Novena To St. Dominic of the Rosary {Day 1}

St. Dominic of the Rosary and St. Philomena are my favorite saints. And, as I am being prepared for confirmation, these are the two that I am going to pick as my confirmation saints. But I want to be sure that they are the ones I am supposed to pick.

So, I am going to say a novena to each one. I'm going to post it every day here because I hope you'll join me in praying to these marvelous saints.

I am going to start out with the novena to St. Dominic. Today is the first day. (you can find the site where I found this novena here) Quite conicidentallly, the site of this novena is the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. :D

First Day: The Force of Good Example

He shone in his days as the morning star, in the midst of a cloud, and as the moon at the full; and as the sun, when it shines, so did he shine in the temple of God. (Sirach 50:6,7)

LUMEN ECCLESIAE                      LIGHT OF THE CHURCH

St. Dominic was born in Spain in 1170. With the dawn of reason his whole soul turned to God. His childhood was most pious and his youth angelic in purity. In the University of Palencia he was the model student. At twenty five he became a canon regular at Osma, and with the religious habit he put on the Lord Jesus and strove in all things to imitate Him. His time was divided into prayer, study of Scripture, and com­munity duties. Silence and retirement were his delight; works of penance and tears of contrition his meat and drink. Going in 1205 to France, he spent many years in every kind of labor for the conversion of the Albigensian heretics. Like Jesus Christ he passed the day in apostolic work, the night in prayer. His penance was extreme, but to others he was gentle, sweet, and kind. Many were converted by his miracles, many by the example of his holy life. Six times he jour­neyed to Rome, once to Spain, once to Paris, walking barefoot, praying or singing on the road; preaching in the towns and villages, spending the nights in contemplation. He founded in 1215 the Order of Friars Preachers for the conversion of souls. He was a man of truly apostolic heart, a column of the Faith, a trumpet of the Gospel, the light of Christ to men. He died at Bologna in 1221.

Pray for us, blessed father, St. Dominic, That we may be made worthy of the prom­ises of Christ.

Let us pray, O most enlightened teacher of divine truth, Holy Father St. Dominic, who taught what was profitable for salvation and made yourself all things to all men, that you might win all to Christ; help us to close our ears and hearts to all false doctrine and whatever may be harmful to our souls and to open them joyfully to the truths of Holy Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.