Saint John Henry Newman Novena
Saint John Henry Newman Novena
Doctor of the Church - Patron Saint of Catholic Education - Founder and Builder of University Church - Dublin
For the nine days preceeding Newman’s feast day (9 October), take time to meditate on the excerpt chosen and recite the novena prayer.
Novena Prayer:
Almighty God, help me to trust You, whatever and wherever I am. Even in my sickness, perplexity, and sorrow, may I serve you, Lord, like your servant, Saint John Henry Newman. You may take away my friends, throw me among strangers, or hide the future from me - still you are a faithful Father who knows what He is about and loves me more than I could ever imagine.
I humbly ask You, through the intercession of Saint John Henry Newman, (this special intention). Bestow on me the gifts of Your Holy Spirit that I may grow in trust and hope. I pray in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Taken from Saint John Henry Newman’s Meditations on Christian Doctrine: Hope in God - Creator (March 1848) - linked here
DAY 1 “[God] looks on me individually, He calls me by my name, He knows what I can do, what I can best be, what is my greatest happiness, and He means to give it me.”
DAY 2 “Thus God leads us by strange ways; we know He wills our happiness, but we neither know what our happiness is, nor the way.”
DAY 3 “Let us put ourselves into His hands, and not be startled though He leads us by a strange way. . . Let us be sure He will lead us right, that He will bring us to that which is, not indeed what we think best, nor what is best for another, but what is best for us.”
DAY 4 “O, my God, I will put myself without reserve into your hands. Wealth or woe, joy or sorrow, friends or bereavement, honour or humiliation, good report or ill report, comfort or discomfort, your presence or the hiding of your countenance, all is good if it comes from You.”
DAY 5 “We are all created to His glory—we are created to do His will. I am created to do something or to be something for which no one else is created; I have a place in God's counsels, in God's world, which no one else has; whether I be rich or poor, despised or esteemed by man, God knows me and calls me by my name.”
DAY 6 “God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.”
DAY 7 “Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away.”
DAY 8 “I am born to serve Thee, to be Thine, to be Thy instrument. Let me be Thy blind instrument. I ask not to see—I ask not to know—I ask simply to be used.”
DAY 9 “Did He not love me so inexpressibly, He would not have suffered for me. I understand now why He died for me, because He loved me as a father loves his son—not as a human father merely, but as the Eternal Father the Eternal Son. I see now the meaning of that else inexplicable humiliation: He preferred to regain me rather than to create new worlds.”
