EFFICACIOUS NOVENA TO SAINT ANDREW, APOSTLE & MARTYR: DAY 7

O God, come to my aid+
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

—Pause for an “Examination of Conscience”—

Kyrie Eleison… Christe Eleison… Kyrie Eleison…

The Apostles Creed

I BELIEVE in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty: from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Daily Prayer to St. Andrew

O Glorious St. Andrew, you were the first to recognize and follow the Lamb of God. With your friend St. John you remained with Jesus for that first day, for your entire life, and now throughout eternity. As you led your brother, St. Peter, to Christ, and many others after him, draw us also to Him. Teach us to lead others to Christ solely out of love for Him, and dedication in His service. Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross and to carry our daily crosses without complaint so that they may carry us to Jesus. Amen.

Short Meditation
(Life of Saint Andrew)

(Practical Considerations on St. Andrew’s life – II)

Day 7

St. Andrew manifested great joy on beholding the cross that had been prepared for him; he greeted it warmly and embraced it lovingly. He wished not to be released from it but prayed to be allowed to die on it. Beloved friends, you are not bound to a cross of wood like St. Andrew, but the Almighty and All-Wise sometimes lays a cross of suffering upon you, because He wishes to prepare you for heaven. How do you regard your cross? How do you carry it? I fear to ask you how you greeted, embraced, and kissed it. Perhaps you have carried it, as Simon of Cyrene carried the Cross of the Lord, because you were forced, and could not help yourself. You have suffered only because you were obliged. You suffer murmuring and complainingly, and perhaps even endeavor to free yourself from your cross by improper means even at the detriment of losing your Catholic faith. Oh! how differently did St. Andrew act! He esteemed himself happy, because he could die on the cross like his Saviour, and because he had heard, from the lips of Christ, that the way of the Cross is the surest road to eternal life. You know all these, but you do not think seriously enough of it. In the future, keep these truths before your eyes: first, the way of the Cross is the way to heaven; secondly, Christ died on the Cross for the love of us. Whoever rightly considers these two points, will in his sufferings, not give way to resentment, murmurs, or complaints, but will bear them if not cheerfully, at least patiently.

Pause and reflect for a moment…

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

DAY 7 PRAYER

Our Father…3 Hail Marys…Glory be…

LITANY OF ST. ANDREW

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, Mother of God, Pray for us. (repeat after each line)

Andrew, Native of Bethsaida in Galilee
Andrew, Son of Jona, a fisherman
Andrew, Brother to Simon Peter
Andrew, “First-Called” by Jesus
Andrew, baptized in the Jordan
Andrew, disciple of John the Baptist
Andrew, follower of Jesus
Andrew, a fisher of men
Andrew, who helped feed the 5,000

Apostle Andrew, a man of kindly nature…………… Intercede for us (repeat after each line)

Apostle Andrew, a man with a cheerful spirit
Apostle Andrew, an innocent and good man
Apostle Andrew, friend of children and the elderly
Apostle Andrew, who cured people of diseases
Apostle Andrew, preacher of the love of God
Apostle Andrew, prisoner of the lamb of God
Apostle Andrew, crowned with martyrdom
Apostle Andrew, patient in your scourging
Apostle Andrew, lover of the cross

Lamb of God, who called Andrew to serve…….Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who called Andrew to evangelize…….Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who called Andrew to witness………Have mercy on us.

Let us pray:
God of surprises, you called St. Andrew from being a fisherman to being an evangelist. Grant quick recovery to all the sick so that we may honour his name and his life by continuing to take risks and draw people to your Son, Jesus. Inspire us to share our Catholic faith and life with all who desire a deeper and more personal relationship with your son, Jesus, who loves us into new ways of living in this new millennium. We ask this in the holy name of Jesus the Lord, now and forever. Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Saint Andrew, pray for us!

(If possible, kindly accompany this novena with the Holy Rosary at any hour of the day, either 5 or 10 or 15 or 20 decades…)

May the Divine assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Blessing+
Through the intercession of Saint Andrew (Apostle & Martyr), may the Lord bless + us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Great job praying Day 7! Click here for Day 8 Prayers

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