Sacred Devotions · Novenas
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer — a tradition rooted in the nine days the Apostles and Our Lady spent in prayer between the Ascension and Pentecost. Each novena is a school of trust.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."Matthew 7:7 · NABRE
Four Novenas
Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo · 1882–1970
"Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to Me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to Me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations."
— Our Lord to Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo · St. Padre Pio called him "a living crucifix"
Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.
Surrender does not mean apathy or inertia. It means placing all your concerns in my hands, and then doing your duty — leaving the results to me. The more you trust me, the more you will receive. So often your prayers remain unanswered because you claim back what you have surrendered through anxiety and worry.
Pray always with faith, and do not be troubled if my response does not come immediately. I come quickly when you surrender to me. If you do not see the results, look to your own heart — perhaps you have reclaimed your concerns through anxious thinking. Simply say again: O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!
If you could see how I work in the depths of your soul, you would be filled with wonder. I know all things — your present, your past, your future. I know exactly what you need. Give me your work, your worries, your fears. I will work in ways you cannot imagine.
Have no fear. I am here. I am with you. Do not look at the storm — look at me. Peter sank not from the weight of the waves, but from the weight of his doubt. When fear rises, say again: O Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Trust that I am already working all things together for your good.
I am God and I do not change. My promises are certain. My love does not waver. What I have begun, I will bring to completion. Your role is not to manage the outcome — your role is to trust. When you trust completely, I am free to act completely.
Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Do not try to carry what only I can carry. Place it in my hands — truly place it, not take it back through worry — and rest in my peace.
You cannot surrender through willpower alone. Ask me for the grace to surrender. Pray: Lord, teach me to abandon myself to You. Give me the faith of a child. Let me release my grip on the outcomes I cling to, and fall freely into Your arms. You will catch me. You always catch me.
You have completed this novena. But surrender is not a prayer prayed once — it is a way of life. Each morning, offer me your day. Each time anxiety rises, surrender it. My yoke is easy and my burden is light — because when you truly surrender, I carry everything. Mary, I surrender! St. Joseph, I surrender! To God alone be glory.
Traditional · Prayed before Pentecost or any time
"Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth."
— Traditional Prayer to the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do; give me Your orders. I promise to submit to whatever You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your will. Come, Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your well-beloved spouse.
Holy Spirit, grant me the gift of understanding — that I may perceive the deep things of God, and see all creation as He sees it. May my mind be opened to the Word of God, that Scripture may be not merely words on a page but living fire. Lord, let me understand what You ask of me, and give me the courage to do it.
O Holy Spirit, in every moment of uncertainty, be my Counselor. When I do not know which path to take, speak to me. When I am tempted to follow the voice of the world, recall me to Your voice — still and small, yet more powerful than thunder. Grant me the gift of counsel, that I may always choose what is right, what is holy, what is pleasing to God.
Holy Spirit, I am weak. I fail. I grow tired and discouraged. Grant me the gift of fortitude — the courage to do what is right even when it costs me everything; to stand firm in faith even when the world laughs; to persevere in prayer even when I feel nothing. Be my strength when I have none of my own.
O Spirit of God, enlighten my mind with true knowledge — not merely information, but the knowledge that saves; the knowledge that all things pass, that only God endures; the knowledge that leads to repentance and to love. Let me know myself as I truly am before You, and let me know You as You truly are — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, fill me with the gift of piety — a tender, childlike devotion to God the Father. Let me approach Him not with fear but with love; not as a slave but as a beloved child. And let this same tenderness extend to all people, that I may see in every face the image of God. Make me gentle, patient, and compassionate.
O Holy Spirit, grant me holy fear — not the fear of a slave, but the reverence of a child who loves his Father and trembles at the thought of offending Him. Let the weight of God's holiness rest on my soul, that I may never sin lightly, never treat grace cheaply, never take for granted the gift of His mercy.
Holy Spirit, You descended at Pentecost as tongues of fire. Come again to me — burn away what is not of God. Consume my pride, my fear, my sin. Leave behind only what is pure and holy and useful for Your Kingdom. Set me on fire with love for God and for my neighbor.
Come, Holy Spirit, Living Water — quench the thirst of my soul. Come, Holy Spirit, Gentle Dove — grant peace to my restless heart. Come, Holy Spirit, Sweet Guest of the soul — make me Your dwelling place, now and forever. Renew the face of the earth — and begin with me. Amen.
Traditional · Based on revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
"I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life. I will establish peace in their homes. I will comfort them in all their afflictions. I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death."
— Our Lord's Twelve Promises to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I come to You with all my heart. I offer you all that I have and am — my joys and my sorrows, my failures and my hopes. You are the source of every good thing; apart from You I can do nothing. Lord, grant me the grace I seek in this novena, if it be Your will and for the good of my soul. I trust in Your infinite love and mercy.
O Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of love — You loved us first. Before we turned to You, You were already turned toward us. Before we sought You, You were already seeking us. Your love is not earned but freely given, not deserved but poured out in abundance. Let me rest in that love today. Let me receive it without striving, without fear.
O Sacred Heart, You are patient and most merciful — Your mercy endures forever. I bring to You today all my sins, my failures, my shame. Cast them into the ocean of Your mercy. You said: "Come to me, all you who are weary." I am weary, Lord. I come. Make my heart more like Yours — humble, gentle, and merciful to others as You are to me.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, You promised to establish peace in our homes. I offer You my home, my family, my relationships. Where there is conflict, bring reconciliation. Where there is coldness, kindle warmth. Where there is fear, bring Your peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you." John 14:27
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance on Calvary — from Your open side flowed water and blood, the sacraments of the Church, the life of the world. Every wound You bore was for me. Every drop of blood was for my salvation. Let me never wound You again by deliberate sin. And when I fall, let me run to You rather than away from You.
O Jesus, You promised that whoever receives Holy Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays shall not die without receiving the graces necessary for final perseverance. This is the Great Promise — a promise of salvation rooted in Your mercy. I unite my prayer today with all those who honor Your Sacred Heart throughout the world. May devotion to Your Heart spread to every corner of the earth.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to You I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may be employed in loving, honoring, and glorifying You. This firm resolution I now make — never to sin again, and to avoid all occasions of sin, so that I may live and die as Your true servant and child. Amen.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, You told St. Margaret Mary: "Behold this Heart which has so loved men, and which has been so little loved in return." Lord, I am sorry for every moment I ignored You, every day I went about without a thought of You. I love You, Lord. I want to love You more. Teach me to love You as You deserve to be loved.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Your Kingdom come. Reign over my heart, my home, my country, and the whole world. May every heart know You, love You, and rest in You. I offer this novena for all the intentions I have carried in my heart these nine days. You know them all. You know what I truly need. I place everything in Your Sacred Heart, and I trust You completely. Amen.
Traditional · For Families, Marriages & Vocations
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph — in you we contemplate the splendor of true love. To you we turn with trust."
— Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia
O Holy Family of Nazareth — Jesus, Mary, and Joseph — you are the model of every Christian family. In your home, God Himself was loved and served. In your simple daily life — the work, the meals, the prayer, the silence — the Kingdom of Heaven was present. Holy Family, I place my family before you today. Make our home a little Nazareth — a place of love, faith, and peace.
O Blessed Virgin Mary, you are the most perfect of all mothers — tender and strong, joyful and sorrowful, always turned toward your Son. You carried God in your arms. You taught Him to walk, to pray, to love. Intercede for all mothers — those who are tired, those who are grieving, those who are raising children alone. Cover them with your mantle. Give them your patience, your love, your faith.
O St. Joseph, silent and strong, faithful and just — you protected the Holy Family at every turn. You rose in the night when God called. You carried your family into exile to keep them safe. You worked with your hands to provide for them. Intercede for all fathers — that they may be present, faithful, courageous, and tender. Raise up holy fathers for a wounded world.
Holy Family, you know what it is to suffer. You fled as refugees. You lost Jesus for three days in Jerusalem — and Mary's heart was pierced with grief. You know estrangement and reunion, loss and consolation. Bring healing to families that are broken — by addiction, by divorce, by estrangement, by death. Where there are wounds, bring Your mercy. Where there is bitterness, bring forgiveness.
Lord Jesus, You were once a child in Mary's arms. You grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Protect all children — those who are loved and those who are unloved; those who are safe and those who are in danger. Holy Family, watch over every child. May every child know that they are seen, loved, and precious in God's sight.
Holy Family, you lived the fullness of vocation — Mary and Joseph in holy marriage, consecrated to God; Jesus as the Eternal Word poured out for the salvation of the world. Help all who are discerning their vocation: to marriage, to priesthood, to religious life, to consecrated celibacy. May every person find and live the vocation God has prepared for them from the beginning.
The family is the domestic church — the first school of prayer, the first community of faith, the first place where the Gospel is lived. Holy Family, renew this vision in our hearts. Help parents to pray with their children, to make the home a place where God is spoken of naturally and freely. May our homes be places of encounter with the living God.
O Holy Family, for thirty years you lived hidden in Nazareth — washing clothes, preparing meals, working at the carpenter's bench, praying together at day's end. In this ordinary life, the Son of God was glorified. Teach me to find God in the ordinary — in the routine, the repetition, the small sacrifices of daily life. Let nothing be "merely" ordinary when it is offered to God.
O Holy Family of Nazareth, at the end of this novena I entrust to you all that I have asked for in these nine days — my family, my loved ones, my own vocation, and the families of the world. You are our model and our hope. In you we see that love is possible, that fidelity is beautiful, that the ordinary life, lived for God, is the greatest life of all. May we one day be united with you in the joy of the Father's house. Amen.