The Novena to Saint John Bosco can be performed at any time, but it is recommended between the 22nd and 30th of January, the eve of the day on which the Church remembers the Saint who is the patron saint of youth and of the capital of Brazil: the city of Brasília.
Opening prayer
(prayed every day)
Sign of the Cross
Come Holy Spirit
Prayer of Don Bosco
O Glorious Saint John Bosco,
when you were on this earth,
there was no one who, coming to you,
were it not for you
kindly received, consoled and helped.
Now in heaven, where charity reaches perfection,
how much your great heart must burn
in love for those in need!
See then my present necessities
and help me, obtaining grace from the Lord for me…
(ask for grace) .
You too have experienced during your life
the deprivations, the illnesses, the contradictions,
the uncertainty of the future, the ingratitude, the affronts,
the slander, the persecutions and you know what it is to suffer.
Therefore, oh holy Don Bosco,
turn your kind gaze towards me
and obtain from the Lord what I ask of you,
if it is advantageous to my soul;
and if not, obtain some other grace
that will be even more useful to me
and a filial conformity to the divine will
in all things,
at the same time as a virtuous life
and a holy death. Amen.
First Day
“Do you want the Lord to grant you many graces? Visit Him often. Do you want Him to grant you few? Visit Him rarely.”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, by the ardent love you had for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and by the zeal with which you propagated His cult, especially by attending Holy Mass, by frequent Communion and by daily visits to the Blessed Sacrament; obtain for us the grace to grow ever more in love and in the practice of such holy devotions, and to end our days strengthened and comforted by the heavenly nourishment of the Divine Eucharist.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory .
Second Day
“Whoever trusts in Mary will never be disappointed”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, through the love you bore to the Virgin Help of Christians, your mother and teacher, obtain for us a true and constant devotion to such a sweet mother, so that, as her most devoted children, we may merit her precious patronage in this life and in a special way at the hour of our death.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory.
Third Day
“Prayer is the first food, as bread is the food of the body. We must pray with unlimited hope of being heard.”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, through the filial love you had for the Holy Church and the Supreme Pontiff, whom you constantly defended, obtain for us the grace to always be worthy children of the Catholic Church, and to love the Pope and venerate in him the infallibility of the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory .
Fourth Day
“Every morning, hand over to God the day’s tasks; and do each thing as if it were the last of your life.”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, for the great love with which you loved youth, making yourself their father and teacher, and for the heroic sacrifices you made for their salvation; grant that we too may love with a holy and generous love this chosen portion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and that in every young person we may contemplate the adorable person of our divine Savior.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory .
Fifth Day
“Prayer does violence to the heart of God”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, you who, in order to continue to extend your holy apostolate ever further, founded the Salesian Society and the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; grant that the members of these two religious families may always be filled with your spirit and be faithful imitators of your heroic virtues.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory .
Sixth Day
“Don Bosco, in his life, will never be able to turn away anyone who asks him to stay with him”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, you who, in order to obtain in the world more abundant fruits of the exercise of faith and tenderest charity, instituted the Union of Salesian Cooperators; make them always be models of Christian virtues and providential helpers in your works.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory .
Seventh Day
“Always help your colleagues. Even if it costs you sacrifice. Holiness is all here.”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, you who loved all souls with an ineffable love, and who in order to save them sent your children to the ends of the earth; grant that we too may continually think of the salvation of our souls and cooperate with all possible means to save so many of our poor brothers.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory .
Eighth Day
“Love chastity very much. Remember, to preserve it it is precious to work and pray.”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, you who loved with a predilection the beautiful virtue of purity, and took it as an example, with your words and writings; grant that we too, in love with such an indispensable virtue, may practice it constantly and spread it with all our strength.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory .
Ninth Day
“He who perseveres to the end will be saved”
Glorious Saint John Bosco, you who were always so compassionate towards human misfortunes, look upon us, who are so in need of your help. Send down upon us and upon our families the maternal blessings of Mary Help of Christians; obtain for us all those spiritual and temporal graces that we need; intercede for us in life and in death, so that we may sing eternally of divine mercies in the Celestial Paradise.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory .
Final Prayer
(every day)
O God, who raised up Saint John, your Confessor,
as a father and teacher of the young
and through him, aided by the Virgin Mary,
you wanted new families to flourish in your Church,
grant, we pray,
who, inflamed by the same fire of charity,
let us seek the souls
and we will serve you alone.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit. ℟. Amen.
Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians
(composed by Saint John Bosco)
O Mary, powerful Virgin,
you, great and illustrious defender of the Church;
you, wonderful Help of Christians,
you, terrible as an army in battle array;
you, who alone destroyed all heresy throughout the world;
in anguish, in struggles, in afflictions,
defend us from the enemy;
and at the hour of death,
welcome our soul into Paradise!
Amen.