Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ~~ Day 9 ~~

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day Nine
O St. Therese,
seraphic virgin,
beloved spouse of our Crucified Lord,
you who on earth did burn with a Love
so intense toward your God and my God,
and now glow with a bright
and purer flame in paradise,
obtain for me, I beseech you,
a spark of that same holy fire
which shall help me to put things of the world
in their proper place
and live my life always conscious of the presence of God.
As I conclude my novena
I also beg of you to secure for me
the special favor I seek at this time...
( our prayer intention here....)
Vouchsafe to recommend my request to Mary,
the merciful Queen of Heaven,
that she may plead my cause with you
before the throne of Jesus, her divine Son.
Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us. Amen

Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ~~ Day 8 ~~

Portrait painted by St. Therese's sister, Celine [Sr. Genevieve, 1911]
This is considered the most authentic portrait of the Saint; the original is in Darien, Illinois at the Society of the Little Flower.

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day Eight
O glorious St. Therese, who,
burning with the desire of increasing the glory of God,
invariably attended to the sanctification of your soul
by the constant practice of prayer and charity so that,
becoming in the Church a model of holiness,
you are now in Heaven the protector of all those
who have recourse to you in faith,
look down upon me who invokes your powerful patronage
and join your petition to mine
that I be granted the favor I seek in this novena...
( our prayer intention here....)
Vouchsafe to recommend my request to Mary,
the merciful Queen of Heaven,
that she may plead my cause with you
before the throne of Jesus, her divine Son.
Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us. Amen

Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ~~ Day 7 ~~

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day Seven
Therese of the Child Jesus,
most loving Saint,
in union with you I adore the Divine Majesty.
My heart is filled with joy
at the remembrance of the marvelous favors
with which God blessed your life on earth
and of the great glory that came to you after death.
In union with you,
I praise God,
and offer Him my humble tribute of thanksgiving.
I implore you to obtain for me,
through your powerful intercession,
the greatest of all blessings
that of living and dying in the state of grace.
I also beg of you to secure for me
the special favor I seek in this novena...
( our prayer intention here....)
Vouchsafe to recommend my request to Mary,
the merciful Queen of Heaven,
that she may plead my cause with you
before the throne of Jesus, her divine Son.
Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us. Amen

Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ~~ Day 6 ~~

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day Six
O Little Flower of Jesus,
you have shown yourself so powerful in your intercession,
so tender and compassionate toward those
who honor you and invoke you
in suffering and distress,
that I kneel at your feet
with perfect confidence
and beseech you most humbly
and earnestly to take me under your protection
in my present necessity
and obtain for me the favor I ask in this novena...
( our prayer intention here....)
Vouchsafe to recommend my request to Mary,
the merciful Queen of Heaven,
that she may plead my cause with you
before the throne of Jesus, her divine Son.
Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us. Amen

Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ~~ Day 5 ~~

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day Five
O Little Flower of Carmel,
Almighty God endowed you,
consumed by love for him,
with wondrous spiritual strength
to follow the way of perfection
during the days of your short life.
Sickness touched you early
but you remained firm in faith
and prayer was your life.
O pray for me that I may benefit
by your intercession
and be granted the favor I ask in this novena...

( our prayer intention here....)
and the grace to keep my heart and mind pure and clean.
O dear saint, grant me to feel in every need
the power of your intercession;
help to comfort me in all the bitterness of this life
and especially at its end,
that I may be worth
to share eternal happiness with you in heaven.
Amen.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us. Amen

Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ~~ Day 4 ~~

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day Four
O Little Flower of Jesus,
who at an early age had your heart set on Carmel
and in your brief earthly life
did become the mirror of angelic purity,
of courageous love
and of whole hearted surrender to Almighty God,
turn your eyes of mercy upon me who trusts in you.
Obtain for me the favor I seek in this novena

( our prayer intention here....)
and the grace to keep my heart and mind pure and clean.
O dear saint, grant me to feel in every need
the power of your intercession;
help to comfort me in all the bitterness of this life
and especially at its end,
that I may be worth
to share eternal happiness with you in heaven.
Amen.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us. Amen

Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ~~ Day 3 ~~

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day Three
O Therese of the Child Jesus,
lily of purity,
ornament and glory of Carmel,
I greet you, great saint,
seraph of divine love.
I rejoice in the favors
our Lord so liberally bestowed on you.
In humility and confidence
I ask you to help me,
for I know God has given you love
and pity as well as power.
Tell Him, now, I beseech you,
of the favor I seek in this novena

( our prayer intention here....)
Your request will crown my petition
with success and bring joy to my heart.
Remember your promise to do good here on earth.
"I shall spend my heaven doing good on the Earth.
After death I shall let fall a shower of roses."

