Saint Homobonus (Homer) is the patron saint of business. He was a merchant and a philanthropist who lived in Rome during the third century. According to legend, his name in Greek means “good friend” or “good fellow.”
Saint Homobonus was born into a wealthy family that owned land and slaves. His parents died when he was young, so he became the head of the household at age 12. As an adult, he married Mary, who bore him three children: Timotheus, Cyril and Eustochium.
Saint Homobonus also became interested in religion after meeting Saint Alexander of Alexandria while traveling abroad. He converted to Christianity and began giving away his money to those less fortunate than himself. provide you with all the relevant information you are looking for on saint Homobonus prayer card, novena for business owners , who is the patron saint of business, how to pray for financial blessings and so much more.
Saint Homobonus is the patron saint of business, entrepreneurs and salespeople. He is also venerated as a patron of thieves. He is invoked especially by those who wish to succeed in business and money-making ventures. The intercession of Saint Homobonus can be obtained by praying his Novena Prayer on nine consecutive days.
The following prayer should be said daily for nine consecutive days starting from Monday:
‘Oh great Saint Homobonus, you who were so rich that you could give away all your possessions, obtain for me the grace to renounce all earthly riches, so that I may possess only what is necessary for my subsistence.’
The idea of the word “saints” is a group of people set apart for the Lord and His kingdom. There are three references referring to godly character of saints: “that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints …” (Romans 16:2). “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (Ephesians 5:3).
Therefore, scripturally speaking, the “saints” are the body of Christ, Christians, the church. All Christians are considered saints. All Christians are saints—and at the same time are called to be saints. First Corinthians 1:2 states it clearly: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy…” The words “sanctified” and “holy” come from the same Greek root as the word that is commonly translated “saints.” Christians are saints by virtue of their connection with Jesus Christ. Christians are called to be saints, to increasingly allow their daily life to more closely match their position in Christ. This is the biblical description and calling of the saints.
How does the Roman Catholic understanding of “saints” compare with the biblical teaching? Not very well. In Roman Catholic theology, the saints are in heaven. In the Bible, the saints are on earth. In Roman Catholic teaching, a person does not become a saint unless he/she is “beatified” or “canonized” by the Pope or prominent bishop. In the Bible, everyone who has received Jesus Christ by faith is a saint. In Roman Catholic practice, the saints are revered, prayed to, and in some instances, worshiped. In the Bible, saints are called to revere, worship, and pray to God alone.
St. John the Apostle, also called Saint John the Evangelist or Saint John the Divine, (flourished 1st century CE; Western feast day December 27; Eastern feast days May 8 and September 26), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and traditionally believed to be the author of the three Letters of John, the Fourth Gospel, and possibly the Revelation to John in the New Testament. He played a leading role in the early church at Jerusalem.
John was the son of Zebedee, a Galilean fisherman, and Salome. John and his brother St. James were among the first disciples called by Jesus. In the Gospel According to Mark he is always mentioned after James and was no doubt the younger brother. His mother was among those women who ministered to the circle of disciples. James and John were called Boanerges, or “sons of thunder,” by Jesus, perhaps because of some character trait such as the zeal exemplified in Mark 9:38 and Luke 9:54, when John and James wanted to call down fire from heaven to punish the Samaritan towns that did not accept Jesus. John and his brother, together with St. Peter, formed an inner nucleus of intimate disciples. In the Fourth Gospel, ascribed by early tradition to John and known formally as the Gospel According to John, the sons of Zebedee are mentioned only once, as being at the shores of the Sea of Tiberias when the risen Lord appeared. Whether the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (who is never named) mentioned in this Gospel is to be identified with John (also not named) is not clear from the text.
John’s authoritative position in the church after the Resurrection is shown by his visit with St. Peter to Samaria to lay hands on the new converts there. It is to Peter, James (not the brother of John but “the brother of Jesus”), and John that St. Paul successfully submitted his conversion and mission for recognition. What position John held in the controversy concerning the admission of the Gentiles to the church is not known; the evidence is insufficient for a theory that the Johannine school was anti-Pauline—i.e., opposed to granting Gentiles membership in the church.
John’s subsequent history is obscure and passes into the uncertain mists of legend. At the end of the 2nd century, Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, claims that John’s tomb is at Ephesus, identifies him with the beloved disciple, and adds that he “was a priest, wearing the sacerdotal plate, both martyr and teacher.” That John died in Ephesus is also stated by St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon circa 180 CE, who says John wrote his Gospel and letters at Ephesus and Revelation at Pátmos. During the 3rd century two rival sites at Ephesus claimed the honour of being the apostle’s grave. One eventually achieved official recognition, becoming a shrine in the 4th century. In the 6th century the healing power of dust from John’s tomb was famous (it is mentioned by the Frankish historian St. Gregory of Tours). At this time also, the church of Ephesus claimed to possess the autograph of the Fourth Gospel.
Do you find yourself in need of prayer looking for work these days? We offer this prayer to St. Joseph for Employment printed below in the hope it might provide some relief and comfort to those of you caught in this position.
Dear Saint Joseph, you were yourself once faced with the responsibility of providing the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary. Look down with fatherly compassion upon me in my anxiety with my present inability to support my family. Please help me find gainful employment very soon, so that this great burden of concern will be lifted from my heart and that I am soon able to provide for those whom God has entrusted to my care. Help me guard against discouragement, so that I may emerge from this trial spiritually enriched and with even greater blessings from God. Amen.
Although the official government figures suggest a bright jobs picture, the unofficial tabulations, along with people’s experiences we’ve read about suggest something gloomier in the USA and quite a bit more so in other countries as well. Whether unemployed or underemployed, there are many people these days not able to find work, or enough work to feed and raise families and provide a sense of meaning and accomplishment in their lives!
Little is known about Our Lord’s foster father from Scripture, outside of the fact that, as a “just man” (Matt 1:19) he displayed the honorable intention when he discovered that Mary was pregnant with Jesus to divorce her quietly (to “put her away privately” as we read in the traditional texts) and not expose her to shame and the very real possibility of death by stoning for adultery!
This happily became a non-issue when an angel informed him she was carrying our Lord through the Holy Spirit so that we may be saved from our sins (Matt 1:20). It was St. Joseph to whom an angel gave the warning to flee to Egypt with his wife and Baby Jesus so our Lord wouldn’t be murdered by the jealous King Herod’s minions (Matt 2:13-16).
St. Joseph is seen from Sacred Tradition and these examples from Scripture as a good and honorable man, a humble carpenter dedicated to his Holy Family, our Blessed Mother and his foster son Jesus. He passed away when Jesus was a young man, before Our Lord started His earthly ministry.
St. Joseph is known as the Patron Saint of numerous people and professions, including unborn children, fathers, immigrants, workers, carpenters, and civil engineers, to name just a few. He is also the patron saint against doubt and hesitation, and of a happy death. In the 19th century Blessed Pope Pius IX proclaimed St. Joseph Patron and Protector of the Universal Church.
The 12th Century saint Saint Bernard once said of St. Joseph’s great power as an intercessor that he “has been granted the power to help us in every kind of need, and to defend all who have recourse to him with pious dispositions.”
Saint Teresa of Avila concurred with this opinion in the 16th Century when she wrote in her Autobiography that Our Lord has given power to other Saints to help us with specific needs but that He gave St. Joseph the power to help us with all of them. St. Joseph helped her in a few difficult situations, such as curing her of paralysis; and with his assistance she was able to found more than 20 convents!
As St. Teresa also wrote in her Autobiography “Those who practice prayer should have a special affection for him always. I do not know how anyone can think of the Queen of the Angels, during the time that she suffered so much with the Child Jesus, without giving thanks to Saint Joseph for the way he helped them. If anyone cannot find a master to teach him how to pray, let him take this glorious saint as his master and he will not go astray.”
St. Joseph, and his beloved spouse our Blessed Mother Mary indeed went through more than their share of poverty and hardships, as well as great joys, in raising Jesus. (Think in this regard of their arduous journey to Bethlehem for our Savior’s birth in a cave and of the necessity of their exile for a time in Egypt to keep Him out of harm’s way, for examples.)
Seek this great Saint’s help in carrying the vexing and at times quite bitter cross of being out of work, remembering always that you have great worth in God’s eyes no matter what your situation. We also have this prayer, this novena, and this litany to St. Joseph as well on our site. Never forget as well that his foster Son, our Lord, was destined to die so that each of us, could have Eternal Life, including you.
how to pray for financial blessings
Prayer to Trust God Will Provide
O Lord, Mighty in Power, I thank You in advance for the financial blessings that are coming to me! I know that You will meet all my needs according to Your glorious riches. Father, I put my trust in You. I trust not in my job, my friends, my family or anything else. I place my trust in You because You are my provider. I know that You will take care of me and that I will prosper. I know everything will be okay. Calm my anxiety and focus my eyes on You. In Your holy name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer to Give Finances Up to God
Oh Holy One, I praise and glorify Your name. Father, the earth is Yours and everything in it, the world and all who live in it! Father, my finances belong to You. I thank You in advance for my financial prosperity. Lord, I know that everything that comes from You is good, so I know that by placing my finances in Your hands, You will come through for me and I will become financially stable and secure. Lord, I adore You for always being with me and guiding me in everything that I do. Help me keep my faith in You during this difficult time. Help me to continue on my Christian walk and not fall off the path to win the eternal race. Amen.
Prayer to Ease Worry
God of Heaven, I give You my heart and my soul. I live for You alone. Your word tells me that if I seek Your kingdom first and Your righteousness, then all these things will be given to me as well. Lord, You rule over my life and my finances. I will not worry about my current financial situation because You will give me all that I need. I will not be anxious or stressed because You will sustain me. I thank You in advance for my financial blessings. I thank You for providing for me and holding me in the palms of Your hands. Amen.
Prayer to Not Give Up
God of Miracles, I pray that You have Your divine way over my finances. I pray that I do not become weary in the good work that I do because at the right time I will reap the harvest so long as I do not give up. Lord, I pray that doing what is right in Your eyes is the motivation for my actions. I pray that I do not do things to gain a reward, but rather I do them because my heart wants to serve You. I pray that You bless me and my finances. Amen.
Prayer to Put Faith in God
Eternal God, I know that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Instead, I put You above my finances and place my finances in Your hands, in Jesus’ holy name. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith. This will not happen to me, Lord, because I will keep my eyes on You at all times. Lord, I know that You can and will bless me financially. It will happen on Your time, and I will be patient for Your will to be done. All praise goes to You, almighty Father. Amen.
Prayer to Help the Needy
Jesus, my Savior, You sent Your only Son as an example to us all that we must work hard to help the weak. Jesus Himself said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Lord, I pray that I give to those who need it, because there is a freedom and power that comes from doing so. I pray that I do not hoard my finances in fear for my own financial security, but rather that I trust in Your word that if I give, it will be given back to me. Give me the confidence to help provide for the needy in my community, so that I can be an example of my faithfulness to You. Amen.
Prayer of Gratitude for What I Have
Righteous One, I thank You for my current financial state. Lord, I am not particularly rich, but I thank You because it is You who sends poverty and wealth. It is You who humbles and exalts. I pray that my financial state never dictates my love for You because You are Lord over all things. I dedicate every aspect of my life to You, including my finances and I pray that You bless them. Amen.