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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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
“Whoever has not begun the practice of prayer, I beg for the love of the Lord not to go without so great a good. There is nothing here to fear but only something to desire…And if one perseveres, I trust then in the mercy of God, who never fails to repay anyone who has taken him for a friend. For mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us. In order that the love be true and the friendship endure, the wills of the friends must be in accord.”
—Autobiography VIII.5
On September 27, 1970, Pope Paul VI proclaimed Teresa a doctor of the Church. In his address, the Pope celebrated Teresa’s gift of spiritual doctrine, a fact underlined by the title written on her statue in the basilica in Ávila: Mater Spiritualium (the Mother of Spirituality). She certainly merits this title.
Her writings are not theoretical abstracts, but concrete lessons drawn from her own experience and interaction with the Divine. In entering the struggle of spiritual growth, she came to discover some very important truths about the process of prayer, the truth of God and the realization of self in this context. She realized in a very real and personal way Jesus’ words: “I call you friends.”
Learning from Teresa, let us make ample space for prayer, taking time and having the courage to open ourselves to all of the possibilities that lie open to us when we enter this deep and profound relationship, including our own transformation in God and His love.
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
“The thought comes to me now that our good Jesus showed us the weakness of His humanity previous to the trials, and when He was in the abyss of His sufferings showed such great fortitude that He not only did not complain but did nothing that would make it appear He was suffering with weakness. When He went to the garden, He said: My soul is sorrowful even to death. Yet, while on the cross, for He was already suffering death, He did not complain.”
—Meditations on the Song of Songs III.11.
Teresa desired to share her reflections on the Song of Songs, a rather daring act for her time. Her ponderings on Songs 1:2, led her to describe the peace and union granted the soul, opening the person to the possibility of accepting trials in the service of God, opportunities that also bring one’s weaknesses and limitations to the fore. Desiring to encourage her sisters, she looks to Christ’s own experience during his Passion.
Indeed, the humanity of Christ plays a crucial role in her doctrine on prayer. In his Incarnation, he expresses the profundity of God’s love for humanity, and is the perfect mediator between the two. Moreover, his earthly life serves as the example and guide for our spiritual growth. In this way, he leads us to discover our true selves as we
Thus, as we continue to pray through the intercession of the saint, let us recognize that she invites us to be in love with Jesus Christ, Emanuel, “God-with-us.”
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
“It is that we consider our soul to be like a castle made entirely out of a diamond or of very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in heaven there are many dwelling places. For in reflecting upon it carefully, Sisters, we realize that the soul of the just person is nothing else but a paradise where the Lord says He finds His delight…I don’t find anything comparable to the magnificent beauty of a soul and its marvelous capacity. Indeed, our intellects, however keen, can hardly comprehend it, just as they cannot comprehend God’ but He Himself says that He created us in His own image and likeness.”
—Interior Castle I:1.1
Teresa uses a variety of images to describe the soul, likening it to a beehive, a garden, and in this case, a castle. In doing so, she attempts to explain its innate fecund richness brought about through its creation.
Made in the image and likeness of God, our souls mirror the Divine in our natural interior profundity and in our capacity to do His loving and saving will. Moreover, our souls are where Christ resides and interacts with us, and desires to permeate with his light. The experience of God, therefore, is not something beyond the human experience, but intimately connected to it. Indeed, the work of personal transformation takes place in this interior environment
May we learn from Teresa how to appreciate and care for our souls, that we may radiate Christ to others and give thanks to God for making us his home.
St. Teresa speaks to us today saying:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
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
DAY TWO
