Novena Archives

Day 8- St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:24 — 1.8MB) | Embed

Day 8 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

St. John of the Cross you have said:

Even as vapours darken the air and allow not the bright sun to shine; or as a mirror that is clouded over cannot receive within itself a clear image; or as water defiled by mud reflects not the visage of one that looks therein; even so tDay 8 in the understanding and allows neither the sun of natural reason nor that of the supernatural Wisdom of God to shine upon it and illumine it clearly.

Ascent of Mount Carmel. Trans. E. Allison Peers, Book 1, Chapter 8, Paragraph 1 St.

Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.

Lord God, you gave Saint John of the Cross
the grace of complete self-denial
and an ardent love for the cross of Christ.
Grant that by following always in his footsteps
we may come to the eternal vision of your glory.
And through his intercession, if it be in accord with your holy will,
Grant the petition we bring before you in this novena.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Amen

For more on St. John of the Cross, visit St. John of the Cross: of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty

Day 7- St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:31 — 1.8MB) | Embed

Day 7 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

St. John of the Cross you have said:

What God communicates to the soul in this intimate union is totally beyond words. One can say nothing about it just as one can say nothing about God Himself that resembles Him. For in the transformation of the soul in God, it is God who communicates Himself with admirable glory. In this transformation, the two become one, as we would say of the window united with the ray of sunlight, or of the coal with the fire, or of the starlight with the light of the Sun.

Spiritual Canticle, 26:4; Kavanaugh & Rodriguez, 1973; p. 512

Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.

Amen

For more on St. John of the Cross, visit St. John of the Cross: of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty

Day 6 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:41 — 2.0MB) | Embed

Day 6 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

St. John of the Cross you have said:

The soul, desiring to be possessed by this immense God, for love of Whom she feels that her heart is robbed and wounded, unable to endure her sickness any longer, deliberately asks Him … to show her His beauty, His divine essence, and to kill her with this revelation, and thereby free her from the flesh since she cannot see and enjoy Him as she wants. She makes this request by displaying before Him the sickness and yearning of her heart, in which she perseveres suffering for love of Him, unable to find a cure in anything less than this glorious vision of His divine essence.

Spiritual Canticle, I. 11:2; Kavanaugh & Rodriguez, 1973; pp. 448-449

Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.

Amen

For more on St. John of the Cross, visit St. John of the Cross: of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty

Day 5 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:28 — 1.8MB) | Embed

Day 5 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

St. John of the Cross you have said:

It is clear that the desires weary and fatigue the soul; for they are like restless and discontented children, who are ever demanding this or that from their mother, and are never contented. And even as one that digs because he covets a treasure is wearied and fatigued, even so is the soul wearied and fatigued in order to attain that which its desires demand of it; and although in the end it may attain it, it is still weary, because it is never satisfied

Ascent of Mount Carmel. Trans. E. Allison Peers, Book 1, Chapter 6, Paragraph 6

Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.

Amen

For more on St. John of the Cross, visit St. John of the Cross: of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty

Day 4 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:46 — 2.0MB) | Embed

Day 4 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena

St. John of the Cross you have said:

The road and ascent to God, then, necessarily demands a habitual effort to renounce and mortify the appetites; the sooner this mortification is achieved, the sooner the soul reaches the top. But until the appetites are eliminated, a person will not arrive, no matter how much virtue he practices. For he will fail to acquire perfect virtue, which lies in keeping the soul empty, naked, and purified of every appetite.

… Until slumber comes to the appetites through the mortification of sensuality, and until this very sensuality is stilled in such a way that the appetites do not war against the spirit, the soul will not walk out to genuine freedom, to the enjoyment of union with its Beloved.

The Ascent Of Mount Carmel, I.5.6; Kavanaugh & Rodriguez, 1973; p. 83

Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.

Amen

For more on St. John of the Cross, visit St. John of the Cross: of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty

Day 3 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:24 — 1.8MB) | Embed

Day 3 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

St. John of the Cross you have said:

Before this Divine fire of love is introduced into the substance of the soul, and is united with it, by means of a purity and purgation that is perfect and complete, this flame is wounding the soul, and destroying and consuming in it the imperfections of its evil habits; and this is the operation of the Holy Spirit, wherein he prepares it for Divine union and the transformation of its substance in God through love.

Saint John of the Cross, taken from Saint John of the Cross: Poems, translated by Willis Barnstone (New York: New Directions, 1972).

Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.

Amen

For more on St. John of the Cross, visit St. John of the Cross: of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty

Day 2 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:51 — 2.1MB) | Embed

Day 2 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

St. John of the Cross you have said:

When there is union of love, the image of the Beloved is so sketched in the will and drawn so vividly, that it is true to say that the Beloved lives in the lover and the lover in the Beloved. Love produces such likeness in this transformation of lovers that one can say each is the other and both are one. The reason is, that in the union and transformation of love, each gives possession of self to the other, and each leaves and exchanges self for the other. Thus each one lives in the other and is the other, and both are one in the transformation of love. (1)

…Thus, no one … can disturb the soul that is liberated and purged of all things and united with God. She enjoys now in this state a habitual sweetness and tranquility which is never lost or lacking to her. (2)

(1) Spiritual Canticle, 12 :7; Kavanaugh & Rodriguez, 1973; p. 455 ; (2) Spiritual Canticle, 24 :5; Kavanaugh & Rodriguez, 1973; p. 503

Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.

Lord God, you gave Saint John of the Cross
the grace of complete self-denial
and an ardent love for the cross of Christ.
Grant that by following always in his footsteps
we may come to the eternal vision of your glory.And through his intercession, if it be in accord with your holy will,
Grant the petition we bring before you in this novena.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Amen

For more on St. John of the Cross, visit St. John of the Cross: of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty

Day 1 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:38 — 1.8MB) | Embed

Day 1 – St. John of the Cross Contemplative Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcast

St. John of the Cross you have said:

What, more do you want, 0 soul! And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfactions, fullness, and kingdom -your Beloved whom you desire and seek? Be joyful and gladdened in your interior recollection with Him, for you have Him so close to you. Desire Him there, adore Him there. Do not go in pursuit of Him outside yourself. You will only become distracted and wearied thereby, and you shall not find Him, nor enjoy Him more securely, nor sooner, nor more intimately than by seeking Him within you.

Spiritual Canticle, I.8; Kavanaugh & Rodriguez, 1973; p. 419

Prayer for Peace from St. John of the Cross

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in You. Let Your mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By Your own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in You. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like You. Amen.

Lord God, you gave Saint John of the Cross
the grace of complete self-denial
and an ardent love for the cross of Christ.
Grant that by following always in his footsteps
we may come to the eternal vision of your glory.And through his intercession, if it be in accord with your holy will,
Grant the petition we bring before you in this novena.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Amen

For more on St. John of the Cross, visit St. John of the Cross: of Contemplation with Fr. Donald Haggerty

Day 9 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:38 — 1.4MB) | Embed

St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 9 – For the Grace of Humility

On this final day of this novena, we turn our hearts to St. Gertrude’s profound example of holy poverty. Her life, rich in virtue and devotion, continues to be a beacon that leads us to the true riches found in Christ. In the glory of heaven, she now stands before God, offering her prayers on our behalf. Let us humbly ask for the grace of humility so that we, too, may embrace the spiritual poverty that opens us to God’s infinite grace. And with trusting hearts, we ask St. Gertrude to intercede for the personal intention we carry through this novena.

We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.

St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us

For the entire novena visit: A Novena to St. Gertrude the Great – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Image is from SanctifiedSouls on Etsy; used with permission. Visit their shop for this image and more!

Day 8 – St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:46 — 1.5MB) | Embed

St. Gertrude the Great Novena – Day 8 – For the Grace of a Greater Devotion to the Sacred Heart

St. Gertrude had a great devotion to her beloved patron, St. John the Evangelist. With aid of his Gospel and the action of the Holy Spirit, she deeply perceived the unceasing love of Jesus Christ for us, particularly through His Sacred Heart, which is an enduring symbol of His divine love and mercy. St. Gertrude’s insights laid the groundwork for the devotion that St. Margaret Mary Alacoque would later be known for. In the spirit of St. Gertrude, may we present our heartfelt intentions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, embracing His unfailing love. May she also intercede in the intention we bring to this novena.

We join St. Gertrude in a prayer she composed for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,
Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.

St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us