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us. Amen

Novena for the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ( October 1) ~~ Day 2 ~~

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day Two
Almighty God,
giver of all good gifts,
who did will that Blessed Therese,
being watered by the heavenly dew of Your guiding Grace,
should bloom in Carmel with the beauty of virginity
and patience in suffering,
grant that I Your servant
may go forward in the order of her sweetness
and may be found worthy to become a devoted
and loyal follower of Christ.
( our prayer intention here....)
But if what I ask of you so earnestly
does not tend to the glory of God
and the greater good of my soul,
do you, I pray, obtain for me
that which is more profitable to both these ends. Amen.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 9 ~~

Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your light and Your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The Ninth Day
0 holy Padre Pio, crucified without the cross, our existence, marked by the preternatural, was humanly inexplicable. Your whole life was one of total dedication to God and your fellow man and, like Christ, always doing good. The crowds rushed to you, to your Mass, to your Confessional, for your blessing, to your devotional practises... and returned home comforted and content. Today you continue to be our defender before the throne of God and, every year, millions of people visit your tomb seeking grace or giving thanks for miracles obtained through your intercession.
• Dear Padre Pio, with great trust we turn to you to beg your intercession and to seek refuge. Pray for us; obtain from God the graces we need. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
• Intentions:
That we be good witnesses of the faith for the world.
That we pass on to future generations our way of life loving God and the Church.
That, in this proud age so preoccupied in possessing more and more, we serve as witnesses to a higher value, as was Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
Amen

Novena to the Feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux ( October 1) ~~ Day 1 ~~

We start with an introductory daily prayer :
O St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who during your short life on earth
became a mirror of angelic purity,
of love strong as death,
and of wholehearted abandonment to God,
now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,
cast a glance of pity on me
as I leave all things in your hands.
Make my troubles your own,
speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,
whose flower of special love you were
to that Queen of Heaven
"who smiled on you at the dawn of life."
Beg her powerful intercession
the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment...
(our prayer intention here....)
and that she join with it a blessing
that may strengthen me during life,
defend me at the hour of death,
and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.Amen.

O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,
the soul of your servant Therese of the Child Jesus,
grant that we also may love you
and make you much loved.Amen.

Day One

O Therese of the Child Jesus,
well beloved and full of charity,
in union with you,
I reverently adore the majesty of God,
and since I rejoice with exceeding joy
in the singular gifts of grace
bestowed upon you during your life,
and your gifts of glory after death,
I give Him deepest thanks for them;
I beseech you with all my heart’s devotion
to be pleased to obtain for me
( our prayer intention here....)
But if what I ask of you so earnestly
does not tend to the glory of God
and the greater good of my soul,
do you, I pray, obtain for me
that which is more profitable to both these ends. Amen.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
pray for us.

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 8 ~~

Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your light and Your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The Eighth Day
0 holy Padre Pio, for Christians suffering is a necessary test of faith. God chose you to be a victim and you became a sacificial lamb as an offering for love. You offered yourself to God so that others may have life everlasting. Concern for the well being of others is a hallmark of Christian life. You bear your love to bring among men the presence of God, and thus profess your devotion to Him: "We must love others because they are visible images of God and to love them as God loves them... if God has willingly overwhebned us with gifts, we cannot lock them up in a trunk without forsaking the good fruits that they must produce". Your love of God and humanity moved you to suffer with those who are suffering. It was impossible to eliminate suffering but you saw that you could bring relief and felt obligated to do something. Thus the great work to alleviate suffering was brought into being - The Home for the Relief of Suffering - your hospital!
• We want to learn from you this sensibility. Never must we pass indifferently by our suffering brothers. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
• Intentions:
That the elderly and the sick receive from us the affection that they deserve.
That we manifest our love of God with works of charity towards our fellow man.
That we know how to awaken hope in the sick and that our hearts are always full of good will towards those who are suffering
Amen

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 7 ~~

Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your light and Your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The Seventh Day
0 holy Padre Pio, man of faith and prayer, the multitudes of yesterday and today have come and continue to come to you: Why? They see a man of God, a man of great faith, a man become prayer, a man of suffering, one crucified without a cross... and they remain mute, contemplating your passing hours and hours on end in the choir loft, before the crucified Lord and at the feet of Our Lady of Grace. Who are you to those who come to you, you were asked one day, and you replied: "Among you I am a human being, on the Altar a victim, and in the Confessional a judge". Your Mass was something magnificent! The people crowded close around the Altar, saw you transfigured by love and suffering, and believed! The intensity of the ardour, with all proclaiming that you lived the Passion of Christ and that you were immolated with Him, was marvellous. Pope Paul VI recognised you with these words: "Look at the renown and the world wide following he has brought together around himself! Why? Because he celebrated Mass with humility heard confessions from morning to evening, and was a man of God".
• Most dear Padre Pio, intercede for us before God, that we may live our faith as you lived yours, that Mass may become the source and the summit of our ardour and that our life passes into a constant, living communion with Him. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
• Intentions:
That the Holy Mass and the Eucharist may be the source and the summit of our faith.
That, following your example, we live in constant communion with God.
That we accept unsparingly the adversities that are placed before us as a test of our faith.
Amen

Novena to Saint Michael the Archangel ( September 29 )

Today is starting Novena to Saint Archangel Michael ( for the Feast of Michaelmas Day )

We all know that a novena is nine days of special and focused prayer . I see this as a time to focus our prayers toward areas of struggle in our lives and world, and to recognize that we are in a spiritual battle.

But we are not alone.

We have the help of God's Holy Angels and mighty Archangels.

And they are brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us and encourage us still with their prayers and example. And we know that within this communion of saints there is victory acheived through prayer.

So please join me in praying each of these days , knowing that we are united in prayer . Know that my prayers are with all of you too, for we are all called to be part of this communion of saints within the Church.
Let us faithfully pray :

Glorious Saint Michael,
guardian and defender
of the Church of Jesus Christ,
come to the assistance of His followers,
against whom the powers of hell are unchained.
Guard with special care our Holy Father,
the Pope, and our bishops, priests,
all our religious and lay people,
and especially the children.

Saint Michael,
watch over us during life,
defend us against the assaults of the demon,
and assist us especially at the hour of death.
Help us achieve the happiness
of beholding God face to face
for all eternity.
Amen.

Saint Michael,
intercede for me with God
in all my necessities,
especially
(State our intention here...)
Obtain for me a favourable outcome
in the matter I recommend to you.
Mighty prince of the heavenly host,
and victor over rebellious spirits,
remember me for I am weak and sinful
and so prone to pride and ambition.
Be for me, I pray,
my powerful aid in temptation and difficulty,
and above all do not forsake me
in my last struggle with the powers of evil.
Amen.

Pray for me, St. Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through your powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach heaven where we may praise and love God with you forever. Amen.

Glory to the God Father Almighty Who is wonderful in His Angels and Saints .

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 6 ~~

Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your light and Your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The Sixth Day
0 holy Padre Pio, from childhood you offered yourself as a victim for others. God accepted your aspiration, and at San Giovanni Rotondo, you became "another Christ" suffering. Of your interior struggles you said: "Who will be able to discover the interior martydom that I suffer? A single memory of those inner battles makes my blood run cold in my veins. I heard the voice that called me to obey you, 0 God, but your enemies tyranise me, wrench my bones and contort my entrails...". One day, on your body, appeared the stigmata. You desired to be a victim for all, for those that you knew and for those that you didn't know, for the just and the unjust. From the time of your discharge from military service you had become aware of much evil in the world, and you offered yourself for the Church and you asked God that He discharge on you His punishments for these evils as necessary propitiation: you wanted to bear the punishment for the sins of others.
• Grant to us from God the ability to accept sufferings and to make them an offering of love.

