“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”- Proverbs 3:5-6
If you would have told me five years ago that I would be praying novenas, I would’ve said that you’re out of your freaking mind. Prior to 2020 I had no relationship with God or faith. Growing up I had received all the sacraments and even went to Catholic high school, but those were forced obligations, not heartfelt aspirations. All of that changed once I started reading self-improvement books about the power of positive thinking. I would come across occasional Bible verses and noticed how the spiritual world seemed to align with psychological and scientific concepts. I began to contemplate that perhaps texts from the Bible may actually be the ultimate source of finding genuine fulfillment from life. That’s how my relationship with God began.
Ever since I began applying Jesus’ teachings and principles into my everyday life my world has become more joyful and hopeful. A friend of mine shared something with me called the Surrender Novena, in which she advised me to pray during times when I felt like things were out of my hands.
Problems and challenges are inevitable in life. Even though we know that we cannot control certain outcomes or events, it is still difficult to accept circumstances that do not align with our hopes or expectations. So, how do we handle such situations when they are thrust upon us? The premise of this novena is to surrender all problems to God and have complete faith that He will alleviate any distressing feelings or thoughts. Mindfully and faithfully praying this novena has helped me have confidence that God can control all of my uncontrollables, and that things will work out the way they are meant to.
The Origin of the Surrender Novena
Jesus Christ revealed the Surrender Novena to Father Dolingo Ruotolo, an Italian priest, to teach us to turn our troubles over to Him and surrender them to His will.
Dolingo Ruotolo was born in Naples, Italy, in the late 19th century, growing up in the shadow of poverty and hardship. He was one of eleven children in a destitute family. His father, a stern and merciless man, ruled the household with an iron fist, demanding absolute obedience. There was limited room for him and his siblings to make mistakes, otherwise they would be met with severe consequences. Dolindo endured both physical and emotional hardships, including hunger and harsh punishments.
Despite these struggles, he showed deep reverence for God from an early age. Even in seminary, he faced many trials, including being misunderstood and persecuted. Nevertheless his faith never wavered, and he was ordained a priest in 1905. His suffering actually shaped his spirituality, and Fr. Ruotolo claimed that Jesus actually spoke to him, teaching him total surrender to God’s will, which later became the premise of the Surrender Novena.
What is the Purpose of the Surrender Novena?
In the Surrender Novena, we turn away from internal and external difficulties such as doubt, worry, struggles, and suffering. Instead, we give them to Jesus, who will, in turn, relieve us of their weight and envelop us in comfort and love. In praying the Surrender Novena we are called upon to humble ourselves and acknowledge that we cannot handle it all alone – we need Jesus to take over. Over the course of nine days we reflect on the words Jesus gave Fr. Dolindo, in which He wants us to give Him everything and place our complete trust in Him.
How to Pray the Surrender Novena
Begin by making the sign of the cross and saying, In the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Read or say the words that Jesus spoke to Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo. On each day of the novena, pause and reflect on Jesus’ words and envision Him gracing you with peace and comfort.
Day 1
Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Day 2
Surrender to me does not mean to fret, to be upset, or to lose hope, nor does it mean offering to me a worried prayer asking me to follow you and change your worry into prayer. It is against this surrender, deeply against it, to worry, to be nervous and to desire to think about the consequence of anything.
It is like the confusion that children feel when they ask their mother to see their needs, and then try to take care of those needs for themselves so that their childlike efforts get in their mother’s way. Surrender means to placidly close the eyes of the soul, to turn away from thoughts of tribulation and to put yourself in my care, so that only I act, saying, “You take care of it.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Day 3
How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and material need, turns to me, looks at me and says to me, “You take care of it,” then closes its eyes and rests. In pain you pray for me to act, but that I act in the way you want. You do not turn to me, instead, you want me to adapt your ideas. You are not sick people who ask the doctor how to. So do not act this way, but pray as I taught you in the Our Father: “Hallowed be thy Name,” that is, be glorified in my need. “Thy kingdom come,” that is, let all that is in us and in the world be in accord with your kingdom. “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,” that is, in our need, decide as you see fit for our temporal and eternal life. If you say to me truly: “Thy will be done,” which is the same as saying: “You take care of it,” I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve the most difficult situations.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Day 4
You see evil growing instead of weakening? Do not worry. Close your eyes and say to me with faith: “Thy will be done, You take care of it.” I say to you that I will take care of it, and that I will intervene as does a doctor and I will accomplish miracles when they are needed. Do you see that the sick person is getting worse? Do not be upset, but close your eyes and say, “You take care of it.” I say to you that I will take care of it, and that there is no medicine more powerful than my loving intervention. By my love, I promise this to you.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Day 5
And then I must lead you on a path different from the one you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep in their mother’s arms, on the other bank of the river. What troubles you and hurts you immensely are your reason, your thoughts and worry, and your desire at all costs to deal with what afflicts you.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Day 6
You are sleepless; you want to judge everything, direct everything and see to everything and you surrender to human strength, or worse – to men themselves, trusting in their intervention – this is what hinders my words and my views. Oh, how much I wish from you this surrender, to help you; and how I suffer when I see you so agitated! Satan tries to do exactly this: to agitate you and to remove you from my protection and to throw you into the jaws of human initiative. So, trust only in me, rest in me, surrender to me in everything.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Day 7
I perform miracles in proportion to your full surrender to me and to your not thinking of yourselves. I sow treasure troves of graces when you are in deepest poverty. No person of reason, no thinker, has ever performed miracles, not even among the saints. He does divine works whosoever surrenders to God. So don’t think about it any more, because your mind is acute and for you it is very hard to see evil and to trust in me and to not think of yourself. Do this for all your needs, do this, all of you, and you will see great continual silent miracles. I will take care of things, I promise this to you.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Day 8
Close your eyes and let yourself be carried away on the flowing current of my grace; close your eyes and do not think of the present, turning your thoughts away from the future just as you would from temptation. Repose in me, believing in my goodness, and I promise you by my love that if you say, “You take care of it,” I will take care of it all; I will console you, liberate you and guide you.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Day 9
Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive from it great peace and great rewards, even when I confer on you the grace of immolation, of repentance, and of love. Then what does suffering matter? It seems impossible to you? Close your eyes and say with all your soul, “Jesus, you take care of it.” Do not be afraid, I will take care of things and you will bless my name by humbling yourself. A thousand prayers cannot equal one single act of surrender, remember this well. There is no novena more effective than this.
Repeat 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Conclude the novena by praying, “Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you, I always want to belong completely to Jesus.”
End by making the sign of the cross and saying, In the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Praying the Surrender Novena and relinquishing feelings such as sorrow, anger, disappointment, anxiety and fear have felt like a burden being lifted off of my shoulders. I hope it does the same for you.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
