NOVENA BEFORE THE SOLEMNITY OF CHRISTMAS – December 25
Begins December 16
Taken from the Meditation Texts by Mother Henry Panufnik, SSCJ
Day 1
Silence
Let us adore the WORD, who confined Himself in Mary’s womb with mysterious silence. In silence, Jesus was becoming man for our salvation.
Silence and recollection cause the internal transformation into the likeness of God.
Let us try to deepen our recollection. Let us refrain from saying unnecessary words. Let us entirely open our hearts to the WORD, allowing It to grow and to totally occupy our being. Then we will be able truly to say with St. Paul: The life I live now is not my own, Christ is living in me.
Mary, most silent of people, teach us true silence.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 2
Trust
God trusted Mary; the Creator relied on creation. He gave Himself unconditionally into her hands. He became her Child.
In her Be it done unto me, Mary surrendered to God. She was not disappointed nor did she disappoint God. She raised Jesus according to the will of the Father, not for herself, but for God and for us. She raised the Redeemer of the world.
On one hand, can God also trust us? Are we ready to fulfill His will like Mary? On the other hand, do we also trust God completely in everything? Are we always willing to be at His disposal in all things, and do we turn to Him with the same trust in sorrow as in joy? Do we doubt His goodness and mercy?
Mary, Mother of God, most faithful Daughter of the Father, teach us to trust, and to do the will of God completely in everything and always.
Let us be attentive to refuse God nothing.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 3
Humility
God who is perfect does not need humility. Humility is needed by creation in relation to the Creator. By becoming man, God revealed the greatness of humility.
Mary Immaculate, raised to the highest dignity of Mother of God, considers herself as a servant to Him. By her humble attitude, she showed herself worthy of her Divine Son.
And we? How difficult this virtue is for us. How many of us rebel when it is necessary to submit ourselves to God in people, to renounce our opinion or our own preferences. How we like to emphasize our importance – what a high opinion we have of ourselves! And how carefully we hide our weaknesses and mistakes! We cannot stand reprimands; we prefer flattery. We think we are more important than others. We overestimate our abilities, talents and good works. But we are only servants of the humble Jesus, students of Him who, being God, became Man, one of the most poor. Later in life, He was ridiculed, downtrodden and condemned to death on the Cross.
What an abyss between Jesus and us, between Mary – the Servant of the Lord and we who also bear the name servants.
For love of Jesus, let us imitate His humility. Let us eagerly take advantage of occasions of humiliations. Let us accept reprimands and be grateful for them, for through them, we come closer to God and we please the Divine Child who humbled Himself for us.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 4
Poverty
Jesus, coming into the world, was Himself able to choose His place of birth and its circumstances. He could have been born amid the greatest comfort, in riches and splendor, yet He chose the worst, the most miserable place, a manger and a barn for animals! Jesus wanted to teach us the vanity of earthly things and the value of self-abnegation, the greatness of poverty.
At one time, we followed the poor Jesus; we even took a vow of poverty. How is it now in our daily life? Let us compare our vow of poverty with the poverty that surrounded the Son of God. Should we not be extremely embarrassed? Is not what we have in the convent a luxury compared to the stable in Bethlehem? And yet we complain and lament when something is lacking, when something is refused us, when we cannot obtain what we want.
Let us think sometimes of the millions of hungry, ragged people without a roof over their heads, and let us compare ourselves to them. They did not take the vow of poverty and they are living in misery and dying of hunger. And we? How often we grimace and complain!
Let us thank God for His great generosity in our regard. Let us also be able to share with the needy – if not with material things, then with the gift of prayer. Let us not attach ourselves to anything that is given us for our use.
Let us today think on the problem of a perfect poverty. Let us ask the Child of Bethlehem to teach us this virtue. Let us ask pardon for all past transgressions and for perhaps even sins against the vow of poverty. And let us make a proper resolution.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 5
Mortification and Sacrifice
Jesus began His earthly life in discomfort, suffering and sacrifice. As His Spouses, we must follow the same path. We must learn sacrificial love from the Divine Child and His Mother. We often look at the mystery of the Divine Nativity, at the stable and manger, as children look at a decorated Christmas tree. The festive joy hides from us the harsh reality that took place in the cattle’s rocky cave/
It is good that we rejoice, for joy should veil our sacrifices from the eyes of people, as the joy of the birth of God throws a veil over the unpleasant sights of the Bethlehem night.
