Novena to Saints Louis and Zélie
In the history of the saints, Louis and Zélie Martin are the first spouses to be canonized together. Their holiness was formed daily; they lived it in heroic fidelity and perseverance with each other and through each other, putting God in the first place in their life.
This novena proposes to bring us into their family and to have recourse to their intercession so that we too, at their school, can give more and more room to God in our lives.
It is also available in the form of a booklet on sale at the Sanctuary shop.
Prayer
“It happened that Jesus, in a certain place, was praying. When He had finished, one of His disciples asked Him: Lord, teach us to pray. » Lk 11:1
Meditation
Prayer has an important place in the lives of Saints Louis and Zélie; personal or in family, it deeply marks their children.
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus testifies that when she was “little queen…, all alone with her King (her father)” it was enough for him to “Look at it to know how the Saints pray…”
Celine recalls: “When he had communion, he remained silent on the way back. 'I continue to converse with Our Lord', he told us. »
They have great confidence in God and abandon everything to Him in prayer. Sainte Zélie writes in one of her letters: “When I think of what the Good Lord, in whom I have placed all my trust and into whose Hands I have entrusted the care of my affairs, has done for me and for my husband, I cannot doubt that His divine Providence watches with special care over His children. »
Resolution
Today, I take the time to meet God in prayer and I entrust him with my joys and my sorrows.
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
family life
“Let the children come to Me, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as they are. » Mk 10, 14
Meditation
The Martin household has experienced all the joys and tribulations of normal family life. With their nine children, four of whom died at an early age, Saints Louis and Zélie had a heavy task to assume so that each of them could develop in themselves the gifts of nature and of grace. They did so in a spirit of creativity and faith that made them aim ever higher.
Everything is done in trust and love, not without humor: "I promised the children to celebrate Saint Catherine on Sunday evening," wrote Saint Zélie. Marie wants donuts, the others cakes, others chestnuts; I would like peace! »
“The joyful family evenings are at the same time an opportunity for additional religious instruction. "Very often, our parents reminded us of the things of eternity" , reports Marie, their eldest daughter.
The dad is “always available to listen to his daughters, to advise them, to receive their words in a heart filled with God. »
When the difficulties arise, they are carried in the prayer as for example for the education of Léonie: "I am deeply saddened to see Léonie as she is," wrote her mother; sometimes I hope, but often I get discouraged”; “Only the Good Lord can change it, and I have the conviction that He will do so. »
Resolution
Today I pray for my family.
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
religious practice
“The next day Jesus got up, long before dawn. He went out and went to a deserted place, and there He was praying. » Mk 1, 35
Meditation
Saints Louis and Zélie, “in the morning of very busy days, most often at five-thirty, together, go to church. They are both faithful to communion on the first Friday of the month. » According to the customs of their time, they communicated four to five times a week, while going to confession regularly. They also take part in the activities of their parish, such as adoration, Sunday vespers, processions, Lenten conferences... They have a great devotion to the saints, as Saint Zélie recounts when Saint Thérèse, a baby, is at the article of death: “I quickly went up to my room, I knelt down at the feet of Saint Joseph and asked him in favor that the little one heal, while resigning myself to the will of the good God, if He wanted to place her with Him. I don't cry often, but I cried while praying. I didn't know if I should go down…well, I decided to. And, what do I see? The child suckled with all his heart. »
Resolution
Today, I am examining my conscience and deeply regret all my lack of love towards God and neighbour.
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
state duty
“We are simple servants: we only did our duty. » Lk 17:10
Meditation
Louis and Zélie are successful entrepreneurs who run their business independently of each other and later together. What they do, they do well. It is said, for example, of Louis Martin that he holds “to sell only very good quality items and to do and check everything for himself. » He rebukes “severely any nonchalance when he meets her” according to the testimony of his own daughter.
Even when work seems to overwhelm them, they know how to take advantage of it to deepen their union with God. Saint Zelie writes: “It's that rascal from Point d'Alençon who makes my life hard: when I have too many orders, I'm a slave to the worst slavery… When things go wrong, I have nightmares. Finally what to do, we must resign ourselves and take advantage of this as bravely as possible. » She says : “The Good God who is a Good Father, never gives his creatures more than they can carry. »
They don't work on Sundays despite the gain they might get, especially at the time. Work is not a way for them to get rich. “I feel, says Saint Louis Martin, that I would easily take a liking to my money investments; but I don't want to let myself be drawn into it, it's a dangerous slope. »
Saint Zélie also confided to her sister-in-law: “It is not the desire to amass a greater fortune that drives me…, I have to go all the way for my children and I see myself in difficulty, having workers to provide work. “Money is nothing when it comes to the sanctification and perfection of a soul. »
Resolution
Today, I perform my duty out of love for God and for the good of others.
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
The charity
“I give you a new commandment: it is to love one another. As I have loved you, you too love one another. » John 13:34
Meditation
The Martins are aware of their duties towards their neighbour, and the simplicity of their lives makes them attentive to the needs of others. Celine says: “If economy reigned in the home, it was prodigality when it came to helping the poor. We went to meet them, we sought them out, we urged them to enter our home, where they were satisfied, supplied, clothed, exhorted to do good. I can still see my mother busy around a poor old man. I was then seven years old. But I remember it like it was yesterday. We were walking in the country when, on the road, we met a poor old man who seemed unhappy. My mother sent Thérèse to bring him alms. He seemed so grateful that she entered into conversation with him. So my mother told him to follow us and we went home. She cooked him a good dinner, he was starving, and gave him some clothes and a pair of shoes… And she invited him to come back to us when he needed something. »
If one of her workers falls ill, Saint Zélie goes to visit her on Sundays, not hesitating to provide for her needs if necessary, the same with the servant: “He happened to stay for three weeks, night and day, at the bedside of Louise who had terrible attacks of articular rheumatism, not wanting at any price to send her to the hospital. »
When Saint Louis Martin, for his part, “knows in the neighborhood of the sick whose conversion is urgent, we have echoes of his ardor in visiting them, and in making all his family pray, so that they decide to receive the last sacraments. » His wife "the second of his best in this task." »
Resolution
Today, I do something good for someone: with a smile, a phone call, a visit or an alms...
