How, When, and Why to Pray a Novena

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An easy-to-follow guide for saying any novena prayer

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What is a novena?

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How do you pray a novena?

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Example Novena Prayers

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Of all the many forms of prayer, the novena stands out as a powerful way to connect to the apostles and other saints. This form of prayer can deepen your spiritual life and provide a valuable opportunity to petition God for help, pray for someone you love, or even ask for forgiveness. There are a number of different ways to pray a novena, and really there’s only 1 rule: pray 9 times. Even so, we’ve put together a simple guide to fill you in on what a novena is, how to pray one, and some suggested novenas to pray in order to strengthen your faith.

Things You Should Know

Pray a novena over a period of 9 days (or 9 hours, weeks, or months) or simply say a single prayer 9 times.
Set an intention to pray—for the soul of a deceased person, preparation for an important day, a request from God, or forgiveness—and select a corresponding novena.
Pray the novena by following that particular novena’s prescribed daily prayers—it may be a single short prayer every day, or several unique prayers over the course of 9 days.
Pray alone or with a group, and perform other pious acts like attending mass and confession in order to strengthen your prayer.

Section 1 of 3:

What is a novena?

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1
A novena is a prayer that you perform every day for 9 days. “Novena” stems from the Latin word “novem,” which means 9. Novenas can also last 9 hours, 9 weeks, 9 months. Alternatively, repeat the same prayer 9 times. What’s important is that you pray for 9 of something.
- Novenas aren’t 9 days of nonstop prayer, but rather a prayer said once a day for 9 days.
- Many novenas begin on or coincide with certain days, like feast days or church holidays, but you can pray a novena at any time.^{[1]XResearch source}
- The novena is different from an octave, which is an 8-day set of prayers with a generally more festive feeling than a novena, usually before Christmas or Easter.^{[2]XResearch source}
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A novena is a specific set of prayers for a specific intention. There are many different novenas you can pray, and each one focuses on a different petition. Each novena has a different set of prayers to help you focus on your intention, and each novena might fall into one of 4 general types:^{[3]XResearch source}
- Mourning novenas for a deceased person, in the hopes their soul will reach heaven.
- Preparation novenas for an important day or occasion, like receiving a sacrament.
- Petition novenas ask God for something, like courage, grace, or hope.
- Penance novenas ask forgiveness for a wrongdoing after going to Confession.
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After Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his apostles to pray together. The apostles gathered and prayed for 9 days, and on the ninth day they experienced the miracle of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit descended as tongues of flame. This was the first novena, and was where the tradition began.

Section 2 of 3:

How do you pray a novena?

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Think about what you’re praying for—asking God for something, praying for someone, celebrating a holy day, etc.—and choose a novena that corresponds with your intention. Visit a website like EWTN to browse a list of novenas, and choose one that appeals to you and is relevant to your intention.
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Dedicate your time and keep up with the schedule. The novena you select will have a suggested schedule for your prayer, often with a specific prayer for each of the 9 days of the novena.^{[4]XResearch source} Set an alarm or a reminder so that you don’t forget to pray each day, week, month, or however long you’ve chosen to perform the novena.
- You don’t have to pray at the same time each day, but it’s helpful to stay consistent and place yourself in a meditative state of mind.
- Pray a novena once every hour over the course of 9 hours for a shorter, more concentrated alternative. Choose a 9-hour period where you will be free at the same time every hour to say your prayer.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If you miss a day or a prayer, don’t worry! Your novena is still meaningful and valid. Simply perform the missed prayer to catch up, move the missed prayer to the end, or say an extra prayer to make up for it.
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Pray privately or with a group at your church. Oftentimes, novenas are prayed alone and in private. When a particular intention concerns a larger group of people, though, you may choose to pray the novena together. Public novenas are usually organized by a church. They can be spoken for specific purposes or in preparation of specific feast days.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Your church may ask you to come to church each day, or pray the novena at home at the same time as other congregants.
Some novenas include attending mass as part of their prescribed prayers, but you can incorporate mass attendance, confession, acts of charity, and other pious acts into any novena.^{[7]XResearch source} Your novena is a time to immerse yourself in prayer, and supplementing your prayers with other holy activities can help you to better focus yourself on God.
At least, not necessarily the results you expect. Many people become disappointed if it appears their novena prayers went unanswered, but a novena isn’t a shortcut to getting what you want. Instead, it’s a way to make your wants, needs, and intentions known to God, and to trust that he’ll do what’s needed, whatever that looks like.^{[8]XResearch source}

Section 3 of 3:

Example Novena Prayers

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Pray the Novena to St. Jude to ask for help in difficult situations. St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes, and many people pray to him when seeking aid in times of desperation, such as serious illness or financial trouble.^{[9]XResearch source} Pray the simple St. Jude Novena over 9 days, or simply 9 times:
- “May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, and loved in all the tabernacles until the end of time. Amen. May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen. St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers. Amen. Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the world and for all Eternity. [Now recite an “Our Father” and a “Hail Mary.”] Dear Apostle and Martyr for Christ, you left us an Epistle in the New Testament. With good reason many invoke you when illness is at a desperate stage. We now recommend to your kindness [name of person for whom you’re praying] who is in a critical condition. May the cure of this patient increase his/her faith and love for the Lord of Life, for the glory of our merciful God. Amen.”
- Many people also pray the Novena to the Virgin Mary, Untier of Knots in times of difficulty.^{[10]XResearch source}
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Say the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Novena to ask for forgiveness. Perform the Holy Rosary Novena by praying the rosary once a day for 9 days. This novena asks Mary to intercede on your behalf for forgiveness for sins, and also offers an opportunity to ask for other special requests.^{[11]XResearch source} After praying each rosary, recite the following prayer:
- “My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart, and for this special favor which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: [Mention your request]. I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest Mother, that you want me to seek God's holy Will concerning my request. If what I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul. I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you. I put all my confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.”
The Divine Mercy Novena asks God to grant grace and mercy to other people. It originated when St. Faustina received a vision in which God told her to offer 9 different intentions, which include grace for sinners, for faithful souls, for nonbelievers, and for priests, among others. Each day of this novena has a different prayer and intention.^{[12]XResearch source} Pray each of the 9 unique prayers over the course of 9 days.
The Novena for Workers focuses its prayers to St. Joseph, the patron saint of workers. It’s often prayed by those seeking work, or who live in poverty, in order to receive aid in their job prospects and financial hardships. Perform this novena by reading the daily meditations and reciting the unique prayers for each of the 9 days.^{[13]XResearch source}
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Pray the Christmas Novena during the holidays. The Christmas Novena helps you prepare for the birth of Jesus. Over its 9 days, it meditates on the incarnation of Jesus on Earth, and his journey toward his crucifixion and ascension. Participate in this novena to show appreciation to God and to celebrate the season with your family.^{[14]XResearch source}
- The Christmas Novena consists of 9 different meditations and prayers to perform over 9 days.

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Can I mention my intentions all at once in one day of praying a novena?
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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You can mention your intention as many times as you like and whenever you feel you need to! Doing so will help you focus on the purpose and object of your prayer.
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Do you pray novena using a rosary?
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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Some novenas, like the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Novena, are prayed with a rosary, but others don't require it.
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Should I pray a novena together with reciting a holy rosary?
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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Adding a rosary to any novena is a great way to strengthen your prayer and devotion, but it's not required.
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