Novena in honor of

St. Dominic de Guzman

 Novena in honor of
St. Dominic de Guzman

Digital Illustration by: Carlo Bucud

Prepared by: Nimrod Salazar, Carlo Bucud, and Renelle Mijaress
Opening Hymn
Amang Santo Domingo
Amang Santo Domingo na kabanal-banalan
Ilaw ka sa sandaigdigan, ipinagdiriwang
lyong kadakilaan, halimbawa ng buhay
Sugo ka ng Poong Diyos, gabay nami't tanglaw

Puso mong malinis tulad sa kristal

Sa kaluwalhatian ng langit kinintal

Binigkis ang buhay ng karalitaan

Maharlikang bihis ang 'yong kalooban

Ang katotohana’y iyong pinasikat,

Sa nagdidilim na Daigdig siniwalat

The Holy Rosary

(kneeling)

LEADER: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

ALL: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your
womb Jesus.
LEADER: Lord open my lips. (make a small sign of the cross on the lips)
ALL: And my mouth shall declare Your praise.
LEADER: God, come to my assistance. (make another sign of the cross the usual way)
ALL: Lord, make haste to help me.
LEADER: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
ALL: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.Amen.
 The Joyful Mysteries The Sorrowful Mysteries
I. The Annunciation I. The Agony in the Garden
II. The Visitation II. The Scourging at the Pillar
III. The Birth of Our Lord Jesus III. The Crowning with Thorns
IV. The Presentation of the IV. The Carrying of the Cross
Child Jesus at the Temple V. The Crucifixion of Our
V. The Finding of the Child Lord
Jesus in the Temple

The Luminous Mysteries The Glorious Mysteries

I. The Baptism in the Jordan I. The Resurrection of Our
II. The Manifestation at the Lord
Wedding of Cana II. The Ascension of Our Lord
III. The Proclamation of the III. The Descent of the Holy
Kingdom Spirit
IV. The Transfiguration IV. The Assumption of the
V. The Institution of the Holy Blessed Virgin Mary
Eucharist V. The Coronation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
 Litany in Honor of

Mary Our Mother

Lord, have mercy on us Mirror of justice*
- Lord, have mercy on us Seat of wisdom*
Christ, hear us Cause of our joy*
- Christ, graciously hear us
Spiritual vessel*
God the Father in Heaven
- Have mercy on us Vessel of honour*
God the Son Redeemer of the world Singular vessel of devotion*
- Have mercy on us Mystical rose*
God the Holy Spirit Tower of David*
- Have mercy on us Tower of ivory*
Holy Trinity One God
House of gold*
- Have mercy on us
Holy Mary, *Pray for us Ark of the covenant*
Holy Mother of God* Gate of heaven*
Holy Virgin of virgins* Morning star*
Mother of Christ* Health of the sick*
Mother of the Church* Refuge of sinners*
Mother of Mercy*
Solace of Migrants*
Mother of Divine Grace*
Mother of Hope*
Comfort of the afflicted*
Mother most pure* Help of Christians*
Mother most chaste* Queen of Angels*
Mother inviolate* Queen of Patriarchs*
Mother undefiled* Queen of Prophets*
Mother most amiable*
Queen of Apostles*
Mother admirable*
Mother of good counsel*
Queen of Martyrs*
Mother of our Creator* Queen of Confessors*
Mother of our Saviour* Queen of Virgins*
Virgin most prudent* Queen of all Saints*
Virgin most venerable* Queen conceived without
Virgin most renowned* original sin*
Virgin most powerful* Queen assumed into heaven*
Virgin most merciful*
Queen of the most holy
Virgin most faithful*
Rosary*
Mirror of justice*
Queen of families*
Seat of wisdom*
Queen of peace*
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.
LEADER: Queen of the Holy Rosary, La Naval pray for us.
ALL: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LEADER: Let us pray.
ALL: O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection,
has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech You, that
through the meditation of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they
promise through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Act of Contrition
LEADER: my God,
ALL: I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins,
because I fear the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all
because I have offended You, my God, Who are all good and deserving of
all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace to confess my sins,
to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Prayer for Everyday

