Of Novenas and Feast Days

[mVitus]

If the feast day of a saint you’re planning to pray a novena to is near, do you prefer to start the novena on the feast day, end it on the feast day, or have the feast day in the middle of it?

I’m just wondering since I was a bit late to do option 2 this year for my confirmation saint, but I’m thinking for other years.
And a novena can be any prayer, right? Since when I looked at the novena to St. Vitus, it was not at all what I’d say, but another prayer I found is something that feels right.

• Start Novena on Feast Day
• End Novena on Feast Day
• Have Feast Day in Middle of Novena

0 voters

 

[OsculeturMeOsculo]

I think the novena is a preparation for the feast days so I would end it the day before the feast day. I don’t understand how things like five day novenas even exist since novena has something to do with nine.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

A novena to a saint is a private devotion. You can say it any time you like. They are often done as preparations for feasts, but I often end up doing them after, especially if I didn’t really have time to celebrate the saint’s feast day (like this week my work schedule is bad) but I want to do a devotion to them.

Also, you are free to say any reasonable prayer you want to a saint (any prayer out of a Catholic prayer book or Catholic prayer web site is “reasonable”) and you can say it for 9 days and make a novena out of it if you like. You have great freedom to structure your prayers.