A Novena

for Brother Mark Thelen, LC

in joyful anticipation of his Diaconate Ordination

A novena is a special form of prayer, where on nine successive days, a prayer is said for some special occasion or intention. The practice of saying novenas is scripturally based, modeled after the nine days of consecutive prayer that the apostles, Blessed Mother, and other followers of Jesus prayed together in the upper room between Jesus ascension into heaven and the decent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Prayed in communion with the saints, novenas often petition the intercession of specially selected saints (our exemplary role models in faithful living). Let us pray together, with the angels and saints, for Br. Mark at this very special time in his life . . . . . as he is called by the Church to the Order of Deacons, through the imposition of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit.

NOVENA --- JUNE 21-30, 2012

Day 1: Thursday, June 21, 2012 feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

St. Charles Borromeo and St. John Vianney

With special focus on the priestly heart Holy Saint Charles Borromeo, the patron of seminarians, your calling came at a turbulent time of disunity in the Church. When a strong voice was needed to purify the Church and strengthen the morality of the clergy, you answered Gods call boldly, risking your life to those who wanted to kill you for your stalwart stance and example. In such treacherous times you resolutely heralded the Gospel of Christ, founded seminaries for the education of priests, set a standard catechism of our faith, and broke accepted practice of your day by residing in your diocese. Among the people you were called to bishop, you reformed the Catholic education of children, and spoke prayers of comfort and absolution to plague stricken citizens of Milan. Holy St. John Vianney, patron saint of priests, on your journey to the priesthood, you encountered many obstacles, but you realized that to suffer was to suffer with Christ, so you lovingly embraced your cross. Your motto for life became loving while suffering and suffering in order to love. You were totally devoted to the service of Gods people, especially evidenced by your tireless dedication to the confessional, at which you spent entire days. St. Charles Borromeo and Saint John Vianney, you know the needs of this young seminarian. Pray for Brother Mark that he may become a worthy representative of Christ, devoted to prayer and penance. Pray that he may, like you, become an example of humility, diligence, charity, and holiness who remains always devoted to Jesus in the Eucharist and Mary His mother. Intercede for Brother Mark before the Lord that he may follow the will of God with the same priestly heart and zeal you demonstrated. Prayerfully intercede for him on the day of his ordination as he receives the Gospel of Christ, and ask God to make him a strong herald and devoted reader of the Gospel, to believe what he reads, to teach what he believes, and practice what he teaches. St. Aloysious Gonzaga, patron of youth and students whose feast we celebrate this day, I implore your intercession for this young man soon to be ordained a deacon. You who aspired to be a priest, received your First Communion from Cardinal Charles Borromeo and later were ordained a deacon. Before becoming a priest, you gave your life assisting those afflicted with the plague. St. Aloysius, pray for Br. Mark as he desires to give his life in service of the Church. Amen.

Recitation of the Rosary: The Luminous Mysteries Memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

Day 2: Friday, June 22, 2012

St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More

With special focus on the virtue of courage of conviction St. John and St. Thomas, today is your feast day because it is the anniversary of your heavenly birth. You were convicted of treason for denying that King Henry VIII was the Supreme Head of the Church and were ultimately martyred for upholding truth and the teachings of the Church. St. John, you were a theologian, famous for your writings, becoming a bishop and then a Cardinal. Your refutation of Luther was much used at the Council of Trent and important were your writings on the defense of the Sacraments, especially the priesthood and the Real Presence, as well as the unity of the Church under the Pope. St. Thomas you were a supreme diplomat and counselor as well as a family man who did not compromise his own moral values in order to please others, even those in authority over them. You understood that true allegiance to authority is not blind acceptance of everything that authority wants. Your stand for the unity of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, for the sacrament of marriage, and for the freedom of the formed and informed conscience brings courage to those who must stand up against political tyranny in all ages. The trials were political, but your resistance was spiritual. We pray for Brother Mark through the intercession of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More that he will serve as a deacon and priest with wisdom, justice, and truth, tempered with clemency. May he be dedicated to studying the truths of the Catholic faith and the formation of the conscience and transmitting that to those under his care. May he be filled with courage to proclaim the truth when convenient and not. St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More pray for us.

