CHRISTMAS (NATIVITY OF OUR LORD) NOVENA: DAY 5 (DECEMBER 20) – For all pregnant women, those who have experienced miscarriages, and especially those in labour at this period

INTRODUCTION

The Nativity through St. Joseph's eyes

This fifth day of preparation for Christmas is centered on the person of Mary, her attitude, her docility, and her openness to God’s action. Before the manifestation of the Lord, the Virgin knew how to respond and correspond to God’s plan for her. Seeing Mary’s willingness and openness, may each one see how they are responding to the Father in their lives, and; thus, in these days leading up to Christmas, we can prepare ourselves interiorly for the Lord’s birth in our midst.

OPENING PRAYER

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

Fr. Chinaka: Our help is in the name of the Lord
Participants: who made heaven and earth

Fr. Chinaka: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Participants: As it was, in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

God of infinite goodness, who loved us so much and who gave us in your Son the best offer of your love, so that, incarnated and made our brother in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, we would be adopted as sons and daughters of God. We give you thanks for such an immense benefit, and we offer you back, Lord, the sincere effort to make this your world and ours, a fairer world, more faithful to the great commandment to love one another as brothers and sisters. Grant us, Lord, your help to be able to accomplish it. We ask that this Christmas, a feast of peace and joy, be a stimulus for our community so that, living as brothers and sisters, we seek more and more the paths of truth, justice, love, and peace. (You may add your private petitions here) Amen.

SCRIPTURAL READING/MEDITATION: Luke 1: 26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob forever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

The Gospel of the Lord

POINTS FOR MEDITATION

Go deeper into today’s gospel text, focus on Mary’s attitude, her reaction, what she says, what she does, and what she feels in her response.

PRAYER TO THE PREGNANT VIRGIN & SAINT JOSEPH

An Expectant Mary – TheologyisaverbOh Virgin Mother, we are beginning to prepare for your Son’s Nativity. We want to be with you to accompany you in these last days of your pregnancy. To share with you the joy that you feel in these moments, and thus learn from you how to correspond to the Lord, how to act according to his will, so that we may find joy, peace, and fulfillment in your Son, of the life that only He can give us. O Blessed Virgin and Mother, intercede for each one of us, ask your Son to help us live these days with the joy that you had in those moments of your Son’s birth. Amen. Important Lessons for Christmas from “The Sleeping Saint Joseph” – The Best Catholic

Blessed Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and father of the Baby Jesus, you were chosen by the Almighty Father to be the Father and Guardian of His choicest Treasure, Christ our Redeemer, in the home of Nazareth. Help the fathers of families; may they always be in the home the image of the heavenly father, following your examples; may they fulfill the great responsibility of educating and forming their children, giving them, with a continuous effort, the best of themselves. Help children to understand and appreciate the unselfish efforts of their parents. Saint Joseph, husband, and father, intercede for us. Amen.

Pray 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, and 1 Glory be, seeking the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, while at the same time, contemplating on their “YES” in the mystery of Salvation (cf. Luke 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:19-24)

LITANY OF THE INFANT JESUS

(Short invocations)

Divine Baby Jesus, Bless us
Our Judge, forgive us
Well of Kindness, Feed Our Faith
Our hope, Sustain us
Our Protector, Defend us
Source of Our life, Refresh us
Alpha and Omega, stay with us
Divine Baby Jesus, in you we trust

LET US PRAY:

Lord Jesus Christ, we give You thanks for the testimony and example You left us of Your Blessed Mother. Thank You, Lord, because the Blessed Virgin Mary shows us the way to live our life of faith through our daily and persevering “YES” to God’s will. Lord, we ask that you help us to have the same attitudes as Mary. Grant Lord that we believe, that we trust in You, that we let ourselves be guided by Your Holy Spirit so that You can carry out Your saving work in us. Lord, help us to live what You ask of us, and may we always say with joy and trust like Your Blessed Mother: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your Word”. Amen.

