Day 9 – The Desire for Heaven – Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Summary: <br> <br> Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin Novena<br> Day 9 – The Desire for Heaven<br> «But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body.» Philippians 3:20-21<br> Meditation<br> The Martins always yearned for Heaven. Every moment of their life was oriented toward this ultimate goal. St. Thérèse speaks of Heaven « to which all their actions and desires were directed. »<br> This was the golden rule in the education of their children, as St. Zélie testified in one of her letters. « When we had our children … we lived only for them. That was all our happiness … so I wanted to have a lot of them in order to raise them for Heaven. »<br> St. Louis once said to two of his daughters, « Yes, I have a goal, and my goal is to love God with all my heart. »<br> As for St. Zélie, she often expressed her desire to be a saint, to go to Heaven: « My mind no longer inhabits the earth. It’s traveling among higher spheres. » « True happiness is not of this world. We waste our time looking for it here. » « The world is not our true home. »<br> Resolution<br> Today, I will offer God my whole past, and I will live completely in the present, full of trust and hope, because that is the way to achieve the goal of my life—to reach Heaven.<br> <br> Prayer<br> Our Father…<br> Hail Mary…<br> Glory be to<br> Saints Louis and Zélie,<br> you who in your life as a couple and as parents<br> have given witness of an exemplary Christian life,<br> in putting God in the first place<br> through the exercise of the duties of your state in life<br> and the practice of the virtues of the gospel,<br> we turn to you.<br> Help us to have unshakable confidence in God<br> and to surrender ourselves to His Will,<br> as you did in the joys<br> but also in the trials, the sorrows, and the sufferings<br> with which your life was marked.<br> Help us to love God with all our heart,<br> to persevere in our daily difficulties,<br> and to dwell in the joy and hope<br> that will give us a living faith in Christ.<br> Intercede for us<br> so that we may obtain the graces we need<br> today and all the days of our life. Amen.<br> Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.<br> Imprimatur +Jacques Habert, Bishop of Séez, 26 May 2016<br> <a href="https://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/novena-to-sts-louis-and-zelie-martin-mp3-and-text-discerning-hearts-podcast/"></a><br> <br> For the complete <a href="https://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/novena-to-sts-louis-and-zelie-martin-mp3-and-text-discerning-hearts-podcast/#1474844076953-beaeb89d-7c41">Sts. Louis & Zélie Martin Novena</a> visit<a href="https://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/novena-to-sts-louis-and-zelie-martin-mp3-and-text-discerning-hearts-podcast/#1474844076953-beaeb89d-7c41"> here</a><br> <br> text ©Shrine of <a href="https://louisetzelie.com/en/pray/novena-to-saints-louis-and-zelie/">Sts. Louis and Zélie in Alençon</a><br> Please visit their website at <a href="https://louisetzelie.com/en/pray/novena-to-saints-louis-and-zelie/">https://louisetzelie.com/en/pray/novena-to-saints-louis-and-zelie/</a><br> <br> For more on the life of Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin visit:<br> <a href="https://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/a-sister-of-st-therese-servant-of-god-leonie-martin-bearer-of-hope-w-fr-timothy-gallagher/">A Sister of St. Thérèse: Servant of God, Léonie Martin; Bearer of Hope w/Fr. Timothy Gallagher</a><br> and <a href="https://www.discerninghearts.com/catholic-podcasts/the-letters-of-st-therese-of-lisieux-with-fr-timothy-gallagher-o-m-v/">The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux with Fr. Timothy Gallagher O.M.V.</a><br> <br>
