Father Jean-Claude Lange, pastor of Sainte-Therese parish in Metz, France, where devotion to Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin has produced a profound spiritual renewal, generously permitted me to translate the novena to St. Therese and Louis and Zelie that is used in that parish and that appears in French on their Web site (http://saintetheresemetz.fr) and to post it at "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway." Please feel free to link to it.
Below is an introduction to the novena, including the prayer for the canonization of Louis and Zelie. I will post the meditations and prayers particular to Day 1 in the blog entry that follows this one immediately. You may begin the novena on July 3 and end it on July 11 as a preparation for the feast of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin on July 12th.
My fervent thanks to Father Lange and to Mary Davidson, OCDS, who translated the novena into English.
A NOVENA WITH ST. THERESE AND HER PARENTS, BLESSED LOUIS AND ZELIE MARTIN
“The good God has given me a father and a mother more worthy of Heaven than of earth.” --L.T. 261
Foreword:
We are privileged to discover the beauty of a family home, the family of Mr. and Mrs. Martin and their nine children. Here is a novena to pray with them. Let us take a childlike attitude towards this extraordinary family. During this novena, may we imitate the faithfulness of the Martin family as they harmonized the rhythms of their lives with the Lord of Love. In our requests to the little brothers of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, let us find strength to support our priests and seminarians in the world today. In our requests to the sisters and brothers of St. Therese, may we find the boldness needed to defend the beauty of the family in today's world. May we rest in the discovery of the liturgy of the family that was so dear to Mr. Martin and Mrs. Martin. This daily liturgy was that of family memory, passing faithfulness on to their children in the image of St. Anne as she taught the Virgin Mary and in humility similar to St. Francis of Assisi.
Yes, as one may be inspired by the cover of a book, may we be drawn into peace and confidence in the ocean of love, to the quiet, deep and nourishing waters of the Mercy of the Father. Let us ask Our Father, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and Saint Anne for the healing needed to recognize the sanctity of the family of St. Therese of Lisieux. Let us not hesitate to entrust ourselves to the Divine Will as living stones of the Rosary of our lives.
Introduction
"God created humans in the divine image; in the image of God God created them, male and female God created them" (Gen. 1-27)
What a joy is ours to experience daily God’s creation around us. Let us not hesitate to sing the anthem: “All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him above all forever” (Dan. 3). Our ways on earth rise and fall, are light and dark, with both wetness and dryness, fog and fire. Everything is aimed at establishing a hymn to creation. Louis Martin described for his children the deep valleys and majestic peaks of the landscapes he loved. With his Little Queen Therese, he contemplated all Creation, including cypress trees and the sky in Italy. As a good father, he still leads us today to hear the rushing of the river and the songs of birds that speak of the earth. Louis Martin takes us to the edge of the sea and the sky, joyfully feeling the sea spray. With Therese he read in the stars the brilliance of God; he knew the sparrows and the eagles, snow like pollen on the stones of the Colosseum, the colors of the earth and her orchards. Thus, in the twilights and the dawns of Normandy, Louis Martin orchestrated his family music: his ode to God. He sang every night and recited a poem about the creator for his gathered family. And Zelie Martin, who understood the secret beauty of the snowflake, reproduced this beauty in lace, creating patterns for the holiday season and remembrances. In turn let us be aware of rhythm for our children, the time of the seasons and the times of life and small deaths. May we raise our hands to praise God in creation and thank him. With Louis and Zelie Martin let us rediscover the profound meaning of life borne in the divine spirit. Yes, let us find the desire of our life. “Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us. You are God, the giver of life. Cleanse us from all sin, for you are all good” (Liturgy of Vespers).
Prayers for each day of the novena
To Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of St. Therese of Lisieux; to Marie, Pauline, Leonie, Helene, Louis Joseph, Louis Jean Baptiste, Celine and Melanie:
"God Our Father,
I thank you for Louis and Zelie Martin,
a couple united in faith, giving the witness of an exemplary Christian life
through the exercise of the duty of their state in life
and the practice of the evangelical virtues.
In the education of a large family,
through trials, mourning, and suffering,
they generously expressed their trust in You
and their submission to Your will.
Deign to grant, O Lord, the graces that I seek,
in the hope that the father and mother of St. Therese of the Child Jesus
will one day be proposed as models for today's families for the entire Church. Amen.”
Our Father… Hail Mary...