Novena to Saint Expedite

The word Novena is derived for the Latin word for the number nine “Novem.”

For the most part, a Novena is often undertaken with a certain request in mind, and spans over nine days. Each Day has its own prayer. You can also do a Novena over nine hours as well in which those prayers are said over nine hours instead of days. Nearly all Catholic Saints have a tradition in which they have a Novena in their name.

The concept of the Novena is said to be derived from a passage in the New Testament. Acts 1:14, “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”

However, all it says is that Jesus’ disciples and Mary prayed constantly but does not indicate how many days. It was later extrapolated to mean that they prayed for nine days until the Pentecost.

There are several different types of Novenas.

Novenas for Mourning a Loved One

Novenas for the leading up to a Feast Day

Novenas for requesting and petitioning a Saint

Novenas for acts of repentance

For our purposes, I will illustrate how to do the Novena for Petitioning Saint Expedite. You can do this over nine days or nine hours. I will show it as nine days for illustrative purposes. You can change the word “day” to “hour” if you wish. This example will not account for the feast day of April 19^th. Example two will illustrate that. Please note that the wording of the Novena are not my own but from what I could find online. I did not cite a source since they all appear to be using the same wording.

To perform this Novena, you may light a candle to Saint Expedite similar to how you would in a regular ritual.

Altar Setup

Example 1: Novena to Saint Expedite for Any Day or Month of the Year

Day 1:

Opening Prayer:

“Oh Saint Expeditus, my protector, in you I place my hope that my petitions may be granted if they are for my own good. Please ask Our Lord, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, for the forgiveness of my sins, and the grace to change my life, particularly the grace … (mention here the particular grace desired) and I promise to follow your examples and will propagate this devotion to you.”

Prayer:

“Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, through the lively faith which was granted you by God, I ask you to awaken the same faith in my heart, that I may also believe wholeheartedly that there is a God, but most particularly that I may be saved from sinning against Him.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

“Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death Amen.”

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

“Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.”

Day 2:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedius, through the enviable hope given you by God, pray that those of little belief may be penetrated by some rays of hope so that they also receive eternal things; please pray that ardent hope in God be also given me and hold me steadfast in the midst of sufferings.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

Day 3:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, through the endless love which Our Lord planted in your heart, please remove from mine all the shackles tied by worldliness, that without them I may love only God in all eternity.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

Day 4:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, who knew full well the teaching of the Divine Teacher to carry the cross and follow Him, ask Him for the graces I need that I may fight my own passions.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

Day 5:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, through the bountiful graces you received from Heaven that you may conserve all your virtues, grant also that I may get rid of all the feelings that block my way to Heaven.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

Day 6:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, through the sufferings and humiliations which you received for the love of God, grant me also this grace which is very pleasing to God and free me from anger and hardness of heart which is the stumbling block of my soul.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

Day 7:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, you know that prayer is the golden key that will open the Kingdom of Heaven, teach me to pray in a manner which is desirable to Our Lord and to His Heart, that I may live only for Him, that I may die only for Him, and that I may pray only to Him in all eternity.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

Day 8:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, through the clean desires that reigned in all your feelings, words, and actions, please let them guide me also in my endless search for the glory of God and the good of my fellow men.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

Day 9:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, who was so much loved by the Queen of Heaven, that to you nothing was denied, ask her, please my advocate, that through the sufferings of her Divine Son and her own sorrows, I may receive this day the grace I ask of you; but above all the grace to die first before I commit any mortal sin.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

Example 2: Novena to Saint Expedite Leading Up To the April 19^th Feast Day

The same process and prayer are involved as above. However, I give you the exact dates this way you will be able to plan it exact so the Novena ends on the feast day.

April 11^th:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

April 12^th:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

April 13^th:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

April 14^th:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

“O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expeditus, who knew full well the teaching of the Divine Teacher to carry the cross and follow Him, ask Him for the graces I need that I may fight my own passions.”

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

April 15^th:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

April 16^th:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

April 17^th:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

April 18^th:

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once:

April 19^th :

Opening Prayer:

Prayer:

Now Say the “Our Father” Prayer Three times:

Say the “Hail Mary” Once:

Closing Prayer – Say the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary” Once: