A New Look at a Powerful Prayer - The Novena
A New Look at a Powerful Prayer - The Novena Author Interview
with Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua, The Novena Book: The
Power of Prayer by Lisa M. Hendey
In the autumn months, our Church's liturgical calendar reflects
the feasts of many of my "favorite" saints, culminating on
November 1 with the Solemnity of All Saints. In the weeks ahead,
my own family's bonds with some of our special patrons such as
St. Michael the Archangel, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Francis
of Assisi will be celebrated with prayer and ceremony.
Authors Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua give readers
another invaluable resource for saintly intercession, prayer and
personal edification with The Novena Book: The Power of Prayer
(Penguin Studio, hardcover, 176 pages). As with the previous
Calamari/DiPasqua books I've reviewed, The Novena Book combines
informative and readable text with stunningly beautifully
illustrations in a manner few other manuscripts can match. Their
works grace my living room both because they are a treat to the
eyes of my visitors and because I turn to them frequently for my
own spiritual and educational formation.
In The Novena Book: The Power of Prayer Calamari and DiPasqua
take a comprehensive look at the concept of Novenas. The
introduction highlights the powerful nature of this prayer
format. At the heart of the book is a lengthy series of chapters
on Saints, Angels, the Madonna, and the Divinity. Each section
on the saints provides a brief biographical or informative
statement, an illustration, and a Novena. Rounding out the
volume are additional prayer resources and a helpful topical
index. The book features Novenas to several well known saints
and to a few who make become your new favorites. I'm looking
forward to sharing Novenas with my sons as we anticipate the
rapid approach of the holiday season. The Novena Book: The Power
of Prayer is the type of book you'll want to give as a gift, but
be sure to purchase a copy of this treasure for your own
spiritual library.
With the recent re-release of The Novena Book: The Power of
Prayer I had an opportunity to catch up with authors Sandra
DiPasqua and Barbara Calamari and am pleased to share their
comments on Novenas and their book.
Q: For our readers who may not be familiar with the term
"Novena", would you please provide a brief overview of this type
of prayer?
A: Novena comes from the Latin word for nine. It is a nine day
series of prayers to obtain a requested intention or a spiritual
grace. Most novena prayers are repeated nine times in a row, for
nine consecutive days.
Q: What is the significance of the number nine?
A: In ancient times ten was considered the number of perfection
and nine was known as the number of humanity. Both ancient
Greeks and ancient Romans set aside nine days of prayers of
mourning for the deceased. The Romans held yearly novenas
dedicated to departed relatives. This tradition carried over
into early Christianity.
Q: I've always thought of Novenas as a very Catholic devotion,
but your book makes reference to individuals who are
non-Catholic reciting Novenas. In your opinion, what is the
appeal of this type of prayer to people of other faith
traditions?
A: A repetitive prayer is a form of meditation. When saying a
novena you are not praying to a saint but with that saint.
Novenas are usually said at a time of great personal crisis. It
can be material, as in money troubles, the need for a job,
trouble with a family member, grappling with depression - you
put yourself in a state of concentration on this problem for a
few minutes each day. It is amazing how the solutions to these
problems either appear or the problems themselves become
minimized in your everyday life.
Q: Your book covers a broad cross section of Novenas, including
those to the Saints, to the Virgin Mary, and to the "divinity".
What are some of the better known novenas? Can you share a few
novenas which may not be as well known to readers?
A: Saint Anthony of Padua is probably the most famous and
popular of all saints. In New York City, where the Italian
American population is extremely devoted to him, his altar
candles are always fully lit. Saint Jude is the saint of the
Impossible, little ads can still be found in local newspapers
thanking him for his successful intercession. Therese of Lisiuex
has a big following, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Infant of
Prague have many devotees. All of the Marian novenas can be
found in any church.
Geographic location also accounts for the popularity of certain
saints and novenas. Saint Anne has a huge following in France
and is not as well known elsewhere. There are certain saints
that are obscure to most of us but have very specialized novenas
for certain problems. Saint Dymphna is appealed to by those
suffering from mental illness. Saint Peregrine is the patron
saint of those afflicted with cancer. For those having trouble
conceiving a baby, there is Saint Gerard Majella. Saint Monica,
who is the mother of Saint Augustine is the saint for parents
who are having trouble with their children's behavior. Since the
saints were human, they have suffered from the same troubles and
illnesses that we find ourselves confronted with in this life.
Q: Please say a few words about the stunning illustrations of
the Saints, Mary and the Holy Trinity which accompany the book's
content.
A: For our illustrations we wanted to use the most common images
of the saints that we could find. We were quite fortunate to
work with the Peka Verlag Holy Card Company from Germany. These
images are from a series of gold leafed cards that they
distribute. Many people will be familiar with some of these
images from holy cards distributed at wakes. We were also lucky
that our editor at Viking Studio who was not Catholic, had never
seen such images before and made sure that the reproductions
were the highest quality, going so far as to include the color
metallic gold at a greater expense to the company.
Q: I have a special devotion to the Infant of Prague, so I was
pleased to find that novena in your book. Who are some of your
favorite saints and why do you feel devotion to these members of
the Communion of Saints?
A: Sandy: Saint Anthony. My grandparents and aunts were devoted
to him and they passed down their love and devotion for Saint
Anthony to me. Barbara: Saint Therese of Lisieux. Whenever you
pray her novena, you are promised a shower of roses as a sign
that she is interceding for you. It is odd how you will start to
notice roses everywhere, as advertisement illustrations, on the
side of the road, being carried by a total stranger.
Q: For someone who has never prayed a novena, how can one get
started?
A: Either look at the pictures of the saints and find one that
you can relate to, or look through the list of patronages and
problems. Sit for a few minutes each morning and read over the
novena, it's a great way to confront a problem.
Q: What are some of the spiritual benefits that you personally,
or others you've interacted with, have derived from a devotion
to praying novenas?
A: Besides totally dissipating a problem, what the process of
doing a novena does is literally fill your life with grace. All
of a sudden you are not so stuck in the material world or
anxious about a situation. You feel freer and closer to God. You
feel like you are not alone.
Q: Can you leave us with the words of one special novena you
find inspiring?
A: The novena of Saint Anthony of Padua says, "...Miracles
waited on your word, which were ever ready to speak for those in
trouble or anxiety...."
For more information on The Novena Book: The Power of Prayer
visit
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670884448/catholicmomcom
Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous
web sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com and
http://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic
literature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for more
information.