This post has to be pious lately because my daughter is the hermano of a Patron Saint. The Novena started last August 7 and will end on August 6. There are some lessons, take home after observing the novena:
1. While the prayers are repetitious, they tests your focus and patience. I bought a speed reading tape and I found out that the best way to make you retain much in your speed reading is through focus. You have to engage in something that is repetitious like prayers or novena or rosary.
2. The novenas, being a hermano is well organized and structured. There are other hermanos for band, for the altar for the sound system and the like. My daughter's role was to provide the venue for the altar and the novena. She had to spend on the plants for the garden surrounding the altar, resurface the garage floor, had two tents built for the duration of the novena so that the participants cant get wet in case of rain. Yesterday there was rain. (There were ruffled feathers when my daughter wrote a long letter making suggestions for the improvement of the system. It has got to be that way. Period)
There were people in charge of dressing the saints every day.
3. Inclusivity. Everybody was there. There were children. There were ladies in shorts There were people with tattoos. There were members of the LBQT community. There were really pious and elderly people. Who just came to pray and honor the patron saint.
4. Faith. You can feel fervor and faith from the attendees. You see the same people and they dont mind reciting the same prayer. You can feel their Catholicism, their adherence to light and good vs the dark and the bad.
5. Sense of continuity and history. There were booklets of novena. The owner of the saint was there and was present for the last three days.
6. Modernity and tradition. Despite being a religious ritual and tradition, about 1/5 of attendees scroll their cellphone, even choir members and the 6 pc brass band members while prayers are going on.
While other religions might criticize us for violation of the first commandment for venerating saints, and having other gods, nothing can be further from the truth We love and honor God, as we honor and pray to the saints. These activities are signs of faith love and belief in God and His creation
This is amazing and admireable. Something that is praiseworthy
