Novena in Preparation for the Baptismal / Death Anniversaries of Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo
By: Sr. Ma. Rita Ferraris, RVM
OPENING PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY:
God, our Loving Father, through men and women with compassionate hearts, You show how much you care for people. We pray for the needs of Your human family in unity with Your humble servant, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, whose life of total love and service reflected Your goodness. May the example of her holy life, in imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, inspire us to seek Your Will in all things, and to serve You in all peoples. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
By revelation, God, from the fullness of His love, addresses us as friends, and moves among us in order to invite all into His company. The adequate response to this invitation is faith, whereby a person completely submits his intellect and will to God.
“Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire and await that God will grant us life eternal for our happiness, placing our faith in the promises of Christ and our expectation in the grace of the Holy Spirit to merit and persevere until the end..” (Translation from the Compendio del Catechismo della Chiesa Catholica. P. 387)
Paul 1 Cor.13:-7. “Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.”
Prudence: is the virtue that disposes reason to discern our true good in every circumstance, and to choose the right means of achieving it. It guides the judgment of conscience. “Test the spirit to see whether they belong to God.” (1John 4:1)
Justice: is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor: ‘render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.’ (Mk. 12:17)
Temperance: is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures, and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the mastery of the will over instincts, and regulates desires within the limits of what is honorable.
Fortitude: is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in the face of difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of good, strengthening the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life.
“…That they (the beatas) might continue to serve and please God under the protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary…”
“Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest, and whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. (Mt. 20:26-27).
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This edition published in 2010 by
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