Novena in honor of St. Luis Guanella Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.

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2 Novena in honor of St. Luis Guanella Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. Saint Augustine Day 1 Faith in the Son, not the sun God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. Unknown Reading from Fr. Guanella The earth is sustained in its orbit by the sun. This star is very huge, being almost a million and a half times larger than the earth Moreover, the sun is surrounded by thousands of stars. Imagine! An expert astronomer can count twelve thousand stars with his bare eyes, while he can detect hundreds of thousands of them with the help of his optical instruments. Remember that all the stars are very distant from the earth. You see how swift the brightness of the lightning is. The light of the stars travels likewise. Still, according to the scientist Herschel, in order to reach the earth, the light of the most distant stars which form the galaxies, must travel for one hundred, two hundred and even a thousand years. The stars and the space which we have described are part of the sky which we can see from here on earth. However, behind the space and the stars in the sky, there is the infinite space of the high heaven where the throne of your heavenly Father is. Admiring the immensity of the skies with their human eyes, the astronomers are astonished. Looking much higher, with the eyes of faith at Paradise, don t you think you should be even more astounded? Looking at Heaven, learn how to rejoice greatly with your Heavenly Father and ask Him notable graces for your advantage. (Let Us Go to the Father, V, 1) Reading from the From Lumen Fidei: The light of Faith: this is how the Church s tradition speaks of the great gift brought by Jesus. In John s Gospel, Christ says of Himself: I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness (Jn.12:46) The pagan world, which hungered for light, had seen the growth of the cult of the sun god, Sol Invictus, invoked each day at sun rise. Yet though the sun was born anew each morning, it was clearly incapable of casting its light on all of human existence. (No. 1)

3 Today let us try to live our faith in the light of the Son of God, in the people we meet. Day 2 Faith while in the Service of God None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith. Paulo Coelho Reading from Fr. Guanella God the Father rewards you for the services you offer to Him and regards you with love as if He had no one else to think of other than you. Thus He resembles the sun, which from the center of the universe sends its light and warmth to the mountains as well as to the plains, to the rocks as to the sea, looks at everyone and at the same time it sends its rays to you as if it had no one else to care for other than you. Consequently, as the sun illuminates every corner of the earth, likewise you should remember that the Lord finds you wherever you may be on earth, in order to assist you. The help which God will give you is proportional to the faith with which you pray to Him. Therefore, if you offer humble and fervent prayers, you immediately make Heaven show its splendor, thereby having God the Father hasten to your assistance. (Let Us Go to the Father, III, p. 28) : There is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence. A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source: in a word, it must come from God. Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals His love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives.

4 Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfillment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us. Faith, received from God as a supernatural gift, becomes a light for our way, guiding our journey through time. (No.4) Faith is born of an encounter with the living God; how is our everyday encounter with our God? Day 3 Faith in the Offering of Christ Do not be afraid; our faith cannot be taken from us; it is a gift. Dante Alighieri Reading from Fr. Guanella So long as Priests of God offer the Holy Sacrifice and Virgins of the Lord offer themselves and their will for their neighbor s welfare, faith will certainly not be extinguished in the midst of us, because the Immaculate Lamb with His Divine Blood enriches the work and the prayer of His beloved Brides. Go on, go on with courage and with faith, generous virgins, go on: Jesus is with you! What matters to you, your youth, your talent, your exterior gifts, whatever they may be? One thing only matters: Sanctify yourself, sanctifying others. (Guide, p ) : Christ, on the eve of His passion, assured Peter: I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail (Lk.22:32). He then told him to strengthen his brothers and sisters in that same faith The conviction born of a faith which brings grandeur and fulfillment to life, a faith centered on Christ and on the power of His grace, inspired the mission of the first Christians. In the acts of the martyrs, we read the following dialogue between the Roman

5 prefect Rusticus and a Christian named Hierax: Where are your parents? the judge asked the martyr. He replied: Our true father is Christ, and our mother is faith in Him. For those early Christians, faith, as an encounter with the living God revealed in Christ, was indeed a mother, for it had brought them to the light and given birth within them to divine life, a new experience and a luminous vision of existence for which they were prepared to bear public witness to the end. (No. 5-6) Our Founder tells us to Go on, go on with courage and with faith, generous virgins, go on: Jesus is with you! Do we truly believe this? Day 4 Faith in Christ Victim and Driving Force To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. St. Thomas Aquinas A reading from Fr. Guanella: Since Jesus Christ has died for all and especially for the elect who obtain salvation in the Holy Mass, you can plead with good results for all men in general, and with special success for the just and the souls in purgatory. Why do you delay then? One single Holy Mass seems to depopulate half of purgatory. Give glory to God! The same Jesus who sacrificed Himself on Calvary, offers Himself now on the holy altar, although in a bloodless manner. Faith, faith help me! Faithful soul, join in spirit the Priest who as a minister offers the great Victim, and in amazement say: How can we doubt that God loves us! Yet, Philothea, what a shame if you do not join that Victim by offering your own heart! (The Foundation, Lesson V, 1, 6-9)

