This text is for you, whoever you may be, who one day came across Faustino. You were touched by his simple life, his joyful way of living, and his friendship with Jesus and Mary. Perhaps you would like to imitate him a little, or ask for his intercession for yourself or for a friend. This booklet is meant to help you pray a novena—that is, to spend nine days learning from him and asking the Lord for a grace through his intercession.
For each day, we have chosen one aspect of Faustino’s life. One of his own thoughts will help us reflect, apply it to our lives, and present our petitions. Along with the reflection for each day, we have included a Gospel passage that he loved very much. You may pause and ponder it in dialogue with the Lord. There is also, for each day, a prayer written by Faustino, since at times the notes in his diary become prayer. Following his example, you too can offer your own personal prayer in your own words. The prayer approved by the Church to ask for Faustino’s intercession should be prayed each day, together with the Our Father and the Hail Mary. As a doxology (praise to the Trinity), the Marianist doxology is recommended. For each day you will also find a testimony from someone who has “encountered” Faustino; this may help deepen your own experience.
Begin these nine days with confidence. Place yourself in God’s hands. Ask Him to grant you a greater love for Him. And, if it is His will, may He also grant the favor you seek through Faustino’s intercession. In any case, these nine days will strengthen your faith.
Today Faustino invites us to make silence in our hearts so that we may hear the voice of God.
Reflection.
In one way or another, God is always speaking to us, and not only through Sacred Scripture. He speaks to our hearts; He speaks through the things that happen to us; through the people who love us... and sometimes through those who do not love us quite so much; He speaks through nature as well. But He has the “bad” habit of speaking very softly. That is why we need to pay attention, go within ourselves, and remain silent in order to hear Him. Whoever lives immersed in outward and inward noise cannot perceive His messages.
At the age of fourteen, Faustino was making a retreat and wrote: “One thing has made a deep impression on me: what vocation shall I choose—doctor, chemist? Or perhaps will I be a priest? The last possibility is the one that has struck me most. Could it be that God has chosen me? He will tell me. During the remaining day and a little more of this retreat, I am going to remain completely silent. Perhaps God will speak to me.” And in fact Faustino felt in his heart that God was speaking to him. No words, no visions. And he said yes to his vocation.
Silence helps us to reflect, to be ourselves, and to listen to God. Not always for matters as important as the direction of an entire life. Having moments of silence each day helps us carry out our daily duties well, under the loving gaze of our Father in Heaven. And what about me? How do I live silence? Does it weigh on me? Is it difficult? Do I enjoy it? Do I make time to “go within myself”? Where? In my room? In a church? Or is there too much noise in my life? Faustino, help me to make silence in my heart!
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved:
“Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“Mary, today I want to meditate with you, since you are such a wonderful guide. You love us so much and help us draw closer to our goal, which is holiness. I must be a true Christian. For that, I must keep working on my imperfections. Being a good Christian is not easy. It is far more difficult than we think. Mother, help me to become another Christ.”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.
A testimony about Faustino:
One of his aunts tells us:
“I admired him. Wherever he went, he brought peace. He inspired in me a respect that seemed out of place for both his age and mine: something I could not explain. He was all smiles.”
To be a Christian is simply to welcome God into our lives: it means trying to do as well as possible all the things we are called to do, under His loving gaze.
Reflection.
A Christian is an ordinary person who has realized that Baptism was a decisive moment in his life, and that friendship with God is the most important thing in existence. In his retreat notebook, Faustino once wrote: “I am going to practice the asceticism of YES: saying yes to everything good.”
“Everything good”: for Faustino this does not mean only prayer, Mass, or giving alms. “What is good” also includes a soccer match, going to a movie, spending time with friends, going to the mountains, swimming... The Bible says that everything God created was truly good.
That is why, for Faustino, everything is normal—everything that is good, of course. It is normal to study; normal to love soccer; normal to care about others; normal to go camping; normal to love one’s parents; normal to speak with Christ; normal to love the Virgin Mary; normal to play sports; normal to suffer when illness comes; normal to enjoy paella, a sandwich, or a Coca-Cola; normal to make sure others do not suffer because of your fault; normal to follow Christ if He asks it of you; normal to smile instead of grumble; normal to strive for holiness... why not?
