novena – Communio

National 54 Day Rosary Novena

Will you join other people across the United States for the 2015 National 54 Day Rosary Novena???

This novena’s primary intention is “For Family and Marriage.”

Would you pray the rosary every day during the 54-day novena (August 15-October 7) for the intention of holy marriages and holy families.

October 7th is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.

“The National 54 Day Rosary Novena serves as a Message of Hope in response to the spiritual crisis in our culture and nation regarding marriage and family, and in response to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops call to unite in prayer for the intention of the sanctity of marriage and family life. While a novena normally consists of nine consecutive days of prayer, this 54-day rosary novena could be considered an extended novena for this specific intention.”

Nine Month Novena in Honor of the Virgin of the Incarnation

A friend of mine sent me an invitation to join her and others in praying this novena. It was given to her by a mutual friend a decade ago. Julie reports “each year, I am overwhelmed by the reports of the novenas prayed and the amazing prayers answered. Please seriously consider praying this quick prayer with me for the next nine months. I promise you: it will revolutionize your relationship with Our Lady, and your prayers will be heard and answered.”

Julie has confidence in the regular prayers of the novena when she says:

If you do take it on, I further promise you: you will likely fail. You’ll forget a day; you might forget several days. Do what you must to remind yourself—stick the prayer to your bathroom mirror, and pray it while you’re brushing your teeth! Place it by your bed, inside or on top of something that you will look at every night. If (WHEN) you fail, then simply double up, or say it five extra times, if it makes you feel better. Whatever! Just do NOT give up. Run to your Mother, confide in her, and be certain that she won’t disown you when you fall down. God bless you and thank you for praying with me!

I am doing the same here: please join me in this sacrifice of prayer.

Nine Month Novena in Honor of the Virgin of the Incarnation

Prayed each day from the Solemnity of the Annunciation the Solemnity of the Nativity, March 25 – December 25. In this novena offer to Our Lady three intentions.

Salve Regina (the Hail, Holy Queen…)

O Virgin of the Incarnation, a thousand times we praise thee, a thousand times we greet thee, for the joy thou didst know when the Son of God became flesh in thy womb. Because thou art most powerful, O Virgin Mother of God, grant what we beseech thee for the love of God: (here name the three intentions).

Memorare (Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary…)
Hail Mary

May the heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection at every moment in all the tabernacles of the world and in the hearts of all men, even until the end of time. Amen.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 9

The order of prayer

Let us rejoice in the Lord, celebrating the memory of the holy abbot, Benedict. (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 9

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, You freed the man of God, Benedict, from the prison of the flesh and bore him up to heaven to enjoy the vision of Your glory. Grant us, through his merits, the spirit of penance, forgiveness of our sins, so that we may one day share the joys of eternal life with him and all the saints. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 8

The order of prayer

Those who offered him food for his body received from his lips the Word of God, the food of life. (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 19: 1-7

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

Lord God, it is Your will that the whole world look to You for salvation and deliverance from the slavery of sin. Grant us a sense of mission, such as Saint Benedict had, and fill us with an apostolic spirit that we may, by the example of our life, help to draw others to You. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 7

The order of prayer

The holy monk Benedict could not have lived differently from what he taught. (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 34: 11-16

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

God of wisdom and of counsel, raise up in Your Church the Spirit which guided the man of God, Benedict, so that, filled with that same Holy Spirit, we may seek to love what he did, and to practice what he taught. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 6

The order of prayer

By the light of contemplation his spirit was lift heavenward. (antiphon)

Pray Luke 1:68-75

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

All-seeing and all-knowing God, grant us the gift of holy contemplation, so that we may see and understand life on this earth as You see it, and as Saint Benedict describes it in his Rule for all who seek God. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 5

The order of prayer

No one can work these signs, unless God be with him. (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 96:1-16

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

God of power and might, You have shown forth Your goodness by the many miracles which You wrought through Your holy servant Benedict. Grant us the final grace of eternal blessedness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 4

The order of prayer

A wise man’s teaching is a fountain of life (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 19:8-12

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

God our Creator and supreme Legislator, You inspired Saint Benedict to compose a Christ-like rule of life, with the Gospel as his Rule, may we persevere to the end in keeping Your commandments. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 3

The order of prayer

I will make you a great nation, and will bless you; and you shall be blessed. (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 23

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

God, our Father, may Saint Benedict be our special patron in heaven so that what we cannot achieve by our own merit, we may obtain through his merits and prayers and Your loving grace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena of Prayer to Saint Benedict, Day 2

The order of prayer

The man of God, Benedict, forsook the glory of the world, for the Spirit of God was in him. (antiphon)

Pray Psalm 15

The prayer of petition to Saint Benedict may be found here, and then pray the following prayer.

Let us pray.

Mighty God, the source of all perfection, by the gift of Your grace, the blessed Benedict left all things that he might dedicate himself more fully to Your service for the salvation of the world. May all those, who strive to walk the path of perfection, not go astray, but run without stumbling and be rewarded by You with the gift eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.