#The Surrender Novena

[angeltreasure]

No matter what happens, good or bad to me, I accept it is God’s will now. The peace when you surrender and let yourself go to God is nothing I can describe.

[angeltreasure]

Recommended reading:

The Surrender Novena by Father Dolindo Ruotolo.

self-care tip: surrender yourself totally to the will of God

[portraitsofsaints]

Father Dolindo Ruotolo Servant of God  1882-1970 The Surrender Novena Apostle

Father Dolindo Ruotolo was an Italian Roman Catholic priest, miracle worker and prophet, who suffered the wounds of Christ. He was called the “mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit.” He was totally dedicated to Mary, Mother of God and the rosary. He was Padre Pio's spiritual director who called him a saint. His life was one of humiliation and inner pain. Our Lord gave him the “Surrender Novena” “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, You take care of everything.” He offered himself as a victim soul for mankind and was afflicted with many sufferings, including complete paralysis for the last ten years of his life. {website}

[findingrome1]

Happy Advent again!! Here is another post with some thoughts I'd like to share about the season.

So Advent is one of two main fasting seasons of the Western Christianity (I know in the Eastern Christianity it is 3 to 4 depending on the liturgical cycle). For those who are new to the faith, or maybe in turning a leaf to be less lukewarm, committing to a fast can be hard. Especially if food is a maladaptive coping with feelings of stress, sadness or loneliness. But this is why fasting is important as a discipline. Another challenge someone may encounter while fasting is if they live with their family and they are none Catholic when you eat from this maybe a challenge. Something you can do is fast on different days when you do have control over what you eat. If you have trouble with fasting just start off small and work your way from there.

Fasting at its heart is not about the absence of food or another activity, but exchanging an ordinary part of our daily routine for an activity that will deepen our relationship with our God. If fasting is about eating less and avoiding meat on certain days but nothing else changes then you aren't in the spirit of fasting, you are merely falling the letter of the prescribed dietary practice by the Magistrium. You are making the Faith a checklist.

Fasting is best accompanied with a difference in routine as well because it ties the acting of abstaining with an increase in spiritual practice. Here are a few things I intend to do, so feel free to borrow from my example.

Before I was a Catholic I would read the Bible in the year (minus the Deutro Cannon). Now that I am I plan to read the Bible in a year, every year at the start of the liturgical calendar.

Do the daily Gospel readings throughout Advent.

Praying Novenas with the saints through the season.

Going to cemeteries to pray for the dead and sing hymns.

Finally and very important is to remember what Advent is about. It isn't just some count down to Christmas. It is the season where remember how Christ our Lord was born for you. The infinite chose to surrender his power to humble himself and be part of our finite world and participate in it, in the ultimate way: Christ our Lord has died for you. By his death we are allowed us finite to now participate in the life of the infinite. So then now, we keep watch for his second coming for when all things are made new. We don't go to heaven, heaven is coming down to us.

[ave-immaculata]

"And when I must lead you on a path different from the one you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep in their mother’s arms, on the other bank of the river. What troubles you and hurts you immensely are your reason, your thoughts and worry, and your desire at all costs to deal with what afflicts you." (From the Surrender Novena)

[doveloveroftheholyspirit1234]

starting the Surrender Novena today and a lot went wrong tonight, however, I know God is testing me and I’m going to force myself to practice radical trust in God and really trying to see the bigger picture. He knows better than me and trying to judge situations and things by my own understanding comes from pride.

[shareyourloveandhope]

When you lose someone

Hi brothers and sisters

I would love to send you some words that are straight from my heart, full of care and compassion. I would love to remind you that even though in the present it's very hard, and your heart is full of pain, it will be alright in the future. That's why you shouldn't give up. There are people who understand your situation, how you feel and how you are dealing with it. You don't have to keep things bottled up. Being silent and not sharing your experience with others isn't what shows the strength. It's good to share your experience, it's easier together. If you have problems with seeking support in others, you can always repost this post or leave a comment, send a private message in which you describe your problems. I will try to give you some encouraging words and advices, fill you with hope, show you support and surround you with care.

