Thank you for joining us in praying the St. Therese Novena! If you’ve had any prayers answered throughout this novena, you can share those with us all below.
We’re praying for you!
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The search for your future spouse can often feel intimidating and lonely, especially in the age of online dating. Turning to the saints for prayers offers both solace and guidance.
There are many saints that can assist you in finding your future spouse. From patron saints of relationships to those renowned for their devotion to God’s will, these holy figures provide you with companionship and help in discernment on your journey.
Saint Joseph was chosen to be the husband of the Blessed Mother and the earthly father of Jesus; although he wasn’t “conceived without sin” like Mary, he still possessed the virtues and character needed for a godly marriage with her.
He also knows firsthand what it is like to wholeheartedly trust God’s plan and can help you navigate your own path with the same faith which is why you should entrust your dating life or new-found relationship to this powerful intercessor.
St. Anthony’s reputation for being a “matchmaker saint” appears to have begun in the Middle Ages when many destitute girls turned to him to ask for a dowry and a bridal trousseau which were, at the time, necessary to get married.
Today the tradition of praying to Saint Anthony in order to find one’s future spouse is particularly well known in Latin America and Portugal; Pope Francis recalled this in a conversation with students in Padua: “In Argentina we have great veneration for St Anthony; he is the patron of young people looking for their sweethearts.”
“St Anne, St Anne, find me a man.” This is a common prayer offered by young women in search of a husband, though the history and the reasoning behind asking for her intercession for meeting a future spouse is unclear.
Along with her husband St. Joachim, St. Anne modeled a faithful marriage.
However, being the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus, St. Anne’s intercession is powerful.
St. Andrew’s matchmaking reputation seems to go back to Scripture when he introduced his brother Peter to Christ, thereby helping Christ’s new Church find Her first pope.
As Catholics, we are called to live a sacramental life– a life deeply intertwined with the sacred mysteries that Christ instituted for our sanctification.
The sacraments, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, are outward signs of inward grace given by Christ to the Church, and they play a central role in our spiritual journey.
But what does it truly mean to live a sacramental life?
Understanding the Sacraments
The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Each sacrament is a unique encounter with God’s grace:
- Baptism initiates us into the Christian community, washing away original sin and marking us as children of God.
- Confirmation strengthens the grace of Baptism, empowering us with the Holy Spirit to live out our faith boldly.
- Eucharist nourishes us with the Body and Blood of Christ, deepening our union with Him and with one another.
- Reconciliation offers us God’s mercy and forgiveness, restoring our relationship with Him and the Church.
- Anointing of the Sick provides healing and comfort to those who are suffering, uniting their pain with Christ’s own.
- Holy Orders consecrates individuals to serve the Church as deacons, priests, or bishops, acting in the person of Christ.
- Matrimony unites a man and woman in a lifelong covenant of love, mirroring the relationship between Christ and His Church.
Living a sacramental life means to regularly participate in these sacraments, allowing them to shape our lives and guide our actions.
Attend Mass frequently, participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly, and receive the Anointing of the Sick when needed. Embrace your vocation–whether you are called to marriage, priesthood, religious life, or single life– with faith and commitment, allowing it to be a means of grace.
It is through the sacraments that we encounter Christ in a tangible way and receive the grace needed to grow in holiness.
Saints Who Exemplified a Sacramental Life
The saints provide us with powerful examples of what it means to live a sacramental life. These saints are only a few of the many whose lives were marked by a deep devotion to the sacraments and an unwavering commitment to God’s will.
The precursor to Christ, St. John the Baptist lived a life of profound humility and dedication to God’s will. His role in baptizing Jesus highlights the significance of Baptism as a sacrament of initiation and conversion, calling all to repentance and a deeper relationship with God.
Known as the Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney was a parish priest who spent countless hours in the confessional, offering God’s mercy to those who sought it. His life was a testament to the power of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and he often encouraged his parishioners to receive the Eucharist frequently, recognizing it as the source and summit of the Christian life.
The “Little Flower” had a profound love for the Eucharist. Her deep, childlike faith and trust in God’s love were nourished by her frequent reception of Holy Communion. She saw every moment of her life as an opportunity to offer herself as a living sacrifice, united with Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin made Church history by becoming the first married couple canonized together. This couple and their example of holiness through their vocation of marriage not only influenced the lives of their children, but also the Church up until today, as their youngest daughter St. Therese of Lisieux went on to become one of the most-well known and beloved saints.
You can find more Married Saints and Novenas to them here.
This Franciscan friar had a profound devotion to the Immaculate Conception and the Eucharist. He founded the Militia Immaculatae, a movement dedicated to evangelization through Marian consecration. St. Maximilian’s life, particularly his self-sacrifice in Auschwitz, was a powerful testament to his union with Christ through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)
Mother Teresa’s life was a testament to living out the grace received in the sacraments. Her daily routine began with Mass and ended with Eucharistic adoration, which fueled her tireless work among the poorest of the poor. She saw Christ in everyone she served, embodying the sacramental vision that every person is a vessel of divine love.
