Novena Prayer to St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi, help us. By your example may we learn that life does not consist in the pursuit of wealth nor in the abundance of our possessions.
St. Francis of Assisi, come to our aid. Because we live at a time when men glorify ease and seek after luxuries, and when many wish only the gratification of fleshly desires, we stand in special need of your single-minded dedication to Christ in the narrow way that leads to life.
St. Francis of Assisi, assist us now. May we appreciate as you did the beauties of God’s wonderful creation and the glory of the world He made for us. Help us to enjoy and appreciate God’s bounty without spoiling or defacing His gifts by our heedlessness and greed.
Teach us, seraphic Father Francis, to value all things as Christ did and to be imitators of Him as you were. May we thus enjoy the good things of life, but always prefer the blessing of the endless life to come. Amen.
F. God forbid that I should glory…
R. Save in the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
St. Francis, the Little Poor Man of Assisi, we invoke you as the admirable mirror you were of our Divine Master. You imitated Christ in your humility and obedience. You faithfully followed Him in poverty and weakness. With joy you accepted suffering, contempt, and trials, for the sake of His name. In your goodness help us, then, to imitate your example. By your power with God, obtain for us the special favor we now seek throughout your intercession. (Here name your petitions).
Please pray for us, gentle and happy saint of the poor, that we may always be loyal followers of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and filled always with Divine riches. Amen.
(To make the Novena, recite this prayer for nine days.)