This novena is meant to ask God, through Paquita Domínguez and Tomás Alvira’s intercession, to bless one’s own family, praying for family intentions and to grow in the virtues that make for harmony and home, following the Holy Family’s example.
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Contents
Biography
The Servants of God, Tomás and Paquita Alvira, a married couple faithful to the spirit of Opus Dei, provided an inspiring example of Christian living to many people. Tomás Alvira was born in Villanueva de Gállego, Zaragoza, on 17 January 1906. A graduate in Chemical Sciences, he worked as a researcher for the Spanish National Research Council and as a Natural Sciences teacher at a prestigious high school in Madrid. Paquita Domínguez Susín, born in Borau on 11 April 1912, worked as a schoolteacher.
Tomás and Paquita first met in 1926 on a train bound for Barcelona, but they were only able to marry after the end of the Spanish Civil War, on 16 June 1939, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They had nine children, the first of whom passed away at the age of five. With God's grace, they sought holiness by living out Christian virtues in their ordinary daily activities. The Holy Mass was the center of their lives. Tomás passed away in 1992 after a serious illness, and Paquita followed in 1994 after a neurological disease.
How to Pray the Novena
This novena is meant to ask God, through Paquita Domínguez and Tomás Alvira’s intercession, to bless one’s own family, praying for family intentions and to grow in the virtues that make for harmony and home, following the Holy Family’s example.
Each day of the novena consists of two parts:
- A brief reflection on Tomás and Paquita’s life.
- A prayer for private devotion, with a specific intention added each day.
DAY 1
One of their daughters recalls: “The Holy Mass was the central focus of their day and life. They planned the time they would wake up, attended to the tasks of the day, planned trips, etc. around attending Mass.”
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
Tomás and Paquita, help me to give the Holy Mass the place it deserves, so that I may fall more in love with the Eucharist every day, as you did. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
DAY 2
María Isabel recounts a story that illustrates Tomás’ love for the Cross. “I went with my father to the Prado Museum. There I was struck by the comment he made in front of a painting by El Greco, of Christ carrying the Cross. We stopped in front of it, and he said, ‘Look how beautiful it is! The painting isn't called Christ carrying the Cross, but Christ embracing the Cross. Do you realize that? Christ embraced the Cross…’”
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
Tomás, help me to see the little crosses of the day as a gift, like you and Paquita did, and to embrace the Cross like Jesus did. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
DAY 3
Until the very end of their lives, Tomás and Paquita helped each other on the journey towards God. In a letter to one of her daughters after a flu forced her to stay in bed, Paquita wrote: “That was inconvenient for me, but it wasn’t the worst part, because just then I was supposed to have gone on my retreat… And look what happened! The outcome was so different from what I wanted. I was lamenting, and, with perfect timing, your dad read to me from St. Philip Neri: ‘Thank you, Lord, because things did not go the way I wanted, but the way You wanted.’”
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
Tomás and Paquita, help me always to desire for things to go as God wills, especially in times of waiting. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
DAY 4
From Tomás’s personal notebook: “Offer sickness and fatigue. Finished work. Order.” In a class he gave, he shared one of the goals he aspired to: “If parents truly take their duty to educate their children to heart, they must never forget to teach them to love work.”
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
Tomás and Paquita, help me to direct all my actions towards holiness, resolved to live my vocation by loving God and others more. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
DAY 5
Tomás and Paquita met for the first time as students, on the train to Barcelona, when they happened to make eye contact. Tomás felt that indefinable spark that Adam must have felt when he first met Eve, and exclaimed, “It is so good that you exist; so good that you’re here in the world!” It all began on that train.
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
For those called to marriage, human happiness depends largely on the choice of the spouse with whom to share the rest of life. Tomás and Paquita, help me, like you, to live marriage as our path to holiness. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
DAY 6
Tomás and Paquita were, for many people, an example of a married couple that knew how to unite the present with eternity: their goal was always to go to Heaven together. To Heaven together! Some of Tomás and Paquita’s friends said of them: “People who have received a father and mother’s love find it easier to understand God’s love. And they loved their children so well that they had a marvellous understanding of God’s love.”
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
Tomás and Paquita, may my courtship be an opportunity to deepen mutual affection and understanding: a time filled with the spirit of self-giving, understanding, respect, and kindness. May your marriage be an example of perseverance in faith and love for me. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
DAY 7
Describing her mother, María Isabel says: “Her serenity became especially evident during her illness. In addition to her tranquility, her joy was complemented with a sense of humor that made us laugh heartily […]. Her joy and humor were extraordinary. Being close to my mother during those months was a source of supernatural energy and optimism. She had this good humor rooted in a truly impressive faith in Divine Providence.”
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
Tomás and Paquita, help me to face the challenges of the day with courage, hope, and good humor. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
DAY 8
Tomás had a particular “talent” for friendship: he naturally maintained deep and lasting relationships with very different people and was able to connect with everyone. One of his daughters remembers her father saying, “Every time a friend asked me, I was always willing to listen.” In the 86 years of his life, whoever was looking for him always found him.
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
Tomás and Paquita, help me to embody the vocation to love in friendship. May I be a faithful, present, and sincere friend. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
DAY 9
Their children remember their parents’ love for freedom. From an early age, Paquita and Tomás made them reflect on the meaning of their actions, choices, and their consequences. Their daughter Nieves recalls: “We always felt free, but responsibility was something serious. They had explained to us a thousand times – and it was something they conveyed with the strength of lived experience – that freedom and responsibility were inseparably united.”
Prayer
God our Father, who poured out your grace on your servants Paquita and Tomás, so that they could live their marriage and professional and social obligations with a Christian spirit, send us the strength of your Love in order to spread in the world the marvelous reality of fidelity and holiness in marriage. Deign to glorify your servants and grant me through their intercession the favor that I ask … (make your request here).
Tomás and Paquita, by remaining faithful to God’s will, help me to have the courage to always take responsibility for my decisions. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
In conformity with the decrees of Pope Urban VIII, we declare that there is no intention of anticipating in any way the judgement of the Church, and that this prayer is not intended for public use.