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Novena to St. Ignatius of Antioch

Day 9

10 min
Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

Novena to St. Ignatius of Antioch

Opening prayer:

O God, who crowned the courage of St. Ignatius of Antioch with the palm of martyrdom, grant that we who honor his witness may share his ardent love for Your Son. Through his intercession, kindle in us the same longing to belong wholly to Christ. Amen.

Read the meditation and offer the intention of the day.

Day 9: To live in Christ alone

Ignatius declared that he sought the One who died for him and rose again, desiring nothing of this passing world. Everything he had once valued he counted as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. His final witness, sealed in his blood at Rome, teaches us that Christ alone is the treasure worth every sacrifice. To live in Him, and Him alone, is the secret of the saints and the goal of our own pilgrimage.

O glorious Saint Ignatius, who counted all things as loss to gain Christ alone, obtain for me the grace to make Him the center of my whole life. May I seek nothing of this passing world but only the One who died and rose for me, and so possess Him forever. Amen.

Today's intention:

For the grace to make Christ the center and treasure of our whole life.

Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Pater noster, qui es in cælis,

sanctificétur nomen tuum.

Advéniat regnum tuum.

Fiat volúntas tua, sicut in cælo et in terra.

Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie,

et dimítte nobis débita nostra,

sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris.

Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem,

sed líbera nos a malo.

Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper,

et in sǽcula sæculórum.

Amen.

Closing prayer:

Glorious St. Ignatius, you ran to martyrdom as to a wedding feast, that you might be united forever with the Lord you loved. Obtain for us hearts undivided, a love stronger than fear, and a Church bound together in charity and truth. Amen.

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

About this prayer

A nine-day novena to St. Ignatius of Antioch, Apostolic Father, bishop, and martyr, who longed to be ground like wheat into the bread of Christ.

History

St. Ignatius of Antioch (died c. 107) was bishop of Antioch and a disciple of the Apostle John. Condemned to die in the Roman arena, he wrote seven letters along the road to martyrdom, begging the Christians of Rome not to prevent his death. His words 'I am the wheat of God, and I am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ' have echoed through the Church for nineteen centuries.

How to pray it

Pray once each day for nine consecutive days. Begin with the Sign of the Cross and the opening prayer, prayerfully read the meditation and offer the day's intention, then conclude with an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be, and the closing prayer.

Portuguese text of the quotations from the Letter to the Romans: Brazilian *Liturgia das Horas*, Office of Readings of October 17 (`content/loth`)

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