Devotions from September 20 to 26 2021
This week, during the month traditionally dedicated to the angels, we can pray with many novenas, but also deepen our knowledge of two important figures of our time: Rosario Livatino, beatified last May 9, and Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, one of the most beloved saints!
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Beginning of the novena to the holy archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael
Today begins the novena to the holy archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, whom the Church celebrates on September 29. In the heavenly court, angels are present according to different ranks and dignities. The archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael occupy the highest spheres and are entrusted with preserving the transcendence and mystery of God.
To learn more:
• Prayers with the angels
• Novena and chaplet to Saint Raphael the Archangel
• Novena and chaplet to Saint Gabriel the Archangel
• Novena to Saint Michael the Archangel
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Blessed Rosario Livatino
The first magistrate to be beatified in the history of the Church was a man in love with God, his parents, and justice; he sought the normality of goodness and had made a vow to «always walk under the gaze of the Lord».
Rosario Angelo Livatino, beatified on May 9, 2021, was killed “out of hatred for the faith” by four killers from the “Stidda,” the rebel crime syndicate from the Agrigento area, on September 21, 1990, when he was not yet 38 years old, though he had already been in the judiciary for 12 years. Precisely after meeting Rosario’s parents, on May 9, 1993, at the end of Mass in the Valley of the Temples, Saint John Paul II spoke these words, addressed to the Mafia and later made famous: «Do not kill! No man, no human organization, no Mafia, can change or trample upon this most sacred right of God! Convert! One day God’s judgment will come!».
To learn more:
• Rosario Livatino. The saintly judge
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Beginning of the novena to Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Starting today, it is recommended to pray the novena of roses to Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, to seek her intercession. The saint had promised to spend her time in heaven sending down a shower of graces upon the earth. We entrust to her the situations closest to our hearts.
To learn more:
• Novena of roses to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
«Some saints lived the experience of Jesus intensely and personally. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina was one of them. A simple man of humble origins, “seized by Christ” (cf. Phil 3:12) to make him a chosen instrument of the enduring power of his Cross. The stigmata, which marked his body, united him intimately with the Risen Crucified One. He retained his natural gifts, as well as his temperament, but offered everything to God, who was able to use them freely to extend Christ’s work: proclaiming the Gospel, forgiving sins, and healing the sick in body and spirit. Remaining united with Jesus, he always focused on the depth of the human drama, and for this reason he offered himself and his many sufferings, and knew how to devote himself to caring for and comforting the sick. Padre Pio drew people onto the path of holiness through his own witness, pointing out by his example the “track” that leads to it: prayer and charity. His days were a rosary lived out, that is, a continual meditation on and assimilation of the mysteries of Christ in spiritual union with the Virgin Mary. Everything reached its culmination in the celebration of Holy Mass: there he was fully united with the Lord, who died and rose again. The love he carried in his heart and passed on to others was full of tenderness, always attentive to the real situations of individuals and families. Especially toward the sick and suffering, he nurtured the preference of the Heart of Christ” (Benedict XVI).
To learn more:
• Padre Pio. A thought for every day of the year
• The heart of Padre Pio
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Start of the novena to the holy guardian angels
Today begins the novena to the holy guardian angels. The guardian angel, this friend we cannot see, has a responsibility in our lives that we cannot imagine; he is entrusted with presenting our acts of worship, our resolutions, and our desires for what is good to God; he watches attentively over our lives and, as one sent from heaven, makes God’s desires for us known through good inspirations. Let us love, invoke, and respect our Angel. When we feel sad, let us invoke him, so that he may bring a ray of light and a spark of purest joy into us.
To learn more:
• Novena to the guardian angel
• Prayers with the angels
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Beginning of the novena to Saint Francis of Assisi
Starting today, it is possible to pray the novena to the Saint of Assisi, thus spending nine days of prayer with him and preparing for his feast day on October 4.
To learn more:
• Prayers of Saint Francis and Saint Clare
• Novenas to Saint Francis and Saint Clare
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Saints Cosmas and Damian
They lived between the 3rd and 4th centuries, and devotion to Saints Cosmas and Damian has very ancient origins and is widespread in both the East and the West. Tradition and art have passed down a variety of legends and miracles attributed to the two physician brothers and martyrs. One aspect, however, stands out above all: Cosmas and Damian were called anargyroi, meaning that they treated people free of charge, especially benefiting the poor in soul and body. Through charity and healing, they drew many people to the love of Christ and, during the persecution of Diocletian, they were martyred in Syria together with their younger brothers Anthimus, Leontius, and Euprepius.
To learn more:
• Saints Cosmas and Damian, physicians
This week, so full of blessings, has given us the opportunity to learn about many saints and blesseds and to pray in many different ways. As Saint Pio of Pietrelcina said: «Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is a key that opens the heart of God». Remembering the words of this much-loved saint, let us walk along the path of our spiritual life.
I’ll be waiting for you in the comments on the post!
Have a blessed journey!
