Saint Andrew's Christmas Novena

                                                

“Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary,

at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.

In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires

(here mention your requests)

through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother.

Amen.”

 

The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena is often called simply the “Christmas Novena” or the “Christmas Anticipation Prayer,” because it is prayed 15 times every day from the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle (November 30) until Christmas.

The First Sunday of Advent is the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saint Andrew.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Imprimatur

+MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York

New York, February 6, 1897

Supplication to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

 

SUPPLICA TO BE RECITED TODAY

To be prayed at 5 p.m. on November 27th, Feast of the Miraculous Medal, and in urgent necessities, any day, at that time.

O Immaculate Virgin, we know that always and everywhere you are willing to listen to the prayers of your exiled children in this valley of tears, but we also know that you have days and times in which you are pleased to spread more abundantly the treasures of your graces. And so, very well, O Mary, here we are, prostrate before You, precisely in that blessed day and time, chosen by you in the manifestation of your Medal.

We come to You, full of immense gratitude and unlimited confidence in this hour so beloved by You, to give you thanks for the great gift which you have bestowed upon us, giving us Your image, with the goal that it be for us living testimony of affection and your garment of protection. We promise you that, in accord with your wish, the holy Medal will be the sign of your presence, together with us; it will be our book by which we will learn to know, by your counsel, how much you have loved us, and what we must do so as to not render useless your many sacrifices, and those of Your Divine Son. Yes, your pierced Heart, represented in the Medal, takes possession always of our own and will make ours beat in unison with Yours. Our heart will be enflamed with love for Jesus and Your Heart will strengthen ours to be able to carry the cross behind Him each day.

This is your hour, O Mary, the hour of your inexhaustible goodnesss, of your mercy triumphant, the hour in which you birthed, through your Medal, that torrent of graces and prodigies that flooded the earth. Make this hour, O Mother, in which we remember you be the sweet stirring of your Heart, which moved you to come visit us and to bring us the remedy of so many evils. Make this hour also be our hour, the hour of our sincere conversion, the hour in which we will fully hear your will.

You, who have rightly promised in this fortunate hour that, many would be the graces received for those who ask with confidence: turn your eyes with kindness towards our supplications. We confess not meriting your graces; but to whom shall we turn, O Mary, if not to you, who are our Mother, in whose hands God has placed all his graces? Have therefore pity on us. We ask this by your Immaculate Conception, and for the love that moved you to give us Your Precious Medal. O, consoler of the afflicted, who has already been endeared by our wounds, look at the evils that oppress us.

Let your Medal shower over us and all our loved ones your beatific rays: cure our sick, give peace to our families, liberate us of all danger. May your Medal bring relief to those who suffer, console the ones who cry, and give light and strength to all. We especially ask you for the conversion of sinners, particularly for those who are our most beloved. Remember that for them you have suffered, have pleaded and cried. Save us, O Refuge of Sinners, with the goal that after we have all loved, invoked and served you on earth, we may be able to thank you and praise you eternally in Heaven. Amen.

An Act of Consecration to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

 

Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate, we dedicate and consecrate our selves to thee under the title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. May this Medal be for each one of us a sure sign of thy affection for us and a constant reminder of our duties toward thee. Ever while wearing it, may we be blessed by thy loving protection and preserved in the grace of thy Son. O most powerful Virgin, Mother of our Savior, keep us close to thee every moment of our lives. Obtain for us, thy children, the grace of a happy death; so that, in union with thee, we may enjoy the bliss of heaven forever. Amen.

V. O Mary, conceived without sin,

R. Pray for us who have recourse to thee. ( 3 times.)

Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary

 

The Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, † and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.	Signum Crucis In Nomine Patris, † et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
The Apostles 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 of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty: from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.	Symbolum Apostolorum Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae. Et in Jesum Christum, Filium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, Sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, Sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer (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.	Oratio Dominicae (Pater noster) Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur Nomen Tuum. Adveniat regnum Tuum, fiat voluntas Tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris, et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
The Angelic Salutation (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.	Salutatio Angelica (Ave Maria) Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; Benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
The Minor Doxology (Glory Be) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.	Doxologia Minor (Gloria Patri) Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
The Hail Holy Queen Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. O God Whose only begotten Son by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through Christ Our Lord. Amen.	Salve Regina Salve Regina, mater misericordiae; vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae; ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi. Oremus. Deus, cujus Unigentius per vitam mortemet resurrectionenem Suam nobis salutis aeterne praemia comparavit: concede, quaesumus; ut haec mysteria sanctissimo beatae Mariae Virginis Rosario recolentes, et imitemur quor promittunt, assequamur. Per eumdem Dominum. Amen.

Litany of Thanksgiving by Pope Pius VI

"I will praise thy name continually, and will praise it with thanksgiving, and my prayer was heard." [Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 51:15]

 Lord, have mercy on me.

