The Infant of Prague

Feast Day: January 14

Patron of: Financial Distress
Keywords: abundance, children, desperation, emergencies, epidemics, family life,
financial distress, trust
Quote: The more you honor me the more I shall bless you.
Symbols: raised right hand, globe, crown
Surrendering oneself to this doll-like image of Christ as a child requires one to cast off the world of adult
preoccupations to live in a state of faith and pure belief. Honoring the Infant of Prague is a tradition that is kept in
many homes throughout the world as some believe that it guarantees financial stability and abundance. There are
several novenas to the Infant of Prague, one reflecting the intensity of an emergency situation, is to be done in one
days time, the prayer said once every hour for nine hours in a row.
Devotion to Christ as a young child dressed as a king has its roots in the Carmelite order of Spain. According to
tradition, in 1555, Saint Teresa of Avila gave a statue of the Christ child, dressed in actual royal robes to a
noblewoman who was marrying into an aristocratic family in Bohemia. Taking it with her to what is now the city of
Prague, her daughter, the Princess Polysena inherited it. In 1623, Princess Polysenia was widowed and chose to
devote the rest of her life to charitable causes. When she saw the need that the poverty stricken Carmelite order had,
she donated the statue to them, saying, I give you my dearest possession. As long as you venerate this image, you
will not lack anything. The monks credited this image with the immediate upturn of their fortunes. When they were
forced out of their monastery due to a war in 1631, they left the statue behind and the invading army threw it in a
rubbish heap. Within seven years the Carmelites were back in their monastery in Prague, desperately attempting to
rebuild it. One monk, Father Cyril, who had a particularly strong devotion to the Divine Infant found the little wax
statue among the rubble. The only damage done to the statue was its crushed hands.
It was decided that the scarce funds the community had should go to more practical things than the repair of a statue.
As the monks struggled to rebuild their former home and church, Father Cyril heard the words: Have pity on me and
I will have pity on you. Give me my hands and I shall give you peace. After the statue was repaired, the monks again
displayed it in the main church. As the city of Prague suffered an epidemic, parishioners began invoking the little
statue for aid. The quick answer to their prayers brought many in the surrounding region to seek help. Gradually, the
devotion spread to many other countries. Today, the church in Prague built to hold the statue, Our Lady of Victory, is a
site of pilgrimage with visitors from all over the world paying their respects to the Divine Infant.
Invoked against: Financial Distress

Raised right hand: blessing

Explanation of imagery:

Imperial Orb: The entire world is in his hand.

Crown: Jesus is King of the World

Nine Day Novena to the Infant of Prague

O Infant Jesus, I run to You, begging You through Your Holy Mother to save me in this need
(you may name it
here), for I truly and firmly believe that Your Divinity can defend me. Full of trust I hope in You to obtain Your holy
grace. I love You with all my heart, I am painfully sorry for my sins and on my knees I beg You, o Little Jesus, to free
me from them. My resolution is to improve and never more to offend You. Therefore, I offer myself to You, ready to
suffer everything for You and to serve You faithfully. I will love my neighbour as myself from my heart for the love of
You. O Little Jesus, I adore You, o Mighty Child, I implore You, save me in this need (you can mention it here), that I
may enjoy You eternally, with Mary and Joseph see You and with all the angels adore You. Amen
Nine Hour Devotion to the Infant of Prague
O Jesus, Who has said, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you,
through the intercession of Mary, Your Most Holy Mother, I knock,I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted.
(Make your request)
O Jesus, Who has said, all that you ask of the Father in My Name, He will grant you through the intercession of Mary.
Your Most Holy Mother. I humbly and urgently ask Your Father in Your Name that my prayer be granted.
(Make your request)
O Jesus, Who has said, Heaven and earth shall pass away but My word shall not pass,
through the intercession of Mary, Your Most Holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.
(Make your request)

Catholic Prayer: Novena to Saint Cajetan Patron of the Unemployed

Description:

St. Cajetan founded in 1524 a community of priests

who were to lead an apostolic life. They were to
look with disdain all earthly belongings, to accept
no salaries from the faithful; only from that which
was freely donated were they allowed to retain the

Cajetan was ordained priest in 1516. He left the

means of livelihood.

papal court and dedicated himself entirely to the

service of the Lord. With his own hands he cared

He founded a bank to help the poor and offer an

for the sick. Such zeal did he show for the salvation

alternative to usurers (loan sharks). It later became

of his fellowmen that he was surnamed the

the

"huntsman for souls."

unemployed, giving them the necessary financial

Bank

of

Naples.

