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A Novena for the Annunciation – Day 7 – Mary, Help of Christians

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Day 7: Mary, Help of Christians

Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month. With God, nothing is impossible” (Luke I:36-37)

Let us pray: God, our Father, we come to You with confidence that You will enlighten us with Your grace and love. Today as we worry about the world’s miseries, where love is disappearing among families and neighbors, where we find disunity everywhere, where love and respect for Your Son Jesus Christ are no longer seen, we implore the intercession of our Blessed Mother so that we may find light and power in You. Loving God, we ask You to enlighten the abandoned, the handicapped, and those deprived of true love from a father and a mother. With Your mercy, may they find peace, hope, and unity. We ask You to help us to be like Mary who does not forget her children, always caring, helping and watching over us. We hope to be relieved from our burdens and sufferings. Please help us Your children to experience the love and unity You want in every home. May we also be a model of kindness by showing us the way to establish good relationship with our neighbor, which is an excellent way of promoting unity in oneness of heart. O Eternal Father, we praise and thank You for the graces You bestowed upon us, especially the Blessed Virgin Mother. Trusting in Your love and mercy, we hope to obtain the favor we earnestly ask through her, the grace to love and die in Your love.

Jesus, for our salvation You willingly humbled Yourself, becoming Man in the womb of the Virgin Mother, grant me through the mystery of Your holy Incarnation the virtue of humility that I may ever please God as Your Mother did, by meekness and lowliness in this world, and be exalted by You in eternity.

Mary, dear Mother of my Savior, I greet you and I thank you for having received the message of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke I:28) and for having answered with your assent, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Intercede for me that God the Father, who accepted you as His Daughter and the Mother of His Son because of your humility at the Annunciation, may accept me as humble child. Amen

A Novena for the Annunciation – Day 6 – Mary, Mother of Light

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Day 6: Mary, Mother of Light

The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. (Luke 1:35)

Let us pray:

Father, true to Your promise, You sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and to call us out of darkness into Your wonderful Light. Help us to remember this whenever we are beset with life’s perils and miseries. Fill us with hope and faith in Your providence. As we journey through life, give us the strength to courageously encounter suffering. Send us Your love and mercy when we are on the verge of quitting. Help us to know that Your Kingdom will come and bring an end to our ills. Anoint us with Your Spirit so that we may become credible bearers of the Good News to our brothers and sisters who are lonely and brokenhearted. We ask this through Christ our Lord, and the intercession of Our Lady of the Annunciation, the Mother of Light.

A Novena for the Annunciation – Day 5 – Mary, Mother of Justice

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Day 5: Mary, Mother of Justice

You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. (Luke I:31-32)

Let us pray:

Almighty Father You gave us Mary, the mother of our Savior to be our model. She inspires us to constantly reach out to one another. We are called to anticipate the needs of those around us, perceive the cry of their heart, share their fears and their brokenness and give hope to the hopeless and forsaken. Teach us Lord how, when and where we must reach out to those in want and in pain. May our hearts be filled with Your love, ever yearning to serve You through others – without counting the cost. This we ask in Jesus name through the intercession of the Our Lady of the Annunciation.

The Faithful Foster-Father and Guardian – St. Bernardine of Siena from the Office of Readings – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

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From a sermon by Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest

The faithful foster-father and guardian

There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favour chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfil the task at hand.

This general rule is especially verified in the case of Saint Joseph, the foster-father of our Lord and the husband of the Queen of our world, enthroned above the angels. He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: “Good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Lord.”

What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honourably introduced into the world. Holy Church in its entirety is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.

In him the Old Testament finds its fitting close. He brought the noble line of patriarchs and prophets to its promised fulfilment. What the divine goodness had offered as a promise to them, he held in his arms.

Obviously, Christ does not now deny to Joseph that intimacy, reverence and very high honour which he gave him on earth, as a son to his father. Rather we must say that in heaven Christ completes and perfects all that he gave at Nazareth.

Now we can see how the last summoning words of the Lord appropriately apply to Saint Joseph: “Enter into the joy of your Lord.” In fact, although the joy of eternal happiness enters into the soul of a man, the Lord preferred to say to Joseph: “Enter into joy.” His intention was that the words should have a hidden spiritual meaning for us. They convey not only that this holy man possesses an inward joy, but also that it surrounds him and engulfs him like an infinite abyss.

Remember us, Saint Joseph, and plead for us to your foster-child. Ask your most holy bride, the Virgin Mary, to look kindly upon us, since she is the mother of him who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns eternally. Amen.

Let us pray.

