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Treasures of the Church-
Devotions-Novenas |
Novena
to Saint Paul, Apostle
Author: Father Jeffrey Mickler, SSP | Source:
StPaulsTube.com
Our devotion to St. Paul will bring us closer to the crucified and
risen savior. The graces we receive will exceed our greatest
expectations.
The prayers in this novena and the requests we make to St. Paul will
be based on what he prayed for during his life. This novena will be
based on what he saw as the indispensable spiritual needs of the
early followers of Jesus. Each day of the Novena ends with praying
an Our Father (the prayer Jesus taught his disciples in the midst of
the Sermon on the Mount), a Hail Mary (the words of Gabriel and
Elizabeth) and finally a Glory Be, to honor the Trinity.
This Novena is meant to be celebrated within the context of
receiving the sacrament of reconciliation and a devout reception of
the Eucharist.
DAY ONE
Special request: An increase of faith and our urgent human needs.
Background
St. Paul knew people in Rome and he mentions them in his Letter to
the Romans. At the time of the writing of this epistle, he had not
yet visited the city. This Letter was an introduction to people who
had heard of Paul but by and large had not met him personally. He
used this inspired letter to explain his faith and to strengthen the
belief of the Christians in Rome. Reading this Letter can also make
us wiser today then we were yesterday and wiser still tomorrow.
St. Paul’s Prayers and Thoughts:
Romans 1:8-11 “First of all, I give thanks to my God through Jesus
Christ for all of you, because of your faith that is being
proclaimed throughout the world. God is my witness – Whom I serve
with my spirit by proclaiming the good news of his Son – that I
continually mention you in my prayers and ask that somehow by God’s
will I’ll finally manage to come to you and to share with you some
spiritual gift in order to strengthen you, that is so we may be
mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, both yours and mine.”
Romans: 15:13 “May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy
and peace through your belief in Him, so that you will overflow with
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:30-33 “I beg you, my brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle so that I may
be delivered from unbelievers … and that my service in Jerusalem
will be acceptable to the saints so that God willing, I’ll come to
you full of joy and find rest with you. May God who gives peace be
with you all. Amen.”
Prayer
St. Paul from your place in heaven we ask you continually to pray
for us in the manner you prayed for the Romans. May our faith and
love of the Gospel bring light into our families, parishes,
community and the entire world. May our witness even be a cause for
increasing the joy of the angels and saints who surround you. We,
however, are surrounded by unbelievers and are assailed on every
side. May you come to us with some spiritual gift in order to
strengthen us. May we on earth encourage one another in the faith.
May we be strong even though we feel so weak and inadequate. So
often we know the right thing to do but find ourselves doing just
the opposite (Rom 7:20) yet you assure us that ultimately nothing
can separate us from Christ (Rom 8:35). When you were in this world
you sought to address the human as well as the spiritual needs of
people. You aided the poor of Jerusalem in powerful and practical
ways knowing the physical aid you brought them would make it easier
for them to have faith and trust in the God of love. With confidence
we ask you to help us with our urgent natural obligations and our
needs of food, shelter, clothing and health. More then that,
however, we ask you to draw us closer to Jesus, crucified and risen
who is the way, truth and life for the world. In this way, we will
be filled with peace, joy and that hope that comes from God, which
the world can never understand or destroy. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
DAY TWO
Special request: Achieving and maintaining peace in our families and
communities.
Background
Paul wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians to help them focus on
heavenly matters and at the same time he addressed practical ways
for a person to grow in the love of God and neighbor. While in
Ephesus Paul performed many miracles, won many converts, overcame
demons, and caused the pagans to riot as they saw the source of
their temple income begin to dry up.
St. Paul’s Prayers and Thoughts:
Ephesians 1:16-19 “I give unceasing thanks and mention you in my
prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation by which you’ll come
to a knowledge of Him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened so
you’ll come to know what the hope is to which He calls you, how rich
the glorious heritage which will be shared among the saints, and how
extraordinary is his great power for us who believe.”
Ephesians 3:13-19 “Therefore I ask you not to lose heart because of
the afflictions I’m suffering on your behalf – this is your glory.”
“Because of this I bend my knees to the Father. From him every
family in the heavens and on earth is named, so that from the riches
of his glory He may grant you inner strength and power through His
Spirit. May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, firmly rooted
and established in love, so that with all the saints you may be able
to understand the breath, the height, and the depth, and know
Christ’s love which surpasses all knowledge so that you may be
filled with God’s fullness. Now to Him, Who is able to do so much
more than we can ask for or imagine, by the power of the work in us,
to Him be glory in the Church in Christ Jesus for all generations
forever and ever, Amen.”