Let us scatter joy. Let us not show our sufferings. Let us not seek sympathy and trouble others about ourselves. Let us look for someone whom we can console, whose live we can make more pleasant. Let us not be sparing of a good smile toward our neighbor. Let us live with a love that smiles even through tears.
Let us not avoid occasions of sacrifice; rather let us seek them as Jesus did when we walked the earth. Our life of quiet, sacrificial love will be a great joy to Jesus and will help in saving souls. Jesus counts on our sacrificial help. Let us not disappoint Him. Life is rich with opportunities to do good: let us take advantage of them.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 6
Love
God is love says St. John the Apostle. The Incarnation of the Son of God, His live and apostolic work, His passion and death on the Cross are the result of love.
By His sacrificial love, Jesus gave the greatest glory to His Father and redeemed the world.
Our life, which has its source in God, should be marked by love. Only thus will we fulfill our vocation. This does not mean doing great, outstanding works or having great feelings. Love means having the will to do everything well, as best we can, in accordance with the will of God.
Our love must embrace both God and neighbor, as did the love of Jesus. He came to earth to give glory to the Father; and for our salvation. Let us be mindful of this each day and let us fill our hands with good deeds. May we do everything with Mary, and present everything to God through the heart of the Mother of Fair Love, so that our gifts would be more pleasing to Him and more meritorious. Let us at once dispose ourselves to het service of love, to honor the Child of Bethlehem and to bring joy to our neighbor.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 7
Thanksgiving
God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. The Son of God came down to earth and became the Child of Mary. As Man, He entered human life to redeem it. God also entered my life with His grace and His unlimited love. My mind is too weak to fathom the mystery of God’s love. Eternity is not long to penetrate this miracle that surpasses my understanding, but my heart senses this gift of love and demands a like abandonment, and an entire life of great gratitude.
I will review my life from the hour of baptism to the present moment. What a chain of graces! I will try to remember the graces that I received, and I will not cease to show gratitude by a life surrendered completely to God.
Mother of Divine Grace, Virgin singing endless glory to the Most High, send your hymn of praise to my heart, and help me to sing it at every moment of my life: in daily prayer, work, sacrifice and in service to neighbor.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 8
Apostolic Prayer
Two thousand years have passed since the birth of Christ. Millions of people have not heard about Him and do not know God, their Savior.
As children of Christ’s Church, we are doubly-gifted, not only as Christians, but also as Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; and so we have the obligation to be concerned about the spreading of the Kingdom of God throughout the world, and, by the witness of our life, to reveal Christ to all around us.
Through our daily obligation here in our convent, we must be missionaries. We must promulgate the apostolic spirit and strengthen it within us. We must evangelize by prayer, sacrifice and by the example of an authentic Christian and religious life. Let us make use of all encounters with people to show God to them and to lead them to Him.
Mother of the Incarnate Word, teach us to speak about God. Teach us to lead othes to God by apostolic example. Mother of the Redeemer, we commend to you all baptized children that they will grow in grace. We also commend to you pagan children and the children of atheistic families – be a mother to them and create favorable conditions so that they will become children of God. Obtain for them this grace from your Son, who became a little Child for the salvation of humanity. Mother of the Church and our Queen, intercede for a world that is departing from God.
Save humanity that stands on the brink of annihilation, and – through your motherly goodness – lead mankind to the unity of faith and to true peace.
Mother of Divine grace, help us in every kind of apostolate, that we may bring many straying souls to Jesus.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 9
With the expectant Mother
With a unique love and with motherly concern, Mary awaited the birth of her Child. Together with Mary, let us rejoice in Jesus and be concerned about His birth in souls, and in His acceptance by families and nations.
Let us entrust all mothers to the most joyful Mother. May she teach them about the greatness of motherhood. May she awaken in them a love for each conceived child, and help in the upbringing of the young generation.
Let us pray for the Church, that through the sacraments and the teaching of the Gospel, she may give birth to Christ in souls. Let us pray for our Congregation that the young girls whom we accept will be formed for the glory of the Divine Heart, and that by the example of the older generation they may be inspired to a sacrificial love for God and neighbor.
