Novena to St. Teresa (Carmelite)

FIRST DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

LET US PRAY.

O ALMIGHTY and eternal God, most holy and adorable Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, beginning and end of all things, in whom we live, and move, and have our being; I firmly believe that thou art here present; I adore thee with the most profound humility; I praise thee, I give thee thanks from the bottom of my heart, because thou hast created me after thine own likeness; because thou hast redeemed me with the precious blood of thine only Son. Behold, O Lord, I offer thee my thoughts, words, and actions; and firmly resolve from this moment to bear with patience and resignation all the crosses and afflictions I may meet with in the course of my life. I consecrate them entirely to the glory of thy name, in union with those of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that through his infinite merits they may be acceptable to thee. Give them, O Lord, a blessing. May thy divine love animate them, and may they all tend to thy greater glory, and to procure for me a share of that heavenly felicity, which the seraphic virgin, St. Teresa of Jesus, this day enjoys.

Holy St. Teresa of Jesus, most pure virgin, if it be for the glory of God, and to thy honour, that I obtain ——, which is what I desire and beg, by performing this novena, obtain it for me, I beseech thee, O holy virgin, by thy prayers; if not, guide my petition, and beg of Jesus for me, that which is most proper for his glory, and the salvation of my immortal soul, which shall soon appear before the awful tribunal of his divine Majesty. Amen.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

O ALMIGHTY and Eternal God, who didst inflame the heart of the seraphic Teresa with the love of thee, and didst endow her with wonderful fortitude of mind in the pursuit of perfection, through every path of life, and didst, moreover, by her means, illustrate the church with many pious and exemplary children, grant, I most humbly beseech thee, by her merits and prayers, that we, who like her, put our whole trust in thee, may obtain strength of mind and body, to the end that we may love and serve thee, the true fountain of perfection here on earth, and hereafter see and enjoy thee in the kingdom of thy glory: through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

HYMN.

As legate sent by God’s command,
Teresa quits her native land,
In barbarous soils to sow the seed
Of Christian faith, or else to bleed.

But pains more gentle her attend—
A softer death her life must end:
Seraphic darts must strike her heart,
And she in pangs of love depart.

O Love’s true victim! may thy fire,
With holy warmth our hearts inspire;
And thy intrusted nations keep
From hell’s obscure and burning deep.

To God the Father and the Son,
And Holy Ghost, three in one,
Be equal glory, equal praise,
Both now and for eternal days. Amen.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother, St. Teresa.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY.

HEAR us, O God our Saviour, that as we rejoice in the solemnity of blessed Teresa, thy virgin and our mother, so we may be nourished with the food of her celestial doctrine, and improved with the affection of solid piety: through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

SECOND DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

First Prayer, “O eternal God,” &c., as in page 478.

Second Prayer, “Holy St. Teresa,” &c., as in page 478.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

O LORD Jesus Christ, who art both the model and reward of true sanctity and humility, we beseech thee, that as, by thy grace, blessed Teresa has been admitted to the enjoyments and delights of paradise, so we also, by endeavouring to imitate her virtues, may arrive with joy to the revelation of thy everlasting glory, who livest and reignest with the Father, &c.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c,

Hymn, Vers. and Prayer, &c. as in pages 479 and 480.

THIRD DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

First Prayer, “O eternal God,” &c., as in page 478.

Second Prayer, “Holy St. Teresa,” &c., as in page 478.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

O HOLY and invincible martyr, St. Teresa of Jesus, by that ardent love of God, which impelled you to relinquish your father’s house, at the tender age of seven years, to carry the light of the gospel amongst the Moors, with the determined resolution of shedding your blood for the faith of your heavenly Master, intercede for me, I beseech you, that I may always have such a lively faith, as to regulate my life in conformity with the precepts of my holy religion, and that I may arrive at the haven of salvation, to behold him face to face, in whom we believe and hope, in this valley of tears, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Hymn, Vers. and Prayer, &c., as in pages 479 and 480.

FOURTH DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

First Prayer, “O eternal God,” &c., as in page 478.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

HOLY St. Teresa, most pure virgin, by that extraordinary favour, which Almighty God conferred on you, in preserving you from the snares of the devil, during your stay in this life, I most humbly beseech you to obtain for me, by your prayers, the grace of doing true and salutary penance for all my sins, and of never offending the divine Majesty during the remainder of my life: through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Hymn, Vers. Prayer, and Paters and Aves, as in pages 479 and 480.

FIFTH DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

First Prayer, “O eternal God,” &c., as in page 478.

Second Prayer, “Holy St. Teresa,” &c., as in page 478.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

O BLESSED Teresa, faithful teacher of the art of loving God above all things, by that abundance of celestial lights, with which his divine Majesty filled thy happy mind; obtain for me, through thy powerful intercession, that I may imitate thy virtues; pray for me, I beseech thee, O glorious Teresa; and as thou hadst a sincere love for Jesus, and as Jesus always loved thee, obtain for me the incomparable advantage of living faithful to Jesus, and of dying in his divine love. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Hymn, Vers. Prayer, and Paters and Aves, as in pages 479 and 480.

SIXTH DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

First Prayer, “O eternal God,” &c., as in page 478.

Second Prayer, “Holy St. Teresa,” &c., as in page 478.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

O TERESA, most beloved spouse of the Son of God, by that special favour you received from Jesus Christ, when in ecstacy, you heard him declare you his spouse, we beseech you to obtain of him for us, that our souls having loved him faithfully here on earth, may be made worthy to enjoy him eternally in heaven. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Hymn, Vers. Prayer, Paters and Aves, as in pages 479 and 480.

SEVENTH DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

First Prayer, “O eternal God,” &c. as in page 478.

Second Prayer, “Holy St. Teresa,” &c., as in page 478.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

O TERESA, most fortunate in having inherited the fervent zeal of the great prophet and patriarch St. Elias, we beseech you by that glory which redounds to your name, from your having been by Jesus Christ made zealitrix of his honour, to obtain of him for us, that we may zealously guard all our thoughts, words, and actions, lest by them we should be so unfortunate as to offend our good and gracious God. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Hymn, Vers. Prayer, Paters and Aves, as in pages 479 and 480.

EIGHTH DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

First Prayer, “O eternal God,” &c., as in page 478.

Second Prayer, “Holy St. Teresa,” &c., as in page 478.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

O TERESA, gifted with ecstatic contemplation, and seraphic love of the divine beauty, by that union of spirit, and internal attachment which you had always to God, the only object of your thoughts and affections; obtain for us the grace of a most fervent love for God, whereby we may seek or desire nothing but to please him in this life, and in the next to enjoy him for eternity. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Hymn, Vers. Prayer, Paters and Aves, as in pages 479 and 480.

NINTH DAY.

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.

Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish my heart, and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. Amen.

First Prayer, “O eternal God,” &c. as in page 478.

Second Prayer, “Holy St. Teresa,” &c. as in page 478.

ANTHEM.

COME, O holy Teresa, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

LET US PRAY.

O TERESA, most pure victim of charity, having at length expired by the vehemence of your love for God, by that inexplicable joy and grief you experienced when your heart was wounded by the celestial seraphim, obtain for us, we beseech you, such an ardent love for God, as shall consume in our souls everything that is earthly and sinful, and prepare them to receive the impressions of divine grace. Amen.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Hymn, Vers. Prayer, and Paters and Aves, as in page 479 and 480.