Novena for the COVID-19 Pandemic

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SCRIPTURE

Jesus cures the paralytic lowered through the roof                    (see Mt 9:1-8; Mk 2:1-12; or Lk 5:17-26)

Mark 2:3-12

They came to him bringing a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat upon which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith,
he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
“Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said,
“Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
What is easier, to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk.”
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”
– he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
He rose, picked up his mat at once and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

PRAYER

Leader:
Heavenly Father,
By our baptism, you commissioned us to serve the needs of others.
Just as you emboldened the four stretcher bearers
to break through the roof and lower the stretcher of the paralytic,
so that he might be cured by Jesus,
give us the courage to bring others to Christ
and to seek a cure to the coronavirus through all possible means.
Grant this through that same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

PETITION

Leader:
For those who still are living with the long-term effects of Covid-19,
we pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

LORD’S PRAYER

All: Our Father, who art in heaven…

INTERCESSION

Leader: St. Joseph, help of the sick,

All: pray for us.

SCRIPTURE
Jesus cures the woman with the hemorrhage                    (see Mt 9:18-26; Mk 5:22-43, or Luke 8:41-56)

Mark 5:25-34

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus
and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.
She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?”
But his disciples said to him,
“You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

PRAYER

Leader:
Compassionate Father,
You sent your Son to preach the Good News and to gather all into your Kingdom.
So many people are suffering like this unnamed, afflicted woman.
So many are seen as unnamed faces in a crowd.
Give us the courage to see each person as someone deserving of our love.
Give leaders the compassion to distribute the vaccine equitably
and give each citizen the awareness that their actions, too,
must protect each person in a faceless crowd.
Grant this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

PETITION

Leader: For those who have risked their own health to minister to the dying, we pray,

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

LORD’S PRAYER

All: Our Father, who art in heaven.

INTERCESSION

Leader: Saint Camillus de Lellis, patron saint of nurses,

All: pray for us.

SCRIPTURE
Jesus cures the man with leprosy

Matthew 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”

PRAYER

Leader:
Heavenly Father,
your Son recognized the faith of the leper
and willingly cured him of his illness.
He also urged him to follow social and religious norms –
to go to the priest and to offer the prescribed gifts.
Thank you for the many skills which you give to scientists and doctors,
for at your command,
they continue to show your care for the world. Amen.

PETITION

Leader: For all scientists, researchers, and public health officials
who have labored to find a vaccine
and who have sounded alarms and taken action
to stop the spread of the virus and its variants, we pray.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

LORD’S PRAYER

All: Our Father, who art in heaven, ….

INTERCESSION

Leader: Saint Albert the Great, patron saint of scientists and researchers,

All: pray for us.

SCRIPTURE
Jesus cures the deaf man

Mark 7:31-37

Again, he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned,
and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and [the] mute speak.”

PRAYER

Leader:
Heavenly Father,
Your Son used the things of nature to cure the Deaf.
With his own saliva, he made a cure.
Bless the researchers whom you have inspired to find a vaccine.
Through them, you have saved countless lives.
May all come to know that the work of your creation
continues to manifest your love to the world. Amen.

PETITION

Leader: That all those who doubt the efficacy of the vaccine or fear its use,
may come to see it as a sign of your love for the world, we pray.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

LORD’S PRAYER

All: Our Father, who art in heaven, ….

INTERCESSION

Leader: Saints Cosmas and Damian, patron saints of pharmacists,

All: pray for us.

SCRIPTURE
Raising of Lazarus                    (see John 11:1-44)

John 11:38-44

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him,
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me;
but because of the crowd here I have said this,
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”

PRAYER

Leader:
Merciful God,
in your loving plan of salvation,
you have given hope to all who die believing in you.
Receive into your loving embrace all who have died from Covid-19.
Forgive all their sins and welcome them into your heavenly home
where there will be no more pain or suffering.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

PETITIONS

Leader: For our beloved dead,
for all who mourn the death of a loved one, we pray.

All: Lord, hear our prayer,

Leader: For religious leaders, lay and ordained, who have ministered to the dying,
consoled the grieving, and sustained the weary, we pray.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

LORD’S PRAYER

All: Our Father, who art in heaven, ….

INTERCESSION

Leader: Saint Joseph, patron of a happy death,

All: pray for us.