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
Mercy
“Be merciful, as your Father is merciful. » Lk 6:36
Meditation
Saints Louis and Zélie, aware of their weakness, allowed themselves to be transformed by the Mercy of God and sought to live it daily. Celine says: "In her old age, Marie, our eldest sister, still recalled with regret, even with tears, the sighs of our Mother when she noticed the damage done to her lace, damage which, at the cost of watching and fatigue, she repaired, without give him no blame. »
“Following the example of my father, she also practiced benevolence in judgment, refraining from speaking ill of her neighbour, being even delicate and scrupulous in this respect, and reproaching herself, sometimes, with great humility, for the little ones traits of mind that his vivacity found easily. »
Zélie says about it: “I who had the cowardice to make fun of Mrs. Y. I have infinite regret. I don't know why I have no sympathy for her, she has only ever done me good and rendered services… Also, I want to convert in earnest and I have already started, because for some time, I take every opportunity to speak well of this lady. »
Resolution
Today, I strive not to speak ill of others and if they have done me any harm, I ask the Lord for the grace to forgive.
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
The trials
“If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. » Mt 16:24
Meditation
The holy couple was struck by a multitude of trials, in education, by illness and bereavement... Sainte Zélie confided to her sister-in-law: "You see, my dear sister, that there are sorrows for everyone, the happiest are only the least unhappy: the wisest and simplest thing in all of this is to resign oneself to the Will of God and to prepare in advance to carry his cross as courageously as possible. » And she adds in another letter: “The best thing is to put everything in the hands of the good God and to await events in calm and abandonment to His will. That's what I'm going to try to do. »
Saint Louis Martin confides to his daughters that for all the graces and benefits received, he once made the following prayer: “'My God, this is too much! Yes, I'm too happy, it's not possible to go to heaven like that, I want to suffer something for you! And I offered myself…' The word 'victim' expired on his lips, he didn't dare utter it in front of us but we understood. »
Saint Zélie, too, offered herself entirely to God, particularly during her long agony: “If it only took the sacrifice of my life for Léonie to become a saint, I would do it wholeheartedly. »
Resolution
Today, I offer my day as it comes, with confidence and in surrender to the will of God.
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
The Virgin Mary
“Jesus, seeing His Mother, and near Her the disciple whom He loved, said to His Mother: 'Woman, here is your son.' Then He said to the disciple: 'Here is your Mother.' And from that hour the disciple took Her into his home. » John 19:26-27
Meditation
Louis and Zélie have a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin. A statue of the Immaculate sits in their house; it is near her that the family meets to pray. Saint Zélie encourages her brother to also have recourse to the Virgin Mary: “You live very close to Notre-Dame des Victoires. Well ! Enter it only once a day, to say an Ave Maria to the Blessed Virgin. You will see that She will protect you in a very special way, and that She will make you succeed in this world, to then give you an eternity of happiness. What I am telling you here is not an exaggerated and unfounded piety on my part; I have reason to have confidence in the Blessed Virgin, I have received from Her favors that I alone know. »
Each year, she goes on pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of Sées and confides in Mary: “This year, I will go again to find the Blessed Virgin very early in the morning, I want to be the first to arrive; I will give her my candle as usual…, I will only pray to her that those (her daughters) she has given me are all saints and that I follow them closely, but they must be well better than me. » At the end of her life, as witnessed by Mary, Saint Zélie "Do not take off her rosary, she still prays despite her suffering... A fortnight ago, she was still saying her whole rosary on her knees at the feet of the Blessed Virgin..."
Resolution
Today, I unite myself especially to the Virgin Mary; I pray about ten rosaries and entrust myself totally and forever to my Heavenly Mother.
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
Heaven's Desire
“Our city is in heaven, from where we await as Savior the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our poor bodies into the image of His glorious Body. » Phil 3, 20-21
Meditation
The Martin parents always wanted to go to Heaven. Every moment of their life is directed towards this ultimate goal. Saint Thérèse speaks from Heaven “towards which all their actions and their desires tended. »
It is also their golden rule in the education of children, as Saint Zélie testifies in one of her letters: “When we had our children, we only lived for them, it was all our happiness… so I wanted to have many of them in order to raise them for Heaven. »
Saint Louis Martin once said to two of his daughters: “Yes, I have a goal and my goal is to love God with all my heart. »
As for Saint Zélie, she often expresses her desire to be a saint, to go to Heaven: “My spirit no longer inhabits the earth, it travels to higher spheres. “True happiness is not of this world; we waste our time looking for it. “The land is not our real homeland. »
Resolution
Today, I offer my past and I live my present in confidence and hope, as a means of reaching the goal of my life which is my entry into Heaven.
Pray
Our father…
I salute you marie…
Glory be to the Father...
Prayer of Saints Louis and Zélie…
