Novena - Day 4

 Opening Prayer:

+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.

We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you. 

Take the fruit of the earth and vine and the work of our human hands - this bread and wine - and transform them so that they may become the bread of life and our spiritual drink. 

Reading: 

Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

[Jesus] said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”

But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”

Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking* the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over*—twelve wicker baskets full.

Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. 

Reflection: 

Jesus, please take our meager offering of bread and wine and transform them into your Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. May we who eat at the Eucharistic table become who we receive, multiplying your presence in our lives and in our world.

Closing Prayer: 

Jesus, with your grace, our efforts are multiplied into something beyond measure. With thankful hearts, we pray:

Our Father...

Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+

Closing Song:

Novena - Day 3

Opening Prayer:  

+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.

We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you. 

May the mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.  

Reading:

John 2:1-12

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

[And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.

And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

After this, he and his mother, [his] brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.

Reflection: 

Jesus, in your first act of public ministry, you turned water into wine. In the mystery of the Eucharist we believe that you transform water and wine into Your Precious Blood. Your love for us is poured out at the altar of salvation. 

May we who are blessed to be called to the supper of the Lamb become who we receive. As we receive your Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist may you transform us into the people you created us to be. 

Closing Prayer:

Jesus, your love for us overflows in abundance. With thankful hearts, we pray:

Our Father...

Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+

Closing Song:

Novena - Day 2

Opening Prayer: 

+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.

We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give you thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you. 

Please give us this day our daily bread, which is the Bread of Life come down to us from heaven. Amen. 

Reading:

A reading from the Book of Exodus: 16:4-15.

Then the LORD said to Moses: I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not.

On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.

So Moses and Aaron told all the Israelites, “At evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt;

and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, when he hears your grumbling against him. But who are we that you should grumble against us?”

And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and in the morning your fill of bread, and hears the grumbling you utter against him, who then are we? Your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole Israelite community: Approach the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.”

But while Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they turned in the direction of the wilderness, and there the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!

The LORD said to Moses:

I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them: In the evening twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread, and then you will know that I, the LORD, am your God.

In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning there was a layer of dew all about the camp, and when the layer of dew evaporated, fine flakes were on the surface of the wilderness, fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?” for they did not know what it was. 

But Moses told them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 

Reflection:

Jesus, you gave Moses and the Israelites manna while they waited in the wilderness to enter the Promised Land. Every morning the dew would evaporate and bread would be left behind, and the Israelites would eat until they were full. This bread satisfied the physical hunger of our spiritual ancestors and every day you would bless them in this way.  

But, the daily bread that you give to us in the Eucharist is the eternal bread that has come down from heaven. It does not perish. Rather it is the source of all life. 

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of this daily bread. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of the Bread of Life. 

Closing Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for sending down like the dewfall your Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine so that they may become your precious Body and Blood. With thankful hearts, we pray:

Our Father...

Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+

Closing Song:

Novena - Day 1

Opening Prayer:

+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.

At the Eucharist, we celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you. 

Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit. 

You are the bread of life, Lord. Please give us this day our daily bread so that we might have life in You. Amen. 

Reading: 

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John. Glory to You, O Lord. 

John 6:27-35

Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection:

Jesus, you are the Bread of Life, which is the bread of God from heaven. Jesus, you are the Bread of Life, which gives life to the world. When we come to you, we will never hunger. When we believe in you we will not thirst. Thank you for this food that endures for eternal life.

Jesus, when you tell us that you are the Bread of Life, you mean what you say. The Bread of Life is not a symbol. The Bread of Life is not a metaphor. The Bread of Life is a person and that person is you! You give yourself to us in the bread and wine, your Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Eucharist. 

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us the Bread of Life. 

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us yourself.

Closing Prayer:

Jesus, we believe that the Eucharist is your Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Thank you for calling us to join you in this feast and for the bread of God from heaven, which gives life to the world. With thankful hearts, we pray:

Our Father...

Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+

Closing Song:

I Am The Bread Of Life

By: Suzanne Toolan, performed by the Notre Dame Folk Choir

Publisher: ©1993 GIA Publications Inc.

Lyrics:

I am the bread of life You who comes to me shall not hunger You who believes in me shall not thirst No one can come to me Unless the father beckons And I will raise you up And I will raise you up And I will raise you up On the last day. The bread that I will give Is my flesh for the life of the world And if you eat of this bread You shall live forever You shall live forever And I will raise you up And I will raise you up And I will raise you up On the last day. Unless you eat Of the flesh of the Son of Man And drink of his blood, And drink of his blood, You shall not have life within you. And I will raise you up And I will raise you up And I will raise you up On the last day. And I will raise you up And I will raise you up And I will raise you up On the last day.

