NOVENA PRAYERS

TO SAINT JOSEMARÍA

ESCRIVÁ DE BALAGUER

Charles Belmonte

NOVENA PRAYERS TO SAINT JOSEMARÍA ESCRIVÁ DE BALAGUER

Entrance Song

Refrain   St. Josemaria

Child of God the Father

Priest of Jesus Christ

Instrument of the Holy Spirit.

I           You gathered around Jesus

His family of people

From all nations

Listening to the voice of God. (Refrain)

II          Help me to sanctify myself

In the ordinary circumstances

Of daily life

In the middle of the world. (Refrain)

All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Leader: Brothers and sisters, as children of God and of our Blessed Mother we are gathered here to honor the memory of St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer. We desire to learn from him to love God and to obey His holy will as perfectly as he always did.

First of all, let us ask our Father-God’s mercy and pardon.

All: Merciful Father,

you sent your beloved Son

to redeem us by his passion, death and resurrection

and to give us new life in the Holy Spirit.

By this, you make us your children

and give us our Christian vocation,

a vocation to seek personal sanctity

and to love one another in Christ.

How many times in the past

I have forgotten this sublime dignity!

I have sinned against you, Father,

and against my brothers and sisters.

I am heartily sorry for my sins.

Grant me your forgiveness.

I firmly resolve with the help of your grace,

to confess my sins, to do penance

and to amend my life. Amen.

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

Read the passage assigned for each day of the Novena.

Considerations

Read the passage assigned for each day of the Novena.

Scriptural Reading

You may read the indicated passages from the Bible.

Prayer of the faithful

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven.

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, redeemer of the world.

Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit.

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God.

Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary.

The response for the rest is

Pray for us.

Holy Mother of God.

Mother of Christ.

Mother of the Church.

Mother of divine grace.

Saint Joseph, teacher of interior life.

Saint Josemaría, Founder of Opus Dei, a way of sanctification in ordinary work.

Saint Josemaría, model of sanctity for priests.

That we may grow in love and veneration for the Eucharist.

That Holy Communion may always be the nourishment and strength of our souls.

That we may not lose God’s friendship forever by unrepented sin.                              —  Pray for us

That we may seek Christ’s forgiveness frequently in the sacrament of Penance.

That we may be filled with the zeal of the Holy Spirit and become courageous witnesses of God’s love.

That we may be meek and humble of heart as Jesus was.

That we may remind ourselves of God’s presence often during the day.

That we may be aware that God is talking to us, his children, in the events of daily life.

That we may pray daily, talking to God always as our Father.

That we may keep away from temptation with the help of His grace.

That we may reverence our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit.

That we may forgive those who wrong us.

That we may remove resentment toward them.

That we may have constant concern for the spiritual life of others.

That we may be delivered from the desire of being preferred to others.

That others may be praised while we pass unnoticed.

That we may grow in concern for those who suffer.

That we may work to achieve a fairer distribution of material goods.

That we may share our talents with others, especially the less fortunate.

That the Holy Spirit may sanctify the Pope, the bishops and the clergy.

That we may be blessed with many priestly vocations.

That we, the lay people, may grow in sense of responsibility to make Christian principles present wherever we are.                             —  Pray for us

That we may die in peace, comforted by the hope in the Risen Lord.

Let us pray in silence for other intentions. (Silence)

We fly to your patronage, Holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray for us, O Mother of God.

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

Prayer for each day

Read the prayer assigned for each day of the Novena.

Aspiration

Read the aspiration assigned for each day of the Novena. You may repeat it during the day.

Prayer for Saint Josemaría’s intercession

O God, through the Blessed Virgin Mary, you granted countless graces to your priest St. Josemaría, choosing him as a most faithful instrument to found Opus Dei, a way of sanctification in daily work and in the fulfillment of the ordinary duties of a Christian. Grant that I may also learn to turn all the circumstances and events of my life into opportunities to love you and to serve the Church, the Pope and all souls with joy and simplicity, lighting up the paths of the earth with faith and love. Through the intercession of St. Josemaría grant me the favor I request ... (here make your request). Amen.

Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory be to the Father….

Sancta Maria Sedes Sapientiæ, Ancilla Dómini.

Ora pro nobis.

Holy Mary, seat of Wisdom, handmaid of the Lord.

Pray for us.

Recessional Song

Refrain   St. Josemaria

Child of God the Father

Priest of Jesus Christ

Instrument of the Holy Spirit.

III         Give me patience and strength

To respond generously

To the demands of

My Christian vocation. (Refrain)

IV         Teach me to love Mary

My dear sweet Mother

And to rely always

On her protection and care. (Refrain)

Lyrics: C. Belmonte

Music: J. Gaela

FIRST DAY

THE SANCTIFICATION OF WORK

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

What I have always taught, over the last forty years, is that a Christian should do all honest human work, be it intellectual or manual, with the greatest perfection possible: with human perfection (professional competence) and with Christian perfection (for love of God’s Will and as a service to mankind). Human work done in this manner, no matter how humble or insignificant it may seem, helps to shape the world in a Christian way. The world’s divine dimension is made more visible and our human labor is thus incorporated into the marvelous work of Creation and Redemption. It is raised to the order of grace. It is sanctified and becomes God’s work, “operatio Dei, opus Dei”. (Conversations, no. 10)

Considerations

Saint Josemaría constantly taught, with the example of his entire life and with his word, that the great path of sanctification for men and women consists in accomplishing one’s work imitating Jesus Christ.

The spirit of Opus Dei hinges basically on sanctifying one’s work. Saint Josemaría used to tell the persons coming to him, “Sanctify your work, sanctify others in your work and sanctify yourself with your work.”

He ardently desired that all Christians imitate Jesus Christ, who lived a life of intense work. Jesus worked first in the workshop of Joseph during his years in Nazareth, and later, during his public life, in the unrelenting task of announcing the Gospel. Hanging on the cross, our Lord surrendered his spirit after having fully accomplished the task his heavenly Father entrusted to him.

Saint Josemaría appreciated –and made all appreciate– work as a great blessing from God; as the commandment received by man and woman in Paradise. It will lead them to their perfection and to their temporal and eternal happiness.

The same work, which Jesus fully sanctified, is also for all of us a great instrument of sanctification. Within our work, we accomplish our vocation, fulfill the will of God, have an opportunity to practice all the virtues, develop our talents, improve the world around us, and serve our brothers and sisters.

Scriptural Reading

He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. (Mt 13:54-58)

Prayer for Today

Lord, through the intercession of Saint Josemaría,

grant that we may accomplish our work

as Jesus Christ did;

sanctifying ourselves within it

and making our work an instrument

for the sanctification of the others.

With the help of your grace,

may we fulfill your holy will in everything

and work as best we can.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Aspiration

Cor Iesu Sacratíssimum et Miséricors, dona nobis pacem!

Most sacred and merciful Heart of Jesus, grant us peace!

SECOND DAY

SANCTIFYING HOME AND FAMILY

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

I am moved that the Apostle should call Christian marriage sacramentum magnum –a great sacrament. From this, too, I deduce the enormous importance of the task of parents.

You share in the creative power of God: that is why human love is holy, good and noble. It is a gladness of heart which God –in his loving providence– wants others freely to give up.

Each child that God grants you is a wonderful blessing from him: don’t be afraid of children! (The Forge, no. 691)

Considerations

Saint Josemaría’s apostolate and teaching were constantly directed to improve the situation of the families; thus, energized by the spirit of Christ, everyone’s house should become a “bright and cheerful home.”

In the same manner that he considered sanctifying one’s work as a primary duty for a Christian, he also deemed the fulfillment of one’s family duties as a very important factor for union with God.

A good part of God’s will is manifested through family and professional obligations; thus, when we fulfill our family and professional duties, we are fulfilling our vocation of men and women who live in the middle of the world.

At least since 1928, Saint Josemaría preached that marriage constitutes the specific vocation for many. For these, marriage is thus a real path of holiness. These teachings are part of the perennial doctrinal patrimony of the Church. Nevertheless, at that time, these teachings gave rise to misunderstandings, accusations and even a painful persecution against Saint Josemaría. This holy priest was absolutely convinced that one does not need to go out of one’s place to be holy; on the contrary, one should persevere in the fulfillment of one’s duties, beginning with those related to the family.

Scriptural Reading

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. (Lk 2:41-52)

Prayer for Today

We thank you, Lord

for having sanctified family life

by being born and living in the Holy Family.

You have given us the sacrament of Marriage,

a real path of holiness

and a source of graces and happiness.

Grant that we may correspond

to such precious gifts

and guard with fidelity and chastity

the treasure of human love.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Aspiration

Jesus, Joseph and Mary, protect our families!

THIRD DAY

SANCTIFICATION OF THE WORLD

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

I dream –and the dream has come true– of multitudes of God’s children, sanctifying themselves as ordinary citizens, sharing the ambitions and endeavors of their colleagues and friends. I want to shout to them about this divine truth: if you are there in the middle of ordinary life, it doesn’t mean Christ has forgotten about you or hasn’t called you. He has invited you to stay among the activities and concerns of the world. He wants you to know that your human vocation, your profession, your talents, are not omitted from his divine plans. He has sanctified them and made them a most acceptable offering to his Father. (Christ is Passing By, 20, 2)

Considerations

Our Lord Jesus Christ said that his followers should be “the light of the world” and “the salt of the earth;” thus he described with different images the dynamic, active attitude proper to his disciples. It is our duty now to bring the truth of the Gospel to all peoples and inform with this truth all human realities.

The first Christians admirably fulfilled this mission given by the Lord; they gave new life to the pagan world, and new light to culture, and to the social, political, economic, artistic, and professional structures.

This task of re-ordaining the world from within is now ours; thus we must be leaven for the dough, salt to flavor culture, and light to illumine all human situations. Saint Josemaría devoted his entire life to instill in us this great sense of responsibility. We, Christians, must continue Christ’s work of salvation, transforming the world in which we live, beginning with the authentic conversion of our hearts.

Each person must act as a child of God, trying to be like Jesus. Thus, each one will help turn the most pagan environments into fully human and Christian environments where charity, peace, and the happiness that God wants for his children reign. We must work with full freedom and responsibility, guided by the great Christian ideals and principles, to build the Kingdom of God in this world. We must always rely on our Father God who gives efficacy to our works. As we behave like this, with full responsibility and personal freedom, we will not compromise the Church. Rather, we will be personally committed to God and, with God’s grace, will be holy without going out of our place in the world as salt and light.

Scriptural Reading

He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’” He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” (Mt 13:31-33)

Prayer for Today

Lord, grant that we may be your witnesses

in the world where we live and work;

that, by imitating your life of work,

we may fill all environments

with your light and your truth.

Grant that we may always act

with the freedom and joy of the children of God,

assuming our personal responsibility. Amen.

Aspiration

Fiat volúntas tua sicut in cælo et in terra.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10)

FOURTH DAY

OUR FOUNDATION:

WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

We’ve got to be convinced that God is always near us. We live as though he were far away, in the heavens high above, and we forget that he is also continually by our side.

He is there like a loving Father. He loves each one of us more than all the mothers in the world can love their children –helping us, inspiring us, blessing... and forgiving.

How often we have misbehaved and then cleared the frowns from our parents’ brows, telling them: I won’t do it any more! –That same day, perhaps, we fall again... –And our father, with feigned harshness in his voice and serious face, reprimands us, while in his heart he is moved, realizing our weakness and thinking: poor child, how hard he tries to behave well!

We’ve got to be filled, to be imbued with the idea that our Father, and very much our Father, is God who is both near us and in heaven. (The Way, 267)

Considerations

The consideration that we are children of God was –for Saint Josemaría– the foundation of his interior life and of the teaching he imparted on his listeners.

