How do you pray Novena to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini?

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sdegutis

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My family and I want to start praying Novenas regularly. I just prayed one by myself that ended on All Saint’s Day, and now I want to start one today with my family, which will end on St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s feast day. Since we homeschool our children, it seems fitting to pray it for the intention of our children’s proper education and preservation in sanctity in the midst of an immoral world.

But the last time I prayed a Novena, I just found it randomly on some credible-enough-looking website. It might not have been the best way to pray it, but I figured something was better than nothing. So, now I’m hoping someone on here can answer these questions: Is there a common structure in basically all Novenas? Is there a canonical place to find specific Novenas for specific feast days or holy days?

Thanks and may God bless you.
 
Novenas simply refer to prayers prayed for nine days (in imitation of the nine days of prayer in the upper room between the Ascension and Pentecost). There is no canonically normative form that all such prayers must follow. They pretty much fall into the realm of personal piety.

Most I’ve seen tend to have a prayer directed towards the saint, you mention your request, you say another short little prayer to the saint, and then you finish up with a prayer directed towards God. But there is a wide variety.

I have a book of novenas that I use. EWTN is a good source online for novenas. Here is their page:

ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/novena.asp

I understand your reticence about going with a prayer from some random unfamiliar website. There are some goofy things out there that are good to avoid. But, in general, the important thing is to pray. So long as the prayer does not contain something heretical, it doesn’t matter so much where it came from. Novenas aren’t like magic incantations where we have to get the words just right in order for them to “work”. They are about entering into prayer. We want to choose prayers with words that facilitate rather than hinder us entering into prayer. But there is a lot of freedom in what those words can be.
 
I am not aware of any “rules” to novenas but the common structure is this:

Saint X,
Title,
In your life you were known for (doing / saying / believing Y).

Hear our petition, we pray,
and intercede for us before the Throne of the Most High,
That we may obtain God’s mercy / Grace / favor for
(mention petition).
Through your prayers for us, may we be granted
the grace to follow your example and be a witness to others of (topic).

We join in prayer with you through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.

Sample:
Saint Rita of Cascia,
Patroness of sufferers of domestic violence,
In your life you were known for keeping faith in God through the trials of your marriage and in motherhood.
Through your prayers for us, may we be granted the grace to follow your example of trusting fully in God for a quick and peaceful resolution for those who are in abusive relationships. Lead them to the appropriate decision for their marriage, and guide them in their healing. Help the abuser to sop, and provide resources for the abused.

Hear our petition, we pray,
and intercede for us before the Throne of the Most High,
That we may obtain God’s blessing for the survivors of domestic violence victims,
and to convict the hearts of the abusers to amend their ways
that both are able to fully trust in, and reflect God’s love for us one day.

Through your prayers for us, may we be granted the grace to follow your example and be a witness to others of ministering to those who suffer by the words and actions of their spouses.

We join in prayer with you through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
 
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