Novena for Religious Freedom for the United States of America (Prayer)

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[Salvation]

Novena for Religious Freedom

 

Dear Friend of Religious Freedom,

As a member of the Catholic Leadership Coalition, I send you this letter and ask you join us in the Novena Prayer for Religious Freedom during the Fortnight of Freedom planned by our bishops and promoted by our Steering Committee. Please pray with us!

As you know, there is no such thing as praying too much.  Scripture tells us to "pray constantly", (1st Thessalonians 5:17), therefore, on behalf of the Steering Committee for the Catholic Leadership Coalition,  I am asking that you join us in praying a Novena for our religious freedom  beginning June 21 and ending on July 4th, Independence Day. These dates were chosen because the Catholic bishops are organizing an event called A Fortnight of Freedom, from June 21 to July 4. The beginning date appropriately marks the feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, both of whom were executed by King Henry VIII for not acknowledging him as the spiritual head of the Church of England when England broke from the Catholic Church. 

The Novena prayers are highlighted further down on this page.  Please take a minute to read the following article that so aptly describes the situation we find ourselves in at this time history and why it is so important for us to come together as brothers and sisters in Christ to storm heaven for God's help in fighting for our religious freedom.

[Salvation]

Day 2

For Freedom of Conscience for Religious Groups. Dear Jesus, we ask Your protection over all religious organizations. In this country based upon freedom, do not allow anyone to feel threatened in voicing their opinions or practicing their faith. Help us to guard against reverse discrimination in which non-Christians are granted every right, but Christians are subdued. Amen.

Dear Jesus, allow the Truth of Holy Love to flood the heart of this nation. Place Truth in the center of every heart. Return this nation to its rightful place under the Dominion of God. Amen

[Salvation]

Typing this from a hard copy since I could not find it on the web.

Day Two

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Today's Reflection:

Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion.  Many of you have pointed out that concerted efforts have been made to deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices.  Others have spoken to me of a worrying tendency to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience.

-From Pope Benedict SVI's address to American bishops, Jan. 19, 2012

[wintertime]

Oops! Sorry. I will remember that. :-(

[SuziQ]

I decided to just say a Rosary every day, for my Novena.

[Salvation]

New grandson, Isaac David

[Salvation]

Day 3 

  

For Realization of the Truth as to the Path this Country’s Leaders are Following.  Dear Jesus, help the citizens of this country to realize the truth of the direction this nation is taking. Help everyone to comprehend that the government is becoming detached from the will of the people by slowly stripping away individual freedoms. Restore in hearts the proud, independent nature that this country was founded upon. Amen.

Dear Jesus, allow the Truth of Holy Love to flood the heart of this nation. Place Truth in the center of every heart. Return this nation to its rightful place under the Dominion of God. Amen.

[Salvation]

Typing this from a hard copy since I could not find it on the web.

Day Three

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Today's Reflection:

Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home.  It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans.  Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith?...  What is at stake is whether America will continue to have a free creative and robust civil society -- or whether the state alone will determine who gets to contribute to the common good and how they get to do it.

--From Our First, Most Cherished Liberty.  U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2012

[afraidfortherepublic]

Nice name. What will they call him when he’s in High School? Ike?

[Salvation]

My husband’s name was David — so I’m guessing that. But kids are funny when they get to high school.

[Salvation]

Day 4  

For Unity in Prayer Against Any Form of Dictatorship. Dear Jesus, unite the hearts of all the citizens of this nation to pray against any form of dictatorship. Do not allow the people of this free country to stand silent as the Constitution is trampled upon. Awaken hearts to see the hidden agenda of such actions, which encourages the One World Government. Pray that all hearts untied in the Truth. Amen.

Dear Jesus, allow the Truth of Holy Love to flood the heart of this nation. Place Truth in the center of every heart. Return this nation to its rightful place under the Dominion of God. Amen.

[Salvation]

Typing this from a hard copy since I could not find it on the web.

DayFour

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Today's Reflection:

George Washington wrote that "the establishment of civil and religious liberty was the motive that induced me to the fiwld of battle."  Thomas Jefferson assured the Ursuline sisters -- who had been serving a mostly non-Catholic population by running a hospital, an orphanage, and schools in Louisianna since 1727 -- that the principles of the Constitution were a "sure gauarantee" that their ministry would be free "to govern itself according to its own voluntary rules, without interference from the civil authority."

[Salvation]

Day 5   

That the Path of Good is Well-defined Against the Path of Evil in all the Nation’s Decision Making. Dear Jesus, open the hearts of this nation to recognize the difference between good and evil. Help the people to see that those who are ambitious for themselves readily transgress the rights of others. Remove the hearts of those in influential positions the willingness to condone evil and to ignore God’s Commandments. Amen.

Dear Jesus, allow the Truth of Holy Love to flood the heart of this nation. Place Truth in the center of every heart. Return this nation to its rightful place under the Dominion of God. Amen.

[Salvation]

Typing this from a hard copy since I could not find it on the web.

Day Five

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Today's Reflection:

The civil rights movement was an essentially religious movement, a call to awaken consciences...  In his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. boldy said, "The goal of America is freedom...I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all"...  How does one determine when a law is just or unjust?  A just law is a man-made code that squaes with the moral law or the law of God.  An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law."

--From Our First, Most Cherished Liberty.  U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2012

 

[Salvation]

Day 6

That Satan is Disarmed in his Efforts to Gain Control Through the Economy. Dear Jesus, we see Satan’s hand in his efforts to weaken this country by weakening the economy. In this way, the New World Order – One World Government – appears more acceptable to everyone. Enlighten all the citizens of this nation to see that to weaken the economy is to gain control of hearts and lives. Help the people of this country to see that  government handouts are not free, but paid for with the surrender of independence. Amen.

Dear Jesus, allow the Truth of Holy Love to flood the heart of this nation. Place Truth in the center of every heart. Return this nation to its rightful place under the Dominion of God. Amen.

[Salvation]

Typing this from a hard copy since I could not find it on the web.

Day Six

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Today's Reflection:

It is a sobering thing to contemplate our government enacting an unjust law.  And unjust law cannot be obeyed.  In the face of an unjust law, an accomodation is not to be soutght, especially by resorting to equivocal words and deceptive practices.  It we face today the prospect of unjust laws, then Catholics in America, in solidarity with our fellow citizens, must have the courage not to obey them.  No American desires this.  No Catholic welcomes it.  But if it should fall upon us, we must discharge it as a duty of citizenship and obligation of faith.

--From Our First, Most Cherished Liberty.  U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2012

[Salvation]

Day 7

That Sin is no Longer Defined as a Right and Supported by Law. Dear Jesus, return the heart of this nation to the righteous support of God’s Commandments as encapsulated in Holy Love. Vigorously defend life in this effort, as well as the tradition of marriage between a man and a woman. Realize that the acceptance of sin as a political issue is shaking hands with Satan, and giving evil an open door. Let all laws be in support of God’s Commandments; thereby strengthening the backbone of this great nation. Amen.

Dear Jesus, allow the Truth of Holy Love to flood the heart of this nation. Place Truth in the center of every heart. Return this nation to its rightful place under the Dominion of God. Amen.

[Salvation]

Typing this from a hard copy since I could not find it on the web.

Day Seven

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Today's Reflection:

The human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such ways that in matters religious no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs....  This right of the human person to religious freedom is to be recognized in the constitutionsl law whereby society is governed.  Thus it is to become a civil right.

--From Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Liberty, 1965

[Salvation]

Day 8  

For Citizens Who Live in Truth to be Emboldened in Their Power to Precipitate Change. Dear Jesus, place the Shield of Truth over all hearts, emboldening every effort to stand for the Truth.  In this powerful effort, precipitate change towards righteousness in every government action, and in every legal decision. Amen.

Dear Jesus, allow the Truth of Holy Love to flood the heart of this nation. Place Truth in the center of every heart. Return this nation to its rightful place under the Dominion of God. Amen.

[Salvation]

Typing this from a hard copy since I could not find it on the web.

Day Eight

Opening Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Today's Reflection:

We are sadly aware that religious liberty in many other parts of the world is in much greater peril.  Our obligation at home is to defned religious liberty robustly, but we cannot overlook the much graver plight that religious believers, most of them Christian, face around the world...  If religious liberty is eroded here at home, American defense of religious liberty aborad is less credible.  Therefore it is our task to strengthen religious liberty at home...so that we might defend it more vigorously aborad. 

--From Our First, Most Cherished Liberty.  U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2012

[Salvation]

Day 9  

For the Glorious Victory of Truth in Those Who Hold the Highest Offices: President, Supreme Court Justices, Congressman and Senators, All Appointed Officials.

Dear Jesus, inspire the Victory of Truth in all those who hold public office. Do not allow compromise of Truth or any contradiction to be part of any law. In this effort, uphold the rights and independence of every citizen. Most especially inspire those who hold offices of the most profound influence: President, Congress, Supreme Court Justices, Appointed Officials, towards this end. Amen.

Dear Jesus, allow the Truth of Holy Love to flood the heart of this nation. Place Truth in the center of every heart. Return this nation to its rightful place under the Dominion of God. Amen.