Question about novenas

[Lilsheep88]

Just wondering… Lets say you skip a day because something came up…,Do you just start where you left off or do you start all over again? I have been inconsistent with my novenas due to exams and studying… Sometimes I even lose track of what Day I am in. Thanks

 

[LumenGent]

Try not to view Novenas or any form of prayer as a fixed, rigid set of codes that must be met with the strictest obligations. It defeats the purpose. That said, you should be consistent and try and do it in the allocated time. I like to see them as “guidelines” that help you do it the proper way. Anyway, no you don’t have to start again, just continue going and on and maybe make up for an extra day or say two days in one.

 

[Nelka]

Start them again.

It’s about discipline.

Otherwise you end up “can’t be bothered to do today’s one so I’ll do two tomorrow”.

 

[fred_conty]

Novena means nine. That means nine straight whatever, days, months, years, hours, etc.
An approved novena sometimes has indulgences or promises attached, and those are not
guaranteed unless the time frame is met. If you miss one, start over. Your other prayers are not wasted.

St. Faustus made a novena of saying 1000 hail marys a day for nine days straight. She
did this only three times in her life. It would take about 3 1/2 hours to do this. But she did this along with her other duties and prayers each day. Now that’s a novena to end all novenas. Their were no indulgences as such for the novena. And you think you have it tough.

Just an extrodinary novena idea.

Ps. It would be ugly just to keep track of how many were said and when, and how many to go.