novena question

[JLCecilia]

Do you know if there are special favors or indulgences attached to every novena or certain novenas? I always forget to check my calendar to get my novena started at the right time to end before any given feast day. Even if I start on the right day, I always get tripped up and forget a day or two. I’d heard of a 9 HOUR novena and I can make it through that ok, but I wasn’t sure if it was sufficient to obtain whatever favors or indulgences are attached to the novena.

I don’t mean to be overly scrupulous, I just want to be clear. I heard a saying once that if you try saying a rosary and you fell asleep (say at bedtime) that the angels in heaven finished it for you. This is a nice saying, but I wonder if you could say the same thing for missing a day of a novena if the desire and intention to complete it is there. Maybe I could pick up the missed days after the novena?

Just curious.

 

[Living_Stats]

I think you can. But if it was me I would start over just to be safe.

 

[Joe_5859]

This is what the Handbook for Indulgences says about novenas:

A partial indulgence is granted the Christian faithful who devoutly take part in a publicly celebrated novena before the solemnity of Christmas, Pentecost, or the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Note, the Handbook has been superceded by the more recent Manual of Indulgences (which I, sadly, do not yet own). So it is possible that this has changed slightly.

Of course, there are also often indulgences granted for specific situations and/or celebrations that are not laid out in the Handbook/Manual. Usually, a prayer card with such a prayer would say something to that effect.

 

[JLCecilia]

So what about the novenas for various saints or the Feast of the Sacred Heart? Even if there aren’t indulgences attached to them, what expectations or practices should we have if we forget a day?

 

[MS_SURVEYOR]

I wasn’t going to reply. I took the time to think about my answer. I’m not sure what the church feels about novenas, nor if there are indulgences except for the solemnity of Christmas, Pentecost, and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But I do have intentions I need or would like to be answered though the intersection of the saints and holy souls. So I feel very strongly about my novenas. When I first started I would forget or loose count on the days. Drove me crazy! How could my novenas and intentions be taken Serious if I didn’t take them Serious. So now I keep a book on when I start a novena. Date started, and check off each day as I finish. 9 day novenas aren’t to hard to keep track of. But 54 day novenas are a task. Even though I have my start date and mark off each day, never missing a day I still loose count as I count the number of days as I get close to the finish date. Missing a day I would double up the very next day. If I were to miss more than 1 day in a novena, well I would have to be more careful and start over. If I don’t take the novena Seriously how could I expect the saints to take me Seriously.

But that is just me.

Good Luck
God Bless You

 

[Joe_5859]

So what about the novenas for various saints or the Feast of the Sacred Heart? Even if there aren’t indulgences attached to them, what expectations or practices should we have if we forget a day?

My philosophy is that, since prayer is not some sort of magical incantation that only “works” (and will always “work”) if we precisely follow the exact instructions, then God will still honor the prayer even if we forget a day.

MS_SURVEYOR makes a good point, though, about taking it seriously. That said, some people are more prone to forgetting things than others. Perhaps if we’re more scatter-brained, God has more leniency than if we have a photographic memory.

 

[JLCecilia]

All very good reflections and encouraging and comforting. Thank you for your responses!