novena for purity
Day 1 – For our Social and Cultural Climate and Relationships
Let’s pray that our society be purified of everything contrary to chastity, and that we may have the strength to resist the pressures of prevailing distortions of human sexuality. May Jesus bless our relationships and guide them so that they may be holy, healthy, and honourable at all times.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of Your providence. Without You a mere creature can do nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you my full cooperation for the intentions of purity with respect to… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to meditate:
“In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).
I entrust this day’s intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as I pray:
(Pray fifteen Hail Mary’s.)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chosen lily of innocence, pure Saint Thomas, who kept chaste the robe of baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being guided by two angels, I implore you to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb, and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my purity, ask them that I may also share your purity, and after imitating you on earth may at last come to be crowned with you among the angels. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Day 2 – For Modesty in Dress and Movements and for our Five Senses
On this second day of the Novena for Purity, let us pray for modesty in dress and movements as well as for our five senses.
“The practice of decency and modesty in speech, action and dress is very important for creating an atmosphere suitable to the growth of chastity, but this must be well motivated by respect for one’s own body and the dignity of others” (The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family, no. 56).
May Jesus bless our efforts at modesty. May we dress and carry ourselves in such a way that we veil what should be veiled. May he give us the strength to resist evil fashions and the glamour of sin. May Jesus also bless our five senses. May the things we see, the music and jokes we hear, our food and drink, and the encounters we have through touch, all be pure and holy.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of your providence. Without You a mere creature can doing nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to meditate:
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
“Seek the things that are above” (Colossians 3:1).
I entrust this day’s intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as I pray:
(Pray fifteen Hail Mary’s.)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chosen lily of innocence, pure Saint Thomas, who kept chaste the robe of baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being guided by two angels, I implore you to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb, and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my purity, ask them that I may also share your purity, and after imitating you on earth may at last come to be crowned with you among the angels. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
“The practice of decency and modesty in speech, action and dress is very important for creating an atmosphere suitable to the growth of chastity, but this must be well motivated by respect for one’s own body and the dignity of others”
Day 3 – For our Sensuality and Imagination
Let’s pray that Jesus will bless our sensuality and grant that our impulses may not go after base pleasures, but rather be freed by wisdom and inflamed for what is good.
“The faithful of the present time, and indeed today more than ever, must use the means which have always been recommended by the Church for living a chaste life. These means are: discipline of the senses and the mind, watchfulness and prudence in avoiding occasions of sin, the observance of modesty, moderation in recreation, wholesome pursuits, assiduous prayer and frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. Young people especially should earnestly foster devotion to the Immaculate Mother of God, and take as examples the lives of saints and other faithful people, especially young ones, who excelled in the practice of chastity” (Persona humana, XII).
May Jesus also bless our imagination, granting that we may be preserved from the fantasies and daydreams that defile us, that all impure images may vanish, and that we may be protected from all the assaults of demons.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of your providence. Without You a mere creature can doing nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to meditate:
“In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:4).
“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds…” (Ephesians 6:11, 4:23).
I entrust this day’s intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as I pray:
(Pray fifteen Hail Mary’s.)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chosen lily of innocence, pure Saint Thomas, who kept chaste the robe of baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being guided by two angels, I implore you to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb, and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my purity, ask them that I may also share your purity, and after imitating you on earth may at last come to be crowned with you among the angels. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Day 4 – For our Memory and Power of Estimation
Today, we focus on healing, deliverance, and growth in chastity and purity! May we surrender our memory over to our Lord as we ask Jesus to bless it. May He grant that no dark memories from our past will haunt us, but that He may let his light shine within us to fill us with a healing hope in Him. We humbly pray that Jesus will bless our power of estimation. May He grant that we may quickly sense dangers to chastity, instinctively flee from them, and that we may never turn away from higher and more difficult goods for the sake of sinful self-indulgence.
“With the grace of Christ, flowing from His spousal love for the Church, everyone can live chastely even if they find themselves in unfavorable circumstances” (The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family, no. 19).
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of your providence. Without You a mere creature can doing nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to meditate:
“And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:1).
“For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul” (Mark 8:36).
I entrust this day’s intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as I pray:
(Pray fifteen Hail Mary’s.)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chosen lily of innocence, pure Saint Thomas, who kept chaste the robe of baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being guided by two angels, I implore you to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb, and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my purity, ask them that I may also share your purity, and after imitating you on earth may at last come to be crowned with you among the angels. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Day 5 – For our Affectivity and Intellect
Let’s pray that Jesus will bless our affectivity and grant that we may love chastity and rejoice in it, that all of our emotions may be in harmony with what is right, and that no sadness, discouragement, fear, insecurity, or loneliness may lead us into sexual sin.
