NOVENA TO ST. CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA - FIRST DAY

        ST. CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA

                  VIRGIN AND MARTYR                   

St. Catherine was a native of Alexandria, Egypt, a city then famous for its schools of philosophy. She was a daughter of Costis, half-brother of Constantine, and of Sabinella, queen of Egypt. Her wisdom and acquirements were remarkable, the philosophy of Plato being her favorite study. While Catherine was yet young her father died, leaving her heiress to the kingdom. Her love of study and retirement displeased her subjects, who desired her to marry, asserting that her gifts of noble birth, wealth, beauty, and knowledge should be transmitted to her children.

              

Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear and forget thy people and thy father's house. And the king shall greatly desire thy beauty. For he is the Lord thy God, and him they shall adore. 

  Novena in preparation for the Feast

        of St. Catherine of Alexandria

                   Virgin and Martyr                           

      (November 16 – November 24)

                         

                         First Day

               Preparatory Prayer

Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy Divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy Heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy Divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of St. Catherine and following her example imitate, like her, the life of Thy Divine Son.

     Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of St. Catherine, the petition which through her I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saying, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." 

(Mention intentions)

Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul. Amen.

        Prayer in Honor of St. Catherine

O God, Who didst distinguish Thy holy Virgin and Martyr Catherine by the gift of great wisdom and virtue, and a victorious combat with the enemies of the Faith; grant us, we beseech Thee, through her intercession, constancy in the Faith and the wisdom of the Saints, that we may devote all the powers of our mind and heart to Thy service. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

           Invocation of St. Catherine

St. Catherine, glorious Virgin and Martyr, resplendent in the luster of wisdom and purity; thy wisdom refuted the adversaries of Divine truth and covered them with confusion; thy immaculate purity made thee a spouse of Christ, so that after thy glorious Martyrdom Angels carried thy body to Mount Sinai. Implore for me progress in the science of the Saints and the virtue of holy purity, that vanquishing the enemies of my soul, I may be victorious in my last combat and after death be conducted by the angels into the eternal beatitude of Heaven. Amen.