Novena to Saint Archangel Raphael

Glorious Archangel Saint Raphael, great Prince of the Heavenly Court,

thou art illustrious for thy gifts of wisdom and grace.

Thou art a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners.

I beg thee, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once thou helped the young Tobias on his travels.

Because thou art the medicine of God, I humbly pray thee to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body.

I especially ask of thee this humble prayer petition...and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Saint Archangel  Raphael, of the glorious seven who stand before the throne of  God who lives and reigns.

Angel of health, the Lord has filled thy hand with balm from Heaven to soothe or cure our pains.

Heal or cure the victim of disease and guide our steps when doubtful of our ways. Amen

Today is the Double Feast of Saint Bridget of Sweden

Saint Bridget, known in the entire Church of God, on account of the many divine revelations with which she was graced, was born in Sweden, of noble and pious parents.
Saint Bridget had the gift of prophecy and worked many marvellous cures. Once widowed, she lived an ascetic life, eating very little, sleeping short hours, and praying continually. She followed a strict rule and practised every possible kind of charitable work. She received constant inspirations which were either taken down by her chaplain and put into Latin, thus becoming known as her Revelations, or took the form of letters to the succeeding popes, cardinals, and secular rulers of the day, telling them of their wickedness and how to reform their lives.
Both in Sweden and in Rome she was either hated violently or loved as a saint. "Strong and full of courage", she lived a holy life .
She founded the Order of the Saviour or the Bridgettines at Vadstena in Sweden.
Saint Bridget received great revelations concerning Chivalry and the great virtue of the knights that fought for Christ and Christendom. Our Lord appeared to her and said in one of her visions, taking care to emphasise what He said to her, this:
"A knight who keeps the laws of his order is exceedingly dear to me. For if it is hard for a monk to wear his heavy habit, it is harder still for a knight to wear his heavy armour".These were the very words of our Lord to Saint Bridget.

Let us pray / Oremus :

O God, who guided Saint Bridget of Sweden along different paths of life and wondrously taught her the wisdom of the Cross as she contemplated the Passion of your Son, grant us, we pray, that, walking worthily in our vocation, we may seek Thee in all things.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen