Novena to St. Theresa the Little Flower
Novena to St. Theresa the Little Flower
First Day
O Heavenly Father, Who in Thine ineffable goodness didst place in the soul of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus the precious treasure of sanctifying grace, and didst grant her ever to keep it in the midst of earthly dangers, we pray Thee to grant to us for our part the happiness of never losing this inestimable gift whereby we become Thine adopted children, the brothers and sisters of Thy Son Jesus, the temples of the Holy Spirit and the heirs of Heaven.
Enable us, to this end, carefully to avoid mortal sin which would rob us of this grace more to be desired than all the wealth of the world, to fly the occasions of sin, and to resist temptation.
We implore these graces through the intercession of the one who was ever Thy faithful child and whose memory we venerate.
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, who would have preferred to die rather than lose God's grace, vouchsafe to obtain for us all the help necessary to avoid the misfortune of committing mortal sin, incompatible with this divine grace. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through you powerful intercession. Amen.
Second Day
O Heavenly Father, Who to assure our advancement in the right path dost never cease to multiply the supernatural means of help which we need, and which Thou has divinely poured out upon St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, we beg of Thee, through this Saint so dear to Thy Heart, all the graces of light and of fortitude necessary or helpful to fulfill Thine adorable will.
Thy grace ever went before St. Theresa and Thou didst uphold her at each moment, for Thou didst give to her both to will and to do, and without Thee none can even utter the name of Jesus whereby we may be saved.
Father, shed abroad in our minds and hearts those graces won by the merits of our Savior and which St. Theresa asks for us.
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus upon whom so many divine graces were showered, we pray you to intercede with our Heavenly Father, so that through t he merits of our Savior and you merits, He may vouchsafe to give to our souls all the graces needful for the perfect fulfillment of our duty. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through your powerful intercession. Amen
Third Day
O Heavenly Father, Who didst dispose the soul of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus to ascend by such wonderful steps and didst make this lovable saint to rise from virtue to virtue, aiding her so admirably to practice humility, simplicity, patience, confidence, zeal and love, we beseech Thee to place in our hearts dispositions like to hers and to grant us to resemble her, that we may hence become conformable to Thy Son Jesus, our Model and the Divine Example of Thine adorable perfections.
These virtues are so needful for us, for without them we cannot be happy here below; without them we cannot gain for Thee the glory that Thou dost look for from us.
Vouchsafe, O Father, to help us to make these virtues ours. May Thy numerous graces joined to our generous efforts, bring forth, as in St. Theresa, true and lasting virtue.
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus who to please God ever Wonderfully grew in virtue each day of your life, obtain for us to resemble you and generously to practice those virtues of which you have left us such a beautiful example. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through your powerful intercession. Amen.
Fourth Day
O Heavenly Father, Who in Thine infinite wisdom dost permit the just to be tried upon earth, like gold in the furnace, hereafter to crown them gloriously in Heaven, we beseech Thee to grant us through the intercession of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, all the graces of fortitude and consolation which we urgently need in the difficulties we encounter here below.
Thou dost order all things for the good of those who love Thee, nothing befalls without Thy permission, Thou knowest how to draw good out of evil. May these consoling truths be our support in the midst of our sorrows. Sweeten for us all that is bitter by the unction of Thy grace.
Permit not, O Father, that impatience shall possess our heart or murmurs rise to our lips. Make us understand the providential use of sorrow, as it was undertook by St. Theresa who owned to finding happiness in the midst of suffering.
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus who suffered much here below, and knew how to find joy in every bitterness, intercede for us with God that so He may help us to bear patiently all our crosses, and console our hearts saddened by the trials of earth's exile. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through your powerful intercession. Amen.
Fifth Day
O Heavenly Father, Who so loved men that Thou didst give them Thine Only-begotten Son to be their Redeemer upon the Cross, and Food in the Divine Sacrament of the Altar, we beseech Thee to grant us, through the prayers of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus so inflamed with love for this Adorable Sacrament and so eager to receive It, the grace for our part to draw near very often to the Holy Table.
Following the example of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, may we bring to it the best dispositions, a right intention, hearts filled with lively faith, sincere humility, deep confidence, ardent charity.
Father, make us truly understand that this Divine Bread is no less needful to our soul than material bread is to our body and that we cannot abstain from It without hurt to our soul.
