Category Archives: Novenas

The Annual Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe begins August 5th

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An annual post:

August 5th begins a novena to St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, one of my favorite saints for a myriad of reasons. One of them, and not the primary one, even, is his patronage of addicts. He was not an addict himself, but the Church in Her thinking has anointed him for that role by virtue of his death, for he was executed by a lethal injection.

His Feast Day is August 14th.

The following are links to a novena to him I wrote near the time when I began this blog:

The Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe for Alcoholics and Addicts:

Novena Day 1

Novena Day 2

Novena Day 3

Novena Day 4

Novena Day 5

Novena Day 6

Novena Day 7

Novena Day 8

Novena Day 9

There are numerous posts on Sober Catholic about him, the archive of them is here: St. Maximilian Kolbe Post Archive

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena begins today

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The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena begins today. I had almost forgotten. Her feast day is June 27th. Here are some novenas you can say:

Here’s one from EWTN: Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help | EWTN 

Here’s another from Pray More Novenas.

Here’s another nice one.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Rhoda Wise Novena

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Anyone who is familiar with the life of Mother Angelica, the foundress of EWTN, has heard of Rhoda Wise. She was a stigmatist and victim soul and had visions of Jesus Christ and St. Therese of Lisieux. She experienced miraculous cures which inspired many as well as introducing Mother Angelica (before she became a nun) to the intercessory power of St. Therese. Mother Angelica experienced a miraculous cure as a result of a novena she prayed to St. Therese at the instigation of Rhoda Wise.

Here is Rhoda’s story: The Story of Rhoda Wise.

I was chatting with a Militia of the Immaculata friend on WhatsApp about EWTN and I went to look up the Rhoda Wise Shrine website. While there, I discovered a Novena for Rhoda Wise’s Beatification. I am sharing it here because it is very useful to and relevant to alcoholics and addicts. You’ll see when you look over the daily intentions. 

Novena for the Beatification of the Servant of God Rhoda Wise

Day 1 – Today let us pray for all who suffer from chronic and life-threatening illness, that they may be consoled by the healing presence of Our Lord. We also pray for their families, friends, and care-givers, that they, too, may be comforted and strengthened by His divine love as they help their loved ones carry the cross of illness.

Day 2 – Today let us pray for those suffering from addictions, and in a special way, their loved ones who also suffer from the pains of addiction. May they be healed by your divine love and mercy, just as you healed Rhoda’s husband, George, of alcoholism.

Day 3 – Today let us pray for conversions in our families, who are under great attack living in an extremely secularized culture.

Day 4 – Today let us pray for more holy men and women, especially for an increase of vocations to religious life.

Day 5 – Today let us pray for all those struggling with infertility and pregnancy loss. May their grieving hearts be consoled by our Lord, the Giver of Life, and one day be blessed to share in God’s life-giving plans for the conception and raising of beloved children.

Day 6 – Today we pray for greater respect for life, especially for an end to abortion and euthanasia. May all people acknowledge and revere the truth that life comes from God alone. That the dignity of each unique person, made in the image and likeness of our Lord, both in the womb and those aging, has the right to live and fulfill God’s will on earth.

Day 7 – Today we pray for our country that it continues to uphold religious freedoms.

Day 8 – Today we pray for our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world who suffer persecution in the name of our Lord. May they be kept safe and remain courageous during these violent times.

Day 9 – Today we pray for the protection of our holy Mother Church.

Prayers to be said everyday (after the daily intentions, I think?)

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. (3 times)

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

Heavenly Father, the love of your Crucified Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, sustained the Servant of God, Rhoda Wise, in her many sufferings and made her by grace a strong woman of Faith. She led others to the Sacred Heart of your Son, Jesus. She devoutly promoted daily recitation of the Most Holy Rosary. Prayers were answered. Faith was strengthened. May her Beatification come quickly as we ask for her intercession in this need… (Pause and add your intentions). We ask this through the Heart of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord. Amen

Imprimatur: + George V. Murry, S.J.
Bishop of Youngstown – May 12, 2017

With ecclesiastical approval 2020

Source: Novena for the Beatification of the Servant of God Rhoda Wise

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Christmas Novena and the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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For this Immaculate Heart Saturday, I will connect the Blessed Mother’s heart to praying a Christmas novena. It doesn’t matter which novena you pray.

How? Well, think of it: a novena is a prayer said every day for nine days. The Blessed Mother knew through the annunciation of St. Gabriel the Archangel that she was to give birth to the Messiah (So much for that idiotic song, “Mary Did You Know?) Mary may or may not have known exactly when she was to give birth, however, but we can be certain that she was in deep prayer in the days leading up to their arrival in Bethlehem. 

As it was later stated in the Gospels that Mary ‘pondered these things in her heart,’ as a very pregnant woman she knew the day of the blessed event was drawing near. Taking into consideration her foreknowledge of her unborn child’s identity, I would make the comfortable guess that in the days leading up to the birth, she was ‘deep in prayer’ and this prayer was certainly emanating from within her heart.

So, when you pray a Christmas Novena, please do it from the heart: you will be uniting your prayers intimately with Mary and possibly even sharing in Mary’s memories.

Here’s a good Novena: Christmas Novena | EWTN

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena begins Nov 30th!