God endowed him with a deep conviction of this consoling reality: God is my Father! More than once he had spiritual experiences that organized his way of feeling, thinking and acting. On the other hand, he corresponded to these exceptional graces with constant effort, throughout his entire life, cultivating this sense of divine filiation.

He used little “human devices” or reminders that brought him back again and again to the contemplation of this sublime and fascinating truth: I am a son of God! He engraved in the souls of those he directed that one needs to remain in a steady dialogue with the Lord, with the confidence of a child who constantly acts under the glance of his Father-God.

From the consideration of his adopted divine filiation in Christ, he derived a serene cheerfulness even in the midst of trials and suffering, a firm determination to fulfill the will of our Father-God, a tender and strong love that led him to imitate Christ in everything, and an amazing zeal for the glory of God.

Scriptural Reading

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom 8:15-17)

or

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. (1 Jn 3:1-3)

Prayer for Today

O God, you taught us to call you “Father”

and you wanted us to be your children.

Grant, through the intercession of Saint Josemaría,

that we may grow in the sense of our divine filiation

and that we may behave as faithful children. Amen.

Aspiration

Abba, Father!

Dómine tu omnia nosti, tu scis quia amo te!

Father! My father! (Rom 8:15)

Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you! (Jn 21:15)

FIFTH DAY

UNITY OF LIFE

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

We Christians cannot resign ourselves to leading a double life; our life must be a strong and simple unity into which all our actions converge. (Christ Is Passing By, 126)

Let us try, therefore, never to lose our supernatural outlook. Let us see the hand of God in everything that happens to us: both in pleasant and unpleasant things, in times of consolation and in times of sorrow, as in the death of someone we love. Your first instinct always should be to talk to your Father God, whom we should seek in the depths of our souls. And we cannot consider this a trivial or unimportant matter. On the contrary, it is a clear sign of a deep interior life, of a true dialogue of love. Far from being psychologically deforming, constant prayer should be for a Christian as natural as the beating of his heart. (Friends of God, 247)

Considerations

A Christian cannot have a double life. A constantly renewed conviction of our divine filiation should lead us to acquire a simple and strong unity of life. As creatures who feel loved by our Father God, our actions should always be imbued with the fidelity of a good son or daughter.

St. Josemaría preached always, –with words and deeds– that a Christian is a child of God; thus, he cannot behave at certain moments as if he were not. He saw that the great evil of the contemporary world was the divorce of faith and life, and, with optimism, he encouraged all to restore that unity, which is a source of salvation. He proposed the ideal of elevating all our actions –with the grace of God– to the supernatural level, thus turning them into instruments of sanctification and apostolate. Family life, the fulfillment of one’s professional, civic, patriotic and social duties, are –for a Christian– the privileged means to fulfill the will of God. Hence, these duties become a means to sanctify oneself and serve God and neighbor.

For Saint Josemaría, the most diverse occupations could and should be turned into occasions to pray, to meet God, to adore him, to serve him, and to love him. “An hour of study, for a modern apostle, is an hour of prayer.” (The Way, 335), he used to say referring to the occupation of a normal student, which is to study. Similarly, he judged that the household tasks, the work of a farmer, of an intellectual or of any other person could become a magnificent means for being united to God when these tasks are directed to God’s service with the right intention.

This unity of life that Saint Josemaría insistently taught makes persons profoundly sincere; nothing in them is mere appearance but their entire conduct responds to deep convictions, which are rejuvenated constantly.

Scriptural Reading

I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:1-6)

Prayer for Today

Lord, grant us to act like your Blessed Mother,

keeping always in our hearts

your words and your deeds

with love and consideration.

Let your life illumine our existence.

We are children who want to be faithful

out of love for you

in what is little and in what is great. Amen.

Aspiration

Cor Mariæ dulcíssimum, iter para tutum!

Most sweet heart of Mary, prepare a safe way!

SIXTH DAY

GROWING IN VIRTUES

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

No matter how much you may love, you will never love enough. The human heart is endowed with an enormous coefficient of expansion. When it loves, it opens out in a crescendo of affection that overcomes all barriers.

If you love Our Lord, there will not be a single creature that does not find a place in your heart. (The Way of the Cross, 8th Station, no. 5)

Considerations

To be consistent with our condition of children of God, and to live the unity of life inherent to it, we have to practice all virtues. We should practice the human virtues (such as order, discipline, loyalty, hard working and sincerity) as well as the supernatural ones. The greatest among the latter is charity. Charity gives perfection to all other virtues and is the core of sanctity. Our Lord summarized “all the Law and the prophets” in the love of God and neighbor. In the Last Supper, he identified charity as the distinctive mark of his disciples.

Saint Josemaría always gave much importance to this virtue. He considered that justice, chastity, and any other virtue are worth nothing if they are not imbued with charity. Thus, the first thing we should ask God is to be able to love him above all things, and our neighbor –out of love for him– as ourselves.

Saint Josemaría always taught that charity must be universal, without excluding anyone; without distinctions or prejudices. A Christian should love the poor and the rich, the closer and the distant ones, believers and unbelievers. In a follower of Jesus there is no place for resentment, hatred, desire of revenge, or any other attitude contrary to charity. “We are not anti-anything,” Saint Josemaría used to say. And he thanked God because he did not need to forgive; the Lord had taught him to love all in the right way.

Moreover, well-ordered charity begins with the closer ones; with those we ought to love more; and with those which we find more difficult to practice details of under-standing, and good manners. In these situations we must apply more tolerance, spirit of service, especially in tough moments. To these persons we have to show charity with deeds, in the countless little details of daily life.

The greatest enemy of charity is pride, the egoism of thinking only about oneself. The smallest faults of our neighbor are overblown while the greatest personal errors and sins are diminished and justified.

Scriptural Reading

I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:34-35)

Prayer for Today

Lord, through the intercession of Saint Josemaría,

grant us a great and generous heart

to love our neighbor “with deeds and in truth;”

that we may go out of our way

to help our brothers and sisters

in their way to heaven

where all of us may have the immense joy

of contemplating and loving you

in the company of our Blessed Mother,

and all the angels and saints. Amen.

Aspiration

Páuper, servus et húmilis! Cor contrítum et humiliátum, Deus, non despícies!

A poor and humble servant I am! A contrite and humiliated heart, my God, Thou shall not spurn! (Ps 50:19)

or

Alter altérius ónera portáte.

Carry one another’s burden (Gal 6:2)

SEVENTH DAY

TEACHING THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

We are to be pious, then, as pious as children, but not ignorant. Insofar as possible, each of us should study the faith seriously, rigorously –all of which means theology. Ours should be the piety of children and the sure doctrine of theologians.

Our desire to advance in theological knowledge, in sound, firm Christian doctrine is sparked, above all, by the will to know and love God. It likewise stems from the concern of a faithful soul to attain the deepest meaning of the world, seen as coming from the hands of God. Every now and then, monotonously sounding like a broken record, some people try to resurrect a supposed incompatibility between faith and science, between human knowledge and divine revelation. But such incompatibility could only arise –and then only apparently– from a misunderstanding of the elements of the problem. (Christ Is Passing By, no. 10)

Considerations

The teachings of Jesus should shine forth in order to lead all people to salvation. We should transmit them with the example of our life and with the spoken or written word.

A Christian is a carrier of Christ. Our Redeemer “has come to bring fire to the earth, and he wants to enkindle it.” Thus, we need to foster in us the enthusiastic and effective desire to spread the revealed truth.

Saint Josemaría judged that most of the evils of this world are caused by ignorance, especially religious ignorance. Many commit sins, not out of malice, but by mistake; in other words, out of ignorance of the truth, which is Jesus Christ.

