Novena to St Anthony
HOW TO MAKE THE NOVENA
1. Visit an altar or a picture of the Saint, in a church, if possible, on nine consecutive Tuesdays.
2. Recite the miraculous Responsory and other prayers in honour of St. Anthony.
3. Go for confession and holy Communion on the nine Tuesdays, or at least the first, fifth and last Tuesday.
4. If your means allow it, have one or more Masses offered up in honour of the Saint during the Novena, and give an alm for St. Anthony's Bread for the poor.
5. We must not take St. Anthony's Bread to mean only literally bread.
St. Anthony's Bread means "Charity" in its various forms e.g. alms to help in eradicating slums, disease, hunger, illiteracy, assistance to roofless, destitutes, widows, orphans, warfs, aged, in short, the needy.
NOTE: The devotion may be practised at home before a picture or a statue of Saint Anthony if the devotee is unable to go to church.
THE MIRACULOUS RESPONSORY
1. If you seek for miracles, death error, all calamities, the leprosy and demons fly, and health succeeds infirmities.
Refrain
The sea obeys and fetters break, and lifeless limbs thou dost restore; while treasures lost are found again; when young and old thine aid implore.
2. All dangers vanish at thy prayer, the direst need doth quickly flee; let those who know thy power proclaim, let Paduans say these are of thee.
Refrain
3. To the Father, Son, all glory be and Holy Ghost eternally.
Refrain
Pray for us blessed Anthony
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O God, let the votive commemoration of Blessed Anthony, Thy confessor and doctor be a source of joy to The faithful that they may always be fortified with spiritual assistance, and may deserve to possess eternal joy, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Amen
A MOST EFFICACIOUS PRAYER TO SAINT ANTHONY
O Holy Saint Anthony, the gentlest and Kindest of all the saints, your burning love of God, your exalted virtues, your great charity towards your fellow creatures, made you worthy when on earth, to possess miraculous powers such as were given to no other saint. Miracles waited on your word and that word you were ever ready to speak at the request of those in trouble. The anxious prayer of bitter trial was never addressed to you in vain. To the sick you gave back health, you restored what was lost. The sorrow stricken were the objects of your tender compassion; even the dead you raised to life, when the wounded heart cried out to you from the depth of its anguish.
When on earth nothing was impossible to you except not to have compassion on those in distress and sorrow. Encouraged by this thought and convinced of the efficacy of your intercession, I kneel before your Holy Image and full of confidence I implore of you to obtain (Name your intentions).
The answer to this prayer may require a miracle, even so are you not a saint of miracles who when on earth had but to speak and the mightiest wonders were wrought? O gentle and loving Saint Anthony, you, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my prayer into the ears of the infant Jesus who loved to linger in your arms. One word from you and my prayer will be granted. O speak that word and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.
One Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be in honour of Saint Anthony.
FIRST TUESDAY
“If any man loveth me, he will keep my commandments” Let us pray Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may know the law of God: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may faithfully observe the law of God: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, our observance of God's law be motivated by love of Christ: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may seek pardon for our disregard in the past, of the law of God: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, listen to our friend Saint Anthony, the friend of the poor and the consoler of the afflicted and grant us the request, we have made in His name, through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen
SECOND TUESDAY
"Greater love than this no one has that one lay down his life for His friends." Let us pray Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may learn the meaning of sacrifice: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may give without counting the cost: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may manifest genuine sacrificing love for neighbour: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may remain loving in the face of the impossible: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, Saint Anthony, who was as human as we are, through your grace and his cooperation gave himself in service of his fellowmen right through life. Grant to us, his friends, a similar dedication to our fellowmen through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen
THIRD TUESDAY
“Anyone who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of Me.” Let us pray Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may not be blinded by excessive love of our dear ones, as not to heed the call of God: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may obtain the wisdom and strength to love Christ more than our relatives: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we assist the priestly or religious vocations in others to mature: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, those who have answered the call may persevere: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, Saint Anthony, generously responded to your call, grant to those whom you call today the grace to do likewise through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen
FOURTH TUESDAY
“If anyone says 'I love God' and hates his brother, he is a liar." Let us pray Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we realise the real meaning of love of God and neighbour: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we show our love for neighbour by the true test of action: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we learn to make sacrifices, so necessary to make love of God and neighbour effective: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, our love of neighbour may bring others closer to you: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, we acknowledge that this is the greatest commandment, assist us in knowing how to put it in practice, through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen
FIFTH TUESDAY
"Bear one another's burden and thus fulfil the law of Christ." Let us pray Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we gain an awareness of our place in social structure: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we accept the obligations of study and help in executing our duties in this social structure: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we develop a sense of justice in assisting others: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we trust in your providence to relieve the burden of others: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, who did send your son to give us an example of bearing the burden of others, make us daily more and more like unto Him, through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen
SIXTH TUESDAY
"Love one another as I have loved you." Let us pray Pr.: That through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we realise that our love for one another must be modelled on that of Christ: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.:That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we may give without counting the cost: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we receive the grace of confidence, that our love can become Christ like: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we practice mercy and compassion in our thinking; speaking and action in our attempts at Christ like love: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, by your power all things are possible, make our love for neighbour truly Christ like as commanded by him, through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen
SEVENTH TUESDAY
"Do good to those who hate you, pray for those who calumniate you.” Let us pray Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we obtain correct ideas about evil talk, slander and calumny: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.:That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we fight our tendency to be revengeful and practice kindness and forgiveness instead: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we strive after truthfulness even in the producing of damaging evidence against our neighbour: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we ask pardon and make reparation for the harm done by us to our neighbours' good name: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, who through Jesus gave us the greatest lesson of forgiveness of those who harm us, assist us to do likewise, through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen
EIGHT TUESDAY
"God is love. He who abides in love, abides in God and God in him." Let us pray Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we develop a correct idea of God: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.:That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we seek to abide in God by asking the forgiveness of our sins: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we obtain confidence in the forgiving love of God: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we continually seek to abide in God by repeatedly asking God's pardon: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, who taught us through Christ that we should forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven times, imbibe us with confidence that we too will receive pardon if really sorry, through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen
NINTH TUESDAY
"Love your enemies." Let us pray Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we obtain the right knowledge of how to love our enemies: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.:That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we get a better understanding of this command to love our enemies: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we receive the wisdom to put this command into practice at all times: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. Pr.: That, through the intercession of Saint Anthony, we persevere in our endeavours to be forgiving and loving to our enemies: let us pray the Lord. All: Hear thy people have mercy on us. PRAYER O God, who through Jesus gave us an example of love for our enemies, grant us the grace to fulfil this difficult command, through our Lord Jesus Christ. All: Amen