A Novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

A Novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

There is no true Catholic who does not know that the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin Mary is a most powerful method of obtaining benefits and favours from the Majesty of God; since, as this Holy Queen is really and truly the Mother of God, Her dear Son will not deny Her any thing which She asks of Him. For this reason, Christian piety has discovered many ways of honouring this dear Lady, so that by Her powerful intercession She may obtain for us help in our necessities, consolation in our afflictions, and the fulfilment of any just desires. And the faithful, experiencing the power of Her intercession with God in the graces they constantly receive through Her, recognise Her as their Mother, and as such venerate and love Her. But above all, the Carmelites and those who wear the Holy Scapular ought to love this Blessed Virgin, for She enriched them with this singular privilege, so that by it they might be known and distinguished as Her children, and particularly under Her protection; confirming this favour by continual and great prodigies and miracles, which have been and still are experienced. And so that they may shew their love and gratitude towards this great Queen and most loving Mother, as also to implore Her especial assistance to obtain what they desire, this Novena has been written, in which Her most extraordinary favours are commemorated, and which is to be performed according to the following directions.

Directions for performing this Novena.

1.) The first thing to be remarked is, that this Novena may be made at any time of the year, either on nine consecutive days or on nine consecutive Saturdays (this day being chosen as consecrated to the Mother of God); but the proper time for performing it is in the month of July, beginning it on the eighth of July, and ending it on the sixteenth day of that month, which is the Feast of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel; or beginning it on the fifteenth--that is, on the eve of the Feast,--and concluding it on the twenty-third, which is the last day of the Octave.

2.) The second is, that this Novena may be said in the person's own house before an image or picture of our Lady of Mount Carmel; but the best place to say it in is the church, before an altar of the Blessed Virgin, if there be one, or if not, a picture or medal may be used. And the Novena is to be said kneeling, if illness or any other just cause does not prevent.

3.) The third is, that the person who makes the Novena is to confess and communicate on the first day of the Novena if possible, or at least on some day during the course of it; and that, in order to be better prepared to recite this Novena, they are to make very devoutly the acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, as contained in the first prayer, in order to purify the soul to praise God and the Holy Virgin: for if a soul full of failings and imperfections were to offer to God and our Lady prayers and praises, it would be like presenting delicious viands in an unclean vessel, so that they could not be eaten; and it would also be well to confess and communicate on the last day of the Novena.

4.) The fourth is, that on the first day of the Novena, the person who performs it is to determine for what end or intention he wishes to make it,--that is, what he desires to obtain from God by the intercession of His Holy Mother; and he is to ask it with great humility and entire resignation to the will of God, only desiring it if it be for the greater glory of His Divine Majesty and good of his own soul; and also he is to be disposed, if he does not obtain what he asks, to be as satisfied as if God had granted his desire, preferring the Divine will and pleasure to his own.

5.) The fifth remark is, that any person who cannot read or hear the Novena read, can make it by saying every day five Salve Reginas and five Ave Marias, saying first an act of contrition, and observing as far as possible the directions here given.

6.) The sixth and last is, that the person who makes the Novena ought to offer to God and the Blessed Virgin some act of virtue every day during the Novena: as giving alms, hearing Mass, a short time of mental prayer, frequent acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, as also of conformity with the holy will of God. And he ought to have great confidence, through the intercession of the Holy Virgin, that he will obtain from the Majesty of God what he asks in this Novena, if it be for the good of his soul.--pages 3 - 7

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We will recognize them by their fruits.

Prayer to St. Michael

Please protect us, St. Michael the Archangel, against violence, murder, and robbery. In your goodness preserve us today from all the malice of sinful and wicked persons. In your sleepless vigilance watch over the safety and welfare of our homes, and keep guard over our possessions. Ever hold in your special care, most triumphant St. Michael, the forces of public order against the crimes of evil people, and defend all honest citizens in time of peril. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Novena Prayer to St. Michael

(Pray for nine consecutive days)
Saint Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His Catholic people, I turn to thee with confidence and seek thy powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who hast made thee so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer.
Thou knowest the value of my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate thy loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and thy great love for God and men. And since thou art God’s messenger for the care of His people, I entrust to thee this special request: (here mention your request).
Saint Michael, since thou art, by the will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in thy prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God’s holy will, my petition will be granted.
Pray for me, Saint Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through thy powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death and reach Heaven where we may praise and love God with thee forever. Amen.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.
St. Michael, Guardian of souls, Vanquisher of rebel spirits, Pray for us.

