Steps for a Meaningful Novena
As we engage in the upcoming novena in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, here are some suggestions for how to make this novena more meaningful, taking into account that we do much of our praying at home and on line these days.
Make a personal decision about what you will do daily during the novena days themselves as acts of preparation to open your heart to the prayer of the novena. This could be personal sacrifices or acts of charity toward others, things that you simply do to open and shape your heart.
Choose a period of time when each day during the novena you would do a little spiritual reading on the appropriate topic or subject of the novena, in this case, a little reading about Our Lady of Guadalupe herself perhaps, or even reflect on the needs of her beloved people in Mexico and all of the Americas.
Prepare for how you personally enter into the daily prayer of the novena, taking time, good quiet time in a place that is supportive of prayer, so that you can pray slowly and with as much attention as possible. This is the heart of the novena, joining others with a common set of prayers that unite us as pilgrims in the shared prayer.
If possible participate in daily Eucharist in person or by live stream.
May these coming days of prayer truly enrich our relationship with Christ and our Blessed Mother who came to Tepeyac to communicate God's love and presence to a people who were suffering greatly. She wishes to visit us in our time of suffering as well. Blessings during the upcoming novena.
Fr. Pat Brennan, CP
Fr. Tom Enneking, osc
Our Lady of Guadalupe Novena