Novenus, Novem, Novena

Dear God, Our Lady, Angels, Spirits, and Anyone Else To Whom It May Concern:

Today is Day 18 of this novena, and candles 7 and 8 are burning  low. I ordered four cases of novena candles (12/case), and I'll pick them up tomorrow morning. I'm in this for the long haul.

I know that novena is closely associated with the number 9; and I was trying to remember where that connection comes in. When I looked it up, I learned that novena derives from the classical Latin novenus, which means "ninefold"—thus, a novena is a prayerful devotion typically carried out for nine hours or nine days.

So do You think it's odd that I chose to do what is typically a nine-day ritual for 60 days? I am a student of the odd, but my decision to make this undertaking for 60 days was also based on wanting a timeframe that was finite and achievable, while still demanding a level of focus and effort that would demonstrate true commitment.

Sometimes I get discouraged that Ranger hasn't just immediately gone flying out of his kennel into the open arms of the perfect family who is ready to adopt him, with one of those family members being a runner who's already lacing up his/her shoes to get Ranger on the road. (Camera shot fades as they run into the sunset.)

Many times over the past 18 days as I've questioned if this novena is having any impact, I've thought of Søren Kierkegaard's statement:  Prayer does not change God, but it changes him [or her] who prays. Maybe Bonnie and Ranger "don't need no stinkin' novena" (with apologies to Treasure of the Sierra Madre). Maybe it's all about one woman in Madison, Wisconsin with hopes of changing the world (or small niches of it) who needs the miracle of changing herself.

God & Co., sometimes I just don't know about You; but the mystery of Your ways is something on which much higher-level philosophers than myself have remarked over the centuries. All I can say is that Y'all can be delightfully sneaky.

But please, if this is Your clever back-door way of working on me, would you just humor me please and get Ranger and Bonnie to their wonderful forever homes while you're at it?
Much obliged.
xo
Liz