ALL: O God, who raised up the world through the passion, death and
resurrection of your Son, grant that we who are gathered today in honor of
St. Dominic, may humble ourselves, renounce the things of this world and
die to the pomps and vanities of life.
Send us your Holy Spirit, that we may all be one in truth and be one in love,
so that like St. Dominic, your faithful servant, we may be living witnesses of
your goodness, truth and love in a society fragmented by divisive conflicts
and afflicted with widespread poverty. Help us, St. Dominic, to seek always
the glory of God, to direct all our affections, desires and efforts in
proclaiming the kingdom of God through our words, deeds and lives. Help
us to inculturate the Gospel values as you did and as the many other
Dominican saints did during their times. Be with us in our journey and
always lead us to Jesus who is our Truth, our Way and our Life. Amen.
 First Day
Theme:
PASSION FOR TRUTH

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING & REFLECTION FOR THE FIRST DAY

LEADER: So Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you
will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what
the Father taught me. The One who sent me is with me. He has not left me
alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him." Because he spoke in
this way, many came to believe in him. Jesus then said to those Jews who
believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." (John 8: 28-32)

REFLECTION
LEADER: Let us take a look at Libellus, No. 15. We read: "in reaching
Toulouse, Dominic discovered that many of its inhabitants had become
heretics, quite a considerable time before his arrival. Dominic was stirred to
great compassion at the thought of so many souls wretchedly led Bastray.
They took lodging in the city and the sub-prior (Dominic himself) spent the
entire night assailing their heretical innkeeper with the fire and urgency of
all the arguments and discussion which he heaped up in his efforts to win
him over. The heretic was unable to resist the wisdom and the spirit of
Dominic's words, and through the intervention of God, Dominic led the
innkeeper back to the faith." Quick to vibrate in sympathy with every
adaffliction, Dominic plumbed the depths of the misery of this man who
had strayed so far from the truth. Within his soul, he has known from the
intimate experience that evangelical truth is the gift of love, to show that
this truth may be studied out of love, contemplated out of love, preached
out of love. If we seek to know what aspiration drove him to go on walking
and preaching until his strength was exhausted, it is perhaps simply this: to
demonstrate, in evangelical humility, that the word of God sets man free
and that the truth of Jesus Christ is indeed salvation.

PRAYER FOR THE FIRST DAY

ALL: O glorious St. Dominic who has been a staunch defender and untiring
preacher of the truth, pray for us that we may penetrate ever more deeply
the truth of ourselves, the truth of our being, of who we are and what we
are meant to be. May truth-seeking lead us to conversion personally and
socially and to commitment geared towards service to a neighbour in need.
(A moment of silence)

LEADER: In silence let us now offer to God the personal petitions we wish
to obtain through the intercession of St. Dominic.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)

FINAL PRAYER (page 43)

 Second Day
Theme:
COMPASSION FOR HUMANITY

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING AND REFLECTION FOR THE SECOND DAY

LEADER: Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom and curing every
disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with
pity because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a
shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: "The harvest is abundant but the
laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for the
harvest." (Matthew 9:35-38)

REFLECTION
LEADER: Dominic possessed the Compassionate Heart of Jesus from
Libellus No. 10 we read: "While Dominic was pursuing his studies in
Palencia, a great famine spread through almost the whole Spain. He was
moved by the distress of the poor. His heart on fire with compassion, he
resolved by means of one Tran single action to obey our Lord's counsels and
at the same time do everything he could to relieve the misery of the poor
who were dying on every side. He therefore, sold all his possessions, even
his books which were truly indispensable and he established an almonry
where he could distribute everything among the poor. This example of
goodness so stirred up the hearts of his fellow-students and masters in
theology that they suddenly realized that their own neglect has been more
like avarice when compared with this young man's generosity, and from
that moment they began to give alms with great liberality." The distress of
the poor moved Dominic deeply. This was something much more than
mere emotion and quite different, too. Compassion stirred deep within his
soul and impelled him out of himself towards the poor. Dominic was
spurred to action. In the face of poverty and destitution of the great mass of
our people, am I moved to compassion? Is my compassion simply a matter
of expressing my sentiments? Can I feel within me the suffering of the poor?
Am I moved to do something for them?