Christ, have mercy on me.

Lord, have mercy on me.

God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on me.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on me.

Holy Ghost, true God have mercy on me.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on me.

Thou Who hast from all eternity decreed the good which Thou hast done me,

have mercy on me. *

Thou Who for my individual benefit hast displayed Thy omnipotence, wisdom, and goodness, *

Thou, Who each instant loadest me with new favors, *

Thou, Who even when I offended Thee, didst not withdraw from me Thy liberal hand, *

For creating me in preference to so many others, and making me to Thy image,

I thank Thee, O my God. **

For raising me to a supernatural end, and giving me an immortal soul, **

For making me capable of knowing, loving, and possessing Thee forever. **

For providing me with a healthy body, undeformed limbs, and undisturbed senses, **

For appointing so many creatures to serve me, **

For giving me an angel as my guide and protector, **

For having preserved and nourished me, like a good father, to this day, **

For having redeemed me from hell by the passion, and death of Thy Son, **

For having called me to the Catholic Church; for having instituted the seven sacraments for my salvation, and for having afforded me so many other means of salvation, **

For not having yet rejected nor condemned me after my committing so many offenses, **

For having preserved me from innumerable evils, both spiritual and corporal, for having given such abundant blessing to my affairs, my labors, and undertakings, **

For all Thy grace and all thy benefits, natural and supernatural, **

For the pains, exterior and interior, by which Thou hast tried me, for the paternal chastisements and corrections by which Thou hast warned me, **

For all the benefits which I have not yet well considered; for all the graces which I have, alas, abused; for all the graces and benefits which Thou wouldst have granted me had not my malice prevented, **

For all the graces and all the benefits which Thou hast granted to the holy angels and all Thy elect, for all the graces and all the benefits which Thou hast granted to all other men, Thy creatures, **

In union with the thanksgiving which the Church militant on earth has rendered Thee and will render Thee hereafter, **

In union with the thanksgiving which the Church triumphant in heaven has rendered Thee and will render Thee eternally, **

Let us pray:

O God Who hast vouchsafed to display in me, the most unworthy of Thy creatures, Thy admirable liberality, I pray Thee, by Thy tender goodness, to add to Thy numberless benefits this grace, that I may in the future be truly grateful for them, and employ them for my salvation and my neighbor's good, in order that by their good use, and by grateful and reciprocal love I may deserve to arrive where, with all Thy Saints, I shall enjoy Thy love, and praise Thee forever. Amen.

I stand with Bishop Strickland ❤️

 

Pray the Rosary with Bishop Strickland in Baltimore on Wednesday

Prayers For the Poor Souls Each Day of the Week

(Indulgence of 100 Days, once a day. Leo XII, November 18, 1826.)

FOR SUNDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that soul amongst them all which is most destitute of spiritual aid; and vouchsafe to bring it to Thy glory, there to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Pater, Ave, De Profundis.

The De Profundis.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall abide it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

( Indulgence of 100 Days)

FOR MONDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the souls in purgatory, and that soul especially amongst them all which is nearest to its entrance into Thy glory; that so it may forthwith begin to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Pater, Ave, De Profundis.

The De Profundis.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall abide it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

( Indulgence of 100 Days)

FOR TUESDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the souls in purgatory, and in particular that one amongst them all which would be the last to depart out of those pains, that it may not tarry so long a time before it come to praise Thee in thy glory and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Pater, Ave, De Profundis.

The De Profundis.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall abide it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

( Indulgence of 100 Days)

FOR WEDNESDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the streets of Jerusalem, when He carried the Cross upon His sacred shoulders, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that soul which is richest in merits before Thee; that so, in that throne of glory which awaits it, it may magnify Thee and bless Thee forever. Amen.

Pater, Ave, De Profundis.

The De Profundis.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall abide it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

( Indulgence of 100 Days)

FOR THURSDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Body and Blood of thy Divine Son Jesus, which He gave with His own hands upon the eve of his Passion to His beloved Apostles to be their meat and drink, and which He left to His whole Church to be a perpetual sacrifice and the life-giving food of His own faithful people, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that one which was most devoted to this mystery of infinite love, that it may with the same Thy Divine Son and with thy Holy Spirit, ever praise Thee for Thy love therein in eternal glory. Amen.

Pater, Ave, De Profundis.

The De Profundis.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall abide it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

( Indulgence of 100 Days)

FOR FRIDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I pray Thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son shed on this day upon the wood of the Cross, especially from His most sacred hands and feet, deliver the souls in purgatory, and in particular that soul for which I am most bound to pray; that no neglect of mine may hinder it from praising Thee in Thy glory and blessing Thee forever. Amen.

Pater, Ave, De Profundis.

The De Profundis.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall abide it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

( Indulgence of 100 Days)

FOR SATURDAY.