CONCRETE ATTITUDE (Christmas Challenge)

– Make some concrete gestures or attitudes during the day in the spirit of Christmas. It could be that relative, friend, mentor, Priest, etc., who must have influenced or guided you through this year in making you persevere in your “YES” to God in prayers and Christian spirituality, as Mary did. Reach out to them and let them know how they have imparted in your life and assure them of your prayers… May it be a period of graces, testimonies, and abandonment into the hands of the Lord, so that He may carry out His salvific work in each of us.

CONCLUDING PRAYER/BLESSING

A Prayer to Jesus in the MangerDear Baby Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour, You are descended from David, from Abraham; You have assumed our history, forming part of it. In the fullness of time, You wanted to be born of a woman and be one of us, to show us the great and beautiful value of having a Mother, a family, people of the same bloodline, with whom to share life, being loved and supported. Dear Baby Jesus, you who had a family, we beseech you to bless ours and grant that parents have feelings of self-giving, of love and affection, of interest and sensitivity, that they love each other and live for each other, and may this love be showered on the children at all times. Baby Jesus, bless every family and fill them with love and tenderness, as you had from your Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. Amen.

Fr. Chinaka: The Lord be with you
Participants: And with your Spirit

Through the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, may the Baby Jesus (Christ Our Lord) born in a stable at Bethlehem, bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Fr. Chinaka: Peace be with you
Participants: And with your Spirit

Shalom!
©Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Paroquia Nossa Senhora de Loreto, Vila Medeiros, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com

___________________________________

PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today? 

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Chinaka Justin Mbaeri

A staunch Roman Catholic and an Apologist of the Christian faith. More about him here.

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Idama Priscilla
Idama Priscilla
1 year ago

Praying the 5th day Novena prayers was most fulfilling

Adaeze
Adaeze
1 year ago

Amen
Day 5 prayed

Nwosu Christiana
Nwosu Christiana
1 year ago

May the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ bring health, peace and safe delivery for women presently in labour and for women who kept having miscarriages, and other birth related problems, especially my sister-in-law Ogechukwu, that the Divine Baby Jesus, God saves, would come to their aid and bless them with healthy and spirit filled children, amen!

Uchenna Aham-Anyanwu
Uchenna Aham-Anyanwu
1 year ago

Amen

Nwosu Judith
Nwosu Judith
1 year ago

Amen

Chika Nwosu
Chika Nwosu
1 year ago

AMEN

Lina Omagbitse
Lina Omagbitse
1 year ago

Lord I continue to thank You for Your presence in my life. May I receive favourable answers to my petition in this Novena amen

Uchenna Aham-Anyanwu
Uchenna Aham-Anyanwu
1 year ago
Reply to  Lina Omagbitse

Amen

Nancy
Nancy
1 year ago
Reply to  Lina Omagbitse

Amen and Amen

UN KNOWN
UN KNOWN
1 year ago
Reply to  Lina Omagbitse

hiii

Sa'adatu Anne Akough
Sa'adatu Anne Akough
1 year ago

Amen. God thank you for using FR Chinaka to inspire me to pray. May I be the shining example for my family and my neighbors amen

Okwuchukwu
Okwuchukwu
1 year ago

Amen thanks Padre for this great opportunity to be part of this Novena. I pray for God’s blessing and wisdom upon you.

Ngozi
Ngozi
1 year ago

Through the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, may the Baby Jesus (Christ Our Lord) born in a stable at Bethlehem, bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Onyia Margaret
Onyia Margaret
1 year ago

May this novena bring salvation and redemption upon my family and other families in need Amen

Uchenna Aham-Anyanwu
Uchenna Aham-Anyanwu
1 year ago

Thank you Jesus

Ozioma
Ozioma
1 year ago

May the Lord bless us and grant my heart desires in Jesus name. Amen

MICHAEL ABAH
MICHAEL ABAH
1 year ago

Lord, Grant my request. Amen

Vivian Oyih
Vivian Oyih
1 year ago

Infant Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Blessed Virgin Mother, pray for us

Augustina Ayo-Ogbor
Augustina Ayo-Ogbor
1 year ago

Amen

Nancy
Nancy
1 year ago

Blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Chinyere Enyokwa
Chinyere Enyokwa
1 year ago

Amen and amen

Stella Ogbakpah
Stella Ogbakpah
1 year ago

God Almighty I continue to thank you through the intercession of Mother Mary, Infant Jesus and send Joseph for saying yes for all pregnant woman safe delivery, those looking for the fruit of the womb in Jesus name, Amen.

Oby Ralph
Oby Ralph
1 year ago

May God bless and answers our prayers

Angela Usoh
Angela Usoh
1 year ago

Amen

Lawrence Okonofua
Lawrence Okonofua
1 year ago

From the malice of the world, Infant Jesus deliver us!!?

Ebubechukwu
Ebubechukwu
1 year ago

Amen

Chinwe Ibe
Chinwe Ibe
1 year ago

May the joy of the Season we all await be an everlasting one through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen

Ogaga
Ogaga
1 year ago

Thank You Jesus

christiana
christiana
1 year ago

Amen…may God continue to bless you Padre

Ndu-kanebi, Lauretta Chukwumalobim
Ndu-kanebi, Lauretta Chukwumalobim
1 year ago

Amen.
May the word of God transform us and bring us joy and peace through Christ our Lord.

Inyang Esther
Inyang Esther
1 year ago

Amen

Nkemdili
Nkemdili
1 year ago

Amen

Amadi Linda
Amadi Linda
1 year ago

Infant Jesus bless us and heal us, Amen

Sandra
Sandra
1 year ago

Amen

Ify
Ify
1 year ago

Amen

Chinedu Okoloegbo
Chinedu Okoloegbo
1 year ago

Amen

Linda John Ojeyokan
Linda John Ojeyokan
1 year ago

Amen

Phils
Phils
1 year ago

AMEN! Thank you Fr

Grace
Grace
1 year ago

Amen
Our of Perpetual Help, intercede for us

Francis Dominic Enimil Ashun
Francis Dominic Enimil Ashun
1 year ago

Lord hear our prayers for all pregnant women, those who have experienced miscarriages, and especially those in labour at this period. Amen

Regina Ikpeni
Regina Ikpeni
1 year ago

Help us Father like Mary and Joseph to say yes to you in our daily lives. Amen

Emilia
Emilia
1 year ago

Thank you lord

Anyaogu Raphael
Anyaogu Raphael
1 year ago

Lord teach us to accept and to say yes to your will

Leticia Otomewo
Leticia Otomewo
1 year ago

Thank you Father… I remain grateful to GOD

Rumeh
Rumeh
1 year ago

Thanks Padre @ Fr Chinaka,may God help us to live in accordance to our calling as Christian in Jesus Christ name amen ️

Ayaka Daniel
Ayaka Daniel
1 year ago

Baby Lord Jesus, help us to always make ourselves available just like your mother did when she responded “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.”

Margaret
Margaret
1 year ago

Amen

Esther
Esther
1 year ago

Amen. Lord hear us

Chinwe Ann
Chinwe Ann
1 year ago

Lord, help us to live what You ask of us, and may we always say with joy and trust like Your Blessed Mother: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your Word”. Amen.

Felicity
Felicity
1 year ago

Amen

Uruchi Lucy Ekwugha
Uruchi Lucy Ekwugha
1 year ago

Our God Is Good And Kind To Us

Amen to all our prayers

Clementina
Clementina
1 year ago

Thank you Jesus

Lilian Uzoamaka Anyanwu
Lilian Uzoamaka Anyanwu
1 year ago

The spiritual value is highly fortifying, I pray for more grace to be in His presence

Faustykelly
Faustykelly
1 year ago

Baby Jesus, be with us and illuminate our world.

Emmanuel Ukah
Emmanuel Ukah
1 year ago

Amen.

May Infant Jesus bless our family and the entire world. Amen.

Dorathy Toranyiin
Dorathy Toranyiin
1 year ago

Amen

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