

Here you’ll find Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Novenas But Were Afraid to Ask

Day 1

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

May our veneration of the cross help us to be more loving. That we may learn to love our brothers and sisters, and any hatred, mistrust or resentment will leave our hearts.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

Tomorrow is the feast of Mother Teresa

Prayer of Mother Teresa

Prayer & Desire…

Prayer:

St Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life,

too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Desire:

To trust that God is beside you always.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Ninth Day

True Love Is Surrender.

‘I Thirst… has no meaning unless through total surrender I give all to Jesus.’

‘Today I will do whatever Jesus wants. And you will see that oneness. That surrender to God, to use you without consulting you.

That accepting is a great sign of union with God. Holiness is that total surrender to God. Totus Tuus. Completely yours. Completely surr- endered. Very clear! Complete. That

accepting whatever He gives. That giving whatever He takes. You need much love to be able to see the Hand of God.’

‘I only want to do what God wants. Let us have the courage to do what God wants, even if it is difficult.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE: To become a saint.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Eighth Day –

Holiness Is Jesus Living and Acting in Me.

‘Our works of charity are nothing but the overflow of our love of God from within. Therefore, the one who is most united to Him loves her neighbour most’

‘We must become holy not because we want to feel holy, but because Christ must be able to live His life fully in us.’

‘Holiness is not in the feelings or in imagination, it is reality.

One thing that helps me and will help you is this: works of love are works of holiness.’

‘Let us spend ourselves with Him and for Him. Let Him see with your eyes, speak with your tongue, work with your hands, walk with your feet, think with your head, and love with your heart. Is this not perfect union, a continual loving prayer?’

ASK FOR THE GRACE:

To see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poor.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Seventh Day –

God Loves a Cheerful Giver.

‘Joy, to be fruitful, has to be shared.’

‘By this joy I mean that inner depth of joy in you, in your eyes, look, face, movements, actions, swiftness.

That My joy may be in you, says Jesus. What is this joy of Jesus? It is the result of His continual union with God, doing the Will of the Father.

I have come that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This joy is the fruit of union with God, of being in the presence of God. Living in the presence of God fills us with joy. God is joy.’

Joy shines in the eyes, comes out in the speech and walk… when people see the habitual happiness in your eyes, it will make them realise they are the loved children of God.’

‘Joy was the strength of Our Lady… she was the first Missionary of Charity. She was the first one to receive Jesus physically and to carry Him to others.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE:

To find joy in loving and to share this joy with everyone you meet.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Sixth Day –

True Love Is Surrender.

‘I Thirst… has no meaning unless through total surrender I give all to Jesus.’

‘Today I will do whatever Jesus wants. And you will see that oneness. That surrender to God, to use you without consulting you.

That accepting is a great sign of union with God. Holiness is that total surrender to God. Totus Tuus. Completely yours. Totus Tuus. Completely surrendered. Very clear! Complete.

That accepting whatever

He gives. That giving whatever He takes. You need much love to be able to see the Hand of God.’

‘I only want to do what God wants. Let us have the courage to do what God wants, even if it is difficult.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE:

To surrender your whole life to God.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Fifth Day –

Trust Jesus Blindly.

‘Trust in the good God, who loves us, who cares for us, who sees all, knows all, can do all things for my good and the good of souls.’

‘Christ accepted to die because He trusted His Father. He knew that from that apparent failure God will work out His plan of salvation.

For us, too, we must have that deep faith and trust that if we are doing God’s will, He will work out His plan of salvation in us and through us in spite of any failure we may meet.’

‘Jesus never changes. Trust Him lovingly, trust Him with a big smile, always believing He is the Way to the Father, He is the light in this world of darkness.’

‘Do not be afraid to love Jesus tenderly. When you trust Him. He will do great things for you.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE:

To have an unshakeable trust in God’s power and love for you and for all.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Four Day –

Our Lady Will Help You.

‘How much we need Mary to teach us what it means to satiate God’s Thirsting Love for us, which Jesus came to reveal to us.

She did it so beautifully. Yes, Mary allowed God to take possession of her life by her purity, her humility, and her faithful love. Let us seek to grow, under the guidance of our Heavenly Mother, in these three important interior attitudes of soul that delight the Heart of God and enable Him to unite Himself to us, in and through Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is doing so that, like Mary our Mother, we will allow God to take full possession of our whole being and through us God will be able to reach out His Thirsting Love to all we come in contact with, especially the poor.’

‘If we stand with Our Lady, she will give us her spirit of loving trust, total surrender, and cheerfulness.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE:

To learn from Our Lady to quench Jesus’ thirst as she did.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Third Day

Thought for the day:

“Just think! God is thirsting for you and me to come forward to satiate His thirst.”

‘In His agony, in His pain, in His lone- liness, He said very clearly, Why have you forsaken Me? He was so terribly lonely and forsaken and suffering on the Cross…

At this most difficult time He proclaimed:

I Thirst… And the people thought He was thirsty in an ordinary way and they gave Him vinegar straight-away; but it was not that which He thirsted for – it was for our love, our affection, that intimate attachment to Him, and that sharing of His passion.

He used the words, I Thirst instead of Give Me your love… The thirst of Jesus on the Cross is not imagination. Let us hear Him saying it to me and saying it to you. It is really a gift of God.’

‘If you listen with your heart, you will hear, you will understand. Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you, you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you.’

Ask for the grace to understand Jesus’ cry of thirst.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me

Novena to Mother Teresa

Second Day –Jesus Loves You

The personal love Christ has for you is infinite.’

‘You are special to God. He is waiting for you to come to Him in prayer. He wants to honour you by filling you with His Presence.’

‘What does it mean to be alone with Jesus? It doesn’t mean to sit alone with your own thoughts… It means that you know that He is close to you, that He loves you, that you are precious to Him, that He is in love with you.

He has called you, and you belong to Him. If you know that… you will be able to face any failure, any humiliation, any suffering – if you realise Jesus’ personal love for you and yours for Him.’

‘Jesus loves you tenderly, you are precious to Him. Turn to Jesus with great trust and allow yourself to be loved by Him.’

Thought for the day:

“Do not be afraid – you are precious to Jesus. He loves you.”

Ask for the grace to be convinced of Jesus’ unconditional and personal love for you.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

First Day – Know the Living Jesus

Dedicated to knowing Jesus, the wellspring of Mother Teresa’s life and mission.

Thought for the day:

“Don’t search for Jesus in far lands; He is not there. He is close to you; He is in you.”

Ask for the grace of an intimate knowledge of Jesus.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to St Monica

Day Nine

Today we pray for those who are ready to come home and just need to be invited. May the Holy Spirit open our hearts and eyes to them that we may be the inviting and welcoming presence they seek.

Exemplary mother of the great St. Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son…not with wild threats but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God.

She was married to a non- Christian and she lived with him and her mother-in-law for some time before they both converted and were baptized.

She is most well known for fasting & praying for her son’s conversion — which took more than 15 years.

Eventually when her son did convert and was baptized, he was baptized by the bishop, St. Ambrose — who was also Saint Monica’s spiritual director.

Shortly after St. Augustine’s conversion, St. Monica said to him,

“Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here. All my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became very sick after this, suffered for 9 days, and then passed away.

Saint Monica’s feast day is on August 27th, so the novena is traditionally started on August 18th — but you can pray it anytime.

Saint Monica is the patron saint of:

* Mothers

* Wives

* Alcoholics

* Widows

* Difficult marriages * Victims of adultery * Victims of abuse

She was married to a non- Christian and she lived with him and her mother-in-law for some time before they both converted and were baptized. She is most well known for fasting & praying for her son’s conversion — which took more than 15 years.

Eventually when her son did convert and was baptized, he was baptized by the bishop, St. Ambrose — who was also Saint Monica’s spiritual director.

Shortly after St. Augustine’s conversion, St. Monica said to him, Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here. All my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.”

She became very sick after this, suffered for 9 days, and then passed away. Saint Monica’s feast day is on August 27th, so the novena is traditionally started on August 18th — but you can pray it anytime.

Saint Monica is the patron saint of: * Mothers * Wives * Alcoholics * Widows * Difficult marriages * Victims of adultery * Victims of abuse

Mary Undoer of Knots Novena

Day 9

Most Holy Mary, our Advocate, Undoer of Knots, I come today to thank you for undoing this knot in my life.

You know very well the suffering it has caused me. Thank you for coming, Mother, with your long fingers of mercy to dry the tears in my eyes; you receive me in your arms and make it possible for me to receive once again the divine grace.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, dearest Mother, I thank you for undoing the knots in my life. Wrap me in your mantle of love, keep me under your protection, enlighten me with your peace! Amen.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exist in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life.

You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life.

No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.

[Mention your request here]

I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope.

O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.

Hear my plea.

Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge! Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Amen.

Mary Undoer of Knots Novena

Day 8

Virgin Mother of God, overflowing with mercy, have mercy on your child and undo this knot

But he had to overcome his meager formal schooling, which inadequately prepared him for seminary studies.

His failure to comprehend Latin lectures forced him to discontinue. But his vision of being a priest urged him to seek private tutoring. After a lengthy battle with the books, John was ordained.

Situations calling for “impossible” deeds followed him everywhere. As pastor of the parish at Ars, John encountered people who were indifferent and quite comfortable with their style of living. His vision led him through severe fasts and short nights of sleep.

With Catherine Lassagne and Benedicta Lardet, he established La Providence, a home for girls. Only a man of vision could have such trust that God would provide for the spiritual and material needs of all those who came to make La Providence their home.

His work as a confessor is John Vianney’s most remarkable accomplishment. In the winter months he was to spend 11 to 12 hours daily reconciling people with God. In the summer months this time was increased to 16 hours. Unless a man was dedicated to his vision of a priestly vocation, he could not have endured this giving of self day after day.

Many people look forward to retirement and taking it easy, doing the things they always wanted to do but never had the time. But John Vianney had no thoughts of retirement.

As his fame spread, more hours were consumed in serving God’s people. Even the few hours he would allow himself for sleep were disturbed frequently by the devil.

Who, but a man with vision, could keep going with ever-increasing strength? In 1929, Pope Pius XI named him the patron of parish priests worldwide.

Reflection

Indifference toward religion, coupled with a love for material comfort, seem to be common signs of our times. A person from another planet observing us would not likely judge us to be pilgrim people, on our way to somewhere else. John Vianney on the other hand, was a man on a journey, with his goal before him at all times.

Saint John Vianney is the Patron Saint of:

Diocesan Priests Parish Priests

St. John Marie Vianney Novena for Vocations

DAY 8:

MARY OUR SPIRITUAL MOTHER

John 19: 25-27

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Prayer Day Nine

St. John Vianney, from a young age you had a great devotion to our Blessed Mother, relying constantly on her intercession. In doing so you recognized Mary as your mother and realized that through your devotion to Mary you in turn gave full devotion to Her Son.

Help our priests become devoted to our Blessed Mother and encourage active devotion to her by all the faithful. Encourage those who are discerning to also accept Mary as their mother and seek her intercession.

As Christ entrusted Mary to be the Mother of the Church, let all priest and those discerning receive Mary as their Mother and fly unto her protection in times of need.

Believing in the power of your kind intercession, We humbly ask you to pray for us and the special intention we are hoping God will grant us through this novena.

(here mention your special intention)

OUR FATHER,

HAIL MARY, GLORY BE

LITANY TO ST. JOHN VIANNEY

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us,

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us.

Saint John-Mary Vianney,

Pray for us.

God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

St. John Vianney, endowed with grace from thine infan- cy, etc.

St. John Vianney, model of filial piety,

St. John Vianney, devoted servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

St. John Vianney, spotless lily of purity,

St. John Vianney, faithful imitator of the sufferings of Christ,

St. John Vianney, abyss of humility,

St. John Vianney, seraph of prayer,

St. John Vianney, faithful adorer of the Most Blessed Sacra- ment,

St. John Vianney, ardent lover of holy poverty,

St. John Vianney, penetrated with the fear of God’s judgment,

St. John Vianney, tender friend of the poor,

St. John Vianney, fortified by divine visions,

St. John Vianney, who was tormented by the evil spirit, St. John Vianney, perfect model of sacerdotal virtue, St. John Vianney, firm and prudent pastor,

St. John Vianney, inflamed with zeal,

St. John Vianney, faithful attendant on the sick,

St. John Vianney, indefatigable catechist,

St. John Vianney, who didst preach in words of fire, St. John Vianney, wise director of souls,

St. John Vianney, specially gifted with the spirit of counsel, St. John Vianney, enlightened by light from Heaven,

St. John Vianney, formidable foe to Satan,

St. John Vianney, compassionate with every misery,

St. John Vianney, providence of the orphans,

St. John Vianney, favored with the gift of miracles,

St. John Vianney, who did reconcile so many sinners to God, St. John Vianney, who did confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue,

St. John Vianney, who did taste the sweetness of death,

St. John Vianney, who dost now rejoice in the glory of Heaven,

St. John Vianney, who give joy to those who invoke thee,

St. John Vianney, heavenly patron of parish priests,

St. John Vianney, model and patron of directors of souls,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us..

Pray for us, blessed Jean-Marie Vianney,

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

Let Us Pray.

Almighty and merciful God, Who did bestow upon blessed John Mary Vianney wonderful pastoral zeal and a great fervor for prayer and penance, grant, we beseech Thee, that by his example and intercession we may be able to gain the souls of our brethren for Christ, and with them attain to everlasting glory, through the same Lord Jesus Christ your Son, Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. R. Amen.

Closing Prayers

Lord Jesus Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar, in this Eucharistic Revival, we ask to be drawn ever more closely to you in our devotion. Free us from all that would hinder us on our earthly pilgrimage and grant us more holy priests to lead us along our way. Amen.

St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us.

St. John Marie Vianney Novena for Vocations

DAY 7 :

THE HEART OF THE PRIEST IS THE HEART OF CHRIST

John 15:1–11

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Prayer Day Eight

Saint John Vianney, in your great devotion to Christ, you imitated the great example of the beloved disciple and reclined your heart next to the Heart of Christ. Help our priests and those discerning grow in the knowledge that the priesthood is indeed the love of the heart of Jesus.

Help them to grow in knowledge of the mercy of His most Sacred Heart and give them the grace to remain in Him. Help our priests be like Christ to the members of the Church and to likewise inspire them to grow in love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Believing in the power of your kind intercession, We humbly ask you to pray for us and the special intention we are hoping God will grant us through this novena.

(here mention your special intention)

OUR FATHER,

HAIL MARY, GLORY BE

LITANY TO ST. JOHN VIANNEY

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us,

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us.

Saint John-Mary Vianney,

Pray for us.

God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

St. John Vianney, endowed with grace from thine infan- cy, etc.

St. John Vianney, model of filial piety,

St. John Vianney, devoted servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

St. John Vianney, spotless lily of purity,

St. John Vianney, faithful imitator of the sufferings of Christ,

St. John Vianney, abyss of humility,

St. John Vianney, seraph of prayer,

St. John Vianney, faithful adorer of the Most Blessed Sacra- ment,

St. John Vianney, ardent lover of holy poverty,

St. John Vianney, penetrated with the fear of God’s judgment,

St. John Vianney, tender friend of the poor,

St. John Vianney, fortified by divine visions,

St. John Vianney, who was tormented by the evil spirit, St. John Vianney, perfect model of sacerdotal virtue, St. John Vianney, firm and prudent pastor,

St. John Vianney, inflamed with zeal,

St. John Vianney, faithful attendant on the sick,

St. John Vianney, indefatigable catechist,

St. John Vianney, who didst preach in words of fire, St. John Vianney, wise director of souls,

St. John Vianney, specially gifted with the spirit of counsel, St. John Vianney, enlightened by light from Heaven,

St. John Vianney, formidable foe to Satan,

St. John Vianney, compassionate with every misery,

St. John Vianney, providence of the orphans,

St. John Vianney, favored with the gift of miracles,

St. John Vianney, who did reconcile so many sinners to God, St. John Vianney, who did confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue,

St. John Vianney, who did taste the sweetness of death,

St. John Vianney, who dost now rejoice in the glory of Heaven,

St. John Vianney, who give joy to those who invoke thee,

St. John Vianney, heavenly patron of parish priests,

St. John Vianney, model and patron of directors of souls,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us..

Pray for us, blessed Jean-Marie Vianney,

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

Let Us Pray.

Closing Prayers

St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us.

St. John Marie Vianney Novena for Vocations

DAY 5:

MODEL OF PRAYER

Matthew 6: 5–15

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.“ And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Pray then like this:

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Prayer Day Six

Saint John Vianney, you rejoiced at every opportunity to spend time in prayer and contemplation. Your dedication was such that, had it not been for practical considerations, your bishop would have granted your wish to be a monk.

Teach our priests and those discerning the importance and power of fervent prayer, that they may grow in understanding of God’s will for them. Obtain for them the conviction that through fervent prayer, nothing is impossible. Help them also to teach the faith the merits of prayer and encourage devotion to prayer in all of our churches.

Believing in the power of your kind intercession, We humbly ask you to pray for us and the special intention we are hoping God will grant us through this novena.

(here mention your special intention)

OUR FATHER,

HAIL MARY, GLORY BE

LITANY TO ST. JOHN VIANNEY

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us,

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us.

Saint John-Mary Vianney,

Pray for us.

God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

St. John Vianney, endowed with grace from thine infan- cy, etc.

St. John Vianney, model of filial piety,

St. John Vianney, devoted servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

St. John Vianney, spotless lily of purity,

St. John Vianney, faithful imitator of the sufferings of Christ,

St. John Vianney, abyss of humility,

St. John Vianney, seraph of prayer,

St. John Vianney, faithful adorer of the Most Blessed Sacra- ment,

St. John Vianney, ardent lover of holy poverty,

St. John Vianney, penetrated with the fear of God’s judgment,

St. John Vianney, tender friend of the poor,

St. John Vianney, fortified by divine visions,

St. John Vianney, who was tormented by the evil spirit, St. John Vianney, perfect model of sacerdotal virtue, St. John Vianney, firm and prudent pastor,

St. John Vianney, inflamed with zeal,

St. John Vianney, faithful attendant on the sick,

St. John Vianney, indefatigable catechist,

St. John Vianney, who didst preach in words of fire, St. John Vianney, wise director of souls,

St. John Vianney, specially gifted with the spirit of counsel, St. John Vianney, enlightened by light from Heaven,

St. John Vianney, formidable foe to Satan,

St. John Vianney, compassionate with every misery,

St. John Vianney, providence of the orphans,

St. John Vianney, favored with the gift of miracles,

St. John Vianney, who did reconcile so many sinners to God, St. John Vianney, who did confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue,

St. John Vianney, who did taste the sweetness of death,

St. John Vianney, who dost now rejoice in the glory of Heaven,

St. John Vianney, who give joy to those who invoke thee,

St. John Vianney, heavenly patron of parish priests,

St. John Vianney, model and patron of directors of souls,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us..

Pray for us, blessed Jean-Marie Vianney,

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

Let Us Pray.

Closing Prayers

St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us.

St. John Marie Vianney Novena for Vocations

DAY 4 :

LOVER OF THE EUCHARIST

Luke 22:14–20

And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

And he took a chalice, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the chalice after supper, saying, “This chalice which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Prayer Day Five

Saint John Vianney, in life you showed your great veneration and dedication to the Blessed Sacrament. To this end you spent long hours in the confessional to help the faithful become worthy to receive the Holy Sacraments of Jesus’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Inspire our priests to share in this love of the Eucharist.

Help them preach on the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist and practice true devotion to Him through Eucharistic Adoration and Veneration. Inspire them to share their love and devotion to all the faithful. Help them and those discerning to obtain the fervent desire to always remain worthy to receive the Blessed Sacrament.

Believing in the power of your kind intercession, We humbly ask you to pray for us and the special intention we are hoping God will grant us through this novena.

(here mention your special intention)

OUR FATHER,

HAIL MARY, GLORY BE

LITANY TO ST. JOHN VIANNEY

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us,

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us.

Saint John-Mary Vianney,

Pray for us.

God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

St. John Vianney, endowed with grace from thine infan- cy, etc.

St. John Vianney, model of filial piety,

St. John Vianney, devoted servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

St. John Vianney, spotless lily of purity,

St. John Vianney, faithful imitator of the sufferings of Christ,

St. John Vianney, abyss of humility,

St. John Vianney, seraph of prayer,

St. John Vianney, faithful adorer of the Most Blessed Sacra- ment,

St. John Vianney, ardent lover of holy poverty,

St. John Vianney, penetrated with the fear of God’s judgment,

St. John Vianney, tender friend of the poor,

St. John Vianney, fortified by divine visions,

St. John Vianney, who was tormented by the evil spirit, St. John Vianney, perfect model of sacerdotal virtue, St. John Vianney, firm and prudent pastor,

St. John Vianney, inflamed with zeal,

St. John Vianney, faithful attendant on the sick,

St. John Vianney, indefatigable catechist,

St. John Vianney, who didst preach in words of fire, St. John Vianney, wise director of souls,

St. John Vianney, specially gifted with the spirit of counsel, St. John Vianney, enlightened by light from Heaven,

St. John Vianney, formidable foe to Satan,

St. John Vianney, compassionate with every misery,

St. John Vianney, providence of the orphans,

St. John Vianney, favored with the gift of miracles,

St. John Vianney, who did reconcile so many sinners to God, St. John Vianney, who did confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue,

St. John Vianney, who did taste the sweetness of death,

St. John Vianney, who dost now rejoice in the glory of Heaven,

St. John Vianney, who give joy to those who invoke thee,

St. John Vianney, heavenly patron of parish priests,

St. John Vianney, model and patron of directors of souls,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us..

Pray for us, blessed Jean-Marie Vianney,

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

Let Us Pray.

Closing Prayers

St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us.

St. John Marie Vianney Novena for Vocations

DAY 3: HOLY CONFESSOR Passage: John 20: 19-23

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Prayer

St. John Vianney, you knew how important it was for a good confession in the Christian life. It was to procure the happy fruits of millions of souls that you agreed to be in an uncomfortable confessional, which was like a prison, up to fifteen and sixteen a day. Inspire our priests to grow in love of this great sacrament of mercy.

Help our priest courageously call all souls to repentance and encourage frequent reception of this blessed sacrament so that the grace of final perseverance and the sanctification of their souls will be assured.

Help our priests to be gentle and kind in the confessional to those seeking mercy. Inspire those discerning God’s call to develop the habit of frequent confession, to prepare properly each time, and to always feel sorrow over their sins.

Believing in the power of your kind intercession, We humbly ask you to pray for us and the special intention we are hoping God will grant us through this novena.

(here mention your special intention)

OUR FATHER,

HAIL MARY, GLORY BE

LITANY TO ST. JOHN VIANNEY

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us,

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us.

Saint John-Mary Vianney,

Pray for us.

God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

St. John Vianney, endowed with grace from thine infan- cy, etc.

St. John Vianney, model of filial piety,

St. John Vianney, devoted servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

St. John Vianney, spotless lily of purity,

St. John Vianney, faithful imitator of the sufferings of Christ,

St. John Vianney, abyss of humility,

St. John Vianney, seraph of prayer,

St. John Vianney, faithful adorer of the Most Blessed Sacra- ment,

St. John Vianney, ardent lover of holy poverty,

St. John Vianney, penetrated with the fear of God’s judgment,

St. John Vianney, tender friend of the poor,

St. John Vianney, fortified by divine visions,

St. John Vianney, who was tormented by the evil spirit, St. John Vianney, perfect model of sacerdotal virtue, St. John Vianney, firm and prudent pastor,

St. John Vianney, inflamed with zeal,

St. John Vianney, faithful attendant on the sick,

St. John Vianney, indefatigable catechist,

St. John Vianney, who didst preach in words of fire, St. John Vianney, wise director of souls,

St. John Vianney, specially gifted with the spirit of counsel, St. John Vianney, enlightened by light from Heaven,

St. John Vianney, formidable foe to Satan,

St. John Vianney, compassionate with every misery,

St. John Vianney, providence of the orphans,

St. John Vianney, favored with the gift of miracles,

St. John Vianney, who did reconcile so many sinners to God, St. John Vianney, who did confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue,

St. John Vianney, who did taste the sweetness of death,

St. John Vianney, who dost now rejoice in the glory of Heaven,

St. John Vianney, who give joy to those who invoke thee,

St. John Vianney, heavenly patron of parish priests,

St. John Vianney, model and patron of directors of souls,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us..

Pray for us, blessed Jean-Marie Vianney,

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

Let Us Pray.

Closing Prayers

St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us.

St. John Marie Vianney Novena for Vocations

DAY 2

FAITH AND TRUST IN THE LORD

Passage: Matthew 26: 36-44

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.

Prayer Day Two

Saint John Vianney, your successful journey to the priesthood is a testament to your determination to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Your life as a priest is a shining example of what we should expect from the chosen leaders of God’s flock.

Your perseverance in the face of many hardships has saved numerous souls. May those men who are called to the priesthood accept the cross humbly and persevere through the many challenges of seminary formation.

May they be inspired by the perseverance and dedication of the Curé of Ars to take up the call to Holy Orders. May all of our priests also be inspired to endure the many hardships that they may encounter in ministry and to overcome the opposition imposed by our modern society and secular culture.

May we, who contemplate on your life, also be imbued with the same determination to be the best that we can be in the many roles we play in life. Let everything we think, say or do benefit our neighbor and lead us ever closer to our Heavenly Father.

Believing in the power of your kind intercession, We humbly ask you to pray for us and the special intention we are hoping God will grant us through this novena.

(here mention your special intention)

OUR FATHER,

HAIL MARY, GLORY BE

LITANY TO ST. JOHN VIANNEY

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us,

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us,

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us.

Saint John-Mary Vianney,

Pray for us.

God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,

Have mercy on us.

St. John Vianney, endowed with grace from thine infan- cy, etc.

St. John Vianney, model of filial piety,

St. John Vianney, devoted servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

St. John Vianney, spotless lily of purity,

St. John Vianney, faithful imitator of the sufferings of Christ,

St. John Vianney, abyss of humility,

St. John Vianney, seraph of prayer,

St. John Vianney, faithful adorer of the Most Blessed Sacra- ment,

St. John Vianney, ardent lover of holy poverty,

St. John Vianney, penetrated with the fear of God’s judgment,

St. John Vianney, tender friend of the poor,

St. John Vianney, fortified by divine visions,

St. John Vianney, who was tormented by the evil spirit, St. John Vianney, perfect model of sacerdotal virtue, St. John Vianney, firm and prudent pastor,

St. John Vianney, inflamed with zeal,

St. John Vianney, faithful attendant on the sick,

St. John Vianney, indefatigable catechist,

St. John Vianney, who didst preach in words of fire, St. John Vianney, wise director of souls,

St. John Vianney, specially gifted with the spirit of counsel, St. John Vianney, enlightened by light from Heaven,

St. John Vianney, formidable foe to Satan,

St. John Vianney, compassionate with every misery,

St. John Vianney, providence of the orphans,

St. John Vianney, favored with the gift of miracles,

St. John Vianney, who did reconcile so many sinners to God, St. John Vianney, who did confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue,

St. John Vianney, who did taste the sweetness of death,

St. John Vianney, who dost now rejoice in the glory of Heaven,

St. John Vianney, who give joy to those who invoke thee,

St. John Vianney, heavenly patron of parish priests,

St. John Vianney, model and patron of directors of souls,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us..

Pray for us, blessed Jean-Marie Vianney,

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

Let Us Pray.

Closing Prayers

St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us.

St. John Marie Vianney Novena for Vocations

DAY 1:

THE SUPPORT AND FAITH OF THE FAMILY

Passage: Luke 5: 1-11

While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land.

And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”

And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Prayer Day One

Saint John Vianney, you were blessed with a loving and devout family who supported your desire to increase your faith and devote yourself fully towards imitating the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In your quest to pursue your holy vocation, you were not deterred by the many obstacles that came your way. Your strong faith carried you through all of life’s trials to your place in God’s kingdom.

Obtain for our priests and those who are discerning priesthood the same courage and faith that allowed you to give all to God without counting the cost.

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide them to the right decisions that will best serve God and their neighbor. Encourage all families in our catholic communities to pray for vocations within their own families and be open to the gracious gift of a family vocation.

May parents by their example in prayer and teaching inspire their children to stay strongly rooted in their faith and foster a great appreciation for the priesthood and religious life.

Believing in the power of your kind intercession, We humbly ask you to pray for us and the special intention we are hoping God will grant us through this novena.

(here mention your special intention)

OUR FATHER,

HAIL MARY, GLORY BE

LITANY TO ST. JOHN VIANNEY

Novena to Saint Anne

Day Nine

On Acceptance

If we suffer from some illness, or are afflicted in some other ways, we may ask God, through the intercession of St. Anne, to affect a cure, or to alleviate our need.

But having prayed we must resign ourselves to God’s will as Jesus did when he prayed in Gethsemane the night before his cruel death on the cross: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want,”[Mt, 26:39]

Referring to his prayer, the author of the Book of Hebrews wrote: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

[Heb. 5: 71 He was heard in two ways: He was saved from death, not by being spared the cross, but by conquering his death in resurrection; and by being granted what he wanted, namely, that God’s will be done. If we pray in that way, our prayer will always be heard.

As the psalmist says; “I sought the Lord and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”[Ps. 34:4] When afflicted by illness or misfortune, we should abandon ourselves to God’s will for us.

God’s will be always for our good; it cannot be otherwise. May we embrace what he sends us as Jesus embraced the cross. This does not mean we are not permitted to do all that we possibly and lawfully can overcome the evil and the affections we face.

Indeed, we should. But having done all that, then we must embrace the cross as God’s will for us, not as a pain he wants us to endure, but, as a pain he permits only insofar as it will ultimately be for our good.

And in faith we can trust God even though we are unable to see and understand what is happening to us. God’s word to us expressed by Paul in letter to the Romans is that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed in us. (And) God makes all things work together for good for those who love him.”[Rom. Let us believe this word of God and trust him.

PRACTICE

I will pray for the grace to embrace God’s will in all things.

NOVENA PRAYER

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I kneel at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special protection.

(State Your Intention Here)

Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and lay it before the throne of Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face to face, and with you and Mary, and all the angels and saints, to praise Him through all eternity.

Most holy mother of the Virgin Mary, glorious St. 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 St. 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 confide it to you, above all at the moment when it will be separated from my body, in order that, appearing under your patronage before the Supreme Judge, He may find it worthy of enjoying His Divine Presence in your holy companionship in Heaven. Amen.

PRIEST: Pray for us, St. Anne!

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

PRAYER

Let us pray. Beloved St. Anne, during this novena we have asked for your intercession in our needs. We believe that our gracious God hear all our prayer, and that his answer is certain and generous.

We thank you for your prayers, and we thank him now for all his blessings and for the good we shall receive by his grace through the prayers of this novena, Obtain for us, good St. Anne, the grace to experience his response to our prayers, and to gratefully accept it. We ask this through your intercession and in Jesus’ name. R/. Amen. The Litany to St. Anne Follows (Page 52).

🪭🪭Private Reflection🪭🪭

Happy Feast Day of St. Anne! This glorious saint was one of the first to be a faithful echo of her Grandson. Her uncompromising submission to God’s will is a testament of her faith.

Once again, I invite you to take a grandmother’s favors to a celestial level.

Ask your Heavenly Grandmother on this day to restore to the One, True Church our loved ones who have sailed away from the harbor of Truth. We ask her to ask her Daughter, Our Lady, and her Grandson, Our Lord, for an abundance of merits and graces on this special day!

“Mary surpasses all the faithful in veneration, esteem and in tender and filial love for her holy mother. While Anne and Mary lived on earth, the bond of love that united their hearts was most ardent and intimate. Nor has this bond been dissolved in Heaven.”

– “Good St. Anne”

Novena to Saint Anne

Day Eight

On Practice of Sacrifice

The word ‘sacrifice” means to make (something) sacred. To make something sacred is to give it to all-holy God, Jesus’ whole life was a sacrifice because it was wholly given over to God. As we share in Adam’s sin because we have ratified his disobedience by our disobedience, so we share in the sacrifice of Christ if with him we give ourselves wholeheartedly to God.

And just as Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted by God in his resurrection and glorification, so we, too, are accepted by God and share in Jesus’ resurrection and life if we share his cross and death.

This sharing in the suffering and death of Jesus happens to us when we do God’s will regardless of the cost. This is what Jesus did. He obeyed his Father even when that obedience led to his death on the cross. We will have to die to our self-will, our own desired, and our natural inclinations whenever these come into conflict with God’s will.

This is the sacrifice that is required of all of us. And this sacrifice is accomplished when we are faithful to the duties of our state in life, especially when this faithfulness costs us something in self-denial and suffering. And cost it will, we can be sure of that.

It is necessary for us to ‘seek the cross,” to seek what is unpleasant and painful. That is not to say that some freely chosen acts of mortification and self-denial, such as fasting, are not of value. But obedience to God is the most important sacrifice we can make, and this sacrifice will entail suffering of some sort or other.

The point of this is that suffering endured in union with the suffering and death of Jesus guarantees that we, too, shall with him in his life and glory both now and in heaven.

As Jesus told us: “if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” [Luke 9:23]

PRACTICE

I will call upon St. Anne on those occasions when my conscience tells me that fidelity to God demands some painful sacrifice.

NOVENA PRAYER

(State your Intention Here)

Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and lay it before the throne of Jesus.

Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted. Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face to face, and with you and Mary, and all the angels and saints, to praise Him through all eternity.

Remember, O St. 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.

PRIEST: Pray for us, St. Anne!

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

PRAYER

Let us pray.

Good St. Anne, through your intercession obtain for us the grace to be obedient to God no matter what the cost might be. By your prayers help us to share in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that we might also share in resurrection and life. God, our gracious creator, through the intercession of St. Anne, grant us the grace always to be faithful to you in all things. We ask this in Jesus’ name. R/. Amen.

Private Reflection

St. Anne did not lay up for herself treasures on earth when treasures from Heaven were in her midst. We are often asked to give of ourselves but, more often than not, neglect the path of charity. The world urges us to materialism and selfishness at every corner. As Catholics, we must combat this mentality and look to what is lasting.

“St. Anne’s love for the poor is evident from the praise bestowed upon her by St. John Damascene, who relates that she and St. Joachim distributed one third of their possessions to the poor. St. Anne still continues her charity in Heaven by assisting the poor, often in a wonderful manner.” – “Good St. Anne”

Novena to Saint Anne

Day Seven

On Conversion

When Jesus began his public ministry, he proclaimed the good news of God: “This is the time of fulfillment; the kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the gospel.”[Mk. 1:15] he called for conversion. The Greek word for “conversion” is variously translated.

At times it is “reform your life,” or “repent,” or “do penance.” It literally means, “Change your mind, “ or “Change your way of thinking.”

Conversion is not a once-in-a-lifetime happening. It is a continuing process ever deepening faith. We are called to conversion over and over again.

The reason, as we know from experience, is that our life in God-that life we call “grace”-is always threatened by sin. We can be lukewarm in our Christian commitment. Without realizing it, we hold values and attitudes, which are unchristian.

The gospel, therefore, is a continual challenge to our ways of thing, and a continual call to turn to God with greater fidelity, zeal, and love. Until we reach the point that we practice the gospel perfectly, and we perfectly possess the mind of Christ, we are called to a fuller conversion.

And if we should be so unfortunate as turn away from God completely in mortally sin, to reject the divine life and love, then our conversion is once more absolutely necessary; not simply for growth but for life itself.

And this conversion could well be more difficult than our first.

Conversion is always by God’s call and grace. Jesus tell us, “No one can come to me unless draw by Father who sent me,” [John 6:44]

So conversion, and the divine life it brings us, is always God gift. It is grace. Yet, it is always and everywhere available to men and women of good will, but never as something earned, merited, or deserved.

To realize this truth is a fundamental condition for a sound spiritual life. When, and only when, we have this realization can our religion truly be a free, loving and grateful response to God who loved and gifted us first.

PRACTICE

I will try to grow familiar with the Gospel, and I will try always to remember that it is the Gospel which judges me; not I who judge the Gospel. In that way, I will always be open to receive and respond to its challenge.

NOVENA PRAYER

(State Your Intention Here)

O Good St. 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 dear St. Anne, please obtain health for them and with it, the firm resolution to honor Jesus, Mary, and yourself by the faithful performance of duties.

But, merciful St. 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.

PRIEST: Pray for us, St. Anne!

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

PRAYER

Let us pray. Good St. Anne, your life was a continual and generous response to God whose love and gift you received. By your prayers obtain for us the grace to be open to God’s word and call. Obtain for us the grace to turn away from anything that can stand in the way of our love for God.

God our Father, through the intercession of St. Anne, mat we always respond to your call to conversion, and may thus grow in our love for you day by day. This we ask in the name of Jesus. R/. Amen.

🪭🪭Private Reflection🪭🪭

Devotion to St. Anne has been spread throughout the world. Notably in North America is the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec, which houses major relics of her finger and the forearm which held the infant Mary.

Half a million pilgrimage there each year and to St. Anne’s credit, we know that countless sick have been miraculously cured on site. May these beautiful witnesses serve to break our hesitations to ask; we need only ask her to obtain favors for us too!

“The number of cures wrought through the intercession of St. Anne is countless. Day after day the churches dedicated to her, as that at St. Anne de Beaupré, have resounded with the suppliant voices of her clients. Sight has been restored to the blind, hearing to the deaf, soundness to the bodies of the infirm and crippled.”

– “Good St. Anne”

Novena to Saint Anne

Day Five: On the Eucharist

The night before he died. Jesus gave his church, and then represented by the small group of disciples, his most precious gift-the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.

The Eucharist has such a wealth of meaning that we will here reflect on only one of many aspects. From this limited viewpoint we will consider the Eucharist as Holy Communion, Food for our spiritual life. As Jesus said, “those you eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them [John 6:54]

A second effect of this is to transform us into the likeness of Christ. Through this intimate encounter with Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we are gradually transformed into his likeness and become what a Christian is called be namely, another Christ.

But Holy Communion is given not only as the nourishment of our individual life in God. It is also given as the source of the life and unity of the Church, the Body of Christ. The effect of Holy Communion is to form into one body the many who share the one food, which is Christ.

As St. Paul tells us: “Because the loaf of bread is one, we, many though we are, are one body, because we all partake of the one loaf.” [1 Cor. 10: 17] It is because we are all one in Christ, because we are his body, that we should love one another and care for one another as our very self.

For these reasons we should strive to grow in our awareness of the reality of what we receive in Holy Communion. We should strive by God’s grace to grow in faith and in our desire to be nourished and transformed by this sacred food, which is the very person of Christ. It is only what we really desire that we receive as God’s gift.

🪭🪭Private Reflection🪭🪭

St. Anne is a good example of the Truth that God will take care of those who are faithful to Him. Even amidst the crisis in the Church, a great resurgence has begun through a faithful echo of clergy and laity willing to defend the unchanging teachings of Holy Mother Church at any cost.

“St. Anne was spared neither trials nor bitterness.

God tested her severely, especially by ordaining that she would have to wait so long for Mary, her child of predilection. For years, hidden sorrow was her daily bread.” – “Good St. Anne”

PRACTICE

I shall always strive to overcome routine in receiving the Lord in Holy Communion. With strong faith and great desire, I shall receive this sacred food, and experience within myself its transforming power.

NOVENA PRAYER (ALL)

(State your Intention Here)

Great St. 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 of Divine Mercy.

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, St. Anne!

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

PRAYER

Let us pray. Good St. Anne, through your intercession obtain for us the grace to appreciate the most holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Through our sharing in this sacred food, may be strengthened in our spiritual life, and grow in the likeness of Christ. May we come to love our sisters and brothers in Christ as we love ourselves. Good St. Anne, grandmother of Jesus, obtain for us the braces we so need and desire. R/. Amen.

Private Reflection:

We are all laborers in some way on earth. Good work is honorable, and we can turn to St. Anne for aid in our labors. But it is most essential that our labors be for a spiritual purpose as well as a practical one.

“The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few” (Matt 9:37). We must awaken from our spiritual slumber and put our duties as Catholics into action.

“Among the various classes of laborers, many regard St. Anne as their special protectress. But it is very significant that Christian sculptors venerate her as their model. They have chosen as their emblem the image of St. Anne teaching the child Mary, with these words inscribed beneath: ‘Thus she wrought the Tabernacle of God.’” – ”Good St. Anne”

Novena to St Mary Magdalene

Day 8

The moment of recognition…

Reading

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to him, “Rabbouni!” (which means “Teacher).

Wondering

How did Jesus approach Mary? At what point did Mary recognise her Lord?

Contemplating

One of our longest pieces in the account of Mary on that first Easter morning… Read it through several times and allow any significant words or phrases to sink into your soul. Why are they important to you? Make a note of them and prepare to use them to feed into your mind and spirit.

or…

Spend a few minutes building the scene in whatever way you find most helpful. If as a film director – enjoy the scene unfolding… if in imagination – simply enjoy!

Reflecting

Many people have moments of recognising something that holds promise and builds on the many good things that have been happening.

Pray for them – for the moment of grace which may affect the rest of their lives.

Praying

Mary of Magdala,

your moment of recognition echoes down the centuries

as we learn to recognise our Lord in Word and Communion. Pray for those experiencing such a moment of recognising something founded on the rich legacy of faith

and love of countless millions of believers around the world. Pray too for those who contributed to its development. Guide us all through your story to the hope of resurrection.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Novena to Saint Anne

Day Three :

On Freedom for God

Jesus says, “Blessed are the clean of heart they will see God.” [Mt. 5:8] One who is clean of heart serves for God’s sake, not out of self-interest. To be clean of heart is to have one’s priorities in order. It is to “seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all will be given you besides.”

Those who are not single hearted toward God find it most difficult to pray. The reason is that their hearts are bound to earth and cannot rise to God. Jesus says, “where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”[Luke 12:34] Or, as King Claudius in hamlet says, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.” Freeing ourselves from undue attachment to things of earth frees us to approach God with confidence to receive his gifts.

To choose what is not God is what is meant by sin. Deliberate undue attachment to things or to self cannot but impede our ability to pray honestly. If this is the case with us, the only honest prayer is a heartfelt for the grace of conversion-the grace to turn to God with a single heart, a pure heart. Then, like the tax collector who prayed, “O, God, be merciful to me a sinner,” we will experience healing and forgiveness.

We must never forget that our sinfulness is no barrier to union with God so long as we honestly admit our sin and desire to repent. Rather, our weakness is our greatest claim to God’s mercy. Jesus was called “the friend of 1 1 : 19] He is always ready to forgive and heal those who encountered him in faith and experience his love for them. In his love, he is always ready to accept us, comfort us and forgive.

PRACTICE

I will strive honestly to recognize and to root out of my life all that is inconsistent with my love for God.

NOVENA PRAYER

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.

Sublime model of Christian womanhood, pray that we may imitate your example in our homes and families, listen to our petitions, and obtain our request of…

(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, St. Anne!

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

PRAYER

Let us pray.

Let us pray. Good St. Anne, so much of our life is not what it should be. Often have close our ears and hearts to God’s word and resisted his call to a fuller life. Today is a time of grace and blessing.

Pray for us, St. Anne, and obtain for us through your intercession the grace to turn away from all that can separate us from the love of God. Obtain for us the grace to hear God’s word, to know his will, and to have the courage to do it daily. Good St. Anne, hear our prayer and intercede for us before the Lord our God. R/. Amen.

R/. Amen.

🪭🪭Private Reflection🪭🪭

St. Anne’s vocation on earth was wife to Joachim and mother to the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, she is a model of virtue for married women and mothers. She is also invoked as Help of the Pregnant, Patroness of the Childless, and Protectress of Widows.

She understands the married state, with its particular joys and burdens, but especially its purpose. “She [St. Anne] obtains for women, particularly in our misguided age, the light to understand the high purpose of Matrimony…

The hope of the Church is in good Christian mothers; their sons and daughters will fill the sanctuaries and convents.” – “Good St. Anne”

Blessings from

Fr Showri R Narra

Novena to St Mary Magdalene

Day 7

Not knowing what is to come…

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Wondering

Is Mary comforted by the words of the angels – or further confused? She turns and sees Jesus but does not yet recognize him… why not?

Contemplating

We are reaching the climax of the story – but are not there yet… Read the passage a few times and see what ideas or thoughts begin to emerge.

Make a note of your thoughts – jot them down – and, if you are using the Novena in a group, prepare to receive the insights of others.

or…

Spend a few minutes building the scene in whatever way you have found has worked for you. What fears might be within Mary at this point – and what hope against hope?

Reflecting

We who know the story know what’s coming and have a feeling of anticipation – but Mary does not. We ourselves sometimes wonder: what will be asked of me? Will I like what I see and hear?

Pray for a willingness to wait to see what God is to reveal…

Praying

Mary of Magdala,

still sorrowful,

even you could not at first recognize your Lord. Guide us all through your story

to the hope of resurrection.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Novena to Saint Anne

Day Two: On Confidence

St. Anne has been object of popular devotion from the early days of Christianity. It is true we know nothing of her except from certain ancient writings of legendary character. Their value consists in the testimony they gave to the antiquity of devotion of the mother of Mary.

The devotion did not so much depend on the legends as give rise to them. Popular traditions lay behind the early and wide-spread devotion to St. Anne, and to the growth of the many shrines in her honor to which so many people with needs come on pilgrimage to pray with great faith.

And in truth there have been recorded many marvelous cures which have taken place at these shrines. But more important even than any physical cures have been the spiritual favors and “miracles of grace” which have been granted by God in response to the petitioners. We should not be surprised that God grants his favors through the intercession of St. Anne.

It is the privilege of all men and women who love God to be the instruments of his loving providence in the world. How much more is it the privilege and honor of those men and women we call saints, among whom we number good St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus.

If we value and seek the prayer of our friends in this world, how much more powerful must be the prayers of our friends in heaven. And honoring St. Anne by our devotion we are honoring God who is the source of her holiness and the “ fountain of all holiness.”

Our prayers during this novena, then, should be characterized by great confidence, which is the fruit of our faith in love and power of God.

PRACTICE

Through the intercession of St. Anne, I will ask of God the grace of unshakable confidence in promises of Christ made to those who pray with faith and perseverance.

NOVENA PRAYER

(State Your Intention Here)

Glorious St. Anne, how can you be otherwise than overflowing with tenderness toward sinners like myself, 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. Please 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)

…which I stand in need of 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, St. Anne!

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

PRAYER

Let us pray.

Good St. Anne, your name means grace and mercy. Never has it been known that anyone who sought your intercession with faith and confidence was left unaided. Inspired with hope we turn to you, good and kind mother, and, with sorrow for our sins, and in need of help, we offer our petitions. O good St. Anne, mother of the immaculate Virgin Mary, do not be deaf to our [prayers, but hear and answer them. R/. Amen.

🪭🪭Private Reflection🪭🪭

This blessed title of Grandmother of Jesus is one of the greatest any human could desire. We can confidently petition St. Anne for favors, because of her special relationship with Our Lord.

We pray for all those who need strengthening in the Catholic Faith or who have fallen away and need to be restored into the fold. Just as St. Anne maternally watched over her grandson while on earth, we can pray to her for fortification in our daily spiritual battles.

“Good St. Anne, like a true and faithful mother, does not turn a deaf ear to the pleas of her children; and as a mother’s heart is deeply touched at the sight of the afflictions of her children, so is St. Anne’s motherly heart touched by the petitions of those who come to her seeking solace and comfort.” –

“Good St. Anne”

Novena to St Mary Magdalene

Day 6

Staying in the dark places…

Reading

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.

Wondering

What is Mary’s state of mind now? What might her reaction have been to seeing the two angels?

Contemplating

As you ponder the reading, which words or phrases seem to be especially significant to you. What might God be saying to you – perhaps, for your own life and for your community. If you are using a spiritual journal, add any thoughts or insights – and perhaps look back to see if there are any links that are beginning to form.

or…

Spend a few minutes building the scene using whatever technique has helped you over recent days. Try to put yourself in Mary’s shoes as the scene begins to move to its fulfilment.

Reflecting

Mary is struggling to come to terms with what is happening… but still she stays in the place where things don’t yet make sense. This is a feeling we can identify with … sometimes we do need to walk away from something but on other occasions we realise we have to stay in a spiritual place until God deems it the right time to offer us the revelation that allows us to move on.

Pray for those who find themselves “stuck” – whose faith feels empty and whose prayer seems dry.

Praying

Mary of Magdala,

you still did not know what was to come –

but your love for the Lord held you by his tomb.

Pray for those who are in dark places –

who feel without hope

and for whom the idea of a Pastoral Plan feels burdensome. Guide us all through your story

to the hope of resurrection.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Novena to St Mary Magdalene

Day 5

Faith leading to understanding

Reading

As yet they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

Wondering

What was the mood of the disciples as they turned back to go home? What were their expectations about what might happen next?

Contemplating

A very short piece but continue to read it through a few times, allowing the words to sink deep within you. Are there words or insights from the passage than seem important as we pass the halfway point in our Novena,

or…

Spend a few minutes building the scene in whatever way you find most helpful. How do the disciples take their leave of Mary? What is the “feel” of the scene at this point?

Reflecting

Faith often comes before understanding. We believe – but may have to reflect – read – contemplate – experience something differently before we move to understanding. Reflecting and learning how to make our faith yet more alive and active is for some people exciting – for others it is a challenge.

Pray for people who are excited – and those who are challenged.

Praying

Mary of Magdala,

you did not understand but you believed.

Pray for as we seek to understand more fully

what God wills for us.

Pray for those for whom this is an exciting time

and for those for whom it is difficult and challenging. Guide us all through your story

to the hope of resurrection.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Day 4, Seeing and believing

Reading

Peter saw the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head (was) not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.

Wondering

Why does John point out the detail about the cloth that had covered Jesus’ face? How does seeing the grave clothes as they are lead him to believe – and what is he believing in at this moment – he has not yet seen the Lord?

Contemplating

Spend a few minutes reading and reflecting on the Scripture passage. What springs to mind as you ponder the words and phrases? How might these ideas feed into your own life? Jot down any thoughts in a spiritual journal. Are any threads beginning to emerge?

or…

Spend a few minutes building the scene. How might a film director film the scene? What would they focus on? What kind of atmosphere would they be trying to create? How do the participants in this drama feel at this point?

Reflecting

We cannot always say what leads us to believe… quite often it is a glimpse – a moment when we recognise that there is something beyond what we can see and touch. It is this faith that sustains us through the any changes that happen in our lives.

Pray for a strengthening of faith for those who feel on the fringes or marginalised.

Praying

Mary of Magdala,

woman of faith,

pray for those whose belief is tested – who feel that they are not good enough –

who feel they do not belong.

Guide us all through your story

to the hope of resurrection.

Going to see for themselves

Reading

Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

Wondering

What do the people watching the disciples make of seeing two grown men running through the streets? What might have been going through the disciples’ minds as they ran?

Contemplating

Spend a few minutes reading the Scripture passage and see if any words or phrases seem to be especially significant to you. What might God be saying to you – perhaps, in your own life. If you are using a spiritual journal, add any thoughts or insights.

or…

Spend a few minutes building the scene. Use the film-director approach if that worked yesterday or allow the scene to build in your imagination. What new insights emerge as you contemplate this part of the story?

Reflecting

Often people will tell us something but we sense the need to go and see for ourselves. Many things go through our minds – all sorts of possibilities – we can get carried away by our imaginations.

Pray for those who may be caught up in “fearing the worst”.

Praying

Mary of Magdala,

as you ran back to the tomb you knew to be empty, your heart and mind were in turmoil.

Pray for those who fear the worst –

who are troubled by what might be.

Guide us through your story

to the promise that all shall be well.

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

Saint John Wall 1620 – 1679

These two friars were martyred in England in the 16th and 17th centuries for refusing to deny their faith.

John Jones was Welsh. He was ordained a diocesan priest and was twice imprisoned for administering the sacraments before leaving England in 1590. He joined the Franciscans at the age of 60 and returned to England three years later while Queen Elizabeth I was at the height of her power.

John ministered to Catholics in the English countryside until his imprisonment in 1596. He was condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. John was executed on July 12, 1598.

John Wall was born in England but was educated at the English College of Douai, Belgium. Ordained in Rome in 1648, he entered the Franciscans in Douai several years later. In 1656 he returned to work secretly in England.

In 1678, Titus Oates worked many English people into a frenzy over an alleged papal plot to murder the king and restore Catholicism in that country.

In that year Catholics were legally excluded from Parliament, a law which was not repealed until 1829. John Wall was arrested and imprisoned in 1678, and was executed the following year.

John Jones and John Wall were canonized in 1970.

Reflection

Every martyr knows how to save his/her life and yet refuses to do so. A public repudiation of the faith would save any of them. But some things are more precious than life itself.

These martyrs prove that their 20th-century countryman, C. S. Lewis, was correct in saying that courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, that is, at the point of highest reality.

Saint Benedict

c. 480 – c. 547

It is unfortunate that no contemporary biography was written of a man who has exercised the greatest influence on monasticism in the West. Benedict is well recognized in the later Dialogues of Saint Gregory, but these are sketches to illustrate miraculous elements of his career.

Benedict was born into a distinguished family in central Italy, studied at Rome, and early in life was drawn to monasticism. At first he became a hermit, leaving a depressing world—pagan armies on the march, the Church torn by schism, people suffering from war, morality at a low ebb.

He soon realized that he could not live a hidden life in a small town any better than in a large city, so he withdrew to a cave high in the mountains for three years.

Some monks chose Benedict as their leader for a while, but found his strictness not to their taste. Still the shift from hermit to community life had begun for him. He had an idea of gathering various families of monks into one “Grand Monastery” to give them the benefit of unity, fraternity, and permanent worship in one house.

Finally he began to build what was to become one of the most famous monasteries in the world—Monte Cassino, commanding three narrow valleys running toward the mountains north of Naples.

The Rule that gradually developed prescribed a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor, and living together in community under a common abbot.