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Annual post: The St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena begins November 30th. It is piously believed that if you say this prayer fifteen times a day from November 30th (The Feast Day of St. Andrew, the Apostle) until December 24th, you will obtain what you prayed for. I think that the usual conditions apply: that it be in accordance with God’s will, that it not be detrimental to your salvation, and if it requires some effort on your part, that you do that (i.e. job hunting, finding a spouse, etc.) It is believed to have originated in Ireland in the late 19th Century.

You might think that fifteen times a day is difficult. I break it up: five times with my Morning Prayers, five times with my Evening Prayers, and perhaps five times during the 3 PM Hour of Mercy or at bedtime. Another schedule is 5 times at breakfast, 5 times at lunch, and 5 times at dinnertime.

Here it is:

St. Andrew Christmas Novena
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

[Pray this prayer 15 times daily from November 30-December 24 for your special intention]

I just remembered that I blogged about it before.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Novena to the Miraculous Medal

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For today’s Immaculate Heart Saturday post I will offer a reminder for the Miraculous Medal Novena, which begins today (for it to end on the day before, or it can begin onn Suday the 19th if you forgot; then it will end on the Feast of the Miraculous Medal, November 27th.)

Here is one: EWTN Miraculaous Medal Novena . This is the same as the popular ‘Perpetual Novena to the Miraculous Medal.’

 

Miraculous medal

 

The pierced Immaculate Heart appears next to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thus manifesting their union. Devotion to Mary is ALWAYS bound up with devotion to Jesus.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Novena to St. Maximilan Maria Kolbe begins August 5th!

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An annual post:

August 5th begins a novena to St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, one of my favorite saints for a myriad of reasons. One of them, and not the primary one, even, is his patronage of addicts. He was not an addict himself, but the Church in Her thinking has anointed him for that role by virtue of his death, for he was executed by a lethal injection.

His Feast Day is August 14th.

The following are links to a novena to him I wrote near the time when I began this blog:

The Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe for Alcoholics and Addicts:

Novena Day 1 Novena Day 2 Novena Day 3 Novena Day 4 Novena Day 5 Novena Day 6 Novena Day 7 Novena Day 8 Novena Day 9

Here is another novena, published by the Militia of the Immaculata: the Solemn Novena in Honor of St. Maximilian Kolbe.

There are numerous posts on Sober Catholic about him, the archive of them is here: St. Maximilian Kolbe Post Archive

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Another Our Lady of Perpetual Help Coincidence (and novena reminder)

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A while back I wrote about a series of coincidences involving Our Lady of Perpetual Help and yours truly. 

Well, she’s at it again! I was cleaning out the back of the garage to make room for a garden workbench I’m being given when I opened a box that was in the way. Curious, I rummaged through it and there was a stack of Our Lady of Perpetual Help prayer cards! This is what they look like, minus the wording at the bottom:

CultofPerpetualHelpVetusImagoMiraculisClaraVenerata.

So, what exactly is the coincidence? Well, today marks the beginning of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena! I didn’t need the reminder, so it is a curious thing or perhaps just a signal grace.

Anyway, if you want to pray this Novena, this post has links to three good ones to pick from.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena begins June 7th

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The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus begins June 7th this year so as to end on the day before the Feast day, which is June 16th this year. On the day of the Feast it is customary to consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart. The following is a popular prayer that can be used for a novena – it is even recommended to be said every day (which I do.) 

Efficacious Novena
 to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

This novena prayer was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who asked for prayers.
The faithful are invited to recite it daily, so as to be spiritually united with the prayer of Padre Pio.

I. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of [insert your intention.] 
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask any thing of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of [insert your intention.] 
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of [insert your intention.] 
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

Since I have been writing about the Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary as a part of my Sacred Heart Friday series, here are two novenas to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

Here is an EWTN Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Here is another Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Pray More Novenas.

You can say it one day after the Sacred Heart. Some years I simplify things by saying the Sacred Heart Novena so that it ends on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, meaning it goes along day-for-day with the Immaculate Heart Novena. You can do whatever you wish. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Good Friday and Sacred Heart Friday

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O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in you!

And so goes the  ‘Divine Mercy 3 O’Clock Prayer,’ which all devotees of the Divine Mercy Devotion typically say at 3PM local time every day.

That is the time when Jesus died on the Cross to redeem us for our sins. Soon after, a Roman centurion threw a lance at his side to ensure He was dead; as the lance pierced Him blood and water flowed from His side.

John 19:34 Instead, one of the soldiers opened his side with a lance, and immediately there went out blood and water.

Courtesy: Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

Divinemercyvilniusimage

On this Sacred Heart Friday, we honor the Passion and Death of Our Lord. For today is Good Friday. On this day he trod the Way of the Cross and was finally nailed to it, suffering the horrific pain and humiliation for three hours until He died.  

On this day we also begin the Divine Mercy Novena, which leads up to the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday. This my favorite Novena to pray, even more so than those to the Immaculate Conception or St. Maximilian Kolbe! Given what I subjected other to and what I myself endured as a consequence of my alcoholism, Divine Mercy Sunday has a very special meaning for me. (I was also married on the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2008; so there’s another dimension to the holyday.) I’ll post more on Divine Mercy Sunday when we get closer to it.

Good Friday reminds us of the unity of the Sacred Heart Devotion and the newer Divine Mercy Devotion. They go hand-in-hand and complement each other. The visual imagery of the lance that pierced His side and the blood and water that flowed out and the Image of the Merciful Jesus (“Jesus, I trust in You.”) bind the two devotions. If you are a devotee of one, you really should be also of the other. There is a fulness or completion in uniting the two…

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)