The feast day of St. Thérèse is coming up! Her feast is celebrated on the 1st of October and on the 3rd of October on the Traditional Calendar. The novena for her intercession can be said anytime, but we will be praying this particular novena in anticipation of her feast, ending on the eve of the Feast (Sept 30th or Oct 2nd).
“Many people report unexpectedly finding or being given a literal rose or roses (or smelling the perfume of roses) after praying to St. Thérèse, who said on her deathbed, ‘After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my Heaven doing good upon earth. I will raise up a mighty host of little saints. My mission is to make God loved…'” Quoted from Fisheaters
There are many different options for praying novenas to St. Therese. . . Last year, on the nine days leading up to her feast, we prayed this Nine Day Novena.
This year we will begin each day with the Twenty-four ‘Glory Be’s’ Novena to St. Therese. This is a very lovely novena (plus I can use my beautiful little “Shower of Roses” Chaplet!) and quite easy to complete. It is also said to be the most dear to the Little Flower. Here is the little story that is attached to this novena:
“Father Putigan, a Jesuit priest, began the Novena to Saint Therese of the Child Jesus on December 3, 1925, asking the glorious Saint for one great favour. For nine days, he recited the “Glory Be” 24 times thanking the Holy Trinity for the favours and Graces showered on Saint Therese during the 24 years that she lived on this earth. The good father asked Saint Therese that as a sign that his novena was being heard, he would receive from someone a freshly plucked rose. On the third day of the novena, an unknown person sought out Father Putigan and presented him with a beautiful rose. Father Putigan began the second novena on December 24 of the same year, and as a sign, asked for a white rose. On the fourth day of this novena, one of the Sister-nurses brought him a white rose, saying, “Saint Therese sent you this.” Amazed the priest asked “where did you get this?” “I was in the chapel,” said the Sister, “and as I was leaving, I passed the alter above which hangs the beautiful picture of Saint Therese. This rose fell at my feet. I wanted to put it back in the bouquet, but a thought came to me that you should have it.”
Here is how the Twenty-four ‘Glory Be’s Novena to St. Therese is prayed:
The Glory Be is said 24 times each day for nine days, in thanksgiving for all the blessings and favours given to Saint Therese of the Child Jesus during the 24 years of her life. Start the novena each day with this prayer:
“Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit, I thank You for all the blessings and favours You have showered upon the soul of Your servant Therese of the Child Jesus, during the 24 years she spent here on earth, and in consideration of the merits of this, Your most beloved Saint, I beseech You to grant me this favour, if it is in accordance with Your most Holy Will and is not an obstacle to my salvation.”
After this prayer, follow with the 24 Glory Be’s, between each of which should be included this short prayer”
“Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, pray for us.”
We will also be praying the Little Flower Novena each evening. I plan to post the prayers here each day. Here are the prayers for Day One:
V. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray: O God, who have instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant that by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be ever truly wise and rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love: O my God! I believe in Thee: strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee: do Thou secure them. I love Thee: teach me to love Thee daily more and more.
The Act of Contrition: O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance , and to amend my life. Amen.
First Day
St. Thérèse, privileged Little Flower of Jesus and Mary, I approach you with childlike confidence and deep humility. I lay before you my desires, and beg that through your intercession they may be realized. Did you not promise to spend your heaven doing good upon earth? Grant me according to this promise the favors I am asking from you.
Intercede for us all the days of our life, but specially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.
Thought for the day: Confidence in God. We can never have too much confidence in the good God who is so powerful and so merciful. We obtain from Him as much as we hope for. If you are nothing, do you forget that Jesus is everything? You have only to lose your nothingness in His Infinity and think only of loving Him.
Concluding Prayer Prayed Each Day:
O Lord, You have said: Unless you become as little children you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven; grant us, we beg You, so to follow, in humility and simplicity of heart, the footsteps of the Virgin blessed Thérèse, that we may attain to an everlasting reward. Amen.
Lovely. We will be united in prayer.
Pax Christi – Lena
Thank you for reminding me about this, Jessica. just in time!
Thank you for reminding me to begin my novena! You are awesome!! I've been running a L/F group for many years and was so happy to come across your website a year ago! Keep up the wonderful work you do for our Lord and His church!!
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