It is normal to say yes to everything good: the things of earth and the things of heaven, the natural and the supernatural, all in perfect harmony. And what about me? What is my life like? Do I try to say yes to everything good? Faustino, teach me to place the Lord at the center of my life.
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved:
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Lk 2:52)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“Jesus, I want to strive to become like You. May I be Your living image. Help me, Jesus, to love You as You love me.”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.
A testimony about Faustino:
From María Encarna, Faustino’s sister: “Faustino made everything easy, simple, and natural. On the very day Faustino died, there was no drama. It was extraordinary to see my parents as though something wonderful had happened to them.” (Faustino had promised to console them from Heaven.)
Faustino does not speak about ecology, but he lives it. He loves nature. There he spontaneously lifts his thoughts to the Lord.
Reflection.
“I am writing to you from 1,500 meters above sea level, from a valley enclosed by mountains. Behind them lies the Desert of Snow, where we will go on August 5. Ten meters from here, a stream carries the meltwater from the glacier.” That is how Faustino writes to his parents. A year earlier, in his diary, he wrote: “Yesterday I flew for the first time in a training airplane. It is beautiful to see everything from that height. There I was, in the middle of the sky. All thanks to the Lord’s marvelous creation.”
It is wonderful that our age has discovered ecology: respect for nature. And it would be even better if we came to realize that nature is a gift from God. Then we would respect all things much more, from material things and animals to human persons from the very moment of conception. We would not waste things needlessly. We would realize that there are many people, our brothers and sisters, who do not have what they need; that God made the world for everyone; that I cannot live selfishly... Faustino once wrote in his diary: “Our life is too easy. We are in danger. We have nothing but comforts. We must be simple.”
And what about me? Am I also in danger, as Faustino says? Do I realize that I am not alone in the world and that I am called to share what God created for all?
Faustino, help me to live “ecologically” today, giving thanks to the Lord for all that He has given me.
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved:
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Mt 6:28–29)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“We have returned from the camp at Olba. I had a wonderful time. I came face to face with a hard way of life, and it made me stronger. Not everything is comfort: that is a real lesson I have drawn from these days. Christ, You helped me, and I did better than I expected.”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.
A testimony about Faustino:
From a fellow camper: “I shared a tent and the bus with him. He was always the same—never angry, always ready to make sacrifices, always willing to put up with the worst so that others could be better off. I think that when someone has a defect, camp is where it shows most clearly. I can only say that after twenty days of sleeping and eating with him, I could not discover a single defect in him.”
Today Faustino invites us to a simple and strong friendship with Christ.
Reflection.
The Son of God became man, became the Son of Mary, in order to be near us. And to continue that presence, Christ remained in the Eucharist. What He desires most is that we come to identify ourselves with Him. That is why Faustino cultivated a deep friendship with the Lord. Above all, through prayer. For him, prayer meant talking with a friend: “Today I spoke for ten minutes with Christ, both about the missions and about the Zaragoza-Valencia draw.” Friends speak about what matters to them. That is why Faustino, besides Sundays, also received Holy Communion every day he could. He felt especially happy when, during illness, Communion was brought to him: “The priest came and gave me Communion. It is marvelous to receive Christ.”
In this way, little by little, he came to identify himself with Christ. One day he wrote: “May it be that when people see me, they see Christ.” How the world would change if every Christian tried to resemble Jesus as much and as well as possible! On another occasion he says: “I must be filled with Christ. What have I done for Him until now? Have I fulfilled His Gospel, which says to me: ‘Go and preach the Gospel’? My life must be a struggle.”
And what about me? Do I pray? Do I live the Eucharist at least every Sunday? Do I feel the need to be filled with Christ in order to give Him to others? If, with a sincere heart, I keep in touch with the Lord, little by little I will become like Him. Faustino, fill me with your love for Christ!
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved:
“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“God dwells in me. He makes His home in me. Lord, I want to be Yours; I want to share in Your life.”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.
A testimony about Faustino:
From a 19-year-old French young man: “By chance I read Faustino’s life story, and I came to understand that he wanted to help me in my spiritual journey and in my daily life. That is why I have decided that Faustino will be like my patron saint.”
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is also our mother. Like Saint John, Faustino knew how to “take her into his home.” She was his wonderful companion on the journey.
Reflection.
“And was born of the Virgin Mary.” This is what the Christian Creed proclaims. In many medieval altarpieces, at the very top one finds the figure of God the Father or of the Trinity. Then, somewhat lower, to the left and to the right, the figures of Gabriel and Mary: the Annunciation. Mary is the key human person in the Incarnation of the Word. Through her, Jesus came to us, and through her He continues to come to us. Mary is not an ornament of Christianity; she is essential. How deeply Faustino understood this!
“Jesus, make me love Mary not only because she is pure, beautiful, good, compassionate, and my Mother, but because she is Your Mother and You love her infinitely. O Jesus, let me share in Your love for Mary. Make me love her as You do.”
Mary shares with Jesus in the salvation of the world: “The Virgin suffers all this in order to save the world. She follows Him all the way to Calvary,” Faustino writes. Moreover, she is the one who sends us forth into the apostolate. As she said to the servants at Cana, pointing to Jesus: “Do whatever He tells you.” For all these reasons, Faustino likes to call Mary “wonderful.” One of the last lines in his diary says: “Our wonderful Mother in Heaven must help us all to become better.”
And what about me? What place does Mary have in my life? Do I go to her as my mother? Do I see myself at her service, helping her in her mission of saving the world?
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved:
“When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (Jn 19:26–27)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“Mother, it is May, your month. Help me to love you more. Help me to have greater faith and not to lose heart. Help me to strengthen my vocation. Help me to be more constant in my duties. Help me not to give in to the discouragements that sometimes come to me. Help me, Virgin Mary—you who can do all things.”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.
A testimony about Faustino:
From a French religious sister: “Thanks to Faustino, I have changed the way I relate to Mary. What struck me was his Christ-centered way of loving the Virgin. It is not common. How many people pray directly to Mary to obtain a favor! But to ask Christ to let us ‘share’ in His love for His Mother—or, as Faustino says, to want to imitate Christ in His love for Mary—that is not common. I owe this small ‘light’ to Faustino.”
Every life includes suffering. We must learn how to bear it. Today let us ask Faustino to help us see suffering with the eyes of Jesus.
Reflection.
How we would love a world without setbacks! But that is not possible. There is illness. There are accidents. There is unrequited love. There is ingratitude. There is sadness. There is hatred. There is death. Some sufferings are natural; others, sadly, are the fruit of selfishness and sin...
Jesus became man in order to free us from sin, and He shares in our suffering. Faustino expresses this beautifully when recalling Christ’s being taken down from the Cross: “Mary accepts as her children all those men who killed her Son. She receives Christ in her arms just as when He was little. She must have thought: ‘My other children have done this.’”
Christ gives suffering a redemptive value. Faustino united his own sufferings to those of Jesus on the Cross. “I have thought a great deal about sin,” he says, “about the great suffering of Christ on the Cross. I want to suffer for Christ, who has suffered so much for me.”
But at the same time, Jesus wants us to fight against evil in the world. That is why Faustino also says: “The Cross of Christ! All who suffer are the living crosses of Christ!” And he says to the Virgin: “Mary, always at your service to help the neighbor who suffers.”
And what about me? Do I know how to face my sufferings with courage? Am I aware of the suffering around me? What do I do to relieve it?
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:13)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“Blessed Virgin Mary, teach me to see the value of suffering.”
“Lord, You say: ‘I thirst.’ But You thirst for the souls of all those people. Lord, let me share in Your thirst.”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen. Today you might also pray the Marianist Three O’Clock Prayer, which you will find at the end of this novena.
A testimony about Faustino:
From the theologian Baldomero Jiménez Duque: “A delightful case. One can clearly see the presence and action of the Holy Spirit—but in that gentle, normal, and utterly certain way in which He works through our psychological makeup and the ordinary circumstances of life. That is why this life is both accessible and exemplary.”
Joy was one of Faustino’s most striking qualities. Where did that joy come from? Would you like to share in it?
Reflection.
“A Christian may lack everything, but never joy”: Pope Paul VI once said this. It sounds strong, almost against the grain of much contemporary thinking. Jesus calls the poor, those who weep, the merciful, and those persecuted for His name “blessed”—that is, happy. What a paradox! Faustino is a witness that this is possible.
He was ill, and yet he wrote in his diary: “I am very happy. I do not know what is happening to me, but thanks be to God, I do not know misfortune and I am always happy. There is something felt deep inside. An immense love for Him, who has always led me by the hand, who has never let me fall, not even once, into mortal sin. I do not know what problems are. Thank You, Christ, for giving me this wonderful inner peace. I am deeply grateful to You.”
This passage gives us the key to true joy: the presence of God in the soul and an “immense” love for Jesus. Everything else follows from that: the joy of loving his parents, of having so many friends, of getting good grades, of seeing his favorite team win, of going on a camping trip... All these small joys are rooted in that fundamental inner happiness, which puts sorrows in perspective.
And what about me? Am I happy deep down? Do I know how to face the negative aspects of ordinary life by lifting my eyes to the Lord?
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Lk 1:46–47)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“What shall I return to the Lord for all that He has done for me? He has given me everything I have, everything I have had, and everything I shall have. How can I repay Him? It is impossible. But, Christ, You are here, beside me, within me. How could I not strive to be good?”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.
A testimony about Faustino:
Conclusion of a morphopsychological study by Franz Bommer: “We are in the presence of an extremely likable boy, very alert, full of promise for the future, richly endowed with gifts. The spiritual impulse predominates; moral and ideal values hold first place. He is generous, available, and sensitive. (...) A person of the sensitivity-thought type is a noble being who, if properly formed, spreads joy and happiness all around; he possesses an innate tact and nobility that make him deeply attractive.”
It is not enough to love God. Indeed, if you do not love your neighbor, you are not a true Christian. Faustino understood this very clearly.
Reflection.
Other people exist. There are many people around us. They are what Jesus calls our “neighbor”—the persons with whom, in one way or another, we are connected. At home: our parents, siblings, relatives. In school: classmates, teachers, staff. At work: co-workers, employers, clients, suppliers. In everyday life: from the mayor to the mail carrier, along with so many others who make our lives possible. And then there are those who suffer: the poor, immigrants, the marginalized... So many people! My neighbor!
Faustino lived this deeply: “Mom arrived from Alicante—what joy!” “I received a letter signed by the whole class. I was moved.” But not only with those closest to him. “This boy is fourteen years old; he lives in an attic and has nothing to eat...” and Faustino will go help him.
There is also the more distant neighbor. Faustino writes: “Two thirds of humanity do not have enough to eat. With all the preparations for war, the great nations could solve those problems”; “Today we are Christ’s hands.” But he does not stop there. He asks himself: what can I do? And he decides on his future: to be a missionary, “a religious in the service of others for love of Christ.”
And what about me? What is my relationship with my “near” neighbor? Is it selfishness or self-giving? And what might my own small contribution be to the problems faced by so many people?
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved:
“His mother said to the servants at Cana, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’” (Jn 2:5)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“Christ, help me to be an apostle. May I not keep all my love for You to myself, but share it with my companions.”
“Thank You, Mother. How good You are to me! I want to be your apostle. We must win the world for you.”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.
A testimony about Faustino:
A 20-year-old young woman writes: “It may seem that young people today only have the values of capitalist society. It may seem that Faustino belonged to another age, and that people like him—good, simple, eager to serve others—no longer exist today. I am writing to encourage everyone: there are many of us who want to follow Faustino’s example... This book encouraged me not to give up and to work for a world full of Faustinos.”