However, don't forget about the One, in Whom you can always put your whole hope and trust — Jesus, Holy Spirit and God. Lord Jesus is the Way. To Him, we can surrender all our cares: the positive and the negative ones. He will always listen to them, give protection to you and your loved ones that is the most powerful. He will take all of your sadness and problems, place them in His Holy Heart, and then show them to our Heavenly Father as His requests. His help will ease your hurt and in the hard times will be closer than ever. He will help every loved one of yours and take care of all the problems, even the ones that seem to be not resolvable. There is a beautiful novena: ”The Surrender Novena: Let Jesus Take Care of Everything". It lets us see how Merciful is God's protection, how great is surrendering our cares to the One Who loves us the most and wants the best for our souls. I recommend you to read it every day and remember that God sees every single tear of ours, is always ready to wipe them. We just have to let Him do this. Even if you aren't ready to give Him everything right away, it's good to pray this prayer and show God how our situation looks like, how we feel about it and ask Him for help, for He values this kind of honesty and the desire to build trust in Him. That's when He can work on the solutions more effectively, show you more of His love, care and hope. So wonderful is Psalm 91. Reading it and having faith in leaving our everything in God's Hands, being safe and believing that He will lead us to His Light brings miracles to our lives. For He is the Good Shepherd Who never leaves His sheep, but seeks them everywhere He goes. Even though you're hurt so much, and it's hard to see that, God is always very close to us in the worst moments. Sometimes we feel how He works in our lives, sometimes He works in a very quiet way that we don't feel His presence, we don't see that He walks beside us. That's because He carries us in the hardest moments and protects us under His Wings, takes care of us in the best way. Our requests that we give Him are in His Holy Heart, that's revealed in a precious way in a prayer ”Infant Jesus of Prague Novena Prayer”.

Even though it's hard, remember that God is with your loved one that you lost is now with Lord Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity is with this someone and this person spends time with The One, Who created him/her with such a great love. If you miss your close one, you can tell God how you feel about it and pray for him/her. I remind you that you have your Heavenly Father — God Almighty — Who is always with you and never leaves you. In Him, you can find your strength, hope, joy and persistence in every moment of your life, for He listens to you during the day and night. Inside your heart, you also have the Holy Spirit, Who was described by Jesus as the Comforter. He will comfort you and give you strength, lead you straight to Heaven and help to get through the sad moments. Keep in your heart the fact that there is always hope that won't extinguish. I wish you the best.

God bless you brothers and sisters. You can leave your prayer requests, I will pray for you.

Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever. Amen.

[stowrice]

Unwavering Faith despite uncertainty

When I was a kid, the familiar story and scenes of Christmas that were always retold centered around how the angel declared to Mary that she would bear our Savior and how Jesus was born in a very lowly condition, receiving three gifts from wise men from the East. This marked Jesus' dwelling with us.

However, what’s striking about the story I used to hear and watch is that the characters most often highlighted were our Blessed Mother and Jesus. What’s also amazing is that throughout the life of Jesus, Mary was the parent who was always present, accompanying Him even at His death on the cross.

Similarly, we Filipinos show our love and devotion to our Blessed Mother. For instance, we are currently celebrating the Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo, a nine-day novena Mass that begins on December 16 (or the evening of December 15) and concludes on December 24, with the Misa de Gallo on Christmas Eve to accompany our Blessed Mother as she carries Jesus in her womb.

And as we continue to journey with our Blessed Mother, on the third day of Misa de Gallo, we hear about another character who was present at the first coming of Jesus. Unlike our Blessed Mother, this character is not mentioned much throughout Scripture, nor is he present during the ministry of Jesus. This character is quite fascinating. Though we have limited knowledge of him and he is not often spoken about, like our Blessed Mother, he is also a significant instrument of how God dwelt among us and became human like us.

In my Christology class last semester with Fr. Arnel Aquino, SJ, part of our outline was to discuss Jesus’ anthropology, particularly His infancy narrative. The infancy narrative in our class was quite similar to the Christmas story I heard when I was a kid. However, what’s quite amazing about the infancy narrative in our class is that we didn’t just highlight our Blessed Mother, but also St. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, whom we only hear about twice in the Synoptic Gospels. We also explored the context of the birth of Jesus and how chaotic the situation was at that time.

Joseph, a quiet yet significant character in Scripture, is portrayed without grand descriptions or fanfare attached to his name. He is known as a carpenter, as Jesus was referred to by the hierarchs as "the Son of the Carpenter." Joseph was a man of unwavering faith who fearlessly obeyed God's plans without question, surrendering everything to follow Him.

What’s striking about Joseph’s story, as reflected in today’s readings, is his profound love for our Blessed Mother and Jesus. Despite being a devout Jew, he embraced Mary’s condition with remarkable courage, knowing she might be seen as an adulterer for bearing a child that was not his. Without confusion or hesitation, Joseph followed God’s plans completely. After receiving the Angel's message in a dream, he abandoned his own plans and devoted himself to caring for Mary and Jesus.

Pope Francis highlights St. Joseph in his apostolic letter Patris Corde, describing him as a father obedient to God. With his fiat, St. Joseph protects Mary and Jesus and teaches his Son to “do the will of the Father.” Called by God to serve the mission of Jesus, he “cooperated… in the great mystery of Redemption,” as St. John Paul II said, and is truly “a minister of salvation.”

St. Joseph embraced God’s will without hesitation or complaint, despite uncertainty and contradictions to his own plans. He was filled with profound love and committed himself to doing what is right and just. For this reason, may today’s readings help prepare and inspire us for the coming of Jesus. Like His earthly father, St. Joseph, may we be willing to follow God’s plans over our own and be courageous enough to serve our brothers and sisters in great need.

[martinwilliammichael]

Consecration at any age, a sure step toward heaven

Each of us is called to holiness. Each of us has a unique vocation … or combination of vocations.  A special purpose according to God’s design. 

Several years ago, I consecrated myself to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. By doing this, I consecrated myself to holiness, to discerning God’s will for me and allowing our Mother to use me as she knows best. I renew that consecration annually to remind myself of my baptismal vows and to reinvigorate my efforts toward fulfilling my purpose.

To clarify, consecration in this sense is not the consecrated life of a brother, monk, sister or nun, but a solemn dedication to holiness and toward bringing others to holiness. And by aligning myself with God’s will, I receive more fully his graces and his protection. 

On the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, my family celebrates with me as I renew my yearly consecration to Jesus through Mary. I feel not only surrounded by Mary’s maternal love and protection, but also lifted up by the prayers and good will of my loved ones. 

When we baptize our children, we are taking the first step toward bringing our children to Christ and the gift of eternal life. We are marking our children as belonging to him. As responsible parents and godparents, we continue that journey with our children, educating them in the faith by our words as well as our actions. While my personal consecration is a good example for young ones, did you know that you can consecrate your children to Jesus as well?

It took me a few years after my own consecration before I realized I could share this astounding gift with my child. Now, I see it as a critical and necessary step that all parents can take.

We cannot protect our children from all the evil in the world … by ourselves, that is. They absolutely need armor for the spiritual battles ahead. We insist they wear seat belts and bike helmets. Of course, they must be consecrated to Jesus as well! 

The Catholic Church asserts that parents have authority over their children, even grown children.

So, you may consecrate your children at any time. It is not necessary to have an elaborate event or even have your children present, but we discussed as a family and prayed a novena together leading up to consecration day. We also arranged for a priest to perform the consecration and repeat this annually with a fitting family celebration.  

As with my own consecration, we are renewing baptismal vows and showing openness to our children being fit instruments in Our Lady’s most capable, beautiful and loving hands, whatever that vocation may be. It is a surrender to God’s design for us. And in return, our children will have not only the seal of the Holy Spirit, but also the full force of divine protection.

Charla Misse, September 4, 2024

www.clarionherald.org

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

[busy-with-little-things]

All Saints' Day Novena: Day 4

Time for my patron saint, Mar Taqla, aka St. Thecla!