His

concern

for

the

help in their time of need, made him their patron.

St. Cajetan often prayed eight hours daily. While
attending the Christmas celebration at St. Mary of
the Crib, he is said to have been given the grace of
receiving from Mary the Child Jesus into his arms.

His feast is celebrated on August 7.

Prayer:
Daily Prayer
O glorious St. Cajetan, you studied to be a lawyer, but when you felt that the Lord was calling you to his
service, you abandoned everything and became a priest. You excelled in virtues, shunning all material
rewards for your labor, helping the many unemployed people of your time. You provided loans without
interest and you attracted a lot of benefactors who donated to your resources so that you could go on with
your activities. Look on us with mercy. We wish to find employment that could help us and our families live
with dignity. Listen to our petitions, dear saint; you, who could easily give up the food on your table for the
needy, bring our petitions to Jesus (here make your request). Amen.

First Day
You were a model of virtue among the priests
of your time, O St. Cajetan. You sought not to
receive payments from your ministry, and
you taught people how to pray the rosary
and develop devotions to saints. You were
truly a spiritual shepherd, and your concern
was always focused on the salvation of souls.
But despite this, you were also aware that
with hungry stomachs, the faithful would

have difficulty in understanding Gods Word.

You embarked to help them, not just by
giving them bread but helping them gain
their living by work. Look on us with pity, O
glorious saint. We have many unemployed
people in our midst and their families go
hungry. We ask you to guide the fathers and
mothers who are looking for work. Amen.

Daily Prayer
(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be
(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.

leaders formulate policies that will bring

about employment. You who established a
bank for the needy inspire our leaders to
extend loans for the poor so that they may
provide for the needs of their families. Amen.

Daily Prayer
Second Day

(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be

Despite your busy schedule, dear saint, you

spent eight hours a day in prayer. Your
happiness consists in being united with
Jesus, to savor his presence in the Eucharist.
Guide us to be like you by giving priority to
prayer in our life. Enable us to savor Jesus
presence
and
help
us
become
contemplatives like you. Inspire us to
understand that prayer is not just asking
Jesus for our needs, but being with him,
delighting in his presence. We ask you, dear
saint, to lead us in this direction that we may
learn to delight in Jesus presence. Amen.

(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.

Daily Prayer
(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be
(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.

Third Day
Since your death, dear St. Cajetan, the
unemployed people of the world had sought
your intercession. Work is the key to a happy
life. Look with pity on the millions of people
in our country who wake up each morning
without certainty of finding food because
they dont have work. These people become
victims of desperation and some even resort
to crimes to survive. Help our government

Fourth Day

O glorious St. Cajetan, like the society where

you lived, we are also beset by the same
economic set up where the poor are
becoming poorer and the rich, richer. You
fasted so that the money you saved could be
used to buy food for the poor, you did not
accept any payment for your ministries
because you wanted people to help the
needy. You lived very frugally because you
wanted to teach the rich about the need to
share. Look with pity on our society where
resources are wasted in buying useless
goods, while the poor and the needy among
us have not received the basic necessities.
Inspire us to share that nobody among us
would go hungry, and that everybody may
live with dignity. Amen.

Daily Prayer
(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be
(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.

your footsteps so that we, too, may fight for

justice and help stop corruption in our
government. Amen.
Fifth Day
O glorious St. Cajetan, you spent long hours
helping the sick and worked yourself to
exhaustion in helping victims of plagues
which were frequent in your time. You cared
for the sick not just to heal them, but to
guide them to a happy death. You wanted
their souls, not their bodies. Help us to
understand that we have to prepare
ourselves to a happy death. May we likewise
see that the most terrible sickness is our
sinfulness, and we always have to examine
ourselves for the sins we commit daily.
Inspire us to have repentant hearts that we
may always be prepared to meet the Lord.
Amen.

Daily Prayer
(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be
(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.

Daily Prayer
(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be
(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.