Novenas

 A part of our Catholic faith tradition, praying novenas involves the following:

Nine days of public or private prayer for some special occasion or intention. Its (novena's) origin goes back to the nine days that the Disciples and Mary spent together in prayer between Ascension and Pentecost Sunday. Over the centuries many novenas have been highly indulgenced by the Church. In modern times the one before Pentecost was prescribed for parochial churches. (Etymology: Latin - novem, meaning nine.) (from: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=35169)

 

Incorporating novenas into my own faith life began about five years ago, coinciding with my participation in praying the Rosary. From employing novenas for large school events as a Catholic school principal, to praying them in anticipation of retreats, the start of semesters, and/or speaking opportunities in my current role as an assistant teaching professor at the University of Notre Dame, to praying novenas for a variety of personal reasons, devoting oneself to prayer in anticipation of an event or life moment can properly orient the impetus for the novena towards our Lord. Efficacy aside, novenas can adequately prepare our hearts and minds for important occurrences. 

Spring often marks the season of Sacraments. From weddings to confirmations to first Holy Communions, the celebration of sacraments experiences an uptick in most dioceses during and after the season of Easter. 

In searching for novenas to pray with my family in anticipation of my children's reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion, I have been underwhelmed with resources I have found. 

They either seemed to be too childish and/or too watered down/not based upon scripture, teaching and tradition.

Being invited to the Supper of the Lamb and receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ for the first time merits more than clip art, prayers about responsibility and kindness, and absolutely no connection to the Mass/Sacred Scripture/Church teaching. 

So, I created my own. 

Starting tomorrow and running for eight days thereafter, I will post what I believe is a novena truly worthy of the event (in this case First Holy Communion), the person receiving the Sacrament, and our Lord. 

This isn't to say that our Lord cares about what we say, how we say it, or any of the trappings of external appearances. 

"But the LORD said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

God desires our hearts - solely, completely, wholly, and holy.  

But, the words we say, the images that we see, and the amount of time we spend on something can unveil what we treasure, "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be" (Matthew 6:21). Similarly, giving the Lord and others our very best makes investments in our hearts to expand their capacities to know, love, and serve God. 

Similarly, this is not to say that the Lord needs anything more than our meager offerings to perform miracles. He creates from nothing. He puts life back into things that are dead. He can take anything we give Him and work it for His purposes. 

So, Lord Jesus, please take this novena and work it for your glory. 

So, Lord Jesus, please take us and work us for your glory as well. 

Come, Lord Jesus. 

Amen. 

Move

Fall on your knees in worship so that you might rise up in majesty.

Lift your hands and hearts in praise. 

Move. 

A line from the Gospel on Good Friday has stayed with me for a week in regard to movement. 

So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”

They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”

He said to them, “I AM.”

Judas his betrayer was also with them. When he said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to the ground. (John 18:3-6)

Upon His arrest, Jesus answers, "I AM," and the guard turned away and fell to the ground.   

The power of the name of Jesus, the Word of God, moves. It creates. It heals. It inspires - literally breathing life into the dead. It brings people to their knees, either in fear or in reverence. It rolls away stones. 

Jesus's name, words, and life move the world. 

From His sorrowful passion to His Resurrection to the many encounters that He had with the disciples after conquering sin and death, Jesus's insertion into time and place has caused ripples that continue to emanate outward throughout the world and down through the centuries. Jesus has catalyzed the "missionary thrust" that continues to move in our ministry: 

And so, now as in the past, the Catholic school must be able to speak for itself effectively and convincingly. It is not merely a question of adaptation, but of missionary thrust, the fundamental duty to evangelize, to go towards men and women wherever they are, so that they may receive the gift of salvation. (Congregation for Catholic Education, #3)

A short review of the Octave of Easter reveals more movement, more action:

• Easter Vigil: Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bring spices to anoint Christ's body. The stone "had been rolled back; it was very large." Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome go and tell Peter and the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee (Mark 16:1-7). 
• Easter Sunday: Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb early in the morning. The stone is removed and she runs to tell Peter and John. Peter and John run to the tomb, with John running faster than Peter. They go into the empty tomb (John 20:1-9).
• Easter Monday: Mary Magdalene and Mary (the mother of James) leave the tomb and run to announce the news to Jesus's disciples. They approach Jesus, who encounters the Marys on their way to the disciples, embrace His feet, and do Him homage. They continue on their way to tell the disciples (Matthew 28:8-15). 
• Easter Tuesday: Mary Magdalene, after encountering the risen Jesus, goes and announces to the disciples all that Jesus had told her (John 20:11-18). 
• Easter Wednesday: The disciples on the road to Emmaus, after walking 7 miles to get there and enjoying an encounter and meal with the risen Jesus, "set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven...(and) the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24:13-35). For those keeping score, that's 14 miles!
• Easter Thursday: The disciples touch Jesus and give Him a piece of baked fish to eat (Luke 24:35-48).
• Easter Friday: The disciples, upon the suggestion of Jesus, throw their nets to the right side of the boat and catch 153 fish. After recognizing Jesus, Peter tucks in his garnet, jumps out of his boat and swims ashore. The disciples eat bread and fish with Christ (John 21:1-14).
• Easter Saturday: Mary Magdalene goes and tells the disciples that she has encountered the risen Jesus. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus return to tell the other disciples about their encounter with Jesus. Jesus then appears to the disciples who were eating and says to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:9-15). See the Acts of the Apostles for the movement that this inspired.    
• Divine Mercy Sunday: Thomas touches the risen Christ and believes (John 20:19-31).    

Movement. 

Running. Telling. Announcing. Acting. Eating.  

Believing. 

Jesus is who He says He is. He conquered sin and death. He's inviting all of us into relationship with Him. 

Move. 

The Soul of the Apostolate

"Given the new and ever-widening range of resources available to educators today, some might advance the argument that schools require-albeit teachers may demand-better materials. All well and good, but buildings, stadia, desks, chalkboards, and even books do not a school make, for the teacher is the soul of the school."

-Bishop John Mussio

Today is the feast of the patron saint of teachers, St. John Baptist de La Salle. The Catholic faith has no shortage of holy women and men involved in Catholic education. From St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, to St. Katharine Drexel, to St. Frances Cabrini, to St. John Bosco, to Bl. Basil Moreau, our faith is filled with many heroes of Catholic schools. 

Catholic educators also stand upon the shoulders of countless giants who paved the way for us today. From the religious sisters who staffed and supported our Church's schools in this country from our infancy through the golden age of Catholic education in mid 1900s, to the courageous lay women and men who have worked tirelessly and faithfully for their entire careers, Catholic school teachers deserve our honor and celebration. 

While something that has improved yet remains an important effort among Catholic school leaders, Catholic school teachers have often sacrificially accepted more duties and less pay than public school counterparts. My dad would often joke with my mom, a 20-year veteran of Catholic schools, that her reward would be great in heaven. 

While I think his exact words were "time off from purgatory" my mom's and all Catholic educator's eternal recompense would be worthwhile. 

Again, while fighting for better wages for all employees within the Church is an important and necessary task of all Catholic leaders, there is something to be said for the redemptive work carried out by faithful Catholic educators every day. 

The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, in 1977, declared the following: 

In this way the Catholic school performs "an authentic apostolate". To work, therefore, in this apostolate "means apostolate performing a unique and invaluable work for the Church". (The Catholic School, #63)

An apostolate is the work of the apostles. The apostles established Jesus Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church and carried out the work of the great commission to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that (Christ has) commanded (us)" (Mt. 28:19-20). 

Furthermore, and for what it's worth, the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education praises teachers for their work: 

The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, to foster the full realisation of the aims of the Catholic school, extends once more its warmest and heartfelt encouragement to all who work in these schools. There can be no doubt whatever of the importance of the apostolate of teaching in the total saving mission of the Church. (The Catholic School, 1977, #88)

So, while new technologies and educational methodologies, especially during this time of hybridization, are important to adapt the apostolate of Catholic education to the current times, the teacher, as stated by Bishop Mussio in the 1950s, is still and will always be the soul of the school. 

May today, on the feast of our patron, St. John Baptist de La Salle, and in the Octave of Easter (keep celebrating), all teachers in Catholic schools be filled with the power and hope and joy of the Holy Spirit so that Catholic schools can continue to add their "weight consciously and overtly, to the liberating power of grace, (so) that (they become) the Christian leaven in the world" (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, #84). 

Catholic school educators, in the words of another hero of our ministry, St. Julie Billiart (whose feast happens to be on April 8!), "There must be nothing little among us; we must have the hearts of Apostles."