I do not quite understand novenas

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LaughingBoy1503

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I hope I posted this in the right section.

Well, I am a protestant convert. baptized Easter Vigil 2013 and have been Catholic in my heart since about summer of 2011. With that said, I did a lot of research on history and apologetics during my conversion. I am barely getting into learning about The Saints and their lives. There is just so much to learn about Catholicism in general, I cant take enough in fast enough lol.

I never really did any research about novenas though. I know they are when you pray (to a particular saint?) for days (I have heard 9 days or 50 something days?) for a particular intention.

Can anyone tell me what exactly is the process of praying a novena? How many various types are there? Why do people say some are known to never fail? I find that very hard to believe. Sometimes we do not get what we want even when we pray for it. Is that just superstition when people say a particular novena never fails?

What is the history of novenas? What does the word mean?

I know novenas are not “Magic” where you do it and your wish is granted, but in a way, that is what it seems like. I know that is not correct though, I know if the Church allows this practice, it is okay and cannot be anything forbidden by God. So, with that said, can anyone school this convert on novenas? I can look it up but I would rather hear from others. Anyone had a prayer answered because of praying a novena? Has anyone not had a prayer answered despite praying a novena?
 
Novena means nine. Nine times in a row. The row could be an hour … 9 hours. Or 9 days … in a row. Or 9 months … in a row. Or even 9 years … in a row.

Example of 9 months is the novena of the first fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart. He appeared to a saint and if a person received him in the Blessed Sacrament of love, went to confession, prayed for the Pope’s intentions, for 9 first fridays, there were certain promises attached to this by Jesus.

A common one is 9 days in a row, where a person prays to a saint for a particular miracle or favor. It might be health, job, family, etc.

There are quite a few different novenas, made to many different saints, for many different reasons. Sometimes a person makes up their own novena.

Some have been around a long time and are favorites. There is no obligation to make any novena.

And of course the stronger the person’s faith and love, then the stronger the prayer becomes, which means, that a person is living the life they should be living. Obviously if they are in sin, out of grace with God, then God would want them first to go to the sacrament of confession. Then make the novena. First things always come first, but sometimes this is not understood.

The prayers of the novenas are not always granted. That is why in the prayers of good novenas the idea of submitting to God’s will is a paramount importance. And his will at this point may not be to grant the desire for many reasons which may not be clear to the one making the novena. But none the less, to be a good prayer, any prayer must include the idea of God’s will first be done. For this expresses the trust we place in God to do the best for us whether we see it that way or not.

Some have lost their faith because after they prayed, or prayed a novena, their desire was not granted. Unfortunately they took this to mean that there is no God because he would have granted them their wish if there had been. But if this were the case, when Jesus prayed to the Father to take away the suffering he was about to undergo, an angel came and strengthened him, but the Father’s will still was that he undergo suffering.

But after all is said and done, there seem to be a good number of people who have been granted their wish after a novena … including yours truely.

They are very worth while when understood with intelligence and done out of love.
 
With regard to the mention of “never known to fail”, that can be misleading.

The Lord definitely hears our prayers, and we need to be attuned to His Will for us, which is best.

No prayer fails when it is done with the sincere faith of the person praying. I am still praying for conversions of particular members of my family for many years. Meanwhile, the Lord is helping me with the gift of understanding and wisdom. He is changing me so that I can better articulate myself to them in love and patience in what they need to hear and when they need to hear it. Sometimes they are irked when a discussion begins, and I have learned not to be defensive.

Oh,…and we are family, the Body of Christ, whether we are still on this planet or not. Different personalities are attracted to ask the intercession of different saints.

And how much we need our Mother Mary, the perfect disciple, to lead us to her Son!

Peace,

Dorothy
 
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