Almighty God,
at the beginnings of our salvation,
when Mary conceived your Son and brought him forth into the world,
you placed them under Joseph’s watchful care.
May his prayer still help your Church
to be an equally faithful guardian of your mysteries
and a sign of Christ to mankind.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

A Novena for the Annunciation – Day 4 – Mary, Queen of Peace

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Day 4: Mary, Queen of Peace

But the Angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you (Luke I:30)

Let us pray:

Loving Father, through our Mother, the Lady of the Annunciation, teach us how to be calm and serene so as to feel Your presence here today as we pray for our needs and desires. Teach us how to ask for them. Almighty Father, through the intercession of Mary, the Queen of Peace, may You grant us the tranquility in our hearts You granted to her at the Annunciation. Father, may the Blessed Virgin assist us especially in this Novena so that we may pray with faith, and that, if it is Your will, we may obtain through her the favor that we desire.

St. Joseph Novena – Day 9

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O glorious Saint Joseph,faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
to you we raise our hearts and hands
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the benign heart of Jesus
all the helps and graces necessary
for our spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly for the grace of a happy death
and the special favor we now request…

(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY NINE

O good Saint Joseph, help us to be like you,
gentle to those whose weakness leans on us;
help us to give to those who seek our aid,
succor that they may journey unafraid.
Give us your faith,
that we may see the right shining above the victories of might.
Give us your hope that we may stand secure,
untouched by doubting, steadfast to endure.
Give us your love that as the years increase
an understanding heart may bring us peace.
Give us your purity that the hour of death
finds us untouched by evil’s breath.
Give us your love of labor
that we shirk no lot in life that calls us for honest work.
Give us your love of poverty so that we live contented,
let wealth come or go.
Give us your courage that we may be strong;
give us your meekness to confess our sins.
Give us your patience that we may possess the kingdom
of our souls without distress.
Help us, dear Saint,
to live that when life ends
we pass with you to Jesus and His friends.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

A Novena for the Annunciation – Day 3 – Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted

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Day 3: Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted

Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. (Luke I:29)

Let us pray:

With the help of our Mother of the Word Incarnate, grant us Your mercy and consolation to lighten the burden and give comfort and strength to all who are suffering now. Dear Lord, we ask Your Blessed Mother to teach us to be compassionate. Help Your children, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to conquer the menace of evil and sin in all its manifestations. Through the intercession of the Our Lady of the Annunciation, we ask You to help us welcome the Word into the world, that we may all experience a rebirth. Through Mary, Your reign has dawned, a reign of compassion and mercy, born from the depths of the Word made flesh.

Mary, dear Mother of my Savior, I greet you and I thank you for having received the message of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke I:28) and for having answered with your consent, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Intercede for me that God the Father, who accepted you as His Daughter and the Mother of His Son because of your humility at the Annunciation, may accept me as His humble child. Amen

The Breastplate of St. Patrick – Mp3 audio and text

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I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God’s Power to guide me,
God’s Might to uphold me,
God’s Wisdom to teach me,
God’s Eye to watch over me,
God’s Ear to hear me,
God’s Word to give me speech,
God’s Hand to guide me,
God’s Way to lie before me,
God’s Shield to shelter me,
God’s Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of witches, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.
Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ on the deck,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

Amen

The Breastplate of St. Patrick

St. Joseph Novena – Day 8

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(State your request here.)

O guardian of the Word Incarnate,
we feel animated with confidence that your prayers
in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

O glorious St. Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ
and for the glory of His name,
hear our prayers
and obtain our petitions.

Amen.

DAY EIGHT

O blessed Joseph,
to whom it was given not only to see
and to hear that God whom many kings longed to see and saw not;
to hear and heard not;
but also to carry Him in your arms,
to embrace Him, to clothe Him,
and to guard and defend Him,
come to our assistance and intercede with Him
to look favorably on our present petition.

(State your request here…)

Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

A Novena for the Annunciation – Day 2 – Mary, Cause of Our Joy Rejoice!

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Day 2: Mary, Cause of Our Joy Rejoice!

The Lord is with you. (Luke I:28)

Let us pray:

Lord God, You were pleased to bring joy to the world through the incarnation of Your Son. You sacrificed Your Son in order to save our souls and enjoy life everlasting. Grant that we, who honor His Mother, the cause of our joy, may always walk in the way of Your commandments with our hearts set on true and lasting joy. Moreover, grant us the grace to share that joy found deep in the words and actions of Mary with everyone we meet. Show us the true joy of living the gospel life – even in our deepest suffering – for You have given Mary the power of helping the miserable. Father of mercy and God of all consolation, grant in Your loving kindness that we who joyfully venerate Mary, as our comforter, may deserve to enjoy the unending happiness of heaven with her. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Mary, dear Mother of my Savior, I greet you and I thank you for having received the message of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke I:28) and for having answered with your consent, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Intercede for me that God the Father, who accepted you as His Daughter and the Mother of His Son because of your humility at the Annunciation, may accept me as His humble child. Amen