Seventh Day
O glorious St. Cajetan, your unceasing
fasting and penance help people understand
that God must be loved above all things and
above all persons. You sacrificed anything or
anyone that could block you from loving God
with your whole soul, mind, heart and body.
By eating little, you showed to others that
man does not live on bread alone. You
renewed the faith of many people, touched
their hearts, and helped much in the
reformation of the Church. Inspire us to fast
and do penance for our sins. Instill on us the
spirit of sacrifice that we, too, may love God
intensely as you did. Amen.

Sixth Day
Daily Prayer
O humble St. Cajetan, you spoke with rulers
and kings, but you never gave them much
importance. You know that prestige, honor,
and positions in society could only be good if
they are use to help the needy and the poor.
For this reason, you also confronted tyrants
and stood against armies that looted, killed,
and raped. Your humility did not prevent you
from becoming a prophet. You only feared
Jesus. Help us to remain humble and selfeffacing, knowing that before God, we
remain nothing. We can only be someone if
we stand close to Jesus. Inspire us to follow

(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be

(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.

Eight Day
O glorious St. Cajetan, it pained you to see
the Catholic Church divided into hostile

groups. You always prayed for unity in the

Church, asking laypersons, priests, and
bishops to support the Pope through
preaching, prayer, and sacrifices. You see the
Church as the bride of Christ, the sacrament
by which men and women can become holy.
You worked hard for the return of the
Protestants to the Catholic Church, and you
preached against Protestant reformers who
were attacking the heart of Catholic
teachings. Teach us then to work for unity in
our Church and at the same time, to defend
her from sects and religious movements that
attack her. Inspire us to follow your path.
Amen.

Ninth Day
O glorious St. Cajetan, you received many
special blessings from Jesus, visions and
mystical experiences because of your union
with him. While contemplating the mystery
of incarnation, Mary appeared to you and put
on your lap the baby Jesus. You held on to
the baby and made your heart his dwelling
place. Jesus truly loved you and his Mother
trusted you. Listen then to our petitions on
this last day of our novena and bring them to
Jesus. Prove to us that now in heaven you are
closer to Jesus and he listens to you. Amen.

Daily Prayer
Daily Prayer
(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be
(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be
(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.
(3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1318

Novena to St. Joseph Cupertino and

Special Prayer for Exams - Patron of
Students, Pilots and Disabled

Image Source: Ordo Fratrum Minorum Conventualium.

EXAM PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH CUPERTINO

This powerful prayer is very effective in examinations. It
has to be said before appearing in the examination.
There are two variants to this prayer. Both the prayers
are
equally
effective.

You can choose any one of these:First Prayer

O Great St. Joseph of Cupertino who while on earth did
obtain from God the grace to be asked at your
examination only the questions you knew, obtain for me
a like favour in the examinations for which I am now
preparing. In return I promise to make you known and
cause you to be invoked. Through Christ our Lord.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us.
Amen.

Second Prayer
O St. Joseph of Cupertino who by your prayer obtained
from God to be asked at your examination, the only
preposition you knew. Grant that I may like you succeed
in the (here mention the name of Examination)
examination.
In return I promise to make you known and cause you to
be invoked. O St. Joseph of Cupertino pray for me O
Holy Ghost enlighten me Our Lady of Good Studies pray
for me Sacred Head of Jesus, Seat of divine wisdom,
enlighten me.
Remember, when you succeed in the exams then you
should thank St. Joseph of Cupertino.

http://jceworld.blogspot.com/2014/09/novenato-st-joseph-cupertino-and.html

NOVENA
TO
ST.
JOSEPH
CUPERTINO
He is patron of students doing exams, travellers
(especially those undertaking journeys by air), pilots,
and is invoked by children, adults and the elderly who
are unloved, abandoned or neglected.
FIRST DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you were an unwanted child and were
thought worthless even by your own mother. Intercede
for all unwanted children that they may come to know
they were born out of Gods love for them. We pray
especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
SECOND DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you were an angry, frustrated child. We
pray for all who struggle to express themselves, and that
you help us overcome sins of anger. We pray especially
for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
THIRD DAY:

Dear St Joseph, you experienced no love in your family

and were considered of little account by all who knew
you. We pray for all who have experienced the same.
May we learn to treat everyone as having the worth they
have in Gods eyes. We pray especially for (mention your
request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
FOURTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you suffered because you found it
difficult to learn. We pray for all those who struggle at
school. May they take comfort from the fact that
although learning wasnt easy for you, this didnt stop
you from becoming a saint. We pray especially for
(mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

Dear St Joseph, you were unjustly suspected, confined to

your room and neglected by those charged with looking
after you. You accepted all this with humility. We pray
for all those unjustly imprisoned, and that we too may
have the humility to accept injustice for the love of
Christ. We pray especially for (mention your request).
Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
NINTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, because you could levitate you are the
patron of travellers, especially air travellers. We pray for
all those travelling that they may safely reach their
destinations. We pray especially for (mention your
request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

FIFTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you did the best with the intelligence
you did have and put the rest in Gods hands. That way
you passed all your exams and became a priest. We pray
for all those struggling with exams. May we also do our
best in everything and trust in God to guide our lives. We
pray especially for (mention your request. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
SIXTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, even the thought or mention of anything
holy made you levitate in ecstasy. Grant us something of
the understanding and reverence for God and his saints
that you had. We pray especially for (mention your
request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

Novena To

St. Jude

Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant

and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and
invokes you universally, as the patron of
difficult cases, of things almost despaired of,
Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.
Intercede with God for me that He bring
visible and speedy help where help is almost
despaired of. Come to my assistance in this
great need that I may receive the
consolation and help of heaven in all my
necessities, tribulations, and sufferings,
particularly

SEVENTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, only when your superior ordered you to,
were you able to come back down to earth. May we too
have a love for and obedience to the teachings of the
Church. We pray especially for (mention your request).
Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
EIGHTH DAY:

(make your request here)

- and that I may praise God with you and all
the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St.
Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor
granted me by God and to always honor you
as my special and powerful patron, and to
gratefully encourage devotion to you.
Amen

PRAYER

Novena to

May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be

adored, and loved in all the tabernacles until
the end of time. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes

May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be

praised and glorified now and forever. Amen
St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers.
Amen.
Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of
Mary
Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the
world and for all Eternity.
(say this prayer, followed by the Our
Father and the Hail Mary)

Dear Apostle and Martyr for Christ, you left

us an Epistle in the New Testament. With
good reason many invoke you when illness is
at a desperate stage. We now recommend to
your
kindness
{name
of
patient}
who is in a critical condition. May the cure of
this patient increase his/her faith and love
for the Lord of Life, for the glory of our
merciful God. Amen.

Prayer
Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed
to manifest your shining with life, sweetness and beauty,
in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St.
Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception." A
thousand times we congratulate you upon your
Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate
Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of
sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants,
our troubles, our sufferings deign to cast upon us a look
of mercy.
By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased
to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense
your favors, and already many have obtained the cure of
their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come,
therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to
implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O
loving Mother, the granting of our request.
(state your request)
Through gratitude for your favors, we will endeavor to
imitate your virtues, that we may one day share your
glory.

Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had

influence with your divine son while upon earth. You
have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us;
obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests
if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

NINE DAY NOVENA

OF LOURDES

TO OUR LADY

DAY ONE
O Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes,
virgin and mother, queen of heaven, chosen
from all eternity to be the Mother of the
Eternal Word and in virtue of this title
preserved from original sin, we kneel before
you as did little Bernadette at Lourdes and
pray with childlike trust in you that as we
contemplate your glorious appearance at
Lourdes, you will look with mercy on our
present petition and secure for us a favorable
answer to the request for which we are making
this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our
Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us
the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary,
Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope,
strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY TWO
Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having
vouchsafed to manifest yourself shining with
light, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of
Lourdes, saying to the child Saint Bernadette:
"I am the Immaculate Conception!" O Mary
Immaculate, inflame our hearts with one ray of
the burning love of your pure heart Let them
be consumed with love for Jesus and for you,
in order that we may merit one day to enjoy
your glorious eternity. O dispenser of His
graces here below, take into your keeping and
present to your Divine Son the petition for
which we are making this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our
Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us
the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary,
Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope,
strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY THREE
"You are all fair, O Mary, and there is in you no
stain of original sin." O Mary, conceived