Prayer
St. Paul, as you stand before the Father and the Lord Jesus in
eternity, pray for us unceasingly just as you prayed for the
Ephesians when you were on Earth. Pray that we gain wisdom and
knowledge. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts so we can see the world
as God sees it. As you bend your knees before the Father in heaven,
pray for our families here on earth that we may live in harmony as
we grow in the humility, gentleness, patience and the love (Eph 4:1)
that comes from the Holy Spirit. If we are angry let it be without
sin and never let the sun go down on our anger (Eph 4:26). St Paul,
beloved apostle pray that we be delivered from “all bitterness,
wrath, angry shouting slander and malice” (Eph 4:31) If we are
frightened by the powers of darkness and sin help us put on the
armor of Christ (Eph 6:14-17). When we are afflicted may we unite
our sufferings to Christ just as you did but, if it is God’s will,
deliver us quickly from our sorrows so that they might never crush
us, who are so weak, and we might sing the praises of God for his
mercy towards us. Help us to be rooted and established in love so
that we can gain some understanding of the height, breath and depth
of Christ’s love for us that surpasses our imagination. When we feel
alone, misunderstood and even abandoned it will be this knowledge
that will give us inner strength and power so that we might walk in
love (Eph 5:2) all the days of our lives. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
DAY THREE
Special request: Leading lives of joy and generosity while
receiving the help we need.
Background
Paul loved the Philippians and they supported him in his
mission. In his letter to them we see the joy that Paul had in
serving the Lord and his desire that others might share in his
delight. Even though he was under arrest at the time of his writing
the letter even his chains could not dampen his enthusiasm for the
Gospel.
St. Paul’s Prayers and Thoughts:
Philippians 1: 3-11 “I give thanks to my God every time I think
of you. Whenever I pray for you I pray joyfully, because of your
partnership in the good news from the first day to the present. Of
this I am convinced, that the one who began the good work in you
will bring it to completion on the Day of Jesus Christ. It is right
that I should feel this way about you because I have you in my
heart, and because you all share my grace, both in my imprisonment
and in the defense and confirmation of the good news. For God is my
witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Jesus
Christ. My prayer is that your love will increase more and more with
knowledge and every manner of insight so that you will be able to
discover what’s best and may be pure and blameless for the day of
Christ, filled with the fruit of the righteousness that comes
through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Prayer
Beloved St. Paul, help us live our lives with such integrity,
purity and innocence that you will rejoice before the throne of God
as you remember us in your prayers. Deepen our love, broaden our
knowledge and sharpen our insight. May your prayers aid us in the
work God has begun in us so that we may grow in grace day by day and
share with our fellow believers a partnership in spreading the news
of God’s love on Earth. When we feel trapped by the hardships and
limitations this life imposes upon us, may we remember how you
handled your own imprisonment and suffering. Help us to face the
difficult challenges in our lives with a sense of divine confidence.
We understand that all true righteousness comes from Jesus, our Lord
and Savior. On the bases of His power we hope to be found blameless
on the day we meet Christ in eternity for our own judgment. We know
that you have an affection for us similar to the one you had for the
Philippians. Help us return your love and live in the intense way
that you did serving God and neighbor. May you rejoice in us as we
live and act with one mind and spirit (Phil 2:2). We stand in the
midst of a twisted and perverted generation (Phil 2:14-15) but by
the grace of the Christ, whom you served so well, we are confident
that we will be able to live our lives in such a way that we will be
like stars in the midst of the darkness. When you were hungry and
imprisoned, the Philippians came to your aid (Phil 4:12-14). You in
turn prayed that all of their needs would be filled from the
fullness of the riches of Christ (Phil 4:19). May we learn to help
those in need around us and may you petition the Lord of life to
send people into our midst to help us with the our spiritual and
physical needs. Pour out the riches of Christ upon us so that we may
share them with others. Amen
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be
DAY FOUR
Special request: Persevering in prayer in times of struggle and
hardship.
Background
Paul had never been to Collossae but had heard about the faith
community there and rejoiced in its growth. However, it was
experiencing controversies and disputes about the true meaning of
the Gospel. In response to these difficulties he wrote this inspired
letter.
St. Paul’s Prayers and Thoughts:
Colossians 1:3-14 “When we pray for you we gives thanks through
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because we’ve heard of your
faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints which comes
from the hope stored up for you in heaven …
Therefore, from the day we heard of you we haven’t ceased praying
for you. May God fill you with the knowledge of His will through
wisdom and all manner of spiritual understanding that you might
conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord and fully pleasing
to him—fruitful in every type of good work and increasing in
knowledge of God. We pray that you will be strengthened with all the
power of His glorious might so that your steadfastness and patience
will be perfected and you may joyfully give thanks to the Father Who
made you worthy to share in the portion of the saints in light. He
has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into
the kingdom of his Son by whom we are redeemed and our sins
forgiven.”
