I just might have the solution to the Financial Global Crisis. A novena to St. Paul of Tarsus, The Apostle and Helper in Financial Difficulties. The Church’s foresight might have something to do with declaring this year as the Year of Saint Paul.

St. Paul the Apostle, Patron of Missionaries and Theologians

Paul was the Last of the apostles. His appointment did not come from any apostle, but from the risen Lord who appeared to him on the road to Damascus. The Risen Lord told Paul that his mission was to preach the gospel to the gentiles, the non-Jews. Paul was a persecutor of Christians before such a call. He felt so honored ans thankful to be called by Jesus.

Paul made three missionary journeys, founding communities and strengthening them through personal visits and his letters. Seven of his authentic letters had survived and have become part of the New Testament. The Acts of the Apostles written by his disciple St. Luke, narrates the story of the evangelization of the Roman Empire in which Paul was the main evangelist. Paul was the “idol-missionary” of the Christian of his time, describing himself through the apostle who suffered most for Christ.

While preparing for his fourth missionary journey to Spain and bringing the much needed financial aid to the Church of Jerusalem (this is the reason why Paul is considered a helper in financial difficulties), Paul was arrested by the Jews in the temple of Jerusalem. After staying three years in prison in Jerusalem, on his petition as a Roman citizen he was brought to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. He enjoyed house arrest during his trial, but was beheaded in the persecution initiated by Emperor Nero in the year 65 A.D.

Daily Prayer
Glorious St. Paul, from a persecutor of Christianity, you became a very ardent and zealous apostle, and suffered imprisonment, scourging, stoning, shipwreck and endured persecutions of every kind, in order to make the Savior Jesus Christ known to the farthest bounds of the world. In the end you shed your blood to the last drop. Obtain for us the grace to accept the infirmities, afflictions and misfortunes of the present life as favors of the divine mercy, so that the loneliness of our life may not make us grow cold in the service of God, but may make us ever more faithful and more fervent. We ask you to listen to our petitions (here mention your petitions). Amen.

FIRST DAY

O dear St. Paul, watch over with love this nation and its people. Your heart expanded so as to welcome and enfold all peoples in the loving embrace of peace. Now, from heaven, may the charity of Christ urge you to enlighten everyone with the light of the gospel and to establish the kingdom of love.

May we learn to work for peace in our communities and homes. We invoke your presence among us in this difficult task. May the presence of Jesus give us peace though we are going through problems and conflicts. May we learn to listen to others, serve without counting the cost, and ask for nothing except for God’s grace. Amen.

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.

SECOND DAY

O dear Apostle who brought the gospel to the farthest bounderies of the Roman empire, you were the greatest missionary of the apostolic times not just for the distance you traveled but because you used all available means, like letter writing, to depen the faith of others.

Give us your sense of mission. Instill in us the responsibility of sharing Jesus to others. Make us feel that being a missionary is part of our vocation as Christians. Enable us to develop a thirst for saving souls, and that one day, imitating you in your zeal, we may also join you in your happiness in heaven. Amen.

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.

THIRD DAY

O holy Apostle, you compared Christian life as a race to win a crown. You emphasized that to be a Christian is to sacrifice and discipline one’s self. You applied this rule first to yourself, saying that if you don’t exercise dominion of your body, you who preached the gospel may in the end lose it.

Give us your sense of discipline that as we proclaim Jesus’ love, we may also discipline our bodies and like good athletes, look forward to winning the race to God’s Kingdom. Inspire us to control our appetites and passions, our liking for good foods and pleasures, and seek abstinence and fasting as ways to discipline our bodies. Amen.

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.

FOURTH DAY

O holy Apostle, Jesus changed completely your life when he appeared to you in the road to Damascus. The Lord invited you to be his disciple and carry the gospel to the farthest corner of the world. And you proclaimed that the Lord’s choice had been vindicated because among the apostles, you worked the hardest and became the most zealous of missionaries.

Help us to remember our obligation to carry the gospel to peoples who still don’t know Jesus. Make us aware of the mission to the gentiles, to the pagans as a priority among the concerns of the Church.

Inspire us to extend our helping hand to these Christians who are sacrificing their lives in the heart of Africa and other non-Christian countries. Enable us to contribute our share in the mission by our material contributions and prayers. Amen

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.

FIFTH DAY

O holy apostle, you went from one community to another seeking help for the Church of Jerusalem whose members were suffering from extreme poverty. You begged not for yourself but for the needy, asking the people you converted to show their faith through charity.

We see in our midst our countrymen who lived in extreme poverty. Instill in us a greater responsibility for our needy brothers and sister. Help us to understand that the gospel becomes only good news when we become persons of God and for others. Amen.

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.

SIXTH DAY

O holy apostle, you scolded the Christians of the city of Corinth because they failed to show their brotherly concerns during the celebration of the Eucharist. While some went hurgry, others were full and drunk, not willing to share their food and drinks to others. You said that people who partake in the Body and Blood of Jesus should also share in the bread, and that no one among them should go hungry.

Help us to follow you command and inspired by the Eucharist that we partake, we, too, may learn to share what we have. Enable us to be generous, to have a special eye for the poor and the needy among us. May our union with Jesus in the holy communion guide us to share. Amen.

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.

SEVENTH DAY

O holy apostle, you went to places that others didn’t want to go and endured several persecutions, being in the jail three times, suffering from thirst, hunger, and cold. But in all these experiences of hardships and difficulties, you claimed to be victorious and joyful. Christ for you is worth all the pain.

Through your intercession, O holy apostle, inspire us to be like you, to value only Jesus and consider the rest as garbage. Instill in us a spirit of sacrifice that we, too, may be willing to endure anything for the sake of Christ, our Savior. Give us your cheerful spirit as you passed through torture, persecution, and economic difficulties with a cheer, knowing that the glorious crown awaited you in heaven. Amen.

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.

EIGHT DAY

O holy apostle, you received as a special gift from Jesus a glimpse of the third heavens. You claimed that what you saw and heard could not be described. You were so happy that you did not want to return anymore to your normal senses. You wanted to remain in the heaven, but the Lord reminded you of your mission. You returned to finish the task.

Through your intercession, O holy apostle, inspire us also not to lose touch of the glorious heaven that Jesus prepares for us after this life. Let your joy as you remember that place also be ours. Make us understand the futility of earthly happiness that disappears so rapidly. Make us long and desire the endless joy of heaven. Amen.

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.

NINTH DAY

O holy apostle, you crowned your life with martyrdom. You were never afraid of death; in fact, you wrote your followers that you were looking forward to your final reunion with Jesus. While alive, you were already lost in the glory of the life to come. Death for you has lost its sting, its power, and its capacity to instill fear. How brave you are, great apostle of the gentiles. You were truly free because you were not afraid of anything.

Listen then to our petitions as we finish this novena. Of the apostles, you were the closest to Jesus. He listened to you because you gave him everything, including your life. Make us then lose our fears and enable us to share in your freedom. Bless us that we may serve without counting the cost, to sacrifice without heeding the pain, and to find joy in the knowledge that we are doing Jesus’ will. Amen.

Daily Prayer
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
Holy apostle Paul, enlighten, comfort and bless us all.