A novena is usually prayed for nine consecutive days. The word "Novena" originated from the Latin word "novem" which means nine. It is usually done to pray for a special or urgent prayer intention or in preparation for a great feast day.
Some novenas are prayed for nine consecutive weeks and the day of the week when it is prayed depends on the day associated with a devotion to a particular saint. For instance, a weekly novena to St. Joseph is usually done on a Wednesday since this is the day traditionally associated with devotions to him.
Novenas can also be done over nine months and this is usually on the First Friday of each month. There is likewise a novena done for nine consecutive hours only and an example is the novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague.
In addition are novenas which are not necessarily done in nine hours, days, weeks or months like the 30-day novena to St. Joseph.
Praying novenas has its reference in the Holy Bible. In Acts 1:14, Jesus told His followers to pray together in the upper room and so the apostles along with the Blessed Mother and other disciples of Jesus prayed for nine consecutive days until the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit or Pentecost.
It is not hard to pray a novena. The instructions are simple. There are lots of novena cards or prayer booklets and many novenas can also be found online. Some novena prayers are so simple and all you have to do is pray a short prayer and at the end state your prayer intention.
There are also long novenas, containing an opening prayer and a different prayer for each day or week of the novena. Some also include the Lord's Prayer (Our Father), Hail Mary and Glory Be, and other traditional Catholic prayers.
Because of its simplicity, anyone who wants to can say a novena. The popular novenas are those of the Mother of Perpetual Help and the Sacred Heart. A lot of prayers are said to have been granted after or during the praying of the aforementioned novenas. But remember that whatever novena you're praying, pray it from the heart. God looks inside our hearts and answers prayers in His own time, in His own way.
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For various novenas and prayers, go to St. Joseph's Site. If you're wondering why inspite of praying novenas and other types of prayers, still your prayers are not granted, click here to find out why and what to do for your prayers to be granted.
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