Tag: hope

St. John the Apostle Novena

St. John the Apostle Novena is a nine-day devotion dedicated to St. John the Apostle, one of Jesus’ closest disciples. It provides a way to focus on praying to St. John and seeking his intercession with God for specific needs or intentions.

St. John is venerated for his unique closeness to Jesus. He was the youngest disciple, known for his love and purity. He witnessed many key events in Jesus’ life, including the Last Supper, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. He’s also credited with writing the Gospel of John and several letters in the New Testament.

Remember, the most important aspect of the novena is your personal intention and commitment to prayer. Approach it with a sincere heart and open yourself to God’s grace through the intercession of St. John the Apostle.

Day 1 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 2 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 3 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 4 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 5 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 6 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 7 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 8 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

Day 9 – St. John the Apostle Novena

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O glorious Apostle, who, on account of thy virginal purity, wast so beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay thy head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother:

I beg thee to inflame me with a most ardent love toward Jesus and Mary.

Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly afflictions, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.

(Mention your request here.)

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be

St John the Apostle, pray for us.

Amen.

“Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.” | Monday of the Third Week of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 1:18-25)

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Whatever Joseph must have felt in terms of bewilderment and disappointment, he had already determined a just course of action when the angel appeared to him in a dream. The angel told him essential news: don’t be afraid to take Mary into your home, the child was conceived through the Holy Spirit, and the son’s name would be Jesus, who would save people from their sins. Responding to such knowledge tells us just how open Joseph was to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Just as Mary gave her fiat to the angel Gabriel, Joseph also says yes in exchanging what he determined to be the best plan of action for God’s. Joseph, assured in waking from the dream that Emmanuel would be born to Mary, obeyed the will of God. “When Joseph awoke,” Matthew tells us, “[Joseph] did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.” When God speaks clearly, how willing are we to do as Joseph did in responding to him?

God, help me imagine and take in what Joseph must have felt. To have your direct guidance from the angel Gabriel would leave little doubt about the next decisive steps. To hear you explain how the Holy Sprit moves in his life and in the lives of those around him. Help me, Lord, recognize that just as you were present to Joseph, you are present to me in every moment of the day; give me the grace to awaken to that realization.

From the responsorial psalm: “For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“One among you whom you do not recognize.” | Third Sunday of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 1:6-8, 19-28)

Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

When John answers the Pharisees by saying that there is one among them whom they do not recognize, he refers to Jesus, who would soon appear to John to be baptized. John was not the light, the evangelist tells us, “but came to testify to the light.” The religious leaders of Jesus’ time questioned the identity of John and Jesus, holding them in obscurity rather than recognizing them. Despite that, John declares Jesus’ divinity at his baptism: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” He is the light of the world; John came to testify to that light.

God, just as you sent John to call people to repentance, help me also hear John’s message and prepare my heart to behold the one who is to come, the Lamb of God. The Pharisees questioned John and could not see the truth right before their eyes. Help me see the one John pointed to, that before me in the Eucharist is the same body and blood of the Lamb, the one Isaiah speaks of in the Gospel acclamation: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.”

From the second reading: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” God, be the joy of my soul!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him.” | Saturday of the Second Week of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 17:9a, 10-13)

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.”

Jesus speaks to the disciples after coming down from the mountain, where they had just witnessed his transfiguration. During the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appear and speak with Jesus. When the disciples ask Jesus about Elijah’s coming, the question must have been burning in their hearts, having just seen him face to face. Yet, it is also John the Baptist Jesus refers to when he says, “Elijah has already come.” Jesus tells them that just as John suffered at the hands of persecutors, “So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” In preparing the hearts of the people, John readies them for the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of his mission.

God, strengthen my faith to understand what I need to know. Just as the disciples ask Jesus questions in order to comprehend the role of Elijah in salvation history, I sometimes question how you work in my life through the lives of others. “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things,” Jesus tells the disciples, “but I tell you that Elijah has already come.” You work in time and outside of time to bring about goodness, a mystery beyond human understanding. Let me learn to trust you in momentous events as well as ordinary ones, the mountaintop moments as well as the ones where I tread level ground.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: All flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“To what shall I compare this generation?” | Friday of the Second Week of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 11:16-19)

Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'”

Jesus goes on to tie this comparison to the people of his day: “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'” Hearkening back to the first reading, Jesus sums up all of this by saying, “But wisdom is vindicated by her works.” In that reading, all human conjecture aside, it is God who leads and teaches, regardless of contradictory social expectations. “I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go.”

God, help me trust in your ways. I often try to see beyond what I understand; in doing that, I’m timid to act when I should boldly follow where you lead. I can’t know your will fully if I fully understand where it is you are leading; if I do, then I’m acting more on plans comprehended than on plans that teach me to trust you. Jesus mentions calls to one another in the marketplace, not a dated image but one very relevant today. So many messages to manage and filter through, an exhausting mental task. Give me the peace and wisdom to know how to shut out the nonessential calls from the marketplace, how to find quiet. “The Lord will come,” the psalmist says, “go out to meet him! He is the prince of peace.”

From the responsorial psalm: “He is like a tree planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“I am the LORD, your God.” | Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 11:11-15)

Jesus said to the crowds: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Jesus makes clear to the crowds that he is the one who is to come, the Messiah. In the first reading, the voice of God is distinct; there is no question who is speaking: “I am the LORD, your God. . . . I will help you.” In the same way, Jesus claims his divine identity by saying that John is Elijah—the one who precedes the coming of the Messiah. In that coming, he opens the Kingdom of heaven to all who are willing to accept it. This is the same Lord whose Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and whose dominion endures through all generations.

God, in Isaiah I hear you speak in a booming voice that echoes throughout the world: “I am the LORD, your God.” In the Psalms, you stoop to meet me where I am, the God who is “gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.” In the Gospel, I hear your mild, insistent invitation to enter the Kingdom of heaven: “And if you are willing to accept it . . . whoever has ears ought to hear.” Now that I have heard you, give me the grace today to continue to hear you speak in the events and the people I encounter today. I want to be merciful and kind, but I know moments will come that I’m anything but that. Help me remember throughout the day whose divine assistance I call on: “That all may see and know, observe and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

From the first reading: “I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, “‘Fear not, I will help you.'” Saint John of the Cross, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 11:28-30)

Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

In speaking to the crowds, Jesus invites us to come to him to find comfort and rest. The invitation is also an example. When we see those who are burdened with many cares, Jesus shows us how to enact compassion by lightening their load. But there is a paradox here as well: “Take my yoke upon you.” No one with the intention of helping lighten a fellow human’s load would say, “Take on this additional burden.” Yet, that’s just what Jesus says. In taking on his yoke and burden, we find in the one who is fully human and fully divine humility of heart and supernatural rest from our labor.

God, my ways are not your ways. Just as you spoke to crowds, saying, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,” you say the same to me. Each person who hears these words hears you call them by name. You are the God who gives strength to the weary: “They that hope in the LORD,” Isaiah says, “will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” Lord, give me confidence that in coming to you and taking on your yoke and burden I will find inner peace and renewed strength and the grace to ease the burdens of those around me.

From the first reading: “The LORD is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound.” Saint Lucy, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” | Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (LK 1:26-38)

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

In today’s reading for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Luke tells us in concrete detail about the annunciation. At a specific time and place in history, through the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit, Mary would conceive and bear the Son of God, Emmanuel. At another specific time and place in history, Mary appeared to Juan Diego. She identified herself to him in relation to God, who transcends all times and all places: “I am the perfect and ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the God of truth through whom everything lives, the Lord of all things near us, the Lord of heaven and earth.” God, who entered human history once long ago, never ceases to be present. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we have an abundance of God’s gifts so that we are free to respond by living lives full of grace in the presence of the Lord.

God, just as Gabriel found Mary, you find me in the ordinariness of this specific time and place. Help me realize that you are active in my life, that you are with me, and that through your Son I have all I need to receive the fullness of your grace. I have in Mary the example of life lived in complete abandonment to your will; without the stain of original sin, Immaculate Mary experienced the unobstructed fullness of your grace. Help me see in Mary a model for eliminating the things in this life that prevent me from receiving all of the grace you desire to give me for the sake of your glory. Help me always be ready to say yes to you in recognizing your will.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.” Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Rise and walk.” | Monday of the Second Week of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 5:17-26)

Jesus knew the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

As Jesus teaches, some men bring a man on a stretcher who is paralyzed. Because of the crowd, they are unable to bring the man before Jesus, so they go up to the roof and lower the stretcher through the roof. Seeing their faith, Jesus says, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” Knowing the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus poses a question: Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven or rise and walk. As Jesus tells the man to rise, pick up his stretcher, and go home, he stands up immediately and went home, glorifying God. Seized with astonishment, they all glorify God, and struck with awe, say: “We have seen incredible things today.” In response to their faith, Jesus demonstrates that he has authority to forgive sins and by that same authority heal illnesses.

God, open my mind to the truth of your healing power. It is not limited either to spiritual or physical dimensions of the person but has at its source your divine authority as exercised by your Son. Let me see the relationship between sin and overall well-being, ready always to go to the sacraments to receive forgiveness, strength, and spiritual nourishment. Those who witnessed the healing of the paralyzed man were amazed and filled with awe, giving you glory. Help me recall the times in my life when I have witnessed in awe your divine authority as a merciful and saving God who comes to strengthen and restore us.

From the first reading: “They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Second Sunday of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (MK 1:1-8)

And this is what John proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

At the beginning of the Gospel according to Mark, he tells us how John fulfills what Isaiah had written. Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” In baptizing the people of the Judean countryside and as they acknowledged their sins, John prepared them for the coming of the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit, the Messiah. Jesus calls us today to participate in the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist as a way to prepare ourselves for his coming.

God, help me make good use of this Advent to prepare for the birth of Our Savior. Every day is a fresh opportunity to approach you in the sacraments, in prayer, and in being loving and generous with the gifs you first gave us. You call me to hear and do your will, and to do that there are attachments to let go of, arms that need to be emptied to be able to receive you. God, give me the grace to prepare myself for the coming of Christ your Son.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.