Prayer request and Novena to Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati

I recently reconnected with a friend from college, Peter Braam, on Facebook and he sent a message today asking for prayers. His doctors found a lump on his neck and think it might be cancerous. He has a biopsy this week and he’s asking for prayers, not just for himself, but also for some others who are suffering. He’s especially for folks to take part in a novena for Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Since his memorial is April 6, tomorrow would be the first day of the novena! Here is the novena as sent by Peter:

NOVENA TO BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI

We offer this Novena prayer for the healing of:

Micheal Murphy, the brother of my friend Megan fighting melanoma
Macey King, the daughter of my friend Scott who has relapsed with another tumor in her head
Paul Furey, a college friend with lymphoma recently given only a couple of months to live
Peter J. Braam, with a lump on his neck that is likely to be lymphoma

1st Day
Jesus says:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Pier Giorgio responds:  The faith given to me in Baptism surely suggests to me that of yourself you will do nothing; but if you have God as the center of all your actions, then you will reach the goal. 

We pray:  Blessed Pier Giorgio, teach me true poverty of spirit.  Help me understand that God cares for me; and that He asks me, in return, to care for others, especially those in need.  Guide me to make choices in my life which will show a preference for service of God and neighbor, rather than accumulating financial wealth and social advantage for myself.  Give me a special love for the poor and the sick.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is the Lover of the poor, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need:  (mention your request). 

2nd Day
Jesus says:  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” 

Pier Giorgio responds:  Our life in order to be Christian, has to be a continual renunciation, a continual sacrifice.  But this is not difficult, if one thinks what these few years passed in suffering are, compared with eternal happiness where joy will have no measure or end, and where we shall have unimaginable peace. 

We pray:  Blessed Pier Giorgio, teach me that I must be able to mourn if I will be able to rejoice.  Show me how to face my sorrow, and not avoid it or pretend that it does not exist.  Help me to enter into any present sorrow, so that my soul can empty itself and be filled with God’s peace.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is our Consoler, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need:  (mention your request). 

3rd Day
Jesus says:  “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” 

Pier Giorgio responds:  With violence you sow hatred, and you harvest its bad fruits.  With charity, you sow peace among men - not the peace that the world gives, but the true peace that only faith in Jesus Christ can give us in common brotherhood. 

We pray:  Blessed Pier Giorgio, guide me in claiming my rightful inheritance as a child of God and heir of His kingdom.  Show me, by your own example, how to be slow to anger, and gentle in my dealings with others.  Help me to show forth the peace of Christ by speaking words of peace, and by living a life of peace.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession from God, Who is meek and humble of heart, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need: (mention your request).

4th Day
Jesus says:  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” 

Pier Giorgio responds:  What wealth it is to be in good health, as we are!  But we have the duty of putting our health at the service of those who do not have it.  To act otherwise would be to betray that gift of God. 

We pray:  Blessed Giorgio, help me to seek God’s righteousness, His plan for my life and for the salvation of the world.  Show me the way to self-surrender, so that I may desire nothing more than to be of service to the Lord and His Kingdom.  Lead me to the table of love, where I will be satisfied.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is righteous and just, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.>  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need:  (mention you request). 

5th Day
Jesus says:  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall they obtain mercy.” 

Pier Giorgio responds: St. Paul says that “the charity of Christ urges us.”  Without this flame, which should burn out our personality little by little and blaze only for other people’s grief, we would not be Christian, let along Catholic.

We pray:  Blessed Pier Giorgio, teach me by your example of your mercy to open my heart more widely to those in need, especially the poor and the sick.  Guide me in extending that mercy to friends and strangers, to those who love me and those who do not.  Help me to reflect God’s own mercy, especially in words and deeds of forgiveness.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is gracious and merciful and just, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need (mention your request). 

6th Day
Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” 

Pier Giorgio responds:  I beg you to pray for me a little, so that God may give me an iron will that does not bend and does not fail in His projects.

We pray:  Blessed Pier Giorgio, lead me in the path of purity, for only those who are clean of heart can behold God’s face.  Help me to be faithful to the covenant I have made with God in Baptism, that I may always be loyal to His commands and thus offer Him sincere worship.  Show me by your life how to be single hearted and completely, unswervingly, dedicated to proclaiming the kingdom of God here on earth.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for you intercession in obtaining from God, Who is pure love and holiness, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need:  (mention your request). 

7th Day
Jesus says:  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. 

Pier Giorgio responds:  I offer you my best wishes - or rather, only one wish, but the only wish that a true friend can express for a dear friend:  may the peace of the Lord be with you always!  For if you possess peace every day, you will be truly rich. 

We pray:  Blessed Pier Giorgio, despite your daily struggles, you found peace by fostering your own well being in work, study, and play; in prayer alone and with others; in silence and in song, in laughter and in serious conversation with friends.  Guide me to that inner peace which will enable me to share peace with others.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is our peace, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need:  (mention your request). 

8th Day
Jesus says:  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Pier Giorgio responds:  To live without faith, with a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but existing. 

We pray:  Blessed Pier Giorgio, teach me silence in the face of personal humiliation and unjust criticism.  But guide me to be courageous like you in standing on the side of God’s truth.  Help me to be faithful to Him in all things, so that His Will may be done in and through my life.  Show me how to persevere in the struggle for those things which are holy and honorable.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for you intercession in obtaining from God, Who is the source of grace and truth, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need:  (mention your request). 

9th Day
Jesus says:  Blessed are you when then revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account.>  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. 

Pier Giorgio responds:  We who by the grace of God are Catholics must steel ourselves for the battle we shall certainly have to fight to fulfill our program and to give our county, in the not too distant future, happier days and a morally healthy society.  But to achieve this we need constant prayer to obtain from God that grace without which all our powers are useless. 

We pray:  Blessed Pier Giorgio, show me how to bear all wrongs patiently.  Help me to accept the sufferings which others inflict on me because of my desire to be faithful to Jesus.  Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who protects the innocent, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I confidently turn to you for help in my present need:  (mention your request).