Today is the Feast day of one of the most beloved of modern saints, Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was an Albanian nun and missionary. She was born in Skopje (modern Republic of Macedonia), then part of the Kosovo Vilayet in the Ottoman Empire. After leaving Macedonia she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life.

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation, which in 2012 consisted of over 4,500 sisters and was active in 133 countries. The sisters run hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis; soup kitchens; dispensaries and mobile clinics’ children’s and family counseling programs; orphanages; and schools.

These past 9 days I have been immersed in a Novena prayer directed to God inviting Saint Mother Teresa to intercede for my special intentions. This practice is rooted in early Christianity, where it is believed that the Apostles prayed for nine days leading up to Pentecost.

How is a Novena Prayed?

• Daily Prayers: Each day, a specific prayer or set of prayers is recited. Some novenas may have the same prayer for all nine days, while others may vary.
• Intentions: When praying a novena, individuals usually state their intentions, which can be personal requests or prayers for others.
• Community Aspect: Novenas can be prayed individually or in groups, fostering a sense of community among participants.

In summary, a novena is a devotional practice that involves prayers directed to God for specific intentions; invoking the intercession of our friends, the Saints, as we pray.

On this special day I would like to share a few excerpts of meditation that touched my heart from the Novena prayer, over the course of these past 9 days…

I do pray you may find something that touches your heart, too!

Day One: The words “I Thirst,” that Jesus spoke from the cross, appear next to the crucifix on the wall of every chapel in every convent all over the world of the Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa wrote, “Why does Jesus say I Thirst? What does it mean?…I Thirst is something much deeper than Jesus just saying I love you. Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you – you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him.”

Jesus still thirsts today, for our hearts and souls and for all those who need him so much in this world.

Day Two: Mother Teresa knew she needed to rely & draw strength from the Blessed Mother in order to get closer to Jesus herself and to bring others to Jesus. She would say “Mary, Mother of Jesus, be a mother to me now.” She would also ask Mary to “Lend me your heart” so that she could love Jesus more perfectly.

Day Three: Mother Teresa was called the slum sister. Mother and her followers wanted to be carriers of Christ’s love into the slums. She was always adamant that the Missionaries of Charity were neither medical personnel nor social workers. Their mission to the poor always had a spiritual component: “this is really the full meaning of the poverty of Jesus. He being rich became poor.”

May we always share her concern for not only the body but the soul and seek to give comfort in both ways to those who are in need.

Day Four: Mother Teresa saw the face of Jesus in the face of every person she rendered aid and comfort to. Mother asserted that such suffering was in fact “but a kiss of Jesus – a sign that you have come so close to Jesus that he can kiss you.”

God send your Spirit to open our eyes to give care and comfort to those who suffer physical or mental afflictions, and to offer our own sufferings in a spirit of love and reparation for the salvation of the world.

Day Five: Mother noted more than once that there is a different kind of poverty in the more developed and economically advantaged countries of the world. Mother saw families need to be together. She stated that children needed to be taught to pray and families should pray together.

May the Spirit help us build strong and faithful families all over the world, where all members know that they are loved and know Jesus.

Day Six: A passionate defender of all life from conception to natural death, Mother cared deeply for children. Whether they were affected by poverty, orphaned, disabled, or the innocent victims of war or abortion, Mother was heroic in her efforts to care for the world’s children.

Father, you have said to us “Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you. I have carved you in the palm of my hand.” Help us to remember the unborn, the orphan, children living in war or poverty or with disabilities. May we do our utmost to not sit idly by as your little ones suffer but let us be moved by the Spirit to show them our love and that of your Son, Jesus.

Day Seven: A priest who knew Mother well affirmed “(Her union with Jesus) gave her the freedom which made her independent of praise and blame. When great honors were poured on her all over the world it did not affect her in the least. She abandoned everything to God, her whole being.”

Father, we need to acknowledge the truth. That you are the source of all things and that all we do is because of your grace. Help us cooperate with your Holy Spirit and become the person you want us to be, caring only if we are faithful to your Will and letting the world say what it may. Let us remain humble and little, like Mother Teresa and Mary.

Day Eight: Mother Teresa radiated the joy and peace of Christ to everyone she met throughout her entire life. Yet, she lived a share of both the agony of her Jesus and her poor. “Make me feel what Thou hast felt. Make me share with Thee Thy pain.”

Father, after Mother Teresa’s death, you allowed the letters that revealed her spiritual trials to be revealed to be a comfort to the suffering. Send your Spirit to help us stay faithful when we face trials of faith or charity and do not feel you near. Jesus we know you are near even when we do not feel your presence. We trust you no matter what.

Day Nine: Mother Teresa impressed all around her and all she met with her joyful countenance and cheerful disposition. This was both an unconscious result of the presence of Christ within her AND her conscious choice “to keep on smiling in spite of everything.”

Father, it can be hard to always give a smile and a kind word to those we meet. Thank you for giving us the example of Mother Teresa who always smiled through interior struggles and her daily encounter with poverty and sickness. Help us to become apostles of joy, like her, by keeping our inner joy whatever our outward circumstances.

*Excerpts taken from the Intercede app. Click on the link to pray the Novena in its entirety.

hugs n’ blessings for the power of prayer!