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Bring Home a Novena

by Brian Caulfield 

After eight days of Easter, there are the nine days of the novena – at least this year.

The novena , sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, is for Pope Benedict XVI. The nine days of prayer begin on April 11, Divine Mercy Sunday, and conclude on Monday, April 19, the fifth anniversary of his election to the papacy. You can find all the details on the novena at the Knights of Columbus website (www.kofc.org), which includes a downloadable prayer card and a video invitation to participate in the novena from Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., who is the supreme chaplain of the Knights.

We are all aware of the challenges the Church and the Holy Father face at this time. What I want to focus on in this column is the idea behind praying for the pope in times of trouble, and how this novena can become an opportunity for family prayer. As a father of two young boys, I am looking forward to bringing the novena home and explaining it to them.

The word novena, of course, comes from the Latin for “nine days.” The concept of nine days of prayer comes from the time period between the Ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Apostles returned to the Upper Room in Jerusalem and “devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” (Acts 1:14). This was the beginning of the first novena, which concluded with the Holy Spirit rushing upon the early disciples with great grace and power at Pentecost (2:1).

Our families are supposed to be like that cenacle in the Upper Room – believers in Christ gathered together with one heart and mind for periods of prayer. If we are true to the model of the Apostles and the women, we too may receive a special blessing of the Holy Spirit. This is why we tend to pray more fervently in times of trouble, or before a big decision, or before a test or a job interview. At times like these we are more aware of the need for God in our lives.

The Knights of Columbus novena for the Holy Father is a wonderful opportunity to introduce prayer into the routine of your family life, if it is not already a part. The novena is being promoted for this particular time, but the prayer card can be used at any time. We have to understand that, in good times and bad, the Holy Father needs our prayers, and we should always be ready to support him and his universal ministry as the Vicar of Christ on earth. This is a large part of what it means to be Catholic.

As Catholics, we are connected not just to our family and our parish; we are part of the Church that Jesus Christ founded on the rock of Peter. We are involved, as baptized persons united to the heart of Christ, in the ultimate world-historical movement that is guaranteed to continue until the end of time. As a member of the Body of Christ, we have the great privilege of receiving the Eucharist and the other sacraments of salvation. We also have grave responsibilities that include praying for the pope. The Catholic Church is a family of believers, and he is our Holy Father.

Growing up, one of my most vivid memories was a picture on the wall of Pope Paul VI. In his golden papal robes and white zucchetto, he looked like an odd presence in our simple New York apartment. Yet I always felt that this image connected me, as a Catholic, to something beyond myself, beyond my family, beyond the city and even beyond the time period in which I lived. As a Catholic, you learn early about mystery, eternity, and the connection of all things in a world to come. During my early 20s, I thought of “life everlasting” as a sort of pie-in-the-sky dream, but as I get older, the wisdom of the faith becomes more pressing and apparent. Although I don’t claim to understand the faith and all it entails perfectly, I find myself now more often repeating with Peter, “Where are we to go, Lord? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). I want to pass this great gift of Jesus on to my two boys.

Thus, I will be praying the novena starting Sunday with my wife and children. I hope you will join us!

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(The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Headline Bistro or the Knights of Columbus.)