What Is A Novena?

What Is A Novena?
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Most families have traditions--cherished customs and practices handed on from one generation to another. A novena is like that--a Catholic "family tradition," a type of prayer that is one of the ways our family of faith has prayed for centuries.
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The Catholic tradition of praying novenas comes from the earliest days of the Church. After the ascension of Jesus, the Acts of the Apostles tells us that the Apostles and Mary gathered together and "devoted themselves single-mindedly to prayer" (Acts 1:14). And on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of the Lord came to them. Based on this, Christians have always prayed for various needs, trusting that God both hears and answers prayer. Over time, the custom of praying for nine consecutive days for a particular need came to be called praying "a novena," since novena means nine.
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There are many different kinds of novenas, but their purpose is the same: we call to mind our needs and we ask God's help and protection while remembering how much God loves us. And as we pray, we also ask for a greater understanding and acceptance of God's mysterious workings in our life and the lives of those we love.
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"But," we might wonder, "doesn't God know our needs before we even ask; isn't praying once for something enough?" Although we believe in God's love for us, sometimes we need to remind ourselves of this. Although we know we are held in God's hands and that God will not let go, sometimes we need reassurance. In times of darkness, we need something to hold on to; in times of joy, we want to keep rejoicing! What may appear to be mere repetition in a novena is really a continual act of faith and hope in our loving God.
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Like the rosary, the Stations of the Cross, the Liturgy of the Hours, or meal prayers, novenas are one small part of our Catholic faith. The greatest prayer of all is the Eucharistic Celebration. The Eucharist is central to Catholic living; from this great source flows the answer to all our human longings. Through praying with Scripture in this novena, may we draw near our Eucharistic God with confidence, "to receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
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Booklet: Scripture Novenas: Novena of Hope in Suffering
Pauline Books & Media - Boston
The Daughters of St. Paul - http://www.pauline.org/
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Acts 1:14
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers..Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we
may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
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Holy Bible (NIV) New International Version
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EWTN-Novena Prayers
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Started 9/14/05 - 1:28AM