without sin, pray for us who have recourse to

thee. O brilliant star of sanctity, as on that
lovely day, upon a rough rock in Lourdes you
spoke to the child Bernadette and a fountain
broke from the plain earth and miracles
happened and the great shrine of Lourdes
began, so now I beseech you to hear our
fervent prayer and do, we beseech you, grant
us the petition we now so earnestly seek.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our
Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us
the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary,
Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope,
strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY FOUR
O Immaculate Queen of Heaven, we your
wayward, erring children, join our unworthy
prayers of praise and thanksgiving to those of
the angels and saints and your own-the One,
Holy, and Undivided Trinity may be glorified in
heaven and on earth. Our Lady of Lourdes, as
you looked down with love and mercy upon
Bernadette as she prayed her rosary in the
grotto, look down now, we beseech you, with
love and mercy upon us. From the abundance
of graces granted you by your Divine Son,
sweet Mother of God, give to each of us all
that your motherly heart sees we need and at
this moment look with special favor on the
grace we seek in this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our
Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us
the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary,
Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope,
strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY FIVE
O Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our
mother, from the heights of your dignity look
down mercifully upon us while we, full of
confidence in your unbounded goodness and
confident that your Divine Son will look
favorably upon any request you make of Him
in our behalf, we beseech you to come to our
aid and secure for us the favor we seek in this

novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our
Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us
the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary,
Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope,
strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY SIX
O glorious Mother of God, so powerful under
your special title of Our Lady of Lourdes, to
you we raise our hearts and hands to implore
your powerful intercession in obtaining from
the gracious Heart of Jesus all the helps and
graces necessary for our spiritual and
temporal welfare and for the special favor we
so earnestly seek in this novena.
(make your request)
O Lady of Bernadette, with the stars of heaven
in your hair and the roses of earth at your feet,
look with compassion upon us today as you did
so long ago on Bernadette in the Grotto of
Lourdes.
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our
Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us
the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary,
Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope,
strength, and consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY SEVEN
O Almighty God, who by the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary did
prepare a worthy dwelling place for your Son, we
humbly beseech you that as we contemplate the
apparition of Our Lady in the Grotto of Lourdes,
we may be blessed with health of mind and
body. O most gracious Mother Mary, beloved
Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer, look with
favor upon us as you did that day on Bernadette
and intercede with him for us that the favor we
now so earnestly seek may be granted to us.
(make your request)

O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our

Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the
mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen
and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and
consolation. Amen
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY EIGHT
O Immaculate Mother of God, from heaven itself
you came to appear to the little Bernadette in the
rough Grotto of Lourdes! And as Bernadette knelt
at your feet and the miraculous spring burst
forth and as multitudes have knelt ever since
before your shrine, O Mother of God, we kneel
before you today to ask that in your mercy you
plead with your Divine Son to grant the special
favor we seek in this novena.
(make your request)
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our
Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the
mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen
and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and
consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.
DAY NINE
O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our
hearts and hands to implore your powerful
intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of
Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual
and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace
of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as
we conclude this novena for the special favor we
seek at this time.
(make your request)
We feel animated with confidence that your
prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O
Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to
Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear
our prayers and obtain our petitions.
O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our
Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption,
triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the
mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen
and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and
consolation. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Little Flower Novena

Prayers to be said each day:
Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of the faithful,
and kindle in them the fire of divine love.
V. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be
created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray: O God, who have instructed the
hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy
Spirit; grant that by the gift of the same Spirit, we
may be ever truly wise and rejoice in His
consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love: O my God! I
believe in Thee: strengthen my faith. All my
hopes are in Thee: do Thou secure them. I love
Thee: teach me to love Thee daily more and
more.
The Act of Contrition: O my God! I am heartily
sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my
sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the
pains of hell, but most of all because they offend
You, my God, who are all good and deserving of
all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your
grace, to confess my sins, to do penance , and to
amend my life. Amen.
Concluding Prayer Prayed Each Day:
O Lord, You have said: Unless you become as
little children you shall not enter the kingdom of
heaven; grant us, we beg You, so to follow, in
humility and simplicity of heart, the footsteps of
the Virgin blessed Thrse, that we may attain to
an everlasting reward. Amen.
First Day
St. Thrse, privileged Little Flower of Jesus and
Mary, I approach you with childlike confidence
and deep humility. I lay before you my desires,
and beg that through your intercession they may
be realized. Did you not promise to spend your
heaven doing good upon earth? Grant me
according to this promise the favors I am asking
from you.
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
specially during this Novena and obtain for us
from God the graces and favors we ask through
your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: Confidence in God. We
can never have too much confidence in the good
God who is so powerful and so merciful. We
obtain from Him as much as we hope for.
If you are nothing, do you forget that Jesus is
everything? You have only to lose your
nothingness in His Infinity and think only of loving
Him.

