May

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Reflection & Scripture

May 1, 2008 |

Devotional Prayer

While the liturgy is “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed” and “the font from which all her power flows” (SC, no.10), it is not possible for us to fill up all of our day with participation in the liturgy. The Council pointed out that the spiritual life “is not limited solely to the participation in the liturgy. …According to the teaching of the apostle, (the Christian) must pray without ceasing” (SC, no. 12). Popular devotional practices play a crucial role in helping to foster this ceaseless prayer. The faithful have always used a variety of practices as a means of permeating everyday life with prayer to God. Examples include pilgrimages, novenas, processions and celebrations in honor of Mary and the other saints, the rosary, the Angelus, the Stations of the Cross, the veneration of relics, and the use of sacramentals. Properly used, popular devotional practices do not replace the liturgical life of the Church; rather, they extend it into daily life.

The Origin of Novenas

Novenas are prayers of devotion that are offered for nine days (or some other period of time with a factor of nine). They had their origin in ancient Rome as times of prayer for the dead over a nine-day period and were, essentially, prayers of mourning and commendation of the soul to the mercy of God. In the early Middle Ages, novenas became ways of preparing for great liturgical events, especially Christmas. One novena became linked to the antiphons of Vespers, which begins with the vocative “o” nine days before the celebration of Christ’s birth. We recognize this custom from the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” which is the last antiphon for the last day of this novena.

“Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you”
(Lk 11:9)

Novenas are forms of insistent prayer. Christ tells us to pray incessantly and assures us that God will give his Holy Spirit to those who ask him. He also tells us that He will provide what we really need, not merely what we simply want.


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