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus who so much loved the Divine Sacrament of the Altar and so greatly longed to unite yourself to It through Holy Communion, obtain for us from God a love like to yours for this Adorable Sacrament and a fervent longing often to receive It in our hearts. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through your powerful intercession. Amen
Sixth Day
O Heavenly Father, Who bestowed upon the Blessed Virgin Mary the greatest and most precious graces and privileges, and called her to become the Mother of Thy Son Jesus also giving her to be our Mother, we beseech Thee through the intercession of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus ever so faithful to honor this beloved Virgin, whose radiant countenance and gracious smile she one day beheld, to grant us too the inestimable favor of being the very loving children of this Holy Mother.
We need her maternal mediation, for this good Mother is the way that leads to Jesus, and she is the treasurer of all the graces that our Savior acquired for us by shedding of His Precious Blood.
We thank Thee, O Father, for having given us the Blessed Virgin to be our Mother, and our guide along our life's path, and we beseech Thee that, like St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, we may be true imitators of her virtues: of her perfect humility, her immaculate purity, and her ardent love. We look to her for the greatest succor now and at the hour of our death.
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus who ever manifested a great love for the One you named the Immaculate Virgin, and from whom you received so many benefits, we ask you to obtain for us the grace to imitate your tender devotion towards her and to help us to reproduce her beautiful and admirable virtues even as you your- self did. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through your powerful intercession. Amen.
Seventh Day
O Heavenly Father, Who has bestowed upon us so many benefits through the intercession of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, and willest that we should honor this lovable saint with a special devotion, we earnestly implore Thee of Thy fatherly loving- kindness the grace to be ever faithful in veneration her, invoking her and imitating her virtues.
It is good for us to pay honor to the Saints. Thou has placed these blessed Saints as powerful mediators between ourselves and Thee, that so Thou mayest bestow upon us more ready and more abundant aids. That which our prayer cannot obtain, theirs will obtain for us.
Thou hast willed that the Saints should be our models. They were once what we are; we can with Thy grace become what they are, what they have done, we can do in our turn. Father, give us a true and lasting devotion towards St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, a devotion well ordered and constant, a devotion that will sanctify us and lead us to Thee to Whom all the homage we pay to the Saints returns.
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, placed by the Church upon our altars to be out protectress with God and model in Christian life, obtain for us, we ask of you, ever to have you in honor, to venerate you, to invoke you, to imitate you for the greater glory of God and the greater good of our souls. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through your powerful intercession. Amen.
Eighth Day
O Heavenly Father, Who hast created all the good things of earth for the use of man and dost measure them out to him with marvelous bounty, we beg Thee through the intercession of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus to give us all those things of which we have need for the preservation of our life here below.
Teach us to use these things with the moderation befitting Christians, let us not attach our heart to them; may they serve not to keep us from Thee, the Only True Good to be desired and the Giver of all that is good in this world. Give us, as Thou gavest to Thy faithful handmaid St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, to make a holy use of earthly things and to make them serve on for Thy Glory.
Father , Who dost feed the birds of the air and clothe the lilies of the valley, forsake not the souls of those who trust in Thee.
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus who ever used the things of this world according to the order willed by God, you who made earthly gifts serve to merit those that are heavenly, we ask you to obtain for us all that is necessary for us during our life upon earth. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through your powerful intercession. Amen.
Ninth Day
O Heavenly Father, Who hast prepared for us a glorious reward after the labors of this life, and hast promised to crown with honor and glory those who are faithful to the end in Thy love, we beseech Thee to grant us through the intercession of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus the grace to be faithful to Thy Commandments, to those of the Holy Church and to Thy holy inspirations until the hour of our death.
Father, grant that, after the example of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, we may not recoil from labors, that temptations may not keep us from Thee, that trials may not cause us to lose courage. May neither the world, nor the devil, nor our own inclinations separate us from Thee to Whom we desire to belong for ever, as we promised Thee on the day of our Baptism and on the day of our First Communion.
Perseverance in grace is a grace, we beseech Thee to grant it to us, and in Thy merciful love not to refuse us the grace of graces, that of final perseverance which will unite us to Thee for evermore and will give us to contemplate during all Eternity Thine adorable Face.
Father, uphold us in the midst of our combats until the day when we shall gain the victory, when Thou Thyself wilt triumph in us.
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus who persevered throughout your life in exact fidelity to God's grace, you who saw your perseverance crowned own the glorious day of your death, obtain for us to be fully faithful to God's law and never to separate ourselves from His holy love. Obtain for us the favors we crave and implore through your powerful intercession. Amen.
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