
Day 14, Novena for Our Nation – Piety
- Richard Heilman
- Comments are off
DAY 14 – MOTHER OF OUR SAVIOR, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF PIETY! GOD’S WORD “The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out ‘Abba, Father!’” (Romans 8:14-15) HEROES’ WORDS “In so far as divine love beautifies our souls and makes us pleasing to his divine Majesty, it is called grace; in so far as it gives us strength to do good, it is called charity; but when it reaches such a degree of perfection, that it makes us not only do the good, but do so carefully, frequently, and readily, then it is called devotion.” -St. Francis de Sales “Charity and devotion differ no more, the one from the other, than the flame from the fire.” -St. Francis de Sales “Devotion is a certain act of the will by which man gives himself promptly to divine service.” -St. Thomas Aquinas MEDITATION The Gift of Piety: A special gift of the Holy Spirit; it perfects the virtue of religion, which is the practice of justice toward God. It produces an instinctive filial affection for God and devotion toward those who are specially consecrated to God. As an infused gift of God, it is ready loyalty to God and the things of God, arising not so much from studied effort or acquired habit as from a supernatural communication conferred by the Holy Spirit. This gift enables a person to see in God not only one’s sovereign Master but a loving Father, according to the teaching of St. Paul: “Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out ‘Abba, Father!’” (Rom 8:14-15). It engenders in the soul a filial respect for God, a generous love toward him, and an affectionate obedience that wants to do what he commands because it loves the one who commands. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary) PRAY A ROSARY Choose either:
- Rosary of the Day: Joyful Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries


Day 13, Novena for Our Nation – Knowledge
- Richard Heilman
- Comments are off
DAY 13 – MOTHER OF OUR CREATOR, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE! GOD’S WORD “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” (Proverbs 18:15) “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) HEROES’ WORDS “We judge all things according to the divine truth.” -St. Augustine “A scrap of knowledge about sublime things is worth more than any amount about trivialities.” -St. Thomas Aquinas “There are some who desire knowledge merely for its own sake; and that is shameful curiosity. And there are others who desire to know, in order that they may themselves be known; and that is vanity, disgraceful too. Others again, desire knowledge in order to acquire money or preferment by it; that too is a discreditable quest. But there are also some who desire knowledge, that they may build up the souls of others with it and that is charity. Others, again, desire it that they may themselves be built up thereby; and that is prudence. Of all these types, only the last two put knowledge to the right use.” -St. Bernard MEDITATION The Gift of Knowledge: One of the seven infused gifts. By the illuminating action of the Holy Spirit it perfects the virtue of faith. It gives a person the ability to judge everything from a supernatural viewpoint. The object of this gift is the whole spectrum of created things insofar as they lead one to God. Through infused knowledge the faithful can see the providential purpose of whatever enters their lives, and they are able to put creatures to the right use according to God’s will for themselves and for others. Sometimes called “the science of the saints,” it enables those who have the gift to discern easily and effectively between the impulses of temptation and the inspirations of grace. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary). PRAY A ROSARY Choose either:
- Rosary of the Day: Glorious Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Joyful Mysteries


Day 12, Novena for Our Nation – Fortitude
- Richard Heilman
- Comments are off
DAY 12 – MOTHER OF GOOD COUNSEL, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE! GOD’S WORD “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4) “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Romans 8:15) “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18) HEROES’ WORDS “The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them” -St. Thomas Aquinas MEDITATION The Gift of Fortitude: One of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; it gives a person a special strength of will. This gift confers an extraordinary readiness to undergo trials for love of God or in fulfillment of the divine will; unusual courage to bear difficulties even for many years; firmness in carrying arduous tasks to their completion; perseverance in a lifetime fidelity to one’s vocation in spite of heavy trials or disappointments sent by God; and gladness in being privileged to suffer persecution or humiliation in union with Christ and for the sake of his name. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary) PRAY A ROSARY Choose either:
- Rosary of the Day: Joyful Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Glorious Mysteries


Day 11, Novena for Our Nation – Counsel
- Richard Heilman
- Comments are off
DAY 11 – MOTHER MOST ADMIRABLE, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF COUNSEL GOD’S WORD “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:7) “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) HEROES’ WORDS “Of all human activities, man’s listening to God is the supreme act of his reasoning and will.” -Pope Paul VI “Listen and attend with the ear of your heart.” -St. Benedict MEDITATION The Gift of Counsel: One of the special gifts of the Holy Spirit; it perfects the virtue of prudence. Its function is to enable a person to judge promptly and rightly, as by a sort of supernatural intuition, what should be done, especially in difficult situations. With the gift of counsel, the Holy Spirit speaks, as it were, to the heart and in an instant enlightens a person what to do. It corresponds to the promise made by Christ to his followers, “When they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you” (Mt 10:19). Counsel refers primarily to prudent conduct in one’s own case, and only secondarily in favor of others. Enlightened by the Spirit, a person learns what to do in a specific case and what advice to give when consulted or command to make if he is in authority. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary) PRAY A ROSARY Choose either:
- Rosary of the Day: Sorrowful Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries


“Novena for Our Nation” – Praying Grace into Our New President!
- Richard Heilman
- Comments are off
PRAYER WARRIORS!!
The nation-wide prayer campaign - Novena for Our Nation - begins November 28, the Feast of Saint Catherine Labouré (who received the apparition of the Miraculous Medal), and goes until January 20, the Presidential Inauguration.
The "Novena for Our Nation" website is here (You can sign-up to receive daily emails at the website. Also, you can find the daily 54 Day Novena reflections at the website): NovenaForOurNation.com (If you received emails during our last 54 Day NFON, you do not need to sign-up again).
Here is a way to get the daily 54 Novena Rosary Novena reflections in book form: HERE.
A special rate for books ordered in bundles of 20 book: HERE.
Here's how the 54 Day Rosary Novena works (it is really very simple) ...
First, we have added a short 1-2 minute reflection for "Basic Training in Holiness." So, participants are not only praying for our nation, but receiving a quality 54 day basic training for becoming the saints we are called to be.
Second, you will pray a rosary, each day for 54 days, in one of two ways (Modern or Traditional) ...
Modern Version
You could just add the intention "For Our New President" to your daily rosary, and simply continue praying the "Rosary Proper" for each day of the week. This would be a way for you to add the Luminous Mysteries. See HERE.
Traditional Version
What is the 54 Day Rosary Novena? See HERE.
Many (including myself) believe there is a special power in praying the 54 Day Rosary Novena in the way it was originally designed. Since it was designed prior to St. Pope John Paul II's addition of the "optional" Luminous Mysteries, they would not be prayed while using the traditional version.
Here is the traditional schedule for the 54 Day Rosary Novena, set to our dates:
Also, the traditional version has a few short prayers added.
Here is a sample of the Joyful Mysteries for the traditional prayers that go along with the 54 Day Rosary Novena (These prayers will be added in the daily reflections you may receive by email or by finding the reflections at the Novena for Our Nation website) ...
PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Prayer before the recitation: Sign of the cross. Hail Mary.
In petition (first 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I humbly kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses, snow white buds to remind thee of thy joys, each bud recalling to thee a holy mystery, each 10 bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee, thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition; from thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I gratefully kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses snow white buds to remind thee of thy joys each bud recalling to thee a holy mystery; each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, Dispenser of God’s graces. and Mother of all who invoke thee! thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving; from thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I despaired not of what I asked of thee, and thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.
Say: The Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
The Annunciation – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of humility and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Visitation – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of charity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Nativity – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of detachment from the world and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Presentation – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of purity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of obedience to the will of God and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
Say: The Hail Holy Queen.
In petition (first 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request - "For Faith and Freedom for Our Nation"). Hail Mary …
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request - "For Faith and Freedom for Our Nation") which thou in thy love hast obtained for me. Hail, Mary, etc.