NOVENA TO SAINT RITA

( The Novena to Saint Rita may be made at any time. It is most appropriate to do it for nine days . If one wishes to make three days of prayer to Saint Rita, use the last three days of the Novena. Send your petitions to us by E-Mail so we can place it in our web site and pray with you. (Intentions only- no names, please)

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA

INVOCATION
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

READING - FAITH
Lord Jesus, to the man of the Gospel who asked a great favor of you, you said:" All things are possible to one who believes."

My faith is weak, Lord and too often it falters in the course of life's daily events. But encouraged by the example and the intercession of your servant, Saint Rita, I make the words of the Apostle Paul my own; " I know in whom I have placed my faith and I remain firm".

You, Saint Rita, have suffered greatly, but have always believed in the Lord no matter what life brought you. I, too Lord. Believe in you, Son of our all-powerful Father.

I believe firmly that you never deceive anyone who calls on you with a sincere heart, entrusting all to your wisdom and love. I believe that you order all the joy and suffering of our lives solely for our good. And so I believe that you will grant me the favor I ardently seek if it will be for my greater good.

O Lord, I will strive to live a life more consistent with faith in you and inspired by the teaching of the gospel

I BELIEVE HELP MY UNBELIEF

REFLECTION
( A time of silent prayer )

LITANY

• Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy

• Lord, have mercy Christ, have mercy

• Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy

• God our Father in heaven Have mercy on us

• God the Son Have mercy on us

• Redeemer of the world Have mercy on us

• God the Holy Spirit Have mercy on us

• Holy Trinity , one God Have mercy on us

• Mary, Mother of God Pray for us

• Mary, Mother of Good Counsel Pray for us

• Mary, Mother of Consolation Pray for us

• Mary, Mother of Grace Pray for us

• Saint Joseph Pray for us

• Saint Augustine Pray for us

• Saint Monica Pray for us

• Saint Clare of Monte Falco Pray for us

• Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Pray for us

• All holy men and women Pray for us

• Saint Rita, our protectress Pray for us

• Saint Rita, peacemaker Pray for us

• Saint Rita, friend of widows Pray for us

• Saint Rita, example of obedience Pray for us

• Saint Rita, model of mothers Pray for us

• Saint Rita, heroic in suffering Pray for us

• Saint Rita, generous in forgiving Pray for us

• Saint Rita, persevering in prayer Pray for us

• Saint Rita, filled with compassion

• for the suffering of Christ Pray for us

• Saint Rita, wounded with a thorn

• from the crown of Jesus Pray for us

• In all our temptations Pray for us

• In all dangers Pray for us

• In all tribulations Pray for us

• In all sorrows Pray for us

• In the hour of death Pray for us

• Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world Have mercy on us

• Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world Have mercy on us

• Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world Grant us peace

Pray for us, saint Rita of Cascia That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ

Father in heaven, you granted to St. Rita a share in the passion of your Son. Give us courage and strength in time of trial, so that by our patient endurance we may enter more deeply into the paschal mystery of your Son , who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER
O powerful Saint Rita you are called Saint of the Impossible. In this time of need, I come to you with confidence. You know my trials, for you yourself were many times burdened in this life. Come to my help, pray with me, intercede on my behalf before the Father. I know that God has a most generous heart and that he is most loving Father. Join your prayer to mine and obtain for me the grace I desire. ( HERE MENTION YOUR REQUEST ) I promise to use this favor when granted to better my life, to proclaim God's mercy , and to make you widely known and loved. Amen

SAINT RITA............................PRAY FOR US

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA

INVOCATION
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

THE DAY OF HOPE
Scripture tells us; " Abraham believed hoping against all hope." And God performed a miracle. Lord Jesus, how seldom I have practiced the virtue of hope in my life. I am so short-sighted. I place confidence in created things and in a world which will pass away and rarely hope in those greater goods which never pass away; in you, in your grace and in your promise of never-ending life.

