If you missed a day during a nine day novena, you have to start over. The nine day novena comes from the nine days of prayer said by the apostles starting from the Accession and ending on Pentecost.
thank you for the replies. I did some research and I’m sorry for not doing that before I started this thread.
Not true. To think that the “power” of a novena is in the praying of nine consecutive days is to fall to superstition. If you miss a day, then simply continue where you left off. A novena is nine days of prayer, not necessarily nine *consecutive *days. While traditionally a novena is to be prayed on consecutive days, an error or absence of mind does not send one to the back of the line.
No, the reason for the storm novena being in hours, rather than days, is because it is generally prayed when a big storm is a day or so away. Normally, storms are not nine days in coming.
So, a 9 day novena can’t be converted to a 9 hour novena?
No, it cannot. However, for an intention that is less than nine days away, you may certainly pray every day, as many times as you wish. Rosaries, chaplets, and meditative time with the Lord are all examples of things that you may offer, but there are endless possibilities.
Ow thank you. It’s just unfortunate that I cannot do that. My intention is 5 days away and I want to finish as many novenas as possible. Can I instead distribute 9 day novenas in the 5 remaining days? Like:
Thank you! I think, with the short period I have, I need to be spoon-fed right now. I have 6 (yes, SIX!) short novenas I intend to finish before tuesday comes (today is thursday). What do you think is the best way to finish all those?
The underlined sentence means that God will answer your prayer but perhaps not in the way you want or think he will. Also, the point of a novena is to develop a habit of prayer and devotion, not to get special favors from God (the manipulation part.) Prayer ultimately should change your heart and mind to God’s will. A habit of prayer will lead to learning to trust him and perhaps learning how he will answer your prayer. If we ask for wisdom concerning a matter you can learn how God “speaks” to you. He might use another person or a situation but he will use the same language with you.I read this from catholic.com/quickquestions/if-im-not-praying-a-novena-exactly-as-prescribed-to-obtain-an-answer-must-i-start-ove :
“A novena is simply the pious practice of praying for a particular intention nine times. It is usually done with one prayer over a nine-day period but can be done by praying the same prayer nine times in a row. Any formal, informal, or spontaneous prayer done in a set of nine times constitutes a novena. You may use a formal novena that is approved for devotional use or you may put together your own set of prayers for your private use. The only requirement is that the prayers not be said with the intention to manipulate an answer from God. Whatever they are—if they are said faithfully and with trust in God that he will answer your prayer in the manner he wills to do so—they are fine.”
why then can’t I pray a 9-day novena in just 1 day?
can someone explain to me what is meant by the underlined sentence?
Really, I’m sorry. I need some serious education here.
Thank you! I’m sorry that I have to ask a lot of questions.
I’ll try to answer but it will be difficult because our brains are sneaky and so is the devil and it can be the briefest thought that we barely catch that gives us a clue that we are trying to manipulate (and sometimes it’s so obvious that others can see it, too.)Thank you! I’m sorry that I have to ask a lot of questions.
When can we say that a prayer is said with the intention to manipulate an answer from God? If I pray that I, my girlfriend and friends be given the blessing of having passed the bar examinations we took last October 2013, would that be considered as “with the intention to manipulate an answer”? If not, under what circumstance would you consider that specific prayer to be one with intention to manipulate?
more questions to come. please have patience.
Thank you for the reply! Honestly, I really am dogmatic when it comes to technicalities like this. I however do not treat novena that way. Instead I see it as one great tool to be in constant communication with God. I see it as a form of sacrifice by stopping whatever I am doing, and dedicating some time to pray.
As others have mentioned, the concept of the novena (nine consecutive days of prayer) stems from the period between the Ascension of Jesus on Thursday and the descent of the Holy Spirit of Pentecost Sunday during which the apostles were in the upper room praying. Praying a specific prayer and/or at a specific time for a specific number of days certainly can help one to remember to pray daily, to motivate one to pray when one is not immediately inclined to do so, and even eventually to improve one’s daily prayer habits.
Yesterday I missed praying the Novena to Saint Jude. It is for a very special intention and I happened to be frustrated - going even into ugly thoughts - therefore I didn’t feel like praying.
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