6 In God s gift of faith, a supernatural infused virtue, we realize that a great love has been offered us, a good word has been spoken to us, and that when we welcome that Word, Jesus Christ the Word made flesh, the Holy Spirit transforms us, lights up our way to the future and enables us joyfully to advance along that way on wings of hope. Thus wonderfully interwoven, faith, hope and charity are the driving force of the Christian life as it advances towards full communion with God. (No. 7) Only the believer is obedient and only the obedient believe. Do we truly believe and live this in our daily life? Day 5 Faith in the Word that draws us Faith isn t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It s simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step. Joni Erickson Tada A reading from Fr. Guanella: Jesus rules, Jesus draws to Himself the hearts of men The example of Jesus is light shining before our mind. His words contain the seed of eternal life. Every step of our Divine Savior benefits both bodies and souls. The face of the Savior Himself radiates the splendor of His divinity. One single word and one single glance of Jesus are enough to draw to Himself as a loving child [even] a well-known money-lender like Matthew. Follow Jesus, then. Let yourself be drawn by the power of His love. (In the Month of Fervor, III, p ) All the threads of the Old Testament converge on Christ; He becomes the definitive Yes to all the promises, the ultimate basis of our Amen to God (cf. 2Cor.1:20). The history of Jesus is the complete manifestation of God s reliability. If Israel continued to recall God s great acts of love, which formed the core of its confession of faith and

7 broadened its gaze in faith, the life of Jesus now appears as the locus of God s definitive intervention, the supreme manifestation of His love for us. The word which God speaks to us in Jesus is not simply one word among many, but His eternal Word (cf. Heb.1:1-2). God can give no greater guarantee of His love Christian faith is thus faith in a perfect love, in its decisive power, in its ability to transform the world and to unfold its history In the love of God revealed in Jesus, faith perceives the foundation on which all reality and its final destiny rest. (No.15) The light of Christ radiates all that the Old Testament, prophets and kings, promised: the guarantee of God s merciful and eternal love. Are we drawn in by this love? Do we draw others to it? Day 6 Faith that is stronger than death Faith is a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is still dark. Rabindranath Tagore A reading from Fr. Guanella: [Jesus] gave His life, a life that has infinite value. What a great thing you would be doing in giving your life, a life that is so miserable and so sinful! Consider it an honor for you to suffer for Jesus, a gain to die for Him! In the meantime, do not delay from giving to Him a proof of your good will. That will of yours which is so whimsical, submit it to God. That intelligence of yours that is still so vain, bend it before the wisdom of the Mot High. (In the Month of Fervor, III, p. 125) The clearest proof of the reliability of Christ s love is to be found in His dying for our sake. If laying down one s life for one s friends is the greatest proof of love (cf.

8 Jn.15:13), Jesus offered His own life for all, even for His enemies, to transform their hearts. This explains why the evangelists could see the hour of Christ s crucifixion as the culmination of the gaze of faith; in that hour the depth and breadth of God s love shone forth it is precisely in contemplating Jesus death that faith grows stronger and receives a dazzling light; then it is revealed as faith in Christ s steadfast love for us, a love capable of embracing death to bring us salvation. This love, which does not recoil before death in order to show its depth, is something I can believe in. (No. 16) No greater love has anyone than to lay down his life for his friends. For whom would we be willing to lay down our lives? Day 7 Faith in our tangible Savior Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see. William Newton Clark A reading from Fr. Guanella: The Lord keeps showing you the treasures of His mercy. So far, He pointed out to you Bethlehem and Nazareth, what His only Son, Jesus, experienced in Gethsemane and on Mount Calvary. He, then, pointed out the cross of Jesus, sprinkled with Blood, His open wounds. Finally, not knowing what else to do, God showed you the Incarnate Heart Itself. The heart is the seat of love. The heart is the source of life Jesus places before you His own throbbing Heart, so that, looking at It, you may be touched by It. (In the Month of Fervor, V, p. 9) Our culture has lost its sense of God s tangible presence and activity in our world. We think that God is to be found in the beyond, on another level of reality, far removed from our everyday relationships. But if this were the case, if God could not act in the world, His love would not be truly powerful, truly real, and thus would not even be true, a love capable of delivering the bliss that it promises. It would make no difference at all whether

9 we believed in Him or not. Christians, on the contrary, profess their faith in God s tangible and powerful love which really does act in history and determines its final destiny: a love that can be encountered, a love fully revealed in Christ s passion, death and resurrection. (No. 17) God s love was made tangible in Christ s Incarnation and is powerful in His pierced Heart. How can we be real witnesses of God s truly powerful, truly real love in the places where we are? Day 8 Faith through the Sacraments The antidote to frustration is a calm faith, not in your won cleverness, or in hard toil, but in God s guidance. Norman Vincent Peale A reading from Fr. Guanella: Consider the ineffable bounty of the Lord! A Christian is born by Baptism; he is fortified by Confirmation; and because of the Eucharist he sits at the table of the Angels to become an angel himself. Then, through Penance he is lifted up in case he has fallen, and by the Anointing of the Sick he is strengthened for the final passage. Holy orders give sacred ministries on earth, and Matrimony blesses a Christian family so that the just be multiplied here on earth and saints are prepared for Heaven The soul who keeps herself faithful to her God, is called by the Lord to partake in His Sacraments, and rejoices and gets strengthened with the life of God Himself. (The Foundation, III, p. 228) By His taking flesh and coming among us, Jesus has touched us, and through the Sacraments He continues to touch us even today; transforming hearts, He unceasingly enables us to acknowledge and acclaim Him as the Son of God. In faith, we can touch Him and receive the power of His grace. Saint Augustine, commenting on the account of the woman suffering from hemorrhages who touched Jesus and was cured (cf. Lk.8:45-

10 46), says: To touch Him with our hearts: that is what it means to believe. The crowd presses in on Jesus, but they do not reach Him with the personal touch of faith, which apprehends the mystery that He is the Son who reveals the Father. Only when we are configured to Jesus do we receive the eyes needed to see Him. (No. 31) Through the Sacraments we see, touch, hear and even taste Jesus. The next time we participate in one of the Sacraments, let us reflect, in awed-wonder, on the senses our faith awakens in us as we reach Him with that personal touch of faith. Day 9 Faith that is passed on Faith is a grand cathedral, with divinely pictured windows standing without, you can see no glory, nor can imagine any, but standing within every ray of light reveals a harmony of unspeakable splendors. Nathaniel Hawthorne A reading from St. Guanella: Teach the children, who enter our facilities from a life of suffering, and the aged and chronically ill who have already one foot in the grave, to pray with you; and Jesus, who is all love for those who endeavor to follow Him, will hear your supplications and will make the blind see, put the erring on the right road, help the fallen to get back on their feet, and alleviate the moral decline which threatens our land and ourselves. How many, many sinners, comforted and assisted by you, will, by the light of your discreet and industrious charity, open their eyes to know their sins and detect them, and will set themselves to recall their lost faith, to practice good works, and to aspire after eternal happiness! Will yours not be a splendid victory? (Guide, p.10-11)

11 Those who have opened their hearts to God s love, heard His voice and received His light cannot keep this gift to themselves. Since faith is hearing and seeing, it is also handed on as word and light. Addressing the Corinthians, Saint Paul used these two very images. On the one hand he says: But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with Scripture I believed and so I spoke we also believe, and so we speak (2Cor.4:13). The word, once accepted, becomes a response, a confession of faith, which speaks to others and invites them to believe. Paul also uses the image of light: All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image (2Cor.3:18). It is a light reflected from one face to another, even as Moses himself bore a reflection of God s glory after having spoken with Him: God has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2Cor.4:6). The light of Christ shines, as in a mirror, upon the face of Christians; as it spreads, it comes down to us, so that we too can share in that vision and reflect that light to others, in the same way that, in the Easter liturgy, the light of the Paschal candle lights countless other candles. Faith is passed on, we might say, by contact, from one person to another, just as one candle is lighted from another. (No. 37) Our contact with the children, the elderly, and the sick whom we serve will allow the light of Christ s face to shine in their hearts. How well do we reflect Christ s loving face in our contacts with others? Put together by Sr. Esther Leroux 2013

Dehonian Associates Prayer Book

Dehonian Associates Prayer Book Introduction Let us pray much for our work, for our missions, for our recruiting, but above all for our immense spiritual needs, that our Lord may pardon all our shortcomings