Mary, Help of Christians Part 24

Novena in Honor of St. Cyriacus

Preparatory Prayer (located at the start of Part IV).

PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. CYRIACUS

O G.o.d, who didst grant to St. Cyriacus the grace of heroic charity and trustful resignation to Thy holy will; bestow upon us, through his intercession, the grace to walk before Thee in self-denying charity and to know and fulfil Thy will in all things. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

INVOCATION OF ST. CYRIACUS

ST. CYRIACUS, great servant of G.o.d, loving Christ with all thy heart, thou didst for His sake also love thy fellow-men, and didst serve them even at the peril of thy life, for which charity G.o.d rewarded thee with the power to overcome Satan, the arch-enemy, and to deliver the poor obsessed from his dreadful tyranny; implore for me of G.o.d an effective, real, and true charity. Show thy power over Satan also in me; deliver me from his influence when he tries to tempt me. Help me to repel his a.s.saults and to gain the victory over him in life and in death. Amen.

Prayer (located in St. George's novena).

IX

Novena in Honor of St. Achatius

Preparatory Prayer (located at the start of Part IV).

PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. ACHATIUS

O G.o.d, who didst fortify Thy holy martyr Achatius with constancy and trustful reliance on Thee in death; grant us through his intercession at the hour of our death to be free from all anxiety and victorious in our last combat with the enemy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

INVOCATION OF ST. ACHATIUS

VALIANT martyr of Christ, St. Achatius, who preached Christ faithfully before kings and judges, and didst gain the victory over the enemies of G.o.d; help me through thy powerful intercession to resist and gain the victory over all the enemies of my salvation, over the world and its allurements, over the concupiscence of the flesh, and over the temptations of Satan. I implore thee particularly to a.s.sist me in my agony, when the powers of h.e.l.l rise against me to rob my soul. Then do thou come to my aid and repel the a.s.saults of the enemy, so that I surrender my soul into the hands of my Redeemer in faith, hope, and charity, and confiding in His infinite merits. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer (located in St. George's novena).

X

Novena in Honor of St. Eustachius

Preparatory Prayer (located at the start of Part IV).

PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. EUSTACHIUS

O G.o.d, who didst lead Thy holy martyr Eustachius safely through many trials and dangers to the glorious crown of martyrdom; enlighten and strengthen us through his intercession, that we persevere in Thy love amid the trials of this life, and by resignation to Thy holy will come forth from the darkness of this earth into the light of Thy eternal glory. Amen.

INVOCATION OF ST. EUSTACHIUS

HEROIC servant of G.o.d, St. Eustachius, cast from the height of earthly glory and power into the deepest misery, thou wast engaged for a long time in the labor of a menial servant, eating the bitter bread of dest.i.tution; but never didst thou murmur against the severe probation to which G.o.d subjected thee. I implore thee to aid me with thy powerful intercession, that in all conditions I may resign myself to the holy will of G.o.d, and particularly that I may bear poverty and its consequences with patience, trusting in G.o.d's providence, completely resigned to the decrees of Him who humbles and exalts, chastises and heals, sends trials and consolations, and who has promised to those who follow Him in the spirit of poverty His beatific vision throughout all eternity. Amen.

Prayer (located in St. George's novena).

XI

Novena in Honor of St. Giles

Preparatory Prayer (located at the start of Part IV).

PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. GILES

O G.o.d, we beseech Thee to grant us through the merits and intercession of St. Giles to flee from the vanity and praise of this world, to avoid carefully all occasions of sin, to cleanse our hearts from all wickedness by a sincere confession, to leave this world in Thy love and rich in good works, and to find Thee gracious on the day of judgment.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

INVOCATION OF ST. GILES

ZEALOUS follower of Christ, St. Giles; from early youth thou didst take to heart the words of our Saviour: "Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart." Therefore thou didst flee from the praise and honors of the world, and wast rewarded with the grace to preserve thy heart from all sin and to persevere in a holy life to a ripe old age. I, on my part, through pride, self-confidence, and negligence, yielded to my evil inclinations, and thereby sinned grievously and often, offending my G.o.d and Lord, my Creator and Redeemer, my most loving Father. Therefore I implore thee to help me through thy mighty intercession to be enlightened by the Holy Ghost, that I may know the malice, grievousness, and mult.i.tude of my sins, confess them humbly, fully, and contritely, and receive pardon, tranquillity of heart, and peace of conscience from G.o.d. Amen.

Prayer (located in St. George's novena).

XII

Novena in Honor of St. Margaret

Preparatory Prayer (located at the start of Part IV).

PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. MARGARET

O G.o.d, grant us through the intercession of thy holy virgin and martyr Margaret, undauntedly to confess the Faith, carefully to observe the chast.i.ty of our state of life, and to overcome the temptations of the world, the devil, and the flesh, and thereby escape the punishments of eternal d.a.m.nation. Amen.

INVOCATION OF ST. MARGARET

ST. MARGARET, holy virgin and martyr, thou didst faithfully preserve the robe of holy innocence and purity, valiantly resisting all the blandishments and allurements of the world for the love of thy divine Spouse, Jesus Christ; help me to overcome all temptations against the choicest of all virtues, holy purity, and to remain steadfast in the love of Christ, in order to preserve this great gift of G.o.d. Implore for me the grace of perseverance in prayer, distrust of myself, and flight from the occasions of sin, and finally the grace of a good death, so that in heaven I may "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth." Amen.

Prayer (located in St. George's novena).

XIII

Novena in Honor of St. Catherine

Preparatory Prayer (located at the start of Part IV).

PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. CATHERINE

O G.o.d, who didst distinguish Thy holy virgin and martyr Catherine by the gift of great wisdom and virtue, and a victorious combat with the enemies of the Faith; grant us, we beseech Thee, through her intercession, constancy in the Faith and the wisdom of the saints, that we may devote all the powers of our mind and heart to Thy service.