Here's an image I painted of her! Do me a favor and don't look at the lion. What did I just say

There isn't very much writing attributed to St. Thecla. She was a friend of St. Paul, and she is called "Equal-to-the-Apostles." The book The Acts of Paul and Thecla is an apocryphal book because it promotes essentially female priesthood, and normally an apocryphal book is an apocryphal book to me, but, like. That's it? Idk I think it's something I'll check out in the future. It's linked below if you are curious.

I relate to St. Thecla in that she is delivered from many trials that would otherwise end in death. I feel like while I am not being persecuted, I get anxiety about my suffering before it even happens. But I've been trying to surrender to God's will before I undergo something, and most of the time, the thing I'm dreading doesn't happen. Not to say that they never will, but rather that I am warmed by the fire without having to step on hot coals. And that must have been something she experienced a lot. Mar Taqla, pray for me not only to be ready to give up comfort but to live in discomfort when I need to.

St. Thecla, pray for us!

[jholie]

The Surrender Novena: Miracles and Healing -Trusting in the Sacred Heart...

[angeltreasure]

Today was so blessed! I originally volunteered for overtime, but since there isn’t much they cancelled. I caught up on some much needed sleep even though I fell asleep with my light on again after Night prayers! 😅

I had enough time to eat breakfast with Morning prayers and headed off to Mass farther away. It was a little Mass again, the priest, me, and four other people. Father prayed for me again, knowing about my vocation. After Mass ended, we spoke concerning details of my vocation that I’ve wanted to tell him in my heart. I wasn’t sure if he would understand the details, but also know that this is the priest that is so kind to me. In fact, it was if the Holy Spirit had been speaking to his own heart, so he asked the very question I was holding in mine about a concern I had! I explained my situation and he in fact, understood! He gave an answer and asked if there was anything I would need at the moment. I asked to teach me about this certain saint, so he offered me a book!! (I’ll return it when I’m down.) I met another person of the parish as Father went to get the book, but they didn’t stay long. That surprised me because of how I used to feel here but now I keep meeting people! I was alone with Jesus for a few minutes before Father returned with the book.

He started to put things away as it was my time to go, but that’s when I gathered the courage to ask him about being my spiritual director. I explained I was given this advice by a few people, but know well that priests are so busy and that I would understand if he would say no, and if there would be anyone he knew who could especially for this particular detail of differences in Rite… He said yes!!! I thanked him and we spoke for a little then it was my time to go so he could lock the little church.

We said goodbyes and I headed to the shrine. I often forget how hot it gets here in the desert so I didn’t stay long. I drove, got a coffee, and drove for a bit without any destination, just to enjoy the scenery and hymns. The drive was so busy and had construction, so I wanted to drive home. Of course, there is a perpetual adoration chapel closer to home!

When I came I have never seen so many people for Adoration! Perhaps 12 people with me. That was such a a joy to see, but then spontaneously, a women in the middle handed out papers to pray the 3 o’clock hour Divine Mercy Chaplet!!! My favorite Chaplet… I never had anyone do such a thing during a little chapel. After that was done, I remembered at the ending of The Sound of Freedom that Jim said now it’s our turn to pass the torch and explain the reality of child human trafficking. My mind immediately came up with a personal Chaplet. It’s basically modeled after the Divine Mercy Chaplet, but it changes one line. Instead of, For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world—- I came up with For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on children and their captives. (I also made a second alternative For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on children and their abusers.) it came out of no where! I’m going to pray it with Mom tonight when she gets home. We have a video about angels to watch.

Wow! And the night isn’t even over yet. God, what else do You have for me?