A Capuchin friar known for his piety, charity, and the mystical phenomena surrounding his life, Padre Pio had a deep love for the Eucharist and spent many hours in prayer and hearing confessions. His life demonstrated the transformative power of the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
Known as the patroness of First Communicants, Blessed Imelda had a profound devotion to the Eucharist from a young age. Her life was marked by an extraordinary love for the Blessed Sacrament, culminating in a miraculous event during her First Communion.
When she was 11 years old, the nuns found a consecrated host in the air above Imelda’s head; taking it as a sign that God wished Imelda to receive Him in the Eucharist, the chaplain allowed it. She died in ecstasy and love of Jesus.
St. Philip Neri, an Italian priest, had a profound devotion to and encounter with the Holy Spirit. One evening while praying in the catacombs of Rome, the Holy Spirit entered his heart and filled him with the love of God. He brought much-needed spiritual renewal to Rome through his playful and loving spirit.
His pontificate was marked by a profound devotion to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. He emphasized the importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church and the faithful. His life and teachings highlighted the transformative power of the sacraments in fostering a personal relationship with Christ and living out the call to holiness.
Living a sacramental life is a journey of grace, drawing us ever closer to the heart of Christ. By following the example of the saints and embracing the sacraments, we can grow in holiness and become beacons of God’s love in the world.
The next novena we’re going to pray as a community is one of our favorites, it’s the St. Therese of Lisieux Novena!
Pope Pius X called St. Therese “the greatest saint of modern times.” She’s well known for her “little way” spirituality of doing small, ordinary things with extraordinary love. She wrote in her autobiography, “What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love.”
We will start praying this novena on Sunday, September 22nd.
You can share your prayer intentions with us all below. And you can join us in prayer here.
Thank you for joining us in praying the Novena for Marriage & Family!
If you’ve had any of your prayers answered throughout this novena, you can share those with us all below. We’re praying for you!
There is no denying that we live in a noisy world. Thanks to technology and the constant stream of information and news bombarding our senses, many of us have a difficult time even understanding the meaning, let alone the importance, of silence.
But true silence–interior silence– is essential for prayer and our pursuit of holiness; for, as St. Mother Teresa said, it is in silence that the Lord speaks.
The Power of Silence
There is something sacred about silence. It is not merely an absence of noise, but rather a manifestation of God.
In Scripture we see that it is in silence that the Presence of God is revealed. In 1 Kings, for instance, we read about Elijiah’s profound encounter with God:
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ (1 Kings 19:11-13, emphasis added).
Similarly we know that Jesus regularly withdrew from the crowds to solitary places for prayer and communion with the Father.
Silence, therefore, is not only a space for quiet reflection but a sacred avenue for encountering the living God. It allows us to nurture our spiritual growth, listen attentively to God’s voice, and enter into a deeper communion with Him.
What the Saints said about Silence
“It is best to learn to silence the faculties and to cause them to be still so that God may speak.” St. John of the Cross
“In silence, one awakens from his sleep; all souls are sleepwalkers, their eyes shut against the noble lives they ought to lead. As a sleepwalker will not awaken to every sound but will often respond when his name is called, so the soul in silence hears the Divine vocation and awakens: for the Shepherd calls His sheep by name.” Ven. Fulton Sheen
“Silence is the doorkeeper of the interior life.” St. Josemaria Escriva
“Listen in silence, because if your heart is full of other things you cannot hear the voice of God.” St. Teresa of Calcutta
“Silence is necessary, and even absolutely necessary. If silence is lacking, then grace is lacking.” St. Maximilian Kolbe
How to Cultivate Silence
As many of us don’t live a monastic life, silence may seem hard to come by; however, there are many ways to cultivate silence in your life even as a busy layperson.
- Hold your tongue: Learning to keep a physical silence helps to cultivate an interior silence. Of course, avoid gossip, complaining, or criticizing but there may also be times, as St. Benedict writes in His Rule, where “good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence.” Practice speaking less and listening more in your daily life, so you may bring this skill with you to prayer.
- Carve out moments of silence in your day: Resist the urge to fill every moment of your day with content and noise. Turn off the radio in the car, close your computer before bed in the evening, and avoid mindlessly scrolling on your phone throughout the day. Embrace moments of silences as they present themselves.
- Ask for God’s Grace: No matter how hard we try to cultivate the skill of silence, it can still be difficult to practice. Ask God for a heart that listens to His voice and the ability to recognize His presence.
The next novena is The Novena for Marriage & Family!
St. John Paul II said, “As the family goes… so goes the whole world in which we live,” so it’s really important that we pray for marriages and families to be strengthened and sanctified.
We’ll start praying on Friday, August 30th. You can share your prayer intentions with us all below – we’re praying for you!
Thank you for joining us in praying the St. Monica Novena!
If you’ve had any of your prayers answered throughout this novena, you can share those with us all below. We’re praying for you!
The next novena is the St. Monica Novena! We’ll start praying on Sunday, August 18th.
St. Monica prayed for her son’s conversion for more than 15 years. She prayed constantly with faith and hope in God. Eventually, her son experienced a conversion and became a great saint: St. Augustine!
You can join us in prayer here, and you can share your prayer intentions with us all below.
Thank you for joining us in praying the St. Anne Novena!
If you’ve had any of your prayers answered throughout this novena, you can share those with us all below.
We’re praying for you!