Novena

During this journey, we've learned that so long as there is hope, even some of the toughest burdens can be a little lighter. We find great hope in how many people are praying for Caroline - she's what this is all about.

We started prayed the novena on April 5th, for the 9 days leading up to Blessed Margaret's feast day. Each morning that we prayed the novena, Tom had a chance to start off talking to Caroline, and then offering a prayer from his heart. If her kicks were a way of saying she liked it, then she liked it a lot. Tom would share a little about what was going on, and tell Caroline we all love her and are praying for her. The informal prayer usually had themes of love, mercy, grace, strength, and acceptance of God's will (not our own), while still sharing hope that Caroline can have a long and full life with us. Then we would pray the day's novena prayer together, with the relic. We know God is here with us, and by praying with a relic of someone in heaven, we have a better understanding of the connection between us, saints, and God. While it's amazing to know that we have God's ear - the God who grants miracles and can do anything - it's still an act of surrender to know that a miracle is not ours to give. The only thing we can do is to believe with strong faith, ask through constant prayer, and hope in His amazing mercy - all for His glory.

Blessed Margaret's feast day is April 13, and this year it fell on a Saturday. As further proof that God has a plan long before you know it, back in January, some friends of ours had arranged a mass for us, and it just so happened to be the Saturday mass on April 13-Blessed Margaret's feast day-WOW!! We started the day at St. Michael's, with our kids and some of Caroline's prayer warriors. It was so great to see so many people that have been praying for Caroline at the mass.  What a blessing to have never felt alone during this time but wrapped in love by so many.

From there, we headed back to St. Patrick's in downtown Columbus. The novena we prayed was published by the Blessed Margaret Guild (organized by the Dominicans at St. Patrick's). Father Stephen Alcott, O.P. made some special time to be with us to venerate in the Blessed Margaret Shrine.  Some friends were also able to join us for the special veneration.


St. Patrick's has several relics of Blessed Margaret, and their most prominent is a large portion of her uncorrupted heart. Her biographers document that during her lifetime, she would frequently say, "if you only knew what I carry in my heart." Many people thought she was referring to the suffering that she carried - all with a sense of peace, acceptance, and joy. However, she actually carried three stones in her heart, each with a different image, that were revealed after her death. Her heart must have been strong - both literally, for overcoming her physical deformities to care for others, and physically to carry the stones. What an example for all of us.

After the 9 day novena ended, we've continued to offer daily prayers using the Novena Prayer (below). We will continue to do so through Caroline's birth.