Saint Andrew Christmas Novena
(Traditionally prayed 15 times every day from the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle-Nov 30 until Christmas.)
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
Advent Evening Hymn (8th Century)
Come, Sun and Savior, to embrace our gloomy world, its weary race, as groom to bride, as bride to groom: The wedding chamber, Mary’s womb. At your great Name, O Jesus, now all knees must bend, all hearts must bow; all things on earth with one accord, like those in heaven, shall call you Lord. Come in your holy might, we pray, redeem us for eternal day; defend us while we dwell below from all assaults of our dread foe.
St. Ambrose Advent Prayer
O God, You looked on man when he had fallen down into death, and resolved to redeem him by the advent of Your only begotten Son; grant, we implore You, that they who confess His glorious Incarnation may also be admitted to the fellowship of Him their Redeemer; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gelasian Advent Prayer
Make us we implore You, O Lord our God, watchful and heedful in awaiting the coming of Your Son, Christ our Lord; that when He shall come and knock He may find us not sleeping in sin, but awake, and rejoicing in His praises; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Traditional Advent Prayer
Almighty and Eternal God, whose light has shone in our mortal darkness; reveal Your presence in our souls, and direct us in our thoughts, words and deeds; awaken us from the sleep of sin, and make us know that now is the accepted time and now the day of salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Novena For Christmas (Dec 16th-24th)
First Day: December 16
Alright God and Savior of our souls, Infant jesus, the angels and shepherds adored Thee in the stable of Bethlehem on that holy night when Thou wert born of the Virgin Mary. We offer Thee our profound adoration and our most earnest thanksgiving for having become man for our redemption and salvation. Grant that we may apply all our powers to fulfill Thy gracious designs, that we may become perfectly renewed in heart and inflamed with Thy holy love. Amen
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Second Day: December 17
O Merciful Redeemer, Thou didst will to remain in the chaste closer of Mary’s womb, hidden and unknown, although Thou wert the eternal Word and the Wisdom of the Father. Grant that we may learn from Thee to love solitude and silence and escape the evils that are found in the tumult and distractions of the world. Grant us greater purity of mind and of heart; grant that we may glorify Thee and edify others by our modesty and behavior. Amen
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Third Day: December 18
O Infant God, from the moment of Thy conception in holy Mary’s womb, Thou didst offer Thyself to Thy Eternal Father from the salvation of our souls. Deign to give us a lively sense of the one thing necessary, so that we may labor zealously for others and work out our own salvation in fear and trembling. Amen.
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Fourth Day: December 19
O dear Jesus, Thou didst go up to bethlehem in the womb of Mary to obey the command of Caesar, who had ordered all his subjects to be enrolled. Grant us grace to obey with alacrity the most arduous commands of those who hold Thy place over us. Amen.
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Fifth Day: December 20
O Most Adorable Jesus, upon Thy arrival at Bethlehem, Thou wert rejected by all men. Grant us to follow Thy example in suffering and contempt, that we may welcome Thee joyfully into our hearts when Thou seeks an entrance there, either by holy inspirations or by Thy Divine Sacraments. Amen.
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Sixth Day: December 21
O Divine Infant, excluded from Bethlehem, Thou didst inspire Thy holy Mother to retire to a poor and wretched stable. In that obscure and humble place it was Thy will to be born, in order to confound our pride and teach us humility. Grant that from this day forward, we may conform ourselves to Thy will, renounce all pomp and pride and become truly meek and humble of heart. Amen.
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Seventh Day: December 22
O Divine Word, for the love of us, Thy poor creatures, Thou didst will to be born in a most lowly stable, wrapped in swaddling bands and laid in a manger amount animals. Grant that we also may renounce all worldly vanities, embrace poverty of spirit and mortification of flesh, so necessary for our perfect. Grant that we may be thoroughly detached from creatures and poor in all things except Thy love and Thy grace. Amen.