PRAYER FOR THE SECOND DAY

ALL: O Holy Father, St. Dominic, you had taken Jesus' option for the poor
your own choice. Obtain for us the grace to know the pains of this world,
allow it to touch us and to help us become not just a witness to it but to be a
defender of the poor and those who suffer, the voiceless and the
marginalized people.
(A moment of silence)

LEADER: In silence let us now offer to God the personal petitions we wish
to obtain through the intercession of St. Dominic.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)

FINAL PRAYER (page 43)

 Third Day
Theme:
PRAYER & CONTEMPLATION

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING AND REFLECTION FOR THE THIRD DAY

LEADER: In the days when Jesus was in the flesh, he offered prayers and
supplications with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save him
from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son, though he was,
he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, and was
declared by God to be high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
(Hebrews 5:7-10)

REFLECTION
LEADER: An excerpt from the Libellus shows us a good picture of
Dominic's prayer life. Wherever he went he showed himself in word and in
deed to be a man of the Gospel. During the day, no one was more
community-minded or pleasant toward his brothers and associates. During
the night, no one was more persistent in every kind of vigil and
supplication. He seldom spoke unless it was with God, that is in prayer, or
about God; and in this matter, he instructed his brothers. As Christians, we
have been entrusted with God's Word for others. However, Meister Eckhart,
a Dominican mystic, reminds us that "the only word that anyone of us can
preach is the Word that has been born within us, the Word that we have
heard and received in the depths of our being. The only word that we can
preach is therefore the Word that has found a home within us because we
have welcomed it, pondered it, and contemplated it in the silence of our
hearts. This realization encourages us to attend to the contemplative
dimension of our lives as preachers: the dimension that roots us in the deep
places of God and of ourselves in God and opens us to receive God's Word.
The Word that Dominic, prophetic preacher, proclaimed was the Word he
received during his long nights of prayer. How is my prayer life? Is my
apostolic life an outflow of my prayer life? Is the Word I proclaim born out
of my reflection and prayer?

PRAYER FOR THE THIRD DAY

ALL: O Blessed St. Dominic, whose apostolic zeal flowed from a life
grounded in prayer and contemplation, obtain for us the grace to allow
God's Word to take root in us that we may always preach courageously in
season and out of season. Pray for us that in spite of the overwhelming
busyness and clutteredness of our lives, we may discover our own rhythm
of prayer and find a home in God's Word. (A moment of silence)
LEADER: In silence let us now offer to God the personal petitions we wish
to obtain through the intercession of St. Dominic.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)

FINAL PRAYER (page 43)

 Fourth Day
Theme:
EVANGELICAL LIFESTYLE

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING AND REFLECTION FOR THE FOURTH DAY

LEADER: Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "as you
go, make this proclamation: The Kingdom is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the
dead, cleanse lepers and drive out demons. Without cost you have received,
without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your
belts, no sacks for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking
stick. Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves: so be
shrewd as serpents and as simple as doves. Do not worry about how you
are to speak or what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the
Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (Matthew 10:5, 7-10,16,19-20)
REFLECTION
LEADER: Taking Jesus as he is presented in the Gospels as model, we find
that an evangelical lifestyle has three essential dimensions: (1) life of
simplicity, (2) of compassion, and (3) of availability. Let us reflect on these
three dimensions: (1) When we speak about a life of simplicity, we have in
mind a life uncluttered by superfluous trapping of any kind. When Dominic
decided to stay in France and devote his life to preaching the Gospel, he
realized very quickly that the reason the Cistercian abbots who have been
working in the area for some time had made no headway, was because of
their affluent way of living. Jordan of Saxony tells us that these abbots had
an "enormous supply of provisions, horses and clothing." This was a source
of scandal to the local people who saw in contrast how simply the
Albigensian heretics lived. One of Dominic's first actions, therefore, was to
rid himself of his horses and other unnecessary possessions so that he could
live poorly. From that time on, evangelical poverty has been intimately
connected with evangelical preaching in the Dominican understanding of
mission. Our poverty is for the sake of preaching and is never an end in
itself. We all know how baggage can weigh us down and impede us from
moving from place to place. Lack of unnecessary baggage must therefore be
a characteristic of a preacher. St. Thomas has described the life of a preacher
as life in which everything is abandoned to go through the whole world
announcing and preaching the Gospel. (2) The second characteristic of Jesus'
life praxis which we are asked to incorporate into our own lives as
preachers of the Gospel is compassion for all who suffer. Dominic had that
compassion. We are told that he was always joyful, his face always happy
and radiant, except when he encountered any kind of suffering. Then his
face would suddenly become sad and his tears would flow. Indeed, many
biographers single out compassion as the quality which most characterized
Dominic. Because of this, his tasks as well as ours are often described in
terms of preaching, a Gospel of mercy. (3) Thirdly, an evangelical way of
living, in imitation of Jesus, is characterized by an attitude of availability
towards others. It is making oneself available to answer whatever calls of
need one hears, as soon as they are heard and wherever they are heard.
PRAYER FOR THE FOURTH DAY
ALL: O glorious St. Dominic, who inspired us by a life of simplicity,
compassion, and availability, pray that we may have the courage to let go of
things that possess us and tie us down. May we become free to be Jesus'
disciples in our own vocation. May this freedom lead us to seek out those
whose cries we hear and be willing to walk with them in compassion and in
solidarity. (A moment of silence) LEADER: In silence let us now offer to
God the personal petitions we wish to obtain through the intercession of St.
Dominic.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)
FINAL PRAYER (page 43)
 Fifth Day
Theme:
COMMUNITY LIFE ACT OF CONTRITION

