Please Note: The Novena Dates have been adjusted slightly to allow for wider distribution.
The novena will now run from Sunday, May 18, up to and including Monday, May 26.
Novena
to Our Lady of Good Counsel
The word Novena comes from the word
"novem" which means
"nine." It is a prayer that is said for nine consecutive days, or in
some cases other arrangements of nine.
A novena may be a private or public spiritual devotion for the purpose
of offering thanksgiving for a special favour from God or to make a special
petition. Novenas have
been prayed since the very beginning of the Church and remain a popular
devotion.
After the Lord’s Ascension, Mary
and the disciples gathered in the upper room, and constantly devoted themselves
to prayer (Acts 1:12-14). After nine
days had passed, the promised Holy Spirit descended upon them with transforming
power. In that same spirit of openness
to divine blessing and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we too pray our novenas.
Be aware that in some cases, novenas
can be presented in a superstitious manner. Any novena instructions that
include words such as, "say this
prayer for 9 consecutive days and your wish will be granted to you,"
or that describe the novena as "never
fail" may lead one to believe that we have God at our beck and call
rather than our being His humble servants. While the prayers themselves might be OK,
such instructions should be absolutely rejected.
You are invited to join in praying this novena to Our
Lady of Good Counsel in thanksgiving to God for the 25th Anniversary
of the Catholic Women’s League in our parish, and for the grace of continued
openness to the presence and guidance of the life-giving Holy Spirit.
Once a day, from Sunday, May 18,
up to and including Monday, May 26, please
pray the following prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel, composed by Pope
Pius XII:
Holy Virgin, moved by the painful uncertainty we experience in seeking
and acquiring the true and the good, we cast ourselves at your feet and invoke
you under the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel. We beseech you:
come to our aid at this moment in our worldly sojourn when the twin darknesses
of error and of evil that plots our ruin by leading minds and hearts astray.
Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the victims of doubt and
of error so that they may not be seduced by evil masquerading as good;
strengthen them against the hostile and corrupting forces of passion and of
sin.
Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from your Divine Son the love of virtue
and the strength to choose, in doubtful and difficult situations, the course
agreeable to our salvation. Supported by your hand we shall thus journey
without harm along the paths taught us by the word and example of Jesus our
Savior, following the Sun of Truth and Justice in freedom and safety across the
battlefield of life under the guidance of thy maternal Star, until we come at
length to the harbor of salvation to enjoy with thee unalloyed and everlasting
peace. Amen.
(You are also invited to complement the
daily prayer with daily activities as outlined below)
“Magnificat
Novena of Praise”
Day One:
Sunday, May 18
“My soul
proclaims the greatness of the Lord”
Activity: Read 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Day Two: Monday,
May 19
“and my
spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
for he has looked
with favour upon his lowly servant.”
Activity: Listen to a good and inspirational piece of music…
Day Three: Tuesday, May 20
“From this
day all generations shall call me blessed:
The Almighty
one has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.”
Activity: Think of 50 things you are grateful to God for.
You can use your Rosary beads to keep count!
Day Four:
Wednesday, May 21
“He has mercy
on those who fear him in every generation.”
Activity: Focus on and pray for one person to whom you need to
offer forgiveness.
Day Five:
Thursday, May 22
“He has shown
the strength of his arm,
He has
scattered the proud in their conceit.”
Activity: Consider the gift of mobility, and read Acts 17:28.
Day Six: Friday, May 23
“He has cast
down the mighty from their thrones,
and has
lifted up the lowly.”
Activity: Visit, phone, e-mail, text, or write a letter as an
act of encouragement.
Day Seven: Saturday, May 24
“He has filled
the hungry with good things,
and the rich
he has sent away empty.”
Activity: Prepare a charitable donation of your choice for the
needy.
Day Eight: Sunday, May 25
“He has come
to the help of his servant Israel, for he haw remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise
he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”
Activity: Pray three times today these words: “I will sing of
your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your
faithfulness to all generations” (Ps. 89:1)
Day Nine: Monday,
May 26
Glory be to
the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Activity: Be intentional about consecrating your work to God.
Say “Amen” as you complete the ordinary tasks of the
day.
Saint François de Laval (1623-1708) was the first Bishop of New France. His diocesan territory originally included most of what is now Canada, much of upper New England and all the Mississippi Valley, extending even to the Rocky Mountains. He is admired for his pastoral work among the Aboriginal Peoples and the settlers of New France, and for trying to defend Native People from being exploited by merchants and governors through the sale of alcohol. He was especially committed to education, founding both a major and a minor seminary. The Séminaire de Québec, which later established Laval University, has made major contributions in the intervening centuries to higher academic education not only in Quebec and the rest of Canada, but throughout North America. Saint François de Laval was known for his commitment to evangelization and his generosity to the poor. After his resignation as Bishop of Québec, he devoted his final years to prayer, penance and the care of the poor.