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Welcome back to our nine-day novena asking for the intercession of "the greatest saint of modern times": Doctor of the Church St Thérèse of Lisieux. The novena is traditionally offered in the lead up to her feast on October 1. We ask the saints in Heaven to pray for us, just as we would ask our friends on earth to pray for us, because they are even closer to God and so their prayers contain even greater purity and power.
Novena prayer: Day 6
For each of the nine days, pray this prayer:
St Thérèse, you said you would let fall from Heaven “a shower of roses” as a sign of your prayers for us. Please bring my special intention before God (mention intention here).
Please pray for me to believe as you did in God's great love for me, so that I might imitate your complete trust in Him. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply.
Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Reflect and pray
Reflect on this meditation from Thérèse:
“[On Sunday evening] I would begin thinking that the day of rest was coming to an end, that the morrow would bring with it the necessity of beginning life over again, we would have to go back to work, learning lessons, etc., and my heart felt the exile of this earth. I longed for the everlasting repose of heaven, that never-ending Sunday of the Fatherland!”
“How often have I thought that I may owe all the graces I’ve received to the prayers of a person who begged them from God for me, and whom I shall know only in heaven.”
“Yes, I’m like a tired and harassed traveler, who reaches the end of his journey and falls over. Yes, but I’ll be falling into God’s arms!”
“Neither do I desire any longer suffering or death, and still I love them both; it is love alone that attracts me, however I desired them for a long time; I possessed suffering and believed I had touched the shores for a long time: I possessed suffering and believed I had touched the shores of heaven, that the little flower would be gathered in the springtime of her life. Now, abandonment alone guides me. I have no other compass! I can no longer ask for anything with fervor except the accomplishment of God’s will in my soul without any creature being able to set obstacles in the way.”
“The world’s thy ship and not thy home.”
Journal and pray:
How strong is your belief in Heaven—not just intellectually, but deep in your heart?
How can you cultivate a deeper longing for Heaven?
Where do you see glimpses of Heaven in your earthly experiences?
How does the Eucharist connect us with Heaven?
How well are your priorities oriented toward eternity?
How should we live in light of Heaven as our ultimate future hope?
What did Thérèse mean with her words: "The world's thy ship and not thy home"? How does this paradigm affect how we live this earthly life?
Come back tomorrow for Day 7 of the novena. You can also subscribe here so you don't miss anything.
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