Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)

Feast is celebrated on 26 July.

In the second century writing of the Proto-gospel of James; the “Protoevangelium of James,” describes Mary's parent Anna ("Hannah" which means grace") from Bethlehem and Joachim from Nazareth as a wealthy and pious memberthe tribe of Judah of the royal house of David, of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Joachim was deeply grieved, along with his wife Anna, by their childlessness. Joachim called to mind Abraham that in the last day God gave him a son Isaac. The Joachim's and Anne's faith and perseverance brought them through the sorrow of childlessness till the joy of being chosen by God in conceiving and raising the immaculate and sinless Mary who would give birth to our Saviour Jesus, the Son of God. Therefore, St Joachim and St Anne were the parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus.

Among Catholics, there is greater devotion to St Anne as compared to St Joachim but devotion to both of them shows respect for the family. St Joachim and St Anne are the patron saints of grandparents and infertile couples.

St Anne and St Joachim 

is glorious among the Saints, 

not only as the parent of Mary, 

but by their vow they gave Mary to God.

O Lord, God of our Fathers, 

who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, 

that of them should be born 

the Mother of your incarnate Son, 

grant, through the prayers of both, 

that we may attain the salvation 

you have promised to your people.

St Joachim and St Anne, pray for us!

Friday, 26 July, 2013
Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)
Reading

Sirach 44: 1, 10 - 15
1	Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers in their generations.
10	But these were men of mercy, whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
11	their prosperity will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance to their children's children.
12	Their descendants stand by the covenants; their children also, for their sake.
13	Their posterity will continue for ever, and their glory will not be blotted out.
14	Their bodies were buried in peace, and their name lives to all generations.
15	Peoples will declare their wisdom, and the congregation proclaims their praise.

Psalm

Psalms 132: 11, 13 - 14, 17 - 18
11	The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.
13	For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation:
14	"This is my resting place for ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
17	There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18	His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown will shed its luster."

Gospel

Matthew 13: 16 - 17
16	But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17	Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Novena prayer to the St Joachim and St Anne

Good parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

grandparents of our Saviour, Jesus Christ,

When life seems barren,

help us to trust in God’s mercy.

When we are confused,

help us to find the way to God.

When we are lost in the desert,

lead us to those whom God has called us to love.

When our marriage seems lifeless,

show us the eternal youth of the Lord.

When we are selfish,

teach us to cling only to that which lasts.

When we are afraid,

help us to trust in God.

When we are ashamed,

remind us that we are God’s children.

When we sin,

lead us to do God’s will.

You who know God’s will for husband and wife,

help us to live chastely.

You who know God’s will for the family,

keep all families close to you.

You who suffered without children,

intercede for all infertile couples.

You who trusted in God’s will,

help us to respect God’s gift of fertility.

You who gave birth to the Blessed Mother,

inspire couples to be co-creators with God.

You who taught the Mother of God,

teach us to nurture children in holy instruction.

You whose hearts trusted in God,

hear our prayers for . . . (mention your requests here)

Pray with us for the ministry of Catholic family life.

Pray with us for the ministry of Natural Family Planning.

Pray with us for all who give their time,

talent and treasure to this good work.

Hail Mary. . . Our Father. . . Glory to the Father. . .

God of our father,

you gave Saints Anne and Joachim

the privilege of being the parents of Mary,

the mother of your incarnate Son.

May their prayers help us to attain

the salvation you have promised to your people.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

Pope Francis's pectoral cross

The pectoral cross worn by Pope Francis with Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, bearing the lost sheep upon his shoulders in the midst of the flock, and above is the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.

Luke 15:4-7

4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

John 10:14-18

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Acts 20:28

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Saint Anne's Novena and Feast 2013, Port Klang, Malaysia.

We are called to Walk, 
to Build and to Confess JESUS

18 July, 2013 (Thursday) to 28 July, 2013 (Sunday)

Prayer to Saint Anne

O Glorious St. Anne, 

filled with compassion for those who invoke you 

and with love for those who suffer, 

heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, 

I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you 

to take under your special protection 

the present affair which I commend to you. 

(State your Petition)

Be pleased to commend it to your daughter, 

the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

and lay it before the throne of Jesus, 

so that He may bring it to a happy outcome. 

Cease not to intercede for me 

until my request is granted. 

Above all, obtain for me the grace 

of one day beholding my God face to face, and, 

with you and Mary and all the Saints, 

of praising and blessing Him for all eternity. 

Amen.

Good St. Anne, 

mother of her who is our life, 

our sweetness and hope, 

pray to her for us 

and obtain our request. 

(three times)

Good St. Anne, pray for us.

