9 month Novena beginning March 12th
plus a 7 century old devotion to the Sacred Wounds of Our Lord
Our friend Cardinal Burke has announced a worldwide call to prayer beginning on March 12th, the Feast of St Gregory the Great1 and culminating on December 12th, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.2
You may sign up for the 9 month novena here and the accompanying spiritual reflections from His Eminence Cardinal Burke throughout the novena. We want to encourage everyone in this historic call to prayer for our world.
It was during an age much like our own when Our Lady first appeared to Saint Juan Diego some 500 years ago. Again, we are contending with disease, war, and deep spiritual confusion. Again, many poor souls are tempted to fear that all hope is lost.
But Our Lord has not called us to fear. No matter the darkness of our age, men and women of faith are not without the truth and love of Christ, nor the faithful care of His mother. Through Saint Juan Diego’s humble and courageous cooperation with grace, Our Lady's intercession transformed the world and brought millions of souls to Christ. It is this same maternal care and protection that we seek today—a care and protection that she will grant us, should we earnestly ask for it.
Our Lady has not forgotten her children: her care for us is as strong today as it was 500 years ago.
There is real, miraculous, and transformative peace in the protection of Mary’s Mantle. To this end, Cardinal Burke is calling upon all Catholics to join him in a significant Novena seeking Our Lady’s intercession. Those who sign up to accompany the Cardinal in this urgent effort can expect short video reflections from His Eminence each month, in addition to regular written reflections and prayers.
As you continue to build up your armor for spiritual warfare this Lent consider joining previously endorsed Golden Arrow Prayer3 with St Clare of Assisi's Devotion to the Five Sacred Wounds of Our Lord4.
St Clare had a deep devotion to the Sacred Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ and she composed the following prayers she prayed every day:
This exquisite seven-century-old devotion was composed and was daily recited by Our Seraphic Mother St Clare of Assisi, foundress of the Second Order of St Francis, the Poor Clares. St Clare’s devotion of the Five Wounds, as reproduced here, is from an appendix in The Princess of Poverty, by Father Marianus Fiege, O.M.Cap. The litany is approved by the Holy See for private devotion, and in 1885 was enriched by Pope Leo XIII with an indulgence of 300 days, once a day.
LITANY TO THE FIVE SACRED WOUNDS
Christ’s Sacred Right Hand Wound
Praise and honour be given Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, by reason of the Sacred Wound in Thy Right Hand. By this adorable wound, I beseech Thee to pardon me all the sins I have committed by thoughts, words and deeds, by neglect in Thy service, and by self-indulgence, both waking and sleeping. Grant me the grace that, by a devout and frequent remembrance of Thy Holy Passion, I may honour Thy sacred wounds and the death which Thou didst endure for love of me; and that, by chastising my body, I may testify my gratitude for Thy sufferings and Thy death: Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary…
Christ’s Sacred Left Hand Wound
Praise and honour be given Thee, O most amiable Jesus, by reason of the Sacred Wound in Thy Left Hand. By this holy wound, I beseech Thee to have pity on me and to change within me whatever is displeasing to Thee. Grant me to be victorious over Thine enemies, so that, by the power of Thy grace, I may overcome them; and do Thou, by Thy holy and adorable death, deliver me from all dangers, present and to come, and make me worthy to share in the glory of Thy Blessed Kingdom: Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary…
Christ’s Sacred Right Foot Wound
Praise and honour be given Thee, O sweetest Jesus, by reason of the Sacred Wound in Thy Right Foot. By this holy and adorable wound, I beseech Thee to enable me to bring forth worthy fruits of penance for my sins. I humbly entreat Thee, for the sake of Thine adorable death, to keep me, day and night, in Thy holy will, to preserve me from all adversity of soul and body, and, on the dreadful day of judgement, to deal with me according to Thy mercy, that I may obtain eternal joys: Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary…
Christ’s Sacred Left Foot Wound
Praise and honour be given Thee, O sweet and merciful Jesus, by reason of the Sacred Wound in Thy Left Foot. By this adorable wound, I beseech Thee to grant me pardon and full remission of all my sins, so that, with Thine aid, I may escape the rigours of justice. I entreat Thee, O good and merciful Jesus, for the sake of Thy Holy Death, to grant that at the hour of my death, I may have the grace to confess my sins with a perfect contrition, to receive the adorable Sacrament of Thy Body and Thy Blood, and likewise, the holy Sacrament of Extreme Unction for my eternal salvation: Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary…
Christ’s Sacred Wound of His Side
Praise and honour be given Thee, O good and sweetest Jesus, by reason of the Wound in Thy Sacred Side. By this adorable wound and by that immense mercy shown Longinus and to us all, in allowing Thy Sacred Side to be opened, I beseech Thee, O good Jesus, that as in Baptism Thou didst purify me from original sin, so now Thou wouldst be pleased, by the merits of Thy Most Precious Blood, Which is offered up this day over the whole world, to deliver me from all evils, past, present, and to come. I entreat Thee, by Thy bitter death, to give me a lively faith, a firm hope, and perfect charity, so that I may love Thee with my whole heart, with my whole soul, and with all my strength. Uphold me by Thy grace in the practice of good works, so that I may persevere to the end in Thy holy service and glorify Thee in time and eternity. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary…
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because, by Thy death and Thy precious blood, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Let us pray. O Almighty and Eternal God, Who hast ransomed the human race by the five wounds of Thy Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: we beseech Thee, by the merits of His precious blood, to grant unto us, who, each day, venerate these same adorable wounds, to be delivered from a sudden and unprovided death: Through the same Jesus Christ Thy Son, Our Lord, Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. R. Amen.
https://sensusfidelium.com/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/march/march-12-st-gregory-the-great-pope-doctor-of-the-church/
https://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent6.html
https://goldenarrowprayer.com/pages/the-story-of-the-golden-arrow-prayer
https://holywounds.net/clare/