Concluding Prayer
Second Day
O dear little Saint, now that you see the crucified
Jesus in heaven, still bearing the wounds caused
by sin, you know still more clearly than you did
upon earth the value of souls, and the priceless
worth of that Precious Blood which He shed to
save them. As I am one of those children for
whom Christ died, obtain for me all the graces I
need in order to profit by that Precious Blood. Use
your great power with our divine Lord and pray
for me.
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
especially during this Novena and obtain for us
from God the graces and favors we ask through
your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: Sin. The only grace I ask,
O Jesus, is never to offend Thee.
By love and not by fear, does a soul avoid
committing the least fault.
Yes, even if I have on my conscience every
possible crime, I should lose none of my
confidence; my heart breaking with sorrow, I
should go and throw myself into the arms of my
Savior.
The remembrance of my faults humbles me and
makes me afraid to rely on my own strength,
which is nothing but weakness.
Concluding Prayer
Third Day
Dear Little Flower, make all things lead me to
heaven and God, Whether I look at the sun, the
moon, the stars and the vast expanse in which
they float, or whether I look at the flowers of the
field, the trees of the forest, the beauties of the
earth so full of color and so glorious, may they
speak to me of the love and power of God; may
they all sing His praises in my ear. Like you may I
daily love Him more and more in return for His
gifts. Teach me often to deny myself in my
dealings with others, that I may offer to Jesus
many little sacrifices.
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
especially during this Novena and obtain for us
from God the graces and favors we ask through
your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: The Use of Gods Gifts.
How much benefit have I received from the
beauties of nature, bestowed in such abundance.
How they raise me to Him who placed such

wonders in this land of exile which is only to last

a day.
O sparkling nature, if I did not see God in you,
you would be naught but a great tomb.
With your little hand which caresses Mary, You
sustain the universe and bestow life; and You
think of me, O Jesus my little King.
I do not wish creatures to have one atom of my
love. I wish to give all to Jesus, since He has
shown me that He alone is perfect happiness.
Concluding Prayer
Fourth Day
Dear Little Flower of Carmel, bearing so patiently
the disappointments and delays allowed by God,
and preserving in the depths of your soul an
unchanging peace because you sought only
Gods will, ask for me complete conformity to that
adorable Will in all the trials and disappointments
of life. If the favors I am asking during this
Novena are pleasing to God, obtain them for me.
If not, it is true I shall feel the refusal keenly, but I
too wish only Gods Will, and pray in the words
you used, that I "may ever be perfectly fulfilled in
me."
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
especially during this Novena and obtain for us
from God the graces and favors we ask through
your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: Abandonment to God. I
fear only one thing---to keep my own will; take it,
my God, for I choose all that You choose.
The only happiness here below is to strive to be
always content with what Jesus gives us.
I can demand nothing with fervor, except the
perfect accomplishment of Gods will in my soul.
O my Beloved, I offer myself to You, that You may
perfectly accomplish in me Your holy designs,
and I will not allow anything created to be an
obstacle in their path.
Concluding Prayer
Fifth Day
Little Flower of Jesus, from the very first moment
of your religious life you thought only of denying
yourself in all things so as to follow Jesus more
perfectly; help me to bear patiently the trials of
my daily life. Teach me to make use of the trials,
the sufferings, the humiliations, that come my
way, to learn to know myself better and to love
God more.
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
especially during this Novena and obtain for us

from God the graces and favors we ask through

your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: Patience in Sufferings. I
do not fear trials sent by Jesus, for even in the
most bitter suffering we can see that it is His
loving hand which causes it.
When we are expecting nothing but suffering, we
are quite surprised at the least joy; but then
suffering itself becomes the greatest of joys
when we seek it as a precious treasure.
Far from resembling those beautiful saints who
practiced all sorts of austerities from childhood,
my penance consisted in breaking my self-will, in
keeping back a sharp reply, in doing little
kindnesses to those about me, but considering
these deeds as nothing.
Concluding Prayer

