NOVENA TO ACHIEVE PROSPERITY AND WELL-BEING

INTRODUCTION

We offer you this Novena to Achieve Prosperity and Well-Being. It is focused on God's word, with short commentaries and reflections to help you understand what prosperity is all about and what should be the content of our petitions.

In praying this novena, we should have in our minds the advice of St. Pio, referring to the Divine Providence:
"We should always be disposed to acknowledge, in all events of life, the wise order of the Divine Providence. We adore Him and we pray that our own will always will be molded by God's design so that we can glorify the Heavenly Father".
We recognize God's will in the process of prosperity and poverty. We discover the hand of God in all these movements. We work and pray as if everything depends on God, leaving only our desire for prosperity that does not block our entrance to eternal life. - Fr. Tim Melliza, SSP

THINGS TO DO TO ACHIEVE PROSPERITY AND WELL-BEING

1. Avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently

"If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift"(Mt. 5:23-24,NAB)

Jesus' Message to St. Faustina

"When you go for confession, you are at the fountain of my mercy and the blood and water that came from my heart will flow into your heart and sanctify your heart. Each time that you go to confess yourself, submerge yourself with great confidence totally in my mercy so that the generosity of my grace can overflow in you. When you come near to the Confessional, you ought that I myself wait for you in the confessional box though I remain hidden in the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul encounters the God of mercy. I said to the souls that from this fountain of mercy they, with confidence, would obtain the exclusive grace. If their trust is great, my generosity will know no limits. The torrents of my grace will flood the humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery because my grace will part from them, and reach the humble".

2. Participate in the Holy Mass

"If you call the Sabbath a delight, and the Lord's holy day honorable; if you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice--Then you shall delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride in the heights of the earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken". (Is. 58:13b-14,NAB)

3. Work for the Lord

"Work willingly for the Lord and not for humans, mindful that the good each one has done, whether servant or free, will be rewarded by the Lord". (Eph. 6:7-8,CCB)

4. Sustain ourselves with the fruits of our work

"He who cultivates his land will have plenty of food, but from idle pursuits a man has his fill of poverty". (Prv. 28:19,NAB)

5. Pay on time your debts and do the good always

"Do not keep with you overnight the wages of any man who works for you, but pay him immediately. If you thus behave as God's servant, you will receive your reward. Keep a close watch on yourself, my son, in everything you do and discipline yourself in all your conduct. Do to no one what you yourself dislike". (Tb. 4:14-15a,NAB)

6. Contribute for the needs of the Church

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me in this, says the Lord of hosts: Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven, to pour down blessing upon you without measure? Form your sake I will forbid the locust to destroy your crops; and the vine in the field will not be barren, says the Lord of hosts". (Mal. 3:10-11,NAB)

7. Participate in works of charity and mercy

"As it is written:'He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever'. The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness". (2Cor. 9:9-10,NAB)

8. Put all faith in God

"But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him". (Heb. 11:6,NAB)

9. Pray that God's will be done

"I write you, then , all these things that you may know that you have eternal life, all you who believe in the name of the Son of God. Through him we are fully confident that whatever we ask, according to his will, he will grant us. If we know that he hears us whenever we ask, we know that we already have what we asked of him". (1Jn. 5:13-15,CCB)

10. Persevere in prayer

"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ bJesus". (Phil. 4:6-7,NAB)

11. Meditate constantly on the Holy Bible

"Keep this book of the law on your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may observe carefully all that is written in it; then you will succesfully attain your goal. I command you: be firm and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go". (Jos. 1:8-9,NAB)

DAILY DEVOTIONS

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

HEAVENLY QUEEN, you have received from God the power and mission to intercede for your sons and daughters on earth. We ask you to humbly bless our endeavors and economic activities. As you visited your cousin Elizabeth and you helped her in her house chores, visit us and see our miseries and needs. You easily recommended that your son Jesus, in the wedding banquet of Cana change water into wine so that the celebration might continue. Intercede for us before your Son that we, too, may celebrate the success of our endeavors and economic activities. We trust in your motherly heart that you would not fail us. On our part, we promise that our prosperity will mean more acts of gratefulness to Jesus and service of charity to our neighbors. Amen.

