Day: November 25, 2017

NOVENA TO CHRIST KING
in preparation for the Liturgical Feast
of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Written by Prince Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, Archbishop of Krakow

Day Nine
Lord, Thy Kingdom Come

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

1 Corinthians 15:24
Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power.

«Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!».   I am sent by Him, by Christ Himself, to do this. I am an apostle, I am a witness.   The more distant the goal, the more difficult my mission the more pressing is the love that urges me to it.   I must bear witness to His name:  Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. . . . I could never finish speaking about him: he is the light and the truth; indeed, He is  “the way, the truth and the life”.   He is the bread and the spring of living water to satisfy our hunger and our thirst.
Jesus Christ:  You have heard Him spoken of;  indeed the greater part of you are already His:   you are Christians.   So, to you Christians I repeat His name, to everyone I proclaim Him:  Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega;   He is the king of the new world;  He is the secret of history;   He is the key to our destiny…St Pope Paul VI, Homily delivered in Manila, 29 November 1970

Prayer:  God, Father of Mercy!   You, who ceaselessly reaches out to Man, who has lost the path leading him back to You, the Only Lord and Father of all children, may You give him the light to find the path to You. Jesus Christ, Our Lord and King, hath revealed that His Divine Heart is Man’s only secure shelter.   Our Lord and King, we yearn for You and the Virgin Mary to reign in our hearts, in our nation and state. Jesus, through the intercession of Your Mother we implore You, may we come to believe that proclaiming You the Lord and King, will bring only good things.
King full of mercy accept us gathered here as Your subjects.
May You also receive our homage, worship, fidelity and the act of consecration to the King of the Universe.
Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, may you lead us to the complete acceptance and
proclamation of your Son as Lord and King, so that we may realise that the Kingdom of God is true happiness and fulfilment in the earthly life. Amen.

Prayer to Jesus Christ King of the Universe
by Adam Stefan Cardinal Sapieha (1927)

O Jesus, Lord of our hearts and immortal King of centuries, we hereby solemnly swear to You to stand faithfully by Your throne and by You. We swear never to blemish Your standard with unbelief, sectarianism or any other apostasy. We vow to You to persevere in the holy Catholic faith until we die.
May our posterity engrave it on our tombstones that we were never embarrassed because of our faith in You, Jesus the King and Your Gospel.   May You reign in our hearts through grace.   May You reign in our families through family virtues.   May You reign in our schools through genuine Catholic upbringing.
May You reign in our society through justice and concord.   May You reign everywhere, always and forever.   May Your standard be a guide for us all, may Your Kingdom extend to every corner of the earth!  Amen

Let us pray:   Almighty God, the powerful King of all creation, we humbly beseech You to send the hosts of angels for our protection so that we may serve You with devotion, with no hindrance and in peace.   We beseech You through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen