Close your eyes and let yourself be carried away on the flowing current of my grace; close your eyes and do not think of the present, turning your thoughts away from the future just as you would from temptation. Repose in me, believing in my goodness, and I promise you by my love that if you say “You take care of it” I will take care of it all; I will console you, liberate you and guide you.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)
Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus.
From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope
(Sermo 1 in Nativitate Domini, 1-3: PI, 54, 190-193)
Christian, remember your dignity
Dearly beloved, today our Saviour is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.
No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life.
In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind.
And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of good will as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvellous work of God’s goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?
Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in his great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh.
Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom.
Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.
From a discourse on the Psalms by Saint Augustine, Bishop
(In ps. 37, 13-14: CCL 38 391-392)
The desire of your heart constitutes your prayer
In the anguish of my heart I groaned aloud. There is a hidden anguish which is inaudible to men. Yet when a man’s heart is so taken up with some particular concern that the hurt inside finds vocal expression, one looks for the reason. And one will say to oneself: perhaps this is what causes his anguish, or perhaps such and such had happened to him. But who can be certain of the cause except God, who hears and sees his anguish? Therefore the psalmist says: In the anguish of my heart I groaned aloud. For if men hear at all, they usually hear only bodily groaning and know nothing of the anguish of the heart from which it issues.
Who then knows the cause of man’s groaning? All my desire is before you. No, it is not open before other men, for they cannot understand the heart; but before you is all my desire. If your desire lies open to him who is your Father and who sees in secret, he will answer you.
For the desire of your heart is itself your prayer. And if the desire is constant, so is your prayer. The Apostle Paul had a purpose in saying: Pray without ceasing. Are we then ceaselessly to bend our knees, to lie prostrate, or to lift up our hands? Is this what is meant in saying: Pray without ceasing? Even if we admit that we pray in this fashion, I do not believe that we can do so all the time.
Yet there is another, interior kind of prayer without ceasing, namely, the desire of the heart. Whatever else you may be doing, if you but fix your desire on God’s Sabbath rest, your prayer will be ceaseless. therefore, if you wish to pray without ceasing, do not cease to desire.
The constancy of your desire will itself be the ceaseless voice of your prayer. And that voice of your prayer will be silent only when your love ceases. For who are silent? Those of whom it is said: Because evil has abounded, the loveof many will grow cold.
The chilling of love means that the heart is silent; while burning love is the outcry of the heart. If your love is without ceasing, you are crying out always; if you always cry out, you are always desiring; and if you desire, you are calling to mind your eternal rest in the Lord.
And all my desire is before you. What if the desire of our heart is before him, but not our groaning? But how is that possible, since the groaning is the voice of our desire? And therefore it is said: My groaning is not concealed from you. It may be concealed from men, but it is not concealed from you. Sometimes God’s servant seems to be saying in his humility: My anguish is not concealed from you. At other times he seems to be laughing. Does that mean that the desire of his heart has died within him? If the desire is
there, then the groaning is there as well. Even if men fail to hear it. it never ceases to sound in the hearing of God.
Saint Padre Pio or St. Pio of Pietrelcina (25 May 1887 – 23 September 1968) was a Capuchin priest from Italy and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. He was popularly known as Padre Pio after his ordination to the priesthood. He became famous after receiving the “Stigmata“. On 16 June 2002, he was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II. Padre Pio is the Patron saint of Confessors, Catholic Adolescents, and Civil Defense Volunteers.
Prayer for Healing
Beloved Padre Pio,
Today I come to add my prayer to the thousands of prayers offered to thee every day by those who love and venerate thee. They ask for cures and healings, earthly and spiritual blessings, and peace for body and mind. And because of thy friendship with the Lord, He heals those thou doth ask to be healed, and forgives those thou forgiveth.
Through thy visible wounds of the Cross, which thou didst bear for fifty years, thou wert chosen in our time to glorify the crucified Jesus. Because the Cross has been replaced by other symbols, please help us to bring it back in our midst, for we acknowledge it is the only true sign of salvation. As we lovingly recall the wounds that pierced thy hands, feet and side, we not only remember the blood thou didst shed in pain, but thy smile, and the invisible halo of sweet-smelling flowers that surrounded thee, the perfume of sanctity.
In thy kindness, please help me with my own special request:
[mention here your petition, making the Sign of the Cross]
Bless me and my loved ones. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer to Saint Pio
O God, Thou didst give Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Capuchin priest, the great privilege of participating in a unique way in the Passion of Thy Son, grant me through his intercession the grace of . . . [name your request] which I ardently desire; and above all grant me the grace of living in conformity with the death of Jesus, to arrive at the glory of the resurrection.