Let us pray for the Pope, for bishops and for priests, that being themselves saints, they may contribute to the extension of the Kingdom of God on earth.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Begins December 16
Taken from the Meditation Texts by Mother Henry Panufnik, SSCJ
Day 1
Silence
Let us adore the WORD, who confined Himself in Mary’s womb with mysterious silence. In silence, Jesus was becoming man for our salvation.
Silence and recollection cause the internal transformation into the likeness of God.
Let us try to deepen our recollection. Let us refrain from saying unnecessary words. Let us entirely open our hearts to the WORD, allowing It to grow and to totally occupy our being. Then we will be able truly to say with St. Paul: The life I live now is not my own, Christ is living in me.
Mary, most silent of people, teach us true silence.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 2
Trust
God trusted Mary; the Creator relied on creation. He gave Himself unconditionally into her hands. He became her Child.
In her Be it done unto me, Mary surrendered to God. She was not disappointed nor did she disappoint God. She raised Jesus according to the will of the Father, not for herself, but for God and for us. She raised the Redeemer of the world.
On one hand, can God also trust us? Are we ready to fulfill His will like Mary? On the other hand, do we also trust God completely in everything? Are we always willing to be at His disposal in all things, and do we turn to Him with the same trust in sorrow as in joy? Do we doubt His goodness and mercy?
Mary, Mother of God, most faithful Daughter of the Father, teach us to trust, and to do the will of God completely in everything and always.
Let us be attentive to refuse God nothing.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 3
Humility
God who is perfect does not need humility. Humility is needed by creation in relation to the Creator. By becoming man, God revealed the greatness of humility.
Mary Immaculate, raised to the highest dignity of Mother of God, considers herself as a servant to Him. By her humble attitude, she showed herself worthy of her Divine Son.
And we? How difficult this virtue is for us. How many of us rebel when it is necessary to submit ourselves to God in people, to renounce our opinion or our own preferences. How we like to emphasize our importance – what a high opinion we have of ourselves! And how carefully we hide our weaknesses and mistakes! We cannot stand reprimands; we prefer flattery. We think we are more important than others. We overestimate our abilities, talents and good works. But we are only servants of the humble Jesus, students of Him who, being God, became Man, one of the most poor. Later in life, He was ridiculed, downtrodden and condemned to death on the Cross.
What an abyss between Jesus and us, between Mary – the Servant of the Lord and we who also bear the name servants.
For love of Jesus, let us imitate His humility. Let us eagerly take advantage of occasions of humiliations. Let us accept reprimands and be grateful for them, for through them, we come closer to God and we please the Divine Child who humbled Himself for us.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 4
Poverty
Jesus, coming into the world, was Himself able to choose His place of birth and its circumstances. He could have been born amid the greatest comfort, in riches and splendor, yet He chose the worst, the most miserable place, a manger and a barn for animals! Jesus wanted to teach us the vanity of earthly things and the value of self-abnegation, the greatness of poverty.
At one time, we followed the poor Jesus; we even took a vow of poverty. How is it now in our daily life? Let us compare our vow of poverty with the poverty that surrounded the Son of God. Should we not be extremely embarrassed? Is not what we have in the convent a luxury compared to the stable in Bethlehem? And yet we complain and lament when something is lacking, when something is refused us, when we cannot obtain what we want.
Let us think sometimes of the millions of hungry, ragged people without a roof over their heads, and let us compare ourselves to them. They did not take the vow of poverty and they are living in misery and dying of hunger. And we? How often we grimace and complain!
Let us thank God for His great generosity in our regard. Let us also be able to share with the needy – if not with material things, then with the gift of prayer. Let us not attach ourselves to anything that is given us for our use.
Let us today think on the problem of a perfect poverty. Let us ask the Child of Bethlehem to teach us this virtue. Let us ask pardon for all past transgressions and for perhaps even sins against the vow of poverty. And let us make a proper resolution.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 5
Mortification and Sacrifice
Jesus began His earthly life in discomfort, suffering and sacrifice. As His Spouses, we must follow the same path. We must learn sacrificial love from the Divine Child and His Mother. We often look at the mystery of the Divine Nativity, at the stable and manger, as children look at a decorated Christmas tree. The festive joy hides from us the harsh reality that took place in the cattle’s rocky cave/
It is good that we rejoice, for joy should veil our sacrifices from the eyes of people, as the joy of the birth of God throws a veil over the unpleasant sights of the Bethlehem night.
