Canonization of John Paul II and John XXIII Nine Week Novena Introduction April 27, 2014 marks one of the most exciting days in the life of the Church in our lifetime—the canonization of two popes, Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II. To add even more to the celebration, this day is Divine Mercy Sunday. In pursuit of the same call to holiness that drove these two great men, Bishop Kagan is inviting all the faithful in the Diocese to participate in the following novena praying for the intercession of these two Saints for our Diocese, our nation and the world. Please pray the following novena within the context of a holy hour during the week specified. Holy Hour Week 1: February 23 – March 1 Theme “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 Let us pray that we may desire holiness above all else. Opening Prayer Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Transcript
Canonization of John Paul II and John XXIII Nine Week Novena
Introduction April 27, 2014 marks one of the most exciting days in the life of the Church in our lifetime—the canonization of two popes, Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II. To add even more to the celebration, this day is Divine Mercy Sunday. In pursuit of the same call to holiness that drove these two great men, Bishop Kagan is inviting all the faithful in the Diocese to participate in the following novena praying for the intercession of these two Saints for our Diocese, our nation and the world. Please pray the following novena within the context of a holy hour during the week specified.
Holy Hour Week 1: February 23 – March 1
Theme “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 Let us pray that we may desire holiness above all else. Opening Prayer
Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “The words and deeds of Jesus and those of his Church are not meant only for those who are sick or suffering or in some way neglected by society. On a deeper level they affect the very meaning of every person's life in its moral and spiritual dimensions. Only those who recognize that their life is marked by the evil of sin can discover in an encounter with Jesus the Savior the truth and the authenticity of their own existence. Jesus himself says as much: ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’ (Lk 5:31-32). [32] The divine origin of this spirit of life explains the perennial dissatisfaction which man feels throughout his days on earth. Because he is made by God and bears within himself an indelible imprint of God, man is naturally drawn to God. When he heeds the deepest yearnings of the heart, every man must make his own the words of truth expressed by Saint Augustine: ‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you’.25 .“ [35] This excerpt was taken from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae published on March 25, 1995.
Concluding Prayer Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Holy Hour Week 2: March 2 – 8
Theme “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 Let us pray that we be moved with sorrow for the sins committed against the human person leading us to take action to protect the sanctity of human life. Opening Prayer
Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us,
the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “Today there exists a great multitude of weak and defenseless human beings, unborn children in particular, whose fundamental right to life is being trampled upon. If, at the end of the last century, the Church could not be silent about the injustices of those times, still less can she be silent today, when the social injustices of the past, unfortunately not yet overcome, are being compounded in many regions of the world by still more grievous forms of injustice and oppression, even if these are being presented as elements of progress in view of a new world order.” [5] This excerpt was taken from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae published on March 25, 1995.
Concluding Prayer Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Holy Hour Week 3: March 9 – 15
Theme “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 Let us pray for the virtue of humility that we may see ourselves as God see us. Opening Prayer
Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck,
as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “’What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?’, the Psalmist wonders (Ps 8:4). Compared to the immensity of the universe, man is very small, and yet this very contrast reveals his greatness: ‘You have made him little less than a god, and crown him with glory and honor’ (Ps 8:5). The glory of God shines on the face of man. In man the Creator finds his rest, as Saint Ambrose comments with a sense of awe: ‘The sixth day is finished and the creation of the world ends with the formation of that masterpiece which is man, who exercises dominion over all living creatures and is as it were the crown of the universe and the supreme beauty of every created being. Truly we should maintain a reverential silence, since the Lord rested from every work he had undertaken in the world. He rested then in the depths of man, he rested in man's mind and in his thought; after all, he had created man endowed with reason, capable of imitating him, of emulating his virtue, of hungering for heavenly graces. In these his gifts God reposes, who has said: “Upon whom shall I rest, if not upon the one who is humble, contrite in spirit and trembles at my word?” (Is 66:1-2). I thank the Lord our God who has created so wonderful a work in which to take his rest.’"26 [35] This excerpt was taken from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae published on March 25, 1995.
Concluding Prayer Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Holy Hour Week 4: March 16 – 22
Theme “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 Let us pray for the grace to recognize the truth and defend it in the midst of relativism.
