Novena To Saint John Berchmans (Patron of Altar Boys)

Repeat the following Novena prayers every day for 9 consecutive days.

Litany to Saint John Berchmans

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

Saint John Berchmans,
whom the Lord preserved from evil,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
who did all things well,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
faithful in little things,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
devoted server at Holy Mass,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
obedient to your parents,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
submissive to your teachers,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
model for your companions,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
who from the earliest childhood
chose the Blessed Virgin
as guardian of your chastity,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
who so tenderly called Mary ‘Mother,’
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
zealous promoter of devotion to Mary,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
mirror of the religious life,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
lover of the Blessed Sacrament,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
lover of the missions,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
lover of mortification,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
faithful to your holy Rule,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
faithful imitator of St. Aloysius,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
ornament of the Society of Jesus,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
model of students,
pray for us.

Saint John Berchmans,
patron of youth,
pray for us.

Grant, we beseech You, O Lord God,
that we Your servants may follow the example of innocence
and fidelity by which the angelic Saint John Berchmans
consecrated his life and service to You,
through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.
 

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
Pray for us, Saint John Berchmans,
That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray

Grant, we beseech You, O Lord God,
that we Your servants may follow, in Your service,
the example of innocence and fidelity
by which the angelic Saint John Berchmans
consecrated to You the flower of his youth,
through Christ Our Lord.

R. Amen.

PRAYERS FROM THE RACCOLTA

Saint John, angelic youth,
sweet-scented flower of innocence,
stalwart soldier of the Company of Jesus,
ardent defender of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin,
whom the all-wise Providence of God
hath set forth as a light and pattern,
in order that He might reveal in thee
the treasures of that holiness
which consisteth in the devoted
and holy fulfillment of the common duties of life,
I earnestly beseech thee to make me ever constant and faithful
in observing the duties of my state of life, pure in heart,
fearless and strong against the enemies of my eternal salvation,
and cheerfully obedient to the promptings of God’s holy will.
By thy singular devotion to the loving Mother of Jesus Christ,
who looked upon thee also as her dear son,
obtain for me the grace of a fervent love for Jesus and Mary,
together with the power of drawing many others
to love them in like manner.
Wherefore, dear Saint John,
I choose thee as my special patron,
humbly beseeching thee to make me zealous in the things
that pertain to the praise of God,
and to assist me by thy mighty help,
to lead a life filled with good works.
Finally, when the hour of death cometh, do thou,
of thy loving kindness,
cherish in me those motions of humble confidence,
which at the moment of thy departure from this world
to thy mansion in the skies,
as thou didst lovingly clasp to thy breast
the Image of Jesus Crucified,
together with Mary’s Rosary and thy Book of Rules,
impelled thee to utter these sweet words:
“these three things are my dearest possessions;
with these I am content to die.”
Pray for us, Saint John,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Grant, we beseech Thee O Lord God,
unto Thy faithful servants,
to copy the pattern of innocence and faithfulness in Thy service,
wherewith the angelic youth, John,
did consecrate to Thee the very flower of his years.
Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

OCCASIONAL PRAYERS

I.

Most innocent Saint John, I beseech thee,
by thy wonderful purity of heart,
to obtain for me the grace of imitating thee
in so excellent a virtue.
Oh, never allow me to lose it,
but inspire me with a hatred for those faults
which may in any way stain it.

Say 1 Our Father...

Say 1 Hail Mary...

Say 1 Glory Be...

II.

Most modest Saint John,
by that most diligent guard which thou didst keep over thy senses,
and which rendered thee so conspicuous
in the eyes of the world,
I beseech thee to obtain for me the grace of restraining my senses
so that the poison of the accursed sin of impurity
may never enter by them into my heart.

Say 1 Our Father...

Say 1 Hail Mary...

Say 1 Glory Be...

III.

Most obedient Saint John,
by thine assiduous care in keeping the rules of thy Institute,
I beseech thee to obtain for me
the grace to keep the commandments of God,
and at least to hold in high esteem and reverence
the evangelical counsels.

Say 1 Our Father...

Say 1 Hail Mary...

Say 1 Glory Be...

IV.

Most devout Saint John,
by that love which thou didst have
for the most blessed Virgin Mary as thy mother,
and for Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, as thy brother,
I beg thee to obtain for me a special devotion
to St. Aloysius, my protector and model,
and such a tender affection for the Blessed Virgin,
that I may always exclaim with thee:
“I will never rest until I shall have obtained
a tender love for my Mother Mary.”

Say 1 Our Father...

Say 1 Hail Mary...

Say 1 Glory Be...

V.

Most fervent Saint John,
by thy marvelous devotion to the adorable mystery of the altar
and to Christ crucified,
I beg thee to obtain for me so to reverence our Blessed Redeemer,
that I shall be nowhere wanting,
least of all in church,
in due reverence to His Sacrament of Love,
and that I may ever and everywhere glory in His Cross;
that, having thus followed Him like a faithful disciple on earth
I may deserve to enjoy Him forever with thee in Heaven.

Say 1 Our Father...

Say 1 Hail Mary...

Say 1 Glory Be...

PRAYER FOR GRACE

Prevent, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
our actions by Thy inspiration,
and further them with Thy continual help;
that every prayer and work of ours
may always begin from Thee,
and through Thee be likewise ended.
Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.