Day Seven: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness
Opening Prayer
Presider: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.
Presider: Let us pray.
O God, who filled the Priest and Martyr Saint Maximilian Kolbe with a burning love for the Immaculate Virgin Mary and with zeal for souls and love of neighbor, graciously grant, through his intercession, that striving for your glory by eagerly serving others, we may be conformed, even until death, to your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.
A Reading from Holy Scripture
Luke 12:35-44
Jesus said, “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.”
A Reading from the Writings of St. Maximilian Kolbe
KW 149
You must be prepared for moments of darkness, anguish, uncertainty, fear, sometimes very insistent temptations, and suffering of the body and of the soul—that are a hundred times more severe. In fact, if there were nothing to bear, for what would you go to heaven? Without struggle victory would be impossible and without victory there can be no crown, there can be no reward [cf. 1 Cor 9:25]. Therefore, from now on be prepared for anything.
However, we must not be afraid of anything, because we can and we must win. But how? Here is how: by not trusting ourselves in any way and by offering all of ourselves, all the temptations, and our difficulties to the Immaculata, surely we will always be victorious (it is obvious that on our part we have to do what we can not to fall). The Immaculata cannot abandon her children.
Satan never sleeps and—with the permission of God—he often will suggest “wise” propositions, he will show you other “pseudo-duties,” other “happiness,” but he who loves the Immaculata sincerely and wholeheartedly, will easily recognize the enemy and will cast him out.
Serving the Immaculata with fidelity, we can give the best service to our family. In fact, is she not able to help our families incomparably better than we can ourselves? Let us entrust to her all of those close to our hearts, and she, the best among mothers, will help them in the best way possible.
Reflection
Novena Prayer
Version One
Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “Greater love than this no man has that a man lay down his life for his friends,” through the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe whose life illustrated such love, we beseech you to grant us our petitions (quietly mention special requests.) Through the Militia of the Immaculata movement, which Maximilian founded, he spread a fervent devotion to Our Lady throughout the world. He gave up his life for a total stranger and loved his persecutors, giving us an example of unselfish love for all men, a love that was inspired by true devotion to Mary. Grant, O Lord Jesus, that we too may give ourselves entirely without reserve to the love and service of our Heavenly Queen in order to better love and serve our fellowman in imitation of your humble servant, Maximilian.
Amen.
(Three Hail Marys and a Glory Be.)
Version Two
Merciful God, you made St. Maximilian Kolbe one of the foremost Catholic evangelists of the difficult twentieth century.
Through the Militia of the Immaculata movement which he founded, he implanted the truths of the Immaculate Conception and your merciful plan for us all in countless hearts, thus moving them to full conversion in faith and hope, to perfect obedience and union with the Heart of Jesus, and to complete observance of the New Covenant.
You made him fruitful through carrying the cross of suffering with dignity and hope, loving his persecutors, and giving up his life for a total stranger. Through his intercession grant us our petitions (quietly mention the requests you have). Give us a like dignity and hope in our sufferings and sacrifices, and if it will glorify you, heal us of all our infirmities, both physical and spiritual.
Finally, enable us to follow his example of effective Catholic evangelism with Mary for the return to you of all the masses of mankind, and of every individual person, family, society and culture of our time and of all time to come.
Amen.
(Three Hail Marys and a Glory Be.)
Responsory in Honor of St. Maximilian Kolbe
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
God our Father in heaven,
receive our humble prayers.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
save us.
God the Holy Spirit,
fill our hearts with your love.
Holy Trinity, one God,
grant us your salvation.
Holy Mary, Mother of our Savior
intercede for us.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, great hearted lover of God and man,
pray for us.
Faithful follower of St. Francis of Assisi,
teach us your total dedication to the Gospel life.
Man of living faith,
lead us to believe as you did.
Brave Knight of the Immaculata,
help us to be instruments of Mary.
Apostle of the Miraculous Medal,
give us confidence in Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Model of religious life,
assist us to be poor, chaste and obedient.
You encouraged the union of all Christians,
teach us to respect all true believers in God.
You practiced poverty and simplicity,
encourage us to live a modest life.
Example of angelic innocence,
elevate us to keep our hearts and minds pure.
Apostle of Christian example,
teach us to remember what Jesus said and did.
Angel of peace and reconciliation,
inspire us to be living examples of God’s peace.
You were loyal to the teachings of Christ,
teach us the same fidelity.
Apostle of the communications media,
help our journalists to be promoters of truth and goodness.
Educator of youth,
uplift our young people to find true meaning in their lives.
Defender of morals and Christian values,
protect us from the immorality in our midst.
Zealous apostle of Nagasaki in Japan,
defend us from nuclear destruction.
Great missionary of our times,
help us participate in the evangelization of the world.
You prayed for your oppressors,
teach us how to forgive and forget.
You had respect for every person,
help us to see in each other the image of God.
You saw God’s will in your sufferings,
intercede for the sick and those with terminal illness.
Victim of violence and hatred,
teach us how to love our enemies.
You volunteered to die for another,
lead many persons to offer their talents in service.
You shared a meager piece of bread with fellow prisoners,
intercede for the hungry and starving of the world.
Victim of planned extermination,
inspire our doctors and nurses to protect human life.
You died for the father of a family,
restore the Christian dimension of family life.
You assisted the dying prisoners,
stand by us also in the hour of our death.
Patron of the dying,
intercede for those who are in agony of mind and body.
You were united with Christ in suffering,
help us to understand that we do not suffer alone.
You died by a poisonous injection,
aid those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Martyr of Auschwitz,
help us endure our sufferings patiently.
St. Maximilian Kolbe,
teach us that without sacrifice there is no proof of love.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
hear our prayers.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
receive the intercession of your saints.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
to you be glory in heaven and on earth.
Concluding Prayer
Presider: Let us pray.
Almighty and Eternal God, you gave us in the person of St. Maximilian an example of true devotion to the Immaculate Mother of our Savior and of unselfish love for our neighbor. Grant we beseech you through his intercession, that we may grow in our understanding of love of the Immaculata; that we may recognize her presence, her voice, her love and her power with us and be filled with an ardent desire and will to fulfill her will in every detail, and thus become sharers and true instruments of her most perfect response to you, in the Holy Spirit through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Presider: May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Presider: Let us go in peace.
All: Thanks be to God.