Often, the best work of mercy will be to teach the truth that saves. Saint Josemaría used to say that Opus Dei is “a great catechesis.” He never got tired of insisting that all lawful means should be used to bring the truths of the Gospel to all. “Out of one hundred, we are interested in one hundred,” he used to say, and he always encouraged all not to be satisfied with the abundant apostolic fruit harvested but to aim always higher in this service to the truth and to the salvation of souls.

When we fulfill this duty of teaching the truths of faith, we are fulfilling an imperative command of Christ. As Christians we have received the most beautiful and necessary mission of being “the light of the world.” Each of us should examine and ask himself this question, “How am I fulfilling this essential duty?”

Scriptural Reading

Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. (2 Tim 4:2-5)

Prayer for Today

We thank you, Lord,

for having brought to this world

the fullness of grace and truth.

You want us, your disciples,

to bring these truths of salvation

to all our brothers and sisters.

Strengthen us to be able to fulfill the joyful mission

of being the light of the world. Amen.

Aspiration

Ignem veni míttere in terram et quid volo nisi ut accendátur?

Ecce ego quia vocásti me!

I have come to bring fire to the earth and what would I but that it be kindled? (Lk 12:49)

Here I am because you have called me! (1 Sam 3:8)

EIGHT DAY

THE MEANS TO BE FAITHFUL

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

To be little it is necessary to believe as children believe, to love as children love, to give yourself up as children give themselves up... to pray as children pray. And all of this is necessary to accomplish what I am going to reveal to you in these lines:

“The beginning of the way”, at the end of which you will find yourself completely carried away with love for Jesus, is a confident love for Mary.

–Do you want to love Our Lady?

–Well, get to know her.

–How?

–By praying her Rosary “well”.

(Holy Rosary, Introduction)

Considerations

We can live our life with fidelity, as children of God, in the middle of the world if we apply the means:

· Continuous formation, to improve our knowledge and the practice of Jesus’ doctrine,

· Piety, which nourishes our spiritual life,

· Apostolic action, which helps others to get closer to Jesus.

All of the above should be lived in perfect harmony and united with the fulfillment of the duties of one’s state.

By striving to do that, we keep always young and vibrant the vocation to sanctity we received in Baptism. At that moment, the Lord “brought us from death to life,” as Saint John tells us, and we “clothed ourselves with our Lord Jesus Christ,” as St Paul teaches. Saint Josemaría never tired of instilling these practical truths in those around him: with good doctrine and piety, we can become apostles of the Lord in the middle of the world; we will be able to sanctify ourselves and sanctify many others, being leaven for the dough.

A life of piety does not withdraw us from temporal realities; on the contrary, it should lead us to “love the world passionately,” as Saint Josemaría used to say, without being worldly. We should be in the world committed to improve all structures and persons; with eagerness to serve, devoted to the diverse duties we have as citizens, as members of our family, as workers, or as friends…

Piety is expressed by and nourished with prayer, mortification and the sacraments. These produce fruits of good deeds, of charity and or service to the others. It is not a matter of accumulating external practices of piety but rather of trying to fill with spirit of prayer whatever we are doing. We must cultivate presence of God with delicate affection and live joyfully the luminous reality of our condition as children of God. To achieve this, it is highly convenient to concretize a plan of life –including a few regular practices of piety. We also need to have spiritual direction or counseling, which motivates us to fulfill well that plan and to improve it constantly.

Scriptural Reading

Avoid foolish and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in piety, for, while physical training is of limited value, piety is valuable in every respect, since it holds a promise of life both for the present and for the future. (1 Tim 4:7-8)

Prayer for Today

Come Holy Spirit, God,

pour on us the gift of piety

so that we may listen to your voice attentively

and correspond to your inspirations

with our prayer and our action.

May our prayer and mortification prepare us

to obtain full profit

from the reception of the sacraments.

May our entire life be permeated

with the deep awareness

of being children of God. Amen.

Aspiration

Dómine, ut vídeam!

Loquere, Dómine, quia áudit servus tuus!

