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Novena in Honour of SFS
(From 15th to 23rd January)
Click on any of the 12 Different Novenas given below
Novena Prayers & Litany of SFS
(Starts on 15th January and ends on 23rd January. Use alternatively the prayers given below)
Prayer 1
We turn to you with confidence, great St. Francis de Sales, you whose heart was aflame with the Love of God and ever ready to serve others. In your deep faith you had the heart of a child. Through prayer you received the light and strength to fulfil your many responsibilities. Thus you were able to bring many to God.
Dear St. Francis de Sales, we humbly ask you to intercede for us. Help us to grow in closeness to God, our loving Father, to be open to the Holy Spirit, and to follow closely in the footsteps of Jesus, our Master and our Friend.
Obtain for us the gift of prayer and a true spirit of chastity, poverty and obedience, a spirit of self-sacrifice. Help us to love and imitate Mary, our dear Mother. Teach us to practise the little virtues of patience, humility and gentleness. Lead us to bring to one another and to all, Christ’s Love, peace and joy.
Prayer 2
O St. Francis de Sales you lived a life of unflinching dedication in the service of the Church.
Help us to be tireless builders of the kingdom of God. Give us optimism and sweetness in hardships, so that we may be bearers of the Saviour’s love. Teach us to cultivate a deep interior life, rooted in confidence in God, and expressed in simplicity and in joy, so that following in your footsteps we may reach our home in heaven. Amen.
Prayer 3
Dear St. Francis de Sales, you are the model of good shepherd. A good shepherd always lays down his life for the sheep. A good shepherd always seeks the lost and the weak ones. You brought to the fold many through your gentleness and compassion rather than through arrogance and pride.
We ask you to obtain for us the grace to live as good shepherds in our vocation as Fransalian Missionaries. Help us not to be the shepherds who lord over the sheep, but rather as shepherds who lighten the burdens of the sheep.
Help us to be gentle and compassionate, especially to the lost and the weak people in our communities, in the Congregation, in the parishes and in ministries. May we make the God of mercy known and loved through our ministry of the word and sacraments. We make this prayer to Jesus, our Good Shepherd through your intercession. Amen.
4 For Various Needs
St. Francis de Sales, glorious apostle of Jesus Christ, messenger of divine love, your life was a constant witness to the perfection of charity towards God and towards all men and women. You lived solely for the love and glory of God. As a devoted child of Mary, the Mother of God, you followed Jesus our Saviour so perfectly that people saw in you the living image of Christ. Deign to accept me as your child (follower, protege). From henceforth be my counsellor, my friend and my brother.
5. For Personal Needs
Dear St. Francis during your earthly life, you obtained numerous graces for the people entrusted to your care. In your kindness, obtain for me the grace of an ongoing, total conversion, humility of heart, and an in-tense, tender love for God and my neigh- bours, especially towards the members of my community, patience with myself and a gentle conduct towards others. May I always seek and accomplish God’s will in my daily life, undertakings and activities. May I seek God alone, rejoice in Him alone, and labour for Him alone.
6. For Family and Dear Ones
St. Francis de Sales, you loved deeply your parents, brothers, sisters and relations. You were ready to counsel them and serve them when it was God’s will.
Remember and intercede for my father... mother...brother... sister... for harmony and unity in the family, for the reconciliation and re-union of the broken family (other needs...).
Protect us from every danger. Watch over us and obtain for us the grace that we may live and die the death of the just and that our end may be like
yours in the grace, peace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
(One may take only part of this prayer and leave oat personal or family needs. Prayer to St. Francis de Sales for the needs of the family is very effective.)
Our Father .... Hail Mary....
Let us pray:
O God who, for the salvation of souls, was pleased that blessed Francis, your confessor and Bishop be-come all to all. Mercifully grant that being plentifully enriched with the sweetness of your charity, by the help of his merits, we may obtain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Litany of SFS
Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, hear us - Christ, graciously hear us
God the Father of heaven,
God the Son, Redeemer of the world God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, One God,
Holy Mary, faithful protectress of St. Francis,
St. Francis, full of veneration for Mary, St. Francis, zealous servant of the love of God,
St. Francis, most submissive to God’s will and good pleasure
St. Francis, zealous upholder of the faith of the Church
St. Francis, strenuous and peaceful opponent of heresy
St. Francis, admirable doctor and promoter of devotion
St. Francis, humble and simple of heart 78
St. Francis, ever watchful and recollected St. Francis, prudent and gentle in words St. Francis, patient and strong in action St. Francis, mirror of hidden mortification
St. Francis, despiser of wealth and human glory
St. Francis, lover of poverty and abjection St. Francis, burning with thirst for the salvation of souls
St. Francis, friendly to slanderers and enemies
St. Francis, refuge of sinners
St. Francis, valuable help of penitents
St. Francis, lavish inheritance of the poor
St. Francis, consolation of the afflicted
St. Francis, defender of the humble and down-trodden
St. Francis, sociable to the neglected and marginalized
St. Francis, made all to all
St. Francis, lover of God and man
St. Francis, model of bishops and priests, St. Francis, model of angelic purity
St. Francis, imbued with the faith of patriarchs
St. Francis, burning with the zeal of prophets
St. Francis, sharing the labours of Apostles
St. Francis, firm in his commitment
to God and the Church
St. Francis, adorned with the virtues of confessors
St. Francis, joy of all saints,
St. Francis, founder of the Visitation Order
St. Francis, patron of our congregation,
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Let us pray:
O God who, for the salvation of souls, was pleased that blessed Francis, your confessor and Bishop, be-come all to all, mercifully grant that being plentifully enriched with the sweetness of his charity, by the help of his merits, we may obtain life everlasting. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Nine videos from the Fransalaian Seminary Pune
Novena Reflection Series: Introduction By Fr. Rector,
Nine Talks from OSFS
Day 1 Finding God Wherever You Are
Day 3 A Salesian Understanding Of Prayer
Day 6 Francis De Sales And The Priesthood Of The '90s
Day 7 Mission According To St. Francis De Sales
Nine Videos from Discerning Hearts
Click the links below to watch the videos…
Nine Audios (MP3) from Discerning Hearts
DAY-1
There is no clock, no matter how good it may be, that doesn’t need resetting and rewinding twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. In addition, at least once a year it must be taken apart to remove the dirt clogging it, straighten out bent parts and repair those worn out. In like manner, every morning and evening a person who really takes care of his heart must rewind it for God’s service by means of certain practices of piety. At least once a year he must take it apart and examine every piece in detail; that is, every affection and passion, in order to repair whatever defects there may be. (INT. Part 5, Ch. 1; O. III, p. 340)
DAY-2
State openly that you desire to be devout. I do not say that you should assert that you are devout but that you desire to be devout. Do not be ashamed to practice the ordinary, necessary actions that bring us to the love of God. Acknowledge frankly that you are trying to meditate, that you would rather die than commit a mortal sin, that you are resolved to frequent the sacraments and to follow your director’s advice. This candid confession of our desire to serve God and to consecrate ourselves entirely to His love is most acceptable to His Divine Majesty. (INT. V, Ch. 18; O. III, p. 365)
DAY-3
I desire very little, and what I do desire I desire very little; I have hardly any desires, but if I were to begin my life all over again I would want to have none at all … Ask for nothing, refuse nothing; we must simply abandon ourselves into the hands of Providence, without nourishing any other desire but to do whatever God wills. St. Paul practiced this act of absolute abandonment at the very moment of his conversion. When he was deprived of his sight, he immediately said, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” [cf. Act 22:10] From that moment on he put himself completely at God’s disposal. All our perfection consists precisely in the practical application of this principle. (Spiritual Treatises XXI, O. VI, pp. 383-384)
DAY-4
