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Novena to Jesus through Mary
to fan into flame the fire of our faith
DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3DAY 4DAY 5DAY 6DAY 7DAY 8DAY 9
DAY ONE
AUGUST 14
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.+ Intention
For those in our parish boundary who do not yet know the Lord.
+ Scripture - Luke 12:49
I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!
+ Reflection
At baptism, we were gifted with a candle, lit from the Paschal flame, and directed to go forth and set ablaze the whole world. Before we could set the whole world on fire, we first had to allow ourselves to be ignited with God’s love. Are we enflamed by God? Have we allowed Him to ignite our hearts truly and whole-heartedly?
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DAY TWO
AUGUST 15
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.+ Intention
For those in our parish who are struggling in their faith.
+ Scripture - Mark 14:54
Peter followed him at a distance into the high priest’s courtyard and was seated with the guards, warming himself at the fire.
+ Reflection
Though we are called to be the light of the world, the reality is: We don’t always do that perfectly. Sometimes we are like Peter, before we called him St. Peter, who on Holy Thursday, sits beside a fire — a reflection of God’s love for him — and denies the Lord three times. Sometimes we extinguish the flame of God’s love by our sinfulness. Have we made our glorious comeback? Have we experienced guilt and conversion, so to allow the Lord to reignite a flame of love for Him?
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DAY THREE
AUGUST 16
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.+ Intention
For those in our parish who desire a deeper relationship with God.
+ Scripture - Exodus 3:2-6
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him as fire flaming out of a bush. When he looked, although the bush was on fire, it was not being consumed. So Moses decided, “I must turn aside to look at this remarkable sight. Why does the bush not burn up?”
When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called out to him from the bush: “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am."
God said: “Do not come near! Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.+ Reflection
Each of us, by being claimed as a child of God at baptism, has been called by name. Each of us is called to a deeper encounter with the living God. The same God who entered a covenant with Abraham, who spared Isaac, and who established His tribes through the sons of Jacob, calls you to enter a covenant relationship with Him. All He asks is that you offer yourself, that you present yourself to Him: “Here I am.”
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DAY FOUR
AUGUST 17
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.+ Intention
For those who will begin their faith formation through baptism at St. Luke this year.
+ Scripture - Exodus 13:21-22
The Lord preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire to give them light. Thus they could travel both day and night. Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire by night ever left its place in front of the people.
+ Reflection
At baptism, the Lord promises to provide for us. Just as the column of cloud by day and the column of fire by night guided the Israelites to the Promised Land, so too does the Lord set a fire in us. And He speaks to us, guides us, and provides for us by the fire of faith raging within us. But have we silenced ourselves in order to hear Him speaking to us?
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DAY FIVE
AUGUST 18
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.+ Intention
For those in our parish who are preparing for first Reconciliation and Communion.
+ Scripture - 1 Kings 18:38
At the time for offering sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came forward and said,
“Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord! Answer me, that this people may know that you, Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back to you.”
The Lord’s fire came down and devoured the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and lapped up the water in the trench. Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”+ Reflection
To reveal His great power to save, the Lord descended in flames upon the humble offering of Elijah to consume it to nothingness. The Lord continues to send down this fire of His Holy Spirit upon us in the Confessional, to devour our sins and purify us. The Lord, too, sends down the fire of His Holy Spirit to consecrate the bread and wine, transforming them into His Son’s Body and Blood for our salvation. May we, in response to the great power and mercy of God, fall prostrate in awe and reverence, when we encounter the living God in these sacraments.
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DAY SIX
AUGUST 19
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.+ Intention
For those in our parish who are preparing for Confirmation.
+ Scripture - Acts 2:3-4
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
+ Reflection
At Confirmation, the living flame ignited at our Baptism is fueled by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and stoked in order to muster an even more powerful flame. Like at the first Pentecost, all the Confirmed are initiated into service, as witnesses of the Gospel, carrying the flame of Christ out into the world, setting the world ablaze like wildfire… all from the fire ablaze within us, the fire only God can provide. Are you a living flame of God’s love in the world?
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DAY SEVEN
AUGUST 20
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Intention
For married persons, as well as those separated, divorced, or widowed, and for all those preparing for marriage in our parish.
+ Scripture - Mark 9:49-50
Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.
+ Reflection
You are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. And, as Christ says, this salt that you are is only so because of the fire enflamed within you. When we fail to fuel this fire, to stoke it and build it, it will quickly cease to be. It will turn to ash. It will have no power to warm or enflame the hearts of others. Marriage and family life is the environment, the hearth in which this fire is formed and nurtured. Is your house a home where Christ burns brightly?
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DAY EIGHT
AUGUST 21
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.+ Intention
For those in our parish whom God is calling to the priesthood, diaconate, or religious life.
+ Scripture - Hebrews 12:28b-29
We should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe. For our God is a consuming fire.
+ Reflection
For us to enter into relationship with this living God, to encounter His love and mercy in real time, we must see and hear him. The priesthood is this gift. When lived rightly, the priest is not only a dispenser of grace, but an inspirer of holiness. Deacons are not only assistants at the altar but examples of service in the world. Those in religious life are not only pious persons of prayer but reminders of the heavenly life for which we all hope. God is a consuming fire, but have we allowed the examples of our Church’s servants to inspire us, to open ourselves to being consumed by God.
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
DAY NINE
AUGUST 22
+ Introduction
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.+ Intention
For our parish, that our hearts may be set ablaze with love for God and together become the blazing fire God calls us to be.
+ Scripture - Luke 24:32
They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”
+ Reflection
We all desire to burn brightly, to be so invigorated by the love of God that we simply cannot contain it. More than the most loving relationship on earth, more than anyone or anything, God is our deepest desire, our greatest love. And when we bravely dare to let Him in, to let Him consume us like a fire, our lives become richer, our days have more meaning, the scriptures come alive, and every suffering endured becomes so totally and completely worth it. Is your heart burning within you? Whether it is or is not, it most certainly will.
+ Prayer to Mary
O Mary, whose Heart is enflamed with love for your Son, ignite the hearts of your children. Form us as you formed your Son, readying Him for His divine mission. Ready our souls, O Blessed Virgin, like the trimming of lamps at the wedding feast, awaiting the arrival of the King. Ready us like the apostles at Pentecost, waiting to be overcome by tongues of fire. Ready us like yourself, waiting to be assumed into heavenly glory and united with your Son. Yes, o Mary, o full of grace, prepare us to be engulfed with grace, that we ourselves, our families, our parish family, and the world may be set ablaze. Amen.
+ Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.