# Novena prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: Days 4-9
*2016-08-27*

> Bill Young leads the final six days of a novena to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, reflecting on her spirituality of love and surrender ahead of her canonization in Rome.

## Preparing for Rome

I am continuing with a novena to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Tomorrow, my wife and I fly out to Rome, Italy, where we will be present next Sunday for the canonization of Mother Teresa, so she will become Saint Teresa of Calcutta. I am looking forward to meeting the sisters, priests, bishops, and perhaps some listeners while we are there. Because I am unsure about long-distance calling from Rome to the US, I am pre-recording the remaining days of the novena, from Day 4 through Day 9.

## Days 4 and 5: Divine Love and Trust

On Day 4, we reflect on how Our Lady understands the death of divine love, as she stood at the foot of the Cross and heard Jesus cry out, 'I thirst.' We ask for the grace to learn from Mary how to quench Jesus' thirst. My personal request today is for the survivors and family members of the earthquake victims in Italy.

Day 5 focuses on trusting Jesus fully. Confidence in God allows us to do all things; it is our emptiness and loneliness that God needs, rather than our platitudes. We ask for the grace of an unshakable trust in God's power and love for all.

## Days 6 and 7: Surrender and Joy

Day 6 teaches us that true love is surrender. We are called to allow God to use us without consulting Him first, asking for the grace to surrender our whole lives to His will. My request today is for a safe trip for my wife and me, and for a blessing of safety upon Pope Francis and all the clergy and religious living in Italy.

On Day 7, we reflect on God's love and the nature of the cheerful giver. Joy is the sign of our union with God and the result of a heart burning with love. We ask for the grace to find joy in loving and to share that joy with everyone we meet.

## Days 8 and 9: Seeing Jesus in the Poor

Day 8 reminds us that Jesus made Himself the Bread of Life, and He is present in the hungry, the naked, the sick, the lonely, the unloved, the homeless, and the hopeless. We ask for a deep faith to see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him by dressing the sores of the poor.

On the final day, Day 9, we reflect on holiness as Jesus living and acting within us. Charity for one another is the surest way to great holiness. As we conclude this novena, we ask for the grace to become saints.

## A Pilgrimage of Faith

Having completed the nine days, I look forward to sharing my experiences from Rome. I plan to visit the four major basilicas and the holy doors, including St. Peter's Basilica and its sixteen chapels. After the canonization on Sunday, I will take a trip to Assisi to see where St. Francis lived, worked, and prayed. I also hope to visit the relics of St. Bernadette Soubirous and offer the prayers the Lord gave to her while standing by her relics.

*By allowing Jesus to penetrate and possess our whole being, our lives can radiate His light and love to others.*