Prayer to the Angels

HOLY GUARDIANS of the earth and the universe, be present in our business activities that our decisions may always conform to God's will. We wish to reach a certain economic prosperity without ruining our moral life, and enjoy the fruits of our work without depriving others of what is rightly theirs. Do not allow us to sacrifice God's holy will just to gain more money. Open our hearts and minds to the opportunities that knock at our doors. Give us the wisdom to distinguish the threats. Help us also to see the machinations of the devil who wants prosperity without work. Let your presence remind us that through work, we share in the creation of the world and in making society a better place to live in. Amen.

Prayer of Liberation

HEAVENLY FATHER, in the name of Jesus Christ and through His Holy Blood, I ask you to free me, my family, my home and my place of work from Satan and all powers of hell, that seek our ruin and damnation. Help me be free from the temptation of

-living beyond my means

-indebting myself without knowing how to pay for it -

sacrificing my time for my family and my business

-and finding no time for your worship and adoration.

Satan loves to enter when life is promising and good. Help me to distinguish your Holy Presence that in time of abundance when you ask of me to share and save; in time of economic crisis, to remain honest and hardworking. Let me never waste through vices and dissolute spending, the resources and wealth that you have given me. Let your Holy Spirit control me especially in times of abundance that I may never sacrifice your Holy Will for momentary pleasures. I beg you, Heavenly Father:

-shower me with your blessings

-multiply the fruits of my work, my studies and business activities.

Let me be free from the influence of Satan and all evil spirits that stand on guard like roaring lions, waiting to devour me. Let my prosperity be a part of your kingdom. Amen.

Prayer for Mercy (by St. Faustina)

O God of Great Mercy, infinite kindness, today all humanity acclaims from the depths of its misery, your mercy, your compassion. O God, humanity cries out with powerful voice for mercy. O merciful God, do not refuse the prayer of the exiled on this earth. O Lord, inconceivable goodness, you know perfectly our misery and you know that through our own strength we cannot reach you. We implore you to send us your grace and multiply without ceasing your mercy in us so that we may do your Holy Will throughout our lives and at the hour of our death. Let the power of your mercy protect us from the arrows of the enemies of our salvation so that, as your children we can hope for your Second Coming which only you know.
Despite our misery, we hope to receive all that Jesus promised us, because Jesus is our hope. Your merciful heart is the open door by which we will enter heaven. Amen.

NINE-DAY DEVOTION

FIRST DAY
Theme: God's Commandments and Prosperity
V: God, come to my assistance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.
All: Amen.


The Word of God
(Deuteronomy 7:11-13,NAB)
"You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments, the statues and the decrees which I enjoin in you today. As your reward for heeding these decrees and observing them carefully, the Lord, your God, will keep with you the merciful covenant which he promised on oath to your fathers. He will love and bless and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the produce of your soil, your grain and wine and oil, the issue of your herds and the young of your flocks, in the land which he swore to your fathers he would give you".


Reflection
The observance of the Lord's commandments is something we should always remember. We beg in prayer that God should write these commandments in our hearts, that we may never forget. They should be in our minds so that we can put order to our thoughts and see things according to the criteria of Jesus.
We also have to repeat these commandments to our children because we are responsible for their faith. Our words will serve to teach them, but our actions will speak more. Doers of the commandments will be able to convince more effectively than those who merely speak about them.
It is sad to see how in these days, we give little importance to God's commandments and all that is sacred. Nonetheless, there is nothing outside of God that can prosper. Late or early, it will just fall down. We see the ruin of families and persons who once enjoyed prosperity. Their path from riches to rags was made sure by their constant violation of God's commandments. Observance of God's commandments assures us that we are on the right track. If we amass riches through violation of God's commandments, then someday, we will also lose them.



Prayer
ABBA Father, in the name of Jesus through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and of the saints, we are grateful to you for looking at us with love and mercy. In this moment I ask that you help me to
-always remember your commandments
-write them in my heart
-and let them be the guide by which I do your Holy Will.
Bless me always, Lord, and free me from spiritual, physical, economic, and family ruin. Free me from the temptations of idolatry, occultism, and black magic. Send me, Lord, your blessings and shower me with health, peace, love and prosperity. Thank you for your pardon, love and mercy;
thank you for renewing your promises to my family. Thank you for being my only All Powerful God. Amen.


SECOND DAY
Theme: Repentance and Addiction to Debt
V: God, come to my assistance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.
All: Amen.


The Word of God
(Colossians 2:13-15,CCB)
"You were dead. You were in sin and uncircumcised at the same time. But God gave you life with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of our debt, those regulations which accused us. He did away with all that and nailed it to the cross. Victorious through the cross, he stripped the rulers and authorities of their power, humbled them before the eyes of the whole world and dragged them behind as prisoners".



Reflection
Mass media has been instrumental in making sin "disappear" in our society. It is not that people have ceased to sin, but that mass media has put more messages that sinning is just a part of life and there is nothing we can do about it, but accept it as good. Take for instance, premarital sex. Mass media has impressed in our midst the belief that anything pleasurable is good. Therefore, since premarital sex is indeed pleasurable, there is nothing wrong about it!
False belief destroys the sense of sion, and also kills repentance. And without repentance, how easy it is for us to indulge in a wide variety of sins.
Addiction to debt manifests a life where sin and repentance have already disappeared. We want to maintain a lifestyle we cannot afford. We want to continue showing to others that we are rich. This is pleasurable. And we keep on doing it. Piling debts indicates a moral corruption and decay that we should address rapidly. If we develop insensitivity to the harm we do to others by our decision not to pay them, then we have plunged ourselves into an abyss. Material prosperity will escape us. We will encounter endless problems with oouir fellow human beings. There can be no authentic prosperity if there is no repentant heart.



Prayer

ABBA Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and the Church, I pray that you help me open my way out. Reveal to me what is enslaving me at this moment. I wish and I need to be free, Lord, to observe your commandments and to fulfill your Holy Will. Remove all the distractions that impede me from coming near your Son. Nail all my financial and spiritual accounts that I have in this moment in your cross and help me resolve my problems. Send me the help I need most and spare me from a total economic and spiritual collapse. Give me, Lord, the grace to live according to your Holy Will. Thank you for intervening in my life. Amen.


THIRD DAY
Theme: Superstition and Prosperity
V: God, come to my assitance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.
All: Amen.



The Word of God
(Leviticus 26:1-2,NAB)
"Do not make false gods for yourselves. You shall not erect an idol or a sacred pillar for yourselves, nor should you set up a stone figure for worship in your land; for I, the Lord, am your God. Keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am the Lord ".



Reflection
Business people are often superstitious. How many establishments carry images of Chinese origin, which they say bring luck and success? How many people base their decisions on what the stars and astologers say? How many carry in their necks strange amulets? How many consult palm readers and let them guess their business destiny?
These practices are forms of idolatry to which God had directed the first commandment. The danger of cavorting with false gods is that these gods would someday lead persons to perdition. The cult on these false gods is directed by the evil spirits.
Authentic prosperity should be based on the worship and adoration of the true God. This God first demands that we should be responsible for what we are doing. We ask his blessings but at the same time, we remember that we should act responsibly, that is, we should study carefully anything before deciding. We do not trust mere luck but responsible and enlightened decisions.
Prayer and constant discernment with God enable us to have a clear mind and a strong heart. We will sharpen our capacity for deciding and for taking risks. We do not base ourselves on the movements of stars, but on clear facts before we plunge in the risk of investments.
Economic prosperity is also a divine gift though we may have put all our efforts on it. We should not lose touch of this, or else we will lose our capacity for thanksgiving.


Prayer
ABBA Father, in the name of Jesus and through the intercession of the Virgin mary I ask your pardon for the times I did not celebrate my Sunday Eucharist and for the times when I did not observe the commandments. I ask pardon for my lack of holy fear for you who are so good and merciful. Now I ask that you help me to persevere in your way and in your commandments. Give me the gift of the holy fear of God, an authentic sorrow for sin. Free me, O Lord, from all forms of idolatry: witchcraft, occultism, black magic, horoscope, palm reading, spirit of the glass and other demonic practices. Let me always remember that you are the author of all prosperity and success. Thank you, O Lord, because you have already done these. Amen.


FOURTH DAY
Theme: God's Health and Prosperity
V: God, come to my assistance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.All: Amen.



The Word of God
(Psalm31:10-11,NAB)
"Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress; with grief my eyes are wasted, my soul and body spent. My life is worn out by sorrow, my years by sighing. My strength fails in affliction; my bones are consumed".


Reflection

When sickness or hunger reaches us, generally we end up in anguish. We become worried. What are we going to do? And we seek urgent solutions that we don't easily encounter. Then as we enter into a cycle of negative thoughts, we may end up in depression.
On the other hand, sickness and hunger often push us to go near God. In those moments that we feel alone, weak and impotent, we remeber that there is a powerful God who could help us in our healing process. Blessed indeed is the sickness, the hunger and the difficulty that pushes us to be near God. For many, this nearness to God during times of need is the beginning of their conversion. More than asking miracles for healing, God wants us to be close to Him.
Prosperity could never be enjoyed if we suffer from ill health. That is why part of our petition is to ask God to grant us this gift of wellness. A good health is the best blessing we could ever have.
Praying for good health makes us remember that the simpler is our lifestyle, the better it would be for us. Good health is a gift that we should also work for. The more prosperity makes our life simpler, the more we would enjoy good health.
And if we don't spend so much for luxurious items, the more excess we would have for works of charity. We would donate more funds to institutions that feed the poor and the needy.
Good health is also a sign that we are not abusing the blessings of prosperity. We really consider our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit.


Prayer

ABBA Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and of the Church, I ask pardon for all the times that I made that I made myself far from your side, thinking and living selfishly,only to return to you when I suffer and have terrible problems.
(If you are sick, include these prayers:)
Right now, I have some sickness that causes me worry and anguish. I don't have enough resources to sustain its treatment and I don't have the capacity to double my efforts because of this infirmity. Now, O Lord, I have nowhere to turn but you. Lord I don't merit anything from you. I am a sinner, but knowing your infinite mercy and love, I stand before you to ask that you help me when hard times come. Do not deny me my food and drink during the hardest times, and my medicine when I would become sick. Do not allow me to become desperate when such times would come, but inspire me to believe always in Your Providence. Heavenly Father, in the name of your Son, I beseech that you grant me the grace to love you and be thankful always to you because you have been good to me. May I always live in union with you. Amen.


FIFTH DAY
Theme: Blessings and Prosperity
V: God, come to my assistance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.
All: Amen.


The Word of God
(Matthew 10:11-13,CCB)
"When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you ".


Reflection
Who gives blessings? We are accustomed to receive from the priests, religious sisters and our parents. Jesus blesses through his Church, and here we see the importance of the bishops and priests who are called to bless new establishments and businesses.
Asking God's blessings for prosperity opens us to a deeper brotherhood among our fellow human beings. God unites; money divides. We want to enjoy a kind of prosperity where through our sharings, God's face shines.
Money is a common reason for division among family members. How many happy families are suddenly divided because of money issues! How many parents died without giving blessings to their children because they have been scattered by quarrels over inheritance.
The Lord blesses and reveals his face to those who do not make money the priority of their lives. Sustainable prosperity is a gift to persons who value God and family above all else.
We ask the Lord to bless our business endeavors. We do not want to be victims of greed. We want to enjoy prosperity without harming other people. Asking the Lord's blessing is our assurance that we will not run after too much profit to the detriment of others.
Even if we enjoy prosperity through our hardwork, we see our newly acquired wealth not as totally ours, but also as a blessing from the Most High. It is imperative to share something to the poor, the needy and the neglected ones.


Prayer
ABBA Father, in the name of Jesus through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I ask that your blessings reach all the members of my family. Pronounce your blessings through your ministers, the priests and bishops, that we may all feel your Presence as we go from our homes to our work. Let me be an instrument of your blessings. Let me bless all my loved ones every morning and evening. Give me always a tranquil mind that may shower them with nice words, and that I may avoid speaking bad words or cursing anybody. Let me be aware that good words always construct while curses destroy. I remember the nice words you entrusted to Aaron, your first priest among the Israelites, as the formula of your blessings for generation:
The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.
I feel the power of your words as this prayer seeps into my heart. Look kindly on me, let your face shine on me, be gracious to me. I seek prosperity not for my sake, but for your glory, so that through me, you can share peace and abundance to others. I, your most unworthy servant, am a sinner, but I promise that if you shower me with material blessings, I will work so that your face will shine among men and women. May I be an instrument of your peace. Amen.


