Novena to St. Cajetan

August 7th.

1. O true model of sanctity, glorious Patriarch St. Cajetan, who, from your infancy wast favoured with the choicest benedictions and replenished with the Holy Ghost: obtain for us grace to cancel, by efficacious contrition and constant penance, all those sins by which we have contaminated our souls in our past lives, and like you, to persevere in justice till death. Gloria.

2. O Apostle of charity, glorious Patriarch St. Cajetan, who consecrated your whole substance and your life to promote the glory of God by the erection of new churches, the foundation of new hospitals, and the institution of new societies: obtain of the Lord for us a zeal like your own, that, by the holiness of our lives, we may gain so many souls to Jesus Christ as to repair the scandals of our past lives. Gloria.

3. O invincible martyr of patience and voluntary mortification, glorious Patriarch St. Cajetan, who, not contented with bearing in peace, persecution and calumny, unjust imprisonment and most cruel tortures practised great austerities and severe penances: obtain for us grace to suffer patiently the persecutions of our enemies, and to mortify our senses, that we may one day attain to the glories which you enjoy with the martyrs in Paradise. Gloria.

4. O seraphic lover of Jesus Christ, glorious Patriarch St. Cajetan, who, inebriated with the sweetness of the blessed Eucharist, spared no labour to rekindle this devotion in an age in which it seemed so much forgotten, to the infinite injury of souls; by that fervour with which you daily approached the holy altar; by those tears of tenderness which you shed in celebrating the holy sacrifice: obtain for us a most fervent devotion to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, that we may henceforth apply all our powers to glorify Him on His altars by frequent and fervent adoration, and by receiving Him with devotion. Gloria.

5. O mirror of true perfection, glorious Patriarch St. Cajetan, who, following from a boy the sublime example of Jesus Christ, hadst no other concern but to conform your life to the divine model, especially by the practice of humility and holy poverty, always calling yourself a sinner, and selecting for yourself the lowest place: obtain for us, by your intercession, to detest with true contrition our past pride, and to follow invariably the bright example of Jesus Christ. Gloria.

6. O devout son of Mary, glorious Patriarch St. Cajetan, who having been consecrated to her before your birth, found all your happiness in honouring her images, visiting her churches, dedicating your innocent heart to her every morning, reciting her Rosary daily, and saluting her every hour as your lady, your mother, your spouse; by those singular privileges with which she recompensed the fervour of your piety, even permitting you to caress the infant Jesus: obtain for us the grace of her powerful intercession, and that we may faithfully adhere to her, as our sweetest mother, in life and death. Gloria.

7. O marvel of humility and faith, glorious Partiarch St. Cajetan, who, by renouncing the important employments which were offered to you by prelates and pontiffs, as well as all the wealth which was offered you by the great and powerful, confounded the reigning avarice of the age, and renewed in your society the poverty and disinterestedness of the apostles, infusing into all hearts a blind confidence in the providence of God: obtain for us all the grace to detach our hearts from the miserable goods of earth and to devote them entirely to Jesus; so that, living without any worldly desires, we may the more easily raise our thoughts to our heavenly country. Gloria.

8. O terrestrial seraph, glorious Patriarch St. Cajetan, who burning with holy ardour wast ready to die when you considered how unworthily the Divine goodness was insulted by the ingratitude of men; ah, from your throne of glory, where you are now so blessed, communicate to us a ray of light to illuminate our understandings, that we may know the divine perfections, and impart a spark of your ardour to our souls, that henceforth we may be occupied only in weeping over our past ingratitude, and in loving that God who is the only object deserving of our love. Gloria.

9. O admirable Thaumaturgus, glorious Patriarch St. Cajetan, who had all nature under obedience to you, and saw at your command the waters retire, the tempest lull, the fire cease, the sick recover health, the dead return to life; who beheld demons fly at the invocation of God’s name, and what is more, who converted to sincere penitence the most obstinate sinners: ah renew in our favour the miracles of your power, take away from our hearts their prevailing passions, cleanse them of all vices, and give us hearts like your own, humbly resigned, faithful, and fervent, that, after imitating your great virtues in this life, we may attain after death to share your glory in Paradise. Gloria.