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING AND REFLECTION FOR THE FIFTH DAY

LEADER: They devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to
the communal life, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers. Awe
came upon everyone and many wonders and signs were done through the
Apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common;
they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all
according to each one's need. Everyday they devoted themselves to meeting
together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate
their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and
enjoying favor with all the people. And everyday the Lord added to their
number those who were being saved. (Acts of the Apostles 2: 42–47)

REFLECTION
LEADER:Dominic combined Apostolic Mission and Apostolic Communion
in his Order. He realized neither could have meaning nor survive without
the other. These two elements are present in the Gospel and Acts, for in St.
Mark, one finds the text about Jesus sending the apostles out two by two to
proclaim the Kingdom, while in Acts, a description of the community
having all in common and giving testimony to the Resurrection, is found.
The Oakland General Chapter 1989 reaffirmed the values of community life.
We are called to form one nited fraternity in Christ, Christ sharing the same
attitudes of mind and heart, the same hopes and plans and the same
mission. We are not a community primarily because we live together and
do things in common, however important community structures may be.
We are a community of prayer gathered around the table of the Word of
God and the table of the Eucharist. Breaking the Bread of God’s Word and
the Bread of the Eucharist together brings us to have one mind and one
heart in Christ and impels us to be actively involved in the life-situation of
our people. Do I believe that a strong community life is the foundation of an
effective prayer life and apostolate? Am I capable of building a community?
How can I help build my present community? In what ways am I
responsible in destroying my community?

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY

O God, who raised up the world through the passion, death and
resurrection of your Son, grant that we who are gathered today in honor of
St. Dominic, may humble ourselves, renounce the things of this world and
die to the pomps and vanities of life.
ALL: Send us your Holy Spirit, that we may all be one in truth and be one in
love, so that like St. Dominic, your faithful servant, we may be living
witnesses of your goodness, truth and love in a society fragmented by
divisive conflicts and afflicted with widespread poverty. Help us, St.
Dominic, to seek always the glory of God, to direct all our affections, desires
and efforts in proclaiming the kingdom of God through our words, deeds
and lives. Help us to inculturate the Gospel values as you did and as the
many other Dominican saints did during their times. Be with us in our
journey and always lead us to Jesus who is our Truth, our Way and our
Life. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE FIFTH DAY

O Blessed St. Dominic who saw the need to form a community of disciples
of Jesus to effectively respond to the needs of the Church, assist us in our
desire and endeavor to build our community, our family, our
neighborhood, our parish. Lead us to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that
we may learn from the Trinitarian community to be of one mind and one
heart, to be generous with our gifs, to be loving and forgiving, to be patient
and preserving.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)

FINAL PRAYER (page 43)

