Novena for Father Kapaun’s Cause
Praying the Beatitudes with Father Kapaun
Join us June 1-9, 2024 to pray for Father Kapaun’s cause, that meetings this summer in Rome may see him named Venerable.
Background
While stationed in Japan before the outbreak of the Korean War, Chaplain Emil Kapaun gave a series of radio broadcasts based on the Eight Beatitudes to his troops. Two months later he and his men were sent to the defense of South Korea. Over the last year of his life, both on the front lines and facing inhumane captivity, Chaplain Kapaun’s actions showed his own deep understanding and fidelity to the Beatitudes. Aside from day one and a few additions, each of the reflections in this novena comes from these radio broadcasts.
A portion of the final two days of the broadcast were recorded on audio- the only surviving sound we have of Father Kapaun’s voice. Listen below.
Day 1: A Man of the Beatitudes
“The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching….They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of His Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ’s disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the saints.” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1716-1717
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!
Day 2: Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
“If we want the graces of God to come to us we must prepare our hearts to be humble. For God is the God of the humble and not of the proud. As a little Child, He chose to come into this world— humble, small, and poor. O let us prepare our hearts to be humble, that the humble child will find a truly humble home in our hearts.”
“We live in this world merely as travelers passing through a beautiful country. When death comes we must give up all these things and pass on to our future home. A wise man realizes that earthly things are precious for him only in so far as they are used to obtain blessings of Heaven. He realizes that he is using the property which God has created.
O God of Heaven and earth, you have placed us into this world to use it properly, modestly, humbly, and honestly as a stepping stone to Heaven, grant that all of us may appreciate your blessings and follow your example.”
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!
Day 3: Blessed are they who Mourn, for they Shall be Comforted
“People whose ambitions are confined to the limits of earthly things would be confounded at this beatitude. People who live according to the teachings of Christ and follow His example are not sad and morose; instead they have true joy and happiness. And mingled with their joy and happiness they can have true sorrow for their sins and the realization that there is even greater joy and happiness to strive for.
Even the saintly person who lives in true joy and happiness can have many sorrows and disappointments. Perhaps in our own lives, God gives us a good share of sorrow and mourning. Let us beg Him to help us carry this cross of sorrow in a truly Christian sense so that one day we too may reflect with joy and thanksgiving upon this beatitude.”
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!
Day 4: Blessed are the Meek, for they Shall Possess the Land
“Meekness includes kindness, sincere consideration and love for others. It includes the willingness to forgive injuries and to bear with the weaknesses and shortcomings of others. It includes a presence of mind and bearing which is calm and always recollected.
Some people regard the meek man as one who will not put up a fight for anything but he will let others run over him, yet Christ said: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart”. One does not take up His yoke, His duties in life, without a struggle and a fight. To accomplish anything good a person must make an effort; and making an effort is putting up a fight against the obstacles.
Instead of giving in to the opposition from those who hated Him and who hated truth, Christ asserted Himself and He asserted the truth unto the very end, His triumphal death on the cross.”
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!
Day 5: Blessed are they who Hunger and Thirst for Justice, for they Shall be Satisfied
“There is no doubt that much injustice exists in the world. It is easy for us to point out the wrong done by other people and to feel that they deserve to be punished. Yet even among our own friends, there are many injustices being committed, some large, others only small- yet the innocent are often accused of evil and punished for it.
It has always been a question among people why God permits many innocent people to be treated unjustly. God is aware of all good things and all evil things which take place. Christ has assured His followers that God would give complete justice to all men. He may not give this justice on this world in this life, but He will give it in the life beyond the grave.
Even Christ Himself, not guilty of any crime, was condemned to a brutal and shameful death on a cross. With this in mind, let us ask God to help us always to be just so that one day the beatitude will be fulfilled for us. ‘Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice for they shall be satisfied.’”
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!
Day 6: Blessed are the Merciful, for they Shall Obtain Mercy
“Out of love for mankind Christ had come into this world and out of love for sinners Christ had died on the cross. He expects people to be merciful too, for we can forgive others who offend and hurt us. There is no doubt that if we want God to forgive us our sins we must be willing to forgive our neighbor who has done wrong to us.
God does not want to push the sinner down but He wants to lift him up to a life of holiness, love and faithfulness. God wants us to imitate Him in His mercy and to do the same things to our fellow man. O Merciful God, help us to understand what it means to be merciful; help us to accept sufferings and difficulties according to Thy Will; help us to forgive those who injure and offend us; make us worthy of the reward You promised: ‘Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain Mercy.’”
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!
Day 7: Blessed are the Pure of Heart, for they Shall See God
“Christ said of the Scribes and Pharisees: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Hear and understand. What goes into the mouth does not defile a man: but that which comes out of the mouth, that defiles a man, the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and it is they that defile a man. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, immorality, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.’
A heart which is pure is one which is not defiled. In the pure heart is the love of God and neighbor, a true, solid, and simple faith, and a firm hope in the goodness of God. A person who really is pure of heart would not have any part in anything which is impure and indecent. A person will never be impure unless he willingly and foolishly gives in to things of impurity.”
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!
Day 8: Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they Shall be Called the Children of God
“The peace which God gives is a gift which exists even in suffering, in want, or even in time of war. People who try to promote peace and love among their fellow men are peacemakers in the true sense of the word. And the people who try to bring the peace of God to souls are peacemakers of a higher order. These people are the ones who dedicate their lives to teaching the truths of God and leading souls to God by good example. All of us can lead others to God by giving good example.”
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!
Day 9: Blessed are they who Suffer Persecution for Justice’s Sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
“In the early ages of the Church, the Christians were given their choice by the officials in the Roman Empire either of giving up their Christian faith or of being put to death. The martyrs would not give up their faith, consequently, they suffered death, even though they were innocent of any crime. In recent years, the same thing has happened. Christian people who try to practice their faith and remain true to it find themselves persecuted and ostracized by people opposed to the Christian Faith.
We can surely expect that in our own lives there will come a time when we must make a choice between being loyal to the true Faith or of giving allegiance to something else which is either opposed to or not in alliance with our faith. O God, we ask of Thee to give us the courage to be ever faithful to Thee.”
Prayer for Canonization:
Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to you on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors.
We now ask you, Lord Jesus, if it be your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for you by signs of miracles and peace.
In your name, Lord, we ask, for you are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.
Chaplain Kapaun, pray for us!