9 Day Novena for Work (click here)
At present, many people are out of work and confront hardships in supporting their families. Saint Josemaría, "the saint of the ordinary" as John Paul II called him, has proven to be an effective intercessor before God both for finding a job and for learning how to work better so as to offer our work to God and sanctify it.Thousands of people all over the world have gone to Saint Josemaria's intercession in recent months for these intentions by praying the 9 day Novena for Work.
Below are a few of the favors that have been received.
Josemaria will be my confirmation name
I lost my job in November 2009. I knew a little about Josemaria Escriva and went to his website to learn more. I found his prayer card and the Novena for Work, which became almost a daily prayer. I printed these out and decided to laminate them so they would survive frequent use. I prayed for a good job for three and a half months. During that time I developed a deeper appreciation for the opportunity we have to please God in each of our ordinary responsibilities. I am committed to remembering this daily because Intention A ( Finding a Job ) has been answered with a good fit in a solid and healthy company. In thanks I am dedicating the rest of my life to Intention B ( Doing a Good Job ). I’ve learned not to take my life, nor people and God, for granted as I used to do.
I am now receiving classes about the Catholic faith and soon, God willing, will be in full communion with the Church this Easter. I am very grateful for Josemaria Escriva’s help in my journey towards the faith and I have chosen “Josemaria” for my confirmation name.
J.P. , USA
March 15, 2010
The novena gave me hope
I prayed the Novena for Work and am happy to let you know that I am now working in the department of human resources at a university. Though the job doesn’t pay much it is definitely a stepping stone to the next phase of my career and I am learning a lot. I prayed the novena the whole time I was out of work and it gave me continual hope. I also prayed it for my sister who was out of work. She started her new job yesterday. God bless!
USA
February 2, 2010
May Almighty God bless Saint Josemaria Escriva
I am a biology teacher in a high school in Zambia and found the Novena for Work online. In January 2009 I was removed from the payroll because my contract ended with the Zambian government, being a Congolese national living as an expatriate in Zambia. I kept on praying for the renewal of my contract, but it wasn’t easy. None of the expatriate teachers were accepted until I cried out to Mother Mary and Saint Josemaria through the novena I found on the Internet. In March I did the novena and in April 2010 my acceptance letter came with the renewal of my contract for the next three years. I thank God the Father, Jesus his Son and the Holy Spirit for answering my prayers through the intercession of Mother Mary and Saint Josemaria Escriva.
A. K. K., Zambia
May 7, 2010
An African in Oslo
At the end of November 2009, I was informed at my workplace that I and 5 other employees were being let go on December 14. In fact, I was quite happy when I received the news and had a feeling of relief, since all of 2009 had been tough for me, with almost constant challenges and attacks against my Christian faith from people I worked alongside. With God’s help and the evenings of recollections organized by women of Opus Dei in Oslo, I was able to bear everything calmly. I learned to abandon my life in God’s hands and to smile, and I encouraged the others who had also lost their jobs, telling them that life was not over for them.
One night, during the time I was out of work, I decided to open the Opus Dei website at home and read through people’s testimonies of how St. Josemaria Escriva had helped them in their work situations. I was overwhelmed by all the letters. I wondered if the same miracle could happen to me. I looked at Josemaria’s face on the computer screen and asked him if he would help me too even if he didn’t know me. I told him I was an African girl from Uganda living in Norway and that we (he and I) were from different backgrounds. I decided to give it a try and printed out a copy of Josemaria’s 9 Day Novena for finding a job and learning how to work better.
I prayed this novena and attended Mass for the next 9 days. While I was praying the novena I would look at his picture on the novena card and he returned my look through his spectacles with a smile.
On the last day of the novena I received a call from the same employer who had fired me. He told me that I could return to my old job in the middle of January. I was shocked and burst out laughing. I was quite confused. I wondered why God was putting me back in the same workplace instead of leading me to a new one. I decided to abandon myself in his hands and follow his will, since He must have his own hidden plan. I give thanks to St. Josemaria and to my Mother Mary for interceding for me.
Angelline Birungi Kroken, Oslo – Norway
February 4, 2010
The first day of the novena
I found the Novena for Work on the Internet and began to pray it. The minute I finished saying the prayer, on the very first day, I got a call asking me to come for an interview, and I started work two weeks later. I'd never heard of St Josemaria before, and I'm so grateful to him!
Paula N., Brazil
May 5, 2010
Nothing is impossible for God
I don’t want to publish a testimony, just to beg Saint Josemaria Escriva, who loved work so much and talked so much about how important it was, to intercede with our Lord to create the four and a half million jobs that we need in Spain. Being out of work is a cause of fights, misery, hunger, sadness, loneliness, sickness, and all sorts of other woes.
Saint Josemaria, please help us because in Spain we are absolutely desperate. People who have jobs have uncertain or bad ones, and millions of people don’t even have that, no income, nothing. By summer 2010 may all this change completely, because nothing is impossible for God and he can do everything.
God is so good. He created the universe which we could never have imagined and which we will never understand more than a tiny fraction of, so he can certainly create the jobs that we need! I pray that Saint Josemaria Escriva will present this intention before our God who is so good and patient. Thank you.
A., Spain
March 19, 2010
For more letters and favors received in recent months, please visit: https://www.josemariaescriva.info/article/readers-write .
Article on how to sanctify daily work: "A Supernatural Motive"
Work-related favors received in 2009 through Saint Josemaria's intercession