Novena

Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive from it great peace and great rewards, even when I confer on you the grace of immolation, of repentance and of love. Then what does suffering matter? It seems impossible to you. Close your eyes and say with all your soul, “Jesus, you take care of it”. Do not be afraid, I will take care of things and you will bless my name by humbling yourself. A thousand prayers cannot equal one single act of surrender, remember this well. There is no novena more effective than this.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Something to consider

What is immolation? “The actual or equivalent destruction of some material object as an act of sacrifice.” (Fr J. Hardon) The term does not always require the death of the offering. It can simply mean “to offer in sacrifice.” How are we to understand the grace of immolation? I believe that it is through God’s grace we can offer daily our very selves, our experiences, both easy and challenging, and any suffering, as a sacrifice to God. It is only through His grace that we can do this. This poem by Sr. Faustina, which begins her diary, is most helpful. When we remain in the present moment trusting in God’s mercy, we receive grace allowing us to be better equipped to surrender to God anything that comes along.

O My God
When I look to the future, I am frightened,
But why plunge into the future?
Only the present moment is precious to me,
As the future may never enter my soul at all.
It is no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to
God.

O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of your omnipotence.

And so, trusting in Your mercy,
I walk through life like a little child,
Offering You each day this heart
Burning with love for Your greater glory.