“Chastity is the spiritual power which frees love from selfishness and aggression. To the degree that a person weakens chastity, his or her love becomes more and more selfish, that is, satisfying a desire for pleasure and no longer self-giving” (The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family, no. 16).
We also beg Jesus to bless our intellect, that it may be purged of all false beliefs and all misunderstandings of human sexuality, and that the good angels may flood our intellects with thoughts that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of your providence. Without You a mere creature can doing nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to meditate:
“For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly passions and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age” (Titus 2:11-12).
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8).
I entrust this day’s intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as I pray:
(Pray fifteen Hail Mary’s.)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chosen lily of innocence, pure Saint Thomas, who kept chaste the robe of baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being guided by two angels, I implore you to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb, and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my purity, ask them that I may also share your purity, and after imitating you on earth may at last come to be crowned with you among the angels. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Day 6 – For our Will and Conscience
Let’s offer our wills and consciences through the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through our Mother Mary, may Jesus first bless our will. May it never be opposed by our sensuality, may it never be conflicted in the moment, but may it always hold fast to chastity, no matter how difficult it may be.
“The more the faithful appreciate the value of chastity and its necessary role in their lives as men and women, the better they will understand, by a kind of spiritual instinct, its moral requirements and counsels. In the same way they will know better how to accept and carry out, in a spirit of docility to the Church’s teaching, what an upright conscience dictates in concrete cases” (Persona humana, XI).
May Jesus bless our consciences also. May our conscience be swift to judge what is chaste, swifter to execute it, and always be preserved completely from the suggestions of demons?
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of your providence. Without You a mere creature can doing nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to meditate:
“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ…was not Yes and No; but in him it is always Yes. For all the promise of God find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:19-20).
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14).
I entrust this day’s intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as I pray:
(Pray fifteen Hail Mary’s.)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chosen lily of innocence, pure Saint Thomas, who kept chaste the robe of baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being guided by two angels, I implore you to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb, and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my purity, ask them that I may also share your purity, and after imitating you on earth may at last come to be crowned with you among the angels. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Day 7 – For Our Hearts
Let’s give Jesus our hearts and ask him to bless them.
“People should cultivate [chastity] in the way that is suited to their state of life. Some profess virginity or consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others live in the way prescribed for all by the moral law, whether they are married or single. Married people are called to live conjugal chastity; others practice chastity in continence” (CCC, no. 2349).
May Jesus grant that our hearts, the place where he abides in us with the Father and Spirit, may become the place where we live with the Holy Trinity in friendship.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of your providence. Without You a mere creature can doing nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to meditate:
“If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).
I entrust this day’s intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as I pray:
(Pray fifteen Hail Mary’s.)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chosen lily of innocence, pure St. Thomas, who kept chaste the robe of baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being guided by two angels, I implore you to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb, and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my purity, ask them that I may also share your purity, and after imitating you on earth may at last come to be crowned with you among the angels. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Day 8 – For Self-Surrender
Today, we reflect on self-surrender, and we do so by asking Jesus to grant us the grace of self-surrender. May our Lord see to it that we hand over to God nothing less than our whole lives.
“In order to live chastely, man and woman need the continuous illumination of the Holy Spirit” (The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family, no. 21).
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of your providence. Without You a mere creature can doing nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to meditate:
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
I entrust this day’s intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas, as I pray:
(Pray fifteen Hail Mary’s.)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Chosen lily of innocence, pure Saint Thomas, who kept chaste the robe of baptism and became an angel in the flesh after being guided by two angels, I implore you to commend me to Jesus, the Spotless Lamb, and to Mary, the Queen of Virgins. Gentle protector of my purity, ask them that I may also share your purity, and after imitating you on earth may at last come to be crowned with you among the angels. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Day 9 – For Love
Let’s ask Jesus to give us his love. May he press our hearts to his most beautiful Sacred Heart.
“It is important in particular that everyone should have a high esteem for the virtue of chastity, its beauty and its power of attraction. This virtue increases the human person’s dignity and enables him to love truly, disinterestedly, unselfishly and with respect for others” (Persona humana, XII).
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Dear Jesus, I know that every perfect gift, and especially that of chastity, depends on the power of your providence. Without You a mere creature can doing nothing. Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace the chastity and purity of my body and soul. And if I have ever imagined or sensed anything that could stain my chastity and purity, blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers, that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service, offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity all the days of my life.
In a complete state of vulnerability and intimacy, Lord, I offer you… (Mention your intentions.)
Scripture to recall:
“In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