 Sixth Day
Theme:
LOVE OF GOD’S WORD

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING AND REFLECTION FOR THE SIXTH DAY

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word
was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through
him, and without him, nothing came to be. What came to be through him
was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. He was in the world, and
the world came to be through him but the world did not know him. He
came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to
those who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God, to
those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation
nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word
became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the
glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1- 5,10-14)

Reflection
Dominic was a man of the Gospel in word and in deed. He had only one
passion: to know and to experience the Word of God in truth and from this
experience to announce the compassion of God to men and women. The
Word of God who became man in the womb of Mary now takes flesh in us,
a Word contemplated, celebrated in joy, studied attentively, lived in
community and announced as Good News. Dominic was the heart of the
Church in the service of the world. He was sensitive to the Word spoken in
the heart of every man and woman, especially those who were enclosed in
misery and need. We share in that charism and his prophetic vision
proclaiming the Word that the Lord puts into our hearts.

PRAYER FOR THE SIXTH DAY

O glorious St. Dominic whose center of life was God’s Word and whose
apostolic fervor grew out of the Word encountered in silence and in the
cries of those in need, help us to focus our lives in Jesus who is the Word
made flesh for our redemption. In a world where there is a weakening of
our sense of the importance of words, let us be a sign where words we
speak can offer life and build community.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)

FINAL PRAYER (page 43)

 Seventh Day
Theme:
DEVOTION TO MARY

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING AND REFLECTION FOR THE SEVENTH DAY

For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of
God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but
because of the one who subjected it in hope that creation itself would be set
free from slavery and corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the
children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even
until now, not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the
Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the
redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. (Romans 3:19-24)
REFLECTION
Jesus means to say that Mary is closer to him and more his mother for
having believed and fulfilled the Word of God than having borne him
physically. In the Kingdom of God, it is a matter of love expressed in life
through work and service, a love that has its sources and strength in God, in
Jesus Christ. It is a matter of a love that gives life and offers one’s personal
life for the beloved. Dominic’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary flowed
from his devotion to the Word of God, Jesus. Dominic took Mary not only
as a mother but also as a model of discipleship: one who heard the Word of
God and acted on it. In Mary’s womb, the Word of God was conceived and
then incarnated to give life to the world... to effect salvation and liberation.
This is Dominic’s ideal: to incarnate Jesus in the world only after conceiving
the Word in one’s mind and one’s heart by welcoming it, pondering and
studying it, celebrating it in joy, and living and announcing it as Good
News in words and deeds and lives. We are told that St. Dominic once had
a vision of heaven, and saw there, before the throne of God, members of the
various religious Orders. But he looked in vain for the sight of a Dominican.
In great distress, he fell at Mary’s feet and asked her what had gone wrong.
In reply, she lifted her great cloak and there was the Dominican Family
sheltered beneath it. This might be taken as a symbol of “gazing at God but
under the shelter of Mary’s cloak.” St. Pope Paul VI in his Marialis Cultus 43
said “Among these people special mention should be made of the sons of
Saint Dominic, by Tradition the guardians and promoters of this very
salutary practice, of praying the Holy Rosary.

PRAYER FOR THE SEVENTH DAY

O Blessed Dominic, devoted to Jesus and Mary, help us so that we may not
ignore the Word of God or reduce it to pure theory. Teach us to listen and to
fulfill the Word with love in work and service worthy of Jesus and Mary.
May our words and deeds and lives once more incarnate Jesus and hence,
become Good News to people.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)
FINAL PRAYER (page 43)
 Eighth Day
Theme:
THE GOODNESS AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING AND REFLECTION FOR THE EIGHTH DAY

For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of
God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but
because of the one who subjected it in hope that creation itself would be set
free from slavery and corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the
children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even
until now, not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the
Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the
redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. (Romans 3:19-24)

REFLECTION
The Albigensian heresy prevailed during the time of Dominic. This heresy
denied the goodness of matter and creation and rejected the mystery of the
Incarnation, which is God becoming man, God becoming one with his
creatures. Those who upheld this heresy believed that matter is evil while
the spirit is good. Dominic rejected this heresy. In his teaching and
preaching, he proclaimed the goodness of creation, and its sacredness. He
saw in the Incarnation the meeting of God and the world, the divine and the
creature, matter, and spirit. He saw the oneness and relationship of human
beings with God, with his fellowmen, and with all creation. He realized, like
St. Paul that we are a piece with all creation. How do we look at creation?
Do we take care of it? Are we aware that in destroying nature, we destroy
ourselves in the process? What positive steps do we take in the face of the
exploitation and destruction of the earth?