Benedictine asceticism is known for its moderation, and Benedictine charity has always shown concern for the people in the surrounding countryside. In the course of the Middle Ages, all monasticism in the West was gradually brought under the Rule of St. Benedict.

Today the Benedictine family is represented by two branches: the Benedictine Federation encompassing the men and women of the Order of St. Benedict; and the Cistercians, men and women of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.

Reflection

The Church has been blessed through Benedictine devotion to the liturgy, not only in its actual celebration with rich and proper ceremony in the great abbeys, but also through the scholarly studies of many of its members.

Liturgy is sometimes confused with guitars or choirs, Latin or Bach. We should be grateful to those who both preserve and adapt the genuine tradition of worship in the Church.

Saint Benedict is the Patron Saint of:

Europe Kidney Disease Monastics Poisoning Schoolchildren

Saint Veronica Giuliani

Dec 27, 1660 – July 9, 1727

Veronica’s desire to be like Christ crucified was answered with the stigmata.

Veronica was born in Mercatelli, Italy. It is said that when her mother Benedetta was dying she called her five daughters to her bedside and entrusted each of them to one of the five wounds of Jesus. Veronica was entrusted to the wound below Christ’s heart.

At the age of 17, Veronica joined the Poor Clares directed by the Capuchins. Her father had wanted her to marry, but she convinced him to allow her to become a nun.

In her first years in the monastery, she worked in the kitchen, infirmary, sacristy, and also served as portress. At the age of 34, she was made novice mistress, a position she held for 22 years. When she was 37, Veronica received the stigmata. Life was not the same after that.

Church authorities in Rome wanted to test Veronica’s authenticity and so conducted an investigation. She lost the office of novice mistress temporarily and was not allowed to attend Mass except on Sundays or holy days. Through all of this Veronica did not become bitter, and the investigation eventually restored her as novice mistress.

Though she protested against it, at the age of 56 she was elected abbess, an office she held for 11 years until her death. Veronica was very devoted to the Eucharist and to the Sacred Heart. She offered her sufferings for the missions, died in 1727, and was canonized in 1839. Her Liturgical Feast Day is July 9.

Reflection

Why did God grant the stigmata to Francis of Assisi and to Veronica Giuliani? God alone knows the deepest reasons, but as Celano points out, the external sign of the cross is a confirmation of these saints’ commitment to the cross in their lives.

The stigmata that appeared in Veronica’s flesh had taken root in her heart many years before. It was a fitting conclusion for her love of God and her charity toward her sisters.

Day 8

Glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God’s grace! Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet. I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne Of God. To you I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me.

Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor. Inspire me to imitate you in all things. May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.

Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Your heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way.

You never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to you. I therefore invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear my prayer and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore

(Add the Intention)

The Rule of St. Benedict has been used by monasteries all throughout the West for centuries. It champions listening to God’s word and doing His work through a life of prayer, temperance, charity, obedience, patience and humility. The Rule was considered rigorous, yet not unbendingly so, when Benedict first introduced it in his writings.

In addition to praying a novena to St. Benedict, many people wear a St. Benedict medal for spiritual protection. The wearing and use of the medal has been called “a silent prayer to God to grant us, through the merits of St. Benedict, the favors we request.” St. Gregory the Great, who chronicled some of Benedict’s miracles a few years after his death, called him “a shining light to the world.”

It is a fitting tribute to this saint that he himself did not found, but rather inspired the religious order (the Order of Saint Benedict, also known as the Benedictines) that bears his name and follows his Rule today.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ]

THIRTIETH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus desires that we become devotees of His Most Blessed Mother.

Up to this date we meditated upon the virtues and goodness of the

Sacred Heart and what this Divine Heart desires from us.

Now let us

contemplate briefly how the Sacred Heart desires that we become

devoted to His Mother. No other creature can be paired with Jesus in

the manner in which Mary is. Like St. Bernard proclaims:”

The

moment Virgin Mary gave consent to be the mother of Eternal Word,

she became worthy to rule over all creatures, gained power over the

whole world and to protect it. Since Jesus and Mary share the same

flesh, the Mother cannot be separated from the power and reign of her

Son. Therefore both share the same majestic glory.”

Bernardino of Siena says:” All creatures who serve God also serve the

Virgin Mother of God. All the heavenly hosts and all creatures under

the sky and on earth, who are under the reign of God are also under the

power of Virgin Mother.

The moment He was conceived by the power

of the Holy Spirit and born of Virgin Mary, Jesus was obedient to His

Mother and always followed her commands. Though Jesus says, “My

hour has not come yet” ( John2:4), still out of love towards His Mother

and to honor her, turns water into wine at Cana and thereby all ages

call her blessed.

Our Savior Jesus after giving Himself as our daily and super

substantial Bread, again at the foot of the cross gives His Mother as our

mother and interceder. Hanging on the cross, Jesus looked at His

mother and said, “Woman, behold, your son” and to His beloved

disciple John He said,” Behold, your mother.” From that hour onwards

Mary became the mother of all humanity and we became her children.

This shows the profound love and respect of Jesus for His Mother.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus desires that through the intercession of Mary

we will be blessed with all the goodness and treasures of this Divine

Heart. For, St. Bernard has taught us that all our petitions through

Mary’s intercession are certainly granted. So let us earnestly implore

her motherly assistance and may her prayers help us, and may we be

worthy through her intercession to enjoy abundantly all the divine

blessings from His Sacred Heart.

INVOCATION

Sacred Heart of Jesus overflowing with grace! I adore You. I love You

with my whole heart. Lord! It is my solace and comfort to realize that

You love very dearly all the souls who honor and love Your Divine

Mother Mary. You have taught us that You will never despise the

petitions of Your Beloved Mother, so how will I not pledge my solace

and comfort in her!

O My Jesus, full of love! Grant that I may be worthy

to abide in Your Holy Mother’s love and like St. Joseph lay my soul in

your divine hands reiterating ‘Jesus, Mary ,Joseph into Your hands I

commend my spirit’ and enter into eternal rest and peace.

Lord, be merciful to the unfortunate sinners, console the souls in Purgatory and be merciful to me, your unworthy servant. O Immaculate Heart of Mary, O Mother of all blessings, I firmly believe that through your powerful intercession, all my prayers and petitions will be granted. Amen.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Pray for Mary’s intercession in obtaining all the goodness and blessings

you desire from the Sacred Heart.

(To be continued)

TWENTY EIGHTH DAY

Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in You.

Death is a reality which cannot be denied. Holy Bible testifies that

through sin, death entered the world. (Romans:5;12). Our divine

Creator, created our first parents Adam and Eve and bestowed them

with worldly gifts in paradise.

They were free to eat from any of the

trees of the garden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

When you eat from it you shall die.” (Genesis 2;17), this is what God

warned them.

Since the first parents represented the whole mankind,

their punishment was passed on to all generations to come. Some

people live for a long time, others nip in the youth and still others in

childhood. Death certainly cannot be evaded. This is a reality from the

beginning of the world. Fortune and misfortune result from a lucky or

unlucky death.

We humans are incapable of determining the exact

location or timing of our death. It may happen in our youth or in our

old age, in a state of grace or when drowned in sin, at home or away.

For Jesus himself has proclaimed, that the day of the lord will come like

a thief at night.

So the true God Jesus is the one who has knowledge

about the time of your death. If He doesn’t disclose this time then none

of the creatures can detect it. If you love the Sacred Heart in your

lifetime and learn from His virtues, then He will never let you die

graceless.

Your soul will be delivered from all the pains and sufferings

at the hour of death and you will be awarded a throne in your heavenly

abode. Sacred Heart will be your solace, shelter and savior at the hour

of death when you battle with the thought of full remission of sins.

For

He has promised to Margaret Mary, that all the devotees will receive

the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in His displeasure nor

without receiving the Sacraments; His Divine Heart shall be their

refuge in the last moment.

O my soul! How wary you will be not to lose

a friend who always supports you in all your pain and afflictions.

Consider how you will honor a doctor who is capable of curing all your

illness and saving you from death. You will spent anything to please

him and rely on him!

Then why don’t you love the Sacred Heart , who is all powerful, who is the provider , who saves you from evil , is aware

of your hour of death, who saves you from a graceless death, loves you

and who is the doctor who never errs.

Have you ever thought about

your lost luck in not loving and serving the Sacred Heart? If you wish to escape eternal damnation, then find your solace in the fragrance of His consolation.

INVOCATION

Jesus, who seeks our salvation! Father, full of grace! Here I am Lord, in

Your divine presence, penitent and sorrowful. O sweet Sacred Heart!

You are the only one who is aware of my last hour.

Lord! By Your

immense grace grant me a happy death and a safe judgement.

O Jesus,

full of mercy! I readily submit my last hour into Your hands.

When I

can no longer move my legs, or my hands are shivering and frozen even

to touch Your crucifix, when my eyes are darkened by fear of death, and

at the hour of my death when I fight with powers of darkness, Jesus full

of mercy look kindly upon me.

Wash me in Your precious blood,

support me in my last hour and in Your great mercy grant a safe

lodging, a holy rest and peace.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Say 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary and 3 Glory be to … for dying souls.

(To be continued)

TWENTY NINTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus and reception of Holy Communion.

St. Theresa has often said that the day Jesus, Son of God instituted the

this sacrament was instituted.

On the night He was handed over, Jesus

took bread in his pure and holy hands, lifted up His eyes to Heaven, to

You the adorable Father, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the

disciples, saying: “This is my body which is broken for You for the

forgiveness of sins. Take this all of you and eat it.”

Likewise, taking the

cup, He gave thanks, blessed it, and gave it to them saying: This is my

Blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness

of sins. Take this all of you and drink from it.” O devotees of Sacred

Heart! Listen to the sweet voice of Jesus. He is present in this Holy

Sacrament for us to approach Him often and eat and drink His Body

and Blood.

He has promised remission of sins, and everlasting life to

those who eat His Body. For Jesus himself has proclaimed,” Whoever

eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him

on the last day.”(John 6:54) Hence our fathers decided in the ‘Council

of Trent’ that believers should if possible receive Holy Eucharist daily.

In the words of St. Margaret Mary,” I earnestly desire to receive the

Holy Communion. If I have to cross over fire to receive Jesus in the

communion I will gladly do so. I am ready to accept all the sorrows of

the world than losing this eternal bliss.” In this context let us see what

St. Francis de Sales thinks:”

For the sanctity of the righteous, for the

repentance of sinners, for zealous priests, for the stability of religious in

vocation, for the health of the sick, and for the married in fulfilling their

commitments, the worthy reception of communion is the right way.”

Jesus has instituted seven sacraments.

But He has showered His

blessings only partly in all of them except in the Holy Eucharist. Here,

He gives Himself fully as a remedy for our infirmities and as divine food to sustain our weakness so that we may nourish the life of grace

and being more and more purified may attain everlasting happiness in

heaven.

All you devoted soul! Let us receive this Living Bread with

humility, faith and devotion. Let us knock unceasingly on the Sacred

Heart present in the Holy Eucharist to find strength and antidote for

daily faults and anxiety.

INVOCATION

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, present in regal sacrament of the Holy

Eucharist! O Divine Banquet, full of goodness! Bread of Angels! Delight

of heavenly hosts! I adore You. I love You with my whole heart. I firmly

believe that You are truly present in the Eucharist.

Lord! Words cannot

recount the infinite grace You pour upon me. Who can worthily receive

You considering Your unmatched glory? Eternal Father Jesus! Patient

and full of mercy, fill me with Your grace. Let my heart ever hunger

after and feed upon You worthily.

O sweetest Jesus! Let my last words

be to call upon You and Your most beloved Mother and my last morsel

Your Divine Body which is the living Bread. Lord! Help me to obtain

these favors.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Say 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary and 3 Glory be to … for dying souls.

(To be continued)

TWENTY EIGHTH DAY

Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in You.

Death is a reality which cannot be denied. Holy Bible testifies that

through sin, death entered the world. (Romans:5;12). Our divine

Creator, created our first parents Adam and Eve and bestowed them

with worldly gifts in paradise.

They were free to eat from any of the

trees of the garden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

When you eat from it you shall die.” (Genesis 2;17), this is what God

warned them.

Since the first parents represented the whole mankind,

their punishment was passed on to all generations to come. Some

people live for a long time, others nip in the youth and still others in

childhood. Death certainly cannot be evaded. This is a reality from the

beginning of the world. Fortune and misfortune result from a lucky or

unlucky death.

We humans are incapable of determining the exact

location or timing of our death. It may happen in our youth or in our

old age, in a state of grace or when drowned in sin, at home or away.

For Jesus himself has proclaimed, that the day of the lord will come like

a thief at night.

So the true God Jesus is the one who has knowledge

about the time of your death. If He doesn’t disclose this time then none

of the creatures can detect it. If you love the Sacred Heart in your

lifetime and learn from His virtues, then He will never let you die

graceless.

Your soul will be delivered from all the pains and sufferings

at the hour of death and you will be awarded a throne in your heavenly

abode. Sacred Heart will be your solace, shelter and savior at the hour

of death when you battle with the thought of full remission of sins.

For

He has promised to Margaret Mary, that all the devotees will receive

the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in His displeasure nor

without receiving the Sacraments; His Divine Heart shall be their

refuge in the last moment.

O my soul! How wary you will be not to lose

a friend who always supports you in all your pain and afflictions.

Consider how you will honor a doctor who is capable of curing all your

illness and saving you from death. You will spent anything to please

him and rely on him!

Then why don’t you love the Sacred Heart , who is all powerful, who is the provider , who saves you from evil , is aware

of your hour of death, who saves you from a graceless death, loves you

and who is the doctor who never errs.

Have you ever thought about

your lost luck in not loving and serving the Sacred Heart? If you wish to escape eternal damnation, then find your solace in the fragrance of His consolation.

INVOCATION

Jesus, who seeks our salvation! Father, full of grace! Here I am Lord, in

Your divine presence, penitent and sorrowful. O sweet Sacred Heart!

You are the only one who is aware of my last hour.

Lord! By Your

immense grace grant me a happy death and a safe judgement.

O Jesus,

full of mercy! I readily submit my last hour into Your hands.

When I

can no longer move my legs, or my hands are shivering and frozen even

to touch Your crucifix, when my eyes are darkened by fear of death, and

at the hour of my death when I fight with powers of darkness, Jesus full

of mercy look kindly upon me.

Wash me in Your precious blood,

support me in my last hour and in Your great mercy grant a safe

lodging, a holy rest and peace.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Say 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary and 3 Glory be to … for dying souls.

(To be continued)

TWENTY SEVENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation.

God himself has proclaimed that it is difficult to find a loyal friend and

one is lucky if he finds one. A loyal friend delights in your

accomplishments, grieves with you in your grief, consoles you when

you are crestfallen and strives for your prosperity and wellbeing.

Holy

Bible testifies that it is difficult to find such a friend. “Many say, “My

loyal friend,” but who can find someone worthy of trust?” (Proverbs

20:6). Imagine that you found such a faithful friend.

Your friendship

could turn a rough path in minutes, for insignificant reasons or for

slight oversights. It is difficult to conjoin frozen relations. Even if you

find a friend, who is always beside you in both good and bad times, still

this relation will end with his death. All worldly relations are transient

and vanishes with time. Remember the verse “Cursed is the man who

trusts in human beings.” (Jeremiah 17:5).

If you love the Sacred Heart

and consider Jesus as your best friend, then you will not be put to such

tests. Whichever way you wrong the divine heart, a repentant sinner is

always forgiven .Since He is all powerful and treasure house of all

goodness, Jesus in His immense mercy will forgive all your trespasses

and shower you with blessings.

Jesus, who has proclaimed that He will

be with us till the end of the world, will help you every moment of your

life and love you like a loyal friend. He will be with you until the

moment you abandon Him. Then, He will crave to win you back again

and knock at your heart’s doorway incessantly.

Therefore, my soul!

Embrace this adorable divine heart of Jesus, who is your loyal friend,

comforter, and your everything. For, He is the one who ceaselessly

helps you, consoles you in your grief, and fortify you against all enemies

both spiritual and physical. This Divine Heart will be your source of

consolation in this life.

INVOCATION

Jesus, full of grace! Most loyal friend among all friends! Seat of all

goodness and peace! Sole comforter in this world of tears! Solace of

those tangled in temptations! Father of all people! I adore You. I love

You with my whole heart.

O! My Lord! It is true that in the past I found

love and comfort in worldly things and friends. O Divine Heart, filled

with grace! Grant that I trust and love Your divine heart and find my

solace and comfort in it.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Converse with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

(To be continued)

TWENTY SIXTH DAY

The flaming heart, shining with divine light.

The flame and fire on the Sacred Heart of Jesus indicate the divine

virtues He possess. Even if Jesus was the treasure house of all virtues,

blessings, gifts and fruits that any human could possess, still if He was

not aflame in divinity our salvation would have been impossible.

Though our Divine Savior took human form, He is truly God and also

man. So all His human actions, sufferings and deeds have a divine

nature in itself.

When we see the Sacred Heart of our Savior, we

recognize Him as truly human .But the flaming heart, shining with

divine light teaches us that He is truly God. God appeared to Moses in

the burning bush and said,” I am the God of your father. I have

witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt. Therefore I have come

down to rescue them.”

The flaming Heart of Jesus proclaims much

powerful love than this since it burns eternally till the end of the world

unlike the bush that burned only for a short while. Here there is no

representation, but God himself takes human form and comes down.

He comes down not to save a selected people, but the whole mankind.

He was not on a short mission, but to give eternal life and to flood us

with abundance of grace. How can you not love such a graceful heart!

Now let us contemplate the divine light on the flaming heart. Darkness

is an element and ownership of Satan and causes melancholy and pain.

Whereas light is a share of heavenly bliss, and brings about cheer and

happiness. Hence Satan is called the “Lord of Darkness” and heavenly

spirits are called” Sons of Light”.

Since they are removed far off from

divine grace there always exist darkness among” Lord of Darkness”.

Whereas the “Sons of Light” glow in heavenly grace and charisma. This

heavenly glory and grace of all heavenly hosts is the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

His divine glow illumines the sky and shines on the darkness of

earthly beings. Prophet Malachi acknowledges Jesus as ‘the sun of

justice’ (3:20).Jesus himself said,” I am the light of the world. Whoever

follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of

life.”(John 8:12). St. John testifies in his gospel that “What came to be

through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race.”

(John1:4) You devoted souls! The fire and flame on the heart of Jesus

declares His divinity, and charity for us. This divine light is the glow of

heavenly host and the beam that beckons mankind from the darkness

of this world to the spiritual radiance of heaven.

Faithful! If you follow

the divine teachings of Christ, then you will be able to adore His

divinity in heaven and imbued in celestial glory sing about His endless

mercy.

Delight of the heavenly hosts! Light! I love You.

INVOCATION

O ‘Divine Sun’ Jesus, who mesmerizes the sky! I adore You.

Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us! Christ! Look kindly upon my

soul embedded in darkness and sin. Bless me Lord, to know Your

infinite majesty, divine love and inflame our hearts with love for You.

Jesus! My light and my glow! Efface my heart of darkness, brighten me,

drench me in Your blood and sanctify me.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Identify everything that hinders your salvation and try to avoid them.

(To be continued)

TWENTY FIFTH DAY

The wound on the Sacred Heart

The passion of our Divine Savior did not end with His crucifixion. Even

after His death, one soldier thrust his lance into His side and

immediately blood and water flowed out, thus shedding even the last

drop of His blood for the salvation of mankind.

O! Miraculous love and

grace of our Savior! Why does mankind not deter from sinning seeing Your infinite kindness and grace, which is even a question of envy among angels. He shed His last drop of blood for us out of the goodness

and charity of His heart, though He has not shown such grace and

mercy to the exiled spirits.

When Jesus died darkness came over the

whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun,

earth quaked and rocks were split. But our unrepentant heart proves

that it is hardened than those rocks. Do you ever meditate how Jesus

after His resurrection appeared to unbelieving Thomas and asked him

to put his hand into His side and not be unbelieving but believe.

Thomas understanding the immense love of His master cried out “My

Lord and my God!”

Why don’t you cry out like St. Thomas? All the blessings you received and the blessings to come, spring from the goodness and charity of this wounded Heart. Your Mother Church, holy mysteries, sacraments, courage of the apostles, wisdom of doctors of

Church, virtue of virgins, all these graces flow from this Divine Heart.

This is the real spring opened for the house of Jacob. If you drink from any other spring or river in this world, you will thirst again, but if you

drink the blood and water that gush forth from the heart of Jesus, you

will never thirst.

This water will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life. So, my soul! Hide yourself in the wounds of your divine

Savior, when you are agonized or sorrowful. If your joy and your solace

is in the wounds of this divine heart, then certainly you will find a

peaceful harbor here.

O Sacred wound on the Divine Heart, which is always exposed to

console all sinners! I surrender myself to You. Christ, bless me to

endure all afflictions, grace to suffer with true patience all the pains and

unite them with Yours so that I may partake of Your glory in paradise.

O! Sweet Jesus, wash away my sins in Your holy blood and with Your

divine blessings strengthen and fortify me. O! Ocean of grace! Bless me to find solace in Your divine wound and at the time of my death, grant

me the grace to leave my soul in your divine care.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Pray to the Sacred Heart for deliverance from your habitual sins.

(To be continued)

TWENTY FOURTH DAY

Crown of thorns encircling the Divine Heart of Jesus.

Today let us contemplate the second ornament on the Sacred

Heart; Crown of thorns. The crown of thorns represents the agony and

passion of Christ.

Jesus was crowned with thorns not only during His

passion when the Jews mocked him, as King of the Jews but from the

moment of His conception in the womb of Virgin Mary till His

crucifixion and death. Even to this day, the thorn of our sins agonize

Jesus in the daily masses offered around the world.

O! Mighty miracle!

Passion of Sacred Heart! Endless Love! Christ! If only people had

known You enough to love You well. You led an ordinary life while You

were here on earth, hiding Your glory, prowess and majesty like You

always remain hidden in the Holy Eucharist. Still, who could counter

Your might and prowess. Christ! You truly are the ruler of the universe.

All you, who love the Messiah!

Remember that for your sake, Christ

painfully and agonizingly pretended to be a king and endured with

infinite patience the crown of thorns placed upon His head.

But the crown of thorns on His Sacred Heart is woven by your sins, personal

offenses, willful acts against your conscience, evil thoughts, ill will and

crowned by your own hands. If you desire to console the Heart of Jesus,

burning with love for us and victim for our sins, then make amends for

your manifold offenses and love Him with all your might.

INVOCATION

Jesus! Treasure house of all goodness! I am deeply distressed to see

Your Sacred Heart crowned with thorns. Jesus! My life, solace and

comfort, I adore You. I deplore from the depth of my heart, all my sins

and those of the whole world. O! My Jesus! The happiness of my heart,

bless me to wash away my sins in the sorrow of my heartfelt repentance and gracefully place my soul Your divine presence.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Pray to the Sacred Heart for deliverance from your habitual sins.

(To be continued)

TWENTY THIRD DAY

Symbolism of the cross visible on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Our divine Savior appears to St. Margaret to reveal His Sacred Heart

and said, “Here is the heart that loves mankind.”

This was a flaming

heart, shining with divine light, pierced by the lance wound, encircled by a crown of thorns, surmounted by a cross and bleeding. Today, let us

examine what this cross on the Divine Heart means.

All throughout His

earthly life our Messiah bore only crosses. His own people disowned

and neglected Him and they inflicted upon Him humiliation, pain,

poverty and scorn. We come to know from the Gospel that He agonized

many times and was in deep sorrow.

He was pensive about His passion,

death and crucifixion. Still He was eager to celebrate this Passover. The

cross surmounted on the divine heart teaches us that, Jesus who

suffered unto His crucifixion and death for our salvation is ready to

suffer again for us who remembers His passion, death and His

immense love.

The cross symbolizes salvation, sacrifice, redemption,

atonement and suffering. So let us meditate upon the wishes and

desires of this Sacred Heart and forgo all evil acts on our part that

torture and pain this Divine Heart. Let us suffer with true patience all

the pains and afflictions of our agony uniting them with that of Jesus’

and follow Him bearing our cross.

INVOCATION

O Graceful Divine Heart of Jesus, which was pierced by a lance and

shed for me even the last drop of Your divine blood while dying on the

cross, I firmly believe that the cross surmounted on Your Divine Heart

was formed because of my transgressions.

O Divine Heart! Wounded because of my negligence and ingratitude, have mercy on me before I breathe my last. Bless me Lord, by the grace of Your passion and death, to repent all my sins, make the necessary reparation and breath out my

soul into the bosom of Your infinite mercy.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Bear patiently all the crosses which you suffer today.

(To be continued)

TWENTY SECOND DAY

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Usually when friends part ways they exchange their pictures to set

them in an appropriate place at home to make them smile in

reminiscence.

Likewise, it is imperative that we enthrone the picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the highest place of honor in our homes since, He opened to us the doors of heaven by His death, shedding even the last drop of blood of His Divine Heart. The picture will remind us of His magnanimous and merciful love.

Also, the picture will help us to

weave in our mind a tapestry of our Good Shepherd and groom of our

soul, His good deeds, His sufferings, and all His heavenly preaching

and teachings in the gospel. Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary

Alacoque to reveal His “Sacred Heart”.

He said that He will bless every

place where a picture of the Sacred Heart shall be set up and honored.

He will establish peace in their houses. He will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings. Those who shall promote this devotion

shall have their names written in the Sacred Heart, so let us do our best

to promote this devotion.

INVOCATION

Sacred Heart of Jesus, treasure-house of all hearts and wellspring of all virtue! Jesus! Solace of all heavenly hosts and prophets, fort of

apostles, light of holy doctors, shelter of virgins, leader of youth, and savior of humankind, I adore You.

I love You with my whole heart. I

prostrate before You, who is truly present in the Holy Eucharist for You

are almighty and glorious. It is my ingratitude if I do not worship You,

who is the treasure house of all virtues and goodness.

O, Adorable

Sacred Heart of Jesus! I believe that You are aware of all desires and

necessities of my heart. Take control of me and rule over me. Christ!

Bless that all will know You, love You and adore You.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Place the image of Sacred Heart of Jesus in your house, if you haven’t

done so yet

(To be continued)

TWENTY FIRST DAY

Passion of Jesus

All the pain and passion that Jesus suffered bodily ended in His

lifetime. It was the natives of Jerusalem who inflicted all these

iniquities. But the adorable Sacred Heart of Jesus is suffering right

from the beginning of the world to the end.

The people responsible for

inflicting this pain are the persons specially consecrated to His service,

laity, rich and poor alike. When the hard-hearted people sin in

churches, families, theaters, hotels, nightclubs, cities etc. it is the

Divine Heart that suffers.

When Mother Mary and St. Joseph wandered

in search of a room, when King Herod wanted to kill the Prince of

Peace and the holy family exiled to Egypt, when the Jews mocked Him

and wanted to stone Him to death, it was the Sacred Heart that

agonized. When His sweat turned into blood in Gethsemane and when

Judas betrayed Him, it was the Sacred Heart that was pierced.

From

the day of the institution of the Holy Eucharist to the day of the end of

the world, the very Sacrament of Jesus’ divine love is subject to

conscious neglect, but the Sacred Heart through its miraculous mercy

bears these terrible acts of sacrilege.