I am so proud, Lord, that I entrust myself to your great power only when my own weak and helpless natural powers fail me. But now, Lord, the disappointing experience of misunderstanding and injustice, the impotence and the limits of our human resources have robbed me of all hope. Nonetheless, like Abraham, our father in faith, I want to hope. Since I hope in you. O Lord, you will hear me, O Lord my God.

Saint Rita, you teach me the way of hope and so I entrust o your powerful intercession the favor which is so close to my heart. You teach me by the example of your entire life to count on God alone, since he is the great hope of our people and above every other good.

REFLECTION

LITANY & PRAYER (click here to go there)

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA

DAY OF LOVE
God is Love

Lord Jesus, may my heart discover in these words the most valuable lesson of life, which invites us to a life of trust in you and which is expressed in gratitude : because of love, you, O God, have wished to know our sorrow. God is love. Therefore I too created in your image and likeness, ought to be a reflection of your love, your mercy and your goodness, in the world and for the world.

Saint Rita was this, Lord. She was a true Christian, self-giving, generous toward all , even her enemies, both spiritually and materially.

I have not always been this way, and yet many times I have tries to be heard by you who have told me: love one another as I have loved you.

Saint Rita, example of love an suffering, teach me to love God and my brothers and sisters with true Christian love. And since on account of my selfishness I do not deserve to be heard, join your ardent love with my desire to grow in love and offer it to the God of goodness for the favor I so greatly desire.

Reflection

LITANY & PRAYER (click here to go there)

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

THE DAY OF PRAYER
Saint James writes: Is there someone among you who is suffering? Let us pray

Jesus, I do not have the courage to pray to you. How can you hear the prayers of someone who turns to you in time of need but afterwards, in the normal events of life is so often far from you ?

Lord, the only prayer which can truly reach you is that of a life lived as you wish: in love, in truth, in fidelity to your law. It is impossible for you not to hear anyone who lives with you and for you and who serves you with a sincere heart.

I am not capable of offering you such a prayer. But Saint Rita is. And so I offer you her holiness, her faithfulness together with my sincere ande firm will to imitate her every day. Hear me Lord!

Saint Rita, teach me the prayer which can change my heart, the dialogue with God which opens me to accepting his will ane to making myself available to my brothers and sisters. I commend to your intercession the favor which I seek with all my heart. Ask it of our good God if it be his will.

REFLECTION

LITANY & PRAYER (click here to go there)

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

THE DAY OF PATIENCE
Lord Jesus, I can sometimes hear the words of your servant Job on my own lips: Where will I find strength to hope again, and when will the end which I have always awaited finally come to me ?

I know Lord that the faith of the true Christian is measured by patience but I become impatient precisely because faith is not deeply rooted in my heart. You, in your love, though have clothed our weak human nature and you know its limits. Clothe me with your mercy and grant me the gift of patience.

Saint Rita, you were spared nothing in this world: neither sorrow, nor humiliation nor deprivation; but God was your patience, God and his Word. Your whole life gives evidence of this. Today you offer me the word of Scripture to share with me the secret of your patience: "Happy the person who bears trials patiently because, once having been tried, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him".

Thank you, Saint Rita, or having shown me the light which does not deceive and the comfort o God's word. With greater tranquility and peace I commit myself to the intercession of your heroic patience to obtain the favor which I greatly desire and uniting to it the gift of patient waiting.

REFLECTION

LITANY & PRAYER (click here to go there)

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

THE DAY OF STRENGTH
Lord Jesus, you know how much strength I need in these days of trial. I have been frequently tempted against confidence and fearing that you would no longer hear my prayers, I have become more ane more filled with anguish. The first day of this novena to Saint Rita has helped me understand, however, that faith is the secret to strength- provided it is a living faith, nourished by prayer.

I believe Lord, that by virtue of my baptism I am a temple of God who is a tower of strength. He lives within me; therefore I live night and day within this tower. Yes, Lord, you are my rock and my strength.

