A Novena for Children?

[Rawb]

I’m getting my CCD lessons prepared for next year, and one lesson is on prayer. Their book talks about Blessing Prayer, Novenas, The Stations of the Cross, Petition, Intercession, and Praise.

Well, the others I’ve all got examples for us to put into their prayer books, but I’d like to put in a Novena for them as well. Does anybody know a Novena meant to be said by children? Preferably something simple (they’re in fifth grade, but many won’t have heard of this before).

Or, can one just write their own Novena? It seems like something that’s come from a tradition, and that isn’t just ‘from scratch’.

 

[kage_ar]

A Novena is simply a prayer, prayed for a specific intention, that is prayed every day for nine days. If you are not sure the kids would keep up with it, you could change it up and pray it in each class for nine classes.

You could write your own prayer. Remember to tell the kids that a novena is not some kind of magic, that if they forget a day it does not somehow harm the novena - some people can get superstitious about novenas.

Here is a simple one that would work well with kids that age…

Novena to St. Therese of the Child Jesus

   -------------------------------------]

  O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please
  pick for me a rose from the heavenly gardens
  and send it to me as a message of love.

  O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God today to
  grant the favors I now place with confidence
  in your hands.....
  (Mention specific request)

  St. Therese, help me to always believe as you
  did, in God's great love for me, so that I
  might imitate your "Little Way" each day.
  Amen.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

That’s a great CCD idea! I have a book for traditional novenas that we use all the time to pray for particular intentions or just when a certain Saint’s feast day is coming up. There are some traditional novenas on the EWTN website in the prayer section.