We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
• Intentions:
That our sufferings become the portal to a union with Christ.
That God will help us comprehend the efficacious power of accepting our crosses.
That God will teach us how to accept and offer our sufferings to Him
Amen

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 5 ~~

Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your light and Your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The Fifth Day
0 holy Padre Pio, your life was simple and far from easy. You were tried by suffering and temptations and the pain rendered your heart like a pruned grapevine. Never did you desire that your suffering become visible exteriorly and you preferred to suffer in silence. To be seen wounded was not important because you knew that it was God who wounded you; you have learned well that to accept suffering does not mean neither to be sorry, neither to love suffering but rather to accept that it therefore humbles one, as the earth accepts rain from the heavens that penetrates to its depths. In this way you coped, Padre Pio, and were able to hide your suffering with the roses of serene acceptance.
• Teach us to have an authentic Christian attitude toward suffering so that its purifying and evangelistic action can be completed in us. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
• Intentions:
That we understand suffering in a Christian context.
That we accept in the spirit of faith our illnesses and those of our brothers.
That we know to value our suffering as an instrument of purification and evangelisation.
Amen

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 4 ~~

Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena


Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your light and Your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The Fourth Day
0 holy Padre Pio, in the friary you began a new life, the results of which you already knew, as you yourself said: "I was only 16years old but 1 knew what I must become to We on the h of a Religious... I had to dedicate myself in order to even better the call of my voluntary commitment and to become competent in philosophy and theology. It was a communal life that demanded a strong spiritual enrichment...": No one mislead you. Your mother, when you left for the friary, said: "Knowingly you have come along to the door of your new house... Now, with your Brothers, return to the work as always. Remember me in your prayers and never forget that, above all you are a son of God and St. Francis. How much is asked, but you do not merit grief from your own loved ones, if that does not give you joy to have found the true way of life... ". Thus began your life as a Religious.
Instil in the Church a generous spirit capable of leaving all to follow Christ. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
• Intentions:
That all priests are felt to be witnesses of the faith as a resource to the people.
Let us pray.
That all priests remain in communion with the Pope and the Bishops.
That we profit those present every moment, with the testimony of our fraternal life.
Amen

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 3 ~~

Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me Your light and Your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need Your presence.
Without You I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within Your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The Third Day
0 holy Padre Pio, you flourished in a profoundly religious family. One day your father called you close to himself and asked a momentous question: "My son, would it not appeal to you to become a friar or a priest?"
From reading interviews of children on the subject of their future, we see that they do not even consider the possibility of a consecrated life. When asked what they want to be when grown up, they want to become members of the armed forces, doctors, fashion designers or teachers, and life as a Religious is not in their plans. Why? Still the greatest honour for a family is to have a son that God has chosen to be a Religious or a priest. We ask you to safeguard the Church so that numerous vocations are born and that there will be many holy Religious. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

• Intentions:
That all the services that we lend are expressions of Faith in the Gospel.
Let us pray.
- That we know to remain near our poor and needy brothers.
Let us pray.
- That our lives are an expression of Evangelical service in words and deeds.
Amen

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

O my afflicted Mother! Queen of martyrs and of sorrows,
thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son,
who died for my salvation;
but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost?
By the merit, then, of thy sorrows,
obtain me true contrition for my sins,
and a real amendment of life,
together with constant and tender compassion
for the sufferings of Jesus and thy dolours.
And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent,
have suffered so much for love of me,
obtain that at least I, who am deserving of hell,
may suffer something for your love.
"O Lady," will I say with St. Bonaventure,
"if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart;
if I have served thee, I now ask wounds for my reward.
It is shameful to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded,
and thee wounded with Him, and myself without a wound."
In fine, O my Mother, by the grief thou didst experience
in seeing thy Son bow down His head
and expire on the cross in the midst of so many torments,
I beseech thee to obtain me a good death.
Ah, cease not, O advocate of sinners,
to assist my afflicted soul in the midst of the combats
in which it will have to engage on its great passage
from time to eternity.
And as it is probable that I may then have lost my speech,
and strength to invoke thy name and that of Jesus,
who are all my hope, I do so now; I invoke thy Son
and thee to succour me in that last moment;
and I say, Jesus and Mary,
to you I commend my soul.
Amen.