The profoundness of this love is

beyond human imagination. The history of saints who meditated on the passion of Jesus reveals that they not only glowed in His love but the

divine fire consumed them and transformed them.

We who wish to follow the steps of these saints should carefully contemplate on the painful passion of Jesus at least for a few minutes each day. We should also make amends for all the injuries and neglects the Sacred Heart sustained.

INVOCATION

O Heart of Jesus, burning with love for me! I love You with my whole

heart. I offer You all the adoration, praise and glory of the heavenly

hosts together with those of the faithful on earth, in reparation for the

cruel indifference and injuries to which Your loving Heart is everywhere subject and to make amends for my sins, sins of my

kindred and the whole world.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Say 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory to…. for increasing the devotion

to Sacred Heart.

(To be continued)

TWENTIETH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus and fraternal charity.

“The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with

all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your

strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mk 12:30-31).

Today let us contemplate how our divine Lord loves us humans. What

are we in the presence of the eternal God who created the whole

universe? He is the creator and we are mere creatures.

He who controls

the world is eternal and almighty whereas we are insignificant and

trivial. Above all the Holy Bible testifies that ‘For you are dust, and to

dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19). We are embedded in evils like

anger, jealousy, pride, impurity, greed etc. and the Sacred Heart of

Jesus detest these sins.

Though God is watching all the deplorable outrages that humans commit from time immemorial, He is always merciful and kind towards us. Jesus has proclaimed that His joy is to live with us humans. He does not ignore anybody who comes to Him.

He lovingly embraces them and talks to them. He lovingly addresses

them as children, brethren, or friends. He mercifully gazes at sinful

Mary Magdalene and forgives her. He goes after sinners, comforts

them, encourages them and beckons them to enjoy His divine love.

His conduct with St. Peter and St. Thomas is unbelievable. He patiently

bore all negligence, contempt, cruel iniquities and finally crucifixion for

us His brothers. There never has been a sacrifice equivalent to the

loving sacrifice at Calvary.

His love for us did not end with His crucifixion and death. He gave us

His body and blood as food for our eternal life which stands as a

symbol of His everlasting love. Let us follow this example of Jesus in

our lives. Let us love each other for the sake of Jesus and thereby prove

our love for Jesus.

INVOCATION

O merciful Heart of Jesus! My solace, my wealth, I adore You in union

with all the heavenly hosts. I love You with all my strength. Lord! Bless

me to live for the sake of Your love and forsake all worldly attachments.

O loving King! Bless me to love You as much as I have agonized You

and beckon others to Your loving Heart.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Visit the Holy Eucharist and pray for sinners.

(To be continued)

NINETEENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus as a model of loving the Heavenly Father.

Our divine savior Jesus, took human form and came into this world, as a mediator to humankind so that He could kindle in us love for the heavenly Father and glorify Him.

“I have come to set the earth on

fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! (Lk12:49).

These words of Jesus are very meaningful. Whenever He entered the city of Jerusalem, He took care to visit the temple and praise and

worship the heavenly Father. Towards the end of His life, His favorite dwelling place was His Father’s home.

He always spoke about the Father and He is the only person who could speak perfectly about the Father. Whenever He was outside the temple, also when He raised Lazarus from death, when He instituted the

Holy Eucharist, and while performing the miracles, He lifted up His eyes to heaven to the adorable Father and gave thanks.

Also while He moved from place to place preaching, fasting and praying He was always praising the heavenly Father. On entering the Jerusalem temple area He began to drive out those selling and buying there because of this love for the Father.

All of us who devotedly adore the Sacred Heart of Jesus should

earnestly follow His example .If we faithfully and deeply love our

heavenly Father we will go any extend and suffer all pains for

adoring and praising Him.

INVOCATION

Almighty and eternal Father! Only the Sacred Heart of Jesus

could love You enough to match Your unsurpassed glory and

prowess. My sinful and feeble heart, prone to evil and wickedness

is unworthy to love you adequately.

O merciful God! I offer You the Heart of Jesus, full of goodness, love and wellspring of all virtue, in atonement for my sins and sins of the whole world.

Bless me to love You and offer all my joy and happiness like Jesus, who offered Himself and loved You through His immense sacrifice and renews His love daily on our altar.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Try to persuade others from doing evil.

(To be continued)

EIGHTEENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus as a model for salvation

Those who wish to love and serve God in the real Christian spirit and courage will have to face much contempt and indignities .The Holy Bible itself testifies that those who wish to follow Jesus will have to suffer many hardships. Those who live for God and in God, and those who have done so in the past, and those who will do so in future will be purified by trials, tribulations and temptations before they enter into eternal happiness in their heavenly abode.

Holy Bible teaches us that those who strive against selfishness will only inherit heaven. There is no doubt that the virtue that helps you to endure trials and tribulations is patience. The more you grow in patience, the better you will flourish in God’s love and other virtues. Our creator and savior Jesus Himself is our model in practicing patience.

The child Jesus grew up in the midst of tribulations. When King Herod orders to kill Jesus, they exile to Egypt. For thirty years He completely surrenders Himself to both God and man. He does not hate the Jews who torture and mock Him. He slips away from those who try to stone Him.

He patiently teaches the apostles who had no knowledge about the mysteries of God. And, in the end He prays to the eternal Father without contempt for those who unlawfully sentenced Him and crucified Him.

Our lord Jesus who is the embodiment of peace and patience is a model for us, who live in rivalry and bitterness. Let us all keep in mind that if we do not follow Jesus who is a model to us, then it would be impossible for us to attain salvation.

INVOCATION

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, overflowing with love! I prostrate myself

before You and adore You with my whole heart. I lay my soul in Your divine care. Jesus, the messenger of peace! Kindly look upon my soul, tarnished with sin and ablaze in fury. You who calmed the sea with your divine words, bless me to forgo all my vices and acquire your virtues of love and patience.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Say 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory to be, for the sake of our enemies.

(To be continued)

SEVENTEENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus and real fortune.

Everybody wants to have a fortunate life. But very few have realized where real fortune and real satisfaction lies. If we ask our loving Father Jesus, where we could find lasting fortune then, our lord who is the wellspring of all virtues will reply,” My love, fortune, happiness and blissfulness is in my Father and in spreading His power and glory.”

My loveless soul! Don’t you hear this?

If you amass worldly riches and pleasures then that would not be enough to make you fortunate. If you rely on reputation and opulence what surety do you have about its lasting stature? Worldly pleasures are also not permanent. If you rely upon created things, they are bound to abandon you.

If you had spent your time in spreading God’s glory and loving Him instead of on transient worldly glory and fame then how blessed you would have been .

The real fortune should be from and in the Lord. Saint Francis Assisi who understood that the real center of fortune is the Lord, cried incessantly,” My Lord is my everything.”

In the same way St. Bernard, St.Alphonsus Liguori, St. Francis Xavier, St. Sales, St. Louis, St. Catherine, St. Theresa, Little Flower ,they all envisioned their fortune and happiness in the God and in the Sacred Heart who out of love towards mankind became the sacrificial lamb and continue to renew the sacrifice daily on our altars. Their fortune was in adoring, loving and serving the Holy Eucharist.

The more closely we are associated to God the more fortunate we will be. When we distance ourselves from Jesus we are doomed. Let us forgo our interest in material things and turn towards God.

INVOCATION

Sacred Heart of Jesus, the source of all blessings and happiness of the heavenly hosts! To date not knowing what real blessing is, it is true that I have pledged my love towards material things. But now I am aware of where my true blessing lies.

My Lord, who is the treasure of all goodness, light of my wisdom and happiness of my heart, I adore you. I love you with all my might. Sacred Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us! You are my treasure and fullness of all blessings. Bless me to love and serve you all throughout my life.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

For the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus read a spiritual book.

(To be continued)

SIXTEENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus, as a model of obedience.

We find in the gospel that during His lifetime in this world, our divine savior Jesus, willingly obeyed the wishes of the eternal Father. His last words while dying on the cross was “It is finished”. The moment He was born into this world, until His painful and shameful crucifixion His sole intention was to fulfill the will of His heavenly Father.

During His earthly life He served and obeyed not only His heavenly Father, but all those who represented the Father in name and command. Even to this day, He comes down during holy mass, obeying the words of the priest who is offering the mass. He does not do this based on the quality of the priest.

Incredible obedience! We lowly creatures are reluctant to obey our heavenly Father, who is our creator and lord. Man, who is dust and who returns to dust! Why are you so arrogant? Doesn’t the obedience of your King, Creator and Father, the Son of God make you ashamed?

If the lord and creator of the universe obeys us humans, then why doesn’t God’s consul prostrate before Him? Why do we hesitate to obey His divine commandments and the commandments of the Church which is the mystical body of Christ?

The Holy Gospel testifies that those who are obedient to God can only succeed in life. So let us obediently follow the divine commandments and attain eternal happiness.

INVOCATION

Sacred Heart of Jesus, most obedient! From the time of Your

incarnation, until the moment of Your death on the cross, You were obedient to the heavenly Father. Also, You are present in all the holy masses offered throughout the world, obeying the words of the priest. Jesus full of love and mercy! Help me to be obedient like You, and bless me to obey all Your commandments faithfully.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Be obedient to your superior, even in small matters.

(To be continued)

FIFTEENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus as a model of poverty.

If you meet a prince who has relinquished all pleasures and royal heritage and willfully leads a life of extreme poverty, then there will be none who will not be surprised at his sacrificial habit.

In the same way, is there anybody who is not surprised at Jesus, who is the second person in the Holy Trinity and who has full freedom and control over the entire world, yet who left aside his heavenly glory and took the form of a lowly human being. From whom did Son of God take human form? Is it from one among the nobility or from the prosperous? Certainly not.

Though hailing from high heritage, in the eyes of the world His mother is a little known, poor virgin. She is the embodiment of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and in purity she ranks the topmost. Let us have a bird’s eye view of Jesus’ birthplace. He is born in the midst of animals in an insignificant and dirty manger.

During thirty years of his private life He earned His livelihood by hard work. In His famous Sermon on the Mount’, the first thing He spoke about was poverty.” Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” Here He refers to the people who are not attracted to this world or its pleasures.

If we would like to measure the depth of Jesus’ poverty, then we should lift our eyes to Golgotha. Jesus is the king of kings and the Lord of all prosperity. In Golgotha, the palace of the Son of God is visible above the hills.

His throne is made of three nails. We see him tired, thirsty, naked, helpless and targeted by forgetfulness, negligence and contempt. We see the overflowing love of God and His mighty sacrifice at the altar in Golgotha. Those who wish to see the poverty of our creator, should turn their eyes towards the cross.

If you wish to follow the footsteps of Jesus, then you should always behold the picture of crucified Christ in your mind’s eye. Let us consciously evade all temporal worldly pleasures and seek eternal life.

INVOCATION

Jesus who is the model of poverty! I adore You. O my merciful savior!

How upset You are when You know that I enjoy material things and am engrossed in worldly achievements. When I compare my sinful heart with Your Sacred Heart, there is no doubt that my heart is an embodiment of darkness and evil.

O most loving Jesus! Be benevolent and bless me. Let the light from Your Sacred Heart shine upon the darkness in me and erase all the desires and greed in me and purify me. Bless me to rely only upon You and to love only You.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Give alms to a poor person

(To be continued)

FOURTEENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus, a model of purity.

When a person visits a garden in full bloom, he will be certainly attracted by the prettiest flower there. The virtue of purity is similar to a pretty flower. It is natural that everybody will be attracted to such a person enlightened with this divine virtue.

Since Jesus was God, he glowed with all virtues in its fullness. He exercises the virtue of purity and draws towards Him those who are pure in heart. At the time of His incarnation He chose a virgin, who was imbued with purity to be His mother.

His foster father St. Joseph was in no way surpassed in purity and equity and he disciplined Jesus in His childhood. Of His twelve disciples, St. John who gleamed in the power of abstinence was loved most by Jesus and he was the only one who was allowed to recline on His bosom.

During His lifetime, Jesus was accused of varied evil deeds and was scorned and belittled. But His enemies could never portray Him doing anything against the virtue of purity.

According to the doctors of the Church, those souls who stay steadfast in the virtue of purity and constantly wage war for preserving it are considered equivalent to the heavenly angels. Only those souls who sparkle in the virtue of purity can follow the Lamb of God and sing heavenly hymns with the heavenly choir.

Therefore all you devotees of the Sacred Heart, let us strive to forgo all the temporal worldly pleasures and lead a life of purity. One who lengthens himself away from impure sins is both intelligent and lucky. The proud and the presumptuous will certainly fall into traps and perish.

While waging a war with the body constantly, one should be careful enough to adorn himself with the required accessories and weapons. Instead of relying on self-power and knowledge, seek divine intervention and submit oneself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

To safeguard this virtue, distance yourselves from all evil that will hinder it. Pray every day to the Holy Virgin and to St. Joseph, who is the guardian of all abstainers to prevail in this virtue. Those who take these precaution have little chance of falling into sin.

INVOCATION

O most pure Sacred Heart of Jesus! Even the heavenly hosts amazed by the glimmer of your purity adore you. Divine Lord, take away all ungodly desires from my heart, so that I will adorn purity like the celestial beings and lead a virtuous life and gain the eternal reward promised to all those who are pure in heart.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Bear patiently all unpleasant things that happen to you today.

(To be continued)

THIRTEENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus as a model of gentleness.

Gentleness is a necessary virtue. It is proven without doubt that gentleness is an essential quality to lead a blessed and peaceful earthly life. Sacred Heart of Jesus is a model of this priceless virtue. All throughout His life, especially during passion Jesus has shown amazing gentleness. He bore all afflictions silently like a lamb.

The one who created the stars in the sky, fish in the deep ocean and all creatures in the world, patiently suffered all iniquities and injuries thrusted upon Him by the Jews. At the end of Jesus’ three years of public ministry when Judas betrays Him, He does not reproach him. Instead He lovingly said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.

“When Peter thrice denied knowing Jesus, our Lord did not show even a bit of aversion but by his graceful glance beckoned Peter to repentance. When St. Thomas was doubtful about the resurrection of Jesus, He appeared before him and allowed him to touch His Sacred Heart. All throughout His life, up until His painful death Jesus behaved in a very gentle manner.

Let us follow this model of our lord and leader. Being the disciple of one who treated even His enemies with love and tenderness, is it proper for us to hate our brothers? Do we fervently try to imitate Jesus by praying for our enemies? Let us try to follow the gentleness of our Lord.

INVOCATION

Sacred Heart of Jesus, worthy of all adoration! Source of all

consolation! When I contemplate Your gentleness and patience I understand the penury of my spirituality. Sacred Heart of my sweet Savior! I pray to You, remembering Your patience and gentleness to replace my vicious heart with the gentleness of Your heart.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Bear patiently all unpleasant things that happen to you today.

(To be continued)

TWELFTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus is a model of humility.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the fullness of all goodness and a miraculous model of deep humility. Jesus selected the little-known village of Nazareth as His hometown.

He did not opt for the opulence of palaces in the big city of Jerusalem. And the woman who bore him was a poor ordinary Jewish village girl, full of virtues and grace. His foster father Joseph was a poor, not so popular carpenter whose only asset was executing equity. For thirty years He lived obediently under the care of these very ordinary people.

Up to this day nobody has clearly understood the mystery behind this private life of the one who came to redeem us. The disciples of Jesus were neither well educated nor affluent. St. Peter who was selected as the first Pope betrayed Jesus thrice. Our divine Lord loved sinners and the poor and worked amidst them.

He proclaimed the celestial mysteries which the world cannot apprehend to the poor fishermen. Through all these He proved the significance of humility. Throughout His sermons He stressed on humility.”

Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart…Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven…God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

All these bible verses are intended to hone the understanding of humility. Arrogance is the beginning of all wickedness and the mother of all evil. According to St. Bernard, though purity is a valuable virtue humility is the most necessary virtue.

A humble soul ascertains himself as a sinner and believes that without God’s grace he cannot accomplish anything. He rejoices at the spiritual and physical blessings of others and accepts the crosses and trials in life submitting to the will of God.

My soul, bruised with arrogance! Why do you put on a mask? Let us contemplate the fall of angels and that of Adam and Eve. It was all because of pride. Let the humble life of our Lord be our path to follow.

INVOCATION

Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of all creations! I adore You. From Your

heavenly abode You descended to earth, taking human form and suffered indescribable humiliation and painful crucifixion, all for love towards us. I present my proud self before Your unfathomable humility. Bless me, so that the radiance of Your humility will touch my heart.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

If you suffer humiliation today, patiently offer it for the praise of Sacred Heart of Jesus

(To be continued)

ELEVENTH DAY

Union of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the eternal Father

The incarnation of Jesus shows that He obliged to the will of the eternal Father.

Knowing that He will have to suffer cruel indifference, pain, indignities and disgrace, He willingly offered to take human form. From the day Jesus took human form and was born into this world until His death on the cross, He fulfills only the will of the Father.

He prepares himself for the completion of the work of our redemption according to the plan of the Father. He shows neither disobedience nor selfishness. This should be a model for us. The only way to find solace, peace and happiness in the sorrows and pain of our life is to submit ourselves to the divine care.

The pains and sorrows that we suffer are not accidental. We can see the work of God’s hands in this. Like the gold that is melted in the furnace is free of blemish, the souls that have been purified in the furnace of sorrows gallop to the highest level of hallowed life.

Let those who are fearful and reluctant to bear sufferings and pain turn their gaze towards crucified Jesus, who is the lord of the world.

Do not be doubtful in submitting ourselves fully to God. The merciful God who takes care of the birds in the sky, animals on earth and lilies in the fields will take care of us. To think that God will forsake humans whom He created in His own image is a grave mistake.

The obedience of Jesus is a model for every one of us. In the garden of Gethsemane He agonized and sweat blood. His clothes were covered in blood and earth becomes drenched in blood.

Overcome by fear He falls down. In the midst of severe pain and sorrow He prays helplessly: ”Father! Not my will, your will be done” This is an example of total surrender, which world has never seen.

At the last moments of His life on the cross at Calvary, the prayer He uttered is most meaningful, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” and when He had said this He breathed His last. Jesus’

incarnation was to fulfill the will of God. He was born into this world on the time destined by the Father. He worked according to the plan of the Father. After finishing all the assigned deeds He dies. He is a model to all human beings. Let us believe that the unseen hands of God works beneath all our sorrows and hardships.

INVOCATION

Sacred Heart of Jesus! Our hope and repose, we adore You. We love

You with all our heart. Jesus full of grace! You suffered agony, pain and crucifixion to fulfill the will of the Father. Lord! Bless us to bear all our crosses of sorrow with patience and happiness.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Offer a holy mass so that the will of God will be fulfilled in you.

(To be continued)

TENTH DAY

Jesus accomplished the will of the eternal Father and seeks only His glory.

Jesus leaves His heavenly abode for the love of mankind and, agonized on the cross to pay by His sufferings the debt due to our sins and obtain salvation for us.

He suffered poverty, cruel indifference and injuries for the praise and glory of the heavenly Father and for the accomplishment of the Father’s will. He proclaimed and glorified the heavenly Father all throughout His life on earth.

All those who love the Sacred Heart! If you bear all your hardships, sorrows, and pain with a good intention, then even the slightest of our acts will become valuable in God’s sight and we will accumulate treasures in heaven.

Except for evil deeds, all other acts of yours to glorify God has a good intention behind it. Our divine Lord’s life and deeds are an example of good intention.

We can understand this from the Holy Gospel. “I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the one who judges.” If I glorify myself my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me. I keep his word.” (John 8:50:54)

Therefore all those souls who wish to love the Sacred Heart of Jesus, should seek Jesus’ love and glory in all their thoughts and deeds.

” But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given you besides.”(Matthew 6:33)

INVOCATION

Lord, full of grace! Jesus who is the glory of God the Father! You have

submitted all the deeds of your lifetime for the glory of the eternal Father and to obtain salvation for us.

Whereas I, a sinner has always craved for respect and praise from others in all my deeds. Henceforth I am willing to bear all my hardships and sufferings for the praise and glory of God the Father. Lord, give me strength to be true to my promise.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Promise that you will do all things for the praise and glory of God.

(To be continued)

NINTH DAY

Mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Our God Almighty is powerful to miraculously heal all our injuries and iniquities borne through original sin and sins through our deeds. There is nothing that is beyond His divine prowess.

Because of His unconditional love towards us, our Divine Lord took human form, was humiliated, and suffered a painful crucifixion for our sake. The misery and pain that sinful humans suffer in a lifetime is nothing compared to the cruelty and pain that Jesus suffered. So vast is the difference.

If we are poverty stricken, then realize that the Creator and Provider of the whole world suffered extreme poverty. If we are humiliated, then realize that the Messiah, to whom all glory and celestial hymns are due bore more humiliation and dereliction than us.

If we are afflicted by ailments and infirmity, then remember the pain and torments to which the glorious body of our Divine Lord was subjected to. If we are crushed by fear, mental agony and despair then meditate how Jesus was so afflicted with indescribable fear, agony and negligence in Gethsemane.

Like this when you contemplate the immense pain, contempt, negligence, indifference and injuries that Jesus suffered, then we can see that our pain and sufferings are light and insignificant. When we examine the bygone days of our life, we will realize that our sufferings are not good enough to indemnify our sinful past life.

Whereas what the Immaculate Heart suffers is out of His concern and love for our eternal life. In our sorrows and doubts He imparts courage and hope and beckons us to Him. My soul! Whatever be the temptations, promise that you will abide in the love of this Divine Heart.

INVOCATION

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, my comforter, my solace and consoler of my heart, I worship you. O my Savior, full of love and pity towards me! Lord of my heart! The only thing I desire is to love You. Since you have given yourself fully to me, it is ingratitude that I do not give my heart fully to You.

O Father, full of goodness and love! King of my heart! It is true that until today I have placed my interest in material things. Going forth be You King and Father of my heart. Be You Lord and Friend of my soul. Let all material things become sour to me. Lord Jesus, full of mercy! I desire only You.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Examine and understand the condition of your soul.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Saint William of York

c. 1090 – June 8, 1154

A disputed election as archbishop of York and a mysterious death. Those are the headlines from the tragic life of today’s saint.

Born into a powerful family in 12th-century England, William seemed destined for great things. His uncle was next in line for the English throne—though a nasty dynastic struggle complicated things. William himself faced an internal Church feud.

Despite these roadblocks, he was nominated as archbishop of York in 1140.

Local clergymen were less enthusiastic, however, and the archbishop of Canterbury refused to consecrate William. Three years later a neighboring bishop performed the consecration, but it lacked the approval of Pope Innocent II, whose successors likewise withheld approval. William was deposed, and a new election was ordered.

It was not until 1154—14 years after he was first nominated—that William became archbishop of York. When he entered the city that spring after years of exile, he received an enthusiastic welcome. Within two months he was dead, probably from poisoning.

His administrative assistant was a suspect, though no formal ruling was ever made.

Despite all that happened to him, William did not show resentment toward his opponents. Following his death, many miracles were attributed to him. He was canonized 73 years later.

Reflection

“Good things come to those who wait” might be the catch phrase for today’s saint. We don’t always get what we want when we want it. Sometimes we have to wait patiently, trusting that if it is for our good, God will bless us.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter’s

May 20, 1907 – August 9, 1943

Called to fight for his country as a Nazi soldier, Franz eventually refused, and this husband and father of three daughters—Rosalie, Marie and Aloisia—was executed because of it.

Born in St. Radegund in Upper Austria, Franz lost his father during World War I and was adopted after Heinrich Jaegerstaetter married Rosalia Huber. As a young man, he loved to ride his motorcycle and was the natural leader of a gang whose members were arrested in 1934 for brawling.

For three years he worked in the mines in another city and then returned to St. Radegund, where he became a farmer, married Franziska and lived his faith with quiet but intense conviction.

In 1938, he publicly opposed the German Anschluss–annexation–of Austria. The next year he was drafted into the Austrian army, trained for seven months and then received a deferment. In 1940, Franz was called up again but allowed to return home at the request of the town’s mayor. He was in active service between October 1940 and April 1941, but was again deferred. His pastor, other priests, and the bishop of Linz urged him not to refuse to serve if drafted.

In February 1943, Franz was called up again and reported to army officials in Enns, Austria. When he refused to take the oath of loyalty to Hitler, he was imprisoned in Linz. Later he volunteered to serve in the medical corps but was not assigned there.

During Holy Week Franz wrote to his wife: “Easter is coming and, if it should be God’s will that we can never again in this world celebrate Easter together in our intimate family circle, we can still look ahead in the happy confidence that, when the eternal Easter morning dawns, no one in our family circle shall be missing—so we can then be permitted to rejoice together forever.” He was transferred in May to a prison in Berlin.

Challenged by his attorney that other Catholics were serving in the army, Franz responded, “I can only act on my own conscience. I do not judge anyone. I can only judge myself.” He continued, “I have considered my family. I have prayed and put myself and my family in God’s hands. I know that, if I do what I think God wants me to do, he will take care of my family.”

On August 8, 1943, Franz wrote to Fransizka: “Dear wife and mother, I thank you once more from my heart for everything that you have done for me in my lifetime, for all the sacrifices that you have borne for me.

I beg you to forgive me if I have hurt or offended you, just as I have forgiven everything…My heartfelt greetings for my dear children. I will surely beg the dear God, if I am permitted to enter heaven soon, that he will set aside a little place in heaven for all of you.”

Franz was beheaded and cremated the following day. In 1946, his ashes were reburied in St. Radegund near a memorial inscribed with his name and the names of almost 60 village men who died during their military service.

He was beatified in Linz on October 26, 2007. His “spiritual testament” is now in Rome’s St. Bartholomew Church as part of a shrine to 20th-century martyrs for their faith. Blessed Franz’s liturgical feast is celebrated on August 9.

Pray for the repentance of sinners.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

SEVENTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus and tepid souls

Some people do not have any interest or enthusiasm in leading a holy life. Because of this the Sacred Heart of Jesus suffers indescribable pain and injury. Sacred Heart is a furnace burning with the fire of charity and wishes that this fire should burn with vehemence all throughout the world.

Jesus himself has proclaimed, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! Just think about the fate of tepid souls. These lost souls have no love for God left in them and they cannot understand what God’s love is. The condition of these souls are perilous and pitiful.

They are inattentive and lethargic while praying and receive sacraments without proper preparation. They never pursue God’s love or grace in any of their actions. They are always seeking honor and vainglory. My soul, full of darkness and frozen like snow! When compared to Jesus’ Heart, how different your heart is?

It is easier for snow and fire to come together than for a tepid soul and a soul burning with God’s love to coexist. My soul full of sin! If you do not mend your old ways and become passionate, then remember that you are in the path of perpetual damnation. Thus, try to spend the rest of your life serving God and save your soul.

INVOCATION

O Heart of Jesus, burning with love for God the Father! Please see the

perilous state of my frozen heart. Be merciful upon me. Remove the darkness and vacuum in me. Thaw and inflame my heart with love for You.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

GOOD DEED

Pray for the tepid souls.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

SIXTH DAY

Love of Sacred Heart of Jesus towards sinners.

Soul full of sins! Consider the love Jesus has for you. Through baptism, He cleansed you and saved you from the slavery of Satan. He showered His graces on you and most lovingly, calling you His son and friend, has placed you safely in His Divine Heart.

Whereas, from the moment you could remember, you were forgetful of His immense love and mercy and walked away from His presence and maligned your soul with sin. Thereby your soul became the slave of Satan, who is the enemy of God. At that moment you lost all the graces and purity you received through baptism.

Also, you were no longer called son, friend and most beautiful spouse of Jesus. You became wretched and worthless. The day you lost Jesus is the unluckiest day in your life. The day you lost Jesus, is the day you caused much pain to the Sacred Heart. The love of our all merciful Father is always attracting you.

Jesus is causing fear, apprehension and remorse in you and forcing you to repent all your sins and obtain forgiveness. Yet, after you obtain remission of sins what has been your aim? Is it to remain steadfast in God’s love? You always forget his love and move far away from him. But, out of His immense love and patience He rushes beside you.

My soul! Why don’t you recognize the love of your Divine Savior? Don’t you realize the pain you cause to the Sacred Heart by your continual fall? Don’t you hear Him beckoning you by knocking at your heart? Why does He seek you with enthusiastic diligence? Do you think this Sacred Heart will lose something if you are punished?

He is constantly after you, so that a valuable soul will not be lost. My soul! Don’t you feel pity on yourself? If you love yourself then you run towards the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who is your Father, Creator and Lord .Then He will forgive all your sins and fill you with His grace and blessings.

INVOCATION

Jesus who is the closest friend of souls! I worship you. I love you with

all my might. My Jesus! How thankless I am, not to think of the one who yearns for my eternal life.

O sweet Sacred Heart! I am sorry for not loving and adoring you after knowing all the injuries and neglects you sustain. Jesus who is the source of all my happiness! Make known to me the state of my soul and make me reconcile fully and love you wholeheartedly.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

FIFTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Mass.

Today let us contemplate the glory and importance of Holy Mass. In the Holy Mass, our savior Jesus himself is both the offering and the main celebrant. So while offering mass it is ideal to consider the celebrant priest as Jesus himself and not as a human being.

By celebrating the holy mass, the priest offers an offering that is very pleasing to God. Holy mass is an ineffable gift where we are privileged to offer thanksgiving for all the blessings we have received, repent for all our sins and plead for all the necessary goodness.

But when we think about the outrages and sacrileges of humans against this gift, it is impossible not to love and pray to the Sacred Heart in reparation. It is apt to mention here the words of Jesus to a saint: “I feel this more than all that I suffered during My passion.

If only they would make Me some return for My Love, I should think but little of all I have done for them and would wish, were it possible, to suffer still more. But the sole return they make for all My eagerness to do them good is to reject Me and treat Me with coldness. Do you at least console Me by supplying for their ingratitude, as much as you can.”

When we contemplate these sad words of Jesus, we should remember that He suffered for our sake and is still suffering. We have to strive our level best to amend this sadness of Our Lord.

Our Lord’s passion and sacrifice at Golgotha is continually renewed daily on our altars. Let us contemplate this and offer with a tender heart, all the holy masses in which we participate, to Lord our God. Then God will be merciful to us and look kindly upon us and our petitions.

INVOCATION

Lord, my Savior and Creator! How blessed I would have been, if I was

present at Golgotha at the time of your death! How holy I would become, if the precious blood that gushed forth from Your pierced heart fell on my heart!

O, sweet Jesus! Though I was not fortunate enough to be at the foot of the cross at Golgotha during that first mass, I strongly believe that in all the holy masses that I participate, when You offer Yourself to the eternal Father, I am at the foot of the cross and will be blessed like those who were present at Golgotha, my loving Jesus! It is true that in the past I have failed to worship and love You during the holy mass.

O, merciful Jesus! Please do not look upon my ingratitude, but in Your infinite mercy grant me forgiveness. I promise that, going forward I will worship You wholeheartedly and sing your praises and adore You.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

June is the Month of Devotion to THE SACRED HEART

FOURTH DAY

Sacred Heart of Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist.

Through the Holy Eucharist, the Sacred Heart of Jesus has shown His immense and ineffable love towards us. Concealing all divinity and filled with love this divine Heart communicates with us every day through the Holy Eucharist. Multitudes of heavenly angels sing heavenly hymns in the divine presence.

During this holy mystery, Jesus becomes our father, lord, shepherd, friend, leader, doctor, way, truth, light, life and above all the wellspring of all blessings. This holy sacrament allows us to worship His Sacred Heart and plead for all necessary blessings and goodness. We are welcome to visit Him, converse with Him uninterrupted, and most importantly the Eucharist becomes our spiritual food.

If we contemplate this immense love for a moment, it is positive that there will be a great change in us and a craving to love God. It is important that we consider the benefits this selfless love reap from us humans. Jesus himself has said ‘I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.’ ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day.

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. It is true that Jesus is present in the Holy Eucharist, like he is one being with the Father. Therefore, when atheist and heretics do not accept this holy mystery, the Sacred Heart is subject to cruel indifference and injury.

Many of our kindred, benefactors and friends have shown disrespect in Your divine presence; for the want of devotion and unworthily received Holy Communion, and have drawn little fruit from it. This has caused deep pain to your loving heart. Those brothers who contemplate about this!

Let us love this Sacred Heart, which is full of love and mercy. Let us also make fitting reparation for all the ingratitude inflicted on the loving Heart in this Sacrament.

INVOCATION

Sacred Heart of Jesus, full of love and mercy for us! I worship you. I

love You with my whole heart. Because of your immense love for us, it is our duty that we do not subject you to more injuries and neglect. O, sweet Jesus! I confess and beg pardon for all the sins I have committed against You.

All forgiving Lord! Grant me to make a fitting reparation for all blasphemies, for all profanities, and all sacrileges ever committed .O, merciful Jesus! I offer to You as thanksgiving, the hymns and praises of the heavenly hosts for all the innumerable blessings You showered on me. Amen.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

June is the Month of Devotion to THE SACRED HEART

THIRD DAY

Devotion to Sacred Heart of Jesus, increases our love of God.

All the teachings of our Lord Jesus are based on the principles of charity. The best way to attract human beings to God is through love.

Though God has assigned various duties and responsibilities to us, He has not imposed anything more serious than or more forceful than that to love. Because of this love we will be known as His disciple and friend.

O Sweet Jesus, You beckon us to love you, though we are sinners. We proclaim with St. Augustine: Lord if You give us permission to love You, that itself is a great thing. But instead, when You command us to love You, there is no doubt that Your love for us is unfathomable.

All you devotees who want to love Jesus, if you had suffered and labored with the sole intention of enjoying God’s love, then how easily you would have grown in it. Instead we are laboriously running after dangerous and deceitful worldly things. What do we gain from this race?

Jesus said to St. Margaret,” I will inflame the heart of those who love My Sacred Heart with God’s love. Devotion to Sacred Heart will kindle in the hardened heart, sparks of divine love. It will enlighten the lukewarm with the light of divine love.”

Therefore brothers! The fruit to gather from the sacred tree, the tree of devotion to Sacred Heart planted in the garden of Church, is divine love. The more you grow in this divine love, the stronger you grow in facing suffering. Thereby our heart will not only assimilate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but will become the home of the Holy Trinity. So let us grow in this devotion and try to make others grow in it too.

INVOCATION

O, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, when I meditate about your unfathomable love, my heart inflames with love for You. O my Jesus, my life and my everything, I give myself fully to You.

When will my tongue speak only about You and when will my heart love only You?

Lord, my life is useless if it is not based on your love. Jesus, full of love! Bless me that I will be yours fully, live fully for you, and in that last hour when death points bless me to place my soul in Your Divine Heart.

Grant to Your Church, O Lord,

assurance of freedom, protect our Supreme Pontiff and make haste that all may know the haven of truth, and have unity of faith, so that there may soon be one fold and one Shepherd! Lord, be merciful to the unfortunate sinners, console the souls in Purgatory and be merciful to me, your unworthy servant.

O Immaculate Heart of Mary, O Mother of all blessings, I firmly believe that through your powerful intercession, all my prayers and petitions will be granted. Amen.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

June is the Month of Devotion to THE SACRED HEART

SECOND DAY

The promises of Our Lord to those who are devoted to His Sacred Heart.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has promised many blessings to those who are devoted to His Sacred Heart.

It is clearly said that without Jesus we are unable to do anything and so His blessings are extremely necessary for us. We cannot think of a Christian life without the blessings of Our Holy Lord. The twelve promises of Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary are worthy of deep contemplation.

The Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary for those devoted to His Sacred Heart:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.

2. I will establish peace in their families.

3. I will console them in all their troubles.

4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and

especially at the hour of their death.

5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.

6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of

mercy.

7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.

9. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be

exposed and honored.

10. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened

hearts.

11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names

written in My Heart, never to be effaced.

12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who

shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.

“Look at this Heart which has loved men so much, and yet men do not want to love Me in return. Through you my divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth.”

It is impossible not to kindle love in the hearts of those who contemplate upon these priceless promises of Jesus. Therefore, from today onwards let us deposit all our love in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and reap benefits from all these promises.

INVOCATION PRAYER

I fly unto thee O my Jesus, who is worthy of all love; behold us

prostrate most humbly before Your altar. It is true that in the past I have strayed away from your Sacred Heart and the promises it offers to its devotees; because of my spiritual and physical weaknesses and dubious nature I have pursued creatures and not the creator.

O sweet Sacred Heart of Jesus! When you examine our sinful heart, how much pain your Sacred Heart suffers. O My heart! My sinful heart! Remove all attachments to worldly creatures and love your Creator’s graceful Heart.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, wellspring of all treasures! I love you and I adore you, I love Your Sacred Heart more than all the goodness in this world and heaven. Lord, make me worthy of all your promises.

Grant to Your Church, O Lord, assurance of freedom, protect our Supreme Pontiff and make haste that all may know the haven of truth, and have unity of faith, so that there may soon be one fold and one Shepherd! Lord, be merciful to the unfortunate sinners, console the souls in Purgatory and be merciful to me, your unworthy servant.

O Immaculate Heart of Mary, O Mother of all blessings, I firmly believe that through your powerful intercession, all my prayers and petitions will be granted. Amen.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

June is the Month of Devotion to THE SACRED HEART

FIRST DAY

The secret of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a special way.

The incarnation of the Messiah, the Son of God is a mystery of faith which has to be recognized without doubt. Because of this mighty miraculous feat the Sacred Heart of Jesus has a profound association with divine nature.

Jesus is divine because He is God and human because He is also man. Since Jesus is God, the people on earth are striving to adore, praise and glorify Him in a manner similar to that of the holy angels and heavenly hosts. Since Jesus has both divine and human nature in Him, He is our brother and friend and it is essential that we approach Him with hope and love.

While visiting the Sacred Heart of Jesus, if we do strongly believe that we are conversing with the Divine Heart, how much fear, devotion and respect we would express! This Sacred Heart is the fullness of all divinity and all treasures. Therefore it is imperative that we adore the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. We can place all our necessities and all the goodness we wish for in the blessed presence of this Divine Heart.

If you are afflicted by mental agony and dubiosity, then the most adorable Sacred Heart is beckoning us, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened”. If we are suffocated by poverty, ridiculed and scorned, then this Sacred Heart will make us understand that worldly fortunes and worldly recognition are of least importance and what really matters is attaining eternal life.

If our family life is disturbed, unhappy and quarrelsome then we have to plead for the mercy of the Sacred Heart. Then our homes will be abundantly blessed. When we are in need of blessings of different dimensions, then the remembrance that Jesus’ Sacred Heart is a wellspring of all treasures and blessings will strengthen us.

Therefore, you who are devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, place all your spiritual and worldly needs before the Sacred Heart, through Mary Immaculate at the beginning of this month and pray and plead for its fulfillment. Also offer all the prayers and rituals you do this month for the fulfillment of these petitions.

INVOCATION PRAYER

Lord God Almighty, full of goodness, You have promised to Saint

Margaret Mary that all the favors we ask through the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be certainly granted.

I prostrate myself before Your mighty prowess. Bless me all throughout my life, to know and love Your Divine Son and specially to follow the path of St. Margaret Mary during this month.

O My God! I do not desire respect and prosperity from You. My only desire is that Your Divine Voice be heard and glorified by all mankind and that Your Divine Son Jesus will rule over the hearts of all human race.

[ 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory be.. ] Litany is the in the Picture

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary

31st Day

(Continuation)

THE MOTIVES OF THIS PERFECT CONSECRATION

SECOND MOTIVE

139. The second Motive, which shows us how just it is in itself, and advantageous to Christians, to consecrate them- selves entirely to the Blessed Virgin by this practice, in order to belong more perfectly to Jesus Christ.

This good Master has not disdained to shut Himself up in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, as a captive and as a loving slave, and to be subject and obedient to her for thirty years. It is here, I repeat it, that the human mind loses itself when it seriously reflects on the conduct of the Incarnate Wisdom, who has not willed, though He might have done so, to give Himself to men directly, but through the Blessed Virgin.

He did not will to come into the world at the age of a perfect man, independent of others, but like a poor and little babe, dependent on the cares and nourishment of this holy Mother.

He is that Infinite Wisdom, who had a boundless desire to glorify God His Father, and to save men; and yet He found no more perfect means, no shorter way to do it, than to submit Himself in all things to the Blessed Virgin, not only during the first eight, ten, or fifteen years of His life, like other children, but for thirty years!

He gave more glory to God His Father during all that time of submission and dependence to our Blessed Lady than He would have given Him if He had employed those thirty years in working miracles, in preaching to the whole earth, and in converting all men, seeing that His heavenly Father and Himself had ruled it thus: Quæ placita sunt ei, facio semper.

Oh! how highly we glorify God, when, after the example of Jesus, we submit ourselves to Mary!

Having, then, before our eyes an example so plain and so well known to the whole world, are we so senseless as to imagine that we can find a more perfect or a shorter means of glorifying God than that of submitting ourselves to Mary, after the example of her Son?

140. Let us recall here, as a proof of the dependence we ought to have on our Blessed Lady, what I have said above in bringing forward the example which the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost give of this dependence. The Father has not given, and does not give, His Son except by her; He has no children but by her, and communicates no graces but by her.

God the Son has not been formed for the whole world in general except by her; and He is not daily formed and en- gendered except by her, in the union with the Holy Ghost; neither does He communicate His merits and His virtues except by her. The Holy Ghost has not formed Jesus Christ except by her; neither does He form the members of our Lord’s Mystical Body except by her; and through her alone does He dispense His favours and His gifts.

After so many and such pressing examples of the Most Holy Trinity, can we, without an extreme blindness, dispense ourselves from Mary, and not consecrate ourselves to her, and depend on her to go to God, and to sacrifice ourselves to God?

141. Here are some Latin passages of the Fathers, which I have chosen to prove what has just been said:

“Duo filii Mariæ sunt, homo Deus et homo purus, unius cor- poraliter, et alterius spiritualiter Mater est Maria” (St. Bonaventure and Origen).

“Mary has two sons, a God-Man and a pure man; she is Moth- er of the first corporally, of the second spiritually.”

“Hæc est voluntas Dei, qui totum nos voluit habere per Mari- am, ac proinde si quid spei, si quid gratiæ, si quid salutis, ab ea noverimus redundare” (St. Bernard).

“This is the will of God, who wished us to have all things through Mary; if, therefore, there is in us any hope, any grace, any salutary gift, we know it comes to us through her.”

Omnia dona, virtutes gratiæ ipsius Spiritus Sancti, quibus vult, et quandò vult, quomodò vult, et quantùm vult, per ipsius manus administrantur” (St. Bernardin).

“All the gifts, virtues and graces of the Holy Ghost are distrib- uted by Mary, to whom she wishes, when she wishes, the way she wishes and as much as she wishes.”

“Quia indignus eras cui donaretur, datum est Mariæ, ut per illam acciperes quidquid haberes” (St. Bernard).

“Since you were unworthy to receive the divine graces, they were given to Mary, so that whatever you would have, you would receive through her.”

142. God, says St. Bernard, seeing that we are unworthy to receive His graces immediately from His own hand, gives them to Mary, in order that we may have through her what- ever He wills to give us; and He also finds His glory in receiving through the hands of Mary the gratitude, respect, and love, which we owe Him for His benefits.

It is most just, then, that we should imitate this conduct of God, in order, as the same St. Bernard says, that the grace should return to its Author by the same canal through which it came: Ut eodem alveo ad largitorem gratiæ gratia redeat, quo fluxit.

This is precisely what our devotion does. We offer and consecrate all we are and all we have to the Blessed Virgin, in order that our Lord may receive through her mediation the glory and the gratitude which we owe Him. We acknowledge ourselves unworthy and unfit to approach His Infinite Majesty by ourselves; and it is on this account that we avail ourselves of the intercession of the most holy Virgin.

143. Moreover, this devotion is a practice of great humility, which God loves above all the other virtues. A soul which exalts itself abases God; a soul which abases itself exalts God. God resists the proud, and gives His grace to the humble. If you abase yourself, thinking yourself unworthy to appear before Him and to draw nigh to Him, He descends, and lowers Himself to come to you, to take pleasure in you, and to exalt you in spite of yourself.

On the contrary, when you are hardy enough to approach God without a mediator, God flies from you, and you cannot reach Him.

Oh, how He loves humility of heart! It is to this humility that our peculiar devotion engages us, because it teaches us never to draw nigh of ourselves to our Lord, however sweet and merciful He may be, but always to avail ourselves of the intercession of our Blessed Lady, whether it be to appear before God, or to speak to Him, or to draw near to Him, or to offer Him any thing, or to unite and conse- crate ourselves to Him.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary

30th Day

(Continuation)

THE MOTIVES OF THIS PERFECT CONSECRATION

FIRST MOTIVE

135. The First Motive, which shows us the excellence of this consecration of ourselves by the hands of Mary. If we can conceive on earth no employment more lofty than the service of God,—if the least servant of God is richer, more powerful, and more noble, than all the kings and emperors of earth, unless they also are the servants of God,—what must be the riches, the power, and the dignity, of the faithful and perfect servant of God, who is devoted to His service, entirely and without reserve, to the utmost extent that is possible!

Such is the faithful and loving slave of Jesus in Mary, who has given himself up utterly to the service of that King of kings, by the hands of His holy Mother, and has reserved nothing for himself. Not all the gold of earth, nor all the beauties of the heavens, can repay him.

136. The other congregations, associations, and confra- ternities, erected in honour of our Lord and His holy Moth- er, and which do such immense good in Christendom, do not make us give every thing without reserve. They only prescribe to their members certain practices and actions to satisfy their obligations. They leave them free for all the other actions and times of their lives.

But this devotion makes us give to Jesus and Mary, without reserve, all our thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings, all the times of our life, in such sort that whether we wake or sleep, whether we eat or drink, whether we do great actions or very little ones, it is always true to say that whatever we do, even without think- ing of it, is, by virtue of our offering, at least if it has not been expressly retracted, done for Jesus and Mary. What a consolation is this!

137. Moreover, as I have already said, there is no other practice equal to this for enabling us to get rid with facility of a certain proprietorship, which imperceptibly insinuates itself into our best actions. Our good Jesus gives us this great grace in recompense for the heroic and disinterested action of making a cession to Him, by the hands of His holy Mother, of all the value of our good works.

If He gives a hundredfold even in this world to those who for His love quit outward and temporal and perishable goods, what will that hundred- fold be which He will give to the man who sacrifices for Him even his inward and spiritual goods!

138. Jesus, our great friend, has given Himself to us with- out reserve, body and soul, virtues, graces, and merits. Se toto totum me comparavit, said St. Bernard,—“He has bought the whole of me by the whole of Himself.” Is it not, then, a simple matter of justice and of gratitude that we should give Him all that we can give Him?

He has been the first to be liberal towards us; let us, at least, be the second; and then, in life and death, and throughout all eternity, we shall find Him still more liberal. Cum liberali liberalis erit.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary

29th Day

(Continuation)

Mother of the Church

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:25–27

The memorial we celebrate today, which was added to the Roman Liturgical Calendar in 2018 by Pope Francis, highlights the truth that the Blessed Virgin Mary is not only the Mother of the Person of Christ, and, therefore, the Mother of God, she is also the Mother of the Church, that is, the Mother of all the faithful.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is your mother. And as your mother, she is truly tender, compassionate, caring and merciful, bestowing upon you everything that a perfect mother desires to bestow. She is the fiercest of mothers who will stop at nothing to protect her children. She is a mother wholly devoted to you, her dear child.

The Gospel passage chosen for this memorial depicts our Blessed Mother standing at the foot of the Cross. She would have been no other place than directly beneath her Son as He endured His last agony. She did not flee in fear. She was not overwhelmed by grief. She did not sulk in self-pity.

No, she stood by her Son with the perfect love and strength of a devoted, caring, compassionate and faithful mother.

As she stood by her Son in His hour of suffering and death, Jesus turned to her and entrusted the Apostle John to her maternal care. From the early Church Fathers until the most recent teachings of the Church today, this act of entrusting John to Mary and Mary to John by Jesus has been understood as an entrustment of all the faithful to the maternal care of Mother Mary.

Mother Mary is, therefore, not only the Mother of the Redeemer, Christ Himself, she also becomes the Mother of all the redeemed, the mother of us all, the Mother of the Church.

Consider the spiritual mother you have in Heaven. A mother is one who gives life. Your mother in Heaven is entrusted with the task of bestowing upon you the new life of grace won by the Cross. And as your mother, she will not withhold anything from you that is to your benefit.

A mother is also one who is tender with her children. The Immaculate Heart of our mother in Heaven is one that is filled with the greatest tenderness toward you. Though her caresses are not physical, they are much deeper. She caresses with the tenderness of grace which she imparts to you as you pray and turn to her in your need.

She gives you the grace of her Son, poured out upon the Cross as the blood and water sprung forth as a font of mercy. Mother Mary pours that mercy upon you as a tender and devoted mother would. She holds nothing back.

If you are unaware of the love in the heart of our Blessed Mother for you, use this memorial as an opportunity to deepen your understanding of her role in your life. Many children take their mothers for granted, not fully understanding the depth of their love. So it is with our Mother in Heaven.

We will never fully comprehend her love and her constant motherly workings in our life until we join her in Heaven face to face.

Reflect, today, upon Mother Mary standing by you in every moment of your life. See her there in your joys and in your sorrows, during your moments of temptation and struggles, in your moments of confusion and clarity. See her there by your side, bestowing every good spiritual gift upon you when you need it the most. She is a true mother, and she is worthy of your love and gratitude.

My dearest Mother, you stood by your Son with unwavering fidelity and love. You cared for Him, nurtured Him and never left His side. I also am your dear child. I thank you for your loving fidelity toward me and open my heart to the grace of your Son that you bestow upon me throughout life. Help me to be more attentive to your motherly care and to daily grow in gratitude for your presence in

my life. Mother Mary, pray for us.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary

29th Day

(Continuation)

ON THE CHARACTERS OF TRUE DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

11. I have now said many things about the most holy Virgin; but I have many more to say, and there are infinitely more which I shall omit, whether from ignorance, inability, or want of time, in the design which I have to form a true client of Mary, and a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

112. Oh! but my labour will have been well expended if this little Writing, falling into the hands of a soul of good dispositions, a soul well born,—born of God and of Mary, and not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,—should unfold to him, and should, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, inspire him with, the excellence and the price of that true and solid devotion to our Blessed Lady, which I am going presently to describe.

If I knew that my guilty blood could serve in engraving upon any one’s heart the truths which I am writing in honour of my true Mother and sovereign Mistress, I would use my blood instead of ink to form the letters, in the hope to find some good souls who, by their fidelity to the practice which I teach, shall compen- sate to my dear Mother and Mistress for the losses which she has suffered through my ingratitude and infidelities.

113. I feel myself more than ever animated to believe and to hope all which I have had deeply engraven upon my heart, and have asked of God these many years, namely, that sooner or later the Blessed Virgin shall have more children, servants,

and slaves of love than ever; and that, by this means, Jesus Christ, my dear Master, shall reign more in hearts than ever.

114. I clearly foresee that raging beasts shall come in fury to tear with their diabolical teeth this little Writing and him whom the Holy Ghost has made use of to write it, or at least to smother it in the silence of a coffer, that it may not appear. They shall even attack and persecute those who shall read it and carry it out in practice. But what matter? On the contra- ry, so much the better!

This very foresight encourages me, and makes me hope for a great success; that is to say, for a great squadron of brave and valiant soldiers of Jesus and Mary, of both sexes, to combat the world, the devil, and corrupted nature in those more than ever perilous times which are about to come! Qui legit, intelligat. Qui potest

capere, capiat.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary

28th Day

(Continuation)

ON THE CHARACTERS OF TRUE DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

105. After having laid bare and condemned the false devo- tions to the most holy Virgin, we must, in a few words, characterise the true devotion. It must be (1) interior, (2) tender, (3) holy, (4) constant, and (5) disinterested.

106. § 1. True devotion to our Lady is interior; that is to say, it comes from the spirit and the heart. It flows from the esteem we have of her, the high idea we have formed of her greatness, and the love which we have for her.

107. § 2. It is tender; that is to say, full of confidence in her, like a child’s confidence in his loving mother. This confidence makes the soul have recourse to her in all its bodily or mental necessities, with much simplicity, trust, and tenderness.

It implores the aid of its good Mother, at all times, in all places, and about all things; in its doubts, that it may be enlightened; in its wanderings, that it may be brought into the right path; in its temptations, that it may be supported; in its weaknesses, that it may be strengthened; in its falls, that it may be lifted up; in its discouragements, that it may be cheered; in its scruples, that they may be taken away; in its crosses, toils, and disappointments of life, that it may be consoled under them.

In a word, in all its evils of body and mind, the soul’s ordinary refuge is in Mary, with- out fearing to be importunate to her or to displease Jesus Christ.

108. § 3. True devotion to our Lady is holy; that is to say, it leads the soul to avoid sin, and to imitate in the Blessed Virgin particularly her profound humility, her lively faith, her continual prayer, her universal mortification, her divine purity, her ardent charity, her heroic patience, her angelical sweetness, and her divine wisdom. These are the ten principal virtues of the most holy Virgin.

109. § 4. True devotion to our Lady is constant. It con- firms the soul in good, and it does not let it easily abandon its spiritual exercises. It makes it courageous in opposing the world in its fashions and maxims, the flesh in its wearinesses and passions, and the devil in his temptations.

So that a person truly devout to our Blessed Lady is neither changea- ble, irritable, scrupulous, nor timid. It is not that such a person does not fall, or change sometimes in the sensible feeling of devotion, or in the amount of devotion itself. But when he falls, he rises again by stretching out his hand to his good Mother.

If he loses the taste and relish of devotion, he does not disturb himself because of that; for the just and faithful client of Mary lives on the faith of Jesus and Mary, and not on sentiments and sensibilities.

110. § 5. Lastly, true devotion to our Blessed Lady is dis- interested; that is to say, it inspires the soul not to seek itself but God only, and God in His holy Mother.

A true client of Mary does not serve that august Queen from a spirit of lucre and interest, nor for its own good, whether temporal, cor- poral, or spiritual; but exclusively because she merits to be served, and God alone in her.

He does not love Mary precise- ly because she does him good, or because he hopes in her; but because she is so worthy of love. It is on this account that he loves and serves her as faithfully in his disgusts and drynesses, as in his sweetnesses and sensible fervours. He loves her as much on Calvary, as at the marriage of Cana.

Oh! how such a client of our Blessed Lady, who has no self-seeking in his service of her, is agreeable and precious in the eyes of God and of His holy Mother! But in these days how rare is such a sight! It is that it may be less rare that I have taken my pen to put on paper what I have taught, in public and in private, during my missions for many years.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary

27th Day

(Continuation)

ON FALSE DEVOTIONS TO OUR LADY

101. The inconstant devotees are those who are devout to our Blessed Lady by intervals and whims. Sometimes they are fervent and sometimes lukewarm. Sometimes they seem ready to do any thing for her, and then, a little afterwards, they are not like the same people.

They begin by taking up all the devotions to her, and enrolling themselves in the confraternities; and then they do not practise the rules with fidelity.

They change like the moon; and Mary puts them under her feet with the crescent, because they are mutable, and unworthy to be reckoned among the servants of that faithful Virgin, whose clients have for their special graces fidelity and constancy. It were better for such persons to load themselves with fewer prayers and practices, and to fulfil them with faithfulness and love, in spite of the world, the devil, and the flesh.

102. We have still to mention the false devotees to our Blessed Lady, who are the hypocritical devotees; who cloke their sins and sinful habits under her mantle, in order to pass in the eyes of men for what they are not.

103. There are also the interested devotees, who have re- course to our Lady only to gain some lawsuit, or to avoid some danger, or to be cured of some illness, or for some other similar necessity, without which they would forget her altogether. Both, however, of these two last classes are false devotees, and neither of them pass current before God and His holy Mother.

104. Let us, then, take great care not to be of the number of the critical devotees, who believe nothing and criticise every thing; nor of the scrupulous devotees, who are afraid of being too devout to our Lady, out of respect to our Lord;

nor of the exterior devotees, who make all their devotion consist in outward practices; nor of the presumptuous devotees, who, under the pretext of their false devotion to the Blessed Vir- gin, wallow in their sins; nor of the inconstant devotees, who by levity change their practices of devotion, or throw them up altogether on the least temptation;

nor of the hypocritical devotees, who put themselves into confraternities, and wear the liveries of the Blessed Virgin, in order to pass for good people; nor, finally, of the interested devotees, who only have recourse to our Lady to be delivered from bodily evils, or to obtain temporal goods.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 26th Day

(Continuation)

ON FALSE DEVOTIONS TO OUR LADY

96. External devotees are persons who make all devotion to our Blessed Lady consist in outward practices. They have no taste except for the exterior of this devotion, because they have no interior spirit of their own.

They will say quantities of Rosaries with the greatest precipitation; they will hear many Masses distractedly; they will go without devotion to processions; they will enrol themselves in all sorts of confra- ternities, without amending their lives, without doing any violence to their passions, or without imitating the virtues of that most holy Virgin.

They have no love but for the sensible part of devotion, without having any relish for its solidity. If they have not sensible sweetness in their practices, they think they are doing nothing; they get all out of joint, throw every thing up, or do every thing at random.

The world is full of these exterior devotees; and there are no people who are more critical of men of prayer, of those who foster an interior spirit as the essential thing, while they do not lightly account of that outward modesty which always accompanies true devo- tion.

97. Presumptuous devotees are sinners abandoned to their passions, or lovers of the world, who, under the fair name of Christians and clients of our Blessed Lady, conceal pride, avarice, impurity, drunkenness, anger, swearing, detraction,

injustice, or some other sin.

They sleep in peace in the midst of their bad habits, without doing any violence to themselves to correct their faults, under the pretext that they are devout to the Blessed Virgin. They promise themselves that God will pardon them; that they will not be allowed to die without confession;

and that they will not be lost eternally, because they say the Rosary, because they fast on Saturdays, because they belong to the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, or wear the scapular, or are enrolled in other congregations, or wear the little habit or little chain of our Lady.3 They will not believe us when we tell them that their devotion is only an illusion of the devil, and a pernicious presumption likely to destroy their souls.

They say that God is good and merciful; that He has not made us to condemn us everlastingly; that no man is without sin; that they shall not die without confes- sion; that one good Peccavi at the hour of death is enough; that they are devout to our Lady; that they wear the scapular; and that they say daily, without reproach or vanity, seven Paters and Aves in her honour;

and that they sometimes say the Rosary and the Office of our Lady, besides fasting, and other things. To give authority to all this, and to blind themselves still further, they quote certain stories, which they have heard or read,—it does not matter to them whether they be true or false,—relating how people have died in mortal sin without confession;

and then, because in their lifetime they sometimes said some prayers, or went through some practices of devotion to our Lady, how they have been raised to life again, in order to go to confession, or their soul been miraculously retained in their bodies till confession; or how they have obtained from God at the moment of death contrition and pardon of their sins, and so have been saved; and that they themselves expect similar favours.

98. Nothing in Christianity is more detestable than this diabolical presumption. For how can we say truly that we love and honour our Blessed Lady, when by our sins we are pitilessly piercing, wounding, crucifying, and outraging Jesus Christ her Son?

If Mary laid down a law to herself, to save by her mercy this sort of people, she would be authorising crime, and assisting to crucify and outrage her Son. Who would dare to think such a thought as that?

99. I say, that thus to abuse devotion to our Lady, which, after devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, is the holiest and solidest of all devotions, is to be guilty of a horri- ble sacrilege, which, after the sacrilege of an unworthy Communion, is the greatest and the least pardonable of all sacrileges.

I confess that, in order to be truly devout to our Blessed Lady, it is not absolutely necessary to be so holy as to avoid every sin, though this were to be wished; but so much at least is necessary, and I beg you to lay it well to heart:—

(1) To have a sincere resolution to avoid, at least, all mor- tal sin, which outrages the Mother as well as the Son.

(2) I would add also to do violence to ourselves to avoid sin, to enrol ourselves in confraternities, to say the Rosary or other prayers, too fast on Saturdays, and the like.

100. These are wonderfully useful to the conversion of a sinner, however hardened; and if my reader is such a one, even if he has his foot in the abyss, I would counsel these things to him.

Nevertheless it must be on the condition that he will only practise these good works with the intention of obtaining from God, by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the grace of contrition and the pardon of his sins, to conquer his evil habits, and not to remain quietly in the state of sin, in spite of the remorse of his conscience, the example of Jesus Christ and the Saints, and the maxims of the holy Gospel.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 25th Day

(Continuation)

ON FALSE DEVOTIONS TO OUR LADY

92. I find seven kinds of false devotees and false devotions to our Lady, namely, (1) the critical devotees; (2) the scrupulous devotees; (3) the external devotees; (4) the presumptuous devotees; (5) the inconstant devotees; (6) the hypocritical devotees; and (7) the interested devotees.

93. The critical devotees are, for the most part, proud scholars, rash and self-sufficient spirits, who have at bottom some devotion to the holy Virgin, but who criticise nearly all the practices of devotion to her, which the simple people pay simply and holily to their good Mother, because these prac- tices do not fall in with their own humour and fancy. They call in doubt all the miracles and histories recorded by au- thors worthy of our faith, or drawn from the chronicles of religious orders; narratives which testify to us the mercies and the power of the most holy Virgin.

They cannot see without uneasiness simple and humble people on their knees before an altar or an image of our Lady, sometimes in the corner of a street, in order to pray to God there; and they even accuse them of idolatry, as if they adored the wood or the stone.

They say that, for their part, they are not fond of these external devotions, and that their minds are not so weak as to give faith to such a number of tales and little histories as are in circulation about our Lady. Or, at other times, they reply that the narrators have spoken as professional orators, with exaggeration; or they put a bad interpretation upon their words.

These kind of false devotees and of proud and worldly people are greatly to be feared. They do an infinite wrong to the devotion to our Lady; and they are but too successful in alienating people from it, under the pretext of destroying its abuses.

94. The scrupulous devotees are those who fear to dishon- our the Son by honouring the Mother, to abase the one in elevating the other.

They cannot bear that we should attrib- ute to our Lady the most just praises which the holy Fathers have given her. It is all they can do to endure that there should be more people before the altar of the Blessed Virgin than before the Blessed Sacrament, as if the one was contrary to the other, as if those who prayed to our Blessed Lady did not pray to Jesus Christ by her.

They are unwilling that we should speak so often of our Lady, and address ourselves so frequently to her. These are the favourite sentences constant- ly in their mouths: “To what end are so many chaplets, so many confraternities, and so many external devotions to the Blessed Virgin? There is much of ignorance in all this.

It makes a mummery of our religion. Speak to us of those who are devout to Jesus Christ” (yet they often name Him with- out uncovering: I say this by way of parenthesis). “We must have recourse to Jesus Christ; He is our only Mediator. We must preach Jesus Christ; this is the solid devotion.”

What they say is true in a certain sense, but it is very dangerous, when, by the application they make of it, they hinder devo- tion to our Blessed Lady, and it is, under the pretext of a greater good, a subtle snare of the evil one.

For never do we honour Jesus Christ more than when we are most honouring His Blessed Mother. Indeed we only honour Mary that we may the more perfectly honour Jesus, in as much as we only go to her as to the way in which we are to find the end we are seeking, which is Jesus.

95. The Church, with the Holy Ghost, blesses our Lady first, and our Lord second,—Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesus. It is not that Mary is more than Jesus, or even equal to Him.

That would be an intolera- ble heresy; but it is that, in order to bless Jesus more perfect- ly, we must begin by blessing Mary. Let us, then, say with all the true clients of our Lady against these false scrupulous devotees, O Mary, thou art blessed amongst all women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 24th Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

FOURTH TRUTH

86. All this is drawn from St. Bernard and from St. Bona- venture, so that, according to them, we have three steps to mount to go to God: the first, which is the nearest to us, and the most suited to our capacity, is Mary; the second is Jesus Christ; and the third is God the Father.

To go to Jesus, we must go to Mary; she is our mediatrix of intercession. To go to God the Father, we must go to Jesus; for He is our Media- tor of redemption. Now it is by the devotion which I am about to bring forward, that this order is guarded perfectly.

FIFTH TRUTH

87. It is very difficult, considering our weakness and frailty, to preserve in ourselves the graces and treasures which we have received from God:—

§ 1. Because we have this treasure, which is worth more than heaven and earth put together, in frail vessels,— Habemus thesaurum istum in vasis fictilibus,—in a corruptible body, and in a weak and inconstant soul, which a mere nothing disturbs and dejects.

88. § 2. Because the devils, who are skilful thieves, wish to surprise us unawares, and to strip us. They watch day and night for the favourable moment. For that end they go round about us incessantly to devour us, and to snatch from us in one moment, by a sin, all that we have gained of graces and of merits for many years.

Their malice, their experience, their stratagems, and their number, ought to make us fear im- mensely this misfortune, especially when we see how many persons, fuller of grace than we are, richer in virtues, better founded in experience, and far higher exalted in sanctity, have been surprised, robbed, and unhappily pillaged.

Ah! how many of the cedars of Lebanon, how many of the stars of the firmament, have we not seen to fall miserably, and in the twinkling of an eye to lose all their height and all their brightness! Whence comes that sad and curious change?

It has not been for want of grace, which is wanting to no man; but it has been want of humility. They thought themselves stronger and more sufficient than they were. They thought themselves capable of guarding their own treasures. They trusted in themselves, leaned upon themselves.

They thought their house secure enough, and their coffers strong enough, to keep the precious treasure of their grace. It is because of that scarcely sensible leaning upon themselves, while all the while it seemed to them that they were leaning only on the grace of God, that the most just Lord has permitted them to be robbed by leaving them to themselves.

Alas! if they had but known the admirable devotion which I will unfold presently, they would have confided their treasure to a Vir- gin, powerful and faithful, who would have kept it for them as if it had been her own possession; nay, who would have even taken it as an obligation of justice on herself to preserve it for them.

89. § 3. It is difficult to persevere in justice because of the strange corruption of the world. The world is now so cor- rupt, that it seems to be inevitable that religious hearts should be soiled, if not by its mud, at least by its dust.

So that it has become a kind of miracle for any one to remain firm in the midst of this impetuous torrent without being drawn in by it, in the midst of that stormy sea without being drowned in it or stripped by the pirates and the corsairs, in the midst of that pestilent air without being infected by it. It is the Virgin, alone faithful, in whom the serpent has never had part, who works this miracle for those who serve her in that sweet way which I have shortly to unfold.

90. Having assumed these Five Truths, we must now take more pains than ever to make a good choice of the true devotion to our Blessed Lady. There are at this time, more than ever, false devotions to our Blessed Lady, which it is easy to mistake for true ones.

The devil, like a false coiner and a subtle and experienced sharper, has already deceived and destroyed so many souls by a false devotion to the Blessed Virgin, that he makes a daily use of his diabolical experience to plunge many others by this same way into everlasting perdition; amusing them, lulling them to sleep in sin, under the pretext of some prayers badly said, or of some outward practices which he inspires.

As a false coiner does not ordinarily counterfeit any thing but gold and silver, or very rarely the other metals, because they are not worth the trouble, so the evil spirit does not for the most part counter feit the other devotions, but only those to Jesus and Mary, the devotion to Holy Communion, and to our Blessed Lady, because they are, among other devotions, what gold and silver are amongst metals.

91. It is, then, very important first of all to know (1) false devotions to our Blessed Lady in order to avoid them; and (2) the true devotion in order to embrace it.

In conclusion, among so many practices of true devotion to our Blessed Lady, I will explain more in detail, in the second part of this treatise, which is the most perfect one, the one most agreea- ble to our Lady, the most glorious to God, and the most sanctifying to ourselves, in order that we may attach ourselves to it.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 23rd Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

FOURTH TRUTH

83. It is more perfect, because it is more humble, not to approach God of ourselves, without taking a mediator.

The very foundation of our nature, as I have just shown, is so corrupted, that if we lean on our own works, industries, and preparations, in order to reach God and to please Him, it is certain that our justices will be defiled, or be of little weight before God, to engage Him to unite Himself to us, and to hear us. It is not without reason that God has given us medi- ators with His Majesty.

He has seen our unworthiness and incapacity. He has had pity upon us; and, in order to give us access to His mercies, He has provided us with powerful intercessors with His grandeur, insomuch that to neglect these mediators, and to draw near to His holiness directly, and without any recommendation, is to fail in humility.

It is to fail in respect towards God, so high and so holy. It is to make less account of that King of kings than we should make of a king or prince of earth, whom we should not willingly approach without some friend to speak for us.

84. Our Lord is our Advocate and Mediator of redemp- tion with God the Father. It is by Him that we ought to pray, in union with the whole Church triumphant and militant.

It is by Him that we have access to the Majesty of the Father, before whom we ought never to appear except leaning on the merits, and indeed clothed with the merits, of His Son; just as the young Jacob came before his father Isaac in the skins of the kids to receive his benediction.

85. But have we not need of a mediator with the Media- tor Himself? Is our purity great enough to unite us directly to Him, and by ourselves?

Is He not God, in all things equal to His Father, and by consequence the Holy of Holies, as worthy of respect as His Father? If, by His infinite charity, He has made Himself our bail and our Mediator with God His Father, in order to appease Him and to pay Him what we owed Him, are we on that account to have less respect and less fear for His Majesty and His Sanctity?

Let us say boldly with St. Bernard, that we have need of a mediator with the Mediator Himself, and that it is the divine Mary who is the most capable of filling that charitable office. It is by her that Jesus Christ came, and it is by her that we must go to Him.

If we fear to go directly to Jesus Christ our God, whether because of His infinite greatness, or because of our vileness, or because of our sins, let us boldly implore the aid and intercession of Mary our Mother. She is good, she is tender, she has nothing in her austere or repulsive, nothing too sublime and too brilliant. In seeing her, we see our pure nature.

She is not the sun, who, by the vivacity of his rays, blinds us because of our weakness; but she is fair and gentle as the moon, which receives the light of the sun, and tempers it to render it more suitable to our capacity.

She is so charita- ble that she repels none of those who ask her intercession, no matter how great sinners they have been; for, as the Saints say, never has it been heard since the world was the world, that any one has confidently and perseveringly had recourse to our Blessed Lady, and yet has been repelled.

She is so powerful that never have any of her petitions been refused. She has but to show herself before her Son to pray to Him, and straightway He grants her desires, straight- way He receives her prayers. He is always lovingly van- quished by the breasts, the yearnings, and the prayers of His dearest Mother.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 22nd Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

THIRD TRUTH

80. After this, ought we to be astonished if our Lord has said, that whosoever wishes to follow Him must renounce himself and hate his own soul, and that whosoever shall love his own soul shall lose it, and whosoever shall hate it shall save it?

He who is infinite Wisdom does not give command- ments without reason, and He has only commanded us to hate ourselves, because we so richly deserve to be hated. Nothing is worthier of love than God, and nothing is wor- thier of hatred than ourselves.

81. § 2. Secondly, in order to empty ourselves of our- selves, we must die to ourselves daily. That is to say, we must renounce the operations of the powers of our soul, and of the senses of our body. We must see as if we saw not, understand as if we understood not, and make use of the things of this world as if we made no use of them at all.

This is what St. Paul calls dying daily,—Quotidie morior. If the grain of corn falling on the earth does not die, it remains earth, and brings forth no good fruit. Nisi granum frumenti, cadens in terram, mortuum fuerit, ipsum solum manet.

If we die not to our selves, and if our holiest devotions do not incline us to this necessary and useful death, we shall bring forth no fruit worth any thing, and our devotions will become useless.

All our justices will be stained by self-love and our own will; and this will cause God to hold in abomination the greatest sacrifices we can make, and the best actions we can do; so that at our death we shall find our hands empty of virtues and of merits, and we shall not have one spark of pure love, which is only communicated to souls dead to themselves, souls whose life is hidden with Jesus Christ in God.

82. § 3. We must choose, therefore, among all the devo- tions to the Blessed Virgin, the one which draws us most towards this death to ourselves, inasmuch as it will be the best and the most sanctifying. For we must not think that all that shines is gold, that all that tastes sweet is honey, or all that is easy to do and is done by the greatest number is sanctifying.

As there are secrets of nature to do in a short time, at little cost and with facility, natural operations, so also in like manner there are secrets in the order of grace to do in a short time, with sweetness and facility, supernatural operations, such as emptying ourselves of self, filling our- selves with God, and becoming perfect.

The practice which I am about to disclose is one of these secrets of grace, unknown by the greater number of Chris- tians, known even to few of the devout, and practised and relished by a far less number still. But in order to begin to disclose this practice, let us consider a fourth truth, which is a consequence of the third.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 21st Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

SECOND TRUTH

76. Moreover, if, as I have said, the holy Virgin is the Queen and Sovereign of heaven and of earth, then is it not true what has been said by St. Anselm, St. Bernard, St. Bernardine, and St. Bonaventure,—has she not as many subjects and slaves as there are creatures? Imperio Dei omnia subjiciuntur, et Virgo; ecce imperio Virginis omnia subjiciuntur, et Deus.

Is it not reasonable that amongst so many slaves of constraint, there should be some of love, who of their own good will, in the quality of slaves, should choose Mary for their mistress? What! are men and devils to have their volun- tary slaves, and Mary to have none?

What! shall a king hold it to be for his honour that the queen, his companion, should have slaves over whom she has the right of life and death, because the honour and power of the one is the honour and power of the other, and yet are we to think that our Lord, who, as the best of all Sons, has divided His entire power with His holy Mother, shall take it ill that she too has her slaves?

Has He less respect and love for His Mother than Ahasuerus had for Esther, or than Solomon for Bathsebee? Who shall dare to say so, or even to think it?

77. But whither is my pen hurrying me? Why am I stop- ping here to prove a thing so plain? If we do not wish to call ourselves slaves of the Blessed Virgin, what matter? Let us make ourselves and call ourselves slaves of Jesus Christ; for that is to be the slave of the holy Virgin, inasmuch as Jesus is the fruit and the glory of Mary; and it is this very thing which we do, by the devotion of which we are hereafter to speak.

78. Our best actions are ordinarily stained and corrupted by the ground of evil which is so deeply laid up in us. When we put clean and clear water into a vessel which has a foul and evil smell, or wine into a cask the inside of which has been spoilt by another wine which has been in it, the clear water and the good wine are spoilt, and readily take the bad odour.

In like manner, when God puts into the vessel of our soul, spoilt by original and actual sin, His graces and heavenly dews, or the delicious wine of His love, His gifts are ordinari- ly spoilt and corrupted by the bad leaven and the evil which sin has left within us. Our actions, even the most sublime and virtuous, feel the effects of it.

It is therefore of great importance in the acquiring of perfection, which it must be remembered is only acquired by union with Jesus Christ, to empty ourselves of every thing which is bad within us; oth- erwise our Lord, who is infinitely pure and hates infinitely the least stain upon our souls, will cast us out from His presence, and will not unite Himself to us.

79. § 1. To empty ourselves of ourselves, we must, first, thoroughly recognise, by the light of the Holy Ghost, our inward corruption, our incapacity for every good thing useful for salvation, our weakness in all things, our inconstancy at all times, our indignity of every grace, and our iniquity in every position. The sin of our first father has spoilt us all, soured us, puffed us up and corrupted us, as the leaven sours, puffs, and corrupts the paste into which it is put.

The actual sins which we have committed, whether mortal or venial, pardoned though they may be, have nevertheless increased our concupiscence, our weakness, our inconstancy, and our corruption, and have left evil consequences in our souls. Our bodies are so corrupted that they are called by the Holy Ghost bodies of sin, conceived in sin, nourished in sin, and capable of all sin,—bodies subject to thousands of maladies,

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 20th Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

SECOND TRUTH

71. There is an entire difference between a servant and a slave:

(1) A servant does not give all he is, all he has, and all he can acquire by himself or by another, to his master; but the slave gives himself whole and entire to his master, all he has and all he can gain, without any exception.

(2) The servant exacts wages for the services which he performs for his master; but the slave can exact nothing, whatever assidui- ty, whatever industry, whatever energy, he may have at his work.

(3) The servant can leave his master when he pleases, or at least when the time of his service shall be expired; but the slave has no right to quit his master at his will.

(4) The master of the servant has no right of life and death over him, so that if he kill him like one of his beasts of burden, he would commit an unjust homicide; but the master of the slave has by the law a right of life and death over him, so that he may sell him to any body he likes, or kill him, as if he stood on the same level as one of his horses.

(5) Lastly, the servant is only for a time in his master’s service; the slave is for always.

72. There is nothing among men which makes us belong to another more than slavery. There is nothing among Chris- tians which makes us more absolutely belong to Jesus Christ and His holy Mother than the slavery of the will, according to the example of Jesus Christ Himself, who took on Him the form of a slave for love of us,—Formam servi accipiens,— and also accord-to the example of the holy Virgin, who is called the servant and the slave of the Lord.

The Apostle calls himself, as by a title of honour, Servus Christi,—“The slave of Christ.” Christians are often called in the Holy Scriptures Servi Christi, “Slaves of Christ,”—which word servus, as a great man has truly remarked, signified in old times nothing but a slave, because there were no servants then like those of the present day.

Masters were served only either by slaves or by freedmen. It is this which the catechism of the Holy Council of Trent, in order to leave no doubt about our being slaves of Jesus Christ, expresses by an unequivocal term, in calling us Mancipia Christi,—“Slaves of Jesus Christ.”

73. Having premised this, I say that we ought to be to Je- sus Christ and to serve Him not only as mercenary servants, but as loving slaves, who, by an effect of great love, give themselves up to serve Him in the quality of slaves, for the simple honour of belonging to Him.

Before Baptism we were the slaves of the devil; Baptism has made us the slaves of Jesus Christ: Christians must needs be either the slaves of the devil or the slaves of Jesus Christ.

74. What I say absolutely of Jesus Christ, I say relatively of our Blessed Lady. Jesus Christ, having chosen her for the inseparable companion of His life, of His death, of His glory, and of His power in heaven and upon earth, has given her by grace, relatively to His Majesty, all the same rights and privileges which He possesses by nature.

Quidquid Deo convenit per naturam, Mariæ convenit per gratiam,—“All that is fitting to God by nature is fitting to Mary by grace,”—say the Saints; so that, according to them, Mary and Jesus having but the same will and the same power, the two have the same subjects, servants, and slaves.

75. We may, therefore, following the sentiments of the Saints and of many great men, call ourselves, and make ourselves, the loving slaves of the most holy Virgin, in order to be by that very means the more perfectly the slaves of Jesus Christ. Our Blessed Lady is the means our Lord made use of to come to us. She is also the means which we must make use of to go to Him.

For she is not like all the rest of creatures, who, if we should attach ourselves to them, might rather draw us away from God than draw us near Him. The strong- est inclination of Mary is to unite us to Jesus Christ her Son; and the strongest inclination of the Son is, that we should come to Him by His holy Mother.

It is to honour and please Him, just as it would be to do honour and pleasure to a king, to become more perfectly his subject and his slave, by making ourselves the slaves of the queen. It is on this account that the holy Fathers, and St. Bonaventure after them, said that our Lady was the way to go to our Lord: Via veniendi ad Christum est appropinquare ad illam.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 19th Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

SECOND TRUTH

68. We must conclude, from what Jesus Christ is with regard to us, that we do not belong to ourselves, but, as the Apostle says, are entirely His, as His members and His slaves, whom He has bought at an infinitely dear price,—the price of all His Blood.

Before Baptism we belonged to the devil, as his slaves; but Baptism has made us true slaves of Jesus Christ, who have no right to live, to work, or to die, except to bring forth fruit for that God-Man, to glorify Him in our bodies, and to let Him reign in our souls, because we are His con- quest, His acquired people, and His inheritance. It is for the same reason that the Holy Ghost compares us,

(1) to trees planted along the waters of grace in the field of the Church, who ought to bring forth their fruit in their seasons;

(2) to the branches of a vine, of which Jesus Christ is the stock, and which must yield good grapes;

(3) to a flock of which Jesus Christ is the shepherd, and which is to multiply and give milk;

(4) to a good land, of which God is the labourer, in which the seed multiplies itself, and brings forth thirty-fold, sixty-fold, and a hundred-fold. Jesus Christ cursed the un- fruitful fig-tree, and gave sentence against the useless servant, who had not made any profit on his talent.

All this proves to us that Jesus Christ wishes to receive some fruits from our wretched selves, namely, our good works, because those good works belong to Him alone: Creati in operibus bonis in Chris- to Jesu,—“Created in good works in Christ Jesus,”—which words show both that Jesus Christ is the sole principle, and ought to be the sole end of all our good works, and also that we ought to serve Him, not as servants on wages, but as slaves of love. I will explain myself:

69. Here on earth there are two ways of belonging to an- other, and of depending on his authority, namely, simple service and slavery,—what we mean by a servant, and what we mean by a slave.

By common service amongst Christians a man engages himself to serve another, during a certain time, at a certain rate of wages or of recompense.

By slavery a man is entirely dependent on another for his whole life, and must serve his master without pretending to any wages or reward, just as one of his beasts, over which he has the right of life and death.

70. There are three sorts of slavery: a slavery of nature, a slavery of constraint, and a slavery of the will. All creatures are slaves of God in the first sense: Domini est terra et pleni- tudo ejus,—“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness of it.” The demons and the damned are slaves in the second sense; the just and the Saints in the third.

The slavery of the will is the most glorious to God, who looks at the heart, claims the heart, and calls Himself the God of the heart; that is, of the loving will, because by that slavery we make choice of God and His service above all things, even when nature does not oblige us to it.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 18th Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

67. To obtain of Thy mercy a true devotion to Thy holy Mother, and to inspire it to the whole earth, make me to love Thee ardently; and for that end receive the burning prayer which I make to Thee with St. Augustine and thy true friends:

“Tu es Christus, pater meus sanctus, Deus meus pius, rex meus magnus, pastor meus bonus, magister meus unus, adjutor meus optimus, dilectus meus pulcherrimus, panis meus vivus, sacer- dos meus in æternum, dux meus ad patriam, lux mea vera, dul- cedo mea sancta, via mea recta, sapientia mea præclara, simplic- itas mea pura, concordia mea pacifica, custodia mea tota, portio mea bona, salus mea sempiterna.

“Christe Jesu, amabilis Domine, cur amavi, quare concupivi in omni vitâ meâ quidquam præter te Jesum Deum meum? Ubi eram quando tecum mente non eram? Jam ex hoc nunc, omnia desideria mea, incalescite et effluite in Dominum Jesum; cur- rite, satis hactenus tardâstis; properate, quò pergitis; quærite quam quæritis. Jesu, qui non amat te, anathema sit; qui te non amat, amaritudinibus repleatur.

“O dulcis Jesu, te amet, in te delectetur, te admiretur omnis sensus bonus tuæ conveniens laudi; Deus cordis mei et pars mea, Christe Jesu, deficiat cor meum spiritu suo, et vivas tu in me, et concalescat spiritu meo vivus carbo amoris tui, et excres- cat in ignem perfectum, ardeat jugiter in arâ cordis mei, ferveat in medullis meis, flagret in absconditis animæ meæ; in die con- summationis meæ consummatus inveniar apud te. Amen.”

I have desired to put in Latin this admirable prayer of St. Augustine, in order that those who understand Latin may say it every day, to ask for the love of Jesus, which we seek by the divine Mary.

[The translator thinks it well to give the prayer in English, and without throwing it into the small print of a note:]

Thou art Christ, my holy Father, my tender God, my great King, my good Shepherd, my one Master, my best Helper, my most Beautiful and my Beloved, my living Bread, my Priest for ever, my Leader to my country, my true Light, my holy Sweet- ness, my straight Way, my excellent Wisdom, my pure Simplic- ity, my pacific Harmony, my whole Guard, my good Portion, my everlasting Salvation.

Christ Jesus, sweet Lord, why have I ever loved, why in my whole life have I ever desired, any thing except Thee, Jesus my God? Where was I, when I was not in Thy mind with Thee? Now, from this time forth, do ye, all my desires, grow hot, and flow out upon the Lord Jesus; run,—ye have been tardy so far; hasten whither ye are going; seek whom ye are seeking.

O Jesus, may he who loves Thee not be anathema; may he who loves Thee not be filled with bitterness!

O sweet Jesus, may every good feeling that is fitted for Thy praise love Thee, delight in Thee, admire Thee, God of my heart, and my Portion!

Christ Jesus, may my heart faint away in spirit, and mayest Thou be my life within me! May the live coal of Thy love grow hot within my spirit, and break forth into a perfect fire; may it burn incessantly on the altar of my heart; may it glow in my innermost being; may it blaze in hidden re- cesses of my soul; and in the day of my consummation may I be found consummated with Thee! Amen.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 17th Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

64. After that, my sweet Master, is it not an astonishingly pitiable thing to see the ignorance and the darkness of all men here below in regard to Thy holy Mother? I speak not so much of idolaters and pagans, who, knowing Thee not, care not to know Thee;

I speak not even of heretics and schismat- ics, who care not to be devout to Thy holy Mother, being separated as they are from Thee and Thy holy Church: but I speak of Catholic Christians, and even of doctors amongst Catholics, who make profession of teaching truths to others, and yet know not Thee nor Thy holy Mother, except in a speculative, dry, barren, and indifferent manner.

These doctors speak but rarely of thy holy Mother, and of the devotion which we ought to have to her, because they fear, so they say, lest we should abuse it, and should do some injury to Thee in too much honouring Thy holy Mother. If they see or hear any one devout to our Blessed Lady, speaking often of his devotion to that good Mother in a tender, strong, and persuasive way, as of a secure means without delusion, as of a short road without danger, as of an immaculate way without imperfection.

And as of a wonderful secret for finding and loving Thee perfectly, they cry out against him, and give him a thousand false reasons by way of proving to him that he ought not to talk so much of our Blessed Lady, that there are great abuses in that devotion, and that we must direct our energies to destroy these abuses, and to speak of Thee, rather than to incline the people to devotion to our Blessed Lady, whom they already love sufficiently.

We hear them sometimes speak of devotion to Thy holy Mother, not for the purpose of establishing it and persuading men to it, but to destroy the abuses which are made of it, while all the time these teachers are without piety or tender devotion towards Thyself, simply because they have none for Mary.

They regard the Rosary, the Scapular, and the Chaplet as devotions proper for weak and ignorant minds, and with- out which men can save themselves; and if there falls into their hands any poor client of our Lady, who says his Rosary, or has any other practice of devotion towards her, they soon change his spirit and his heart.

Instead of the Rosary, they counsel him the seven Penitential Psalms. Instead of devotion to the holy Virgin, they counsel him devotion to Jesus Christ.

O my sweet Jesus, have these people got Thy spirit? Do they please Thee in acting thus? Is it to please Thee, to spare one single effort to please Thy Mother for fear of thereby displeasing Thee? Does devotion to Thy holy Mother hinder devotion to Thyself?

Is it that she attributes to herself the honour which we pay her? Is it that she makes a side for herself apart? Is it that she is an alien, who has no union with Thee? Does it displease Thee that we should try to please her? Is it to separate or to alienate ourselves from Thy love to give ourselves to her and to love her?

65. Yet, my sweet Master, the greater part of the learned could not shrink more from devotion to Thy holy Mother, and could not show more indifference to it, if all that I have just said were true! Keep me, Lord,—keep me from their sentiments and their practices, and give me some share in the sentiments of gratitude, esteem, respect, and love which Thou hadst in regard to Thy holy Mother, in order that I may love Thee and glorify Thee all the more by imitating and following Thee more closely.

66. So, as if up to this point I had still said nothing in honour of Thy holy Mother, give me now the grace to praise her worthily, Fac me digne tuam Matrem collaudare, in spite of all her enemies, who are Thine as well; and grant me to say loudly with the Saints, Non præsumat aliquis Deum se habere propitium, qui benedictam Matrem offensam habuerit,—“Let not that man presume to look for the mercy of God who offends His holy Mother.”

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 16th Day

(Continuation)

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS PRESUPPOSED

60. Having said something so far of the necessity which we have of the devotion to the most holy Virgin, I must now show in what this devotion consists. This I will do, by God’s help, after I shall have first presupposed some fundamental truths, which shall throw light on that grand and solid devotion which I desire to disclose.

FIRST TRUTH

61. Jesus Christ our Saviour, true God and true Man, ought to be the last end of all our other devotions, else they are false and delusive. Jesus Christ is the alpha and omega, the begin- ning and the end of all things.

We labour not, as the Apostle says, except to render every man perfect in Jesus Christ; because it is in Him alone that the whole plenitude of the Divinity dwells, together with all the other plenitudes of graces, virtues, and perfections; because it is in Him alone that we have been blessed with all spiritual benediction;

and because He is our only Master, who has to teach us; our only Lord, on whom we ought to depend; our only Head, to whom we must belong; our only Model, to whom we should conform ourselves; our only Physician, who can heal us; our only Shepherd, who can feed us; our only Way, who can lead us; our only Truth, who can make us grow; our only Life, who can animate us; and our only All in all things, who can suffice us.

There has been no other name given under heav- en, except the name of Jesus, by which we can be saved. God has laid no other foundation of our salvation, of our perfec- tion, and of our glory, except Jesus Christ. Every building which is not built upon that firm rock is founded upon the moving sand, and sooner or later will fall infallibly.

Every one of the faithful who is not united to Him, as a branch to the stock of the vine, shall fall, shall wither, and shall be fit only to be cast into the fire. If we are in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, we have no condemnation to fear. Neither the Angels of heaven, nor the men of earth, nor the devils of hell, nor any other creatures, can injure us; because they cannot separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ.

By Jesus Christ, with Jesus Christ, in Jesus Christ, we can do all things; we can render all honour and glory to the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost; we can become perfect ourselves, and be to our neighbour a good odour of eternal life.

62. If, then, we establish the solid devotion to our Blessed Lady, it is only to establish more perfectly the devotion to Jesus Christ, and to put forward an easy and secure means for finding Jesus Christ. If devotion to our Lady removed us from Jesus Christ, we should have to reject it as an illusion of the devil;

but on the contrary, so far from this being the case, there is nothing which makes devotion to our Lady more necessary for us, as I have already shown, and will show still further hereafter, than that it is the means of finding Jesus Christ perfectly, of loving Him tenderly, and of serving Him faithfully.

63. I here turn for one moment to Thee, O my sweet Je- sus, to complain lovingly to Thy Divine Majesty that the greater part of Christians, even the most learned, do not know the necessary union which there is between Thee and Thy holy Mother. Thou, Lord, art always with Mary, and Mary is always with Thee, and she cannot be without Thee, else she would cease to be what she is.

She is so transformed into Thee by grace that she lives no more, that she is as though she were not. It is Thou only, my Jesus, who livest and reignest in her more perfectly than in all the Angels and the Blessed. Ah! if we knew the glory and the love which Thou receivest in this admirable creature, we should have very different thoughts both of Thee and her from what we have now.

She is so intimately united with Thee, that it were easier to separate the light from the sun, the heat from the fire. I say more: it were easier to separate from Thee all the Angels and the Saints than the divine Mary, because she loves Thee more ardently, and glorifies Thee more perfectly, than all other creatures put together.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 15th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

58. They shall be the true apostles of the latter times, to whom the Lord of Hosts shall give the word and the might to work marvels, and to carry off the glory of the spoils of His enemies.

They shall sleep without gold or silver, and, what is more, without care, in the middle of the other priests, ecclesiastics, and clerks, inter medios cleros; and yet they shall have the silvered wings of the dove, to go, with the pure intention of the glory of God and the salvation of souls, wheresoever the Holy Ghost shall call them.

Neither shall they leave behind them, in the places where they have preached, any thing but the gold of charity, which is the accomplishment of the whole law.

59. In a word, we know that they shall be true disciples of Jesus Christ, who, marching in the footsteps of His poverty, humility, contempt of the world, and charity, shall teach the strait way of God in the pure truth, according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world, without putting themselves in pain about things, or accept- ing persons, without sparing, fearing, or listening to any mortal, however influential he may be.

They shall have in their mouths the two-edged sword of the Word of God. They shall carry on their shoulders the bloody standard of the cross, the crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, the sacred names of Jesus and Mary on their hearts, and the modesty and mortification of Jesus Christ in their own behaviour.

These are the great men who shall come. But Mary shall be there by the order of the Most High, to extend His empire over that of the impious, the idolaters, and the Mahometans. But when and how shall this be? God alone knows. It is for us to hold our tongues, to pray, to sigh, and to wait,—exspectans exspectavi.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 14th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

55. In a word, God wishes that His holy Mother should be at present more known, more loved, more honoured, than she has ever been. This no doubt will take place, if the pre- destinate enter, with the grace and light of the Holy Ghost, into the interior and perfect practice which I will disclose to them shortly.

Then they will see clearly, as far as faith allows, that beautiful Star of the Sea. They will arrive happily in harbour, following its guidance, in spite of the tempests and the pirates. They will know the grandeurs of that Queen, and will consecrate themselves entirely to her service, as subjects and slaves of love.

They will experience her sweetnesses and her maternal goodnesses, and they will love her tenderly like well-beloved children. They will know the mercies of which she is full, and the need they have of her succour; and they will have recourse to her in all things, as to their dear advo- cate and mediatrix with Jesus Christ.

They will know what is the most sure, the most easy, the most short, and the most perfect means by which to go to Jesus Christ; and they will deliver themselves to Mary, body and soul, without reserve, that they may thus be all for Jesus Christ.

56. But who shall be those servants, slaves, and children of Mary? They shall be a burning fire of the ministers of the Lord, who shall kindle the fire of divine love every where, and sicut sagittæ in manu potentis,—like sharp arrows in the hand of the powerful Mary to pierce her enemies.

They shall be the sons of Levi, well purified by the fire of great tribula- tion, and closely adhering to God; who shall carry the gold of love in their heart, the incense of prayer in their spirit, and the myrrh of mortification in their body; and they shall be every where the good odour of Jesus Christ to the poor and to the little, while they shall be an odour of death to the great, to the rich, and to the proud worldlings.

57. They shall be clouds thundering and flying through the air at the least breath of the Holy Ghost; who, without attaching themselves to any thing, without being astonished at any thing, without putting themselves in pain about any thing, shall shower forth the rain of the Word of God and of life eternal.

They shall thunder against sin; they shall storm against the world; they shall strike the devil and his crew; and they shall strike further and further, for life or for death, with their two-edged sword of the Word of God, all those to whom they shall be sent on the part of the Most High.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 13th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

52. God has never made or formed but one enmity; but it is an irreconcilable one, which shall endure and develop even to the end. It is between Mary, His worthy Mother, and the devil,—between the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin and the children and instruments of Lucifer.

The most terrible of all the enemies which God has set up against the devil is His holy Mother, Mary. He has inspired her, even since the days of the earthly Paradise, though she existed then only in His idea, with so much hatred against that cursed enemy of God, with so much industry in unveiling the malice of that old serpent, with so much power to con- quer, to overthrow, and to crush that proud impious rebel, that he fears her not only more than all Angels and men, but in some sense more than God Himself.

It is not that the anger, the hatred, and the power of God are not infinitely greater than those of the Blessed Virgin, for the perfections of Mary are limited, but it is, first, because Satan, being proud, suffers infinitely more from being beaten and punished by a little and humble handmaid of God, and her humility hum- bles him more than the Divine power.

and, secondly, because God has given Mary such a great power against the devils, that, as they have often been obliged to confess, in spite of themselves, by the mouths of the possessed, they fear one of her sighs for a soul more than the prayers of all the Saints, and one of her menaces against them more than all other torments.

53. What Lucifer has lost by pride, Mary has gained by humility. What Eve has damned and lost by disobedience, Mary has saved by obedience. Eve, in obeying the serpent, has destroyed all her children together with herself, and has delivered them to him; Mary, being perfectly faithful to God, has saved all her children and servants together with herself, and has consecrated them to His Majesty.

54. God has not only set an enmity but enmities, not simply between Mary and the devil, but between the race of the holy Virgin and the race of the devil; that is to say, God has set enmities, antipathies, and secret hatreds between the true children and the servants of Mary, and the children and servants of the devil. They do not love each other mutually. They have no inward correspondence with each other.

The children of Belial, the slaves of Satan, the friends of the world (for it is the same thing), have always up to this time persecuted those who belong to our Blessed Lady, and will in future persecute them more than ever; just as of old Cain persecuted his brother Abel, and Esau his brother Jacob, who are the figures of the reprobate and the predestinate.

But the humble Mary will always have the victory over that proud spirit, and so great a victory that she will go the length of crushing his head, where his pride dwells. She will always discover the malice of the serpent.

She will always counter- work his infernal mines and dissipate his diabolical counsels, and will guarantee even to the end of time her faithful serv- ants from his cruel claw. But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially break out in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel; that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him.

They shall be little and poor in the world’s esteem, and abased before all, like the heel, trodden under- foot and persecuted as the heel is by the other members of the body. But in return for this, they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly.

They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity, superior to all other creatures by their animated zeal, and leaning so strongly on the divine succour, that, with the humility of their heel, in union with Mary, they shall crush the head of the devil, and cause Jesus Christ to triumph.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 12th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

50. God, then, wishes to reveal and discover Mary, the masterpiece of His hands, in these latter times:

§ 1. Because she hid herself in this world, and put herself lower than the dust by her profound humility, having ob- tained of God and of His Apostles and Evangelists that she should not be made manifest.

§ 2. Because, being the masterpiece of the hands of God, as well here below by grace as in heaven by glory, He wishes to be glorified and praised in her by those who are living upon the earth.

§ 3. As she is the aurora which precedes and discovers the Sun of Justice, who is Jesus Christ, she ought to be recog- nised and perceived, in order that Jesus Christ may be so.

§ 4. Being the way by which Jesus Christ came to us the first time, she will also be the way by which He will come the second time, though not in the same manner.

§ 5. Being the sure means and the straight and immacu- late way to go to Jesus Christ, and to find Him perfectly, it is by her that the holy souls, who are to shine forth especially in sanctity, have to find our Lord. He who shall find Mary shall find life; that is, Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But no one can find Mary who does not seek her; and no one can seek her, who does not know her: for we cannot seek or desire an unknown object. It is necessary, then, for the greater knowledge and glory of the Most Holy Trinity, that Mary should be more known than ever.

§ 6. Mary must shine forth more than ever in mercy, in might, and in grace, in these latter times: in mercy, to bring back and lovingly receive the poor strayed sinners who shall be converted and shall return to the Catholic Church; in might, against the enemies of God, idolaters, schismatics, Mahometans, Jews, and souls hardened in impiety, who shall rise in terrible revolt against God to seduce all those who shall be contrary to them, and to make them fall by promises and threats; and, finally, she must shine forth in grace, in order to animate and sustain the valiant soldiers and faithful servants of Jesus Christ, who shall do battle for His interests.

§ 7. And, lastly, Mary must be terrible to the devil and his crew, as an army ranged in battle, principally in these latter times, because the devil, knowing that he has but little time, and now less than ever, to destroy souls, will every day re- double his efforts and his combats. He will presently raise up new persecutions, and will put terrible snares before the faithful servants and true children of Mary, whom it gives him more trouble to surmount than it does to conquer others.

51. It is principally of these last and cruel persecutions of the devil, which shall go on increasing daily till the reign of Antichrist, that we ought to understand that first and cele- brated prediction and curse of God, pronounced in the terrestrial Paradise against the serpent. It is to our purpose to explain this here, for the glory of the most holy Virgin, for the salvation of her children, and for the confusion of the devil.

Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem, et semen tuum et semen illius; ipsa conteret caput tuum, et tu insidiaberis calcaneo ejus (Gen. 3:15),—“I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 11th Day (Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

46. All the rich among the people, to make use of an ex- pression of the Holy Ghost, according to the explanation of St. Bernard,—all the rich among the people shall supplicate thy face from age to age, and particularly at the end of the world; that is to say, the greatest Saints, the souls richest in graces and virtues, shall be the most assiduous in praying to our Blessed Lady, and in having her always present as their perfect model to imitate, and their powerful aid to give them succour.

47. I have said that this would come to pass particularly at the end of the world, and indeed presently, because the Most High with His holy Mother has to form for Himself great Saints, who shall surpass most of the other Saints in sanctity, as much as the cedars of Lebanon outgrow the little shrubs, as has been revealed to a holy soul, whose life has been written by a great servant of God.

48. These great souls, full of grace and zeal, shall be cho- sen to match themselves against the enemies of God, who shall rage on all sides; and they shall be singularly devout to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light, nourished by her milk, led by her spirit, supported by her arm, and sheltered under her protection, so that they shall fight with one hand and build with the other.

With one hand they shall fight, overthrow, and crush the heretics with their heresies, the schismatics with their schisms, the idolaters with their idola- tries, and the sinners with their impieties. With the other hand they shall build the temple of the true Solomon, and the mystical city of God; that is to say, the most holy Virgin, called by the holy Fathers the temple of Solomon and the city of God. By their words and their examples they shall bend the whole world to true devotion to Mary.

This shall bring upon them many enemies; but it shall also bring many victories and much glory for God alone. It is this which God revealed to St. Vincent Ferrer, the great apostle of his age, as he has sufficiently noted in one of his works.

It is this which the Holy Ghost seems to have prophesied in the fifty-eighth Psalm, of which these are the words: Et scient quia Dominus dominabitur Jacob, et finium terræ; convertentur ad vesperam, et famem patientur ut canes, et circuibunt civitatem,—“And they shall know that God will rule Jacob, and all the ends of the earth; they shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs, and shall go round about the city.”

This city which men shall find at the end of the world to convert themselves in, and to satisfy the hunger they have for justice, is the most holy Virgin, who is called by the Holy Ghost the City of God.

49. It is by Mary that the salvation of the world has be- gun, and it is by Mary that it must be consummated.

Mary has hardly appeared at all in the first coming of Jesus Christ, in order that men, as yet but little instructed and enlightened on the Person of her Son, should not remove themselves from Him, in attaching themselves too strongly and too grossly to her. This would have apparently taken place, if she had been known, because of the admirable charms which the Most High had bestowed even upon her exterior.

This is so true that St. Denys the Areopagite has informed us in his writings that when he saw our Blessed Lady, he should have taken her for a Divinity, in consequence of her secret charms and incomparable beauty, had not the Faith in which he was well established taught him the contrary.

But in the second coming of Jesus Christ, Mary has to be made known and revealed by the Holy Ghost, in order that by her Jesus Christ may be known, loved, and served. The reasons which moved the Holy Ghost to hide His Spouse during her life, and to reveal her but a very little since the preaching of the Gospel, subsist no longer.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 10th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

41. The figures and words of the Old and New Testa- ments prove this. The sentiments and examples of the Saints confirm it. Reason and experience teach and demonstrate it. Even the devil and his crew, constrained by the force of truth, have often been obliged to avow it in their own de- spite.

Among all the passages of the holy Fathers and doctors, of which I have made an ample collection, in order to prove this truth, I shall, for brevity’s sake, quote but one: Tibi devotum esse, est arma quædam salutis quæ Deus his dat, quos vult salvos fieri,—“To be devout to you, O holy Virgin,” says St. John Damascene, “is an arm of salvation which God gives to those whom He wishes to save.”

42. I could bring forward here many histories which prove the same thing, and, among others, one which is related in the chronicles of St. Dominic. There was an un- happy heretic near Carcassonne, where St. Dominic was preaching the Rosary, who was possessed by a legion of fifteen thousand devils. These evil spirits were compelled, to their confusion, by the commandment of our Blessed Lady, to avow many great and consoling truths, touching devotion to the holy Virgin;

and they did this with so much force, and so much clearness, that it is not possible to read this authen- tic history, and the panegyric which the devil made, in spite of himself, of devotion to the most holy Mary, without shedding tears of joy, however lukewarm we may be in our devotion to her.

43. If devotion to the most holy Virgin Mary is necessary to all men, simply for working out their salvation, it is still more so for those who are called to any particular perfection; and I do not think any one can acquire an intimate union with our Lord, and a perfect fidelity to the Holy Ghost, without a very great union with the most holy Virgin, and a great dependence on her succour.

44. It is Mary alone who has found grace before God, without the aid of any other mere creature: it is only by her that all those who have found grace before God have found it at all; and it is only by her that all those who shall come afterwards shall find it. She was full of grace when she was saluted by the Archangel Gabriel, and she was superabun- dantly filled with grace by the Holy Ghost when He covered her with His unspeakable Shadow;

and she has so augment- ed, from day to day and from moment to moment, this double plenitude, that she has reached a point of grace immense and inconceivable; in such sort that the Most High has made her the sole treasurer of His treasures, and the sole dispenser of His graces, to ennoble, to exalt, and to enrich whom she wishes;

to give the entry to whom she wills into the narrow way of heaven; to pass whom she wills, and in spite of all obstacles, through the strait gate of life; and to give the throne, the sceptre, and the crown of the King to whom she wills. Jesus is every where and always the Fruit and the Son of Mary; and Mary is every where the veritable tree, who bears the Fruit of life, and the true Mother, who pro- duces it.

45. It is Mary alone to whom God has given the keys of the cellars of divine love, and the power to enter into the most sublime and secret ways of perfection, and the power likewise to make others enter in there also.

It is Mary alone who has given to the miserable children of Eve, the faithless, the entry into the terrestrial paradise, that they may walk there agreeably with God, hide themselves there securely against their enemies, and feed themselves there deliciously, without any more fear of death, on the fruit of the trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil, and drink in long draughts the heavenly waters of that fair fountain.

which gushes forth there with abundance; or rather she is herself that terrestrial paradise, that virgin and blessed earth, from which Adam and Eve, the sinners, have been driven, and she gives no entry there except to those whom it is her pleasure to make Saints.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 9th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

36. When the Holy Ghost, her Spouse, has found Mary in a soul, He flies there. He enters there in His fulness; He communicates Himself to that soul abundantly, and to the full extent to which she makes room for her Spouse. Nay, one of the great reasons why the Holy Ghost does not now do startling wonders in our souls is because He does not find there a sufficiently great union with His faithful and indis- soluble Spouse.

I say indissoluble Spouse, because since that Substantial Love of the Father and the Son has espoused Mary, in order to produce Jesus Christ, the Head of the elect, and Jesus Christ in the elect, He has never repudiated her, inasmuch as she has always been fruitful and faithful.

We may evidently conclude, then, from what I have said;

37. § 1. That Mary has received from God a great domi- nation over the souls of the elect; for she cannot make her residence in them, as God the Father ordered her to do, and form them in Jesus Christ, or Jesus Christ in them, and strike the roots of her virtues in their hearts, and be the indissoluble companion of the Holy Ghost in all His works of grace,—

she cannot, I say, do all these things unless she has a right and domination over their souls by a singular grace of the Most High, who, having given her power over His only and Natural Son, has given it also to her over His adopted chil- dren, not only as to their bodies, which would be but little matter, but also as to their souls.

38. Mary is the Queen of heaven and earth by grace, as Jesus is the King of them by nature and by conquest. Now, as the kingdom of Jesus Christ consists principally in the heart and interior of a man,—according to that word, “The king- dom of God is within you,”—in like manner the kingdom of our Blessed Lady is principally in the interior of a man, that is to say, his soul; and it is principally in souls that she is more glorified with her Son than in all visible creatures, and that we can call her, as the Saints do, the Queen of hearts.

39. § 2. We must conclude that, the most holy Virgin be- ing necessary to God by a necessity which we call hypothet- ical, in consequence of His Will, she is far more necessary to men, in order for them to arrive at their Last End. We must not confound devotions to our Blessed Lady with devotions to the other Saints, as if devotion to her was not far more necessary than devotion to them, or as if devotion to her were a matter of supererogation.

40. The learned and pious Suarez the Jesuit, the erudite and devout Justus Lipsius doctor of Louvain, and many others, have proved invincibly, in consequence of the senti- ments of the Fathers (and, among others, of St. Augustine, St. Ephrem deacon of Edessa, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Germanus of Constantinople, St. John Damascene, St. Anselm, St. Bernard, St. Bernardine, St. Thomas, and St. Bonaventure), that devotion to our Blessed Lady is necessary to salvation, and that, even in the opinion of Œcolampadius and some other heretics, it is an infallible mark of reproba- tion to have no esteem and love for the holy Virgin; while on the other hand it is an infallible mark of predestination to be entirely and truly devoted to her.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 8th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

32. “This man and that man is born in her,” says the Ho- ly Ghost,—Homo et homo natus est in ea (Ps. 86:5). Accord- ing to the explanation of some of the Fathers, the first man that is born in Mary is the Man-God, Jesus Christ; the second is a mere man, the child of God and Mary by adop- tion.

If Jesus Christ the Head of men is born in her, the predestinate who are the members of that Head ought also to be born in her by a necessary consequence. One and the same mother does not bring forth into the world the head without the members, nor the members without the head; for this would be a monster of nature.

So in like manner, in the order of grace, the Head and the members are born of one and the same Mother; and if a member of the mystical Body of Jesus Christ—that is to say, one of the predestinate—was born of any other mother than Mary, who has produced the Head, he would not be one of the predestinate, nor a mem- ber of Jesus Christ, but simply a monster in the order of grace.

33. Besides this, Jesus being at present as much as ever the Fruit of Mary,—as heaven and earth repeat thousands and thousands of times a day, “and Blessed be the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus,”—it is certain that Jesus Christ is, for each man in particular who possesses Him, as truly the fruit of the work of Mary, as He is for the whole world in general; so that if any one of the faithful has Jesus Christ formed in his heart, he can say boldly, All thanks be to Mary!

what I possess is her effect and her fruit, and without her I should never have had it. We can apply to her more truly than St. Paul applied to himself those words, Quos iterum parturio donec formetur Christus in vobis,—“I am in labour again with all the children of God, until Jesus Christ my Son be formed in them in the fulness of His age.”

St. Augustine, surpassing himself, and going beyond all I have yet said, affirms that all the predestinate, in order to be conformed to the image of the Son of God, are in this world hidden in the womb of the most holy Virgin; where they are guarded, nourished, brought up, and made to grow by that good Mother until she has brought them forth to glory after death, which is properly the day of their birth, as the Church calls the death of the just. O mystery of grace, unknown to the reprobate, and but little known even to the predestinate!

34. God the Holy Ghost wishes to form Himself in her, and to form elect for Himself by her, and He has said to her, In electis meis mitte radices. Strike the roots, My Well-beloved and My Spouse, of all your virtues in My elect, in order that they may grow from virtue to virtue, and from grace to grace.

I took so much complacence in you, when you lived on earth in the practice of the most sublime virtues, that I desire still to find you on earth, without your ceasing to be in heaven.

For this end, reproduce yourself in My elect, that I may behold in them with complacence the roots of your invinci- ble faith, of your profound humility, of your universal morti- fication, of your sublime prayer, of your ardent charity, of your firm hope, and all your virtues. You are always My Spouse, as faithful, as pure, and as fruitful as ever. Let your faith give Me My faithful, your purity My virgins, and your fertility My temples and My elect.

35. When Mary has struck her roots in a soul, she pro- duces there marvels of grace, which she alone can produce, because she alone is the fruitful Virgin, who never has had, and never will have, her equal in purity and in fruitfulness.

Mary has produced, together with the Holy Ghost, the greatest thing which has been, or ever will be, which is a God-Man; and she will consequently produce the greatest things that there will be in the latter times.

The formation and education of the great Saints, who shall come at the end of the world, are reserved for her. For it is only that singular and miraculous Virgin who can produce, in union with the Holy Ghost, singular and extraordinary things.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 7th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

28. Mary commands in the heavens the Angels and the Blessed. As a recompense for her profound humility, God has given her the power and permission to fill with Saints the empty thrones from which the apostate angels fell by pride.

Such has been the will of the Most High, who exalts the humble, that heaven, earth, and hell bend with good will or bad will to the commandments of the humble Mary, whom He has made sovereign of heaven and earth, general of His armies, treasurer of His treasures, dispenser of His graces, worker of His greatest marvels, restorer of the human race, mediatrix of men, the exterminator of the enemies of God, and the faithful companion of His grandeurs and His tri- umphs.

29. God the Father wishes to have children by Mary till the consummation of the world; and He has said to her these words, In Jacob inhabita,—“Dwell in Jacob,”—that is to say, Make your dwelling and residence in My predestinated children, figured by Jacob, and not in the reprobate children of the devil, figured by Esau.

30. Just as, in the natural and corporal generation of chil- dren, there is a father and a mother, so in the supernatural and spiritual generation there is a Father, who is God, and a Mother, who is Mary. All the true children of God, the predestinate, have God for their Father, and Mary for their Mother. He who has not Mary for his Mother, has not God for his Father.

This is the reason why the reprobate, such as heretics, schismatics, and others, who hate our Blessed Lady, or regard her with contempt and indifference, have not God for their Father, however much they boast of it, simply because they have not Mary for their Mother. For if they had her for their Mother, they would love and honour her as a true and good child naturally loves and honours the mother who has given him life.

The most infallible and indubitable sign by which we may distinguish a heretic, a man of bad doctrine, a reprobate, from one of the predestinate, is that the heretic and the reprobate have nothing but contempt and indifference for our Blessed Lady, endeavouring by their words and examples to diminish the worship and love of her openly or hiddenly, and sometimes under specious pretexts. Alas! God the Father has not told Mary to dwell in them, for they are Esaus.

31. God the Son wishes to form Himself, and, so to speak, to incarnate Himself, every day by His dear Mother in His members, and He has said to her, In Israel hæreditare,— “Take Israel for your inheritance.” It is as if He had said, God the Father has given Me for an inheritance all the nations of the earth, all the men good and bad, predestinate and reprobate.

The one I will lead with a rod of gold, and the others with a rod of iron. Of one I will be the Father and the Advocate, the Just Punisher of others, and the Judge of all. But as for you, My dear Mother,—you shall have for your heritage and possession only the predestinate, figured by Israel; and, as their good Mother, you shall bring them forth and maintain them; and, as their sovereign, you shall con- duct them, govern and defend them.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

Devotion to Mary 6th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

25. To Mary, His faithful Spouse, God the Holy Ghost has communicated His unspeakable gifts; and He has chosen her to be the dispensatrix of all He possesses, in such sort that

she distributes to whom she wills, as much as she wills, as she wills, and when she wills, all His gifts and graces. The Holy Ghost gives no heavenly gift to men which He does not pass through her virginal hands.

Such has been the Will of God, who has willed that we should have every thing in Mary; so that she who impoverished, humbled, and hid herself even to the abyss of nothingness by her profound humility her whole life long, should now be enriched, and exalted by the Most High. Such are the sentiments of the Church and the Holy Fathers.

26. If I were speaking to the free-thinkers of these times, I would prove what I have said so simply, drawing it out more at length, and confirming it by the Holy Scriptures and the Fathers, quoting the original passages, and adducing various solid reasons, which may be seen at length in the book of Fr. Poiré (La Triple Couronne de la Sainte Vierge).

But as I speak particularly to the poor and simple, who being of good-will, and having more faith than the common run of scholars, believe more simply and so more meritoriously, I content myself with putting out the truth quite simply, without stopping to quote the original passages, which they would not understand.

Nevertheless, without making much re- search, I shall not fail from time to time to bring forward some of them. But let us now go on with our subject.

27. Inasmuch as grace perfects nature, and glory perfects grace, it is certain that our Lord is still, in heaven, as much the Son of Mary as He was on earth; and that, consequently, He has preserved the most perfect obedience and submission of all children towards the best of all mothers. But we must take great pains not to conceive of this dependence as any abasement or imperfection in Jesus Christ.

For Mary is infinitely below her Son, who is God, and therefore she does not command Him, as a mother here below would command her child, who is below her. Mary, being altogether trans-formed into God by grace, and by the glory which transforms all the Saints into Him, asks nothing, wishes nothing, does nothing which is contrary to the Eternal and Immutable Will of God.

When we read, then, in the writings of SS. Bernard, Bernardine, Bonaventure, and others, that in heaven and on earth every thing, even to God Himself, is subject to the Blessed Virgin, they mean to say that the authority which God has been well pleased to give her is so great, that it seems as if she has the same power as God, and that her prayers and petitions are so powerful with God, that they always pass for commandments with His Majesty, who never resists the prayer of His dear Mother, because she is always humble and conformed to His Will.

If Moses, by the force of his prayer, arrested the anger of God against the Israelites, in a manner so powerful that the Most High and infinitely merciful Lord, being unable to resist him, told him to let Him alone, that He might be angry with and punish that rebellious people, what must we not with much greater reason think of the prayer of the humble Mary, that worthy Mother of God, which is more powerful with His Majesty than the prayers and intercessions of all the Angels and Saints both in heaven and on earth?

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

May is Month of Mary -Devotion to Mary Devotion to Mary 5th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

19. If we examine narrowly the rest of our Blessed Lord’s Life, we shall see that it was His Will to begin His miracles by Mary. He sanctified St. John in the womb of St. Elizabeth his mother; but it was by Mary’s word. No sooner had she spoken than John was sanctified; and this was His first and greatest miracle of grace.

At the marriage at Cana He changed the water into wine; but it was at Mary’s humble prayer; and this was His first miracle of nature. He has begun and continued His miracles by Mary, and He will continue them to the end of ages by Mary also.

20. God the Holy Ghost being barren in God—that is to say, not producing another Divine Person—is become fruitful by Mary, whom He has espoused. It is with her, in her, and of her, that He has produced His Masterpiece, which is a God made Man, and whom He goes on producing in the persons of His members daily to the end of the world.

The predestinate are the members of that Adorable Head. This is the reason why He, the Holy Ghost, the more He finds Mary, His dear and indissoluble Spouse, in any soul, becomes the more active and mighty in producing Jesus Christ in that soul, and that soul in Jesus Christ.

21. It is not that we may say that our Blessed Lady gives the Holy Ghost His fruitfulness, as if He had it not Himself. For inasmuch as He is God, He has the same fruitfulness or capacity of producing as the Father and the Son, only that He does not bring it into action, as He does not produce another Divine Person.

But what we want to say is, that the Holy Ghost chose to make use of our Blessed Lady, though He had no absolute need of her, to bring His fruitfulness into action, by producing in her and by her Jesus Christ in His members; a mystery of grace unknown to even the wisest and most spiritual among Christians.

22. The conduct which the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity have deigned to pursue in the Incarnation and first coming of Jesus Christ, They still pursue daily in an invisible manner throughout the whole Church, and They will still pursue it even to the consummation of ages in the last coming of Jesus Christ.

23. God the Father made an assemblage of all the waters, and He named it the sea (mare). He has made an assemblage of all His graces, and He has called it Mary (Maria). This great God has a most rich treasury in which He has laid up all that He has of beauty, of splendour, of rarity, and of preciousness, even to His own Son; and this immense treas- ury is none other than Mary, whom the Saints have named the Treasure of the Lord, out of whose plenitude all men are made rich.

24. God the Son has communicated to His Mother all that He has acquired by His Life and by His Death, His infinite merits and His admirable virtues; and He has made her the treasuress of all that His Father has given Him for His inheritance. It is by her that He applies His merits to His members, and that He communicates His virtues, and dis- tributes His graces. She is His mysterious canal; she is His aqueduct, through which He makes His mercies flow gently and abundantly.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

May is Month of Mary -Devotion to Mary 4th Day

(Continuation)

EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF DEVOTION TO OUR BLESSED LADY

14. I avow, with all the Church, that Mary, being but a mere creature that has come from the hands of the Most High, is, in comparison with His Infinite Majesty, less than an atom; or rather she is nothing at all, because He only is “He who is,” and thus by consequence that grand Lord, always inde- pendent and sufficient to Himself, never had, and has not now, any absolute need of the Holy Virgin for the accom- plishment of His will and for the manifestation of His glory. He has but to will, in order to do everything.

15. Nevertheless I say that, things being supposed as they are now, God having willed to commence and to complete His greatest works by the most holy Virgin, since He created her, we may well think He will not change His conduct in the eternal ages; for He is God, and He changes not either in His sentiments or in His conduct.

16. God the Father has not given His Only-begotten to the world except by Mary. Whatever sighs the patriarchs may have sent forth,—whatever prayers the prophets and the saints of the ancient law may have offered up to obtain that treasure for full four thousand years,—it was but Mary that

merited it; it was but Mary who found grace before God by the force of her prayers and the eminence of her virtues.

The world was unworthy, says St. Augustine, to receive the Son of God immediately from the Father’s hands. He has given Him to Mary in order that the world might receive Him through her.

The Son of God has made Himself Man; but it was in Mary and by Mary. God the Holy Ghost has formed Jesus Christ in Mary; but it was only after having asked her consent by one of the first ministers of His court.

17. God the Father has communicated to Mary His fruit- fulness, as far as a mere creature was capable of it, in order that He might give her the power to produce His Son, and all the members of His mystical Body.

18. God the Son has descended into her virginal womb, as the new Adam into the terrestrial paradise, to take His pleasure there, and to work in secret the marvels of His grace.

God made Man has found His liberty in seeing Himself imprisoned in her womb. He has made His Omnipotence shine forth in letting Himself be carried by that blessed Virgin.

He has found His glory and His Father’s in hiding His splendours from all creatures here below, and revealing them to Mary only. He has glorified His Independence and His Majesty, in depending on that sweet Virgin, in His Conception, in His Birth, in His Presentation in the Temple, in His Hidden Life of thirty years, and even in His Death, where she was to be present, in order that He might make with her but one same sacrifice, and be immolated to the Eternal Father by her consent.

Just as Isaac of old was offered by Abraham’s consent to the Will of God. It is she who has suckled Him, nourished Him, supported Him, brought Him up, and then sacrificed Him for us.

O admirable and incomprehensible dependence of a God, which the Holy Ghost could not pass in silence in the Gos- pel, although He has hidden from us nearly all the admirable

things which that Incarnate Wisdom did in His Hidden Life, as if He would enable us, by His revelation of that at least, to understand something of its price!

Jesus Christ gave more glory to God the Father by submission to His Mother during those thirty years than He would have given Him in convert- ing the whole world by the working of the most stupendous miracles. Oh, how highly we glorify God, when, to please Him, we submit ourselves to Mary, after the example of Jesus Christ, our Sole Exemplar!

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

May is Month of Mary -Devotion to Mary 3rd Day

(Continuation)

7. The Saints have said admirable things of this Holy City of God; and, as they themselves avow, they have never been more eloquent and more content than when they have spoken of her. Yet, after all they have said, they cry out that the height of her merits, which she has raised up to the throne of the Divinity, cannot be fully seen; that the breadth of her charity, which is broader than the earth, is in truth immeasurable; that the grandeur of her power.

which she exercises even over God Himself, incomprehensible; and finally, that the depth of her humility, and of all her virtues and graces, is an abyss which never can be sounded. O height incomprehensible! O breadth unspeakable! O grandeur immeasurable! O abyss impenetrable!

8. Every day, from one end of the earth to the other, in the highest heights of the heavens and in the profoundest depths of the abysses, every thing preaches, every thing publishes, the admirable Mary! The nine choirs of Angels, men of all ages, sexes, conditions, and religions, good or bad, nay even the devils themselves, willingly or unwillingly, are compelled, by the force of truth, to call her Blessed.

St. Bonaventure tells us that all the Angels in heaven cry out incessantly to her, Sancta, sancta, sancta Maria, Dei Genitrix et Virgo “Holy, holy, holy Mary, Mother of God and Virgin’ and that they offer to her millions and millions of times a day the Angelical Salutation, Ave Maria, “Hail Mary”; prostrating themselves before her, and begging of her, in her graciousness, to honour them with some of her com- mands.

St. Michael, as St. Augustine says, although the prince of all the heavenly court, is the most zealous in honouring her and causing her to be honoured, while he waits always in expectation that he may have the honour to go, at her bid- ding, to render service to some one of her servants.

9. The whole earth is full of her glory, especially among Christians, amongst whom she is taken as the protectress of many kingdoms, provinces, dioceses, and cities. Numbers of cathedrals are consecrated to God under her name. There is not a church without an altar in her honour, not a country or a canton where there are not some miraculous images, where all sorts of evils are cured, and all sorts of good gifts obtained.

Who can count the confraternities and congregations in her honour? How many religious orders have been founded in her name and under her protection! What numbers there are of Brothers and Sisters of all these confraternities, and of religious men and women of all these orders, who publish her praises and confess her mercies!

There is not a little child, who, as it lisps the Ave Maria, does not praise her. There is scarcely a sinner who, even in his obduracy, has not some spark of confidence in her. Nay the very devils in hell respect her while they fear her.

10. After that we must surely say with the Saints, De Ma- ria nunquam satis, “Of Mary there is never enough”; we have not yet praised, exalted, honoured, loved, and served Mary as we ought to do. She has deserved still more praise, still more respect, still more love, and far more service.

11. After that we must say with the Holy Ghost, Omnis gloria filiæ Regis ab intus,—“All the glory of the King’s daughter is within.” It is as if all the outward glory, which heaven and earth rival each other in laying at her feet, is nothing in comparison with that which she receives within from the Creator, and which is not known by creatures, who in their littleness are unable to penetrate the secret of the secrets of the King.

12. After that we must cry out with the Apostle, Nec ocu- lus vidit, nec auris audivit, nec in cor hominis ascendit,—“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor man’s heart comprehended,”the beauties, the grandeurs, the excellences, of Mary,—the miracle of the miracles of grace, of nature, and of glory.

If you wish to comprehend the Mother, says a Saint, comprehend the Son; for she is the worthy Mother of God. Hic taceat omnis lingua,—“Here let every tongue be mute.”

13. It is with a particular joy that my heart has dictated what I have just written, in order to show that the divine Mary has been up to this time unknown, and that this is one of the reasons that Jesus Christ is not known as He ought to be.

If, then, as is certain, the kingdom of Jesus Christ is to come into the world, it will be but a necessary consequence of the knowledge of the kingdom of the most holy Virgin Mary, who brought Him into the world the first time, and will make His second advent full of splendor.

(To be continued)

Jesus, I trust in You!

Blessings from Fr Showri R Narra

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 6

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 6

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 5

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 4

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 3

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

Day 2

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY

OF LA LECHE

(For Mothers to be.)

Lovely lady of La Leche,

most loving mother the Child Jesus, and my Mother,

listen to my humble prayer.

Your motherly heart knows my every wish, my every need.

To you only, His spotless Virgin Mother,

has your Divine Son given to understand

the sentiments which fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege

of being the Mother of the Saviour.

Intercede with Him now, my loving Mother,

that, in accordance with His will,

I may become the mother of other children

of our heavenly Father.

This I ask, O Lady of La Leche,

in the Name of your Divine Son,

My Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of Your tender Mother,

Our Lady of La Leche,

who bore You close to her heart

during those long months before Your birth,

I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands.

Free me, I beseech You,

from useless and consuming worry.

Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains,

which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross.

Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus,

protect this child You have given to me from all harm,

bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs.

Implant in my heart and on my lips

the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine,

our Lovely Lady of La Leche.

All this I ask that my child

and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Cherished Virgin, heaven’s Queen,

chosen before all women to be the mother of the Son of God,

Mary, my mother, who in your maternity

so sanctified the state of holy motherhood,

imploringly I come to you;

humbly I beseech you;

confidently I trust in you.

I know that, by your powerful intercession,

you can help me in my need.

In you I take refuge, dear virgin.

Poor and needy, I turn devoutly to you

and place all confidently in your hands.

Accept my humble trust,

hear my petitions and come to my aid,

[Mention your (needs) here…]

dear Mother of mothers.

Amen.

For A Mother

To You, lovely Lady of La Leche,

and to your Divine Son,

do I now dedicate this little baby

whom our Father in heaven has given me.

Grateful for the trust He has placed in me,

I beg you to obtain for me

the physical and spiritual graces

I need to fulfill my duties at every moment.

Inspire me with the motherly sentiments

you felt during your days with the Child Jesus.

Make it possible for me,

in imitation of you,

O Lady of La Leche,

to nurse my child to perfect health.

In all things help me to follow the example which you,

as the perfect model of all mothers,

have given to me.

Let my family mirror the virtues of your Holy Family of Nazareth.

Finally, I commend to your loving care

all the mothers of earth,

in whose hands He has entrusted

the souls of His little children.

Amen.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Our Lady of La Leche,

Pray for us.

Day 8

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 8

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 7

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 6

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 5

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 4

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 3

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 2

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 1

O holy angels, 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.

LET US PRAY

A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children

Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel

When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear.

Day 9 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 8 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 7 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 6 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 5 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 4 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 3 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 2 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 2 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

Day 1 – Padre Pio Novena

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

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

(Mention your request here…)

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

Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 9

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Give us servant’s hearts so that we respond easily to those suffering around us. For we know that when we help the abandoned and needy we are actually serving you

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 7

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Help us to avoid domineering attitudes and make us servants to one another.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 6

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Give us the grace to not be desperate in our moments of suffering. Help us to carry our cross with courage and dignity, so that even in the midst of pain we may be of help to others.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 6

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Give us the grace to not be desperate in our moments of suffering. Help us to carry our cross with courage and dignity, so that even in the midst of pain we may be of help to others.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 5

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

Day 4

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Be with us, so that we can face our trials with courage. For we know that through you, we can draw something good from these experiences

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

The word novena is derived from the Latin term novem, meaning nine. Novena is a nine day period of prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or make special petitions.

Here you’ll find Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Novenas But Were Afraid to Ask

Day 2

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

Teach us to accept our sufferings, uniting them to your cross. Give us the grace to believe that you are able to draw something good from even the worst situations.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

The Holy Cross Novena

The word novena is derived from the Latin term novem, meaning nine. Novena is a nine day period of prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or make special petitions.

Here you’ll find Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Novenas But Were Afraid to Ask

Day 1

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

Dear Jesus, your love for your Father and for the whole world brought you to the cross. Gazing upon the cross helps us to remember your bitter Passion and we thank you for your great sacrifice.

May our veneration of the cross help us to be more loving. That we may learn to love our brothers and sisters, and any hatred, mistrust or resentment will leave our hearts.

Lord Jesus, in remembrance of your sorrowful Passion and Death, please look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for…

(Mention your intentions here)

Holy Cross, whereon the Lamb of God was offered for the sins of the world, Deliver and save us.

Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who was offered on the cross for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Through Your Holy Cross, save us. Amen.

The Our Father Hail Mary The Glory Be

Tomorrow is the feast of Mother Teresa

Prayer of Mother Teresa

Prayer & Desire…

Prayer:

St Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life,

too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Desire:

To trust that God is beside you always.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Ninth Day

True Love Is Surrender.

‘I Thirst… has no meaning unless through total surrender I give all to Jesus.’

‘Today I will do whatever Jesus wants. And you will see that oneness. That surrender to God, to use you without consulting you.

That accepting is a great sign of union with God. Holiness is that total surrender to God. Totus Tuus. Completely yours. Completely surr- endered. Very clear! Complete. That

accepting whatever He gives. That giving whatever He takes. You need much love to be able to see the Hand of God.’

‘I only want to do what God wants. Let us have the courage to do what God wants, even if it is difficult.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE: To become a saint.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Eighth Day –

Holiness Is Jesus Living and Acting in Me.

‘Our works of charity are nothing but the overflow of our love of God from within. Therefore, the one who is most united to Him loves her neighbour most’

‘We must become holy not because we want to feel holy, but because Christ must be able to live His life fully in us.’

‘Holiness is not in the feelings or in imagination, it is reality.

One thing that helps me and will help you is this: works of love are works of holiness.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE:

To see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poor.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Seventh Day –

God Loves a Cheerful Giver.

‘Joy, to be fruitful, has to be shared.’

‘By this joy I mean that inner depth of joy in you, in your eyes, look, face, movements, actions, swiftness.

That My joy may be in you, says Jesus. What is this joy of Jesus? It is the result of His continual union with God, doing the Will of the Father.

Joy shines in the eyes, comes out in the speech and walk… when people see the habitual happiness in your eyes, it will make them realise they are the loved children of God.’

‘Joy was the strength of Our Lady… she was the first Missionary of Charity. She was the first one to receive Jesus physically and to carry Him to others.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE:

To find joy in loving and to share this joy with everyone you meet.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Sixth Day –

True Love Is Surrender.

‘I Thirst… has no meaning unless through total surrender I give all to Jesus.’

‘Today I will do whatever Jesus wants. And you will see that oneness. That surrender to God, to use you without consulting you.

That accepting is a great sign of union with God. Holiness is that total surrender to God. Totus Tuus. Completely yours. Totus Tuus. Completely surrendered. Very clear! Complete.

That accepting whatever

He gives. That giving whatever He takes. You need much love to be able to see the Hand of God.’

‘I only want to do what God wants. Let us have the courage to do what God wants, even if it is difficult.’

ASK FOR THE GRACE:

To surrender your whole life to God.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

Fifth Day –

Trust Jesus Blindly.

‘Trust in the good God, who loves us, who cares for us, who sees all, knows all, can do all things for my good and the good of souls.’

‘Christ accepted to die because He trusted His Father. He knew that from that apparent failure God will work out His plan of salvation.

Second Day –Jesus Loves You

The personal love Christ has for you is infinite.’

‘You are special to God. He is waiting for you to come to Him in prayer. He wants to honour you by filling you with His Presence.’

‘Jesus loves you tenderly, you are precious to Him. Turn to Jesus with great trust and allow yourself to be loved by Him.’

Thought for the day:

“Do not be afraid – you are precious to Jesus. He loves you.”

Ask for the grace to be convinced of Jesus’ unconditional and personal love for you.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all.

Obtain from the Heart of Jesus

(here make your request).

Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.

Novena to Mother Teresa

First Day – Know the Living Jesus

Dedicated to knowing Jesus, the wellspring of Mother Teresa’s life and mission.

She was married to a non- Christian and she lived with him and her mother-in-law for some time before they both converted and were baptized.

She is most well known for fasting & praying for her son’s conversion — which took more than 15 years.

Eventually when her son did convert and was baptized, he was baptized by the bishop, St. Ambrose — who was also Saint Monica’s spiritual director.

Shortly after St. Augustine’s conversion, St. Monica said to him,

Day 7

Mother Most Pure, I come to You today to beg you to undo this knot in my life

[mention your request here]

and free me from the snares of evil.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

[Mention your request here]

I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope.

O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.

Hear my plea.

Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge! Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.
Amen.

Amen.

Mary Undoer of Knots Novena

Day 1

Dearest Holy Mother, Most Holy Mary, you undo the knots that suffo- cate your children. Extend your merciful hands to me.

I entrust to You today this knot

[mention your request here]

and all the negative conse- quences that it provokes in my life.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

[Mention your request here]

I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope.

O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains.

Hear my plea.

Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge! Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Amen.

Saint John Vianney

May 8, 1786 – Aug 4, 1859

A man with vision overcomes obstacles and performs deeds that seem impossible. John Vianney was a man with vision: He wanted to become a priest.