At Saint Thomas Aquinas Cathedral here in Reno, there is a morning novena held most days of the week at 7am. Once in awhile my wife will ask me to take her so that she may participate.

Morning Novena

This poem has been published in my book an inkling hope: select poems, available in Kindle and paperback formats. Out of consideration for those who have purchased a copy, I have removed it from this post and online viewing in general.

Not always, but sometimes I’ll go in and sit next to her as she prays the novena and, out of respect for others present, I’ll repeat the motions, but while observing as well. It’s not the same as attending mass. At novena there are much fewer people, mostly women, who carry with them that unmistakable air of purity and faith that only a life-time of spiritual devotion can instill. I much prefer to attend novena with my wife, actually, than mass, for at novena I can almost smell the spirit of faith wafting through the air, a sort of acceptance and trust that almost vibrates through the tall open space. For some reason this appeals to my animistic sense in a way that I can really enjoy and relate to.