Sixth Day
St. Thrse, Patroness of the Missions, be a great
missionary throughout the world to the end of
time. Remind our Master of His own words, "The
harvest is great, but the laborers are few." Your
zeal for souls was so great, obtain a like zeal for
those now working for souls, and beg God to
multiply their numbers, that the millions to whom
Jesus is yet unknown may be brought to know,
love and follow Him.
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
especially during this Novena and obtain for us
from God the graces and favors we ask through
your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: Zeal for souls. Let us
work together for the salvation of souls. We have
only the day of this life to save souls and to give
them to the Lord as proofs of our love.
I tell Jesus that I am glad not to be able to see,
with the eyes of my soul, this beautiful heaven
which awaits me, in order that He may vouchsafe
to open it forever to poor unbelievers.
I cannot perform brilliant works; I cannot preach
the Gospel or shed my blood. But what matter?
My brothers work in place of me, and I a little
child, keep very close to the royal throne. I love
for those who are carrying on the warfare.
My deeds, my little sufferings, can make God
loved all over the world.
Concluding Prayer
Seventh Day
O little martyr of Love, you know now even better
than in the days of your pilgrimage that Love

embraces all vocations; that it is Love alone

which counts, which unites us perfectly to God
and conforms our will with His. All you sought on
earth was love; to love Jesus as He had never yet
been loved. Use your power in heaven to make us
love Him. If only we love Him we shall desire to
make Him loved by others; we shall pray much
for souls. We shall no longer fear death, for it will
unite us to Him forever. Obtain for us the grace to
do all for the love of God, to give Him pleasure, to
love Him so well that He may be pleased with us
as He was with you.
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
especially during this Novena and obtain for us
from God the graces and favors we ask through
your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: Love of God. I will love
God alone and will not have the misfortune of
attaching myself to creatures, now that my heart
perceive what He has in store for those who love
Him.
What attracts me to the kingdom of Heaven is
the call of our Lord, the hope of loving Him as I
have so desired and the thought that I shall be
able to make Him loved by a great number of
souls who will bless Him forever.
When Christ said, "Give Me a Drink," it was the
love of His poor creatures that He, the Creator of
all things, desired. He thirsted for love.
Remember that the dear Jesus is there in the
tabernacle expressly for you, for you alone.
Remember that He is consumed with a desire to
come into your heart.
Concluding Prayer
Eighth Day
Dear St. Thrse, like you I have to die one day. I
beseech you, obtain from God, by reminding Him
of your own precious death, that I may have a
holy death, strengthened by the Sacraments of
the Church, entirely resigned to the most holy
Will of God, and burning with love for Him. May
my last words on earth be, "My God. I love You."
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
especially during this Novena and obtain for us
from God the graces and favors we ask through
your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: Death. It says in the
catechism that death is nothing but the
separation of the soul and body. Well, I have no
fear of a separation which will unite me forever
with the good God.
I am happy to die because I shall be able to help
souls who are dear to me, far more than I can
here below.

Life is not sad; it is very joyous. If you say, "This

exile is sad," I understand you. We are wrong to
give the name "life" to something which will end;
it is only to the things of Heaven that we should
apply this beautiful name.
Concluding Prayer
Ninth Day
Dear Little St. Thrse, by love and suffering
while you were on earth, you won the power with
God which you now enjoy in heaven. Since your
life there began, you have showered down
countless blessings on this poor world; you have
been an instrument made use of by your divine
Spouse to work countless miracles. I beg of you
to remember all my wants. Sufferings must come
to me also, may I use them to love God more, and
follow my Jesus better. You are especially the little
missionary of love. Make me love Jesus more, and
all others for His sake. With all my heart I thank
the most Holy Trinity for the wonderful blessings
conferred on you, and upon the world through
you.
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but
especially during this Novena and obtain for us
from God the graces and favors we ask through
your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: The Mission of the Little
Flower. I do not intend to remain inactive in
Heaven. I want to work for the Church and for
souls. I have asked this of God and I am certain
that He will grant my request.
I will spend my Heaven doing good upon earth.
This is not impossible, since the angels though
always enjoying the beatific vision, watch over
us. No, I cannot be at rest until the end of the
world.
I beseech Thee, O Jesus, to cast Thy divine glance
on a great number of little souls. I beg of Thee to
choose in this world a legion of little victims,
worthy of Thy Love.
Concluding Prayer
O Lord, You have said: Unless you become as
little children you shall not enter the kingdom of
heaven; grant us, we beg You, so to follow, in
humility and simplicity of heart, the footsteps of
the Virgin blessed Thrse, that we may attain to
an everlasting reward. Amen.

