NOVENA TO SAINT THERESA THE LITTLE FLOWER

DAY ONE

O Heavenly Father,

Who in Thine ineffable goodness

didst place in the soul

of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

the precious treasure of sanctifying grace,

and didst grant her ever to keep it

in the midst of earthly dangers,

we pray Thee to grant to us

for our part the happiness

of never losing this inestimable gift

whereby we become Thine adopted children,

the brothers and sisters of Thy Son Jesus,

the temples of the Holy Spirit

and the heirs of Heaven.

Enable us, to this end,

carefully to avoid mortal sin

which would rob us of this grace

more to be desired

than all the wealth of the world,

to fly the occasions of sin,

and to resist temptation.

We implore these graces

through the intercession of the one

who was ever Thy faithful child

and whose memory we venerate.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

who would have preferred to die

rather than lose God’s grace,

vouchsafe to obtain for us

all the help necessary

to avoid the misfortune

of committing mortal sin,

incompatible with this divine grace.

Obtain for us the favours we crave

and implore through you powerful intercession.

Amen.

DAY TWO

O Heavenly Father,

Who to assure our advancement

in the right path dost never cease

to multiply the supernatural means

of help which we need,

and which Thou has divinely poured out

upon Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

we beg of Thee,

through this Saint so dear to Thy Heart,

all the graces of light

and of fortitude necessary or helpful

to fulfill Thine adorable will.

Thy grace ever went

before Saint Theresa

and Thou didst uphold her at each moment,

for Thou didst give to her

both to will and to do,

and without Thee

none can even utter the name of Jesus

whereby we may be saved.

Father, shed abroad in our minds and hearts

those graces won by the merits of our Savior

and which Saint Theresa asks for us.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

upon whom so many divine graces were showered,

we pray you to intercede with our Heavenly Father,

so that through the merits

of our Savior and your merits,

He may vouchsafe to give to our souls

all the graces needful

for the perfect fulfillment of our duty.

Obtain for us the favours we crave and implore

through your powerful intercession.

Amen.

DAY THREE

O Heavenly Father,

Who didst dispose the soul

of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

to ascend by such wonderful steps

and didst make this lovable saint

to rise from virtue to virtue,

aiding her so admirably to practice

humility, simplicity, patience,

confidence, zeal and love,

we beseech Thee to place in our hearts

dispositions like to hers

and to grant us to resemble her,

that we may hence become

conformable to Thy Son Jesus,

our Model and the Divine Example

of Thine adorable perfections.

These virtues are so needful for us,

for without them

we cannot be happy here below;

without them we cannot gain for Thee

the glory that Thou dost look for from us.

Vouchsafe, O Father,

to help us to make these virtues ours.

May Thy numerous graces

joined to our generous efforts,

bring forth, as in Saint Theresa,

true and lasting virtue.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

who to please God ever Wonderfully

grew in virtue each day of your life,

obtain for us to resemble you

and generously to practice those virtues

of which you have left us

such a beautiful example.

Obtain for us the favours we crave

and implore through your powerful intercession.

Amen.

DAY FOUR

O Heavenly Father,

Who in Thine infinite wisdom

dost permit the just to be tried upon earth,

like gold in the furnace,

hereafter to crown them gloriously in Heaven,

we beseech Thee to grant us

through the intercession

of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

all the graces of fortitude

and consolation which we urgently need

in the difficulties we encounter here below.

Thou dost order all things

for the good of those who love Thee,

nothing befalls without Thy permission,

Thou knowest how to draw good out of evil.

May these consoling truths be our support

in the midst of our sorrows.

Sweeten for us all that is bitter

by the unction of Thy grace.

Permit not, O Father,

that impatience shall possess our heart

or murmurs rise to our lips.

Make us understand the providential use of sorrow,

as it was undertook by Saint Theresa

who owned to finding happiness

in the midst of suffering.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

who suffered much here below,

and knew how to find joy in every bitterness,

intercede for us with God

that so He may help us

to bear patiently all our crosses,

and console our hearts saddened

by the trials of earth’s exile.

Obtain for us the favours we crave

and implore through your powerful intercession.

Amen.

DAY FIVE

O Heavenly Father,

Who so loved men that Thou didst give them

Thine Onlybegotten Son

to be their Redeemer upon the Cross,

and Food in the Divine Sacrament of the Altar,

we beseech Thee to grant us,

through the prayers of

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

so inflamed with love

for this Adorable Sacrament

and so eager to receive It,

the grace for our part

to draw near very often to the Holy Table.

Following the example of

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

may we bring to it the best dispositions,

a right intention,

hearts filled with lively faith,

sincere humility,

deep confidence,

ardent charity.

Father, make us truly understand

that this Divine Bread

is no less needful to our soul

than material bread is to our body

and that we cannot abstain from It

without hurt to our soul.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

who so much loved

the Divine Sacrament of the Altar

and so greatly longed to unite yourself to It

through Holy Communion,

obtain for us from God

a love like to yours for this Adorable Sacrament

and a fervent longing often

to receive It in our hearts.