[themeditativechristian]

Anchored in Faith | Prayer to Calm the Storm Within | Meditative Christian

Anchored in Faith | Prayer to Calm the Storm Within | Meditative Christian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEzJR7ZPnDo Comment Amen if you believe in the power of prayer. Join us in prayer for starting your day or finding a moment of calm during stressful times, this video will help God's peace anchor your soul and quiet your mind. This 10-minute guided prayer and meditation experience designed to help you find peace in the midst of life's challenges. Join us as we explore Scripture readings on God's promise of peace, engage in reflective prayer to release worries and fears, participate in a guided meditation visualizing Jesus calming the storms in your life, and close with a prayer and daily affirmation. #meditativechristian #christ #christian #prayer #laborday #christianprayer #blessedlife #gratitude #Novena #HolySpirit #Christian #Prayer #Surrender #godsmasterplan ✅ LIKE! 👍 Hit the 👍❤️ button to show your love! ✅ COMMENT! Leave a 💬 comment below to share your thoughts or petitions. ✅ SHARE! Share this video with a friend by ➡️ clicking the share button. ✅ SUBSCRIBE! 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@TheMeditativeChristian ✅ TURN ON THE NOTIFICATION BELL! 🔔 To be notified when we upload new videos. Anchored in Peace | A Prayer for Calm throught the Storm | Meditative Christian ✅ Stay Connected With Us. 👉Instagram: https://ift.tt/0ueAniP 👉TikTok: https://ift.tt/bU05FGz 👉Pinterest: https://ift.tt/mgu8bZe ============================= ✅ Other Videos You Might Be Interested In Watching: 👉 Christian Prayer for Peace Within & Without | The Meditative Christian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWysgPvi70o 👉 CRUSH ENVY with Divine Power! | Anointed Prayer for Ultimate Victory | The Meditative Christian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qofdepsxim8 👉 Powerful Prayer for Inner Healing | Finding Wholeness in God's Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_9L-8oE114&t=39s via The Meditative Christian https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8AlRRXj40XFI0U-FUh3Ldg June 28, 2024 at 08:00PM

[portraitsofsaints]

Father Dolindo Ruotolo

He promoted the “Surrender Novena” “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, You take care of everything.”

Father Dolindo Ruotolo was an Italian Roman Catholic priest, miracle worker and prophet, who suffered the wounds of Christ. He was called the “mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit.” He was totally dedicated to Mary, Mother of God and the rosary. He was Padre Pio's spiritual director who called him a saint. His life was one of humiliation and inner pain. Our Lord gave him the “Surrender Novena” “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, You take care of everything.” He offered himself as a victim soul for mankind and was afflicted with many sufferings, including complete paralysis for the last ten years of his life.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase. (website)

[lalarose216]

“I perform miracles in proportion to your surrender to me. No person of reason, no thinker, has ever performed miracles, not even among the saints. He does divine works whosoever surrenders to God.”

- Jesus to Fr. Don Dolindo Ruotolo in the Surrender Novena

[trustfallwithgod]

What surrender looks like

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

What our Lord wants flies in the face of normal human inclination and reason. We can only rise to this level of thinking through the grace of God and the help of the Holy Spirit.

We must let go of our problems, stop worrying and trying to resolve them ourselves. We must believe, trust and allow our Lord to rescue us from ourselves and supply our wants, needs and resolve our problems as only He can.

Jesus, You take care of it, should be the first words that come to mind and flows from our lips. After all, we have tried to do things our way and look where it has got us.

Just do as the prayer says, open our hearts and minds in love and close our eyes in trust and ask Jesus to take care of it. He will.

On November 19, 1970 Don (Fr) Dolindo Ruotolo died at the age of 88. Padre Pio once said of this priest from Naples, Italy, The whole of paradise is in your soul. His name “Dolindo” means “Pain” and his life was rich with this pain. As a child, a teenager, a seminarian and a priest, he experienced humiliation, which was the realization of the prophetic words of a bishop who said You will be a martyr, but in your heart, not with your blood.

In his profound humility, he was able to hear the words of God. Even with his hidden life he was one of the greatest prophets of the last century. He wrote to Bishop Hnilica in 1965 that a new John will rise out of Poland with heroic steps to break the chains beyond the boundaries imposed by the communist tyranny. On this postcard, he wrote words of consolation for Poland and all the countries suffering under the communist regime. This prophecy was realized in the papacy of John Paul II.