Presentation Day Novena 2022

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple takes place on 21st November each year.  This is a Feast that is celebrated with great joy throughout the world, wherever there are Presentation people.

The content of this year’s novena has been prepared by Sisters Mary Kealy, Lois Greene, Prema Antony and Sheila Reen who have put together these inspiring reflections.  Together with them, we extend an invitation to you to walk with Mary during these days.

At this moment in time we are very conscious of the suffering, pain and vulnerability felt by all peoples struggling with the daily uncertainty of life.  We are very conscious too of the destruction of this beautiful Earth, ‘Our Common Home’.

For each day of the 9 days of the novena (starting on Saturday 12th November) we will be sharing a brief reflection on that day’s particular theme, alongside the intercessions and prayer focus particular to that day.  Each day is an invitation to awaken and listen to the gift and possibilities that ‘being vulnerable’ offers us.

Should you wish to, you can download the full content of the novena text in a pdf document at this link: Presentation Day Novena 2022 , offering a ‘prayer service’ format.

Please join with us in following in ‘Nano’s footsteps’ and fanning into flame the gift of God in our own lives and in our own time.

Day 1

The call on this first day of the Novena is to open ourselves to God’s Love and to relationship with Him as Nano did.  To the knowledge that we are always the beloved of God, as Mary is, no matter what our love/or lack of love of self tells us.

“Allow yourself to experience God’s abiding love. Consciously reach out to another person in love”.

“We give thanks to God for our many blessings and pray for an open heart”.

Day 2

Creator God, you are in the still place at the centre of my being, may I, like Mary and Nano, be open to your word.

Today we see many families who are in financial and or psychological difficulty. May Mary, Joseph and Jesus, the family at Nazareth bless all families. May we be supportive of those organisations which are designed to help families.

“We thank God for our immediate and extended family. We pray for those who have gone before us, those who are impacting our lives now, and for future generations”.

Day 3

Creator God, you are in the still place at the centre of my being, may I, like Mary and Nano, be open to your word.

What is it I need to see with the eyes of the heart, and so encourage others to see?

“Let us thank God for the call that is ours, and the blessings that we have received and are continuing to receive”.

Day 4

Creator God, you are in the still place at the centre of my being, may I, like Mary and Nano, be open to your word.

How do you feel inspired/challenged/awakened by the Sacredness of Nature and Immensity of Creation?  What choices can you make in your life to express an awareness of the sacredness of creation? How are we called to bring about reconciliation and healing to Earth?

“We give thanks to God for the grandeur of nature within and around us, and pray we never take it for granted. May we remember we are Earth”.

Day 5

Creator God, you are in the still place at the centre of my being, may I, like Mary and Nano, be open to your word.

You call on us to care for those who dwell on the edges, to bring them to the centre of our care. How am I bread of welcome and hope for those who dwell on the edges of society?

Open my/our eyes and soften my/our hearts to the suffering and displaced … to the pain of our brothers and sisters in so many other parts of our world?

“We turn to you and trust your call to live justice and love kindness. Open our imaginations as we seek ways to welcome with love the refugee, asylum seeker and those who have experienced violence. May our hospitality be grounded in a mutual sharing of gifts and wisdom”.

Day 6

Creator God, you are in the still place at the centre of my being, may I, like Mary and Nano, be open to your word.

Jesus teaches us the importance of being vulnerable. He has asked us to proclaim good news to the poor, sent us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. (Jesus’ Manifesto – Luke 4: 16-20)  We can live this day by day, through the quality of our presence.

“We are grateful for the call and response of Nano to give of herself to the service of those kept poor.  We pray that we too may live grateful lives and be most generous in the use of our gifts and talents”. 

Day 7

Creator God, you are in the still place at the centre of my being, may I, like Mary and Nano, be open to your word.

Nano Nagle ….

In the face of fear, you chose to be daring,
in the face of anxiety, you chose to trust,
in the face of impossibility, you chose to begin. 

(Raphael Consedine, pbvm)

How do we live this? What if we consciously spent ourselves for the poor and suffering of our world?

 “We are grateful for the times we stand in solidarity with those who suffer, and we give thanks for the inspiration and wisdom they bring. May God’s blessing protect them”.

Day 8

Creator God, you are in the still place at the centre of my being, may I, like Mary and Nano, be open to your word.

Pope Francis reminds us: “Every man and woman is created out of love and made in God’s image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). This shows us the immense dignity of each person, “who is not just something, but someone”.

In our daily living we are called to be aware of possibilities to consciously recognise and affirm the dignity of every person and every creature.

“We pray in gratitude for the Spirit of God blowing through our lives as we pray together”.

Day 9

Creator God, you are in the still place at the centre of my being, may I, like Mary and Nano, be open to your word.

“We pray to become more aware of the “Call to Synodality” by engaging with events in our Diocese and in our parishes. “We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family.” (Laudato Si’) We are part of the Church … communion of communities … and we give thanks”.

Note: Image Use on Blog Banner: Sculptor Unknown at this time.

To find out more about Presentation Day see HERE