What is the Spiritual Adoption of a Father Novena?
Spiritual Adoption of a father is a powerful novena prayer for fathers who need the grace of conversion. Whether it is your own father or any other father figure in your life: uncle, grandfather, friend, spiritual father or priest. Through the pledge to undertake Spiritual Adoption, a person, family, or parish community, undertakes to pray daily for a conversion of the father for nine months. The act of Spiritual Adoption is a personal and charitable gift of prayer, love and sacrifice. Through our prayers, God is able to bestow the grace of faith to the fathers and grants them the gift of peace in their hearts. Through our heartfelt commitment to pray we can also intercede for those fathers families.
How to Participate in the Spiritual Adoption?
On the first day, begin the Spiritual Adoption novena with this prayer (pledge):
I glorify you, Father Almighty, Lord of heaven and earth. You have hidden things from the mighty and the wise and have revealed them to the poor. Yes, Father, this is Your Will. Through the intercession of Mary, Virgin and Mother, through the intercession of St. Joseph and through the intercession of all the Angels and Saints, the souls in Purgatory, and led by the desire of bringing help and conversion I _____________________ undertake today to spiritually adopt___________________(the father’s name). I undertake to pray every day for nine months for this man to save his life and bring him to conversion, to the graces necessary to live a just and true life in You. I pledge to:
1. Pray one decade of the Holy Rosary
2. Recite the Daily Prayer (found below)
3. And to carry out my personal undertaking (optional)
I praise You, and I glorify You, Most Holy Trinity, and I thank You for having heard my prayer. Amen.
Who can take part in the Spiritual Adoption?
Anyone can spiritually adopt a father as we are all called to respond to the needs of each other and especially the needs of those who do not believe and do not know Christ yet.
Is the Spiritual Adoption novena broken if prayers are missed for a prolonged period?
A prolonged absence of prayer (a month or two) breaks the Spiritual Adoption. It is recommended that the undertaking is renewed and a firm commitment kept. If there has been a short break in prayer, the Spiritual Adoption should be continued and extended to cover the days missed out.