Self-love dies only when our body dies, so we must, while we live in this land of exile, continue to counterattack its assaults on our senses and its underhanded tactics. It is enough if we firmly withstand, giving no willful or deliberate consent … When we feel within ourselves the first movements of self-love or of other passions, let us prostrate ourselves immediately before the heart of God and tell Him, in a spirit of confidence and humility, “Lord, have mercy on me because I am a very weak creature.” Then let us tranquilly rest in peace and put ourselves at God’s disposal. (Letters 1675; O. XIX, pp. 272-273)
DAY-5
This poor life is only a journey to the happy life to come. We must not be angry with one another on the way, but rather we must march on as a band of brothers and sisters united in meekness, peace and love. I state absolutely and make no exception: do not be angry at all if that is possible. Do no accept any pretext whatever for opening your heart’s door to anger. Saint James tells us positively and without reservation,” … a man’s anger does not fulfill God’s justice.” [Jas 1:20] (INT. Part III, Ch. 8; O. III, p. 162)
DAY-6
Do not pay any attention to the kind of work you do, but rather to the honor that it brings to God, even though it may seem quite trivial. Desire only to do the Divine Will, following Divine Providence, which is the disposition of Divine Wisdom. In a word, if your works are pleasing to God and recognized as such, that is all that matters. Work hard every day at increasing your purity of heart, which consists in appraising things and weighing them in the balance of God’s will. (Letters 280; O. XIII, p. 53)
DAY-7
Our intellect is ordinarily full of ideas, opinions and considerations suggested by self-love. This is the root of many conflicts within the soul, putting before us all sorts of reasons dictated by human prudence to justify our pretensions. People who make use of this false prudence, instead of enlightening their intellect, obscure it. They reject advice given to them and let those reasons prevail in their minds which support their own opinions, even wrong ones. Make use of the virtue of prudence because it is good, but make good use of it. Employ it only rarely, with simplicity, and solely for the glory of God. (Sermons 30; O. IX, pp. 297-298)
DAY-8
One of the greatest proofs of love that Jesus displayed on the cross was putting up with the imperfections of His neighbor. There He showed us that He has a heart that loves us tenderly and watches over us kindly. He even showed His love for those who put Him to death. In those dire moments the Savior expressed thoughts of love even for his executioners, pardoning them in the very act of sinning! How petty-minded we are when we cannot bring ourselves to forget some injury received, even after a long time! Whoever sincerely pardons another calls down abundant blessings and perfectly imitates Christ. (Spiritual Treatises IV; O. VI, pp. 65-66)
DAY-9
Think for a moment of the piety of the Madonna when the angel told her that the Spirit would overshadow her. What sentiments of humility, confidence and courage! At the very moment when she understood that God had given her His heart, that is, His Son, she gave herself to God. Her soul was flooded with charity, so she could say with the sacred spouse, “…My heart trembled within me, and I grew faint when he spoke.” [Sg:5:4] As far as we are concerned, we receive a similar grace in Communion, because not an angel but Jesus Christ Himself assures us that in it the Holy Spirit descends on us. Heavenly power covers us with its shadow and the Son of God really comes to us. He can say that He is conceived and born in us. Truly then, the soul can respond with the Madonna, “I am the servant of the Lord; let is be done to me as you say.” [Lk 1:38] (Spiritual Directory, Art. 12)
PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY
O blessed Francis de Sales, who on earth did excel in a life of virtue,
especially in the love of God and neighbor,
I earnestly ask you to take me under your compassionate care and protection.
Obtain for me conversion of mind and heart.
Grant that all people,
especially (names of those whom you wish to include) may experience
the depth of God’s redeeming and healing love.
Teach me to fix my eyes on the things of heaven
even as I walk each day with my feet planted firmly on the earth.
Help me, through the practice of virtue and the pursuit of devotion,
to avoid anything that would otherwise cause me to stumble
in my attempt to follow Christ
and to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit.
Encouraged by your prayers and example,
help me to live fully my sacred dignity
with the hope of experiencing my sacred destiny:
eternal life with God.
Receive also this particular need or concern
that I now lift up in prayer. (mention your particular need).
O God, for the salvation of all,
you desired that St. Francis de Sales—
preacher, missionary, confessor, bishop and founder—
should befriend many long the road to salvation.
Mercifully grant that we,
infused with the humility and gentleness of his charity,
guided by his wisdom and sharing in his spirit
may experience eternal life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.
This Novena is from PrayMoreNovenas.com
DAY 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in choosing to serve You in the priesthood.
St. Francis de Sales, you knew that you were called to be a priest from the time you were a young child. Though you were hesitant to go against your father’s wishes that you study law, you did all you could to serve God in your youth.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
As a young man, you chose to accept God’s calling to the priesthood, even though it was going against your father’s wishes. You were ordained and began a life of priestly service.
Pray for me, that I may do all I can to serve you in my life. Pray that I may follow Your call, even when it is difficult.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day-2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in submitting himself to Your will for his life.
St. Francis de Sales, your vocational journey was a difficult one. But even when your father’s opposition to your priestly vocation hindered you from following God’s call, you continued seeking to serve God.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
As a young man, you finally realized that you could put off your vocation no longer. You fell from your horse three times, and your sword and scabbard fell in the shape of a cross all three times. You chose to submit yourself to God’s will for you.
Pray for me, that I may be open to God’s will in my life. Pray that I may submit myself to God’s will, even when it is difficult.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day-3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his missionary work among the Calvinists.
St. Francis de Sales, you set out on an ambitious missionary journey to bring sixty thousand Calvinists back into the Catholic Church. Though this was a difficult undertaking, you faithfully worked to bring souls to God.
Please bring my petitions before God with such faithfulness!
At first, you were met with a lot of obstacles in your missionary work. But you persevered and were able to bring around forty thousand Calvinists back to the Church.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to lead others to God and His Church. Pray that I may persevere against all difficulties to lead souls to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day-4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed by persevering in his missionary work amidst many trials and sufferings.
St. Francis de Sales, you set out on a difficult missionary journey to convert the Calvinists in the territory near you. Those you preached to rudely refused to listen and sometimes even threatened you, but you persevered in your mission.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
Though you endured physical suffering from the cold and many discouragements, you did not waver in your devotion to God or your zeal for souls.
Pray for me, that I may never allow trials to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may persevere in doing God’s will, no matter what difficulties I might face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day-5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his service to You as a bishop.
St. Francis de Sales, you devoted most of your life to serving God and His Church. After working to bring around forty thousand Calvinists back to the Church, you were ordained the bishop of Geneva.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!
It was during your time as bishop that you grew greatly in your personal spiritual life. You spent the rest of your life serving God and helping His people.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to grow in my spiritual life each day. Pray that I may never tire of seeking to serve God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sale, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day-6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his years of working as a spiritual director for those seeking a deeper relationship with You.
St. Francis de Sales, you became a spiritual director for a holy widow shortly after becoming a bishop. Though you must have been burdened by many responsibilities, you continued to spend time helping others with spiritual direction.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God!
Through your work of spiritual direction, you helped spread the important idea that lay people can achieve holiness and a close relationship with God.
Pray for me, that I may seek to cultivate a close relationship with God. Pray that I may seek to grow in my relationship with God each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day-7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in helping lay people to grow in holiness and in spreading the idea that lay holiness was possible.
St. Francis de Sales, you knew that many within the Church in your day saw the lay vocations as less capable of bringing about holiness. You knew that God calls all to holiness, and you persevered in preaching this idea.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You saw that marriage and family life contained their own means of growing in holiness. And you proved in your own active life that it was possible to grow in holiness while serving God in an active way.
Pray for me, that I may embrace the unique call to holiness of my vocation. Pray that I may seek to grow in holiness each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day-8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed through his work as a Catholic writer.
St. Francis de Sales, you were named a Doctor of the Church because of your valuable Catholic writings. You worked hard to preach the Gospel through your writings for many years.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you wrote of with such devotion!
Your writings helped inspire many to holiness. Your book Introduction to the Devout Life helped many members of the laity realize that they could strive for great holiness.
Pray for me, that I may strive for great holiness in my life in each day. Pray that I may always seek to deepen my relationship with God at every opportunity.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Day-9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Francis de Sales as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed through his years of service to Your Church.
St. Francis de Sales, you desired to serve God’s Church in a wholehearted way from the time you were a young boy. Though it was difficult for you to pursue your priestly vocation, you persevered in serving God.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You spent years preaching to Calvinists and bringing them to the Church. Then you served God as a bishop, writer, and spiritual director for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God and His Church in any way that I can. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to help strengthen God’s Church.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.