What is a Novena?
A novena is a series of prayers and meditations said for nine straight days usually to ask God for special prayer requests or petitions. They are often used to ask specific saints to pray for us. Novenas are an ancient tradition that goes back to the days of the Apostles. The nine days of a novena recall the nine days that the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary spent in prayer between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday.
How do I pray a Novena?
All you need to do is to state your intention each day and say the daily prayers with a sincere heart. It is not necessary to pray at the same time every day (although you can), or to fast, or to pray the rosary in addition to the novena; however, you can still do all of these things in addition to praying, but they are not required.
Novenas should not be seen as magical incantations that guarantee desired results. God controls the universe and we certainly do not control God. He is not a genie in a bottle, but rather He is a loving Father in heaven. This means that whatever good intentions we pray for, we must accept the fact that God knows what’s best for us, whether we understand His divine intention or not.
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Available Novenas
Immaculate Heart of Mary Novena
Novenas for Mary
Christians look to Mary, the Mother of our Lord, as the first Christian and the model of holiness. This novena presents a profound opportunity for us to pray that Jesus may give us the Grace to be more and more like His mother and thus come closer to Him through His Immaculate Mother.
St. Dymphna Novena
Saint Novenas
Saint Dymphna was born in Ireland during the 7th century. Her feast day is traditionally celebrated on May 15. Saint Dymphna is usually associated with accounts of miraculous cures of mental illness and she is often invoked for those inflicted with emotional and mental distress.