Recitation of the Rosary: The Sorrowful Mysteries

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

Day 3: Saturday, June 23, 2012

Blessed Virgin Mary

With a special focus on love for Mary

Brother Mark, we place you in the arms of The Sorrowful Mother on whose feast you were born. May you grow in your love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and entrust your vocation and efforts to her maternal heart -- Mary, you silently accompanied Jesus on his mission to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. Accompany Brother Mark as he cares for the sick, the weak, the poor and sinners. Be with him as he goes about administering the sacraments and bringing comfort, consolation and courage to those who are suffering under the weight of the Cross. Help Brother Mark to abandon himself to the will of God. Mary, you stayed at the foot of the cross, accompanying your son in his great agony. You suffered with Christ, pondering these mysteries in your heart. May Brother Mark experience your love and compassion in times of sorrow and pain, loneliness and rejection, weariness and humiliation, unjust condemnation and persecution. Give him the joy of your consolation, resting in your maternal arms. Mary, you are the mother of priests, may he grow in his love for you. Look with tenderness upon Brother Mark and keep him close to your Immaculate Heart.

Recitation of the Rosary: The Luminous Mysteries

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

Day 4: Sunday, June 24, 2012

St. John the Baptist and St. Stephen

With special focus on the virtue of humility St. John the Baptist, you inaugurated the Gospel as you leapt in your mothers womb. Prophet surpassing all other prophets, in complete humility you heralded our Holy Redeemer. Baptizing by water and preaching repentance, you prepared the way of our Lord to a world waiting in darkness. St. Stephen, consecrated by Peter as one of the first deacons of the Church, you became an example of total Christian devotion and forgiveness when you laid down your life in love for Christ, forgiving your persecutors with your last breaths. Saints John the Baptist and Stephen, holy saints and martyrs of highest virtue, I ask for your most ardent intercession today for this young seminarian who will soon serve the Church by proclaiming the Word of God, preaching repentance and forgiveness, and baptizing in the name of Jesus Christ. Pray that Brother Mark humbly take up this calling to which God bids him, depending totally in trust in His Lord. May he always fully live out his baptismal promises, and follow your holy examples as a strong voice proclaiming Christs love and mercy to our hurting and broken world. Intercede before Our Lord for Brother Mark and ask that he be stirred with a bold faith and always serve God and others without fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days of his life. May he be quick to forgive those who cause him any pain or suffering along the way. Pray that the Holy Spirit descend upon him and remain with him, so that he may humbly declare about His Lord and Savior, He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3: 30) Amen.

Recitation of the Rosary: The Glorious Mysteries

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

Day 5: Monday, June 25, 2012

St. Mark and Brian (St. Edmund Arrowsmith)

with a special focus on gospel charity (sharing the love of Christ) Ss. Mark the Evangelist and Brian, namesakes of Brother Mark, I implore your intercession today for this young man soon to be ordained a deacon. St. Mark, you knew and experienced Christ in a deeply personal way, being one of the seventy disciples sent ahead of Jesus to the places he intended to visit. You were sent by God to proclaim the Good News and later became the founder of the Church of Alexandria, one of the original four main episcopal sees of Christianity. You also set down the teachings of St. Peter in the second Gospel, a record of the life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of the Prince of the Apostles. St. Brian (Edmund Arrowsmith) was an eldest child. His family was constantly harassed for their adherence to Roman Catholicism. Brian discerned a vocation to the priesthood, enduring many difficulties, and when he was twenty, entered the seminary. There he received the sacrament of Confirmation, taking the name Edmund in honor of martyr Edmund Campion and that was the name he used for the rest of his life. After ordination he ministered to Catholics in England for about ten years when he was arrested and convicted of being a Roman Catholic priest in England. He was sentenced to death. Saint Mark and St. Edmund we ask your intercession for Brother Mark. Inspire him with zeal for the Gospel. May his feet bring the good news to those who will hear it. May his love for Christ flow through his hands and heart that all might believe. Pray, as deacon and priest, he live a saintly life, steeped in the virtue of charity and Christ-centeredness, which is the heart of Legionary spirituality. Help him guide others to do the same, day in and day out, in little ways. He said to them, Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. Mark 16:15

