Novena to St. John the Evangelist
The novena to St. John the Evangelist, our parish patron, begins today and continues for nine days, culminating on his feast, December 27, 2024.
Novenas have a special place in the life of the Church. The first great novena was Pentecost, when Jesus instructed his disciples to wait and pray for "the promised gift of the Father." Mary and the Apostles prayed for nine days in the upper room, and at the end of those nine days, the Holy Spirit was poured on the Church as tongues of fire.
Ever since that first novena, the Church has continued to set aside stretches of nine consecutive days - novenas - to enter into prayer for some particular intention or to prepare for some special celebration.
The novena to St. John the Evangelist begins today and ends on his feast day, December 27.
Please join our parish family as we offer the novena this year. The link below will allow you to download a copy of the novena:
What are we praying for in the Novena?
You can offer it up for any of your own particular intentions, including the needs of loved ones or friends. But I would also encourage you to offer it on behalf of our parish family for these intentions:
For a powerful and grace-filled Christmas for all our parishioners. St. John's Gospel and Letters are filled with wonder over the reality that God really became man, that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Pray that our parish family will be profoundly touched by the mystery of the incarnation this Christmas and the depth of God's love that led him to become one with us.
Pray that our parish will grow in its outreach and love for those in need. St. John wrote: "If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?... Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another." (1 John 3:17,4:11)
Pray for the Lord's continued blessings on our church renovation. The renovated church, especially the new sacred art, will tell the story of our patron, St. John the Evangelist, and point to Christ. Please pray that all we are doing may bring glory to God and serve the purpose that motivated St. John: "That you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)
I look forward to being with you all soon as we celebrate the last Sunday of Advent and prepare for the joys of Christmas!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Erik Arnold