St John Chrysostom

Our Lord having reproached the Jews with blindness, they might have said, We are not blind, but we avoid you as a deceiver. Our Lord therefore gives the marks which distinguish a robber and deceiver from a true shepherd. First come those of the deceiver and robber: Verily, verily, I say to you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. There is an allusion here to Antichrist, and to certain false Christs who had been, and were to be. The Scriptures He calls the door. They admit us to the knowledge of God, they protect the sheep, they shut out the wolves, they bar the entrance to heretics. He that uses not the Scriptures, but climbs up some other way, i.e. some self-chosen, some unlawful way, is a thief. Climbs up, He says, not, enters, as if it were a thief getting over a wall, and running all risks. Some other way, may refer too to the commandments and traditions of men which the Scribes taught, to the neglect of the Law. When our Lord further on calls Himself the Door, we need not be surprised. According to the office which He bears, He is in one place the Shepherd, in another the Sheep. In that He introduces us to the Father, He is the Door, in that He takes care of us, He is the Shepherd. (Catena Aurea)

LIBERTAS ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ON THE NATURE OF HUMAN LIBERTY
35. And as to tolerance, it is surprising how far removed from the equity and prudence of the Church are those who profess what is called liberalism. For, in allowing that boundless license of which We have spoken, they exceed all limits, and end at last by making no apparent distinction between truth and error, honesty and dishonesty. And because the Church, the pillar and ground of truth, and the unerring teacher of morals, is forced utterly to reprobate and condemn tolerance of such an abandoned and criminal character, they calumniate her as being wanting in patience and gentleness, and thus fail to see that, in so doing, they impute to her as a fault what is in reality a matter for commendation. But, in spite of all this show of tolerance, it very often happens that, while they profess themselves ready to lavish liberty on all in the greatest profusion, they are utterly intolerant toward the Catholic Church, by refusing to allow her the liberty of being herself free.

“If you want to be certain of being in the number of the Elect, strive to be one of the few, not one of the many. And if you would be quite sure of your salvation, strive to be among the fewest of the few; that is to say, do not follow the great majority of mankind, but follow those who enter upon the narrow way, who renounce the world, who give themselves to prayer, and who never relax their efforts by day or night, so that they may attain everlasting blessedness.” -Saint Anselm, Father and Doctor of the Church

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH, THE PROTECTOR OF CHRISTIAN FAMILIES Great Saint Joseph, who wast chosen of God to be the head of the holiest and most august of families, deign to cast thy eyes upon us, and take us this day under thy special protection. Holy Patriarch, model of the holiest faith, and of the most perfect virtues, obtain for all the members of this family grace to withstand the dangers and seductions of the world, and to remain stedfastly attached to the LORD. Obtain for us that, always united by the bonds of the most tender charity, and encouraging one another mutually in good works, we may taste under thy auspices the sweetness of that peace which JESUS has promised to His true disciples. But above all, when our last hour shall come, obtain for us that we may find grace before the Sovereign Judge, so that, reunited in heaven at the foot of Thy Throne, we may celebrate everlastingly the glory of GOD and thy praise. Amen.

St. Vincent Ferrer -- Sermon on the Last Judgment: In the same way, in the time of Antichrist, the Sun of justice will be obscured by the interposition of temporal goods and the wealth which Antichrist will bestow on the world, inasmuch as the brightness of faith in Jesus Christ and the glow of good lives will no longer shine among Christians. For, lest they should lose their dominion, temporal rulers, kings and princes will range themselves on the side of Antichrist. In like manner, prelates for fear of losing their dignities, and religious and priests to gain honors and riches, will forsake the Faith of Christ and adhere to Antichrist.

Neither living nor lifeless faith remains in a heretic who disbelieves one article of faith. The reason of this is that the species of every habit depends on the formal aspect of the object, without which the species of the habit cannot remain. Now the formal object of faith is the First Truth, as manifested in Holy Writ and the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the First Truth. Consequently whoever does not adhere, as to an infallible and Divine rule, to the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the First Truth manifested in Holy Writ, has not the habit of faith, but holds that which is of faith otherwise than by faith. Even so, it is evident that a man whose mind holds a conclusion without knowing how it is proved, has not scientific knowledge, but merely an opinion about it. Now it is manifest that he who adheres to the teaching of the Church, as to an infallible rule, assents to whatever the Church teaches; otherwise, if, of the things taught by the Church, he holds what he chooses to hold, and rejects what he chooses to reject, he no longer adheres to the teaching of the Church as to an infallible rule, but to his own will. Hence it is evident that a heretic who obstinately disbelieves one article of faith, is not prepared to follow the teaching of the Church in all things; but if he is not obstinate, he is no longer in heresy but only in error. Therefore it is clear that such a heretic with regard to one article has no faith in the other articles, but only a kind of opinion in accordance with his own will. (Saint Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 5, a. 3)

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

A Novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

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✿St. Joseph pray for us.✿