Novena to All Carmelite Saints
Over the centuries, the Carmelite order has been blessed with many holy men and women who walked their earthly pilgrimage, eyes focused on God, desiring only to do His holy will. They serve as spiritual companions, offering wisdom and encouragement to help guide us along our own journey. They also stand ready as powerful intercessors on our behalf, bringing our petitions before the throne of God.
November 14th is the Feast of All Carmelite Saints. During the nine days leading up to this feast, we will pray a novena, highlighting one of these Carmelite saints each day. Each saint shares insights to encourage us over the course of our earthly journey and remind us that it is prayer through which we nurture and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ. So that one day, we may join our voice with theirs, echoing the words of St. Paul: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for His appearance” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Novena to All Carmelite Saints
Novena prayer to be said daily.
Prayer taken from Carmelite Proper, November 14, Feast of All Carmelite Saints
Lord, may the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother,
and the prayers of all the Saints of Carmel
help us to walk steadfastly in their footsteps,
and by our prayers and good works
ever further the cause of Your Church.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Novena Daily Meditations
Kindly click on the photo for daily meditation.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Daily Meditations
Novena | Day 1 (November 5)
“O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin…I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succor me in this necessity; there are none that can withstand your power.”
~ Flos Carmeli – prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Feast Day: July 16
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the patroness of both branches of the Carmelite order – O.Carm. and the Discalced Carmelites (O.C.D.).
Prayer: Father, may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Carmel, protect us and bring us to your holy Mountain, Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!
Novena | Day 2 (November 6)
“Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again”
St. Elijah, 1 Kings 18:36-37
Feast Day: July 20
Old Testament prophet, through whom God worked many miracles including bringing down fire from the sky. He is considered the spiritual father of the Carmelite Order.
Prayer: Almighty, ever-living God, your prophet, Elijah [our Father] lived always in your presence and was zealous for the honor due to your name. May we, your servants, always seek your face and bear witness to your love.
St. Elijah, pray for us!
Novena | Day 3 (November 7)
“Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much… Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything.”
St. Terea of Jesus (Ávila)
Feast Day: October 15
Spanish mystic and reformer of the Carmelite Order, who, together with St. John of the Cross, established the Discalced Carmelites. St. Teresa is a Doctor of the Church.
Prayer: Father, by your spirit you raised up [our Mother] St. Teresa of Ávila to show your Church the way to perfection. May her inspired teaching awaken in us a true longing for holiness
St. Teresa of Jesus, pray for us!
Novena | Day 4 (November 8)
“In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved.”
St. John of the Cross
Feast Day: December 14
Spanish priest and mystic known for his writings, particularly his Dark Night of the Soul which is considered among the greatest in Christian literature. Together with St. Teresa of Ávila, he was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and established the Discalced Carmelites. St. John of the Cross is a Doctor of the Church.
Prayer: Lord, you endowed [our Father] St. John of the Cross with a spirit of self-denial and a love of the cross. By following his example, may we come to the eternal vision of your glory.
St. John of the Cross, pray for us!
Novena | Day 5 (November 9)
“Our Lord does not so much look at the greatness of our actions, or even at their difficulty, as at the love with which we do them.”
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Feast Day: October 1
A French, Discalced Carmelite nun, who, at the request of her religious superiors wrote her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, in which she explains her simple approach to holiness and spirituality, known as The Little Way. St. Thérèse is a Doctor of the Church.
Prayer: God, our Father, you have promised your kingdom to those who are willing to become like little children. Help us to follow the way of St. Thérèse with confidence so that by her prayers we may come to know your eternal glory.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us!
Novena | Day 6 (November 10)
“I am happy and shall never cease to be so because I belong to my God. I find in Him my heaven and an eternal immutable love.”
St. Teresa of the Andes
Feast Day: July 13
The first Chilean saint canonized in March 1993. As a child, she read The Story of Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, which awakened within her the desire to dedicate her life to God alone. At age 19, she became a Carmelite and devoted her days to prayer and sacrifice. Teresa wrote countless letters in which she shared her thoughts on the spiritual life with many people. She contracted typhus and because her health deteriorated so rapidly, was permitted to make her final vows. She died during Holy Week at age 19.
Prayer: God of mercy, joy of the saints, you set the youthful heart of Saint Teresa ablaze with the fire of virginal love for Christ and for his Church; and even in suffering you made her a cheerful witness to charity. Through her intercession, fill us with the delights of your Spirit, so that we may proclaim by word and deed the joyful message of your love to the world.
St. Teresa of the Andes, pray for us!
Novena | Day 7 (November 11)
“For by doing what God demands of us with total surrender of our innermost being, we cause the divine life to become our own inner life. Entering into ourselves, we find God in our own selves.”
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Feast Day: August 9
Edith Stein was a German philosopher and agnostic, who upon reading the works of St. Teresa of Ávila, felt drawn to the Christian faith, eventually becoming a Catholic convert and Discalced Carmelite nun. With her sister, Rosa, she died in a gas chamber at the Auschwitz concentration camp in August 1942.
Prayer: God of our Fathers, who brought the martyr St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross to know your crucified Son and to imitate Hi until death, grant through her intercession, that the whole huma race may acknowledge Christ as its Savior and through Him come to behold you for eternity. Who lives ad reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us!
Novena | Day 8 (November 12)
“Make my soul…Your cherished dwelling place, Your home of rest. Let me never leave You there alone, but keep me there all absorbed in You, in living faith, adoring You.”
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
Feast Day: November 8
A Discalced Carmelite nun in Dijon, France, a mystic and spiritual writer, St. Elizabeth had a profound love for the Blessed Trinity and wrote extensively about the indwelling of the Trinity in each soul. She died at the age of 26 of Addison’s disease.
Prayer: O God of bountiful mercy, you revealed to St. Elizabeth of the Trinity the mystery of your secret presence in the hearts of those who love you, and you chose her to adore you in spirit and in truth. Through her intercession, may we also abide in the love of Christ that we may merit to be transformed into temples of your life-giving Spirit to the praise of your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Novena | Day 9 (November 13)
“I see God working within the work of His hands and the revelation of His love.”
St. Titus Brandsma, O. Carm.
Feast Day: July 27
Born in the Netherlands, Titus grew up in a small farming village and knew from an early age that he had a religious vocation. He initially applied with the Franciscans at age 11 but after seven years was declined due to health reasons. He then joined the Carmelites and was ordained in 1905. Titus spoke out against Nazi ideology and when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, he quickly came to their attention. He was arrested and in June 1942 was moved to Dachau where his already fragile health rapidly deteriorated. He endured medical experimentation with the other prisoners. Titus was executed by lethal injection on July 26, 1942.
Prayer: Lord our God, source and giver of life, you gave to St. Titus the spirit of courage to proclaim human dignity and the freedom of the Church, even in the throes of degrading persecution and death. Grant us that same Spirit so that in the coming of your kingdom of justice and peace we might never be ashamed of the Gospel but be enabled to recognize your loving kindness in all the events of our lives. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever
St. Titus Brandsma, O. Carm., pray for us!
Happy feast of All Carmelite Saints!
Let us pray the Litany of Carmelite Saints asking the Saints and Blesseds of Carmel to intercede for us!