Prayer for Sunday, 27th of November.

Prayer for Sunday, 27th of November.

Date of the official opening of the Special Tribunal for recognition of the healing miracle of Sidonie at Madagascar, in favour of the Beatification of the Venerable Father Etienne Pernet.

Introduction
Today, on this Sunday, which marks the passage of a new liturgical year, we take the route towards Him who came to bring the light of greatness, and of littleness, and we are invited to participate in this mystery with Him. Is it not this hidden treasure of “the littleness” which Etienne lived, glorified, and to which he aspired…in an unfailing path of identification with “Our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Today, by this particular pathway for all of us, LSA and laity, our hearts turned toward the Lord of Life, to give thanks for the gift of the healing of Sidonie, and to ask him, together, for the recognition of this miracle, in favour of the beatification of Etienne Pernet.

Introduction with Psalm 29: 7-11
Extract from the story of Sidonie, written by Odile (LSA) Vice Postulator for Madagascar.
“Sidonie arrived at the community following her first 2 sessions of chemotherapy, in order to be able to have a special diet regime, which her family could not provide. She was very thin and weakened. Her fatigue was overwhelming, she had lost her figure and her growth had stopped, she only moved very little and she no longer spoke…Some weeks later, after her third session of chemo, her state of health was worse. She showed signs of great suffering, her whole being was deathly pale. We were extremely worried, because we were watching her dying. What were we to do ? We had a meeting with the oncologist, for his advice, a meeting during the course of which, there was general agreement, to stop the chemo. The doctor prescribed pain relief when she had pain in her arm. We were entering another stage, with “end of life care”. It was a question of allowing Sidonie to live her last days/months, with the least possible suffering!.

Psalm 29:7-11
07 Once in my prosperity I said: I shall not be troubled!
08 Yet it was You O Lord, who made me stand on the rock; as soon as you hid your face I wavered.
09 And I cried to you O Lord, and begged for mercy:
10 “What good would there be in my destruction, in my going to the grave? Would my dust give you praise, and proclaim your faithfulness?
11 Hear O Lord and have mercy, O Lord come to my help!

The Word of the Lord.
Letter of St. Paul to the Romans. 13: 12-12, 14a
You know what hour it is, this is the time to awake, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost over and the day is at hand, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light, put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction to psalm 29 :2-6 and 12-13.
Extract from the testimony of Madame Jeannine, the person responsible for the family work at the heart of the Association ELF, who was supporting the family of Sidonie.
“During the whole period of Sidonie’s illness…it wasn’t an easy situation that was in front of us. I turned to God and to Fr. Pernet in these difficult moments asking for her healing, especially because we saw she was suffering so much, and at the point of losing her life, that touches the heart directly, we were on the edge of despair, but continued to pray for her without ceasing…
I did not know much about Fr. Pernet nor his history, except he gave himself, body and soul for the poor and the workers. Sidonie was also poor and her mother sold charcoal on the corner of the street of a living. He has known how to show the glory of God through all these events.”

Psalm 29
02 I exalt you, O Lord, for you have rescued me, my enemies will not gloat over me. 03 When I cried to you for help, O Lord, you have healed me.
04 O Lord you have brought me up from the grave, and gave me life when I was going into the pit.
05 Sing to the Lord, O you his saints, give thanks and praise to His holy name. 06 For his anger lasts but a little while, and his kindness all through life,
In the evening tears come, but with the morning, shouts of joy.
12 But now you have turned my mourning into dancing and my sackcloth into garments of gladness.
13 And so my soul, no longer silent, sings your praise without ceasing. O Lord my God, I will you praise forever.

The prayer of listening to the acts of faith of some women, witness of the healing of Sidonie. Rasoa, mother of Sidonie; Sylvie, Florette, Hanta and Honorine, women of the neighbourhood of Sahalava, who with the community share the daily mission.
(Between each act of faith, repeat a refrain of confidence)
• “ I believe that God exists, He sees our miseries, our poverty, our sufferings, He always
sends someone to help us, to support us…”
• “I believe that God helps all those who count on Him. He is present in our lives. Yes I believe that Sidonie has had this grace of healing, because she had confidence in Him, and we too have had the faith that God can heal her.”

• “I believe truly that God helps us and can heal any illness, because I too already asked a favour about my son who almost took a harmful direction in his life, and He heard me. That has strengthened my faith and confidence in God.”
• “I believe that Etienne Pernet has interceded before God for the healing of Sidonie. He is a Father who helps the poor who are suffering, he protects them, Sidonie has also had this grace of protection.”
• “We strongly believe in the intercession of the saints in the lives of the living, they can help us… It is a great grace.”
• “I always believed that Etienne Pernet wasn’t going to let this “poor girl” die without asking God to care for her and heal her.”

Spontaneous sharing of our own act of faith.
The Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn to Mary.