Faustino’s life was an ordinary life, with its joys and concerns, like everyone else’s. But there was something more...
Reflection.
Here are a few lines gathered from Faustino’s diary: “We had Chemistry lab: Experiment No. 6”; “It is difficult to stop arguing with my sisters”; “We won 5–2 in soccer”; “I went to the movies with Amelia and Ana”; “We had ice cream”; “I bought two shirts for that boy”; “We saw two films in the film forum”; “I had a wonderful time”; “I began reading Victoria Station at 4:30”; “I am sick”; “We bought sandwiches at Bar Mundo and went to Alicante”; “I finished reading The Ugly American”; “Valencia beat Oviedo 3–0. Waldo had a brilliant match”...
Faustino was like everyone else, with the same activities, tastes, and hobbies as other boys his age. But running through that apparently monotonous life was a hidden thread that gave it another dimension. It was as though he were connected in some way with Christ and with Mary. They are real persons living within his world. They are unseen, but they are there. Faith enabled him to discover their presence. The rosary he tried to pray each day, frequent Communion, and his informal conversations with the Lord were like a “phone connection” with those he loved. And because of that, life became fuller, happier, and more deeply joyful.
And what about me? Am I willing to welcome into my life the presence that transformed Faustino’s life?
A Gospel passage that Faustino loved:
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38)
Make this prayer of Faustino your own, in your own words:
“Help me, Jesus, to be a lay apostle. The Church of our time needs many apostles among the laity. Help me, Jesus, to be one until the moment comes when I may become a priestly apostle. With Your help and with the help of my Mother in Heaven, I am sure I will achieve it.”
Prayer for every day:
Lord, You gave us in Faustino an admirable example of fidelity to the demands of Your divine love. We come to You so that, if it is Your will that he be glorified by Your Church, You may show it by granting us the grace we desire to obtain. (Mention your intention.)
We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother, whom he loved so much on earth. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Marianist doxology:
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified everywhere through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.
A testimony about Faustino:
A Chilean father of a large family writes: “How much good has come to us through encountering Faustino in his book! One realizes that holiness lies in the way we integrate the will of God into our daily life. It means accepting that will without dwelling on our fragility, our fears, or our attachment to the little—or much—material wealth we possess.”
Two prayers.
Here are two prayers that may be helpful during these nine days. Faustino prayed the Marianist Three O’Clock Prayer every day. The second is a short prayer of Saint Anselm, to which Faustino added the rest.
1.- Marianist Three O’Clock Prayer.
Lord Jesus,
here we are gathered at the foot of the Cross,
with Your Mother and the disciple whom You loved.
We ask pardon for our sins,
which are the cause of Your death.
We thank You for having thought of us
at that hour of salvation
and for having given Mary to us as our Mother.
Holy Virgin, receive us under your protection
and make us docile to the action of the Holy Spirit.
Saint John, obtain for us the grace to welcome Mary,
as you did, into our lives
and to assist her in her mission. Amen.
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
be glorified everywhere
through the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
Amen.
2.- Prayer of Saint Anselm... and of Faustino.
O good Jesus, I ask You, through the love with which You love Your Mother,
that I may truly love her
as You love her and desire her to be loved.
You are truly wonderful, Mary.
Your life is nothing but a stream of light and grace.
From the moment God placed you in the world, radiant with beauty,
without any stain of sin,
until the glorious day when you were taken up into Heaven
to occupy the throne of Queen beside your triumphant Son,
your whole life was a continual acceptance of God’s will.
When God sent His angel, you answered:
“Let the will of God be done.”
You knew what awaited you: immense suffering
when all those brothers of Jesus killed Him and
tore Him apart upon the Cross.
And yet, you accepted.
You are wonderful, Mary, my Mother. Amen.
Subscribe free of charge to Javier’s Catholic Website WhatsApp or Telegram channel