"Science and faith are not opposed - both come from God."
For us students, scientists, teachers, for us who seek truth through faith and reason.
✝ Day 1 - November 6 - For Faith and Reason
"Faith and reason are two wings that lead to truth."
Reflection - St. Albert the Great, Dominican, great scientist, said faith and science both from God, not opposed. For us who think science opposes faith, who lose faith because of science, or reject science because of faith - Albert shows both wings needed to fly to truth. For us students torn between faith and science - be like Albert, great scientist and great saint. Truth cannot contradict truth because all truth is God's truth.
Prayer: O St. Albert the Great, doctor who didst unite faith and reason, obtain for us students, scientists, seekers, grace to see faith and science as two wings from God, not opposed, and to seek truth through both with humility.
(State your intentions here... for faith and reason for us)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O God of all truth, through St. Albert who united faith and reason, grant us to seek truth with both. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 2 - November 7 - For Students Who Struggle
"He was called slow learner, yet became greatest scholar."
Reflection - Albert was called dull, slow learner, almost left Dominican order because studies hard, yet through prayer to Mary he became greatest scholar of Middle Ages, Doctor Universalis. For us students who struggle, called dull, who want to quit - Albert was slow learner who became great through prayer and perseverance. For us parents whose children struggle in studies - pray to Albert, slow learner saint, he understands.
Prayer: O St. Albert, thou who wert called dull and slow yet became greatest scholar through prayer and perseverance, obtain for us students who struggle, who are called dull, grace to persevere, to pray, and to become great through God's help.
(State your intentions here... for students who struggle)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O God who didst make slow learner great scholar, through St. Albert grant perseverance to struggling students. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 3 - November 8 - For Teacher of Aquinas
"He taught Aquinas - greatest teacher forms greatest student."
Reflection - Albert teacher of St. Thomas Aquinas, greatest theologian. Albert recognized Thomas' genius when others called him dumb ox, said this dumb ox will bellow so loud whole world hears. For us teachers who must recognize genius in dull student, for us students who need teacher like Albert who believes - great teacher forms great student. For us parents - be Albert to your Thomas - believe in child others call dumb.
Prayer: O St. Albert, teacher of Aquinas, thou who didst recognize genius in dumb ox, obtain for us teachers grace to recognize and nurture genius in our students, and for us students grace to find teachers like thee who believe in us.
(State your intentions here... for teachers and students)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O Divine Teacher, through St. Albert teacher of Aquinas, grant us teachers who believe and students who listen. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 4 - November 9 - For Science as Worship
"Study of nature is study of Creator through creation."
Reflection - Albert studied nature - plants, animals, stars - not to exploit but to worship Creator through creation. For us scientists, farmers, those who work with nature who see nature only as resource to exploit - Albert shows study of nature is worship, reading book of creation. For us who lost wonder - look at plant, animal, star as Albert did, with wonder that leads to worship. Our science must be worship.
Prayer: O St. Albert, great scientist who didst study nature as worship of Creator, obtain for us grace to see nature with wonder, to study creation as book that reveals Creator, and to make science worship, not exploitation.
(State your intentions here... for wonder and science as worship)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O Creator revealed in creation, through St. Albert who studied nature as worship, grant us wonder. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 5 - November 10 - For Humility of Great Scholar
"Though greatest scholar, he remained humble brother."
Reflection - Albert greatest scholar of his age, yet humble Dominican brother, swept floors, served. For us who become proud with knowledge, degrees, who look down on uneducated - Albert greatest scholar remained humble. For us educated who despise simple faith of parents - Albert's knowledge made him more humble, not proud. True knowledge humbles because we see how little we know.
Prayer: O St. Albert, greatest scholar yet humble brother, obtain for us who have knowledge, degrees, grace of humility, that knowledge may make us humble not proud, and that we may serve like humble brother despite greatness.
(State your intentions here... for humility in knowledge)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O Humble Jesus, through St. Albert humble scholar, grant us humility in knowledge. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 6 - November 11 - For Devotion to Mary as Seat of Wisdom
"He prayed to Mary Seat of Wisdom and became wise."
Reflection - Albert slow in studies prayed to Mary, Seat of Wisdom, and She gave him wisdom. For us who need wisdom - students before exam, parents needing wisdom for children, leaders needing wisdom - pray to Mary Seat of Wisdom as Albert did. For us who seek wisdom in books only - Albert sought wisdom on knees before Mary. Wisdom is gift of Holy Spirit through Mary Seat of Wisdom.
Prayer: O St. Albert, who didst pray to Mary Seat of Wisdom and receive wisdom, obtain for us who need wisdom - students, parents, leaders - grace to pray to Mary Seat of Wisdom and receive true wisdom that comes from above.
(State your intentions here... for wisdom)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O Mary Seat of Wisdom, through St. Albert who prayed to thee, grant us wisdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 7 - November 12 - For Universal Knowledge - Doctor Universalis
"He knew all - theology, science, philosophy - because he knew God is source of all."
Reflection - Albert called Doctor Universalis - universal doctor - because he knew all sciences: theology, philosophy, biology, chemistry, astronomy. For us who specialize and lose whole - we know much about little and little about much - Albert shows all knowledge connected because God source of all. For us students who hate one subject - all subjects lead to God if seen as Albert saw. Universal knowledge begins with knowing God is source.
Prayer: O St. Albert, Doctor Universalis, universal doctor who didst know all because thou knewest God as source of all, obtain for us who specialize and fragment knowledge grace to see all knowledge connected in God and to seek universal wisdom.
(State your intentions here... for universal knowledge)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O God source of all knowledge, through St. Albert universal doctor, grant us universal wisdom rooted in Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 8 - November 13 - For Perseverance to End
"He studied till old age - never stopped seeking."
Reflection - Albert studied, taught, wrote till old age, never stopped seeking truth, even when memory failed. For us who stop learning after degree, who think education ends - Albert shows learning ends at death. For us old who think we cannot learn - Albert learned till old. For us who give up when memory fails, when studies hard - persevere like Albert to end.
Prayer: O St. Albert, who didst persevere in seeking truth till old age, obtain for us who grow tired in studies, in seeking, grace to persevere to end, never to stop seeking truth, never to stop learning, till death.
(State your intentions here... for perseverance in seeking truth)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O Truth that must be sought till death, through St. Albert who sought till end, grant us perseverance. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
✝ Day 9 - November 14 - For Final Gift - Knowledge Leads to Holiness
"All his knowledge led him to holiness - greatest scholar became greatest saint."
Reflection - Final day - Albert greatest scholar became great saint. For us who separate knowledge and holiness - think scholars cannot be saints, saints cannot be scholars - Albert shows knowledge must lead to holiness, else useless. Greatest knowledge is to know God and love Him. For us at end of novena - we asked many favors for studies, wisdom - greatest favor is that our knowledge lead to holiness, that we know God and love Him, as Albert did.
Prayer: O St. Albert the Great, greatest scholar and great saint, on this final day obtain for us all favors we asked for studies, for wisdom, and above all grace that our knowledge may lead us to holiness, to know God and love Him as thou didst, and to become saints through knowledge rooted in God.
(State your intentions here... our most important intentions and that knowledge lead to holiness)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...
Let Us Pray: O God of all knowledge and holiness, who didst make St. Albert great scholar and great saint, grant through him our intentions and grace that our knowledge may lead to holiness and holiness to Heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Albert the Great - Pray for us!
This novena is a private devotion, prayed in communion with the Catholic Church, asking for intercession through the saints, always subject to God's will and the teachings of the Magisterium. Nihil obstat.
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