The name of our Spiritual Family, Regnum Christi, means Kingdom of Christ. Our motto, “Christ our King, Thy Kingdom Come!” expresses our deep desire to live, bear witness to, and proclaim the Kingdom of Christ (see SRCF 13). In the document Lumen Gentium, the Church tells us, “the Kingdom is clearly visible in the very Person of Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man,” (LG 5) and so together with all Regnum Christi members of all vocations, all over the world, we pray in this novena that as we welcome Christ to live in us, his Kingdom may come in each of our hearts, in the hearts of all people, and in society.
Novena of Christ the King | Live the Mystery of the Kingdom!
Let this mystery come to life in your heart,
and in the hearts of all people,
and in society.
Novena Prayers
Day 1 | Friday, November 13, 2020
Day 2 | Saturday, November 14, 2020
Day 3 | Sunday, November 15, 2020
Day 4 | Monday, November 16, 2020
Day 5 | Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Day 6 | Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Day 7 | Thursday, November 19, 2020
Day 8 | Friday, November 20, 2020
Day 9 | Saturday, November 21, 2020
DAY 1 | Friday, November 13, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mk 1:15
To celebrate the Feast of Christ the King is to open the doors of our heart and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” This phrase entails, first of all, a recognition of the sovereignty of Christ, faith in his word, and hope in the new life that he brings as well as hope in the kingdom that is the destiny for which we were created. To say “Thy Kingdom come!” means to invite Christ to take posession of our lives, to convert us, to allow us to be transformed, and to become witnesses of his love.
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
DAY 2 | Saturday, November 14, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“But whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jn 4:14
The Kingdom of Christ is a gift that fulfills the deepest desires of our heart. To say “Thy Kingdom come!” expresses the desire for salvation, for love, for life, and for freedom that beats in the depths of every human heart, and in the heart of God. Jesus also thirsts for us… he is anxious to quench the thirst for living water that is present in our own hearts. Let us ask him for a drink! And with St. Augustine, let us repeat: “You made us for yourself Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
DAY 3 | Sunday, November 15, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” Jn 1:14
The mystery of the Kingdom is the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation. When man was deceived by sin, God approached and promised him a Redeemer: a shepherd that would guide his people, a king that would rule them, a bridegroom that would give himself completely and become one with them. In Christ, God does not just fulfill his word, he gives us his word: his beloved Son, the Word made flesh.
Today, the mystery of the Kingdom has the same power of transformation, the same importance and beauty, that it had two thousand years ago. It is as close to us today as it was on the Sunday of the Resurrection, as present in our interior as it was on the first Pentecost.
Lord, open my heart and transform it. Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
DAY 4 | Monday, November 16, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant.” Mt 20:25-26
Jesus announces and brings about the mystery of the Kingdom with his life, death, and resurrection. He invites us into his Kingdom with his humble and obedient life. He shows us how the Kingdom grows, develops, and works in our midst with his words and parables, which are both simple and full of authority. Through his miracles, he displays a mercy that is greater than all of our misery, and a love that always triumphs over evil. With his passion and death, he reveals that true authority is service, and that his cross is the throne from which he pours out his infinite love for our salvation. In his resurrection, he proves that he has power over sin and death, and that his Kingdom is not just an ideal or a dream, but something concrete, real, personal, and within reach.
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
DAY 5 | Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.” Lk 17:21
Jesus is the Kingdom incarnate. Divinity and humanity come together in him, and the harmony of creation is restored. Because of him, everything that is human can be sanctified and given divine life. In him, the Kingdom of God is present among us. To underscore that Jesus himself is the Kingdom of God means rejoicing in the fact that we live for someone, and not for something. The Kingdom is a divine person with a human heart, who knows me and “has loved me and given himself up for me,” (Gal 2:20) and with whom I can engage, converse, and work in partnership.
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
DAY 6 | Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“My kingdom does not belong to this world.” Jn 18:36
The Kingdom of God is present and grows in this world, but it does not reach its fulfilment in this world. To say “Thy Kingdom come!” is to open our mind and heart to a mystery that is brought about by the work of the Blessed Trinity, and has its fulfilment in heaven. It is the Kingdom of the Father, that came into the world with Christ, and which, by the work of the Holy Spirit, develops in man and in the world in order to go back to the Father, in the glory of heaven. (Cf. Saint John Paul II, General Audience 4/09/1991)
The Kingdom defies the logic of this world. Its glory and power are revealed in the humility of the poor, and the humiliation of the cross. The lowly are lifted up and the last become first. The Kingdom is present in the midst of the worst misery and human darkness, when it is welcomed in, but for the proud and those who close the door of their hearts, the Kingdom remains distant and hidden.
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
DAY 7 | Thursday, November 19, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” Jn 15:5
For Christ to reign in our hearts, we need to open the door and allow ourselves to be redeemed by his love. When we show our wounds to Christ, we give him the opportunity to transform us with his grace. The Kingdom is not a personal achievement, but a free gift that needs to be welcomed with humility and vigilance. To allow Jesus to reign in our heart is to reject everything that opposes love, and to allow his Sacred Heart to govern every aspect of our life. For this to happen, we need to remain united to him as branches to the vine, and allow his love to find us in the Gospel, the Eucharist, the cross, and our neighbor (Cf. Regnum Christi Statutes 12)
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
DAY 8 | Friday, November 20, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Jn 20:21
Jesus, the apostle of the Father, encounters us, reveals the love of his heart, gathers us, forms us, accompanies us and sends us out (Cf. Regnum Christi Statutes 8) so that we too may become apostles of his Kingdom. To help others discover the gift of the Kingdom is to give our humanity to Jesus, so that through us he may continue to engage the men of today and reveal his saving love.
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
Day 9 | Saturday, November 21, 2020
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to celebrate your feast as King of the Universe, we want to open our hearts and say, “Thy Kingdom come!” Grant us the grace to imitate you so completely that we transmit your words with our very lives. May you be the one who loves, prays, and works in us, in such a way that you make the Kingdom present in our hearts, the hearts of all people, and in society.
“I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Jn 10:10
To manifest the Kingdom of Christ in society is to be “light of the world” and “salt of the earth.” (Mt 5:13-16) To work for the Kingdom is to fill all earthly realities with the love of Christ, and to make the world a more dignified abode for the sons and daughters of God. The Kingdom of Christ is one of plenty, and the only one capable of satisfying the thirst of the human heart. May we too, following the example of the saints, be witnesses of Christ in a world that desperately cries out to be transfigured by love.
Closing prayer
Lord, open my heart and transform it.
Help me to welcome the gift of your Kingdom in my life so that everyday I can repeat:
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path
I give you my eyes to see as you see
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit so that you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart so that, in me, you may love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self, so that you may grow in me until it is you, Christ, who lives, and works, and prays in me.
Amen.
Christ our King, Thy Kingdom come!
