Rachel's Vinevard Retreat Novena
for Healing for Those Suffering After Abortion

Hymn (Hosea)

We sing now to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Mothers, and ask her intercession in the healing of all who will be attending the Rachel's Vineyard Retreat, and for the team, that they will be effective ministers of Our Lord's love and compassion.

Immaculate Mary (Lourdes Hymn)

Priest: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.


Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation.
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm.
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence.
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith.
Replace the bitterness within us with the sweetness of grace.
Replace the darkness within us with a gentle light.
Replace the coldness within us with a loving warmth.
Replace the night within us with Your day.
Replace the winter within us with Your spring.
Straighten our crookedness.
Mend our brokeness.
Fill our emptiness.
Dull the edge of our pride.
Sharpen the edge of our humility.
Light the fires of our love.
Quench the flame of our greed.
Let us see ourselves as You see us, that we might see You as You have promised us. It is You who calls us to this night and to Your work. It is You who invites us to be Your hands and Your lips. As we reflect upon Your word make us joyful messengers of Your good News and help us model ourselves so that our lives will convince others that true Christian joy is the result of giving ourselves into Your hands so that we might serve others. Amen.


Reading

Christ the Healer (Matthew 15:29-31)

Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the biind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Silence

Response
The people who sat in darkness
~ Have seen a great fight.

Litany

Lord Jesus, compassionate Son of the living God:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.
Lord Jesus, you went about preaching repentance and curing all kind of sickness and disease:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.
Lord Jesus, you drove out evil spirits and healed the afllicted:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.
Lord Jesus, you cured the woman who suffered for years from hemorrhages when she dared to touch the tassel of your cloak:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.
Lord Jesus, you forgave a paralytic his sins, and commanded him to take up his bed and walk again:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.
Lord Jesus, you restored the sight of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar of Jericho as he sat by the roadside:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.
Lord Jesus, you raised to life your dear friend Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, after he had been dead four days:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.
Lord Jesus, you did not condemn the woman caught in adultery when others wanted to stone her to death:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.
Lord Jesus, you revealed yourself as Messiah to the woman at the well and gave her living water to drink. Increase our faith and help us to worship the Father in Spirit and in truth:
~ Hear us and help us, we humbly pray.


Novena Prayer

Lord Jesus, healer of our souls and bodies, during your life on earth you went about doing good, healing every manner of sickness and disease, strengthening, curing, comforting, and consoling. Healer of our broken souls and bodies and enemy of death and disease, lay your healing hand on all those attending the upcoming retreat and by your grace restore them to wholeness and good health that they may praise you without ceasing and serve you among your holy people for many years to come. Blessed be Jesus, friend of the human race!
~ Amen.

May God the Father bless us and keep us, + God the Son lay his healing hands upon us, God the Holy Spirit strengthen and console us. May the Holy and Undivided Trinity guard our body, save our soul, and bring us in safety to our heavenly home.
~ Amen.


HOSEA

Come back to me with all your heart. Don't let fear keep us apart. Trees do bend, though straight and tall; so must we to others call.
Refrain: Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life.
The wilderness will lead you to your heart where I will speak. Integrity and justice with tenderness you shall know. (Refrain)
You shall sleep secure with peace, faithfulness will be your joy. (Refrain)


IMMACULATE MARY

Immaculate Mary, your praises we sing. You reign now in heaven with Jesus our King.
Refrain: Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Maria!
In heaven the blessed your glory proclaim: On earth we your children invoke your fair name. (Refrain)
We pray for our Mother, the church upon earth. And bless, Holy Mary, the land of our birth. (Refrain)