( more about the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows , Queen of Maryrs , on my other journal dedicated to Holy Mother of God )

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 2 ~~

Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me your light and your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need your presence.
Without you I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The Second Day
O glorious Padre Pio, from infancy you offered yourself to God as an instrument of reparation. With your impoverished family you began to grow in age, wisdom and goodness. Your father, dreaming of a better tomorrow, left for Argentina and you, who said, "My father went far away frrom his wife and children in order to provide all of us with something to eat", recognised the courage of this gesture. Your mother undertook the task of providing for the family by working in the fields so that nothing would be lacking.
We have your testimony that you left us to serve as a lesson: "From early childhood we worked with commitment... We worked for our daily bead... Our affection devolved on our parents... With them we siruggled in the great battle of life... "
• May the Lord grant to us sons and daughters: dedication to good works, devoutness, and a close relationship with our families. This we ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

• Intentions:
- So that we be a family, for the children, school and church.
Let us pray.
- So that the children grow to love and respect their parents.
Let us pray.
- So that the family loves and honours God, for the family that prays together remains united.

Feast of Triumph( Exaltation ) of the Holy Cross

O God, Who for the redemption of the world, wast pleased to be born in a stable and to die upon a cross; O Lord Jesus Christ, by Thy holy sufferings, which we, Thy unworthy servants, call to mind: by Thy Holy Cross, and by Thy death, deliver us from the pains of Hell, and vouchsafe to conduct us whither Thou didst conduct the good thief who was crucified with Thee, Who livest and reignest eternally in Heaven. Amen.

Sweet the wood, sweet the nails,
sweet the Burden which thou bearest,
for thou alone, O Holy Cross,
wast worthy to bear the King and Lord of Heaven.
Join me in prayers for the Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross http://catholicjourneytoemmaus.blogspot.com/2009/09/feast-of-triumph-exaltation-of-holy.html

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( September 15 ) ~~ Day 9~~

Ninth Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Ninth Sorrow of Mary
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.
Hail Mary..

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of His Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this prayer request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most Precious Blood, but one pang of His loving Sacred Heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on our behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Padre Pio Novena ( Feast September 23 ) ~~Day 1 ~~

Join me in praying faithfully Novena for the Feast of Padre Pio .
The novena I'm posting is taken from an awesome site Padre Pio in Scotland
Introductory Prayer ~~ pray before each day of Novena

Come to me as Father and friend, Jesus, and do not leave me alone;
Lord, abide with me!
I am just a pilgrim wandering in a world enveloped by darkness;
bestow on me your light and your grace.
Lord, abide with me!
In this precious moment, embrace me;
let this union between us last forever.
Lord, abide with me!
Accompany me along life's journey; I need your presence.
Without you I become faint and fall.
Lord, abide with me!
Evening is coming and I am racing like a river towards
the deep sea of death.
Lord, abide with me!
Be my strength in sorrow and in happiness,
whilst I live and until I die within your embrace.
Lord, abide with me!

The First Day
0 glorious and holy Padre Pio, we are at your feet, turn your gaze to us. We are devoted to you; we admire your life and follow your teachings, and have experienced the power of your intercession.

While you lived in this world, multitudes of people arrived every day in San Giovanni Rotondo to recognise and behold your credence, to receive pardon through your word, to hear your teachings and to invoke your intercession.

With this same love and conscious of the glorious power of your prayers before God, we are prostrate at your feet.
• Pray for us. We entrust ourselves to you, certain that you will obtain for us from God the graces of which we are in need. We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.

• Intentions:
- That the Lord grants to the world and to the Church responsible, faithful leadership.
Let us pray.
- That every family be healthy in body and spirit.
Amen

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( September 15 ) ~~ Day 8 ~~

Eigth Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Eight Sorrow of Mary
Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief, beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst co-operate in the benefit of my redemption by thy innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only-begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner.
Oh! make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son. that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins; arid that, persevering till death in His grace, I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.
Mother of Love, of Sorrow, and of Mercy, pray for us.
Hail Mary..

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of His Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this prayer request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most Precious Blood, but one pang of His loving Sacred Heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on our behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( September 15 ) ~~ Day 7 ~~

Seventh Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Seventh Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Virgin,
sorrow again filled your heart when the sacred body of Jesus
was taken from your arms and placed in the grave.
I wish to join with you in this last sorrow of yours, and ask you to obtain for me,
through the sufferings of Jesus, which were the cause of all your sorrow,
a sincere sorrow for my sins, a burning love for God,
and a tender and practical devotion towards you.
Hail Mary..

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of His Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this prayer request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most Precious Blood, but one pang of His loving Sacred Heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on our behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( September 15 ) ~~ Day 6 ~~

Sixth Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Sixth Sorrow of Mary
Most Sorrowful Mother,
sorrow filled your heart
when the adorable body of your divine Son Jesus
was taken down from the Cross and laid in your arms.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow,
and ask you to obtain for me the grace to receive Jesus into my soul before I die,
so that I may be perfectly inited to him for ever in heaven.
Hail Mary..

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of His Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this prayer request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most Precious Blood, but one pang of His loving Sacred Heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on our behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( September 15 ) ~~ Day 5 ~~

Fifth Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Fifth Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Mother,
the greatest sorrow filled your heart
when you stood near the Cross of Jesus,
and watched Him die in suffering for the sins of the world,
without being able to do anything to help Him.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow,
and ask you, O Queen of Martyrs,
to obtain for me the grace to fight against all my temptations,
even though it costs me effort and suffering and death,
so that, strengthened by His love when I am dying,
I may obtain the grace of a happy death.
Hail Mary..

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of His Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this prayer request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most Precious Blood, but one pang of His loving Sacred Heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on our behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( September 15 ) ~~ Day 4 ~~

Fourth Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Fourth Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Mother, sorrow filled your motherly heart
when you followed your dear Son to Calvary, and saw Him falling under the weight of the Cross.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow,
and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me the grace
to bear with patience whatever cross it will please God to send me.
Hail Mary..

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of His Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this prayer request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most Precious Blood, but one pang of His loving Sacred Heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on our behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( September 15 ) ~~ Day 3 ~~

Third Day of the Novena

Prayer in honour of the Third Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Virgin,
sorrow filled your heart when you were separated from your divine Son,
who remained lost for three days in Jerusalem
while you looked everywhere for Him.
I wish to join with you in the sorrow you felt then,
and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs,
to obtain for me the grace never to lose Jesus your Son,
but always to remain united to Him by the help of His grace.
Hail Mary..

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of His Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this prayer request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most Precious Blood, but one pang of His loving Sacred Heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on our behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( September 15 ) ~~ Day 2 ~~

Second Day of the Novena

Prayer in honour of the Second Sorrow of Mary
Most holy and sorrowful Virgin,
sorrow filled your motherly heart when you saw your divine Son hated by Herod
and you had to flee with Him to Egypt, to save the Son of God , our Lord.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow
and ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me
the grace to avoid all the temptations of my enemies
on the difficult road to heaven.
Hail Mary..

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of His most Sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of His Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this prayer request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother of God most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most precious Blood, but one pang of His loving Heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on my behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows ( Feast September 15 )

First Day of the Novena

Prayer in honour of the First Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Virgin,
sorrow filled your heart when,
on offering your divine Son in the temple,
holy Simeon told you that a sword would pierce your soul,
and you knew then that you would be asked to suffer with Jesus.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow,
and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me
the grace that I may always remember my death, which will help to keep me form all sin.
Hail Mary…

The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother (for a particular prayer request )
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since He can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of his most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of his Cross, so to move His Sacred Heart that I may obtain this request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of His most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart; remind Him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on my behalf will be heard. Amen.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.

Novena for the Feast in Exaltation of the Holy Cross ( September 14 )

Adoramus te, christe, et benedicimus tibi,
quia per crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee,
for by thy cross thou hast redeemed the world.
Let us faithfully pray Novena in the Exaltation of the Holy Cross :

Jesus, Who because of Your burning Love for us
willed to be crucified
and to shed Your Most Precious Blood
for the Redemption and Salvation of our souls,
look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for
(our prayer intention here...)We trust completely in Your Mercy.
Cleanse us from sin by Your Grace,
sanctify our work,
give us and all those who are dear to us our daily bread,
lighten the burden of our sufferings,
bless our families,
and grant to the nations,
so sorely afflicted,
Your Peace, which is the only True Peace,
so that by obeying Your Commandments
we may come at last to the Glory of Heaven. Amen