SIXTH DAY
Theme: Resentment and Prosperity
V: God, come to my assistance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.
All: Amen.


The Word of God
(1 Peter 3:8-9,CCB)
"You should all be of one mind: share each other's troubles with mutual affection, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil for evil or answer one insult with another. Give a blessing instead, since this is what you have been called to fdo, and so you will receive the blessing".


Reflection
Resentment is a poison that debilitates easily the spirit. If you are angry, you feel how your energy gets sapped. Resentment makes you angry even if you are alone and the object of your anger is not there before you. You just remember him and what he did, and though you may be in a church praying, anger easily wells up within. You spend uselessly your energy. You lose precious moments that could have been spent for something positive.
You reach prosperity once you are able to channel your energies to a goal. Once you are wasting a lot of energy in resentment, your way to success will be much harder in comparison to persons who are free from it. Instead of focusing on your work, you just invest your precious time in doing practically nothing.
If you are full of resentment, you are also far from prosperity. You should free your heart from this poison by learning the art of forgiving.
The steps to cure resentment are not well-defined, but you can try this formula: name it, claim it and tame it. Name it by recognizing the presence of your hurt feelings, your anger. When you claim it, suddenly anger diminishes its control over you. Then tame it by asking the Lord for his help. Forgiveness will soon come and the face of that resented person will also fade away.
When you are calm and peaceful, you can truly work for your material well-being. You will be able to focus your energy. Remove then all resentments in your heart because they block your way towards your goal.



Prayer

ABBA Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, I pray that you forgive me my bad habits of not forgiving, of harboring resentments and hate. Forgive me Lord, for my lack of charity and love towards my neighbor. Lord Jesus, I desire with all my heart to thank you for all the blessings you have given me. I know nonetheless that such a grateful heart should also be free from resentment. I cannot live remembering the faces of people who have harmed me. Give me then the courage to forgive. Come to my help, Lord Jesus. Through your Holy face, return to me the happiness and peace that I lost for having fallen into sin, for talking badly of my neighbor. I pray for a more peaceful life filled with love and forgiveness. I desire to be happy, and to enjoy some prosperity in my life. I know that all these are your blessings and that you grant them to whomever you want. I know, however, that I can dispose myself to receive them by cleansing my heart of all impurities brought about by resentment. Thank you for your love and your patience. May your Name be glorified for all eternity. Amen.


SEVENTH DAY
Theme: God is the Source of Prosperity
V: God, come to my assistance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.
All: Amen.


The Word of God
(1 Samuel 2:7-8,NAB)
"The Lord makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts. He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap he lifts up the poor, to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage. He gives to the vower his vow, and blesses the sleep of the just. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he has set the world upon them".


Reflection

In the early part of the Old Testament, economic well-being was considered to be the sure sign that God blest the person. The clear example is Job: he gained his wealth and happy family for being morally upright; he lost them for a while through the intervention of the Devil, but in the end he regained what he lost, and even more.
The puzzle came about when there were cases of virtuous people whose integrity led them to economic ruin. The Old Testament writers found it difficult to explain this situation. Wealth may not be at all a sure sign of God's blessings because many wicked people were also rich. It is useless for a person to be rich when he taints himself with crimes disgusting to God. Real prosperity combines contented body and soul. Prosperity should uplift the spiritual life of the person.

It is good to be reminded that material wealth may not be at all the measure of prosperity. God's concern is that we live to the fullest, and this means having everything for our needs but not everything for our wants. Fullness of life means being happy with what we have knowing that what we are is more important than anything.
Our prayer for prosperity does not aim to make us all millionaires, but to ask God to answer our basic needs, and when there is excess, we will gladly share them with others. We don't want that our prosperity will create few rich people and more poor people, worsening the social inequality. We wish that God, in granting us prosperity will inspire us to do our share in constructing a better society. Thus in this process, we will also enrich our spirit.


