This beautiful Novena starts tomorrow, until Christmas: http://youngandcatholic.net/2013/11/why-you-should-pray-the-st-andrew-christmas-novena-this-advent/
Today John-Paul & Annie sent me this Novena: Immaculate Conception Novena 2015 http://www.praymorenovenas.com/ GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
Answered prayers aside, that’s not even the main reason why I love this novena. As some have dubbed it the “Christmas anticipation prayer,” it is a wonderful way to focus your mind and heart in the season of Advent. When I first started praying it, the thought of repeating one prayer 15 times a day seemed a little excessive, and perhaps even maybe a little superstitious. And maybe it would be superstitious—if your only aim was to mindlessly spit out words 15 times per day thinking it will earn you a favor. But if you truly pray and meditate upon what you’re repeating 15 times per day, it’s really a beautiful way to prepare your heart for Christ’s coming at Christmas. So consider praying it with me this year. You have a few days to fix your intention. My advice: Be bold in your request. No, don’t ask for a sports car or something silly like that, but do ask for the impossible. Ask for miracles. I won’t promise you that God will answer your prayer in the way you think you want, and I don’t mean to make this sound like this novena is magic, but I do know two things. (1) God is faithful. And (2) He tells us to ask. So make your request known, and trust that He is faithful, no matter the outcome. Have quoted from the site. Thanks v much Kriz. Went to St Andrews uni. Was always impressesed how on Sunday the day felt different than the others: the townsfolk and a goodly number of the students in their red gowns were to be seen on the streets going to their place of worship. Now at last many years later I have a prayer to make with the aid of this Saint, which I am enthusiastic about.
Great minds think alike and all that: Mac posted elsewhere: I havent tried this massive novena myself. But some of you have BIG difficulties that need BIG help. Might be worth a try . I would like to know how it goes if anyone tries this one .... (It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)
I highly recommend this Novena. I just love to see Nov 30th coming up on the calendar. I'm not all that great at praying - I struggle not to be mechanical when praying the Rosary and constantly have to drag my mind back from wandering - but this Novena is a joy to say, multi-faceted in contemplation, and stunningly effective. When I have something big, something I've been praying about but the prayer hasn't been answered yet, I always think, never mind - St Andrew's Novena will sort that out. I know several people, married to non-Catholic non-believing spouses, who said this Novena with spectacular effect. Hail and Blessed be the hour and moment .....
I had never heard of this novena. When Mac posted it last night, I put it on my phone so I'll have it with me all the time until I commit it to memory. Like Krizevac, I struggle to keep my mind from wandering so I find that I make a better connection with short prayers said throughout the day. I find it especially hard to concentrate on the Rosary unless I'm saying it with others. Does anyone know the significance of saying this prayer 15 times per day. Why 15 and not, say, 9 or 20?
Just bringing this thread back to the top to remind everyone that the Novena started today. I prayed the novena for the first time last year. I was praying to bring fallen away relatives back to the Church. At about 10 p.m. our time, which would be midnight in Bethlehem, on Christmas Eve, I got a call out of the blue asking did I know the time of Midnight Mass. (Here, what was traditionally called Midnight Mass is not always at midnight).
This may be a silly question but here goes. Does anyone know if you can pray more than one novena at a time? I have looked and can't find any information on it. I didn't know if they are supposed to be done singularly or not.
Never heard anyone say that we can't. I started the Immaculate Conception novena yesterday and St. Andrew's novena today. I don't believe that there could ever be any limit on the number and types/form of prayers we say.
I just started the Immaculate Conception novena too That's why I was wondering. I guess I was just thinking since it was for a special intention that maybe we are supposed to only do one special intention at a time.
I have different intentions for the two novenas but if I had only one intention I would pray for the intercession of as many saints as possible. We're really only asking the saints to join with us in praying for our intentions, so what could be wrong with that? Just saw your question about the number of days of the novena. The answer is that I don't know just as I don't know why we pray the novena 15 times per day. All that matters to me is that I got results last year and am hoping to get results this year. I also find that it brings home to me the wonder of Christmas. I found it best to spread the prayer throughout the day rather than saying it fifteen times in one go.
Reminding everyone that Thursday, 30th November is St. Andrew's feast day and the start of the Christmas Novena.
Thanks Dolours. I have not known of this Christmas novena before. After scrolling up to look at the posts from last year, I saw that Praetorian had the same questions I have, and you have already answered them
Thank you for posting this. I will take part as well. Also, First Friday and First Saturday are here yet again. I hope we all have a little time to devote to them.
There is something special about this Novena. I tried to find the origin of it but nobody seems to know where it came from. It has an Imprimatur from the Bishop of New York in 1897 but many say that it is older. The Novena was new to me when I read the opening post of this thread and now I look forward to saying it. It's a beautiful prayer, easy to memorise and when said throughout the day keeps the mind focused on what Christmas is all about. Although it's called the St. Andrew Christmas Novena we're actually praying to God the Father. It seems fitting that it would begin on the feast of St. Andrew not just because his feast day is close to the first Sunday of Advent but because St. Andrew was the first Apostle. I'm sure that St. Andrew says a prayer or two for the intentions of all who start the novena on his feast day. Hail and Blessed be the Hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the Most Pure Virgin Mary at midnight in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer, and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen. P.S. Don't forget the First Friday and First Saturday devotions this coming Friday and Saturday. Just noticed Don's reminder for the First Friday and Saturday. Thanks Don.
I have been saying the St. Andrew Novena for many years I generally do not have a specific intention but it has always been for family blessings in general Beautiful prayer Makes my Christmas feel so happy Good to hear from all of you on this thread
Me too. There is something very special about this novena prayer. I saved the jpeg image posted in the first post of this thread as my desktop image so I remember to pray the novena every day, it helps!
