On February 23, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna. St. Polycarp does not have an official patronage, but he is a great saint to seek intercession from in many circumstances. You can ask St. Polycarp to pray for you if you are facing persecution for your Faith, since he endured persecution for his Faith and was ultimately martyred. Or you can ask him to pray for someone you know who is suffering persecution for their Faith. St. Polycarp is also a great saint to seek intercession from on behalf of Church leaders, since he was a holy bishop who did a lot to combat heresy and to lead the Church well.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
OPENING PRAYERGreat martyr, Saint Polycarp, make us steadfast witnesses to the truth in word and deed, just as you witnessed to the truth in your own life and death. Through your intercession, make our commitment to our religion of long duration, a life project, enduring until our life of faith concludes with a death of faith. As we devote ourselves to you in this period of nine days, hear the humble prayers we make before God and intercede for us in order that we become beneficiaries of the heavenly graces especially in this particular need(s) (state your intentions). Grant this, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
MEDITATION: EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS
(Polycarp wrote some epistles, among which are to the Philippians. We shall examine this epistle in the course of our meditation. The epistle resembles that of Saint Paul in style and content, a proof that he heard the preachings of the Apostles of Christ)
(CHAPTERS 7&8)
Chapter 7. Avoid the Docetæ, and persevere in fasting and prayer
For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist; and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the firstborn of Satan. Wherefore, forsaking the vanity of many, and their false doctrines, let us return to the word which has been handed down to us from the beginning; watching unto prayer, and persevering in fasting; beseeching in our supplications the allseeing God not to lead us into temptation, as the Lord has said: The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Chapter 8. Persevere in hope and patience
Let us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree, who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him. Let us then be imitators of His patience; and if we suffer for His name’s sake, let us glorify Him. For He has set us this example in Himself, and we have believed that such is the case.
—SILENT REFLECTION—
CONCLUDING PRAYER – DAY 5
St. Polycarp, you lived in a society that was hostile to the Christian Faith. Many were being killed for their Faith, but you courageously continued serving God and His Church. You did not seek out martyrdom, but you calmly accepted many sufferings for your Faith. You submitted yourself to God’s will for you, and you ultimately gave up your life for the Faith in a painful martyrdom. Pray for me, that I may never allow difficulties to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may endure all trials willingly out of love for God.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Through the intercession of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, may Almighty God bless you + the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Shalom!
Compiled by Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Paroquia Nossa Senhora da Immaculada Conceição, Paulo Ramos, Maranhão, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today?
Pray for me, that I may never allow difficulties to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may endure all trials willingly out of love for God. Amen
Talking about Crosses. Is there anything like daily and occasional crosses? How can one differentiate them?
St Polycarp of Smyrna, pray for us
No matter the difficulty in our life may nothing take us away from God own’s way, AMEN.
Thanksgiving to God for Successful surgery on my son and putting him on the path of WHOLESOME HEALING.
May the Lord hear our prayers. Amen
Thank you Jesus for everything you have done for me and my family and for answered prayers amen
Amen
May the Lord hear and answer our fervent prayers to Him as we pray. Amen
St. Polycarp of Symirna pray for the persecuted Church of Nigeria and pray for my family Amen
St. Polycarp, pray for us and our country Nigeria.
St Polycarp, pray for me, that I may never allow difficulties to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may endure all trials willingly out of love for God.
Amen and Amen
St Polycarp of Smyrna
Pray for us
Thank You JESUS……….
Amen
Amen
St Polycarp of Smyrna, pray for me, my family and friends that we may never allow difficulties to deter us from serving God. I pray that we may endure all trials willingly out of love of God, Amen
I thank God for everything .
AMEN
Saint Polycarp of Smyrna Pray for us Amen
St Polycarp of Smyrna, please intercede for my family and grant me peace in my trials
Through st Polycarp, may the almighty God continues to guide us through this difficult situation. Amen
Amen
Saint Polycarp of Smyrna Pray for us Amen
St Polycarp of Smyrna pray for me,my family and Nigeria
Through the intercession of st Polycarp of Smyrna, may God hear and grant our prayers.
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Through the intercession of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, may Almighty God answer our prayers and bless Us Amen
Thanks for giving us information about St. Polycarp, and how and when to invoke his intercession.
God bless OCCF
Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, pray for us!
Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, pray for us.
Pray for Nigerians. For fraternity, tolerance, and love amongst us. Nigeria will be great again. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Amen
Amen
St Polycarp of Smyna Pray for us
Thy kingdom come O Lord
Thank You Lord for my miracle is on the way
That I may endure all trials willingly out of love for God. Amen! St Polycarp, pray for us!
Amen
St Polycarp, pray for us in this trying times and always. IJN Amen
St Polycarp, through your intersection may the good Lord protect our families and loved ones from all evil IJN Amen
Amen and amen
Holy Hieromartyr Polycarp, pray for the OCCF Family
Amen
Amen and Amen
Through the intercession of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, may Almighty God bless you + the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen