Novena to Our Lady of the Way
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NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF THE WAY SAINT JOHN’S CHURCH AT CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY WEEK 1: APRIL 22 – 29, 2020 A 33-DAY NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF THE WAY: OUR OFFERING TO OUR LADY Introduction There are times when we feel a great need for a prolonged period of prayer. Frequently this arises from interior crisis or experiences of conversion. Throughout history, during times of turmoil in the human community, it has been common for entire communities to undertake acts of prayer and devotion for the common good. In this time of pandemic and social distance, the people of St. John’s Parish will undertake a 33-day Novena in honor of Our Lady of the Way (Madonna della Strada) to ask for Mary’s protection on our community and all who participate in this novena. Ignatius and Our Lady For Ignatius, the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary was an essential part of his spirituality. At crucial points in his life, Ignatius had recourse to her intercession. During his conversion, Mary appeared to him and had a powerful impact on his soul. At the shrine of Arantzazu, he took a vow of chastity. At the Shrine of Montserrat, he held a vigil and laid his sword before Our Lady. At Montmartre in Paris, Ignatius and his first companions took their first vows on the Feast of the Assumption. After the approval of the Society, the first profession of solemn vows was celebrated at Our Lady’s altar in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. Our Lady of the Way (Madonna della Strada) became the first church of the Society. While praying the Office of Our Lady, Ignatius felt many consolations. Far deeper than all these external signs of his devotion to Our Lady, Ignatius models the Spiritual Exercises after the pattern of Mary’s faith: receiving and pondering the Word of God and letting it take flesh in our lives and in our person, through the Holy Spirit. Jesuits and Our Lady The Jesuits have always turned to Our Lady for protection and care, especially in times of crisis. In our own country, we have the example of Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J. In October of 1871, while away preaching a mission, Fr. Damen received word that his Chicago parish, Holy Family was directly in the path of a massive fire ravaging the city. Feeling completely helpless, he spent all night in prayer pleading with Our Lady to save his church building and the homes of his parishioners. If she would grant his request, Fr. Damen promised to keep seven lamps burning in front of her image in his church. Fr. Damen quickly returned to Chicago and found Holy Family Church standing tall among the smoldering ruins of the city. Upon further inquiry, he learned that none of his parishioners had perished in the fire and that their homes had gone undamaged. With hearts full of gratitude, Fr. Damen and his parishioners celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving in Holy Family Church and lit seven lamps in front of Our Lady’s Image – lamps which still burn to this day. A Novena With the examples of St. Ignatius and Fr. Damen in mind, it is only right that we at St. John’s turn to Our Lady during this pandemic. While the number of days a novena is recited is no guarantee of special favors, the daily, frequent repetition of our calling on our Lord and his Mother for help increases our faith, hope, and love. It brings us into closer union with God and makes us more ready to do God’s will rather than our own. A novena helps us to see things from God’s point of view rather than our own. We turn to Our Lady in prayer with confidence, knowing that the love she had for her Son extends to us as well. The texts for each day below offers the fullest form of this Novena to Our Lady of the Way. It may be prayed communally or individually. Recognizing that it may not be possible in all circumstances to 2 participate in this full form, one may simply offer each day the prayer composed by Pope Pius XII on July 2, 1956: O sweet Mary, our heavenly mother, be the guide of our steps along the often steep and rocky path of life. When we come to the end, be for us the door of heaven and show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. Amen. Our Lady of the Way The late medieval mural of Mary was originally on an external wall of the small chapel of Our Lady of the Way in Rome, where Ignatius prayed and eventually set up the headquarters of his new Society. Ignatius would have known the image well and, throughout his life, had a particular devotion to Our Lady under whose patronage he placed the Society of Jesus. The small chapel of Santa Maria della Strada was demolished to make way for the Church of the Gesù, begun in 1568 and consecrated in 1584. Ignatius left specific instruction that the image of Our Lady of the Way was to be preserved in the new church and is today venerated in the north chapel of the Gesù, having recently undergone restoration. The staff at St. John’s Church felt a strong call to hold the current pandemic to prayer in a special way. In the midst of this uncertainty, it seemed providential that two Jesuit feast days honoring Our Lady fell during this time: the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Society of Jesus on April 22 and the Feast of Our Lady of the Way on May 24. With these two feasts encompassing 33 days, it seemed like an ideal time to turn to Our Lady of the Way in prayer as all of us seek to find our way through this pandemic. Our Offering to Our Lady St. John’s Parish offers this Novena to Our Lady of the Way from a place of love and confidence in Our Lady’s protection and care. As a way to demonstrate our love, we make three promises to Our Lady as a part of this Novena: 1) To keep a perpetual lamp burning before the image of Our Lady in St. John’s Church. 2) To celebrate annually the Feast of Our Lady of the Way with great solemnity. 3) To promote devotion to Our Lady of the Way. By living into these promises, we hope that St. John’s will become a place where people of all walks of life will experience Mary’s loving care and protection, just as Ignatius did throughout his own life. Conclusion Throughout this Novena, all are invited to submit their prayer intentions via the St. John’s Parish website (www.stjohns-creighton.org) to be placed at the Shrine of Our Lady in St. Johns’ Church. Similarly, if any favors have been received during this Novena, please notify the Liturgy Coordinator at St. John’s Church ([email protected]) so that these acts of Our Lady’s intercession may be recorded. May this time of extended prayer deepen our faith, hope, and love in a God who loves us unconditionally and who chose Mary as the Mother of his Son and the mother of us all. 2500 California Plaza Omaha, Nebraska 68178 Phone: (402) 280-3031 3 DAY 1 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020 FEAST OF MARY, MOTHER OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS Intention For the care and safety of the people of St. John’s Parish, Creighton University, and all who participate in this novena. ⁜ God, come to my assistance. - Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: - as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Antiphon: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word, alleluia. Canticle: Judith 13:18bcde, 19-20 You are the highest honor of our race Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth. Your deed of hope will never be forgotten by those who recall the might of God. May God make this redound to your everlasting honor, rewarding you with blessings, because you risked your life when our people were being oppressed, and you averted our disaster, walking in the straight path before our God. Amen! Amen! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Antiphon: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word, alleluia. 4 Scripture Reading Isaiah 7:10-14 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as Sheol, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!” Then he said: Listen, house of David! Is it not enough that you weary human beings? Must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel. Collect Let us pray. Almighty ever-living God, whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross, made the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother, our Mother as well, grant, we pray, that with the assistance of her love, the least Society of Jesus, whose companions vow themselves to you in her presence, may serve your majesty in obedience and follow your Son perfectly.