Friday, May 25, 2012

3 Novenas that Every Catholic Should Pray...plus one

Picture source

1. 30 Day Novena to St. Joseph

This beautiful novena begins a month before the Feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, March 19th. It is a lovely meditation on the life of St. Joseph as husband, father and protector of the Blessed Mother and her Divine Child. It helps us to reflect on the sorrows that St. Joseph suffered (silently) as he took care of his holy little family. What a wonderful way to pray for his intercession for fathers, the dying, those in need of employment, homes, the universal church...

The novena can be found here.

Picture source

 2. The Divine Mercy Novena.

A very powerful novena that our Lord Himself gave to St. Faustina, in order to prepare souls for the great feast of Divine Mercy. It begins on Good Friday and ends on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday.
"...He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said: 'These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy.' In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her: 'On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls.'
The novena can be found here "
I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fountain of My mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever grace they have need of in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death."

3. Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts

This is the oldest novena known in the Church. It begins 9 days prior to the vigil of Pentecost. It is simply a very beautiful and spiritually moving novena!
The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.
The novena can be found here.

In addition, for those times when we need spiritual assistance, there is no better novena than the one Blessed Mother Teresa had a devotion to...the express Memorare novena.  You pray the Memorare of our Lady nine consecutive times.

 Picture source: the internet

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come,
before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Source

Thursday, May 24, 2012

1 Peter I: Obedience, Reverence and Mutual Love

Picture source: internet "...Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and investigated it, investigating the time and circumstances that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the glories to follow them.It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you with regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you [through] the holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels longed to look.


Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, “Be holy because I [am] holy.” Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere mutual love, love one another intensely from a [pure] heart.You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God,>for:
'All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the field; the grass withers, but the word of the Lord remains forever.'”
Source