Prayer
ABBA Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I ask for pardon for all the times that I lived an independent life that was far from you. I wished to do things in my own way and looked for happiness without counting on you. Now I ask you for the grace that you accompany me throughout my life, to depend on you even for the small things. You truly love me and you know what I need for my salvation. I only ask that you shower me and my family with your blessings of joy, peace and faithfulness. In all moments may I always feel your liberating Presence. Amen.
EIGHTH DAY
Theme: God Helps Us to Obtain Prosperity
V: God, come to my assistance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.
All: Amen.



The Word of God
(Hosea 14:5-8,NAB)
"I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; he shall strike root like the the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; they shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon".


Reflection
In our novena, we pray that God will accompany us to obtain prosperity. First, we should remind ourselves that we are not fit to be accompanied by God. We just don't deserve this. We keep on sining and justifying our evil actions. We don't easily take the path of repentance.
Nevertheless, we are sure that God walks with us. He is faithful to his promises, giving us all the oportunities to mend our ways. We are confident that our trust in him would become stronger. As we sin and obtain his mercy, we sharpen our resolve not to repeat the same sins and pray for him to double his help.
Praying to God to obtain prosperity could, in fact, be the beginning of a real life of prayer. Slowly, we will discover that the more we pray, the more we could his experience his Presence. The more real we would feel his love. There would come a time when our petition for prosperity would disappear, and we would continue to pray...simply enjoying God's presence. All the material things we ask for would just vanish in the immense happiness of his Presence.
The Giver is more important than his gifts. This is the adult attitude to prayer. God is the giver of all gifts: like a child we pray to him in complete dependency and trust.


Prayer
ABBA Father, in the name of Jesus through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I give you thanks for clothing me in your grace and for bestowing on me your blessings. Continue showering me with the abundance of your love. Thank you O Lord, for looking after me since my birth. You are always concerned about my needs and you are doing everything so that I may continue to live as your child. Thank you, O Lord. Amen.


NINTH DAY
Theme: God shares His Abundance with Us
V: God, come to my assistance.
R: Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, forever.
All: Amen.



The Word of God
(Luke 15:31,CCB)
"The Father said: 'My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours'".



Reflection
The divine feasts, as narated both in the Old and New Testaments, speak always of abundance of food and drink. Nobody gets hungry at the table prepared by God. God wants to share totally His abundance with us, as he told the older son in the parable of the Prodigal Son. But then, how many times we prefer to live in hunger than avail of this abundance! The story of the Prodigal son could be the life of anyone of us. When we enjoy good health, when our business runs good and our bank accounts are full of savings, we easily forget God. We return only to him, like the Prodigal son, when everything goes wrong. In returning to him, we dream only of recovering what we lost not understanding that the most important is God himself. God gives abundantly because he gives himself. If we lose him, we lose everything. How many saints and holy people spent their holy lives in the most abject misery and poverty, yet they still exuded immense joy for the presence of God in their hearts. Poverty with God is better than prosperity without him. We end this novena reaffirming that the goal of human life is to be with God. Our dream of quality life is not brought about by riches or material possessions alone. We dream of living, free from sickness and death. Only God can give this. The well-being brought by earthly riches pales in comparison to the happiness of heaven. The apostle Paul, who had a first-hand experience of heaven, spoke of it as a happiness beyond words and imagination:"This man...was taken up to Paradise where he heard words that cannot be told, things which humans cannot express".(2 Cor 12:4,CCB).


Prayer
ABBA Father, I am not worthy that you enter into my house but a word of yours will be enough to heal me. With your grace, I have returned to your arms and with your grace, I will remain with you always. Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, everything that I have is yours; that is why I put into your hands all my problems and necessities. Your Providence makes me sure that you will not abandon me. As I work and pray, let me be assured of your constant Presence in my life. You alone could give meaning to everything that I do and possess. Thank you, O Lord, for blessing me. May I always live under the care of your love and mercy. Amen.


The Novena ends with the recitation of 10 Hail Marys and 5 Our Fathers.