PRAYERS TO OUR LADY

Exam Novena for Tom

Daily Novena

Prayer

V: In the name of the Father… R: Amen

(Prayer of The Day)

V Saint Thomas Aquinas,

R Patron of Catholic universities, schools and students, I thank God for the gifts of light and Knowledge He hath bestowed on thee, which thou used to build up the Church in love. I thank God, too for the wealth and richness of theological teachings thou left in thy writings. Not only was thou a great teacher, thou moreso lived a life of virtue and made holiness the desire of thy heart. If I cannot imitate thee in the brilliance of thy learned knowledge aid me to follow thee in the humility and charity which marked thy life. As St Paul taught, charity is the greatest gift, and is open to all. Pray for me I beg thee, that I might grow in holiness and charity and in particular, I implore thee to obtain the favours I ask during this novena.

V : Assist us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, through thy merits of St Thomas Aquinas.

R: That what our endeavours cannot obtain may be given us by his intercession. Amen.

V : In the name of the Father… R: Amen.

_{First Day}

V The First Day: St. Thomas, Called by God.

“He that loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me.”

R. And he that loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

V. St. Thomas Aquinas,

R. pray for all young people who are discerning God’s divine will for their life. Intercede especially for those discerning a holy vocation to the priesthood or religious life. Help them all hear and be docile to the call of God. Inspire religious life. Help them to make choices and to act enlightened by the Truth motivated by charity for God and a unselfish love for others. Help them to see their state in life and duties as a path to holiness, to serve God and neighbour. May all priests, religious, married couples and single persons build up the Church through lives of unselfish devotion and love.

_SecondDay

V The Second Day: St. Thomas, Lover of Purity. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification”

R That you should abstain from all fornication

V Know how to possess your vessel in sanctification and honour

R Not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles that know not God

V For God has not called us unto uncleanliness

R But unto sanctification

V St. Thomas Aquinas,

R Intercede for us, that each person, family and all society may once again value the virtue of chastity. We pray that those in media and entertainment will work to promote a Catholic view of marriage and family life. We pray that our schools will foster purity. We pray that our priests and parishes will proclaim the Church’s true moral teaching. We pray that priests and religious will be celibate, living purely and chastely. May Catholic moral standards act as a leaven in society and the Church, bringing about a greater respect for human life God’s most holy and perfect Law.

(Recite the Daily Novena Prayer)

_{Third Day}

V: The Third Day: St. Thomas, Example of Humility.

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled:

R: And he that humble himself shall be exalted”

V: St. Thomas Aquinas,

R: As a young student and a learned doctor, thou bore insults patiently without retaliating. Thou wast endowed with a keen mind but recognised God is the source of all gifts. Thou humbly acknowledge thy dependence on God, that man is nothing, that we are dust and to dust we shall return. Thou begged God to enlighten thee so that thou would only act for His greater glory. Pray for me too, that I may learn to act out of humility and never from the empty desire of esteem and honour among men. Help me to disdain human respect, seeking only God’s glory, the sanctification of souls, and right intentions. May I seek to humble myself now, that God may favour me with mercy upon my death and exalt me in eternal life hereafter.

(Recite the Daily Novena Prayer)

_{Fourth Day}

V: The Fourth Day: St. Thomas, Devoted to Truth. “But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up,

R In Him who is the head, even in Christ.”

V. St. Thomas Aquinas,

R. Thou devotest thy life to seeking the Truth and explaining it to others. “Thou dedicated thy mind to God and by the light of the Holy Ghost studied the Sacred Scriptures even more deeply. Thy gifts and grace thou received as a saint, theologian and philosopher make thee the greatest doctor of the Church. In thy discussions thou made Truth thy primary aim, always seeking to inflame Catholics with love of the Church and seeking to convert all to the mystical Body of Christ, including heretics, Jews, Muslims and Pagans. Obtain for me too a great love of Truth. Help me to ponder God’s word and draw from it the light and spiritual nourishment necessary to my state in life. Keep me firmly rooted in the Truth. Never let me be swayed by false teachings. Never let me abandon Thy on Catholic Church. I pray also for those lost in darkness, help them come into the light of Truth.

(Recite the Daily Novena Prayer)

_{Fifth Day}

V. The Fifth Day: St. Thomas, Afire with Love for the Blessed Sacrament.”Amen, amen I say unto you: except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man,

R. And drink His blood, you shall not have life in you.”

V. St. Thomas Aquinas,

R. Thou hadst a great love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and spent many hours in devotion before the blessed Sacrament. Thou once said that thou learnest more from prayer before the Tabernacle than from many hours study. The Church owes thee a debt of gratitude for the beautiful and sacred hymns thou wrote in honour of the Eucharist for the feast of Corpus Christi at the request of Pope Urban IV. Pray for me too that I might be inflamed with an ardent love for the Holy Eucharist. Help me to always esteem and reverence this wonderful Sacrament. Aid me to always pray devoutly at Mass. Meditating upon the Passion of Our Lord. May I receive Holy Communion with a pure soul, fasted body, and great fervor. May I often visit Our Lord in the Tabernacle. Remind me always to genuflect and kneel in adoration of Our King and Saviour. May the Holy Eucharist strengthen me and love God and to be consoled at the hour of my death.

(Recite the Daily Novena Prayer)

_{Sixth Day}

V. The Sixth Day: St Thomas filled with Charity

“Charity is patient and kind

R. Charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely;

V. Is not puffed up; is not ambitious, seeketh not her own

R. Is not provked to anger, thinketh no evil;

V. Rejoiceth not in iniquity,

R. But rejoiceth with truth.” (1Cor 13:4-6)

V. St Thomas Aquinas,

R. Thou wast noted during thy life for thy charity. Pray for me and help me to be more deeply rooted in the spiritual virtue of charity. May I always bear in mind Our Lord’s words: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35) Help us to practise charity in a concrete way not just with words but with sacrifice. May it begin in my family and radiate to everyone I meet.

(Recite the Daily Novena Prayer)

_{Seventh Day}

V. The Seventh Day: St Thomas, Defender of the Church.

“These things I write to thee.. that thou mayest know how thou oughtest behave thyself in the house of God,

R. Which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth”

V. St Thomas Aquinas,

R. From thy youth thou learned to love the Church, thy spiritual home. In thy teaching, thou sought to explain and defend the doctrine of Holy Mother Church. Thou understood that true wisdom means to let oneself be instructed by the Church, for Our Lord guaranteed that the Holy Ghost would always guide the Church, infallible and indefectible, leading it to all Truth. At the end of thy life, thou said “I have taught and written much… according to my faith in Christ and in the holy Roman Church, to whose judgement I submit all my teaching. Intercede for the Body of Christ today. That it may grow stronger and fruitful in the world. That her faith may be restored. That all her pastors, theologians and catechists may have thy same spirit of submission to the teaching. Raise up holy priests, that they may all be salt of the earth and light of the world. Bless the Pope in his efforts to guide the Church. Pray for missionaries as they work to baptize all nations teaching them all Christ commanded. And may the Spouse of Christ be restored by the power of the Holy Ghost.

(Recite the Daily Novena Prayer)

_{Eighth Day}

V. The Eighth Day: St Thomas,Teacher of Prayer.

“Be instant in prayer,

R. Watching in prayer with thanksgiving”

V. St. Thomas Aquinas,

R. Thou knowest that prayer is the source of wisdom and spent long hours in conversation with God. Prayer became thy very life Whenever thou pondered over a problem be it in faith or any other matterthou turned first to prayer to seek God’s enlightenment and thou concluded thy discernment in praying for His holy Will. Now in heaven, thou enjoyest forever the Beatific Vision, seeing God face to face. Pray for me too.that I might become a person of profound prayer. Obtain for me the grace that I might always pray with humility, confidence and perseverance. Help me to growmore and more in the spirit of prayer, so that my whole life may become a prayful oblation to God. May I always seek the face of the living God.

(Recite the Daily Novena Prayer)

_{Ninth Day}

V. The Ninth Day: St. Thomas, Patron of Students.

“I give thanks to my God always for you’

R. For the grace of God that is given you in Christ Jesus, (bow head)

V. That in all things you are made rich in Him,

R. In all utterance, and in all knowledge.

V. St. Thomas Aquinas,

R. We implore thy intercession that all men be open to the Truth and always seek to better know Him who is the Truth, The Way and the Life. May they thus better serve God and neighbour as Our Lord desires. St Thomas pray especially for theologians, priests and seminarians, that in their studies and research they come to a deeper knowledge of revealed doctrine in keeping with the mind of the Holy Mother Church. May their lives reflect the holiness of the word of God which they seek to more fully know and understand.

(Recite the Daily Novena Prayer)

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Comment by Kate Jackson on August 29, 2016 at 1:10pm: Many thanks - suberb grades!

Comment by Kate Jackson on May 8, 2016 at 1:33am: Day 9 - Amen

Comment by Kate Jackson on May 7, 2016 at 1:10pm: day 8 - Amen

Comment by Kate Jackson on May 5, 2016 at 2:50pm: Amen.

French Oral Exam survived - phew! Thanks for the prayers. 3 more French exams and then 9 more subject!

Comment by Kate Jackson on May 4, 2016 at 3:14pm: day 6 - Amen - French Oral Exam tomorrow....