St. Oliver Plunkett Novena 2020

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT NOVENA 2020

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Day 1 – Tuesday 23rd June  :  Theme – Man of Faith

Glorious Martyr, Saint Oliver, who willingly gave your life for your faith, help us also to be strong in faith.  May we be loyal like you to the See of Peter.  By your intercession and example may all hatred and bitterness be banished from the hearts of Irish men and women.  May the peace of Christ reign in our hearts, as it did in your heart, even at the moment of your death. Pray for us and for Ireland. Amen.

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .

Day 2 – Wednesday 24th June  :  Theme – Man of Courage

God our Father, you raised up St Oliver to be a shepherd of your people in troubled times. We thank you for his example of love, faithful even unto death. May the memory of his life and sufferings confirm our faith, deepen our hope and inflame our own poor love for you. Amen. 

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .

Day 3 – Thursday 25th June  :  Theme – Founder of Schools

We thank you and we bless you, Lord our God. In times past you taught us in many and varied ways through the prophets, but in this, the final age, you have taught us through your Son.  After his great example St Oliver founded schools for the education of the young. May they be filled with knowledge of your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, and bear fruit in every good work. Amen.

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .

Day 4 – Friday 26th June  :  Theme – Promoter of Peace and Reconciliation

God our Father, you instruct us through the Scriptures that we have been wonderfully made.  We know that you have created us in love and to be loved; but we more often see that the life you regard as sacred is taken for granted, used and discarded, and treated as having no value.  Through the intercession of St Oliver we ask you to banish violence and intimidation, to promote peace and stability, to defend the vulnerable, and protect our homes, our streets, our parishes and archdiocese.  Amen.

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .

Day 5 – Saturday 27th June  :  Theme – Man of Forgiveness and Mercy

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you, through our own fault, in thought, word, and deed, and in what we have left undone. For the sake of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us all our offences.  Through the intercession of St Oliver may we who have experienced your forgiveness and mercy willingly extend it to those who offend us, and grant that we may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your Name. Amen. 

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .

Day 6 – Sunday 28th June  :  Theme – Bringer of Hope to his People

Heavenly Father, we come before you today in need of hope.  There are times when we feel helpless, weak, and overwhelmed.  Our daily routine becomes heavy and cumbersome when accompanied by so much useless worry.  St Oliver worked tirelessly against great obstacles and anxiety, and never lost hope.  Help us in our perseverance too, that during our greatest trials the hope that was gifted to us by your Son may continue to burn brightly in our hearts. Amen. 

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .

Day 7 – Monday 29th June  :  Theme – Loyal and Obedient

God our Father you have given us shepherds on earth to guide and care for your people.  We pray for Francisour Pope and Eamon our Bishop.  We understand that the Evil One refused to serve an Incarnate God, and that his pride is a great temptation in our hearts too.  Help us, through the intercession of Archbishop Plunkett to remain faithful to your Word and to what it calls us, and humbly to live it out in our daily lives.  Amen.

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .

Day 8 – Tuesday 30th June  :  Theme – He lived the Beatitudes

God our Father, through your Son’s preaching you have revealed to us that your ways are different from our ways.  What our society considers lowly and contemptible you elevate, and what is exalted here on earth, is not always pleasing to you.  May we follow the example of St Oliver, a true man of the Beatitudes, and listen first to the Word of God as our model for right living. Amen. 

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .

Day 9 – Wednesday 1st July  :  Theme – Martyr and Saint

God our Father in every age the seeds of the Church are watered by the blood of the martyrs.  St Oliver bravely counted his fidelity to you as infinitely more important than his own life and comfort. As persecution against Christian faithful rises across the world, we pray that you will give your grace and strength to all who may be asked to witness for their love for you, even with their very lives. Amen. 

O Holy Saint Oliver, Bishop and Martyr, defender of the Faith and glory of our country, full of confidence we beg you to obtain our petitions, and pray for us to the God you loved and served heroically unto death. Amen.

Our Father . . . . Hail Mary . . . . Glory be . . . .