The Most Effective Novena

“O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.”

This line from the Surrender Novena is easier said than lived, right? How doesone surrender himself or herself to God and place everything—needs and wants, fears and worries, hopes and dreams, struggles, loved ones, future plans—into the hands of our mighty Lord?  

The truth is, God is in control. Too often, we fool ourselves into thinking that weare in control. We convince ourselves that we know what’s best, and we try to take matters into our own hands. But God understands each one of us far greater than we understand ourselves, and He knows what we really need.He knows what will bring us authentic joy and happiness, so who better than God to trust with everything in our lives?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways [. . .] . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

— Isaiah 55:8–9

Surrenderingyourself to our Heavenly Father doesn’t mean that you are giving up, that you have failed at life, or that you are weak. In fact, letting go of whatever it is you’re holding on to and trusting in God’s will is one of the most courageous, humble, and Christ-like things you can do. For when you give God everything, you begin to see things from His perspective—and His will becomes your will. That’s not to say that your plans won’t come to fruition; it just means that you are detaching yourself from your earthly desires and trusting in Divine Providence.

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”

— Matthew 26:39

Abandoning yourself into God’s loving arms is difficult, yet so fruitful—and it is only through prayer that you can gain the strength to do so. Thankfully, Our Lord gave Father Don Dolindo Ruotolo a beautiful and powerful prayer of surrender to help us let go of the things we cling so tightly to, allowing God to do His incredible work in and through us.

SURRENDER NOVENA

Novenas are ancient Roman Catholic devotions that are prayed in preparation for a feast day or to ask God for a specific intention. The word “novena” comes from the Latin word novem, meaning nine. So typically, a novena is a nine-day period of prayer. (Some novenas that are longer than nine days.)

“There is no novena more effective than this.”

The Surrender Novena was written by Fr. Dolindo (1882–1970), an Italian priest from Naples, Italy, who was known for his spirituality of surrender. Completely paralyzed for the last ten years of his life, Fr. Dolindo dedicated himself to prayer and penance at the service of thousands of people who asked for his spiritual direction and turned to him for help and comfort in the midst of unspeakable suffering.1

Fr. Don Dolindo Ruotolo

For this novena, Fr. Dolindo wrote what Our Lord revealed to him about divine abandonment from the perspective of Jesus addressing the human soul.2 As you pray this novena, know that it is truly Jesus speaking to you, inviting you to trust in His love and to allow Him to transform your life.

Surrender Novena Prayers

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.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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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 consequences of anything. It is like the confusion that children feel when they ask their mother to see to 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.” 

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O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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 to cure you, but rather sick people who tell 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.

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O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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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.

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O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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Day 5

And when 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.

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O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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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.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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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 the 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.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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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.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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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.

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O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Mother, I am yours now and forever.
Through you and with you
I always want to belong
completely to Jesus.

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COMING SOON: If you believe in the power of this novena and you enjoy Pietra Fitness classes, you'll love our new Surrender Novena Series, coming to you soon!