The Doctrine of the Catholic Church contemplates that the Saints and the Virgin Mary "do not cease to intercede for us before the Father" and that "their fraternal care is of great help for our sickness" (Lumen gentium 49).
Novenas help us in our prayer when they are properly evaluated in the context of sound doctrine.
During the Middle Ages, Spain and France introduced the "novena of preparation" for Christmas. for remembering the nine months of Our Lady's pregnancy. In Spain, the Council of Toledo in 656 transferred the feast of the Annunciation to December 18 (within the ninth).
For this reason the novena took on a sense of anticipation and preparation for a feast.. The best models of preparation are Jesus and Mary, preparing for the birth. We prepare ourselves in this world for eternal life.
From the novena of preparation, the custom arose, beginning in France and Belgium, of making novenas to the Virgin and the saints for various intentions.
In the seventeenth century the Church formally granted the first indulgence to a novena in honor of St. Francis Xavier, awarded by Pope Alexander VII.
Today, the Church considers that the structure of the nine repetitions refers to the nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost. In the Bible, this period is for the disciples and the mother of Jesus, a period of waiting that they live in prayer. "They all persevered in prayer with one mind." Acts 1: 14 al final del cual recibieron al Espíritu Santo. Por lo que, nosotros también podemos to live the novena as a time of prayer in expectation of a grace.
The novena, from Latin "novem", nine.
As explained in the Doctrine of the Catholic Church, the novena is a series of nines. The succession of nines can refer to consecutive days (e.g., nine days preceding a liturgical feast) or to nine specific days of the week or month (e.g., nine first Fridays).
Some novenas have a long tradition associated with devotion to a saint or to entrust a particular intention or grace to God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), the Virgin Mary, angels and saints.
The novena has a spiritual meaning. It is directly related to the act of devotion that is demonstrated by praying it. Like all prayers, these are a way of praising God. Mary encouraged the apostles to pray for nine days to receive the Holy Spirit. That act of the mother of Jesus teaches the faithful the importance of constancy of faith.
The novena is a privileged way of praying because allows us to take time for prayer, bringing quality to our engagement. De hecho, cuando nuestra oración va acompañada de un profundo deseo de abrir nuestro corazón a Dios para vivir su presencia real y ponernos en sus manos, el Señor puede actuar y hacer que comprendamos su voluntad humildemente.
There is no need to wait for a specific date to begin a novena: the best moment is undoubtedly when we feel the need or the desire to do it.. Every major prayer intention we have and every major discernment we have to make is a potential opportunity to begin a novena. The key is consistency.
The contents of each novena are different, but most of them offer at least one daily meditation, often written from a Bible passage or spiritual book, and a prayeroften addressed to God through the intercession of a saint.
It is also good to present our prayer by placing ourselves in the presence of the Lord with the sign of the cross and a word. And conclude it, for example, by reciting the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
"To pray is to speak to God the Father from the heart. When you pray, turn to God like a child to his father, who knows what he needs before he asks for it." Pope Francis at the General Audience January 2019.
There are many and varied reasons to pray a novena. In addition to those that we can do at any time of the year according to the events that affect our life, the tradition proposes to pray a novena before the feast of a saint or a great Christian feast. In this case, the novena begins 8 days before, so that the last day falls on the date of the feast.
Entre las novenas anuales más comunes podemos citar, por ejemplo, la novena a San José, la novena a la Inmaculada concepción, la novena de ayuno para vivir la Cuaresma y la novena al Espíritu Santo para prepararse para Pentecostés.
Be assured that the Lord answers all our prayers.
"When you ask me for something on my behalf, I will do it." John 14:14
The fruits of a novena sometimes take very concrete forms and sometimes they are not visible, but in any case the novena has an impact on us "everything contributes to the good of those who love God". Romans 8:28
In this life, we all go through difficulties. But the strength we Christians have is to know that Christ, being that he himself suffered, supports us in each of these trials: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
The pope recommends a simple and effective way to offer a novena to the Holy Family by fervently praying the same prayer for nine consecutive days.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
in you we contemplate
the splendor of true love,
to you, with confidence, we turn.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
also make our families
place of communion and cenacle of prayer,
authentic schools of the Gospel
and small domestic churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
that there will never again be episodes in families
of violence, closed-mindedness and division;
that whoever has been injured or scandalized
be soon comforted and healed.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
that the forthcoming Synod of Bishops
to raise everyone's awareness
of the sacred and inviolable character of the family,
of its beauty in God's plan.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
hear ye, receive our supplication, Amen!"
Discover more prayers for the family.
With the collaboration of:
Opusdei.org
Aleteia.org
Catholic.net