Glory be to the Father . . . [three times].
Other Prayers –
Stay With Me, Lord Prayer
by Padre Pio
Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have Thee present so that I do not forget Thee. Thou knowest how easily I abandon Thee.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak, and I need Thy strength that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me, Lord, for Thou art my light, and without Thee I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, to show me Thy will.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Thy voice and follow Thee.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love Thee very much and to be in Thy company always.
Stay with me, Lord, if Thou wisheth me to be faithful to Thee.
Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for Thee, a nest of love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes; death, judgment, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need Thee. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need Thee, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all it’s dangers. I need Thee.
Let me recognize Thee as Thy disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to Thee, if not by communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for Divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but the gift of Thy Presence, oh yes, I ask this of Thee!
Stay with me, Lord, for it is Thou alone I look for, Thy Love, Thy Grace, Thy Will, Thy Heart, Thy Spirit because I love Thee and ask no other reward but to love Thee more and more.
With a firm love, I will love Thee with all my heart while on earth and continue to love Thee perfectly during all eternity. Amen
Chaplet of St. Padre Pio
(contains medal, Crucifix, and 3 sets of 3 brown beads)]
Oh Jesus, full of grace and charity, victim for sinners, so impelled by Thy love of us that Thou didst will to die on the Cross, I humbly entreat Thee to glorify in Heaven and on earth, the servant of God, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who generously participated in Thy sufferings, who loved Thee so much and laboured so faithfully for the glory of Thy heavenly Father and for the good of souls. With confidence, I beseech Thee to grant me, through his intercession, the grace of (mention your intentions) which I ardently desire.
A Novena in honor of Ven. Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary
Day 7 – Acquiring Spiritual Joy
“Means for acquiring Joyfulness:
1. Ask the Lord for joyfulness. Joy or cheerfulness is the second fruit of the Holy Spirit [Galatians 5:22]. Blessed [John] Berchmans [1599-1621] was always so joyful that many called him Saint Leto [joy] and Saint IIario [laughter]. Joy was a grace he daily prayed for at Mass.
2. Think frequently of the Lord and thank Him for the goods that we possess and hope to possess. For example, thank him for the grace of God that we possess, and for the Paradise that we hope for. Let us go often to take from the Angels and Blessed above, an air of joyfulness, thinking that from now on we are citizens of Heaven and fortifying ourselves in Christian hope.
3. Perform good deeds with holy readiness and simplicity. Do things with good intention. Do them immediately, without reasoning too much on them, becoming over-reflective. Rather, cut off all ruminations, saying to oneself: ‘I should not dwell on this, one needs only to do what is good.’ Likewise, it is helpful to act with holy freedom of spirit,
despising every fear that is not founded on offending God, not waiting for tomorrow that which you can do today.”
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you created me in your plan of love. You created all the things on the face of the earth to help me find true happiness. Fully aware of my weakness, I resolve this day to love my life, and to approach my duties with a joyful spirit.
Daily Novena Prayer
Venerable Bruno Lanteri, I come to you confident in the words of Jesus: Ask and you shall receive (Matthew 7:7). You said, “It is impossible to hope too much; the one who hopes for everything attains everything.” You taught that the greatest miracles are those that change the heart. Through your intercession, may the good God, whose infinite mercy surpasses all the malice of the world, console my heart and grant my request.
By your prayers keep my poor heart in peace, protect me from discouragement, and help me to serve God with a holy joy. Amen.
O Father, fountain of all life and holiness you gave Father Bruno Lanteri great faith in Christ, your Son, a lively hope, and an active love for the salvation of his brethren. You made him a prophet of your Word and a witness to your Mercy. He had a tender love for Mary and by his very life he taught fidelity to the Church. Father, hear the prayer of your family and, through the intercession of Fr. Lanteri, grant us the grace for which we now ask…. May he be glorified on earth that we may give you greater praise.
We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
A Novena in honor of Ven. Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary
Day 6 – Protecting against Sin and Vice
“Through joyfulness one avoids sins and easily triumphs over temptation. It is proper to temptations to begin to instill despondency and sadness. And in these troubled waters the devil begins to fish. The joyful man has great regard for and always enjoys the spiritual goods he hopes for and possesses. When these are compared to the apparent goods temptations offer, he quickly decides the question with the exclamation of St. Philip, “Paradise, Paradise.” Therefore, he sins less and gains much more merit… With joyfulness, one drives out the sloth which impedes the practice of virtue.