Recitation of the Rosary: The Joyful Mysteries

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

Day 6: Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

With special focus on the Eucharist and intimacy with Christ The month of June is dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Blessed John Paul II established that on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart the Church observe the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. We ask each and every one of the faithful to pray with us: Lord, Jesus Christ, eternal High Priest, you offered yourself to the Father on the altar of the Cross and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave your priestly people a share in your redeeming sacrifice. Hear our prayer for the sanctification of our priests. Grant that all who are ordained to the ministerial priesthood may be ever more conformed to you, the divine Master. May they preach the Gospel with pure heart and clear conscience. Let them be shepherds according to your own Heart, single-minded in service to you and to the Church and shining examples of a holy, simple and joyful life. Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother and ours, draw all priests and the flocks entrusted to their care to the fullness of eternal life where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus we thank you for revealing your love to us in the Eucharist. We thank you that You have become food for our souls, a hidden companion at all times. At communion especially we become part of You and You part of us. May Brother Mark be transformed into your likeness, especially when his anointed hands will consecrate the bread and wine to the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. May this intimate union extend from and beyond the Mass so that, even when He is not consecrating the Host in his hands, he may interiorly be present to You and seek Your will at all times. May Brother Mark always turn to the Eucharist for the grace he needs to live a life faithful to his calling. Strengthen his faith and love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. May this union of love create such an intense desire to be loved by You, and to love and sacrifice for others that as a priest, he victimizes himself to become in persona Christi. May he minister to the souls entrusted to him on the day of his ordination, feeding them with the bread of eternal life. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, enclose Brother Mark in Your Heart. May he rest in you and may Your Heart become his heart!

Recitation of the Rosary: The Sorrowful Mysteries

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

Day 7: Wednesday, June 27, 2012

St. Dominic Savio

With special focus on the virtues of purity and chastity Saint Dominic Savio, Confirmation saint of Brother Mark, you are the youngest non-martyr to be canonized, the only saint of this age to be declared a saint for displaying heroic virtue in your everyday life. You bravely struggled to keep your innocence from Baptism to the end of your life. Having been permitted to make your Holy Communion at an early age, you had a great reverence for the Eucharist, making resolutions that you wrote down and observed for the rest of your life. Your desire to be a priest led you to the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales and the guidance of John Bosco. St. John held you in high regard and there are many accounts by chaplains and superiors of your sanctity and concern for the spiritual well-being of others. You had a great desire to become a saint which was intensified when you learned that your name meant belonging to God. You were discouraged from performing physical penances because of the effect on your health, but you lived your life of study, religious practices and recreation with customary cheerfulness, grasping with sincerity the goal of winning souls for Christ. Saint Dominic pray for Brother Mark. May your example of piety, chastity, and selfless devotion to Christ, renew Brother Mark for the consecration he is about to take, and lead him to holy paths of ever deepening devotion to Christ and the Church. As he espouses himself wholly in body, soul, and feelings to Christ, as a bridegroom does unto his bride, like Gods relationship with Israel, join in asking God our Heavenly Father that Brother Mark ever exalt the beauty of consecrated chastity and celibacy. Pray he begets spiritual life and nourishment for Gods people through his ongoing offering of self to Christ, by practicing in all his actions the true hallmarks of Christian love faithfulness, fruitfulness, and totality. Pray along with me today that Brother Mark remain ever pure of heart, and that God renew a steadfast spirit within him daily as he is called to serve humbly, devoutly, and devotedly as a celibate minister of the Word, of the altar, and of charity. Amen.

Recitation of the Rosary: The Glorious Mysteries

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

Day 8: Thursday, June 28, 2012

St. Joseph and St. Michael the Archangel

With special focus on the virtue of obedience Holy St. Joseph, Carpenter of Nazareth, Guardian of the Redeemer, Protector of Our Ladys Good Name, Patron Saint of the Universal Church and of working men, you were a holy and righteous man. Angels visited you, the Christ Child watched and learned from you, and Mary depended upon you to provide for and protect the Holy Family. You were completely obedient to whatever God asked of you, without ever knowing where your obedient acts would take you or what the outcomes of your obedience would be. Your role in the plan of redemption allowed Jesus to lovingly refer to Himself as the Son of Man. Upon your death, Mary and Jesus must have been very close by, which is the way we also faithfully desire to leave this world at the hour of our own death. O Foster Father of Jesus, I implore your holy intercessions for Brother Mark. Guard him and pray that he follow your highest examples of devoted obedience to the call of Our Father in Heaven, even when he is uncertain where his obedience will take him or what the outcome will be. Implore God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to pour down upon Brother Mark the special graces needed to stalwartly protect and defend the Church and all its faithful from the many influences in the world today that close the Gospel to so many children of God. Ask he be blessed with grace to guide families to holiness and dying individuals to a peaceful death where the sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary are ever present. And St. Michael the Archangel, messenger of God, you carry out missions at Gods command. Upon you mankind depends -- to save us from the powers of Satan and all his evil works in this world. God has commanded you and all the angels to guard us in all our ways. Angel-Prince of Heavenly Hosts, we pray as Br Mark renews his consecration by ordination in service to the Church, that he put on the whole armor of God, that he may be able to withstand the wiles of the devil . . . girding his loins with truth . . . putting on the breastplate of righteousness . . . shodding his feet with the the gospel of peace, and above all, taking the shield of faith. (Eph. 6:11-16) Amen.

Recitation of the Rosary: Luminous Mysteries

Remember, O most chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any who implored your help and sought your intercession were left unassisted. Full of confidence in your power, I fly unto you, and beg your protection. Despise not, O foster-father of the Redeemer, my humble supplication but in your bounty hear and answer me. Amen.
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

Memorare to St. Joseph

Day 9: Friday, June 29, 2012

St. Peter, St. Paul, and Blessed John Paul II

With a special focus on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit Holy Saints Peter and Paul, on this the solemnity of your martyrdom, I ask your special intercession for a young man called to become a faithful servant in the unbroken apostolic succession of the Church which you first built. Peter, an unschooled and impetuous fisherman called directly by Jesus, and Paul, an educated Roman citizen ardent in persecuting the early Christians until an unexpected and dramatic conversion, you were highly unlikely in the eyes of men to be destined for glory. But, the eyes of God looked upon you with great favor and He blessed you with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Empowered by wisdom, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, understanding. piety and fear of the Lord, you each magnified the Lord, preaching, teaching, converting and healing in the name of Jesus Christ, winning many souls, Jews and Gentiles alike, for the Kingdom of God. As you now look radiantly upon the face of God in His heavenly kingdom, I ask you to join me in my petition to God today that Brother Mark also be refined in the fire of the Lords gaze, and be made holy in all of his ways. Pray he also be imbued with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as he builds up the Kingdom and always boldly declares before all men, without hesitation or denial, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! And Blessed Pope John Paul II, 264th successor to the Chair of Peter, you called your vocation an inner fact of unquestionable and absolute clarity. Pray to Almighty God that Brother Marks vocation be one of absolute clarity as well. Pray he employ his talents, using the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as you did, to extend the Kingdom of Christ in society according to the requirements of Christian justice and charity . . . by reaching out to youth in impactful ways, standing firmly for the sanctity of life, teaching the theology of the body, and encouraging all to open wide the doors to Christ. O Holy Servant to the Servants of God, bid the Holy Spirit to take up His rest within the deep recesses of Brother Marks soul, so that he might live out his vocation with fortitude, by praying without ceasing, fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and exemplifying a life of love for Christ, love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, love for the Church, love for the Pope, and love for souls in such a way that his love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Amen.

Recitation of the Rosary: The Sorrowful Mysteries

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Special Intention: Please also remember in prayer, my sister Rachel and her fianc, Nick, as they will be united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 7, 2012, one week after my deaconate ordination.

June 30, 2012

Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

And Brother Marks Deaconate Ordination Day

All you holy saints and martyrs, pray for us!

But those who persevere to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:4-13