Day 38, Novena for Our Nation & Our Church – Love Demands Effort

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Fr Richard Heilman September 21, 2019

DAY 38 – MARY, QUEEN OF ANGELS, PRAY FOR US

LOVE DEMANDS EFFORT

Throughout all of salvation history we see such cries as “Let his face shine upon you” (Nm 6:25) and “Do not hide your face from me” (Ps 27:9, 69:17, 102:3). This face-to-face, “look-me-in-the-eye” bonding is essential in understanding the necessity for making a semper fi connection with Christ. This kind of face-to-face encounter with God changes everything as it calls forth, quite literally, a transformation that cannot be undone. It marks a major shift away from a “face-in-the-crowd,” “Christian in name only,” “do-only-what’s-minimally-required” empty religiosity, into a totally dedicated (semper fi) loyalty in love that remains faithful to God, to each other, and to the mission, no matter what.

Pope John Paul II said, “Real love is demanding. For it was Jesus — our Jesus himself — who said: ‘You are my friends if you do what I command you’ (Jn 15:14). Love demands effort and a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but it also means joy and human fulfillment.” Mother Teresa said of love: “Love to be real, it must cost — it must hurt — it must empty us of self.”

“We have a tendency to think only about self-protection, safety, and avoidance of trouble,” says Bishop Robert Barron, “This tends to be our primary frame of reference. But God thinks relentlessly in terms of love, even when that love entails suffering. So, we ask ourselves, what is our final frame of reference? Is it, ‘How do I avoid pain?’ or is it, ‘How do I love?’ So, if I wake up every morning and my basic question is ‘How am I going to avoid pain?’ then I am going to live my life in a certain way — ultimately, a selfish way. But if when I wake up in the morning I say, ‘How do I love today?’ then I will live the life of a saint.” (Excerpt from Church Militant Field Manual).

PRAY A ROSARY

Choose either:

Rosary of the Day: Joyful Mysteries
Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries

PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA

THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY

Prayer before the recitation: Sign of the cross. Hail Mary.

In petition (first 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I humbly kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses, blood red roses to remind thee of the passion of thy divine Son, with Whom thou didst so fully partake of its bitterness, each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery, each 10 bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition; from thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!

In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I gratefully kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses blood red roses to remind thee of the passion of thy divine Son, with Whom thou didst so fully partake of its bitterness each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery; each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving; from thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I despaired not of what I asked of thee, and thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.

Say: The Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

The Agony in the Garden – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of resignation to the will of God and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Scourging at the Pillar – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of mortification and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Crowning with Thorns – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of humility and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Carrying of the Cross – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Crucifixion – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of love of our enemies and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

Say: The Hail Holy Queen.

In petition (first 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request, see below). Hail Mary …

In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request, see below) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me. Hail, Mary, etc.

PETITIONS: Restoration of the faith in the United States. The universal Church – Specifically: “Prevent approval of serious theological errors and heresies from the Amazon Synod.” Your personal intentions (name them). The personal intentions of all praying the 54 Day Novena for Our Nation & Our Church.

40 Days for Fr. Donald Calloway’s Book on St. Joseph: As Fr. Calloway has been facing demonic forces coming against his book, “Consecration to St. Joseph,” many Grace Force warriors have pledged to pray the Auxilium Christianorum prayers for 40 days (Aug. 21 – Sept. 29). Learn more and see the daily prayers HERE.

40 Days for the Amazon Synod: Cardinal Raymond Burke and Bishop Athanasius Schneider have asked that clergy and laity “pray daily at least one decade of the Holy Rosary and to fast once a week” over a 40 day (Sept. 17 to Oct. 26) with the intention: “Prevent approval of serious theological errors and heresies from the Amazon Synod.” Learn more and see the GRACE FORCE “40 Day Plan” HERE.