With joyfulness one easily acquires holiness and perfects oneself through virtuous actions. “God loves a joyful giver” (2 Corinthians 9: 7). Joyful giving is done not as a burden, but by good grace, with love. If one thinks too much about a good action that is to be performed [and thus hesitates], the merit of that action will be diminished… So act promptly… The one who gives promptly, gives double.
Compare a sad person with a joyful one in their daily activities. The despondent one behaves like an old lazy man, who is sleepy, cold, frozen…. The joyful one behaves like a young man who carries himself well, is graceful, robust, and energetic. In fact, if one prays, if one meditates with joy, if one approaches the sacraments joyfully, if one converses with his neighbor with joy, how many sins against God and neighbor will be avoided!
With joyfulness one’s perseverance in good is more easily assured, because doing things with sadness and against one’s will constitutes a violent state that cannot last. In such a case, if great difficulties are encountered, how much more easily is everything abandoned. The joyful man, on the other hand, is resolute, generous, energetic, and so he easily overcomes the difficulty of perseverance.”
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you created me in your plan of love. You created all the things on the face of the earth to help me find true happiness. Fully aware of my weakness, I resolve this day to think often of heaven, and to be generous in love.
Daily Novena Prayer
Venerable Bruno Lanteri, I come to you confident in the words of Jesus: Ask and you shall receive (Matthew 7:7). You said, “It is impossible to hope too much; the one who hopes for everything attains everything.” You taught that the greatest miracles are those that change the heart. Through your intercession, may the good God, whose infinite mercy surpasses all the malice of the world, console my heart and grant my request.
By your prayers keep my poor heart in peace, protect me from discouragement, and help me to serve God with a holy joy. Amen.
O Father, fountain of all life and holiness you gave Father Bruno Lanteri great faith in Christ, your Son, a lively hope, and an active love for the salvation of his brethren. You made him a prophet of your Word and a witness to your Mercy. He had a tender love for Mary and by his very life he taught fidelity to the Church. Father, hear the prayer of your family and, through the intercession of Fr. Lanteri, grant us the grace for which we now ask…. May he be glorified on earth that we may give you greater praise.
We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
A Novena in honor of Ven. Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary
Day 5 – Honoring God by Joy
“Sometimes it may seem as though God does not react to evil, as if he is silent. And yet God has spoken. He has replied, and his answer is the cross of Christ: a word that is love, mercy, forgiveness.”
With spiritual joy, one gives greater honor and glory to God, manifesting with deeds that he thinks well of God and is content in His service and with His treatment. With persistent unhappiness, by contrast, one dishonors God, slights God by one’s deeds and manifests that he thinks poorly of God. …If it is such a horrible thing to demean one’s neighbor, what then will it be to demean God? A sad servant dishonors his master, but a joyful and content servant honors him. For that reason we want to give to others a great idea of God our Father in order to give Him the glory that is His due. We want to serve Him with joy and delight, and not with sadness and against our will. We esteem, we appreciate, we magnify His gifts. We pray by hoping in Him, and we glorify Him again, as a God absolutely good, merciful, generous, and faithful. Let those be sad who serve tyrants, such as the world, the flesh, and the devil.
”Speak about God with all, however, in a way that is worthy of Him. It is in accordance with the counsel of the Holy Spirit: Think of God in a spirit of goodness (Wisdom 1:1).”
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you created me in your plan of love. You created all the things on the face of the earth to help me find true happiness. Fully aware of my weakness, I resolve this day to think of you as you really are: merciful, compassionate, loving, and determined to bring me happiness.
Daily Novena Prayer
Venerable Bruno Lanteri, I come to you confident in the words of Jesus: Ask and you shall receive (Matthew 7:7). You said, “It is impossible to hope too much; the one who hopes for everything attains everything.” You taught that the greatest miracles are those that change the heart. Through your intercession, may the good God, whose infinite mercy surpasses all the malice of the world, console my heart and grant my request.
By your prayers keep my poor heart in peace, protect me from discouragement, and help me to serve God with a holy joy. Amen.
O Father, fountain of all life and holiness you gave Father Bruno Lanteri great faith in Christ, your Son, a lively hope, and an active love for the salvation of his brethren. You made him a prophet of your Word and a witness to your Mercy. He had a tender love for Mary and by his very life he taught fidelity to the Church. Father, hear the prayer of your family and, through the intercession of Fr. Lanteri, grant us the grace for which we now ask…. May he be glorified on earth that we may give you greater praise.
We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
A Novena in honor of Ven. Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary
Day 4 – Strengthening the Reasons to be Joyful
1. Our gratitude requires it. We have an obligation to be thankful for the spiritual goods we possess. How will we ever show enough appreciation for them unless we really enjoy them and celebrate them?