Prayers to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

lips. Delay not, Blessed Lady, to rescue me

whenever I call on you. In my temptations, in my
needs, I will never cease to call on you, ever
repeating your sacred name, Mary, Mary. What a
consolation, what sweetness, what confidence
fills my soul when I utter your sacred name or
even only think of your! I thank the Lord for
having given you so sweet, so powerful, so lovely
a name. But I will not be content with merely
uttering your name. Let my love for your prompt
me ever to hail you Mother of Perpetual Help.
Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for me and grant
me the favor I confidently ask of you. {mention
your petition}

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Mother of Perpetual Help, today we face so many
difficulties. Your picture tells us so much about
you. It reminds us to reach out and help those in
need. Help us understand that our lives belong to
others as much as they belong to us.
Mary, Model of Christian love, we know we cannot
heal every ill or solve every problem. But with
God's grace, we intend to do what we can. May
we be true witnesses to the world that love for
one another really matters. May our daily actions
proclaim how fully our lives are modeled after
yours,
Mother
of
Perpetual
Help.
OR
Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed
and favored by God. you became not only the
Mother of the Redeemer, but Mother of the
redeemed as well. We come to you today as your
loving children. Watch over us and take care of
us. As you held the child Jesus in your loving
arms, so take us in your arms. Be a mother ready
at every moment to help us. For God who is
mighty has done great things for you, and God's
mercy is from age to age on those who love God.
Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon
for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance,
and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of
Perpetual
Help.
OR
Oh Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may
ever invoke your powerful name, the protection of
the living and the salvation of the dying. Purest
Mary, let your name henceforth be ever on my

Prayer for Financial Aid

Realizing, dear Mother Mary, that thou art our
Perpetual Help not only in spiritual but likewise in
temporal necessities, we approach thee with
submissive and humble hearts, because we have
a child-like confidence in thy power and
goodness, beseeching thee to assist us in our
present financial worry.
Owing to untoward circumstances which have
arisen in our lives, we are in dire want, being
unable to meet our honest debts.
We are not asking, dearest Mother for wealth, if
possession of it is not in accordance with the holy
will of God; we merely beg for that assistance
which will enable us to satisfy our pressing
obligations.
We believe, dear Mother, that thou art the Queen
of heaven and earth, and, as such, the instrument
and special dispensation of thy Son Jesus Christ;

that thou hast acquired by virtue of thy wonderful

dignity,
a sweet jurisdiction over all creation.
We believe that thou art not only rich and
bountiful, but extremely kind and generous to all
thy loving children.
We plead with thee then, dear Mother, to obtain
for us the help we so urgently need in our present
financial difficulty.
We thank thee, dear Lady and promise to publish
far and wide, the marvels of thy glorious Picture.
Amen.
Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever
invoke thy most powerful name, which is the
safeguard of the living and the salvation of the
dying. O purest Mary, O sweetest Mary, let thy
name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O
Blessed Lady, to help me, whenever I call on
thee; for, in all my temptations, in all my needs, I
shall never cease to call on thee, ever repeating
thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.

O what consolation, what sweetness, what

confidence, what emotion, fill my soul when I
utter thy sacred name, or even only think of thee.
I thank the Lord for having given thee, for my
good so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But
I will not be content with merely uttering thy
name. Let my love for thee prompt me ever to
hail thee, Mother of Perpetual Help.
(Recite 3 Hail Mary's)
***
History regarding the Miraculous Icon
The
above prayers
can
be
found
on Catholic websites.
Upper image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
via Wikimedia
Commons.
The bottom stained glass window of Our Lady
holding infant Jesus can be seen inside St. Rose of
Lima Catholic Church, East Hanover, NJ, USA.
Photograph of stained window Copyright Loci B.
Lenar
***