I've been thinking maybe we should do it again.
Remember that novena for our husbands we prayed together last year?
I'm fairly certain the devil hasn't let up on his end so maybe we shouldn't either.
I'm not gonna lie. I can be a selfish wife. I'm often looking out for myself and trying to make sure I'm getting what I think I'm owed. I don't often think about what my husband is dealing with and what I can be doing to help him with that. I don't think often enough about the battle he needs to fight every day for his own soul and for our family. I need to pray for him and I need to do it more. And that prayer we prayed together last year was really powerful for me and many others.
So.
I'd like to pray it again and I'd like to invite you, too, if you're up for it.
That was one of my favorite things we've ever done on this blog and it seemed to bear so much fruit in my family and in others so I say we do it again and beg even more grace for our husbands and families and hey, communities and Church, too. It's there for the taking, right? And we as wives are in the perfect place to soak it in and use that grace for our husbands and families. If you weren't around these parts last year, a whole bunch of women decided to pray a novena to St. Joseph, patron of husbands and fathers, together for our husbands and any other men who may be on your heart leading up to the feast of St. Joseph. I wrote about why in this post and invite you to read it. Our husbands need - yes, need - us praying for them. So do our priests and our brothers and fathers and single friends. I want to stop nodding my head to that fact and do more about it. Like on my knees doing something more about it. I need the accountability and maybe you do, too.
Are you in?
Beginning Wednesday, March 11 we'll begin to pray this Novena to St. Joseph together and also offer our Lenten sacrifices (or any other sacrifices or fasting) for these men. It will end on the great feast of St. Joseph. Be sure to read the devotion for each day (they're long but good!) then pray the main novena prayer. If you aren't of the Catholic Faith and are uncomfortable with the idea of asking the intercession of a saint, you are still very much invited to participate and maybe you could substitute in a prayer of your choosing.
I have a few men who will be on my heart in a special way this time around and I'd love like last year for you to add the names of the men you'll be praying for in the comments below and I can add them to my list so I can pray for them by name, too. If you'd rather keep names private of course you can do that, but I'd love it if you'd still let us know that you'll be joining us by leaving a comment. (Or you can email me names at betterthaneden1@yahoo.com.) I won't post reminders on the blog but I will on the Facebook page to help us all remember (not that any of you are like me and would ever forget ;) so look for the updates there if you need them.
Please share this post and let's get as many women as we can praying for these men with whom we've been entrusted.
I'll join you this year. For my husband, Brian, and my dear priest friends Fr. Cesar and Fr. Luke. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to join you, praying for my husband, yours, the husbands of the women participating, and our parish priests. :) Thanks for getting this going!
ReplyDeletejoining!
ReplyDeleteFor my husband, my father, my father-in-law, and our parish priests :)
I am in! Praying for the men in my life. How crazy is it that my oldest son is a man now... I just can't even... ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary!
What a great idea, Mary! I wasn't following a year ago, so I'm happy to be this year. I'd like to pray for my husband, Reed; my dad, Jim; my father in law, Ray; my brother, Josh; and several priest friends. Thanks for encouraging us to pray along with you. I'll be joining in.
ReplyDeleteLove it. I'm in. I'll definitely be appreciating those FB remidnes...---great idea. Thank you, Mary I need this/ He needs it.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo
Hope all is well, friend~
This is such a good idea! I will join and pray for my husband, David. :)
ReplyDeleteJoining you again, Mary. Thank you! For my husband, Anthony, and for our new son, Joseph.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!
DeleteI'll be joining you! For my husband Scott and my dad Kris.
ReplyDeleteI'll be joining you again! For my husband, Dominic and my father's soul who just passed away, Wayne. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for your loss, Lauren. I'll be praying for him and all of you.
DeleteI'll be joining you!
ReplyDeleteI'll be joining you again this year, for my husband Tom, my father and for my 3 brother-in-laws.
ReplyDeleteI'm joining in again to pray for all of you and with special intentions for the conversion of my father, Larry, and my brother, Luke. (Also praying for my future husband if he's out there somewhere.)
ReplyDeleteOh, good idea praying for all the future husbands, too!! I'll be praying for yours. Thanks, Willow :)
DeleteI'm in. I'll be praying especially for my husband, Andrew, as well as my dad, farther-in-law, and brothers.
ReplyDeleteI'm in! Praying for my husband Andy, my dad Chris, my father-in-law Bill, and my 4 brothers-in-law. Thanks for doing this!
ReplyDeleteI'll be praying along with you! I'm subscribed to the pray more novenas emails so now I'll have double the reminders! I'd love if you'd pray for my husband Jeff. We are expecting our first baby boy at the end of May :)
ReplyDeleteSo exciting! Prayers for a beautiful, healthy birth!
DeletePlease pray for my husband Anthony, my father David, and my brothers Charles and Scott. Thank you!
DeleteJoining you again this year <3 This is one of my most favorite things you do here. And seeing how I love all your posts, that's a pretty big deal. I love how this community you've encouraged all come together to pray for the men in our lives! It's so very beautiful! On that note, please pray for my husband (Troy) and boys (Joseph and Eli), my brother and brother-in-law (Mychael and Aaron), and my daddy and father-in-laws (Ramiro, Rudy, and Troy). Thank you so much Mary!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! I am joining you again! I am going to be praying for Mark, my father Paul, and my grandfather Jon. Thanks for the reminder to do this!
ReplyDeleteThank you for doing this again! I'll be joining to pray for my husband, Paul.
ReplyDeleteI'll be joining you to pray for my husband Ryan and my brother Johnny. Thanks so much for doing this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this reminder! I am praying for my husband Andrew, my dad Ed, and my brother Joel.
ReplyDelete