St. Margaret of Cortona Parish

Opening Prayer

To be said at the beginning of each of the nine days of the novena.
O blessed St. Margaret, you embarked on a life of penance and poverty after you repented of your sins. You are a beautiful example of Our Lord's loving mercy, because after you chose to live a life of fasting, Jesus touched your heart as he always does when a sinner returns to him. Fasting enabled you to resist all temptations, especially those to which you succumbed when you were younger. Listen to our/my petitions! (Here pause to name your petitions.) We ask you to bring these petitions to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

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First Day of Novena

O blessed St. Margaret, when you decided to follow Jesus by committing yourself to a life of penance, you received no support from your father, stepmother or the rest of your family. However, you did not get discouraged. You persisted in your calling, attracting the admiration of many people, including the Pope. Your sins inspired you to be holy because of the humiliation you received. Enable us/me to believe that God  can make straight our/my crooked paths, and make us/me not dwell on past mistakes and sins. Inspire us/me to experience God's mercy so that we may look forward to a life with Him in heaven. Amen.
 

Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be......  St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.
Repeat this 3 times.

 

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Second Day of Novena

O blessed St. Margaret, you took the tragic death of your lover as a time to change your life. You left his home after returning all the gifts that he gave you to his family. You were determined to make a new start in your life and, although you had a young son to take care of, you decided to leave behind a life of sin. Help us/me, St. Margaret, to detach ourselves/ myself from loving too much material comforts and not to give up our/my values and virtues in exchange for material possessions. Inspire us/me to live simply that we may always sing of the glory of God. Amen.

 

Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be......  St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.

Repeat this 3 times.

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Third Day of Novena
O blessed St. Margaret, you were not discouraged when people laughed at you after you embarked on a life of penance. You did not mind them because you were focused and committed to staying close to Jesus, to whom you had pledged a life of penance. It took some time for people to recognize your holiness. Receiving the praises of others was of little concern to you since you were determined to grow closer to Jesus. Help us/me to make Jesus the most important person in our/my lives/life and not be discouraged when criticized or too elated when praised. Inspire us/me to serve Him the way you did, and lead us to the joy of His Kingdom. Amen.

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Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be...... St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.

Repeat this 3 times.

 

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Fourth Day of Novena
O blessed St. Margaret, you never ceased to repent for the sins of your youth. Yet, your penitential sorrow for your sins enabled you to rejoice in the knowledge that God's grace is always greater than the sins you committed. You were filled with the presence of the Lord as you remembered your sins and prayed for forgiveness. You felt such strong emotion because you glowed in the overpowering presence of God's love. Your intimate union with him attests that ultimately, sin has no power over us/me. St. Margaret, help us/me to experience God's powerful and loving presence. In this way, like you, we/I would anticipate the joy of heaven on earth. Amen.

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Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be...... St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.

Repeat this 3 times.

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Fifth Day of Novena
O blessed St. Margaret, you were able to do many miracles in your lifetime. Through your closeness to Jesus, you cured the sick and helped many others with their problems. Your presence was comforting and your counsel was sought by scholars. Your holiness led you into the hearts of many admirers, but you were always aware of your unworthiness. Your glory was your humility, and you managed to be an example of sanctity to many because of this virtue. Teach us/me to be humble, to seek the lowest place so that we/I, too, may spread solace and peace among our brothers and sisters. Amen.

 

Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be...... St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.

Repeat this 3 times.

 

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Sixth Day of Novena
O blessed St. Margaret, your son became a priest, seeking holiness and desiring to serve the Lord and His Church because he was your special offering to the Lord. You follow the tradition of Catholic mothers whose joy is to offer their children in the service of God and the Church. We/I remember the many mothers who are suffering because of problems caused by their children. We/I offer to Jesus their pain and ask you, dear saint, to intercede for them, so that these mothers may soon find consolation and their children may find their way back to Jesus. Amen.

 

Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be...... St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.

Repeat this 3 times.

 

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Seventh Day of Novena
O, blessed St. Margaret, to show your desire to repent from your sins, you covered your beautiful face with mud and dirt. You did not want to tempt anyone to sin. You realized that your lack of modesty and simplicity led to sin. Your mission after your conversion was to lead people to virtue and charity. Help us/me, St. Margaret, to live simply and modestly, preventing
us/me from leading others or ourselves/myself into sins of impurity. Make us/me aware that our/my bodies/body are/is temples/a temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be...... St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.

Repeat this 3 times.

 

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Eighth Day of Novena
O blessed St. Margaret, you followed St. Francis of Assisi in his life of poverty by living on alms while taking care of the sick. You knew the temptations of money and riches, and yet you had the courage to return the money, lands, and jewelry that your lover gave to you back to his family. You wanted to be poor because you wished to imitate Jesus. Inspire us/me, St. Margaret, to believe that sanctity could simplify our/my lives/life and that we can separate from luxury and waste. We/I also ask you to keep us/me from accepting money from corrupt sources and to value what comes from our sweat and work as well as the generosity of others. Amen.

 

Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be...... St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.

Repeat this 3 times.

 

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Ninth Day of Novena
O blessed St. Margaret, you loved to attend parties and banquets when you were still living with your lover. After your conversion, the only banquet you participated in was the Eucharistic Meal, and the only food you wanted was Jesus' Body and Blood. This love of the Eucharist gave you a spiritual strength that gave witness to many of your love for Jesus. Oh St. Margaret, inspire us/me to love the Eucharist with all our/my hearts/heart. Amen.

 

Then say in this order: Our Father..... / Hail Mary.... / Glory Be...... St. Margaret of Cortona, pray for us/me.

Repeat this 3 times.

 

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Closing Prayer
To be said at the conclusion of each of the nine days of the novena. O blessed St. Margaret, through His grace, God enabled you to leave a life of sin and walk in the path of His light. By the example of your wonderful conversion, your holy life and your most precious death, you have enabled others to repent and return to God. You are a model for avoiding sin and doing good. O St. Margaret, intercede for us before God that we may succeed in journeying to Him. May we/I be like you in turning away from sin, doing penance, avoiding the near occasions of sin and, most of all, desiring to live a holy life. Finally, St. Margaret, pray that one day, we/I may join you at the Eucharistic Banquet in the Kingdom of God. Amen