Prayer
St. Paul, please never cease praying for us, who are in such
dire need. Through your intercession may we grow in wisdom and all
manner of spiritual understanding so that we may conduct ourselves
in a manner worthy of the Lord. Multiply our good works and help us
be steadfast in our resolve to live and love the way the Lord has
taught us. More then anything else we, too, want to share in the
light of the saints both now in this darkened world and eventually
with you in eternity. May we not be misled by empty philosophies or
mere human traditions (Col 2:8). May we avoid being confused by
spurious visionaries but cling to sound doctrine (Col 2:18). May we
be free from a scrupulosity that would fill our lives with endless
rules and regulations and rob us of joy (Col 2:21-23). However, let
us recognize the evil of sin and avoid fornication, evil desires,
malice, greed, wrath, obscene language and slander. (Col 3:5 & 8).
May we be clothed in compassion, humility, patience, gentleness and
the capacity to forgive others and bear with one another (Col 3:12).
Above all else through your intercession may we be clothed in love.
Help us, persevere in prayer with a sense of thanksgiving even in
hard times. When you were chained and imprisoned you were able to
bless your persecutors and sing the praises of God. From your prison
cell you were able to teach people how to be truly free. Give us
this freedom and aid us in those everyday struggles that might wear
us down. Help us so that we will be in a position to help others.
Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
DAY FIVE
Special request: Finding and maintaining gainful employment and
comforting us in time of grief.
Background
The First Letter to the Thessalonians is the earliest inspired
writing of the New Testament. It dates from around the year 50AD.
The events surrounding the letter can be found in Acts 16:6 to 18:5.
The letter is very moving and St. Paul’s affectionate nature is
apparent throughout. He loved and was loved by the believing
community in Thessalonica.
St. Paul’s Prayers and Thoughts:
1 Thessalonians 1:2 “We always give thanks to God for all of you
and mention you in our prayers, constantly calling to mind before
our God and Father your active faith, your loving labors and your
steadfast hope in the Lord Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “May the God of peace himself sanctify you
completely, and may your spirit, soul and body be kept sound and
blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls us
is faithful and He will do it! Brothers pray for us too!”
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 “We pray always that this will come to pass
for you, that God will consider you worthy of his call, and that by
his power He will fulfill every desire for goodness and every work
of faith, so that the name of the Lord Jesus will be glorified in
you, and you in it, in accordance with the grace of our God and Lord
Jesus Christ.”
Prayer
Beloved Apostle Paul may our faith, labor and hope be a cause
for you to give thanks to God in eternity. Like the Thessalonians,
we desperately need your prayers so that we can be kept sound in
body, soul and spirit and face the day of the Lord with a clean
conscience. We know that God will always remain faithful but we fear
our own weakness and inconstancy. You rejoiced because the
Thessalonians accepted you as a brother and adopted you as one of
their own and you in turn were as gentle with them as a mother
nursing her infant (1 Thes. 2:7). We sincerely invite you into our
families and our lives so that you can nurture us with the Gospel.
You urged the Thessalonians to live quiet lives of productive labor
supporting themselves and their families (1 Thes 4:11-21). Help us
do the same. When unemployed, help us find work. When working help
us share what we can with others. Assist us and our family members
in overcoming the vice of laziness (1 Thes. 5: 14) and every other
evil that tempts us. Help us especially carry out the works of faith
so that God can be made manifest in our lives. St. Paul pray for us
that we may prove worthy of the call God has given us even in times
of sorrow and grief. When we are heartbroken because we have lost
someone in death, pray for us and console us with the truth of the
resurrection just as you comforted the Thessalonians when you were
on earth (1 Thes. 4:13-18). This consolation will help us be
constant in hope and steadfast in our faith. This is the faith that
gives us a peace that the world can never understand or grasp.
Through our faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus we hope one day to
be with you in eternity praising the God who loves us beyond
anything we can imagine. Amen
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be
DAY SIX
Special request: A prayer for political leaders to be just and
Church leaders to be holy.
Background
Some scholars affirm that the letter to Timothy was written
after Paul’s death and is not authentically Pauline. Others however
believe that it was written between the writing of One and Two
Corinthians. The intent of the letter is clear. The author wanted to
strengthen the Church in its structure and its charity and this was
something that St. Paul always strove to do.
St. Paul’s Prayers and Thoughts:
1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all I urge that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all men – for
the kings and all those in positions of authority—that we may lead a
peaceful quiet life, holy and respectable in every way.”
Prayer
St. Paul, you taught, strengthened and encouraged Timothy by
word and example. You formed him into an effective leader and
servant of the Church. Your wisdom was an indispensable aid to him
as you supported him in his vocation. You reminded him of his
primary duty to be a person of prayer. His prayer was not only to be
for the flock he tended but for all of humanity and especially the
leaders and those in authority in this world. Only through such a
life of prayer can we hope to experience the peace we all long for.
St. Paul, pray with us for the political leaders whose power and
responsibility is so great. Pray for the diplomats so that they can
find ways to resolve conflict without war. Pray for the leaders of
democracies so that they can act in the long term interest of their
people rather then think only of short term political gain. Pray for
the dictators of the world so their hearts of stone will be softened
and they will learn how to share power with their people and pave
the way for more humane ways of organizing society. We pray with
you, St. Paul, that theocracies may allow minority religions to
exist in peace and have authentic freedom to worship and speech. We
pray that political leaders will fight corruption, check crime, and
provide genuine security for their lands. We understand that a
stable just society is the responsibility of every person and
ultimately must be supported by a sense of justice that is truly
Godly and life affirming. You reminded Timothy that the love of
money is the root of so much evil in the world (1 Tim 6:10) and you
urged those who were wealthy to use their riches to perform good
deeds (1 Tim 6:12-19). St. Paul, help us use our influence and
resources well and wisely. However, often we do not have the
temptations that come from having excessive wealth but are
struggling to just get by from day to day. Aid us in our struggles
so we will not succumb to temptation and despair. St. Paul, pray to
the Lord to send into our midst religious sisters and brothers,
deacons, priests and bishops who like Timothy will be above
reproach, temperate, sensible, peaceful, gentle, sober, sound in
doctrine and humble (1 Tim 3:1-6). Pray with us St. Paul, that our
Church may truly be holy and our civil society truly just. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
DAY SEVEN
Special request: Prayer for freedom in the midst of an unjust
oppressive world.
Background
The Letter to Philemon is a short but moving piece. Paul while in
prison meets a runaway slave who has converted to the faith.
Although he is serving Paul in critical ways, Paul sends him back to
his master Philemon recommending he be treated as a brother in
Christ.
St. Paul’s Prayers and Thoughts:
Philemon 1:3 I always give thanks to God when I mention you in
my prayers, for I hear the faith and love you have for the Lord
Jesus in all the Saints, and I pray that the fellowship in the faith
may serve to lead you to a deeper understanding of all the good that
we have in Christ. Your love has been a great joy and comfort to me
because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my
brother.
Prayer
St Paul in your heavenly glory you are completely free. Chains
can never bind you. Pray, however, for our freedom. First of all
pray that we be delivered from the slavery of sin and vice. Next we
ask you to intercede for so that we might obtain the freedom that
comes from faith, hope, charity, courage, prudence, temperance and a
knowledge of justice. Finally, give us a prayer life that embraces
the entire world and goes beyond our own immediate needs. Unite our
prayers with yours, as together, we plead for an enslaved and
struggling humanity. St. Paul, remember those who are forced into
literal slave labor of one form or another. Pray with us for those
who are sexually exploited and abused and moved like commodities
around the nation and the world to fulfill the evil desires of men.
Paul you labored with your hands so as not to be a burden to anyone,
but remember in your prayers those individuals working long hours in
unsafe factories, sweatshops and mines around the world just to
survive. Pray, St. Paul that the migrant workers be treated fairly
and with respect as they move from place to place to support their
families. May we pray for those unjustly imprisoned, victims of war,
crime, civil strife and racism. St. Paul, pray with us for victims
of famine, pestilence, floods, fires and other natural disasters. In
a special way St. Paul remember all the parents of this world who
are at this moment are watching their children die of illness and
starvation. We know that Jesus our Divine Master hears the cry of
the poor and the desperate prayers coming from billions of people
around the world. In love we want to offer our prayers along with
yours, St. Paul, to the Savior who sets us free. In doing this we
are confident that the Father and Son together will send the Holy
Spirit into our lives to meet the challenges that we face which are
important to us but in the greater scheme of things are relatively
minor. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
DAY EIGHT
Special request: Prayer for a generous spirit and unity of heart.
Background
In Luke’s Acts of the Apostles we clearly see how much the
Christian community loved Paul and how deep his affection was for
people Luke the beloved physician captures this reality in the
farewell passage at Miletus:
Luke’s Account:
Acts 20:31 “So stay awake; remember that for three years, both
day and night, I didn’t cease exhorting each one of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God and His word of grace which can build
you up and give you an inheritance among all His holy ones. …. In
every possible way I have shown you that we must help the weak by
working hard like this, mindful of the word of the Lord Jesus
Himself, ‘It’s more blessed to give then to receive.’ After saying
this he got on his knees and prayed with them all. They all wept a
great deal and embraced Paul and kissed him because they were
especially pained by what he said about never seeing his face
again.”
Prayer
St. Paul, while on earth you were forced to say goodbye to those
you loved. Now you live in the kingdom where love is the only
reality and you have no more tears to shed. We ask you to be
lovingly united to us who are in the midst of the battle for
salvation in a world filled with personal sin, vice and social
injustice. We need your strength and wisdom to guide us and we are
confident that you will continually intercede for us so that our
great pilgrimage on earth may be successfully concluded one day
before the throne of God. Help the Church today to be united in
spirit and affection. May we who worship together live in harmony
and recognize, as you did, that everyone has unique roles to play in
building up the kingdom of God on earth. May our parishes, dioceses,
religious communities, and the universal Church be united in heart
as well as doctrine so that the non-believers will say, “See how
they love one another.” In your life you faced conflicts,
disagreements and misunderstandings with your fellow saints here on
Earth. Now all of you are worshiping together before the throne of
God. Help us, see the goodness and grace that fills the believers
around us and teach us to reverence one another so that we will
truly be prepared to live with one another in eternity. St. Paul,
you who now contemplate the face of God, Father, Son and Spirit,
teach us to see that face reflected in our fellow human beings who
were created in God’s image and likeness. Help us see beyond the
disfigurement caused by sin and with the eyes of faith see in those
around us and ourselves the handiwork of God. St. Paul you were a
great sinner but the blinding, eye opening light of Jesus
transformed you into a great saint. Intercede for us so that we too
may become the children of God we are truly called to be. May God
the Father see and love in us what he sees and loves in his Son and
may we be filled with the Holy Spirit that transforms us into one
body on earth. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
DAY NINE
Special request: Devout reception of the Eucharist.
Background
St. Paul converted the Corinthians by preaching Christ Crucified. It
was a large and wealthy city that was known for its promiscuous way
of life. The people had indulged in every pleasure and were not
satisfied. When Paul came to them preaching love they were ready to
hear the Good News.
St. Paul’s Prayers and Thoughts:
1 Corinthians 11:23-34 “For I received from the Lord what I
handed down to you, that on the night he was betrayed the Lord took
bread and after blessing it he broke it and said, “this is my body
which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me! In the same way he
took the cup after he had eaten and said, “This cup is the new
covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance
of me!” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you
proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.
Therefore, if anyone eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord
unworthily, he’ll be answerable to the body and blood of the Lord.
Each of you should first examine yourself and then eat the bread and
drink from the cup, for whoever eats and drinks without recognizing
the body and drinks judgment to himself. That is why so many of you
are weak and ill, and considerable number have died…..”
1 Cor 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous,
doesn’t boast, isn’t arrogant. Love is not dishonorable, isn’t
selfish, isn’t irritable, doesn’t keep a record of past wrongs. Love
doesn’t rejoice at injustice but rejoices in the truth. Love endures
all things, love has complete faith and steadfast hope, love bears
with everything.”
Prayer
St. Paul you reminded the Corinthians of the reality of the
Eucharist and all that it truly is. You urged them to remember that
they should examine themselves carefully and then approach the
reception of the body and blood of the Lord with the greatest
reverence possible. Help our parishes and religious communities
always come together in love. Pray that we be patient with one
another and endure each other’s shortcomings. But most of all help
us approach the agape meal, the Mass with a sense of awe knowing
that as we eat Christ’s body we are gaining eternal life (Jn
6:47-58) and if we fail to recognize what we are doing we will be
eating and drinking our own condemnation. We rely on the forgiveness
of Christ that comes from the sacrament of reconciliation and also
the plea for mercy that is an essential part of the Eucharistic
Celebration from “Lord Have Mercy” to “Lord I am not worthy.” We
trust, however, in the Lord our Savior whose word is able to heal
us. In the celebration of the liturgy, St. Paul, we invite you and
all the angels and the saints to join us. As we approach the altar
we will remember that this great gift of the Eucharist was handed
down to us through the Apostles and their successors We pray that
the priests and bishops of the Church will be holy in their service
to us and that all of us together will one day join with the Lamb of
God and all the saints in that feast that will never end. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
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