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “[…] before a society can be considered well-ordered, creative, and consonant with human dignity, it must be based on truth … Human society, as We here picture it, demands that men be guided by justice, respect the rights of others and do their duty. It demands, too, that they be animated by such love as will make them feel the needs of others as their own, and induce them to share their goods with others, and to strive in the world to make all men alike heirs to the noblest of intellectual and spiritual values. Nor is this enough; for human society thrives on freedom, namely, on the use of means which are consistent with the dignity of its individual members, who, being endowed with reason, assume responsibility for their own actions. [35] And so, dearest sons and brothers, we must think of human society as being primarily a spiritual reality. By its means enlightened men can share their knowledge of the truth, can claim their rights and fulfill their duties, receive encouragement in their aspirations for the goods of the spirit, share their enjoyment of all the wholesome pleasures of the world, and strive continually to pass on to others all that is best in themselves and to make their own the spiritual riches of others. It is these spiritual values which exert a guiding influence on culture, economics, social institutions, political movements and forms, laws, and all the other components which go to make up the external community of men and its continual development.” [36] This excerpt was taken from Pope John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem in Terris published on April 11, 1963.
Concluding Prayer Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Holy Hour Week 5: March 23 – 29
Theme “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7 Let us pray that our eyes may be open to how the Lord desires us to serve those around us today. Opening Prayer
Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “Furthermore, how can we fail to mention all those daily gestures of openness, sacrifice and unselfish care which countless people lovingly make in families, hospitals, orphanages, homes for the elderly and other centers or communities which defend life? Allowing herself to be guided by the example of Jesus the "Good Samaritan" (cf. Lk 10:29-37) and upheld by his strength, the Church has always been in the front line in providing charitable help: so many of her sons and daughters, especially men and women Religious, in traditional and ever new forms, have consecrated and continue to consecrate their lives to God, freely giving of themselves out of love for their neighbor, especially for the weak and needy. These deeds strengthen the bases of the "civilization of love and life", without which the life of individuals and of society itself loses its most genuinely human quality. Even if they go unnoticed and remain hidden to most people, faith assures us that the Father "who sees in secret" (Mt 6:6) not only will reward these actions but already here and now makes them produce lasting fruit for the good of all.” [27]
This excerpt was taken from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae published on March 25, 1995.
Concluding Prayer Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Holy Hour Week 6: March 30 – April 5
Theme “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 Let us pray for the grace to see the dignity of each person and treat them with the respect they deserve. Opening Prayer
Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “Any well-regulated and productive association of men in society demands the acceptance of one fundamental principle: that each individual man is truly a person. His is a nature, that is, endowed with intelligence and free will. As such he has rights and duties, which together flow as a direct consequence from his nature. These rights and duties are universal and inviolable, and therefore altogether inalienable. [9] But first We must speak of man's rights. Man has the right to live. He has the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life, particularly food,
clothing, shelter, medical care, rest, and, finally, the necessary social services. In consequence, he has the right to be looked after in the event of ill-health; disability stemming from his work; widowhood; old age; enforced unemployment; or whenever through no fault of his own he is deprived of the means of livelihood.” [11] This excerpt was taken from Pope John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem in Terris published on April 11, 1963.
“The Church knows that this Gospel of life, which she has received from her Lord, 1 has a profound and persuasive echo in the heart of every person-believer and non-believer alike-because it marvelously fulfils all the heart's expectations while infinitely surpassing them. Even in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties, every person sincerely open to truth and goodness can, by the light of reason and the hidden action of grace, come to recognize in the natural law written in the heart (cf. Rom 2:14-15) the sacred value of human life from its very beginning until its end, and can affirm the right of every human being to have this primary good respected to the highest degree. Upon the recognition of this right, every human community and the political community itself are founded.” [2] This excerpt was taken from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae published on March 25, 1995.
Concluding Prayer Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Holy Hour Week 7: April 6 – 12
Theme “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9 Let us pray for our political and government authority that they would use the authority granted to them by God for protecting and fostering the common good of man, both body and soul. Opening Prayer
Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism,
and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “The world will never be the dwelling place of peace, till peace has found a home in the heart of each and every man, till every man preserves in himself the order ordained by God to be preserved. That is why St. Augustine asks the question: "Does your mind desire the strength to gain the mastery over your passions? Let it submit to a greater power, and it will conquer all beneath it. And peace will be in you—true, sure, most ordered peace. What is that order? God as ruler of the mind; the mind as ruler of the body. Nothing could be more orderly." [165]
Let us, then, pray with all fervor for this peace which our divine Redeemer came to bring us. May He banish from the souls of men whatever might endanger peace. May He transform all men into witnesses of truth, justice and brotherly love. May He illumine with His light the minds of rulers, so that, besides caring for the proper material welfare of their peoples, they may also guarantee them the fairest gift of peace. [171]
Finally, may Christ inflame the desires of all men to break through the barriers which divide them, to strengthen the bonds of mutual love, to learn to understand one another, and to pardon those who have done them wrong. Through His power and inspiration may all peoples welcome each other to their hearts as brothers, and may the peace they long for ever flower and ever reign among them.” [171]
This excerpt was taken from Pope John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem in Terris published on April 11, 1963.
Concluding Prayer Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Holy Hour Week 8: April 13 – 19
Theme “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10 Let us pray for the grace of courage in living as Christ’s witnesses.
Opening Prayer
Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “The contemplation of the Cross thus brings us to the very heart of all that has taken place. Jesus, who upon entering into the world said: ‘I have come, O God, to do your will’ (cf. Heb 10:9), made himself obedient to the Father in everything and, ‘having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end’ (Jn 13:1), giving himself completely for them. He who had come ‘not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mk 10:45), attains on the Cross the heights of love: ‘Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (Jn 15:13). And he died for us while we were yet sinners (cf. Rom 5:8). In this way Jesus proclaims that life finds its center, its meaning and its fulfilment when it is given up. At this point our meditation becomes praise and thanksgiving, and at the same time urges us to imitate Christ and follow in his footsteps (cf. 1 Pt 2:21). We too are called to give our lives for our brothers and sisters, and thus to realize in the fullness of truth the meaning and destiny of our existence. We shall be able to do this because you, O Lord, have given us the example and have bestowed on us the power of your Spirit. We shall be able to do this if every day, with you and like you, we are obedient to the Father and do his will.” [51] This excerpt was taken from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae published on March 25, 1995.
Concluding Prayer Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Holy Hour Week 9: April 20 – 26
Theme “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” Chaplet of Divine Mercy Let us pray, in reparation for all sin, that all would seek the mercy Christ so desperately wants to pour upon us. Opening Prayer
Diocese of Bismarck Novena Prayer
Most Holy Father in Heaven, We pray, through the intercession of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII, that we would follow their example by living our Catholic Faith with joy, hope, and confidence. Grant us the courage to denounce the evils of our time, including the culture of death, moral relativism, and all that keeps us from loving You and sharing the Gospel with our neighbor. We pray that You, Father, would use us, the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, as an instrument of Your love and light to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation “The parable of the prodigal son expresses in a simple but profound way the reality of conversion. Conversion is the most concrete expression of the working of love and of the presence of mercy in the human world. The true and proper meaning of mercy does not consist only in looking, however penetratingly and compassionately, at moral, physical or material evil: mercy is manifested in its true and proper aspect when it restores to value, promotes and draws good from all the forms of evil existing in the world and in man. Understood in this way, mercy constitutes the fundamental content of the messianic message of Christ and the constitutive power of His mission. His disciples and followers understood and practiced mercy in the same way. Mercy never ceased to reveal itself, in their hearts and in their actions, as an especially creative proof of the love which does not allow itself to be ‘conquered by evil,’ but overcomes ‘evil with good.’(69) The genuine face of mercy has to be ever revealed anew. In spite of many prejudices, mercy seems particularly necessary for our times. [6]
The Church proclaims the truth of God's mercy revealed in the crucified and risen Christ, and she professes it in various ways. Furthermore, she seeks to practice mercy towards people through people, and she sees in this an indispensable condition for solicitude for a better and ‘more human’ world, today and tomorrow. However, at no time and in no historical period-especially at a moment as critical as our own-can the Church forget the prayer that is a cry for the mercy of God amid the many forms of evil which weigh upon humanity and threaten it. Precisely this is the fundamental right and duty of the Church in Christ Jesus, her right and duty towards God and towards humanity. The more the human conscience succumbs to secularization, loses its sense of the very meaning of the word ‘mercy,’ moves away from God and distances itself from the mystery of mercy, the more the Church has the right and the duty to appeal to the God of mercy ‘with loud cries.’135 These ‘loud cries’ should be the mark of the Church of our times, cries uttered to God to implore His mercy, the certain manifestation of which she professes and proclaims as having already come in Jesus crucified and risen, that is, in the Paschal Mystery. It is this mystery which bears within itself the most complete revelation of mercy, that is, of that love which is more powerful than death, more powerful than sin and every evil, the love which lifts man up when he falls into the abyss and frees him from the greatest threats.” [15]
This excerpt was taken from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Dives in Misericordia published on November 30, 1980.
How to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (Pray on your rosary beads.) 1. Make the Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 2. Optional Opening Prayers You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. (Repeat three times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You! 3. Our Father Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen. 4. Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen. 5. The Apostle's Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. 6. (On the Our Father beads) Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. 7. (On the 10 Hail Mary beads) For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. 8. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. 9. Optional Closing Prayer Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
