This coming October 20th we celebrate the feast of our holy patron, St. John Cantius. As we prepare to begin the novena to St. John Cantius on October 11th, I would like to extend a heartfelt invitation to all our friends and faithful at all our parishes to join us in this special time of prayer. In sharing our mission, you are an integral part of the spiritual life that binds us together as a community. These nine days of prayer offer us a special opportunity to unite our hearts and minds, to reflect on our calling, and to seek the graces needed for the journey ahead.
I invite you to pray with us, to ask for the intercession of St. John Cantius, praying for our community and for restoration in each of our lives. Let us come together in faith, trust, and prayer as we journey through these nine days, seeking the guidance and grace of our beloved patron
Fr. Joshua Caswell, SJC
Superior General of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius
OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God, One and Only, in the Most Holy Trinity, from the depths of our hearts we desire above all to give thanks for countless graces and for all that we have received from Your generous hand.
Father most kind, we stand before You with childlike faith and trust. Along with the gift of ourselves we bring to You our joy, which flows from the small victories along the road of our daily struggles with the world around us.
God, the Holy Spirit, enlighten our thoughts and our hearts. Show us the path marked out for our life and do not allow us to ever stray from that path by choosing wrongly from among those choices offered to us everyday by life.
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, we offer You our difficulties, sufferings, and all adversities, which constitute the pain of life. We join them with Your Cross as an expression of our gratitude for Your Passion and Death, and as proof of our solidarity with the Most Sorrowful Blessed Mother, who for us and in our name stood beneath the Cross on Golgotha.
We do this in our own name and with thought of those for whom today we wish to pray.
Lord God, through the intercession of St. John from Kenty, grant us our requests. Reject not our petitions.
St. John Cantius, be our confidant at the side of God. Fervently, we ask you to take us under your care. Obtain for us from the Throne of grace those indispensable gifts, without which we would be unable to fulfill those tasks, which God has given to us in His age-old plan.
We ask of you today, to obtain for us from God, that special favor, which we so fervently desire (specify the intention) and above all, the remission of our sins, a continuation in His grace, and a happy death. Amen.
Our Father, ... ;
Hail Mary, ... ;
Glory Be...
St. John Cantius, pray for us.
See petitions for each day below.
Petitions for Each Day
Day One – October 11th
Petition for the Grace of Fervent Faith
Lord Jesus Christ, You said: “If you will have faith the size of a mustard seed,” you will be able to conquer all the obstacles of life. Humbly we beseech Thee, bestow upon us the grace of fervent faith and grant, that by imitating St. John from Kenty, we would place in You our hope for the life of this world, and that we would be rewarded in eternity for fidelity to Your teaching. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Day Two – October 12th
Petition for the Spirit of Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, “enduring in prayer,” You gave Your disciples an example of how they were to worship the Father, and You bestowed upon St. John from Kenty the singular gift of contemplation. Grant, that we would unceasingly praise You, and by imitating the humble life of our Patron, could through his powerful intercession gain help in all our spiritual needs and remain faithful in the face of the adversities of life. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Day Three – October 13th
Petition for Love among People
Lord Jesus Christ, You taught us through your Apostle: “Love each other mutually with brotherly love.” We humbly ask You, through the intercession of St. John from Kenty, untiring advocate of the Gospel of love, that we more perfectly love our brothers as you loved us. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Day Four – October 14th
Petition for the Spirit of Penance
Lord Jesus Christ, You told us: “Do penance, for the Kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” Grant that we would through the intercession of St. John from Kenty, who distinguished himself by a singular devotion to the Lord’s Passion, perform acts of penance and recognize them as the path to exoneration, which brings us closer to a joyful eternity. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Day Five – October 15th
Petition for the Fulfillment of God's Will
Lord Jesus Christ, You told us: let the will of the Heavenly Father “be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Grant, that by following the example of St. John from Kenty, we would cherish the humble and meek fulfillment of Your will and in that manner proclaim the glory of Your name. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Day Six – October 16th
Petition for the Spirit of Mercy
Lord Jesus Christ, in giving the example of the Good Samaritan, You told us: “Go and do the same.” Likewise, St. John from Kenty, by his conduct, proclaimed the Gospel of mercy to prisoners, beggars, and all in need. Grant, that by his example, we may fulfill the fundamental law of the Last Judgement: “Whatever you did for the least of my brethren you did unto Me.” Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Day Seven – October 17th
Petition for the Gift of Christian Witness
Lord Jesus Christ, through Your Apostle You reminded us, that in the world we are Your letter “written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.” We ask, that through the intercession of St. John from Kenty, you give us the grace of Christian witness, so that as “a living tablet” we would open to the world our hearts filled to overflowing with the Spirit of God and in that manner bear witness to Your presence in the human family. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Day Eight – October 18th
Petition for Priestly Vocations
Lord Jesus Christ, You told us: “Beseech therefore the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest.” Grant we ask, through the intercession of St. John from Kenty, who performed his priestly duties with such great fervor, that the Holy Mother Church would never lack worthy laborers in Your Vineyard. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Day Nine – October 19th
Petition for Loyalty to the Cross
Lord Jesus Christ, You told us: “He who does not carry his cross and follow Me, cannot be my disciple.” We implore Thee, that through the intercession of St. John from Kenty, who distinguished himself by a special love of the mystery of the Holy Cross, as well as by a devotion to the Most Sorrowful Mother, we would follow the example of Your servant by pondering the mystery of Your Passion and Death, and in that manner learn of love and attain the glory of the resurrection. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
See Litany below.
Litany to St. John Cantius
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World,
have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
pray for us.
St. John Cantius, pray for us.
Faithful servant of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Fervent disciple and advocate of the Gospel of Christ, pray for us.
Venerator of the Lord's Passion, pray for us.
Exemplary shepherd of Jesus Christ’s flock, pray for us.
Venerator of the Most Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Venerator of St. Anne, pray for us.
Zealous imitator of the saints, pray for us.
Lover of souls redeemed with Christ's Blood, pray for us.
Pride and patron of the priesthood, pray for us.
Father of the poor, pray for us.
Exemplar of Christian kindness, pray for us.
Teacher and model of evangelical mercy, pray for us.
Defender of those suffering injustice, pray for us.
Refuge of the afflicted, pray for us.
Protector of prisoners, pray for us.
Patron and guardian of pilgrims, pray for us.
Great worker of miracles, pray for us.
Healer of the sick, pray for us.
Restorer of sight to the blind, pray for us.
Refuge for those drowning, pray for us.
Consolation and deliverance of the dying, pray for us.
Advocate of God's justice, pray for us.
Intercessor for sinners before God, pray for us.
Patron of his Polish homeland, pray for us.
Patron of the city of Kraków, pray for us.
Pride of the Krakovian Academy, pray for us.
Luminous model of the academic profession, pray for us.
Patron of teachers, pray for us.
Guardian of those engaged in academic work, pray for us.
Teacher of truth, pray for us.
Refuge in all our needs, pray for us.
Joyful with the chosen ones in heaven, pray for us.
Have mercy on us, spare us, O Lord.
Have mercy on us, graciously hear us, O Lord.
That the ever-merciful God would deign to impart upon us the gift of Christian wisdom,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to renew in us the spirit of devoted love toward our brothers,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to fill our souls with the grace of sanctification,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to preserve us from spiritual perils,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to extend His hand to help us in adversities and temporal hardships,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to strengthen and increase the spirit of brotherly love and unity in the Holy Church,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to preserve our Homeland in peace and bless her,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to strengthen our families in mutual fidelity and love,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to surround our children and youth with special care,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to strengthen college students in a faithfulness to the Gospel and a Christian outlook,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That He would deign to give them the spirit of wisdom and fidelity to the truth,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
That the Almighty God would deign to endow all the faithful with the grace of perseverance, and those that have strayed from Him with the grace of conversion and penance,
St. John Cantius, intercede for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O Saint John Cantius,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, O God, our merciful Father, through the intercession of St. John Cantius, priest, to answer our prayers and deign to endow with Thy grace and blessing all who turn to Thee in confidence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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