2. Our honor demands it. How can we rejoice and show gratitude [for spiritual goods] if we are sad and melancholy? One would enjoy, most certainly, being favored by a prince, receiving worldly riches and the hope for even more. Do we have any excuse for not enjoying being favored by God, receiving spiritual riches and the well-founded hope of eternal riches yet to come?
3. Sacred Scripture testifies that God’s manifest desire is our joy. Here are some of the Lord’s invitations:
• “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
• “Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)
• “I recognized that there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do well during life.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12)
• “Nothing is more delightful than joy of the heart.” (Sirach 30:16)
• “Go, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a merry heart, because your works are pleasing to God.” (Ecclesiastes 9:7)
• “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; exult, all you upright of heart.” (Psalm 32:11)”
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you created me in your plan of love. You created all the things on the face of the earth to help me find true happiness. Fully aware of my weakness, I resolve this day to open my heart to your gifts of consolation. Even if I struggle, I will rejoice that you are with me.
Daily Novena Prayer
Venerable Bruno Lanteri, I come to you confident in the words of Jesus: Ask and you shall receive (Matthew 7:7). You said, “It is impossible to hope too much; the one who hopes for everything attains everything.” You taught that the greatest miracles are those that change the heart. Through your intercession, may the good God, whose infinite mercy surpasses all the malice of the world, console my heart and grant my request.
By your prayers keep my poor heart in peace, protect me from discouragement, and help me to serve God with a holy joy. Amen.
O Father, fountain of all life and holiness you gave Father Bruno Lanteri great faith in Christ, your Son, a lively hope, and an active love for the salvation of his brethren. You made him a prophet of your Word and a witness to your Mercy. He had a tender love for Mary and by his very life he taught fidelity to the Church. Father, hear the prayer of your family and, through the intercession of Fr. Lanteri, grant us the grace for which we now ask…. May he be glorified on earth that we may give you greater praise.
We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
A Novena in honor of Ven. Bruno Lanteri, founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary
Day 3 – Turning toward Spiritual Joy
“Spiritual joy is experienced when one ponders the spiritual goods it possesses. What are these goods? Participation in the divine nature (as children of God), union with Jesus Christ, being in the bosom of the Church as her children, God’s special protection, the gifts of the theological virtues, the Sacraments, the communion of saints, grace, friendship with God, the merits of our actions, the glory of heaven that is already almost ours by the firm hope we have (as a son already almost possesses the inheritance that awaits him from his father).
This is the joy that we must seek. Few possess it, because they fail to call these
goods to mind and fail to understand how valuable they are. They are like people who never stop to look at a beautiful painting, or to listen to beautiful music, and really enjoy them. They are like children who possess precious things but do not realize how valuable
they are. Such people fail to ponder and take delight in the state of grace.
Unlike worldly joy, spiritual joy is true joy; it is not based on anything false or illusory. It is to be preferred to all else, because it is good, holy, and superior to anything temporal. Spiritual joy is angelic, because the angels themselves experience it. It is real, and it strengthens.”
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you created me in your plan of love. You created all the things on the face of the earth to help me find true happiness. Fully aware of my weakness, I resolve this day to treasure the gifts that are mine by faith.
Daily Novena Prayer
Venerable Bruno Lanteri, I come to you confident in the words of Jesus: Ask and you shall receive (Matthew 7:7). You said, “It is impossible to hope too much; the one who hopes for everything attains everything.” You taught that the greatest miracles are those that change the heart. Through your intercession, may the good God, whose infinite mercy surpasses all the malice of the world, console my heart and grant my request.
By your prayers keep my poor heart in peace, protect me from discouragement, and help me to serve God with a holy joy. Amen.
O Father, fountain of all life and holiness you gave Father Bruno Lanteri great faith in Christ, your Son, a lively hope, and an active love for the salvation of his brethren. You made him a prophet of your Word and a witness to your Mercy. He had a tender love for Mary and by his very life he taught fidelity to the Church. Father, hear the prayer of your family and, through the intercession of Fr. Lanteri, grant us the grace for which we now ask…. May he be glorified on earth that we may give you greater praise.
We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, save us.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony, save us.
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us.
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us.
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us.
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us.
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us.
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us.
Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us.
Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, save us.
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us.
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, save us.
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us.
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us.
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us.
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us.
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us.
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us.
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us.
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V/. Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood. R/.And made us, for our God, a kingdom.
Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, Who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and hast willed to be appeased by His Blood; grant unto us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate (with solemn worship) the price of our redemption, and by its power be so defended against the evils of this life, that we may enjoy the fruit thereof forevermore in Heaven. Through the same Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R/. Amen.
