September 25, 2019

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As noted in last weekend’s bulletin announcement, the priests of the Diocese of Columbus will be in convocation with Bishop Brennan from Monday September 30 through Thursday October 3. This convocation is unique. Click convocation week changes for more details about what will be different at St. Joan of Arc. I will email the novena daily in Flocknote starting today through Thursday October 3. Or click St. John Vianney novena to download the novena.

Today, we begin praying for them by starting a novena to St. John Vianney, the patron saint of priests.  The word “Novena” means nine.  It is an ancient tradition of prayer where a person or a community prays for 9 successive days for an important reason or need. St. John Vianney was a priest of particular holiness, spending nearly every waking hour in confession, healing souls and encouraging people to live lives of true holiness.

I learned how to pray novenas from my grandmother. She always had at least one novena going at a given time, usually a number of them for the people in her life.  When I pray a novena, I always think of her.  She always told me that there is no one way to pray a novena.  So, pray how you were taught. If you have never done a novena before, try it.  Find a quiet place or moment and pray the novena prayer for that day.  If you forget for a day, catch up when you remember.  God wants us to keep praying because it is good for us and good for the Church… so let us pray for our priests with a novena to St. John Vianney.

Yours in Christ,

Deacon Steve

Day 1 (September 25):

St. John Vianney, you were blessed with a loving and devout family who supported your desire to increase your faith and devote yourself fully towards imitating the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. In your quest to pursue your holy vocation, you were not deterred by the many obstacles that came your way. Your strong faith carried you through all of life’s trials to your place in God’s kingdom. Obtain for me the same courage and faith that allowed you to give all to God without counting the cost. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide me to the right decisions that will best serve God and my neighbor. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (Here mention your special intention.) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen.

September 26, 2019

Hello again my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we begin Day 2 of our novena prayer, let’s look ahead to next week, when our priests are away at convocation with Bishop Brennan.  We cannot have Mass or Communion, but we will still pray together.   We will offer Morning Prayer on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 8:30am, and Evening Prayer at 6:15pm on Tuesday, all within perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the Main Church.  Click here for more details for what will be different at St. Joan of Arc.

Where do Morning and Evening Prayer come from? They are part of the “Liturgy of the Hours,” where the Church marks the hours of each day with regular prayer. The Hours involve the praying of psalms, readings from Scripture, intercessory prayer, the Our Father, and a final blessing.  Because Morning and Evening Prayer will occur within Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction (a blessing with the Eucharist) will be offered at the conclusion of Morning and Evening Prayer.
This may be a new or unfamiliar way of praying, but don’t worry, we will help with worship aides and by providing a cantor.  Like the Rosary, the beauty of this ancient prayer opens up with repetition. Also, there are only two universal forms of prayer in the Church:  Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. We can’t have Mass without priests, but we will still be with them.  The priests will be praying the same morning and evening prayers and singing the same hymns with Bishop Brennan as we will at St. Joan.  In fact, we will not only be praying with them, we will be praying with the whole Church!
In Christ,

Deacon Steve

Day 2 (September 26):

St. John Vianney, you dedicated your life towards saving souls for the greater glory of God. You were even blessed with an almost supernatural ability to obtain funds to help our less fortunate brothers and sisters in Christ. You freely gave of yourself in imitation of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Teach me also to see God in each person regardless of their station in life, and despite any wrongs they may have done to me. Help me to see service to my fellow men as a responsibility that I need to fulfill, to gain a chance to live with you, with our Lord, and all the saints for all eternity. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (Here mention your special intention.) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen.

September 27, 2019

Dear Friends in Christ,
Today, we begin day three of our Novena to St. John Vianney for our priests.  I’m presenting Days 3 – 8 today so as to be kind to your inbox, but I will be back on Day 9!

Until then, let’s look ahead to another facet of our plans for next week while the priests are away at convocation:  Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the main Church.  Click here for more details for what will be different at St. Joan of Arc.
Just prior to Morning Prayer on Monday Sept 30, we will expose the Blessed Sacrament in the Main Church, where it will reside until the end of Morning Prayer on Thursday October 3.  We will transfer the Blessed Sacrament to the Mercy Chapel at that time.
There has been a lot of hand wringing lately about how only 1/3 of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  This is certainly something we need to work on, but we have to remember that Jesus Christ is a person we are called into relationship with, not just a set of concepts to appropriate into our thinking.  We need to spend time with those we love.  Adoration is just that, spending time with Jesus:  Body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Real Presence of the Eucharist.  Also, anyone who is in relationship knows that listening is important too.  Sitting silently before God and letting him speak to us is a powerful way to hear His voice in our lives.

Eucharistic Adoration can seem intimidating, but Jesus wants us there.  The key is reverence.  Kneel or bow before you sit down or kneel to pray.  Do the same when you get up to leave.  Bring a prayer book or a Rosary.  Read a book or be truly silent.  Stay for an hour, stay for two, or stop in and pray for a few minutes.  Just be near to Jesus as Mary Magdalene did on Easter morning.
Yours in Christ,

Deacon Steve

Day 3 (September 27): 

St. John Vianney, your successful journey to the priesthood is a testament to your determination to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Your life as a priest is a shining example of what we should expect from the chosen leaders of God’s flock. Your perseverance in the face of many hardships has saved numerous souls. By contemplating on your life, may I be imbued with the same determination to be the best that I can be in the many roles I play in life. Let everything I think, say or do benefit my neighbor and lead me ever closer to our Heavenly Father. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (Here mention your special intention.) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen.

Day 4 (September 28): 

St. John Vianney, when you saw social ills and sin in your parish, you sparked moral and spiritual renewal through your homilies and work in the confessional. Your unrelenting efforts to win back souls to God’s grace has caused many to repent. By your soft words you were able to convert many sinners like me. Pray for me that God may bless me with the same outrage for sin and for me to have the compassion for sinners as you did. Let me choose my words carefully, lest I cause injury to my brothers. Inspire me to regularly seek reconciliation with our Heavenly Father through the worthy reception of the Sacraments, in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (Here mention your special intention.) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen

Day 5 (September 29): 

St. John Vianney, God’s grace saw you through all the trying moments of your life. Inspired by the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, you sacrificed your entire life in order to serve him fully. Your complete trust and surrender to His will allowed you to enter priesthood in spite of the many trials you had to endure. Obtain for me the same complete trust in the will of God,that will allow me to see hardships and trials as sacrifices I need to joyfully accept in His name. Let my anxieties and uncertainties be replaced by great faith in our Heavenly Father who is the source of all that is good. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (Here mention your special intention.) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen.

Day 6 (September 30): 

St. John Vianney, you rejoiced at every opportunity to spend time in prayers and contemplation. Your dedication was such that, had it not been for practical considerations, your bishop would have granted your wish to be a monk. Teach me the power of prayer, that I may slowly understand God’s will for me. Obtain for me the conviction that through fervent prayer, nothing is impossible. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (Here mention your special intention.) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen.

Day 7 (October 1): 

St. John Vianney, in life you have shown your veneration of the Blessed Sacrament. To this end you spent long hours in the confessional to help the faithful become worthy to receive the holy sacraments. Obtain for me the fervent desire to always remain worthy to receive the holy sacraments that I may also one day be rewarded with God’s favor, and spend life in His kingdom with all the saints for all eternity. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (Here mention your special intention.) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen.

Day 8 (October 2):

St. John Vianney, you lived a simple and austere life, preferring to store riches in heaven. You never turned your back to any of the poor people needing your assistance. Pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten me and remain with me always so that I too may learn to forego material possessions to earn God’s grace. May I always value my spiritual health over all the wealth in the world. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (Here mention your special intention.) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen.