NOVENA
TO ST. SEBASTIAN
FOREWORD
At all times the Church
has been
exposed to the attacks of her enemies; ours are no exception. With
saddening
hearts we behold how under the impact of those attacks faith is
weakening: the
Church is losing ground. Catholics are listening to the pernicious
doctrines of
the world and unwittingly, perhaps, but most surely, are slipping over
into the
camp of the enemy and, worse still, are fighting against the Church and
Christ.
“Who is not with me, is against me.”
What we need in these
“last times”
are Christians of such intrepid faith, which we admire in our brethren
of the
early times. They laid down their lives for Christ and the Church, in
testimony
of the Truth. The Truth is Christ, the Truth is His doctrine, the Truth
is His
Church. For this Truth St. Sebastian died at a time when the Church was
still
in her infancy. His voice is heard still after almost 2000 years,
exhorting us,
his brethren in the faith. Live your life, we hear him say, as
Christians among
pagans, unyielding to the demands of the world, strong and steadfast in
whatever kind of persecution; suffer for your faith derision and
exclusion from
society, loss of money or position, friendship or social enjoyment, if
such be
necessary to confess Christ in word and deed.
The Novena to St.
Sebastian,
therefore, should make of you a martyr, if not a martyr of blood, then
a martyr
in spirit, a fighter in and for God’s Kingdom in this world, a man
living his
holy faith. Whatever favor, besides, you wish to obtain from the
glorious
martyr, trustfully hope that he will concede it to you through his
powerful
intercession in heaven.
HOW
TO MAKE THE NOVENA
It is advisable to make
the Novena
in the church, preferably in the morning; then you can attend Holy Mass
and
receive Holy Communion in honor of the Saint. The purer the heart and
conscience are, the better we are prepared to receive favors from
above. By all
means receive the holy Sacraments on the last day of the Novena. Of
course you
may make the Novena at any place, in your home, i.e., if you can not go
to
church. First recite devoutly the Holy Rosary with the Litany; then
read the
Meditation for every day with application to practical life and say the
prayer
to the Saint adapted for this purpose.
First
Day: The Gift of Faith
St. Sebastian lived in
the early
times of the holy church, when to be a Christian meant to stand up for
your
faith and eventually to die for it. However we know that he was born of
Christian parents. So he passed the days of his childhood under the
tutelage of
pious parents, who cared for a thorough instruction in doctrine and
training of
young Sebastian. God had His own plans with the child, who was to
become the
strong support and guide of his fellow Christians during the turbulent
times of
the persecution to come, when he himself was privileged to die as
martyr for
Christ. But also for all times he was to serve to the Christian world
as
shining example of a fearless life by faith. God so willed it that as
soldier
in the Roman army he attracted the attention and good pleasure of the
emperor
and being of noble extraction he was raised to the rank of an officer
in his
palace guard.
Application: Centuries separate us
from the
Infant Church. The Lord Who watches over it has brought it up through
the
perilous times of many persecutions. It is a church of Martyrs as in
the
beginning, so now, and ore martyrs are being made today than ever
before in
history. We must, therefore, have the faith of the martyrs; like the
Apostles
we must rejoice to be made worthy to suffer for the name of Christ, at
least a
little disdain, or contempt, or even loss of temporal goods. As in the
time of
St. Sebastian, the masses around us do not love Christ, or do not love
Him
enough; some are even against Him, they hate Him. But the Lord is with
us; that
should suffice to make us confident and happy. Be grateful for the
grace of
holy faith.
Prayer: Holy Martyr, St.
Sebastian, no
greater gift could be vouchsafed you than the gift of holy faith.
Sanctified in
holy baptism you grew in holiness since the days of your childhood. So
much has
God loved you that He made you a pillar of strength in the early
church.
Strengthen also my faith, that it may become for me a source of energy
for a
perfect Christian life and that I too may be a shining example to my
fellowman.
Amen.
Closing Prayer: My Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ
see me humbly prostrate before Thee to implore Thy mercy. I am a
wretched
sinner who has lived hitherto in ease and wanton negligence of my
Christian
duties. How dangerously close have I been in the past to becoming a
traitor to
Thee! Pardon me, good and merciful Jesus. I will change my life: with
ardent
love I will adhere to Thee in future and prove myself worthy of being
Thy
disciple and follower of St. Sebastian. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Second
Day: Live by Faith
When the Roman empire
showed already
signs of imminent dissolution, emperor Diocletian, thinking of how to
stem the
tide, resolved to exterminate the Christians, as he believed them to be
the
cause of ruin. It was one of the most savage and best planned
persecutions
which struck at all the social classes of the people; many of the noble
families were dragged before the judges. Among others also Marcus and
Marcelianus, friends of the emperor and of Sebastian were thrown into
prison.
Sebastian, deeply sorrowed visited them, comforting and encouraging
them and
their companions, all suffering for the faith, so much that they looked
forward
with joy for the day when they could suffer death “for the Name of
Christ.” Our
Lord, pleased by him and spoke to him the following words: “Sebastian,
I came
to tell you how much I am delighted for what you are doing to My
beloved
disciples; I promise to be with you always till you are united with Me
in
glory.” Greatly comforted Sebastian continued his work of mercy and led
many to
glorious martyrdom.
Application: Like Pius XI so now
Pius XII is
wearing himself out calling upon Catholics to be good Catholics. What’s
wrong
then with us? We are half-Catholics, too much emotional, too little
instructed;
not full members of the one and only apostolic and catholic, i.e.
universal
Church, set down on earth to unify and save the whole human race. We
are
private and fearful Catholics hugging the faith to our hearts and
hiding it
there. Faith must reveal itself to the outside, must benefit others,
lift up
and strengthen in faith those of our brethren who have become weak and
deficient. Faith is nothing that could be hidden away, closed up within
the
heart. Our Christian life, therefore, must be a kind of martyrdom,
unbloody
though, but real, because day by day we are called to confess Christ.
If St.
Sebastian, if all the Saints were willing rather to die for their faith
than to
give it up, we at least must be willing to live our faith and confess
it in
private and public life.
Prayer: O glorious St.
Sebastian, fearless
Confessor of Christ and Consoler of those who were going to lay down
their life
in testimony for their faith: in shame and sorrow I must confess that
in the
past so many times I have failed to comply with my religious duties. It
was
Christ Whom I made suffer, instead of I suffering for Christ. I am
resolved to
do away with lukewarmness, I shall endeavor to give an example to those
around
me who deny Christ by shamefully neglecting their Christian
obligations. Help
me, dear Saint, and Patron to show them the way to the true joys of
heaven.
Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Third
Day: Faith, Your Greatest Treasure
With intrepid courage
Sebastian
preached the faith in the troubled times of persecution to Christians
and
pagans alike. Moved by the encouraging words of the staunch Christian
soldier
many pagans were converted and baptized, others, by the astounding
miracles
Sebastian performed before their eyes. Not alone that he cured their
bodily
ailments; he convinced them to be baptized, to become Christians and to
live a
good Catholic life. He had exposed himself and before long he was
accused of
being a Christian and was apprehended. The emperor would not believe
when the
news were broken to him. “Sebastian? that flawless officer and soldier;
Sebastian who never has abused my confidence in him? he can not, he
must not be
a Christian. If however it were true, I would easily change his mind. .
.” -
“Yes, Lord,” the captain of the palace guard said, “it is true, I am a
Christian” when confronting the emperor. “What evil do you find in it?
What
harm did it do to you? I always have been a Christian.” “Tell me,” the
emperor
responded, “I speak as a friend to a friend - what do you want me to do
for
you? Is it wealth, honor, higher rank and position? You have it; only
relinquish that foolish faith in Christ.” Sebastian answered: “O Lord,
what
little and trifling thing you proffer; I am richer than you can make
me; the
greatest honor was bestowed upon me by being made a Christian.”
Thereupon the
emperor seeing his love spurned, raged in fury. He ordered him to be
stripped
of his insignia, degraded, thrown into prison, to be killed in shortest
time,
shot with arrows. Hearing these words Sebastian rejoiced, his face
shining with
inexpressible delight: he could die for Christ also. Eagerly he looked
ahead
for his martyrdom, which would unite him with Christ.
Application: How much do you love
your holy
faith? Do you teach the ignorant or the little ones? Do you lead back
to faith
those who have lost it or work on them, who do not live up to it? Do
you
sacrifice your leisure time, pleasure, company and social enjoyment to
make
Christ live and reign in the hearts of your fellowman? Do you sacrifice
to make
Him known, loved and served as Lord and King in the Christian home?
This is
Catholic Action enjoined by the Vicar of Christ on earth on all as a
tribute
for the unmerited grace of faith. Do not take that slightly.
Prayer: O St. Sebastian, thou
strong
Pillar of faith, to Countless pagans thou hast shown the way to Christ;
the
Christians, enlightened by Thy words, gladly sacrificed earthly life
and all,
that they may gain all and Life Eternal. Steadfastly Thou withstoodst
the
emperor and didst vanquish human wisdom in defense of Christian truth.
Thou
didst despise the pleasures and treasures of the world to gain the
everlasting
joys of heaven: obtain for me the grace that I may grow ever stronger
in my
faith and never put my trust in the fallacious things of the world. May
I also
be ready to sacrifice everything rather than to be separated from
Christ in
eternity. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Fourth
Day: Faith Means to Suffer for Christ
Sebastian was marched off
and out of
the city by the soldiery to suffer the punishment decreed upon him by
the
emperor. He had made his choice for a greater Lord than Diocletian, to
Whom he
had sworn allegiance in baptism and for Whom he was going now to shed
his
blood. May the arrows fall upon him in showers; he would offer them his
breast,
his body, his heart, that beat fervently for Christ; may they open the
blood-wells therein that the blood may stream forth freely, cover him
with the
garment of love, in which his beloved Master was clothed when nailed to
the
Cross. Horrified, the crowd witnessed the bloody spectacle, and like a
flash of
lightning it came upon them, it entered into their minds and heart:
here stands
a valiant soldier, who has better arms to wield, who fights his battle
for
victory; a hero whose head will wear the crown of glory.
Application: Martyrs have never been
wanting in
the church of Christ; they numbered thousands in the primitive church;
they
died by the thousands in the subsequent centuries; they die also in our
times
for Christ. The Martyr of Golgotha calls for followers. Do you possess
that
martyr-spirit, the marrow of Christian life? In St. Sebastian’s time,
to be a
Christian meant to give up for Christ’s sake all pagan pleasures and
entertainments. On principle the Christians shunned the theatres,
public baths,
dances, amphitheatres, other pagan festivals, because they were
incompatible
with their faith in Christ Crucified. We are living again in a pagan
world and
Catholics seem to see no evil in the amusements of our days. They go to
shows
that slowly corrode the delicate innocence of a Christian soul; they
attend
bathing exhibitions and beauty contests; they frequent dancing places,
social
parties and other affairs of such kind, where the devil reaps his crop
and
Christ weeps over lost sheep. Would you call that dying with Christ on
the
cross? St. Sebastian would tell you a different story. “I renounce
Satan, his
works, his pomps.” You spoke these words. Do they have, still a meaning
to you?
Renounce, then, paganism of our days and associate with St. Sebastian
and the
martyrs of all times, bloody or unbloody. Be a martyr in spirit and
action.
Christ calls on you. He could die once without you, but now He can not
live
without You; living for Him, working for Him, sacrificing for Him,
dying for
Him you make Christ live in your life, you make Christ live in the
world.
Prayer: Holy Martyr, St.
Sebastian, great
was thy love of Christ, when for His sake thou wouldst suffer and die.
Obtain
for me from Jesus, our Divine Victim Who offered His body an oblation
for the
salvation of our souls, pardon for my cowardice in the past, especially
for the
traitorous action of loving the world and running after its vile
pleasures. May
I also in all truthfulness be able to say with St. Paul: “I live; now
not I,
but Christ lives in me;” Christ poor and despised, Christ hated and
persecuted,
Christ suffering and crucified, may He live in me henceforth, as He has
lived
in thee, His holy Martyr. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Fifth
Day: Faith, A Light Shining in Darkness
The executioners had done
their
gruesome work and left the place, leaving behind, tied to the tree the
apparently lifeless body of their victim. But Sebastian wasn’t dead
yet. In the
dark of the night an angel descended and consoled the brave soldier of
Christ,
who again had gained consciousness. The angel told him how greatly the
church
would be honored on account of his heroism and how many would embrace
holy
faith because of the example he had set in his martyrdom; he also
announced to
him the glorious reward he may expect from Christ Whom he has loved so
much.
Sebastian felt happy and thanked the Lord for this sweet visitation.
Then the
angel called out into the night to attract the attention of people
living in
the neighborhood. A Christian lady, Irene by name, as if having waited
for the
signal hastened to snatch the body of the holy martyr, still alive.
Hurriedly
she cut the ropes with which the soldiers had tied the body to the
trunk of the
tree, wrapped her cloak around him and supporting him she managed to
bring him
to her house. There she tended his wounds and took good care of him
till he was
cured. Greatly moved by the story of the angel which Sebastian told to
the
lady, they both gave thanks to the Lord for the wonderful manifestation
of love
and mercy.
Application: The body is not only
the dwelling
of the soul but in holy baptism the Blessed Trinity has taken up their
abode
within. What the All-holy God thus has honored and reverenced you can
not, you
must not vilify. Respect the temple of the Most High, and during all
your life
keep both body and soul in worshipful service of God. It is unchristian
and
draws God’s displeasure upon any one who indulges in such shows and
exhibitions, in which, so to speak, the body is made an idol for
worship, a
modern Venus, or perhaps a golden calf. Beauty contests and Queen
Contests are
a cult of the flesh at the cost of the culture of the soul; the soul
alone is
worthwhile to cultivate; divorced from the animating spirit the body is
but
dust and ashes, an abominable thing, as it appears after the separation
has
been made in death. Indwelled by God thru grace in life it shall be
honoured
and glorified thru all eternity. Do not call yourself a Christian, if
by your
presence or active participation in such abominable practices, you
subscribe to
paganism in our days. You would not account with the company of Jesus
and Mary
at such shows? Would you? It’s time to make a clear-cut division line
between
truth and error, Christ and Belial, Christians and pagans, and to take
your
stand.
Prayer: O glorious St.
Sebastian, Pride of
holy Church: I praise the Lord Who has glorified thee, His holy Martyr,
in
order to corroborate the faith in the hearts of the Christians. From
thy place
of glory look down upon me, so weak and wavering in faith, that I
rightly may
fear to become a traitor to the cause of Christ, our Saviour. Pray to
Jesus for
me that I may walk with unbending strength of will on the path of
genuine
Christian teachings and never side the world in defending the
principles of
hell. Make me see in the light of faith the truth that makes man free.
Help me
cultivate to perfection the spiritual life with Christ and through
Christ and
in Christ here on earth and forever in heaven. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Sixth
Day: Faith Teaches You How to Live Your Life
The emperor thought that
Sebastian
was dead. He rejoiced not little in the thought that he felled a strong
pillar
of the church of Christ. Imagine therefore his surprise and terror when
one
day, not long after, he stood before him, his erstwhile captain, his
wounds
perfectly healed and his body restored to health and vigor. “What,” he
said,
not fully trusting his eyes, “are you not Sebastian, whom I had ordered
to be
killed by arrows, for stubbornly adhering to that foolish Christian
belief? How
do you dare to appear before me now?” - “The Lord Jesus gave me back
again the
life which you tried to take from me, so that you be given fresh proof
of the
truth that there is but one Lord-God and that your gods are false and
impotent,” said Sebastian. Hearing these words the emperor raged in
anger and
cried out to his soldiers: “Take this proud wretch, who dares to speak
thus to
me. Torture him, flog him, and kill him for sure.” - Sebastian
answered: “Know,
my lord, that your tortures will be welcome to me; they will not make
me
relinquish my faith and betray Christ Who loved me and freed me from
the
slavery of sin and Satan. I shall not stop to preach Him and would
gladly give
one thousand lives for Him, if I had them.”
Application: You will not have to
give to
Christ two lives nor shall you live for and with Christ twice.
Therefore that
life you have, that one you cherish, that one life which is so short:
give it
to Him, live it with Him unreservedly. A Christian is a man in whom
Christ
repeats His life, more or less perfectly, divinely, according to the
permission
granted to him to do so. And did it ever come to your mind what it
means to
refuse Him to live in you according to His pleasure, or to restrict Him
in His
freedom and disposition over you? To live twice would mean to undergo a
test
twice, to overcome the world, the flesh, the enemy of your soul once
and again,
when actually you had gone thru your task already. So it was with
Sebastian,
who had to suffer a second time the death of cruel martyrdom. Be once a
martyr,
a witness for Christ, by a life of renunciation and abnegation; be a
witness
for Christ by a real, true and good Catholic life. Do it well once for
the love
of HIM Who will be your reward exceedingly great.
Prayer: St. Sebastian, Martyr
and Patron,
fearlessly thou didst appear before the emperor who hated you so much;
but thou
didst love him and therefore wouldst try again to preach to him the
truth about
the Kingdom of God on earth, that he might see and believe and bend his
knees
in the worship of the one, true God. Refusing to listen he lost the
eternal
Kingdom which you gained in greater splendour and glory. Come to my aid
in the
confusing battles of opinions and man-made doctrines, that I may cling
to
Christ, my Lord and Saviour and defend the principles of His holy
Gospel by
living it till the last day of my life. I implore thee, holy Patron, to
assist
me in my last battle with the enemy that I may gain life everlasting in
heavenly glory. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Seventh
Day: The Greatness and Beauty of a Life by Faith
For a second time
Sebastian was
fastened to the trunk of the tree; for a second time, the executioners
did
their bloody work on the soldier-martyr. Aside from humiliations heaped
upon
the scion of a noble family and high ranking officer the torture was
indescribable. With crude clubs they beat him, till pieces of flesh
fell from
the body. Then they shot him again with arrows. With astounding
humility and
patience Sebastian suffered this inhuman treatment, praying all the
while for
his torturers and for the victory of the cause of Christ. That Christ
may live
in the hearts of men, he offered Him his life. The Lord accepted the
holocaust;
He took the precious life of His martyr to make him live and reign
forever with
Him in heavenly glory.
Application: When a prospective
Christian is
presented for holy baptism, the priest asks him: “What dost thou ask of
the
church of God?” Answer: “Faith.” He continues questioning: “What does
faith
bestow upon thee?” Answer: “Life everlasting” i.e. Everlasting life
through
faith, or through a life on earth based on the principles that faith
teaches
us. The earthly life is but a dark shadow of the true life to follow;
it is the
price to be paid to gain the other life, the greater, the fuller life,
the life
without the alloy of earthly tress and scum, but of purest joy and
happiness.
That happiness for which you are made, for which you crave with the
last fiber
of your heart. Do not make the mistake of so many who run after the
shadow,
which they can not catch, when staking all their chances on the
trump-card of
earthly happiness. So “make use of the things of this world,” advises
St. Paul,
“as to pass through them unimpeded on your way to heaven.” That’s the
reason
why a good Christian’s life is an unbloody martyrdom, a continuous
dying to
oneself, that Christ may live in him. “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?”
That
was another question by the priest before he proceeded to baptize you.
