"Novena Never Known to Fail" on Holy Cards

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SaintRose83

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I have been noticing that many Catholic items that have prayers on them say if you pray this prayer or noverna your request will be granted. That this novena has never been known to fail. Don’t you think that is bad and misleading to put on Catholic items. Because I’m sure there have been many people in good faith, doing those novena’s and they don’t get what they asked for. That can make people lose faith in the particular saint, or even worse their church.
 
Yes, because it is superstitious. It claims that the result comes from this incantation rather than from the blessing of God, Who will give only what is best.
 
I agree, I don’t like how it is on the prayer cards and novenas. i wonder why the church allows them to be placed inside the churches by the saint statues and the catholic shops to sell them. Doesn’t seem right to me.
 
I would disagree, since it is someone’s testimony that they have never known the Novena in question to fail.

Regardless of what one prays or what devotion for whatever intention, the answer from God is always conditional upon whatever is the will of God.

I don’t really see where someone saying that they have never known a devotion to fail to get and answer qualifies it as superstition. 🤷
 
Church_Militant said:
I would disagree, since it is someone’s testimony that they have never known the Novena in question to fail.

Regardless of what one prays or what devotion for whatever intention, the answer from God is always conditional upon whatever is the will of God.

I don’t really see where someone saying that they have never known a devotion to fail to get and answer qualifies it as superstition. 🤷
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Well let me be the first to give you the bad news. The novena I made did fail. So I guess it was the first one. I’m not mad or anything but it is rather reckless to give someone in a jam the false hope that EVERYTIME this or that prayer is prayed nine times that everything works out fine. I was a fool to believe it.
 
Ask yourself this question… what, exactly… do the words “never known to fail” mean? Do they mean that we will be granted… exactly… verbatim… our request? Think about it for a minute. If that is what you believe, than… sure, you’re likely to be disappointed sometimes.

I don’t believe that the words are superstitious… unless… taken in that context. You have to keep in mind… that God’s ways are not our ways. Personally, I do believe that these prayers NEVER fail… because God always hears our prayers. He will provide each one of us… the grace necessary, for our state and situation in life. And we will only see that the prayer WAS answered, when we reach Heaven.

It may not seem like our prayer is being answered… but that may be ONLY because… it was not answered in the way that WE wanted it to be. That is where you must trust in Him. Trust that He DID hear and answer your prayer, and that your best interests were God’s only thought… when He received the prayer. To me, that is what the words “never known to fail” really mean.

One of the most famous Catholic prayers is the “Memorare” to Our Blessed Mother. The first few words of the prayer, are very similar to the title of this thread…

“Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary… that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided.” (there is more to this prayer, but you get the idea).

Hope this helps. 🙂
 
I don’t believe that any Novena or other type of prayer ever fails. God always answers us, it’s just not always in the way that we expect or want.

I don’t think it’s meant to be superstitious. If a Catholic properly understands their Faith, they would know that " the Novena doesn’t fail" has nothing to do with the object but with the faith of the person praying it. But of course, there are many Catholics that don’t understand the Faith, and make it into something superstitious.
 
SaintRose83 said:
I have been noticing that many Catholic items that have prayers on them say if you pray this prayer or noverna your request will be granted. That this novena has never been known to fail. Don’t you think that is bad and misleading to put on Catholic items. Because I’m sure there have been many people in good faith, doing those novena’s and they don’t get what they asked for. That can make people lose faith in the particular saint, or even worse their church.
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Well, in Alcoholics Anonymous, you might hear somebody say "God answers all prayers, but sometimes the answer is ‘no’.
 
All prayer is good and novenas do produce answers just not the one’s we may want.

Initially I thought it was superstitious to say it, however I will revise it to say that it is MISLEADING as to clearly imply that what YOU ASK you will get. It strikes me as a form of salesmanship.

In the outside world we are used to salesmanship and can deal with it. But not for a Novena/Prayer card.
 
SaintRose83 said:
I agree, I don’t like how it is on the prayer cards and novenas. i wonder why the church allows them to be placed inside the churches by the saint statues and the catholic shops to sell them. Doesn’t seem right to me.
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Who allows them? I trash them regualrly each day. :rolleyes:

They seem closely akin to the name-it and claim-it of the TV evangelists.
 
It’s just a way for greedy holy card companies to fool vulnerable catholics into giving up there money. They have no conscience. I can’t believe the Church allows this injustice.
 
This is disturbingly similar to the sale of indulgences. I wish the Church would at least discourage it.
 
Andruschak said:
Well, in Alcoholics Anonymous, you might hear somebody say "God answers all prayers, but sometimes the answer is ‘no’.
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I heard the answers are not “Yes”, “Wait” and “No”. The answers are “Yes”, “Wait” and “I have something much much better for you.”

The old lady in the Bible was healed because she believed she only had to touch the corner of Jesus’ cloak.

Novenas work. Novenas do not fail. They just take a different form and/or timing than the supplicant might expect.
 
I refer to this as the “Catholic conundrum”. And I am currently caught up in one of my own.

We are encouraged to do something in faith, we do, and it doesn’t turn out the way we were promised, then out come the “small print”…oh…didn’t I tell you…God’s ways are not our ways, God’s time is not our time, the answer might not be what you want, you were poorly catechized so of course it ‘didn’t work’, shame on you for expecting God to do as you ask, you should let God be God, God has something better for you, you don’t spend enough time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, you must have sin on your soul, go to confession and try again, how do you KNOW it didn’t work, God did give you an answer,grace,response,sign, but you refused it, didn’t recognize it, didn’t want to see it, really didn’t believe enough for it to happen in the first place, and…better people than you haven’t gotten an answer…who do you think you are that you should expect God to respond to you?

I just thought I was a person taking the Church at her word…

yes, they do a great deal of mischief.

I do not believe that God does, or should operate in that manner…but good Catholics keep telling me He does.

I’m all for letting God be God, He is clearly not a holy vending machine of either grace, faith or material goods. Make the best use of the blessings you have received, worship and give thanks.
 
For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for * a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
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Luke 11:10-12]

But what if the son asks for a serpent or a scorpion? Will a good father give it to him? Even if he has promised to respond to his request?

I worry though. If the son persists in asking long enough, and insistently enough, will the Father give in just to teach the son that that isn’t what he wants? :rolleyes:
 
I don’t think that that promise should be printed on ANY prayercard.

Why not?
Simple. Most prayers/novenas cards do not have that promise printed on them. A few DO.
What impression does that give?
Simple. THIS particular prayer, as opposed to many other prayers, will never fail. Others might, THIS one WON’T.

It is very misleading.

And it’s even worse when, under THAT promise,
is an ADDITIONAL promise (common on prayers to Saint Jude left on the church back table) that
you must copy and distribute 9 copies of this prayer for 9 days or your petition will not be granted.
That is not how we are to pray.
How in the world did God answer prayers before the invention
of the photocopier??
Jaypeeto4
+JMJ+
 
I believe they should be removed. They prey on the hopeless and abandoned, the weak and those in suffering and very difficult times.

I for one lost my entire faith because of false hope and promises like this. They are cruel
 
I feel very sad, for anyone who loses their faith… because a novena “wasn’t answered”. (((hugs))). Please, don’t give up. We have a Catholic Bulletin, which is issued by the Archdiocese… and there is an area in the classified section… which is always filled with people… giving thanks for “answers received”… after a Novena. So… it does happen.

I think it is easy to lose hope… when a person doesn’t receive the answer that he or she really wanted (it has happened to me, too). But sometimes, it’s necessary for God to say “No” to our petitions. He may be testing our faith… or in all probability… He has a much better plan, in mind.

It’s important to persevere. And please, don’t give up hope. Pray… and ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of faith. I truly believe, that in Eternity… we will clearly SEE “how” our loving Father did indeed answer our prayers. God bless.

P.S. I was reminded just recently, by this good forum… about St. Monica. She persevered in prayer for her son, St. Augustine… for like… 30 years!
 
Jaypeeto4 said:
. .
And it’s even worse when, under THAT promise,
is an ADDITIONAL promise (common on prayers to Saint Jude left on the church back table) that
you must copy and distribute 9 copies of this prayer for 9 days or your petition will not be granted.
That is not how we are to pray.
How in the world did God answer prayers before the invention
of the photocopier??
Jaypeeto4
+JMJ+
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Without promoting that atrocity, one should note that the original idea was that you hand write the copies. I claim that if you use a photocopier the copier gets its prayer - you get nothing. 😃

Incidently, if you do make photo copies please do them on one side, 8 1/2 x 11, and don’t fold them. They provide my printer an endless supply for drafts. 😉
 
My understanding is prayers are more powerful with more faith. Also the holier you become the more united your will becomes with God’s. So when your very holy your prayer is more likely to be what God wants and your faith more lively and effective.
Then again holy people usually pray God’s will be done. Jesus showed us how to pray in the garden, " …nevertheless not my will but thine be done." We should add this clause after our intention. This way we can be sure our request will always be granted. At least Gods will, will be done.
 
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