O Glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of all virtues, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me, humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thy loving heart to pray for me before the throne of God. To thee I have recourse in all the dangers which daily surround me. Shield me against my enemies, inspire me to imitate thee in all things. May thy blessings be with me always, so that I may shun whatever God forbids and avoid the occasions of sin.Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces of which I stand so much in need, in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Thy heart was always so full of love, compassion, and mercy towards those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. Thou didst never dismiss without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to thee. I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession in the confident hope that thou will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I so earnestly implore (mention it), if it be for the greater glory of God and the welfare of my soul.
Help me, O great St. Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to be ever submissive to His holy will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven. Amen.
This prayer is said once a day for 9 days, beginning on 12 March and ending on 20 March, the eve of the Feast of Saint Benedict.
The meaning of the number nine (9) has its roots in Christian and Jewish because "9" was associated with suffering, grief, and imperfection, making it a fitting number for when "man's imperfection turned in prayer to God" (Catholic Encyclopedia). We know from the great Scripture translator,
The word "novena" derives from the Latin word "novem," meaning "nine," a novena is nine days' of private and/or public devotion in the Catholic Church to obtain special graces from God through the intercession of a particular saint. We should note that Mary and the Apostles prayed from the Lord's Ascension to the Pentecost experience, a period of nine days (Acts 1).
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