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Eight Day: December 23
O Divine Savior, King of Peace, Thou wert pleased to make Thy appearance amount us when the whole world was in peace, so that all out powers being brought into subjection to Thee, Thou may at the approaching solemnity, be born anew in our souls. Amen.
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Ninth Day: December 24
O Divine Savior, King of immortal glory, in Thy great mercy Thou didst come into the world to redeem us and to make us holy. Grant that, denying all ungodliness and love of this world, we may live soberly in ourselves, justly toward our neighbor and piously before Thee, so that we may be happy with Thee for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father…
Hail May…
Glory be…
Hail and blessed…
Christmas Eve Prayer I
O God, You have made this most sacred night to shine with the illumination of the True Light, grant, we implore You, that as we have known the mystery of that Light upon earth, we may also perfectly enjoy it in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Christmas Eve Prayer II
Almighty God, bestow upon us, we implore You, such love and charity as were His, to Whom it was more blessed to give than to receive, and Who came, not to be ministered unto but to minister. May the same mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus, while we keep to the festival of His divine humility consecrating ourselves to the service of all who are in need in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Christmas Prayer
Heavenly Father, by the Incarnation of Your only begotten Son You drove away the darkness of the world, and by His glorious Birth enlightened this day. Drive away from us the darkness of sin, and enlighten our hearts with the light of Christian grace. May He who chose that the great day of His most holy Birth should be told to the shepherds by an angel, pour upon us the refreshing shower, of His blessing, and being our Shepherd, guide us to the pastures of everlasting joy. And may He, Who through His Incarnation united earthly things with heavenly, fill us with the sweetness of inward peace and goodwill, and make us partakers with the heavenly host; for the glory of His holy Name. Amen.
(May your soul, like a mystical bee, never abandon the little King and may everything within it be for Him. ~ St. Francis de Sales)
Prayer Before The Crib
I adore Thee, O Incarnate Word, true Son of God from all eternity and true Son of the Virgin Mary in the fullness of time and while I adore Thy Divine Person united to Thy Sacred Humanity, I cannot refrain from venerating also the poor crib which received Thee as a little Babe and became in truth the first throne of Thy love.
May I cast myself down before Thee with the simplicity of the shepherds, the faith of St. Joseph and the love of the most Blessed Virgin Mary! May I on bended knees venerate this precious memorial of our salvation with that spirit of mortification, poverty and humility with which Thou, the Lord of Heaven and earth, didst choose a lowly manger as a resting place for tThy tender limbs.
O holy Child Jesus! Accept me for Thy servant and grant that I may obey Thee gladly. Accept me for Thy disciple and grant that I may learn diligently all Thou shalt teach me. Accept me for Thy very own and grant that I may love Thee above all things and remain faithful to Thee in joy and sorrow, in life and death, in time and eternity.
May I ever look with compassionate eyes on those who live only for this world and continually pray that all may come to bless, to praise and to love the Savior Who has come to redeem us all. Amen.
Prayer For Christmas
Most dear Lord Jesus Christ Who, being made an infant for us, wast willing to be born in a cave, to free us from the darkness of sin, to draw us to Thyself and to inflame us with Thy holy love; we adore Thee as our Creator and Redeemer, we accept and choose Thee for our King and Lord and for tribute we offer Thee all the affections of our poor hearts. Dear Jesus, Our Lord and God, deign to accept this offering and that it may be worthy of Thine acceptance, pardon us our faults, enlighten us and inflame us with that holy fire which Thou camest to bring into the world and enkindle in men’s hearts. May our souls thus become a perpetual sacrifice in Thy honor. Grant that we may ever seek Thy greater glory here on earth, that that we may one day come to rejoice in Thy infinite loveliness in Heaven. Amen.
Novena To The Magi In Anticipation Of The Epiphany
This Novena begins on December 28th (the Feast of the Holy Innocents) and ends on January 5 th (the Vigil of the Epiphany).