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the side of thy Divine Son Jesus, in the sight of, and to the extreme pain of His most holy Mother, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that one amongst them all which was the most devout to her; that it may soon attain unto Thy glory, there to praise Thee in her, and her in Thee, world without end. Amen.

Pater, Ave, De Profundis.

The De Profundis.

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall abide it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

( Indulgence of 100 Days)

A Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory

 

O most gentle Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on the souls of Thy departed servants. Be not severe in Thy judgments, but let some drops of Thy Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames. And do Thou, O Merciful Saviour, send Thy holy angels to conduct them to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen

For the Holy Souls in Purgatory

My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou didst suffer in Thine agony in the Garden, in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; do Thou deliver them from the dire torments they endure; call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in paradise. Our Father, Hail Mary, Eternal rest, etc. (Indulgence of 500 days. (596))

Prayer to St. Charles Borromeo

 

Prayer:

Successor of Ambrose, thou didst inherit his zeal for the house of God; thy action also was powerful in the Church; and though separated in time by a thousand years, your names are now united in one common glory. May your prayers also mingle before the throne of God for us in these times of decadence; and may your power in heaven obtain for us pastors worthy to continue, or if need be to renew, your work on earth. How obviously applicable to both of you were those words of Holy Writ: What manner of man the ruler of the city is, such also are they that dwell therein (Eccli. x. 2). And again: I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness; and my people shall be filled with my good things, saith the Lord (Jerem. xxxi. 14).

Rightly didst thou say, O Charles: "Never did Israel hear a more awful threat than this: Lex peribit a sacerdote (The law shall perish, shall fail, shall be silent, in the heart of the priest and on his lips. Ezech. vii. 26). Priests are divine instruments, upon "whom depends the welfare of the world; their abundance is the riches of all, their default is the "ruin of nations (Concio I ad Clerum, in Synod. dioeces. xi)."

And when, from the midst of thy priests convoked in synod, thou didst pass to the venerable assembly of seventeen bishops thy suffragans, thy language became, if possible, still more vehement: "Let us fear lest the angered Judge say to us: If you were the enlighteners of my Church, why have you closed your eyes? If you pretended to be shepherds of the flock, why have you suffered it to stray? Salt of the earth, you have lost your savour. Light of the world, they that sat in darkness and the shadow of death have never seen you shine. You were Apostles; who, then, put your apostolic firmness to the test, since you have done nothing but seek to please men? You were the mouth of the Lord, and you have made that mouth dumb. If you allege in excuse that the burden was beyond your strength, why did you make it the object of your ambitious intrigues (Oratio havita in concil. prov. ii)?

But, by the grace of God blessing thy zeal for the amendment of both sheep and lambs, thou couldst add, O Charles: "Province of Milan, take heart again. Behold, thy fathers have come to thee, and are assembled once more for the purpose of remedying thy ills. They have no other care, than to see thee bring forth the fruits of salvation; and for this end they multiply their united efforts (In concil. prov. vi)."

My little children, of whom I am in labour again, until Christ be formed in you (Gal. iv. 19). Such is the aspiration of the Bride, which will cease only in heaven: and synods, visitations, reformation, decrees concerning preaching and government and ministry, were, in thy eyes, but the manifestation of this one desire of the Church, the expression of the mother's cry as she brings forth her children (Concio I ad Clerum, in Synod. dioeces. xi).

Deign, O blessed Pontiff, to restore in all places the love of holy discipline, wherein the pastoral solicitude that rendered thee so glorious (Collect of the feast) found the secret of its marvellous fecundity. It may be sufficient for the simple faithful merely to know that among the treasures of the Church there exists, side by side with her doctrine and Sacraments, an incomparable code, the work of ages, an object of legitimate pride to all her sons, whose divine privileges it protects. But the priest, entirely devoted to the Church, cannot serve her usefully without that profound and persevering study, which will give him the understanding of her laws in detail. But clergy and laity alike must beseech God, that the miseries of the times may not impede the meeting of our venerated superiors in the councils and synods prescribed at Trent (Sessio xxxiv, de Reformatione cap. II), and so grandly carried out by thee, O Charles, who didst prove by experience their value for the salvation of the world. May heaven, for thy sake, hear our prayer; and then we shall be able to say with thee (Concio I ad Clerum in Synod xi) to the Church: "O tender mother, let thy voice cease from weeping,. .. for there is a reward for thy work, saith the Lord; and thy sons shall return out of the land of the enemy. And I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness: and my people shall be filled with my good things (Jerem. xxxi, 16, 14)."

Prayer for Holy Priests

O Jesus, eternal priest, keep Thy priests within the shelter of Thy sacred heart, where none may touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Thy sacred body. Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with Thy precious blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood. Let Thy holy love keep them from the world's contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here and their everlasting crown hereafter. Amen