Novena for Archbishop Romero’s beatification

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Given the critical phase that the beatification process of Archbishop Óscar A. Romero of El Salvador is passing through, Super Martyrio offers this private novena for the successful conclusion of the process.  This is an enhanced version of the Novena to the Magi in anticipation of the Epiphany that is proper to the season.  As calendared, it begins on the Feast of St. Thomas Becket, the last bishop killed at the altar before Abp. Romero (in 1170) and concludes the day the Three Kings are celebrated in Latin America. 

Please join us in prayer and kindly forward this prayer request to your contacts.

DAY 1: Monday, December 29, 2014

Memory of Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi! You were living in continual expectation of the rising of the Star of Jacob, which would announce the birth of the true Sun of justice; obtain for us an increase of faith and charity, and the grace to live in continual hope of beholding one day the light of heavenly glory and eternal joy. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “[T]he Epiphany is guiding us with the star of the Magi, with the perspective of a clarity that comes from God in order to save people.  As we search for liberation we cannot enclose ourselves within earthly and temporal limitations.  The true liberation that the Church proclaims and with which she accompanies the liberating efforts of humanity places these efforts in a global context and orients them toward salvation.”  —Archbishop Romero, January 7, 1979

Romero Beatification Prayer: “Oh! Jesus, Eternal Shepherd, You have made Archbishop Oscar Romero a living example of faith and charity, and have granted him the grace to die at the foot of the altar in a supreme act of love for You. Grant us, if it is Your will, the grace of his beatification. May we follow his example of love for Your Church, for Your Word and the Eucharist; and may we love You in the poorest and the neediest. We ask this through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace. Amen.”

DAY 2: Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Memory of St. Anysia of Greece, helper of the poor and martyr

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi! who at the first appearance of the wondrous star left your native country to go and seek the newborn King of the Jews; obtain for us the grace of corresponding with alacrity to every divine inspiration. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “It is no longer just the dromedaries from Midian and Ephah, no longer just the people from Sheba, but now it is whole continents:  the people from Latin America, Africa and Asia.  From all lands people come together in this unity of faith in Christ.”  —Archbishop Romero, January 8, 1978

Romero Beatification Prayer

DAY 3: Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Memory of Saint Sylvester I, Pope 

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi! who regarded neither the severity of the season, nor the inconveniences of the journey that you might find the newborn Messiah; obtain for us the grace not to allow ourselves to be discouraged by any of the difficulties which may meet us on the way of salvation. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “As the Kings from the East followed their star and found Jesus who filled their hearts with great happiness, so too we, in these hours of uncertainty, shadows and darkness, must continue to follow our star, the star of faith.  It is our fidelity to this faith that will enlighten all people.”  —Archbishop Romero, January 8, 1978

Romero Beatification Prayer

DAY 4: Thursday, January 1, 2015

New Year's Day 

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi, who, when deserted by the star in the city of Jerusalem, sought humbly, and without human respect, from the rulers of the Church, the place where you might discover the object of your journey; obtain for us grace to have recourse, in faith and humility, in all our doubts and perplexities to the counsel of our superiors, who hold the place of God on earth. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “The Church declares that people can be happy only when, like the Magi, they adore the one true God: when they have freed themselves from false idolatries and come with a pure Christian faith to adore the Christ that we must all adore with more integrity.”  —Archbishop Romero, January 7, 1979

Romero Beatification Prayer

DAY 5: Friday, January 2, 2015

Memory of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nazianzus 

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi, who were gladdened by the reappearance of the star which led you to Bethlehem; obtain for us from God the grace, that, remaining always faithful to Him in afflictions, we may be consoled in time by His grace, and in eternity by His glory. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “That which like the sun comes now and illuminates and guides the steps of the Magi and the steps of all people is faith; faith that is rooted in the heart, faith that gives us joy as a result of knowing Christ. Christ never fails because in every crisis and even in failure our joy remains since we have placed our trust in the One who can save us.”  —Archbishop Romero, January 6, 1980

Romero Beatification Prayer

DAY 6: Saturday, January 3, 2015

Memory of the Holy Name of Jesus 

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi, who, entering full of faith into the stable of Bethlehem, prostrated yourselves on the earth, to adore the newborn King of the Jews, though he was surrounded only by signs of poverty and weakness; obtain from the Lord for us a lively faith in the real presence of Jesus in the blessed Sacrament, the true spirit of poverty, and a Christ-like charity for the poor and suffering. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “We can see that the Magi, with the symbolic gifts of incense, gold and myrrh, bring the pain and sorrows and the concerns of their people to beg salvation from the only one who can give it.  So it is in our own history.  Each Sunday when I speak of the specific events of the week, I am only a poor adorer of the Lord, telling him:  Lord, I bring you what the people produce, what the interaction of these people of El Salvador, rich and poor, rulers and ruled, bring forth.”  —Archbishop Romero, January 7, 1979

Romero Beatification Prayer

DAY 7: Sunday, January 4, 2015

Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord 

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi, who offered to Jesus Christ gold, incense, and myrrh, thereby recognizing Him to be at once King, God, and Man; obtain from the Lord for us the grace never to present ourselves before Him with empty hands; but that we may continually offer to Him the gold of charity, the incense of prayer, and the myrrh of penance and mortification. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “Th[e] kingdom of God certainly has no need of our material goods but we recognize that God, who is the origin of our coffee crops, our canals, our cotton, our wealth and all the wealth of the world, has a right to all of these things.  So we generously offer these things to God.  Perhaps it is better to say that we offer all of this to God in the same way that the Three Kings placed gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh before the child Jesus.  Everything that the world produces belongs to God.”  —Archbishop Romero, January 8, 1978

Romero Beatification Prayer

DAY 8: Monday, January 5, 2015

Memory of St. John Neumann 

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi, who, when warned by an angel not to return to Herd, traveled back to your country be another road; obtain for us from the Lord, the grace that, after having found Him in true repentance, we may avoid all danger of losing Him again. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “The Vatican Council states that each person has a depth to his/her being, their conscience, which is like a secret room where God descends to speak with individuals and where these individuals then decide their destiny. Let us go down, like the Magi, to the depths of our being and find Christ there in our hearts!  Let us not look for him outside of ourselves but let us look for him within ourselves.  In this way we will find that we are able to speak about the role that we are to undertake during this historic time in El Salvador.  We have much to give because God is with each one of us.”  —Archbishop Romero, January 6, 1980

Romero Beatification Prayer

DAY 9: Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Three Kings Day in Latin America 

Novena prayer: “O holy Magi, who were first among the Gentiles called to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and who persevered in the faith till your deaths, obtain for us of the Lord the grace of living always in conformity to our baptismal vows, ever leading to a life of faith; that like you we may attain to the beatific vision of that God Who now is the object of our faith. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Reflection: “[T]he Magi ... are the first persons in a long processional line and we, gathered here in the Cathedral or in our communities where we are reflecting together on this message … we continue the process, we are the magi today, the magi of 1980.  The Magi of twenty centuries ago were the first ones who received this knowledge of Christ:  blessed are the people, blessed the women and men who find this revelation of Jesus!”  —Archbishop Romero, January 6, 1980

Romero Beatification Prayer






More spirituality from Archbishop Romero:

Rosarium, a Romero Rosary
Christmas with the Poor
Romero and spiritual retreats
Romero and St. Damien of Molokai
Romero and distractions to prayer
Romero and the Angelus