Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 9 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY NINE

Dear Mother, I now come before you
on the last day of this novena.
I know you have heard me, Mary.
I believe you have prayed with me each day
for my very special intentions.

My heart is filled with so much gratitude
as I think of you.
I have in you, dear Lady,
a Mother of kindness,
of gentleness and of consolation.
How blessed I am to be your very own child.

In the course of these prayers
I have asked for many things.
I know deep in my heart, Mary,
you have given me much more.
Oh, dear Queen of Heaven,
that I could face all of my days as you did,
and pray that lovely prayer of yours,
“Be it done unto me according to thy word…!”

As I end this period of prayer,
please continue to pray
for these needs of mine,
which fill me with concern.

(pause)

Prayer can change anything on earth.
I plead with you then,
to remember my intentions to your Divine Son.

Gracious Mother of God,
as I end this prayer,
I ask you to guide me always
closer to your Blessed Son,
Jesus my Lord.
I truly desire to live in His light,
to be an example
to those around me of His love.
Pray with me please
to carry in my mind and in my heart,
His cross of Salvation
and His Gospel of love.
Oh Mary, Mother of Consolation,
pray for me, now
and at the hour of my death.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 8 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY EIGHT

Holy Mary, Our Lady of Consolation,
I come before you today as your pilgrim.
My entire life is a journey,
a pilgrimage.
Constantly do I seek the way of your Son,
as I move toward our heavenly home.

I am inspired by you, Mary.
I call myself your pilgrim
as you are my special Patroness,
my gentle and loving Mother,
leading me each and every day
closer to your Blessed Son,
my Lord and Savior.

Oh Mary, please pray for me
as I continue my earthly pilgrimage.
Ask our Blessed Lord to strengthen me each day
that I may resist
the many temptations of this life.
Pray for me, Mary,
that I may always remember
that I was not created for this earthly home,
but rather for our heavenly home with my Father.

At this time, dear Mother,
please join me in prayer
for the particular intentions of this novena.

(pause)

Look kindly on these needs
and ask our Blessed Lord to help me.

Always be with me, Mary,
as I continue on this pilgrimage home.
When that day comes
when I shall end this pilgrimage,
I pray that you will stand with me
as I see, face to face,
the Father of all goodness,
my God and my all.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 7 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY SEVEN  

Most blessed Mary,
kind and loving Mother,
receive me, your child,
into your tender care.

In your life, Mary,
you always offered kindness
to those around you.
Pray with me now to our loving Lord,
that in my life
I may reflect you through kindness.

There are so many times
in this life of ours, Mary,
that kindness gives way to harshness.
In the rush to “get things done,”
I become quick and short
with those around me.
In my own little world,
I often think only of my own plans,
my own accomplishments,
and I forget that
I am only one of God’s children,
only one of your children.

Dear blessed Mother,
teach me your ways.
Help me to take more time
with those who seek my time.
I want to be like you, Mary,
in every way.
In the rush of each day,
remind me to be kind.

Pray with me now, Mary,
as I place before our Lord
the main intentions of this novena.

(pause)

Please ask our loving Savior
to help me in these particular needs of mine.
Turn your eyes,
so filled with kindness, on me,
gracious Mother,
and help me as I trust so much in you.

I desire always the kingdom of your Son.
Help me to finish this day in His love
and under your kind and gentle care,
Mother of God.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 6 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY SIX

Holy Mother Mary,
again I come before you as your child.
I pray with all my heart and mind
for all of God’s pilgrim people.

Pray for me, dear Mother,
for a greater understanding
of the wonderful gift of Christ
in the Eucharist.
Help me to see in this most Blessed Sacrament,
Christ Himself,
the great and unending gift of the Father.
Help me, Mary,
to feel the nearness of my Lord.
Through the celebration of the Eucharist,
He truly touches me;
He feeds me by His divine sacrifice,
His death and resurrection.

So abundant is God’s love
through this Sacrament.
May I ever see this love,
this grace,
and live as a child of God,
a child of light.

At Mass, dear Mother,
our entire salvation unfolds before my eyes.
Jesus, our Savior, comes to us,
as the wonderful sacrifice
to the Father is renewed.
What a loving Father we have,
and how endless is His love
and mercy for all of us!

Mary, Mother of God,
keep me mindful of this great gift
of the Eucharist.

Please pray with me now,
dear Mother,
for these special needs of mine.

(pause).

Ask our blessed Lord
to keep me ever united to Him,
and always close in prayer to you.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 5 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY FIVE

Dear Lady of Consolation,
Queen of Peace,
be with me now as I pray.
Join your prayers to mine
as I bring my needs before
our most loving Father
and His Divine Son.

Throughout your life, dear Mother,
you offered all around you
a most perfect example
of gentleness and peace.
It is for that inner peace,
that lovely calm in my own life,
that I pray.

Help me to quiet myself
in the midst of the activity around me.
Guide me in the way of peace
that I may seek the time to be still
and hear the gentle voice of our Father.

Mary, please pray for me
that I may quiet myself
in order to learn more of Jesus, our Lord.
Through Him we have the way to the Father.
Help me to take more time each day for prayer,
for deepening my relationship with Christ.
Guide me in the way
of opening myself to His peace.

Pray with me now,
kind and gentle Mother,
for my special intentions.

(pause)

May your gentleness ever be my example
and may the peace of Christ
fill my heart always.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 4 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY FOUR

Mary, Mother of Consolation,
again I come before you in prayer.
Help me to pray to our most loving Father.
Ever guide me to seek in my life
His divine will.
Help me to hold before my eyes
the saving life of your Son.

