Novena for the Soul of Raphael Louigene The First Night
/The First of Nine Nights
Dear friends,
We mourn the loss of our brother, hero and friend, Raphael Louigene.
Tomorrow night you will find a tribute to him on these pages.
Our prayer is a feeble gesture in the face of our grieving, we unite our sorrow and our faith, in gratitude for his life!
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Jesus weeps at the death of Lazarus:
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
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Click to listen:
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"When someone we love dies,
they are no longer where they were
now they are everywhere you are."
(anonymous monk, 3rd century CE)
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A reading from the Book of Wisdom 3:1-9
The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace....
They shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them,
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.
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Prayers for Rapho
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Holy Mary, pray for Rapho,
All angels and archangels come to meet him
and light his way
Holy Abel,
ancient choirs of the just,
Holy Abraham
pray for Rapho,
and fill him with peace
Holy patriarchs
Holy matriarchs
Holy prophets,
Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew
Holy evangelists
St John Baptist
Holy martyrs
All you legions of righteous
from every generation
welcome Rapho into the joys of heaven
Holy Savior
by the power of your birth and baptism,
by the power of your death and descent among the dead
by the power of your resurrection
deliver Rapho from the burden of earthly flesh
and be for him eternal rest.
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Lord Jesus, send your strength into the hearts of the family and friends of Raphael Louigene.
You are the Lord of life, here on earth and in eternity.
Be our consolation in this time of sadness.
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