PRAYER FOR THE EIGHTH DAY

O Blessed Dominic, who saw the reflection of God’s goodness in creation,
help us to be aware of God’s loving presence in this world. Pray for us that
we may become worthy stewards of this earth and bring us to believe in
God’s healing and providential care in a world where production and
industrialization seem to disrupt the beauty of this world. Help us to open
our minds and our hearts to the Holy Spirit that we may learn to nurture
than destroy our planet.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)
FINAL PRAYER (page 43)
 Ninth Day
Theme:
JOY

ACT OF CONTRITION (page 7)

PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY (page 7)

READING AND REFLECTION FOR THE NINTH DAY

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you
keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my
Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to
you also that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
(John 15: 9-11)

REFLECTION
Jesus reveals to us God’s love so that his joy may become our and that our
joy may become complete. Joy is the experience of knowing that you are
unconditionally loved and that nothing - sickness, failure, emotional
distress, oppression, war, or even death- can take that love away. Joy does
not come from positive predictions about the state of the world. It does not
depend on the ups and downs of the circumstances of our lives. Joy is based
on the spiritual knowledge that, while the world in which we live is
shrouded in darkness, God has overcome the world. Jesus says it loudly
and clearly: “In the world, you will have troubles, but rejoice, I have
overcome the world.” Jordan of Saxony succeeded Dominic as Master of the
Order. He wrote these charming words of his friend “Although I was not
one of the first brethren, I enjoyed his companionship and frequently saw
and intimately knew the blessed Dominic, both outside and within the
Order. I went to him for confession and on his advice accepted the Office of
Deacon. Four years after he established the Order, I received the habit.”
Jordan described Dominic: “His mind always retained its usual calm unless
he was stirred by compassion and mercy. And because a joyful heart begets
a cheerful face, he revealed the peaceful harmony in his soul by his cordial
manner and his pleasant countenance. This cheerfulness is what enabled
him to win everyone’s affection for as soon as they looked upon him, they
were captivated.” William Peyre, a Cistercian abbot, testified that Dominic
bore abuses and curses and insults most patiently and with as much joy as
one would have, receiving a gif or a great service.

PRAYER FOR THE NINTH DAY

O JOYFUL FRIAR, St. Dominic, tolerant Master, grace-filled Preacher,
Gospel Man of Prayer, pray that your sons and daughters may be faithful to
your heritage of common life, common prayer, study of truth, and service.
Pray for all of us that we may not lose heart in the face of all difficulties and
anguishes but rather, at all times we may praise, bless and preach that Jesus
Christ is Lord and that He has overcome the world.
(Pray Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory to the Father)

FINAL PRAYER (page 43)

FINAL PRAYER
ALL: O wonderful hope that you had given at the hour of your death when
you promised to be of more help to us after your death! Father keep your
word and aid us by your prayers.
LEADER: Your sanctity had shone through many signs in the bodies of the
afflicted, bring to us the help of Christ and heal our souls in their illness and
repining.
ALL: Father, keep your word and aid us by your prayers
LEADER: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
ALL: Father, keep your word and aid us by your prayers.
LEADER: Pray for us Blessed Father Dominic.
ALL: That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
LEADER: Let us pray. Lord, let the holiness and teachings of St. Dominic
come to the aid of your Church. May he help us now with his prayers as he
once inspired people by his preaching. We ask this through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, forever and ever. Amen.

13TH CENTURY DOMINICAN BLESSING

May God the Father bless us, May God the Son heal us, May God
the Holy Spirit enlighten us and give us eyes to see with, ears to
hear with, and hands to do the work of God with, feet to walk with,
and a mouth to preach the word of salvation with, and the angel of
peace to watch over us and lead us at last by our Lord’s gift to the
kingdom.
Amen.