You are the chosen, Mary,
for your magnificent answer
to the desire of the Father,
the prompting of the Holy Spirit
and the request of the angel.
Your openness to the Father
has given joy to the world.
The Son of God your Son
and our Lord and Savior,
became man through your answer.

Oh Mary, grant that I might offer myself
to the Father as you did.
Help me on the true path of holiness;
this is the Father’s desire for me.
Assist me through your prayers
that I too might agree
to the prompting of the Holy Spirit within me.
Help me to offer others around me
the example your Son expects me to be.

In a special way,
I ask you to pray with me for these,
the main intentions of this novena.

(pause)

Holy Mary, I offer my prayers
for all of God’s people,
for the needs of all mankind.
We are all pilgrims ever on our way
toward our heavenly home.
Watch over us and guide us;
lead us to your Son, Jesus,
our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 3 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY THREE

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
bless me today.
Bless me and join me in prayer.

I am so lacking in patience, dear Mary.
I grow so weary and unhappy at times.
There are days when I even find it difficult
to raise my heart and mind in prayer.

Teach me, most holy Mother,
to turn to you as an example.
Your life is a most perfect example of patience,
acceptance and love.

How truly you can be called
“Mother of Consolation.”
You knew the ultimate grief
of witnessing the earthly death
of your loving Son.
You saw, as so few mothers do,
your own flesh and blood,
hurt, bleeding, and despised,
as He climbed Calvary.
This most precious offering of Himself
to all mankind,
you saw mocked and ridiculed.
Through all of this
you continued to offer for all time
the perfect example of a most patient
and compassionate mother.

Holy Mother, I ask you to help me
become more accepting and patient.
May I ever follow your example
and strive to make these virtues
of patience and acceptance
more real in my own life.

Pray for me, please, dear Mother.
Ask our blessed Lord to make me more like you.
Ask Him also for my very special intentions.

(pause)

Keep me in your love, Blessed Mary,
and guide me always closer
to your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 2 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY TWO

Gentle Queen of Heaven, Mary, my Mother,
kindly turn your eyes toward me.
You who are so filled with compassion
and love for all your children on this earth,
be with me now as I kneel before you.

I call to mind, Mary,
the joy you gave to this world.
Your acceptance of the desire
of our loving Father gave all of us Jesus,
our Lord and our Savior.
You in turn, kind Mother,
knew the joy of holding God in your arms,
of guiding His first steps,
of bringing Him to manhood.
It is with a heart filled with gratitude,
dear Mother of God,
that I recall the joys in your life
which have given me a most wonderful Savior.

Blessed Mary, Mother of Consolation,
through the joy you knew with Jesus on earth
and the unending joy of being with Him in heaven,
please pray with me now.
Ask our Lord to assist me in this need of mine.

(pause)

Grant also, Blessed Mother,
that I may reflect the joy I have in my life.
I am so blessed by Our Lord.
His Gospel of love
must always remain in my heart and on my lips.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 1 – Mp3 audio and text

DAY ONE

Blessed Mary, Mother of Consolation,
I ask you to pray with me now
as I come before you as your child.
Kindly be with me, dear Mother;
guide me in your gentle way.

It was after nine days of prayer
in the upper room that you, Mary,
and the close friends of Jesus
received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Behold me then, most kind Mother,
as I too pray for nine days,
in humble imitation of you.

Blessed Queen of heaven,
you are the chosen one of our most loving Father.
You are the Blessed Mother of God,
our Savior, Jesus.
You are most close to His heart.
Please join your prayers to mine.

Pray with me, Mary,
for these intentions,
these needs that are on my mind and in my heart.

(pause)

Above all, dear Mother,
keep me always as your devoted child.
May I ever have before my eyes
your beautiful example of acceptance
of the will of the Father.
May I ever strive to hold in my heart
the teaching of your most blessed Son,
my Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Day 1- A Novena to St. Teresa of Avila

DAY 1: QUALITY SPIRITUAL READINGst-teresa

St. Teresa you have said:

 “The prioress should see to it that good books are available, especially The Life of Christ by the Carthusian, the Flos Sanctorum, The Imitation of Christ, The Oratory of Religious, and those books written by Fray Luis de Granada and by Father Fray Pedro de Alcantara.  This sustenance for the soul is in some way as necessary as is food for the body.”

—Constitutions 8

In chapter 4 of her autobiography, Teresa recounts the story of a particular visit to her uncle, Pedro Sánchez de Cepeda, wherein he gave her a copy of Francisco de Osuna’s book, the Third Spiritual Alphabet.  It provided the foundations for her spiritual life and remained an important reference for many years.  In time, Teresa added other works to her list of spiritual influences, including those listed in her Constitutions.  It was essential to her spiritual growth and to that of her sisters to be educated by knowledgeable people in the realm of the interior life.

 Through her example and counsel, we are also invited to enrich our faith and our interior lives by reading and studying the writings of the many holy authors whom the Church recommends to us.  Of course, among these, Teresa is one who is especially recommended. Perhaps one way of preparing for the feast during these nine days of novena would be to prayerful read and reflect on one of her writings.

 May she and all of the saintly authors continue to inspire us through their teachings and experience. 

 St. Teresa speaks to us today saying:

 “May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing that you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.
It is there for each and every one of you.”

O God, who through your Spirit
raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus
to show the Church the way to seek perfection,
grant that we may always be nourished
by the food of her heavenly teaching
and fired with longing for true holiness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

St. Teresa, pray for us:
That we may become worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ.

reflection written by Fr. Emiel Albalahin, O.Carm. Used by permission via the  Curia Generalizia dei Carmelitani  Please visit http://www.ocarm.org/en/

The prayer offered by Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor

Audio versions of the “Interior Castle” and “The Way of Perfection” by St. Teresa of Avila