Day 9 — Feast of Blessed Solanus — The Potter and the Clay
Throughout this Novena we have learned about the lives of the many saints whose feasts led up to this day, as well as the faith and holiness of Fr. Solanus Casey. Today let us consider these themes together in the light of the first reading. The themes from the past 8 days:
Recognizing Jesus in others;
The blessings of marriage and family-life;
Conversion of heart leading to unity, peace, and joy;
Suffering well with Jesus; giving our trials in every moment;
Living in gratitude and thanking God ahead of time;
Noticing little blessings that grow our lives in Christ;
Simple faith that encourages others;
Giving hospitality to others and listening to Jesus in them.
All of these themes were manifest in the life of Blessed Solanus. He was like the potter in the first reading today, and he allowed the grace of Jesus Christ to flow through his actions and words into other people.
“This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: Rise up, be off to the potter’s house; there I will give you my message. I went down to the potter’s house and there he was, working at the wheel.Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand,he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased. Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the LORD.Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel” (Jer 18:1-6).
Fr. Solanus did the work of God day-by-day, greeting people, feeding them, listening to them, and interceding for them. Were all his prayers answered right away? No, but God, the true Potter, continued to work the clay to form it according to His will. This is how prayer works. Saint Paul says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). God will take every part of our lives and make it into something good. There is nothing that He cannot use for our good.
We are the clay, but we can also be the potter! The families that we grow up in are the trinitarian image of God’s love that continually form us, pick us up when things are going badly, and start anew. The saints we meet in our everyday lives are God’s forming hands that encourage us and pray for us. (Blessed are we to have even one of these saints of God in our lives!). Just as God showed Jeremiah what He can do through the example of a potter, God shows us what He can do through everyday saints like Blessed Solanus. We are called to be imitators!
Today, on his feast day, let us ask Blessed Solanus to intercede for our Church, that we will be the image of the most loving and merciful Jesus to our families and to our world. Let us pray that as the potter, in the image of the divine Potter, we will be patient and gentle; and that as the clay we will receive with joy and gratitude the blessings the Potter gives. Amen. Alleluia!
“Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.” (Lk 10:38-39).
The passage from Luke is the optional Gospel for today’s feast of Saint Martha; it is fitting for the petition for today. The Scriptures do not say if Jesus knew Martha and Mary yet, but it was clear that He was not only welcomed by a woman, but sat at table in the home of the two sisters. Something radical is going on: in this instance openness to Jesus requires letting go of social norms. In fact, openness to Jesus will require letting go of something. In return, Jesus gives Himself, life-giving water through His words. There is a communion established when we listen to Jesus. There is a continuous giving and receiving through our listening and hearing. Martha welcomed and provided the food to eat. Jesus spoke. Mary listened.
Indeed, today it is difficult for us to practice this kind of radical hospitality. Let us pray today for the grace to see Jesus in everyone we meet, to listen to His (their) stories, and to give them what they need.
“But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (Mt 13:23).
Unity. It is a mark of the Church. The seeds of the Word of God sown in unity will bear the fruits of peace and joy. Scripture tells us “…in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26c). Antioch was the birthplace of the the first Gentile Christian community, and began when Christians were scattered from Jerusalem because of persecution. The home of the Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch, born from the seed of the Antiochian Church, is Lebanon. One of her great saints is St. Sharbel Makhluf. St. Sharbel is known for uniting Christians and Muslims in prayer and in favors granted through his intercession. He is therefore a great intercessor, along with Blessed Solanus, in times of disunity and persecution.
There are two great virtues in the life of Blessed Solanus that are essential for the grace of unity: humility and docility to the Holy Spirit. Insisting that we must praise God “in all His designs,” he responded to major disappointments in life with gratitude, always thanking God ahead of time for prayers answered. He lived every moment of his priesthood with confidence in God’s gracious Providence. Through this docility he was able to comfort the afflicted through prophetic words, and multitudes of souls received the graces of conversion of heart and miraculous healings through his intercessory prayer. He literally opened the door to all and sowed the seeds of God’s mercy, bearing fruit “a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
Today let us pray for the Lord to sow the seeds of conversion into the hearts of all His people, bearing the fruits of unity, peace, and joy.
“How precious is your mercy, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house; from your delightful stream you give them to drink” (Ps 36:2-3).
The family is the fundamental unit of society and is a refuge for children “in the shadow of [the Lord’s] wings.” There is no societal institution that can support, nurture, and educate children like one in which the mother and the father are unified through marriage, and live in harmony. In the Gospel today Jesus speaks of “knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven” that is freely given to His disciples. The family is the first school of discipleship. Indeed, family life provides the “prime gifts” of which the psalm speaks, and in which the material and spiritual needs of persons are best met. The family is meant to image the Blessed Trinity in its love and unity, and be God’s light of truth to the world.
St. Bridget of Sweden (c. 1303-1373), whose memorial we celebrate today, lived her married life serving as lady-in-waiting to the queen in the court of the Swedish king Magnus II. She was the mother of eight children. She received mystical visions that compelled her to serve the sick, often with her children in tow. She did her best to be a holy influence on the king and his court, eventually encouraging him to give her not only what she needed to care for the poor and sick, but also to found a monastery for men and women. She is a true example of a disciple, formed and nurtured through family life, who then brought the healing love of Jesus to the world.
Blessed Solanus was formed and nurtured as a disciple in the domestic Church as the sixth of 16 children born to Irish immigrant parents in Big River, Wisconsin. He had nine brothers and six sisters! Fr. Solanus once recalled his father’s exhortation to him and his brothers, “Prayer, boys, prayer!” His mother taught him to pray the Rosary, and this became his favorite daily devotion. Several of his siblings also entered religious life. The Casey household was a school of divine love, and was a springboard that propelled Solanus to continually live in the presence of God and serve as a powerful witness of Jesus’ love for all.
Today let us pray for a renewal of marriage and family life, and for all those who are suffering difficulties in their marriages and families — that God’s healing love is poured out upon them in abundance!
It is important to remember the Truth about God during times of great trial: God is our Father, leading us and guiding us through all these things. He doesn’t cause them. He created us to be one with Him in joy and peace. When sin entered the world not only was the human person broken, but all creation suffered. God became one of us through the Word made flesh, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to show us the way through the suffering we endure. We are seen and knownand loved by the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, Who is always working things for our good. The Lord accompanies us through all things, (even our own sins), and He gave us His mother from the Cross to be our Mother. This is why we ask for her intercession today and always.
Below is a pdf document of the Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena, which is prayed in the context of the Rosary.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow.
We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them.
Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away.
Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven.
Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others.
Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence.
(Mention your intentions here)
Mary, Undoer of Knots, please pray for the knot of this virus to be undone for the greater glory of God!
Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mother Cabrini
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow.
We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them.
Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away.
Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven.
Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others.
Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence.
Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow.
We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them.
Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away.
Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven.
Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others.
Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence.
Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
From Sacred Heart Basilica, Notre Dame, IN
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow.
We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them.
Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away.
Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven.
Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others.
Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence.
Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow.
We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them.
Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away.
Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven.
Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others.
Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence.
(Mention your intentions here)
St. Rocco, you are venerated for your prayers for those suffering from infectious diseases, pray for us!
Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow. We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them. Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away. Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven. Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others. Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence. (Mention your intentions here). St. Damien of Molokai, you put yourself at risk to minister to those suffering from leprosy, pray for us! Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow. We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them. Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away. Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven. Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others. Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence. (Mention your intentions here). St. Edmund, patron for victims of pandemics, pray for us! Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow. We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them. Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away. Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven. Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others. Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence. (Mention your intentions here) St. Anthony the Great, patron of those affected by infectious diseases, pray for us! Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns — You know what’s in our hearts. We love You, trust You, we need You. We ask You to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of uncertainty and sorrow. We know you are the Divine Physician, the healer of all. And so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now. Please comfort them. Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away. Please have mercy on those who have died, may they be with You in heaven. Please stand at the side of all medical professionals who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others. Lord, we are scared and we are sorrowful. Please heal us. Send us your peace and overwhelming presence. (Mention your specific intentions here) We ask the Fourteen Holy Helpers, those who lived during the time of the plague, to pray for us and all who are at-risk! Jesus, we thirst for You. You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. Help us to continue to return to You with our whole hearts throughout this ordeal. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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