# Novena to merciful love: day 6
*2015-01-25*

> Bill Young leads the sixth day of the Novena to Merciful Love by Mother Speranza, focusing on the petition for our daily bread.

## Opening prayers

We begin today's prayer with the Sign of the Cross, followed by the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed.

## Introduction and prayer

My Jesus, my sorrow is great considering the disgrace I have of offending you many times. And yet you, with the heart of a father, have not only forgiven me, but with your words, 'ask, and you shall receive,' invite me to ask for what I need. Full of confidence, I turn to your merciful love, so that it may grant me what I implore in this novena, especially the grace to change my behavior and from now on to bear witness to my faith with my works while living according to your precepts and to burn in the fire of your love.

## Meditation on the Our Father

We meditate on the words: 'Give us this day our daily bread.' Here we ask for the bread, which is the most precious Blessed Sacrament, for the daily food of our soul, which is grace, the sacraments, and the inspirations from heaven. We also ask for the food in order to preserve the life of the body, taken in moderation. 

We call the Eucharist 'bread ours' because it was instituted to respond to our needs and because our Redeemer gives himself to us in Holy Communion. We call it 'daily' in order to express the daily dependence that we have on God for all things, concerning both body and soul at every moment and every hour of our lives. In saying 'giving us,' we accomplish an act of mercy, requesting it for all people so that they may not need to worry about tomorrow.

## Petition and closing prayer

My Jesus, I turn to you in this time of tribulation. If you wish to show your clemency towards this poor creature, may your goodness triumph in your love and mercy. Forgive my faults and, even if I am unworthy of obtaining what I ask of you, graciously hear and grant my desires if they serve for your glory and for the good of my soul. I put myself into your hands; do with me as you please. We ask for the grace which we desire to obtain in this novena.

My Jesus, you are the fount of my life. Grant that I may drink the living water that flows from you so that in tasting you I may no longer thirst. Drown me in the abyss of your love and mercy. Renew me with your most precious blood by which you redeemed me. Cleanse me with the water from your side, the most sacred side, of all stains for which I have contaminated this beautiful vestment of innocence which you gave me in baptism. My Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and render me pure in body and soul.

*We depend on God daily for both the physical bread that sustains our bodies and the spiritual bread of the Eucharist that sustains our souls.*