In the footsteps of Palau

Ninth Day  November 6

Footprints of Love

We let these words of Father Palau echo within us:

“I, who since childhood have been possessed and dominated by a passion called love…” MR I,1

“How beautiful you are! I adore you, I surrender to you, I consecrate my love to you, and if ever in my life I have not acted towards you as you deserve, receive now the offering of my heart which adores you.” MR 9,41

“I [the Church] am the one object of love capable of filling the immense emptiness of the human heart, I am the infinitely beautiful and I have in myself all created beauties, as a living image of God himself, and apart from me there is no possible happiness for man.” MR 22,2

“When God created my heart, he breathed upon it, and his breath was a law which he imposed, and that law told me, ´thou shalt love´. My heart was made by God´s hand to love and to be loved, and to live only through love. I did not know this mystery. My heart developed its passion from childhood: I already loved passionately, and this passion was my torment and my sorrow. I did not have the remotest idea of you, I did not know you. I did not know that you existed or that it was possible for me to relate to you and interact with you.” MR 22,13

Scripture Texts:

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. [1 Jn 4:10]

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [1 Jn 3:1]

Reflection:

On this last day of the Novena, just before the Feast of Father Palau, we are invited to replenish and strengthen this infinite love in our lives, this love which overcomes death, which is sacrifice and offering, which is acceptance and patience, which is to fall silent when another speaks to us, and which is also brave and daring, passionate and merciful. So many facets of love that come together in Jesus, the God-Man, who gave himself up for us and who guided Father Palau along that path of loving folly for his Beloved, the Church who is God and neighbor. For further reflection: How do I live my love for others in daily life?

We pray together:

“Now I am going to begin another stage of life and a very different way of proceeding before God and in my relations with the Church… I am beginning a new way of proceeding which is completely unknown to me.” MR 8,24

  • We present to you, Lord, our sisters in formation, so that they may grow in their experience of God and be sensitive to the signs of the times and the needs of the Church. We pray to the Lord.
  • That the Lord may raise up people who, like Mary, hear the call to place their lives at the service of the cause of the Kingdom in different vocations: consecrated life, laity, priesthood. We pray to the Lord.
  • For the CMT sisters, especially for those who are living through a difficult time in their vocation, that Fr. Palau intercede for each and every one of them. We pray to the Lord.
  • For all our Palautian Family, we can be more and more Love in everything and for everyone, building a Church that walks with the Church, for the Church and in the Church. We pray to the Lord.

And on this eve we pray especially for the CMT General Team of Animation and Government, Provincial Teams of  Sta. Teresa del Niño Jesús of Africa, Virgen de Guadalupe of America, Francisco Palau Europa, and Delegation of San Lorenzo Ruiz-Asia. For the MILPAS, lay people and the Palautian Family.

Let us bring to our minds and hearts: all of Creation and especially all those who have been part of this Novena to Francisco Palau. All vocations.

Música: 9 – 9.1 Nuestro corazón fue hecho para amar (Castellano y Portugués)

In this day of the novena, let us ask for the intercession of Francisco Palau, that we may be women and men who walk in synodality, and having experienced in our lives love for God and love for our brothers and sisters, may we proclaim that same Love every day.

Father Palau Prayer

Almighty and merciful God and Father: we thank and bless you for instilling in the heart of Blessed Francisco Palau a singular love for the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, be revealed to him her beauty as illustrated in Mary, and inspiring him to serve her through prayer and apostolic activity. Grant us his prompt canonization in the Church and the special grace we are asking through his intercession. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.