NINE-MONTH NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

NINE-MONTH NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Start March 12 to December 12

Rogation Tuesday, May 3, 2016 Feast of Saints Philip and James

Zephaniah, Chapter 3, verse 7
7I said, “Surely now you will fear me, you will accept correction; They cannot fail to see all I have brought upon them.” Yet the more eagerly they have done all their corrupt deeds.

Zephaniah writes of the wickedness of Jerusalem and God’s desire for its leaders to accept His correction in the end it takes the act of God to set the world right. The prophet calls for the people of Judah to change their hearts for real change begins in the heart. Transformation happens from the inside out. John Maxwell[1] recommends we practice the following to enhance our own leadership:

1.      Work in the areas of your strength. We are most intuitive in the areas of our gifts and interests.
2.      Explore the opportunities in front of you. Our intuition comes most alive when we size up the options near us.
3.      Discern root causes for the issues you face. Work to get past superficial answers and solve root issues.
4.      Analyze past successes. Study your victories and see if you find a pattern that reveals how you won them.
5.      Listen to your gut. Effective leaders lead from their soul. Both your heart and your head have answers.

Rogationtide Tuesday[2]

Today would be a good day to reflect on what we want to harvest this fall; so like farmers we must till the soil of our soul reflecting this day on our use of our TALENTS and look at in what ways we may offer our abilities to Christ to help build a harvest for His Kingdom.

Philip and James

PHILIP, born at Bethsaida, was one of the first followers of Our Lord. After receiving the Holy Ghost he preached the Gospel in Scythia and Phrygia (Turkey, Syria and Iran), converting great numbers to the faith, and was finally crucified and then stoned at Hierapolis, in Phrygia.

Prayer to St. Philip

O St. Philip, chosen disciple of the Lord, who brought Nathaniel to Christ, who most zealously preached thy Lord, Jesus Christ, and out of love to Him willingly gave thyself to be nailed to the cross, and put to death, obtain, I beseech thee, for me, and for all men, grace with zeal to bring others to the practice of good works, to have a great desire after God and His truths, and, in hope of the eternal blissful contemplation of God, to bear patiently the adversities and miseries of this life. Amen.

JAMES, the son of Cleophas, called the Less, and on account of his sanctity surnamed the Just, and for his kinship with Christ known as His brother, was, with his brother Judas Thaddeus, chosen an apostle in the second year of Christ's ministry. St. James was the first Bishop of Jerusalem. One day, being requested to preach against Christ, he publicly proclaimed Him to be the Messiah, in Whom men were bound to believe, at which the Jewish priests became so enraged that they threw him down from a pinnacle of the temple, cast stones upon him, and finally killed him outright with a fuller’s rod (tool used in wool making)

Prayer to St. James

O St. James, who lived so temperately and strictly, who, like thy master, prayed so earnestly and constantly for thy tormentors, I beseech thee that thou wouldst procure us from Jesus grace, after thy example, to live sober and penitential lives, and to worship God in spirit and in truth. Obtain for us, therefore, the spirit with which thou didst write thine epistle, that we may follow thy doctrine, be diligent in good works, and, like thee, love and pray for our enemies. Amen.





[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible.

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