Saint Rita, this truth was your strength in the trials of your life. But your strength joined with such heroism as to deserve to share, through the gift of a thorn, the redemptive suffering of our Savior. This special gift encourages me to place my trust in you.

I am certain that in my life, too, the cross must put my faith to the test; ane I am happy to be able to say to the Lord that I believe in his love in these days of sorrow. If it pleases him, I pray to obtain through your intercession the favor which I earnestly seek.

REFLECTION

LITANY & PRAYER (click here to go there)

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

THE DAY OF ABANDONMENT
Lord Jesus, the thoughts and the insights of these days of prayer have led me to place my complete trust in you. The closeness of your chosen one, Saint Rita, whose heroic virtues I have considered and, though only lightly, have tried to imitate, has revealed to me the absolute surety of your paternal and divine attentiveness and your immense love for us.

Now I am certain that, if it will be for my god and for the good of all those who are dear to me, you will grant the request I make of you to obtain this favor which is so important to me. If you should answer my prayer , I with my whole heart, will praise your greatness which is full of mercy and I will speak of you, Saint Rita, and of your sweet, protective intercession on behalf of all who like me are burdened with sorrow.

Forever, Lord, I will praise the works of your divine Wisdom. With the psalmist I will say: " Lord, though I must walk in the valley of darkness I will fear no evil because you are with me:

REFLECTION

LITANY & PRAYER (click here to go there)

EIGHT DAY OF THE NOVENA

THE DAY OF FORGIVENESS
Lord Jesus, it is impossible to approach you and your servant Rita without learning the way of forgiveness. No Prayer would ever be acceptable to you if it did not come from a heart free of all resentment and full of love. You have said: " Whatever you seek in prayer, believe you have received it and it will be yours. And when you come to pray, forgive anyone against whom you may have something. This is the condition you place before us.

You, Saint Rita, when your husband was murdered, quietly hid his bloodied clothing so that your sons would not be moved to seek revenge. Teach me the strength, the joy and the peace that are found in forgiving.

I want to give my brothers and sisters true Christian example, for without this my faith would be poor and pharisaical and all my offerings in vain. I do not want to be rejected by the God of mercy and love to whom I confidently offer today a willing heart and from whom, through your intercession, O great example of forgiveness, I await the favor I seek.

REFLECTION

LITANY & PRAYER (click here to go there)

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA

DAY OF GOOD WILL
Lord Jesus, I want to offer you today my good will. Praying to you throughout these days I have become aware of my spiritual poverty. I have come to understand how unworthy I am to be heard by you, for I have served you and loved you so poorly.

Saint Rita, let me share in your great love and your Christian zeal and I will offer these to our God of goodness as a precious gift to intercede on my behalf. He cannot but hear you. With my whole heart I pray you to enrich my humble prayer with your own ardent, confident and selfless prayer. Tell the Lord that from this day forward I too will render him more courageous and clearer witness. I wish to be a Christian in deed, a Christian who transmits to others the light of faith ,hope and love.

O Lord, hear my prayer.

REFLECTION

LITANY & PRAYER (click here to go there)

THE DAY OF GRATITUDE
Lord Jesus how can I express my gratitude to you for having heard he prayer of your servant Rita who had recourse to your great power and love on my behalf. Lord you have granted my request and I can only try to thank you by satisfying the deepest yearning of your heart.

You said to your disciples before offering your life for us:" I will be with you for a short time. Love one another as I have loved you. In this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Yes, Lord Jesus, I will love my neighbor, especially my most needy brothers and sisters and those who suffer most. I will help them and comfort them; this will be my task. I am certain that no other gift of mine could be more pleasing to your servant and my dear patroness Saint Rita, who can well be called the saint of fraternal love. For her, earthly life was not sufficient in giving herself in love. She now spends her life with you caring for us in our sorrows an difficulties.

Saint Rita, sweet messenger of divine mercy, I offer praise to our heavenly Father in your honor. Saint Rita...pray for us.

SAINT RITA.......PRAY FOR US