Lord, that I may see! (Mk 10:51)

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening (1 Sam 3:9)

NINTH DAY

CHRIST, MARY, THE CHURCH

From the Writings of St. Josemaría

Mother! Call her again and again. She is listening, she sees you in danger perhaps, and with her Son’s grace she, your holy Mother Mary, offers you the refuge of her arms, the tenderness of her embrace. Call her, and you will find yourself with added strength for the new struggle. (The Way, 516)

Considerations

Jesus, Mary, and the Church—this is how Saint Josemaría summarized the great loves he had present in his heart and he desired everyone to have.

Jesus Christ, with his most holy human nature, is the Way, Truth, and Life. The contemplation of his most holy humanity should lead us to adore his divinity. And with him, moved by the Holy Spirit, we reach God the Father. Every Christian, baptized in the name of the Three Divine Persons, must seek them all throughout his life, and deal with them as the One and Indivisible God in the Trinity of the Persons.

Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, by teaching us to do whatever he tells us, brings us closer to Jesus. She is the perfect model of a disciple of our Savior; she precedes us in the pilgrimage of faith. Thus, St. Josemaría wrote: “We go to Jesus –and we ‘return’ to him– through Mary.” (The Way, 495)

True devotion to our Blessed Mother inclines us, first of all, to try to know her. To get there we must contemplate whatever we know from Sacred Scripture, the Tradition of the Church and the teachings of the Magisterium. If we know her, we will love her as the most perfect mother, and we will try to imitate her. Moreover, we should fully trust her as our protection and shelter, having recourse to her in our needs, and seeking support from her powerful intercession. Jesus performed his first miracle in Cana at the request of his Mother, and he continues listening to her pleas on behalf of her children.

Love for the Church should lead us to “serve her as she wants to be served,” as St. Josemaría used to say. His entire life was an act of heroic self-giving at the service to the Church; he even offered himself as a holocaust of reparation and penance for the sins with which people tarnish her face. Love for the Church is mainly expressed by devotion, docility and delicate affection for the Pope, the successor of St. Peter and Pastor of the universal Church. How much do I pray for him?

Scriptural Reading

Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:16-19)

or

Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18-20)

Prayer for Today

We implore you, O Lord,

that by imitating Saint Josemaría

and through his intercession,

we may know and love

Jesus’ sacred humanity ever more;

that we may grow in love for our Blessed Mother,

the Church, and the Pope;

that by being sheltered

under the maternal protection of Mary

we may always live as faithful children of the Church. Amen.

Aspiration

Thank you, my God, for that love for the Pope you have placed in my heart. (The Way, 573)

MIRACLES AND FAVORS

Many persons have been benefited with favors and miracles from God through the intercession of St. Josemaría, even before his canonization. Among these, a case was presented during the canonical process of his beatification: the almost instantaneous cure of a person with great tumors.  For the canonization, the case of a physician, a radiologist who, because of his professional work, suffered an incurable cancer, was presented.

Likewise, after the canonization, innumerable favors from God have been received by persons who sought the intercession of St. Josemaría with faith. Some of these favors could be classified as authentic miracles.

Nevertheless, following the spirit of St. Josemaría, we should ask help mainly for our personal sanctification and that of others, so that we may be faithful in the fulfillment of our duties and responsibilities, according to the situation of each person. Thus, many persons have written to acknowledge the granting of favors such as:

· Healing of broken marriages,

· Return of a spouse who had gone astray,

· Peace in homes wrecked with conflict,

· Finding one’s personal vocation,

· Conversion of persons who were non-believers or distanced from the Church,

· Confession of sinners who refused to receive God’s pardon,

· Finding a job,

· Overcoming obstacles that impeded the running of works of charity,

· Reconciliation of persons who were enemies,

· Recovering health, after applying the ordinary means,

· Consolation in great afflictions and in small adversities,

· Deliverance from bad habits, such as alcoholism and drug addiction, etc.

Let us go with confidence to ask God’s favor through this priest intercession and say:

Saint Josemaría, pray for us.

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