Novena of Grace

The Novena of Grace will take place Online in our Parish from 6th – 14th March this year at 10.00 am Mass 

 Note : Dates change Saturday 6th – Sunday 14th March 2021

Speaker Fr.Barney McGuckian S.J

Bernard J. (“Barney”) McGuckian SJ is an Irish Jesuit priest, currently based in the community at Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare. Since ordination in 1970 his main apostolate has been as Director of the International Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and editor of Pioneer, its monthly magazine.

During 1989-91 Fr. Barney was based in Africa where he was directly involved in the establishment and spiritual direction of the Sisters of Emmanuel, now a thriving religious congregation among the Kikuyu people in Kenya. Over the years his special interest has been Sacred Heart spirituality and he has made several programmes on EWTN about the Sacred Heart. He was appointed Chaplain to the Worldpriest Global Apostolate in November 2019.

Fr Barney has led the Novena of Grace multiple times. In fact, he led us here in St Brigid’s a number of years ago, so he is no stranger to our parish.

Fr. Barney is keen, as far as possible, to have the usual petitions during the Novena. 

However, he is well aware that with covid restrictions, and the work being done on the church, the normal process cannot be followed. 
We suggest the following possibilities:

1. You can write down your petitions on a piece of paper that you keep until the end of the Novena and then dispose of them. These “anonymous” petitions will be prayed for.
2. If you are comfortable doing so, you can email your petitions to [email protected]
3. You can post your petition to the Parish Office or leave them in the post box at the door of the Parish Pastoral Centre (please mark the envelopes “Novena of Grace”). 

Saint Francis Xavier Novena Prayer & Hymn

O most kind and loving saint, in union with you I adore the Divine Majesty. The remembrance of the favours with which God blessed you during life, and of your glory after death, fills me with joy; and I unite with you in offering to God my humble tribute of thanksgiving and of praise.

 I implore of you to secure for me, through your powerful intercession, the all important blessing of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beseech you to obtain the favour I ask in this Novena (here mention the favour to be asked for):

 but if what I ask is not for the glory of God or for the good of my soul, obtain for me what is most conducive to both. 

Amen.

 Concluding Prayer

 O God, who was pleased to gather unto your Church the people of the East by the preaching and miracles of blessed Francis, mercifully grant that we who honour his glorious merits, may also imitate the example of his virtues, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Hymn of St Francis Xavier

 My God, I love Thee, not because

I hope for Heav’n thereby,

Nor yet since they who love Thee not,

Are lost eternally.

E’en so I love Thee, and will love

And in Thy praise will sing:

Solely because Thou art my God

And my eternal King.

Solely because thou art my God 

And my eternal King.

Thou art my God and my eternal King.

Thou. O my Jesus, Thou didst me

Upon the Cross embrace;

For me didst bear the nails and spear

And manifold disgrace.