Do you
believe that Jesus Christ wishes to repeat His life in you, He is the
great meaning
of it? Live with Christ henceforth, He and you like one. To be poor
like HIM,
mortified and crucified like Him. That’s the beauty and greatness of
the life
of a Christian: HE and YOU living together and walking together on the
Via
Crucis towards the gates of heaven.
Prayer: Holy Patron, St.
Sebastian, for
centuries thou livest with Christ in heavenly bliss and yet it is like
starting
only life in heaven. I rejoice in Thy unending glory and happiness.
Compassionately look down upon me, thy miserable client, who must pass
thru the
excruciating years of trial in a world of temptations and allurements.
When I
look back upon my life I am confused by the many infidelities, my
frequent
failures, my breaking of baptismal vows and shameless forsaking of
Christ, my
Saviour. Holy Martyr, obtain pardon for my sins against my Christian
vocation;
for having lived carelessly, neglectfully even in my most essential
obligations; having denied Christ to live in me, refused to be
crucified with
Him. Save me, good St. Sebastian from eternal death in hell and by Thy
powerful
intercession help me so to order my life that I may be found worthy of
sharing
with thee the unending joys of heaven. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Eighth
Day: A Life by Faith Bears Many Fruits
“The blood of the martyrs
is the seed
of Christians.” A mysterious word, as old as the church is. While
living,
Sebastian thru his words and miracles has led many to the fount of
baptism and
has fanned in the hearts of the confessors of Christ the desire to die
for Him.
The miracle of conversion to the true faith was still more multiplied
after his
death. The emperor learned of it and conscious of his impotence ordered
that
the corpse of the martyr be thrown into a foul-smelling pit, where the
cadavers
of dead animals were thrown, so as to prevent the Christians to pay
their
martyr reverence and respect. However, this base intention of the
emperor was
foiled, as the corpse, when being flung downward was caught by a
protruding
branch of a tree. The news of it was brought by Sebastian himself that
very
night to a pious lady, St. Lucina, whom he begged to go and fetch the
body and
bury it in the catacombs at the feet of the princes of the Apostles,
Sts. Peter
and Paul. On this spot was built later the church of St. Sebastian,
where the
relics of this martyr of Christ are kept till now.
Application: A seed-grain was Christ
Himself,
Who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
“Unless
the grain is buried in the ground it can not bear fruit” He had said.
The
fruits: mankind redeemed, men saved for heaven. A seed-grain was
Sebastian,
shot, flogged, buried; the fruits: conversions, new Christians, better
Christians in the times to come till now and till the end; Christians
inspired
and inflamed by his example, his intercession in heaven. A seed-grain
every
Christian must be; our life buried in Christ must produce new or better
Christians around us, near and far. That are miracles performed by you
and your
Christian brother; yes, miracles are but a commonplace in Christian and
catholic
life. Why shouldn’t they be? Is it possible to imagine that Christ
should live
in us and nothing happen? We are transmitters, channels, instruments,
Christ-bearers. If we are not that, we are nothing. If we are not
communicating
divine life to the world, we are not true Catholics; we are only second
rate
Catholics. Take this to heart; it’s always time to amend.
Prayer: Holy Martyr, St.
Sebastian,
glorified by the holy lives of so many whom thou hast inspired and
animated to
follow thee to martyrdom, I resolve today to follow and to undergo
voluntarily
the unbloody martyrdom of dying to myself, that Christ may live in me
and in
the souls of my brethren. Continue thy soul-saving and sanctifying
apostolate
from heaven and shield us against the many enemies that surround us,
that the
number of Christ-loving souls may increase. Keep us, O holy Martyr and
powerful
Protector, from pestilence and contagious diseases of body and soul,
and
prevent us from descending into the pit of burning fire and brimstone
when the
end comes; make us enjoy then with thee the glories of heaven. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Ninth
Day: Fear God Alone, Not Men
Diocletian goes down in
history as a
great emperor; in the Kingdom of God he is a zero. But St. Sebastian is
and
remains in eternity a hero, whom God has crowned with glory. He is not
dead and
remembered only by name, as Diocletian is, but he lives in the Church,
be lives
in the hearts of the Christians who venerate him; to his honour
churches and
altars have been erected all over the world. Diocletian is a poor
wretch who
once believed he could stamp out the memory of Sebastian. God stood in
the way
of his pernicious plans and sided with Sebastian, His martyr, whom He
honored
and crowned with glory.
Application: What is the power of
man? the
influence he wages over his fellowman? What is wealth that dazzles
many? What
honor or high position that make others tremble? A whiff in the air, a
vapor
blown by the slightest wind, smoke that defiles the air. And less even.
Our
Lord has pronounced His woe over those things because they stand in the
way of
salvation to many. It is indeed better to be rid of that earthly dross
and to
occupy our mind with them; use our time and talents for the problem of
how “to
carry away the Kingdom of heaven,” because as our Lord said, “it
suffers
violence.” A pious, godly life is the only reasonable life. The soul,
God,
eternity, must be moved every morning anew into the centre of our
interest, to
which the eye keeps fastened all day long, so that we be busy that day,
and
every day, seeking and acquiring the treasures, which “rust and moths
do not
consume and thieves do not steal.” They are saved, imperishable; we
must
possess them if we wish to be truly happy in this life and in eternity.
Prayer: St. Sebastian, holy
Patron, in thy
heavenly glory and joy forget us not, who carry on the incessant
struggle
against the enemies of holy faith, who endanger our salvation. Grant
that I may
adhere to God, my Lord, and to Jesus Christ with my whole heart. Obtain
for me
on this last day of the novena a holy fear of God, my Lord and King,
that I may
serve Him with perfect love, with submission and resignation to His
most holy
will. Free me from the fear and respect of men, who can not truly do
harm to
me, that I may never waver in the fulfillment of my obligations to God
and my
soul. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Litany of St. Sebastian.
Litany
of St. Sebastian
Lord, have mercy on us!
Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ, have mercy on us!
Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord, have mercy on us!
Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ hear us!
Christ, graciously hear
us!
God, the Father of
heaven, have
mercy on us!
God, the Son, Redeemer of
the world,
have mercy on us!
God, the Holy Ghost, have
mercy on
us!
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on
us!
After each invocation, recite: Pray
for us.
Holy Mary, Queen of
Martyrs.
Saint Sebastian.
Invincible Martyr.
Knight, noble by birth
and fame.
Glorious warrior and
martyr of
Christ.
Patron and mirror of
Christian
soldiers.
Despiser of the world.
Conqueror of Satan.
Comfort of the dying.
Consoler of the afflicted.
Announcer of the word of
God.
Protector and Patron of
countries
and cities.
Saint Sebastian, perfect in virtue and wisdom.
St. Sebastian, lover of
God and men.
St. Sebastian, might in
word and
work.
St. Sebastian, who didst
strengthen
the Christians in torments and death.
St. Sebastian, who didst
fortify
those wavering in their faith.
St. Sebastian, who didst
encourage
the doubting to persevere to the end.
St. Sebastian, who, in
flamed with
love of God, didst despise the pains inflicted by the tyrant.
St. Sebastian, surrounded
by
celestial light.
St. Sebastian, instructed
by the
holy Angels.
St. Sebastian, giving
speech to the
dumb.
St. Sebastian, who for
defending the
truth was wounded by arrows.
St. Sebastian, who was
put to death
with clubs.
St. Sebastian, who was
crowned with
eternal glory.
St. Sebastian, great
intercessor for
us with God.
St. Sebastian, endowed
with power from
God to avert pestilence and all contagious diseases.
Lamb of God, Who takes
away the sins
of the world: Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes
away the sins
of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes
away the sins
of the world: Have mercy on us, O Lord!
Christ, hear us!
Christ, graciously hear
us!
Let us pray: Mercifully look on
our
weakness, O almighty God. Since the weight of our own evil deeds bears
us down,
may the glorious intercession of Thy blessed martyr Sebastian be our
protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who with Thee and
the Holy
Ghost liveth and reigneth as one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
