Day 1 - Novena to the Heavenly Father for our Earthly Fathers

Day 1 Novena Reflection

St Paul wrote to the early Christians: "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."(Ephesians 3:14 - 19)

Those profound words were written to the Christians in Ephesus - and to us. The Greek word for Father and family are connected.

Paul is using them in a sort of play on words to make a profoundly important theological point.

Fathers are the foundation of families, they give them identity and meaning in both life and in death.

The Catholic Catechism says, "The divine fatherhood is the source of human fatherhood; this is the foundation of the honor owed to parents." (CCC#2214)

Novena Prayer to the Heavenly Father for Our Earthly Fathers

Beloved Father, through the life, death and resurrection of your only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, we have become your adopted sons and daughters.

Through Baptism we are now members of His Body, the Church, which is family.

Our Savior Jesus taught us that "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother."

We thank you that promise includes each one of us.

As members of the family of Jesus we now turn to you in prayer, as OUR FATHER, ABBA.

In Luke's Gospel, we read that Jesus responded to a question posed by His disciples:

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples. He said to them, - When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test. (Luke 11:1-4)

From His response, we learn the prayer we were taught as children, the Our Father. However, Jesus is revealing a framework for our living in a constant communion with the Father.

Christian prayer is living in an ongoing communion with the Father, who communicates Himself to us completely in His Son.

When we live in this communion, life becomes a classroom where we learn the truth about who we are in Jesus.

Through prayer, we receive new glasses through which to see the landscape of life. Darkness is dispelled by the light of the Holy Spirit. We may stumble and even, at times, fall back into living at odds with God's plan. However, through prayer we find the Way back home to the Father.

Through prayer, we begin to comprehend what it means to be partakers of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

Our life becomes a participation in the inner life of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Though that participation will only be complete when we are with Him in the fullness of His embrace - in Resurrected Bodies in a New Heaven and a New Earth - it begins even now - through prayer.

Today, we pray Dear Father, Abba,
for all our earthly fathers
For our Grandfathers
and our Great grandfathers
For Adoptive fathers
For Expectant fathers
For Foster Fathers
For Stepfathers
For all Spiritual fathers
Watch over them all,
give them the grace they need to be faithful to their vocation.

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By the power of the Holy Spirit, equip them to manifest your love to the men and women of this increasingly fatherless age.

Men and women who desperately need to find you as their Heavenly Father and take their place in the Family of God, the Church of Your Beloved Son.

Now Dear Father, I specifically bring to you now my own personal intention:

And as the Family of God, let us join together in the words our Savior taught to us

Our Father
Who Art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Will be Done
On Earth as it is in heaven
Give us this Day, Our Daily Bread
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, now and forever, Amen

Final Blessing:
May the Blessing of Almighty God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
come upon you and remain with you forever
AMEN

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