December 28:
O holy Magi!
You were living in continual expectation of the rising of the Star of Jacob,
which would announce the birth of the true Sun of justice;
obtain for us an increase of faith and charity,
and the grace to live in continual hope
of beholding one day the light of heavenly glory and eternal joy.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
December 29:
O holy Magi!
who at the first appearance of the wondrous star
left your native country to go
and seek the newborn King of the Jews;
obtain for us the grace of corresponding
with alacrity to every divine inspiration.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
December 30:
O holy Magi!
who regarded neither the severity of the season,
nor the inconveniences of the journey
that you might find the newborn Messiah;
obtain for us the grace not to allow ourselves
to be discouraged by any of the difficulties
which may meet us on the way of salvation.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
December 31:
O holy Magi,
who, when deserted by the star in the city of Jerusalem,
sought humbly, and without human respect,
from the rulers of the Church,
the place where you might discover the object of your journey;
obtain for us grace to have recourse,
in faith and humility,
in all our doubts and perplexities to the counsel of our superiors,
who hold the place of God on earth.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
January 1:
O holy Magi,
who were gladdened by the reappearance of the star
which led you to Bethlehem;
obtain for us from God the grace, that,
remaining always faithful to Him in afflictions,
we may be consoled in time by His grace,
and in eternity by His glory.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
January 2:
O holy Magi,
who, entering full of faith into the stable of Bethlehem,
prostrated yourselves on the earth,
to adore the newborn King of the Jews,
though he was surrounded only by signs of poverty and weakness;
obtain from the Lord for us
a lively faith in the real presence of Jesus in the blessed Sacrament,
the true spirit of poverty,
and a Christ-like charity for the poor and suffering.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
January 3:
O holy Magi,
who offered to Jesus Christ gold, incense, and myrrh,
thereby recognizing Him to be at once King, God, and Man;
obtain from the Lord for us
the grace never to present ourselves before Him with empty hands;
but that we may continually offer to Him the gold of charity,
the incense of prayer, and the myrrh of penance and mortification.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
January 4:
O holy Magi,
who, when warned by an angel not to return to Herod,
traveled back to your country be another road;
obtain for us from the Lord,
the grace that, after having found Him in true repentance,
we may avoid all danger of losing Him again.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
January 5:
O holy Magi,
who were first among the Gentiles
called to the knowledge of Jesus Christ,
and who persevered in the faith till your deaths,
obtain for us of the Lord the grace of living always
in conformity to our baptismal vows,
ever leading to a life of faith;
that like you we may attain to the beatific vision
of that God Who now is the object of our faith.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Blessing of the Home on Epiphany
This blessing of the home and inscription of the initials of the three Magi above each door can be performed either by a priest or the father of the family.
The feast of manifestation, or Epiphany, is traditionally celebrated the 12th day after Christmas, January 6th. In the dioceses of the United States this feast has been moved to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.
Prayer:
On entering the home,
Leader (Priest, if present, or father of the family) : Peace be to this house.
All: And to all who dwell herein.
All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.
All Pray: The Magnificat. During the Magnificat, the room is sprinkled with holy water and incensed. After this is completed,
All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.
Leader: Our Father. . . And lead us not into temptation
All: But deliver us from evil.
Leader: All they from Saba shall come
All: Bringing gold and frankincense.
Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come to You.
Leader: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Leader: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee—Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.
All: And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light and kings in the splendor of thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.
Leader: Let us pray. Bless, O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
The Names of the Three Magi are Melchior, a Persian scholar; Caspar, an Indian scholar; Balthazar, an Arabian scholar.
After the prayers of the blessing are recited, each room of the home is sprinkled with Epiphany water and incensed.
The initials of the Magi are inscribed upon the doors with the blessed chalk. (The initials, C, M, B, can also be interpreted as the Latin phrase “Christus mansionem benedicat” which means “Christ bless this house”.
Example: 20 + C + M + B + 16