Let us scatter joy. Let us not show our sufferings. Let us not seek sympathy and trouble others about ourselves. Let us look for someone whom we can console, whose live we can make more pleasant. Let us not be sparing of a good smile toward our neighbor. Let us live with a love that smiles even through tears.
Let us not avoid occasions of sacrifice; rather let us seek them as Jesus did when we walked the earth. Our life of quiet, sacrificial love will be a great joy to Jesus and will help in saving souls. Jesus counts on our sacrificial help. Let us not disappoint Him. Life is rich with opportunities to do good: let us take advantage of them.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 6
Love
God is love says St. John the Apostle. The Incarnation of the Son of God, His live and apostolic work, His passion and death on the Cross are the result of love.
By His sacrificial love, Jesus gave the greatest glory to His Father and redeemed the world.
Our life, which has its source in God, should be marked by love. Only thus will we fulfill our vocation. This does not mean doing great, outstanding works or having great feelings. Love means having the will to do everything well, as best we can, in accordance with the will of God.
Our love must embrace both God and neighbor, as did the love of Jesus. He came to earth to give glory to the Father; and for our salvation. Let us be mindful of this each day and let us fill our hands with good deeds. May we do everything with Mary, and present everything to God through the heart of the Mother of Fair Love, so that our gifts would be more pleasing to Him and more meritorious. Let us at once dispose ourselves to het service of love, to honor the Child of Bethlehem and to bring joy to our neighbor.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 7
Thanksgiving
God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. The Son of God came down to earth and became the Child of Mary. As Man, He entered human life to redeem it. God also entered my life with His grace and His unlimited love. My mind is too weak to fathom the mystery of God’s love. Eternity is not long to penetrate this miracle that surpasses my understanding, but my heart senses this gift of love and demands a like abandonment, and an entire life of great gratitude.
I will review my life from the hour of baptism to the present moment. What a chain of graces! I will try to remember the graces that I received, and I will not cease to show gratitude by a life surrendered completely to God.
Mother of Divine Grace, Virgin singing endless glory to the Most High, send your hymn of praise to my heart, and help me to sing it at every moment of my life: in daily prayer, work, sacrifice and in service to neighbor.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 8
Apostolic Prayer
Two thousand years have passed since the birth of Christ. Millions of people have not heard about Him and do not know God, their Savior.
As children of Christ’s Church, we are doubly-gifted, not only as Christians, but also as Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; and so we have the obligation to be concerned about the spreading of the Kingdom of God throughout the world, and, by the witness of our life, to reveal Christ to all around us.
Through our daily obligation here in our convent, we must be missionaries. We must promulgate the apostolic spirit and strengthen it within us. We must evangelize by prayer, sacrifice and by the example of an authentic Christian and religious life. Let us make use of all encounters with people to show God to them and to lead them to Him.
Mother of the Incarnate Word, teach us to speak about God. Teach us to lead othes to God by apostolic example. Mother of the Redeemer, we commend to you all baptized children that they will grow in grace. We also commend to you pagan children and the children of atheistic families – be a mother to them and create favorable conditions so that they will become children of God. Obtain for them this grace from your Son, who became a little Child for the salvation of humanity. Mother of the Church and our Queen, intercede for a world that is departing from God.
Save humanity that stands on the brink of annihilation, and – through your motherly goodness – lead mankind to the unity of faith and to true peace.
Mother of Divine grace, help us in every kind of apostolate, that we may bring many straying souls to Jesus.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Day 9
With the expectant Mother
With a unique love and with motherly concern, Mary awaited the birth of her Child. Together with Mary, let us rejoice in Jesus and be concerned about His birth in souls, and in His acceptance by families and nations.
Let us entrust all mothers to the most joyful Mother. May she teach them about the greatness of motherhood. May she awaken in them a love for each conceived child, and help in the upbringing of the young generation.
Let us pray for the Church, that through the sacraments and the teaching of the Gospel, she may give birth to Christ in souls. Let us pray for our Congregation that the young girls whom we accept will be formed for the glory of the Divine Heart, and that by the example of the older generation they may be inspired to a sacrificial love for God and neighbor.
Let us pray for the Pope, for bishops and for priests, that being themselves saints, they may contribute to the extension of the Kingdom of God on earth.
A moment of reflection.
Prayer: O God, every year you give us joy in the expectation of the Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord. Grant that with our whole heart we may receive your Son as our Redeemer and that we may see Him without fear when He comes as our Judge, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
