The recent news of war breaking out between Russia and the Ukraine has put the entire world on high alert. Ukrainian men and women have taken up arms and vowed to protect their homeland from invaders. Many people outside the fight have asked themselves, “What can I do to join the fight?”
You join it.
There is an entire army of spiritual warriors, namely the angels and those who join them in prayer, who have been battling in this war silently, and changing its outcome. If you can’t take up arms in the Ukraine, you can join these spiritual soldiers by praying the following Novena of the Nine Choirs, a nine-day offensive of spiritual warfare for peace. Print it. Share it. And join the holy forces that work tirelessly for our freedom, protection, and peace.
Day 1—The Guardian Angels
We invoke today our Guardian angels, our faithful companions in spiritual warfare, to enter our souls and unlock the doors we have closed to God’s grace. May they inundate our intellects and make our will steadfast against temptation so that we may not only desire peace, but seek it through the forgiveness of our sins. May these trustworthy Guardians communicate with the angels of those we meet in our daily lives so that the Church militant and the Church triumphant can constantly work together to build a world of peace.
Day 2—The Archangels
We invoke today the choir of the Archangels, companions to our world leaders and protectors of nations. St. Rafael, who guided Tobit to the life of his dreams, may you guide our presidents to do the same for their citizens. St. Gabriel, who announced to Our Lady the mystery of the Incarnation, guide our royalty to revere the true King and to keep Him closest to their souls. St. Michael the Archangel, who commands the angelic armies against the demons of hell, help us all to bear the spiritual arms necessary to win the battle for eternity. All you archangels, spread your wings over the nations most in need of your protection.
Day 3—The Principalities
We invoke today the choir of the Principalities, companions of our local parishes and servants to Our Lord Jesus Christ. Protect our Bishops, priests, and deacons and make them holy so that the lay men and women whom God has called to His altar may also become holy. Be also with our consecrated religious men and women so that they be beacons of the eternal light shining in a world of darkness. Guide our liturgies, our devotions, our work, and our play to be one in love whose fruit is communal peace.
Day 4—The Powers
We invoke today the choir of the Powers, companions to priests in the confessional and warriors against the forces of evil. You Powers who are armed with weapons of light, give us spiritual insight and determination of will to use our talents as earthly weapons of light. Train us in the virtues so that we can hone our skills to better serve together with you against the devil’s merciless resistance. Make our call to unity with your fight be granted to us through our priests’ good council during our act of confession so that we may become sinless and better ready to establish Our Lord’s reign of peace.
Day 5—The Virtues
We invoke today the choir of the Virtues, governors of nature and space, to fill the earth with life. Not a blade of grass or a star in the sky can flourish unless you touch it with your heavenly fingertips. You who have made mountains and valleys, be with now in the triumphs and difficulties of our lives so that we may better understand the will of God for the world. Protect us from the dangers that mother nature can inflict, but more importantly provide for us the ability to weather our own internal storms so that we can build a a world upon the foundation of love and peace.
Day 6—The Dominions
We invoke today the choir of the Dominions, leaders of the angelic tribes and spiritual companions to teachers, to place the infinite population of God’s celestial helpers in the exact locations they need to be to maximize our odds of salvation. We know that, in the end, our free will and perseverance will guide us into the love of our eternal King, but in your kindness, send us the teachers, the mentors, and the holiest of companions so that this world will mirror your own and saints will abound on earth as they do in heaven.
Day 7—The Thrones
We invoke today the choir of Thrones, angels of humility, peace, and submission, to give us the gift of contemplation. Allow us time and patience to go deeper in our thinking, to premeditate our plans in the light of the Gospel. Give us the power of obedience to our higher authorities so that we can be an example of holiness to them, and they, in turn, an example of Christ. Give us the will to sacrifice for one another, to do penance for our sins, so that we can grow in purity, patience, and most of all mercy. To you, Thrones, the angels deliver their own prayers because you hand them directly to God, who grants peace in your world. So too do we ask you help make peace a reality in our world.
Day 8—The Cherubim
Today we invoke the choir of the Cherubim, mysterious contemplatives of God’s providence, to draw us closer to His heavenly throne. Your name means “the fullness of wisdom,” and we who lack wisdom ask humbly that you would grant us the fruits of your contemplation. You spend every moment of your eternity in God’s presence, may you inspire within us a constant reminder that He, too, is here with us in our world just as intimately, only camouflaged. Give us mystic insight into your presence with Him so that we too might glorify Him through constant contemplation and our loving acts of charity toward our earthly brothers and sisters.
Day 9—The Seraphim
Today, we invoke the choir of the Seraphim, the highest order of the angels, to help us comprehend God with perfect clarity. We know through scripture that we see Our Lord now dimly as through a mirror, but when we make our assent to our heavenly reward, we will be like you and see Him face to face. Give us eyes to see God in our poor, in the destitute, and most especially in our enemies. Allow us to gaze upon all of his creations with the same love by which he created us. You, Seraphs, who burn with Christ’s eternal charity, light us aflame so that we may warm this cold world with His everlasting love.
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Editor’s note: In addition to this novena, we highly reccomend the article “What is a Novena? What is Its Origin?” Also check out the following articles and novenas:
- The Surrender Novena: Let Jesus Take Care of Everything
- The Immediate Grace of Mother Teresa’s Emergency Novena
- The Power of the St. Joseph Novena
image: Kyiv, Ukraine – April 1, 2021: Statue of Saint Michael the Archangel, patron of Kyiv in Independence square / Ruslan Lytvyn / Shutterstock
