NOVENA TO ST.

IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA DAY 1 St Ignatius of Loyola was a brave soldier in the army and he dreamed of a celebrated military career. At the age of 26 in the battlefield at Pamplona an enemy bullet shattered his knee as he recovered in his wealthy family castle at Loyola he read two books, one about Christ and the other about the lives of the saints and began to ask himself If these great saints made big sacrifices for God why can't I do the same?' He came to realize that marvelous divine graces were received when we allowed god to act in our lives. PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Day 2 Devotion to Our Lady St Ignatius of Loyola cultivated a most profound devotion to Our Lady through his life. He walked to the grotto of the Queen of Heaven in Montserrat in Spain and surrender his sword at her feet making an all night vigil of prayer as he prostrated himself in front of her. Under the eye of Mary he retired into a cave in Manresa beside the River Cardoner and wrote his now famous spiritual exercises. When in Rome he also venerated in a special way Our Lady of the road. 'Lord by the example of St Ignatius increase our veneration and love for Mary mother of the church, queen of apostles and missionaries.' PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Day 3 Constructing God's kingdom With the richness of St Ignatius personality and his progression on the path he was becoming a pilgrim of much importance. During this time he was filled with enthusiasm around the figure of Christ ... a presence Ignatius reminds us of constantly in the spiritual exercises ... So that we will love and follow him more' Life is a pilgrimage. We are pilgrims of time on the eternal path. When we return to Christ we never turn our backs on our brothers and sisters. The Kingdom of God becomes our path and we are realising our belonging to God's great plans for us. PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Day 4 The better glory of God 'I am the way the truth and the life' said Jesus Ignatius one day discovered the way and followed it generously. He saw the truth and embraced it without fear. And his life took another route ............a new direction. He was always searching for the better glory of god. Ignatius founded the company of Jesus, a religious missionary order whose wish was for the church to serve Jesus mission with faith and the promotion of justice for all. He felt the impulse to change inside and to secure Jesus closer to his heart. Now the question arose that filled his deeds, thoughts and actions 'What have I done, am I doing and what can I do for Christ?' Spreading the gospel, making Jesus more known and loved, serving our brothers and sisters without rest and without looking for human rewards ... this was the main idea of St Ignatius and the Jesuits. He was a man of God but always had his feet firming planted on the ground. PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA DAY 5 Imagination in Prayer

Ignatius would never have thought of himself as a highly educated intellectual. He had an advanced degree from the University of Paris, the finest university in Europe at the time. He was well-acquainted with the ideas of leading philosophers and theologians. He was an excellent analytical thinker. But the mental quality of thought that drove his spiritual life was his remarkable imagination. His imagination played a central role in his conversion. Through his many years of directing others he discovered how useful the imagination could be in fostering a deeper relationship with God. - David Fleming, SJ

PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Day 6 New Pentecost After presenting the church with an instrument of communion and liberation the bishops of Latin America remind us'... This is the time of Mary ... time of the new Pentecost. Holy Mary Patron saint of Brazil and Latin America help us to remain equanimous in work and prayer, placing faith and life in the way of the gospel. Following in the teachings of Ignatius we pray as all depends on god and act as all depends on us. PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Day 7 The Gospel of love Speaking about the Jesuits in Rome, Joao Paulo II reminds us ' among all this debris where hate and violence are planted we need to construct a civilisation based on the heart of Jesus' In this day and age where our spiritual paths are inactive it is a good time to reactivate the spiritual exercises of Ignatius so as to have a fundamental knowledge of Jesus Christ, his love for us and his actions. In a phrase of Ignatius 'nobody will know what God does for us if we keep setting up obstacles to receive his Grace' PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Day 8 Options for helping the poor As an example for children, for young people and simple folk, protector of the humble and the abandoned, St Ignatius wants every human to know the face of Jesus. Working his whole life for the betterment of the disenfranchised Ignatius revitalises the message of Isaiah ' The lord sent me to give good news to the poor, cure the broken hearted, free all those oppressed, and console all those afflicted. PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA Day 9 The Will of God We know of the hardship of Jesus' life. His hidden life and his public life, always searching for his father's will and obeying his redeeming mission. As we learn to surrender to the divine power through the prayer of saint Ignatius of Loyola. Lord Jesus Christ, take & receive all my freedom, my memory, my understanding and my will. All that I have and cherish, you have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by your will. Your grace and your wealth and your love are enough for me. Give me these lord Jesus Christ and I ask for nothing more... Amen PRAYER Lord support us with your power and protection as we accept our commitment to your gospel. We walk with our brothers and sisters along this path, consciously making the world more just, fraternal and Christian as we all play our parts however small in this divine work. With the blessing of our lady and the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola allow us this grace as we humbly ask for it this moment (make a petition here) for the love of Christ our Lord. Amen

(http://www.friendsofthecasa.info/index.php?page=article-2009-novena)