Obtain for us the favours we crave

and implore through your powerful intercession.

Amen

DAY SIX

O Heavenly Father,

Who bestowed upon the Blessed Virgin Mary

the greatest and most precious

graces and privileges,

and called her to become the Mother

of Thy Son Jesus

also giving her to be our Mother,

we beseech Thee through the intercession of

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

ever so faithful to honour this beloved Virgin,

whose radiant countenance

and gracious smile she one day beheld,

to grant us too the inestimable favour

of being the very loving children of this Holy Mother.

We need her maternal mediation,

for this good Mother is the way that leads to Jesus,

and she is the treasurer of all the graces

that our Saviour acquired for us

by shedding of His Precious Blood.

We thank Thee, O Father,

for having given us the Blessed Virgin

to be our Mother,

and our guide along our life’s path,

and we beseech Thee that,

like Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

we may be true imitators of her virtues:

of her perfect humility,

her immaculate purity,

and her ardent love.

We look to her for the greatest succor now

and at the hour of our death.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

who ever manifested a great love

for the One you named the Immaculate Virgin,

and from whom you received so many benefits,

we ask you to obtain for us

the grace to imitate your tender devotion towards her

and to help us to reproduce

her beautiful and admirable virtues

even as you yourself did.

Obtain for us the favours we crave

and implore through your powerful intercession.

Amen.

DAY SEVEN

O Heavenly Father,

Who has bestowed upon us so many benefits

through the intercession of

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

and willest that we should honour

this lovable saint with a special devotion,

we earnestly implore Thee

of Thy fatherly lovingkindness

the grace to be ever faithful in venerating her,

invoking her and imitating her virtues.

It is good for us to pay honour to the Saints.

Thou has placed these blessed Saints

as powerful mediators between ourselves and Thee,

that so Thou mayest bestow upon us

more ready and more abundant aids.

That which our prayer cannot obtain,

theirs will obtain for us.

Thou hast willed that the Saints

should be our models.

They were once what we are;

we can with Thy grace become what they are,

what they have done,

we can do in our turn.

Father, give us a true and lasting devotion

towards Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

a devotion well ordered and constant,

a devotion that will sanctify us

and lead us to Thee

to Whom all the homage we pay

to the Saints returns.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

placed by the Church upon our altars

to be out protectress with God

and model in Christian life,

obtain for us,

we ask of you,

ever to have you in honour,

to venerate you,

to invoke you,

to imitate you

for the greater glory of God

and the greater good of our souls.

Obtain for us the favours we crave

and implore through your powerful intercession.

Amen.

DAY EIGHT

O Heavenly Father,

Who hast created all the good things of earth

for the use of man

and dost measure them out to him

with marvelous bounty,

we beg Thee through the intercession of

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

to give us all those things

of which we have need

for the preservation of our life here below.

Teach us to use these things

with the moderation befitting Christians,

let us not attach our heart to them;

may they serve not to keep us from Thee,

the Only True Good to be desired

and the Giver of all that is good in this world.

Give us, as Thou gavest to Thy faithful handmaid

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

to make a holy use of earthly things

and to make them serve on for Thy Glory.

Father, Who dost feed the birds of the air

and clothe the lilies of the valley,

forsake not the souls of those who trust in Thee.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

who ever used the things of this world

according to the order willed by God,

you who made earthly gifts serve

to merit those that are heavenly,

we ask you to obtain for us

all that is necessary for us

during our life upon earth.

Obtain for us the favours we crave

and implore through your powerful intercession.

Amen.

DAY NINE

O Heavenly Father,

Who hast prepared for us

a glorious reward after the labours of this life,

and hast promised to crown

with honour and glory

those who are faithful to the end in Thy love,

we beseech Thee to grant us

through the intercession of

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

the grace to be faithful to Thy Commandments,

to those of the Holy Church

and to Thy holy inspirations

until the hour of our death.

Father, grant that,

after the example of

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus,

we may not recoil from labours,

that temptations may not

keep us from Thee,

that trials may not

cause us to lose courage.

May neither the world,

nor the devil,

nor our own inclinations

separate us from Thee

to Whom we desire to belong for ever,

as we promised Thee

on the day of our Baptism

and on the day of our First Communion.

Perseverance in grace is a grace,

we beseech Thee to grant it to us,

and in Thy merciful love

not to refuse us the grace of graces,

that of final perseverance

which will unite us to Thee for evermore

and will give us to contemplate

during all Eternity Thine adorable Face.

Father, uphold us in the midst of our combats

until the day when we shall gain the victory,

when Thou Thyself wilt triumph in us.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus

who persevered throughout your life

in exact fidelity to God’s grace,

you who saw your perseverance crowned

on the glorious day of your death,

obtain for us to be fully faithful to God’s law

and never to separate ourselves

from His holy love.

Obtain for us the favours we crave

and implore through your powerful intercession.

Amen.