On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (or Triumph of the Cross) we honor the Holy Cross by which Christ redeemed the world.
The public veneration of the Cross of Christ originated in the fourth century, according to early accounts, beginning with the miraculous discovery of the cross on September 14, 326, by Saint Helen, mother of Constantine, while she was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem -- the same day that two churches built at the site of Calvary by Constantine were dedicated.
Christians "exalt" the Cross of Christ as the instrument of our salvation. Adoration of the Cross is, thus, adoration of Jesus Christ, the God Man, who suffered and died on this Roman instrument of torture for our redemption from sin and death. The cross represents the One Sacrifice by which Jesus, obedient even unto death, accomplished our salvation. The cross is a symbolic summary of the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ -- all in one image.
Christians "exalt" the Cross of Christ as the instrument of our salvation. Adoration of the Cross is, thus, adoration of Jesus Christ, the God Man, who suffered and died on this Roman instrument of torture for our redemption from sin and death. The cross represents the One Sacrifice by which Jesus, obedient even unto death, accomplished our salvation. The cross is a symbolic summary of the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ -- all in one image.
Placing a crucifix (the cross with an image of Christ's body upon it) in churches and homes, in classrooms of Catholic schools and in other Catholic institutions, or wearing this image on our persons, is a constant reminder -- and witness -- of Christ's ultimate triumph, His victory over sin and death through His suffering and dying on the Cross.

Ninth Day – Holiness is Jesus Living and Acting in Me
Thought for the day:
“Charity for each other is the surest way to great holiness.”

Let us ask and humbly pray for the grace to become a saint.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting Love of Jesus on the Cross to become a Living Flame within you, and so became the Light of His Love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here we can make our prayerrequest).
Teach us to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess our whole being so completely that our life, too, may radiate His Light and Love to others. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for us.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.Amen

At the end of each day of Novena , let us faithfully pray for Canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa

Novena for the Birth of Mary ( Maria Bambina novena ) ~~ September 8

( Mea culpa for starting 2 days later ) :

Novena for the birth of Mary , Holy Mother of God

Let us pray at the end of each day of Novena this prayer in honour of Our Lady's Nativity

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O sacred Virgin; give me strength against thine enemies, and against the enemy of the whole human race.
Give me strength humbly to pray to thee. Give me strength to praise thee in prayer with all my powers, through the merits of thy most sacred nativity, which for the entire Christian world was a birth of joy, the hope and solace of its life.
When thou wast born, O most holy Virgin, then was the world made light.
Happy is thy stock, holy thy root, and blessed thy fruit, for thou alone as a virgin, filled with the Holy Spirit, didst merit to conceive thy God, as a virgin to bear Thy God, as a virgin to bring Him forth, and after His birth to remain a virgin.
Have mercy therefore upon me a sinner, and give me aid, O Lady, so that just as thy nativity, glorious from the seed of Abraham, sprung from the tribe of Juda, illustrious from the stock of David, didst announce joy to the entire world, so may it fill me with true joy and cleanse me from every sin.
Pray for me, O Virgin most prudent, that the gladsome joys of thy most helpful nativity may put a cloak over all my sins.
O holy Mother of God, flowering as the lily, pray to thy sweet Son for me, a wretched sinner. Amen.
( St. Anselm )

Great Prayers ~~ help for every faithful

O God the Holy Spirit, Whom I have ignored, grieved and resisted from my childhood until the present day, reveal to me Thy personality, Thy presence, Thy power.
Let me recognize Thy Sevenfold Gifts-----the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, of Counsel and Fortitude, of Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
O Thou Who art the Spirit of the Father and the Son, O Thou Who dost baptize with Fire and infuse Thy Love into our hearts-----one thing, O Lord, have I asked of Thee, one thing will I seek: not riches, rank, power, earthly home and happiness, but one ray of that holy light, one spark of that holy fire which will inflame me and plunge me into the fire of Divine Love!
Let this Sacred Fire flame up in me and destroy in me every remnant of sin which defiles my body or soul. Cleanse me in a sevenfold manner with Thy Gifts. Transform me into a holocaust, holy and entirely pleasing to Thee. Inflame me with zeal so that I may live the life and die the death of a repentant sinner, deeply penetrated by Thy Divine Love. Amen.