Church of St. Anne

Jalan Tengku Badar, 42000 Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel: +603 - 3168 8530

Fax: +603 - 3165 8530
Email: stannepk@gmail.com / info@stanneportklang.com
Parish Priest:  Rev. Fr. Lawrence Andrew SJ
Assistant Parish Priest: Fr.Peter Anthoney

Faithful Resources for all Christian: Powerful Prayer in Desperate Times of Need

Faithful Resources for all Christian: Powerful Prayer in Desperate Times of Need: Shoulder wound of Jesus . . . Oh loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most sacred wound of Thy sh...

Thirteen Tuesdays Novena to Saint Anthony

Pray the thirteen Tuesdays novena to Saint Anthony before the feast of St. Anthony which starts in March and ends on the Tuesday before 13 June. This novena can also be said at others times for consecutive Tuesday for our personal intentions.

In the name of the Father, 

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

ST. ANTHONY’S PRAYER

Lord Jesus, bind us to you and to our neighbour with love. 

May our hearts not be turned away from you. 

May our souls not be deceived nor our

talents or minds enticed by allurements of error, 

so that we may never distance

ourselves from your love. 

Thus may we love our neighbour as ourselves 

with strength, wisdom and gentleness. 

With your help, 

you who

are blessed throughout all ages. 

Amen.

Pray for us, St. Anthony.

That we may be made worthy 

of the promises of Christ.

God, our loving Father, 

you are glorified in your servant St. Anthony, 

whose glory is the crowning of your gifts to him. 

In his life on earth you give us an example.

In our prayerful communion with him 

you give us his friendship. 

In his prayer for the Church 

you give us strength and protection. 

We praise and thank you, Lord, 

for these benefits through Jesus Christ, your Son, 

Amen.

PRAYER OF PETITION

Holy St. Anthony, 

you are the consolation of so many people. 

We come to invoke your help, 

confident of experiencing your goodness and power. 

Pray for us to the Father of mercies 

that we may obtain the graces 

we need for ourselves and for our loved ones.

(Pause for your Personal Petitions)

True follower of St. Francis, 

put into our hearts the flame of your love 

that we may love our merciful Father 

in heaven and our neighbours as ourselves.

Pray that we may fulfill the will of God 

and live the way Jesus shows us in the Gospel. 

Be a guide for us this day 

that we may recognize the opportunities 

God gives us to be helping and caring. 

Assist us in keeping the promises 

we made at our Baptism. 

Help us to obtain the grace 

to walk in the light of faith and to proclaim 

that faith by the way we live. 

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

Conclude each Tuesday’s Novena with the appropriate prayer.

First Tuesday

Finding Quiet Time

St. Anthony, you found quiet time to retreat into private communion with God to replenish your life with new strength. Help me in the midst of my busy life to seek the Spirit's guiding presence within my heart.

Second Tuesday

A Spirit of Prayer

St. Anthony, you lived in the midst of storm and danger and were exposed to evils, yet you kept a prayerful spirit. Keep me prayerful and surround me by your constant care.

Third Tuesday

Spirit of Renewal

St. Anthony, you were challenged by change and new experiences so many times in the course of your life. Help me not to be afraid of the changes that will take place in my own life and to realize that by dealing with them I grow in faith.

Fourth Tuesday

Sorrow for Sin

St. Anthony, in your preaching of the Gospel you proclaimed that God forgives sinners and understands our human frailty. Help me to acknowledge my trespasses against God and act as a compassionate and forgiving person.

Fifth Tuesday

Forgiveness of Sin 

St. Anthony, you experienced in your ministry as a priest the power of God healing the wounded through your touch. Heal me and my dear ones according to God's will.

Sixth Tuesday

Living Faith

St. Anthony, you carried out the daily responsibilities of your religious life with attention, care and loving faith. May I dedicate myself in the same spirit of love to the tasks God has given to me in union with Jesus.

Seventh Tuesday

A Grateful Heart

St. Anthony, you felt grateful for the countless blessings that flowed into your life from the hands of God. May I also gratefully recognize God's presence in the events of my daily life.

Eighth Tuesday

The Gift of Love

St. Anthony, you found that the companionship of your Franciscan brothers and sisters gave you happiness and support as you spread the Gospel of “love at work.” May I be loyal and honest with my friends and respect their support.

Ninth Tuesday

Our Daily Bread

St. Anthony, each day you celebrated the Sacrifice of God's Son, the Living Bread broken and shared in love. May I nurture others by sharing my daily bread unselfishly.

Tenth Tuesday

Gospel Living

St. Anthony, you walked in the foot-steps of our Suffering Savior by accepting with love the challenges of life. Help me to live in your Gospel spirit by accepting patiently whatever God permits for my own growth in holiness.

Eleventh Tuesday

Christ in the Poor

St. Anthony, you brought hope and comfort to the needy and outcast people of your day. Help me to view any problems as opportunities to grow and share myself with those in need.

Twelfth Tuesday

Light to theWorld

St. Anthony, you led many from darkness to light by your preaching and works of kindness. May I also become light to others and a radiant instrument of peace.

Thirteenth Tuesday

Reward of Eternal Life

St. Anthony, you rejoiced in God's mysterious ways and holy designs for your life here on earth. I thank the Lord for my own unique existence and for the people I alone can influence for good during my lifetime.

source : 

St. Anthony's Guild

New York

Take off your shoes (poem)

My bare feet walk the earth reverently
for everything keeps crying,
Take off your shoes
The ground you stand on is holy
The ground of your being is holy.

When the wind sings through the pines

like a breath of God

awakening you to the sacred present

calling your soul to new insights

Take off your shoes!

When the sun rises above you rooftop

coloring your world with dawn

Be receptive to this awesome beauty

Put on your garment of adoration

Take off your shoes!

When the Red maple drops its last leaf of summer

wearing its “burning bush” robes no longer

read between its barren branches, and

Take off your shoes!

When sorrow presses close to your heart
begging you to put your trust in God alone
filling you with a quiet knowing
that God’s hand is not too short to heal you
Take off your shoes!

When a new person comes into your life

like a mystery about to unfold

and you find yourself marveling over

the frailty and splendor of every human being

Take off your shoes!

When during the wee hours of the night

you drive slowly into the new day

and the morning’s fog, like angel winds

hovers mysteriously around you

Take off your shoes!

Take off your shoes of distraction

Take off your shoes of ignorance and blindness

Take off your shoes of hurry and worry

Take off anything that prevents you 

from being a child of wonder.

Take off your shoes;
The ground you stand on is holy.
The ground you are is holy.

From Seasons of Your Heart by Sister Macrina Wiederkehr. 

New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1991, page 5.

Psalm 34

1 I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

to blot out their name from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the broken hearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,

but the Lord delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,

not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Contagious Faith

... can lead others to follow God.

When we surrender to God’s grace and accept our need for his work in our lives, people see that they too may find something beyond what they have placed their trust in. The faith of the Thessalonians that was conceived during difficult circumstances and has inspired people throughout it's region. 

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith

2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Ruth was of another nationality and another faith, and this meant changing both but she was determined to leave her home in Moab and move with Naomi in Bethlehem in Judah as in Ruth 1:8-18. The Moabites, like the Hebrews, were a distinct people. Their god was Chemosh, and he differed significantly from Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews. 

Ruth 1:8-18

8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May theLord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

Our response to the Gospel in both word and deed has more than just an effect on our own faith journey because when we exercise our faith and demonstrate our convictions of faith, we impact the people and the world around us. The Church's greatest need is for people with winsome commitment to Christ that people around them "believe in their belief." Therefore, our confident yet courageous faith in the Lord may be exactly what someone else needs which is contagious whereby they are encouraged to follow, belief and trust the Lord like we do. 

Matthew 9:37-38

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Glory to God 

for raising up more workers for the harvest!

Faith that produces hope in the middle of the storms of life is a contagious testimony to the truth of God as in Acts 27:25 where Paul said "So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.' God does not promise us a smooth sailing life but provides us with hope through our faith and fear in Him.

2 Corinthians 3:3-5

3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

Love for Enemies

Luke 6:27-36

Love for Enemies

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends." 

Abraham Lincoln

St. Joseph included into Rite of Mass (19 June 2013)

Pope Francis has confirmed a new addition to the Latin Rite Mass. The name of St. Joseph, will be included after the usual prayer to the Virgin Mary.

- in Eucharistic Prayer II:
“ut cum beáta Dei Genetríce Vírgine María, beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, beátis Apóstolis”
that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with Blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the blessed Apostles...

- in Eucharistic Prayer III:
“cum beatíssima Vírgine, Dei Genetríce, María, cum beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, cum beátis Apóstolis”;
with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs....

- in Eucharistic Prayer IV:
“cum beáta Vírgine, Dei Genetríce, María, cum beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, cum Apóstolis ”.
with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, and with your Apostles...

The official full decree as follows:

CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS Decree Regarding the Mention of the Divine Name of St. Joseph in the Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV Exercising his paternal care over Jesus, Saint Joseph of Nazareth, set over the Lord’s family, marvelously fulfilled the office he received by grace. Adhering firmly to the mystery of God’s design of salvation in its very beginnings, he stands as an exemplary model of the kindness and humility that the Christian faith raises to a great destiny, and demonstrates the ordinary and simple virtues necessary for men to be good and genuine followers of Christ. Through these virtues, this Just man, caring most lovingly for the Mother of God and happily dedicating himself to the upbringing of Jesus Christ, was placed as guardian over God the Father’s most precious treasures. Therefore he has been the subject of assiduous devotion on the part of the People of God throughout the centuries, as the support of that mystical body, which is the Church. The faithful in the Catholic Church have shown continuous devotion to Saint Joseph and have solemnly and constantly honored his memory as the most chaste spouse of the Mother of God and as the heavenly Patron of the universal Church. For this reason Blessed Pope John XXIII, in the days of the Most Holy Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, decreed that Saint Joseph’s name be added to the ancient Roman Canon. In response to petitions received from places throughout the world, the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI deemed them worthy of implementation and graciously approved them. The Supreme Pontiff Francis likewise has recently confirmed them. In this the Pontiffs had before their eyes the full communion of the Saints who, once pilgrims in this world, now lead us to Christ and unite us with him. Accordingly, mature consideration having been given to all the matters mentioned here above, this Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, by virtue of the faculties granted by the Supreme Pontiff Francis, is pleased to decree that the name of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary is henceforth to be added to Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV, as they appear in the third typical edition of the Roman Missal, after the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as follows: in Eucharistic Prayer II: "ut cum beáta Dei Genetríce Vírgine María, beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, beátis Apóstolis"; in Eucharistic Prayer III: "cum beatíssima Vírgine, Dei Genetríce, María, cum beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, cum beátis Apóstolis"; and in Eucharistic Prayer IV: "cum beáta Vírgine, Dei Genetríce, María, cum beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, cum Apóstolis ". As regards the Latin text, these formulas are hereby declared typical. The Congregation itself will soon provide vernacular translations in the more widespread western languages; as for other languages, translations are to be prepared by the Bishops’ Conferences, according to the norm of law, to be confirmed by the Holy See through this Dicastery. All things to the contrary notwithstanding. From the offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 1 May 2013, on the Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker. Antonio Card. Cañizares Llovera Prefect + Arthur Roche Archbishop Secretary Formulae quae ad nomen Sancti Joseph spectant in Preces eucharisticas II, III et IV Missalis Romani inserendae, linguis anglica, hispanica, italica, lusitana, gallica, germanica et polonica exaratae Probatum Ex aedibus Congregationis de Cultu Divino et Disciplina Sacramentorum, die 1 mensis Maii 2013. + Arturus Roche Archiepiscopus a Secretis Anglice In Eucharistic Prayer II: "that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the blessed Apostles..."; In Eucharistic Prayer III: "with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs..."; In Eucharistic Prayer IV: "with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, and with your Apostles...".

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20130501_san-giuseppe_en.html

Why nine days novena and how it started....

Before Christ ascended into heaven, he commanded his Apostles to remain in the city of Jerusalem for the nine days until the feast of Pentecost, and there to await the descent of the Holy Spirit. With this, our Saviour instituted the practice of the Christian Novena, nine days of prayer, especially in preparation for a solemn feast or in petition for some special grace.

Christ Jesus commanded this first novena both as a period of preparation and also as an act of petition for the Apostles, together with Mary, were pleading for the Holy Spirit to come as their Advocate.

Acts of the Apostles 1:4

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

Doa kepada Santo Theresia dari Kanak-kanak Yesus

Santo Theresia meninggal dunia pada tanggal 30 September 1897  ketika berusia 24 tahun. Sebelum meninggal Santo Theresia mengatakan, "Dari surga aku akan berbuat kebaikan bagi dunia" dan ia menepati janjinya! Semua orang dari seluruh dunia yang memohon bantuan Santo Theresia untuk mendoakan mereka kepada Tuhan telah memperoleh jawaban atas doa-doa mereka.

O Santa Theresia dari Kanak-Kanak Yesus

tolong petikkan bagiku sekuntum mawar

dari taman surgawi dan

kirimkan padaku dengan suatu amanat cinta.

O Bunga Kecil dari Yesus

mintalah kepada Allah hari ini

untuk menganugerahkan rahmat yang sangat kubutuhkan ………

(katakan permohonanmu)

Santa Theresia, bantulah aku untuk senantiasa percaya

kepada belaskasih Allah yang sedemikian besar,

sebagaimana telah engkau wujudkan di dalam hidupmu,

sehingga aku boleh mengikuti 'Jalan Kecil'mu setiap hari.

Amin.

Pesta merayakan Santo Theresia dari Kanak-kanak Yesus diadakan pada setiap tanggal 1 Oktober.