I write these “To Such As These” posts every now and then to explain some aspect of the Catholic faith to children. I try to use simple language so you can just read it directly to them instead of having to put it into your own words! The category name is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
Today, we will be looking at novenas.
If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in this category, pop them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list!
What is a novena?
Catholics have many different ways to pray. One kind of Catholic prayer is called a novena. The word “novena” comes from the Latin word novem, which means “nine”, and this word is used because the novena is a prayer that is said for nine days in a row, although there are some exceptions – some novenas go for 25, 30, or even 54 days!
Where did the idea of novenas come from?
The very first time a novena was prayed was recorded in the Bible, in the book of Acts! Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He instructed His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and pray. He told them that they would be baptised in the Holy Spirit. So, the apostles gathered together, praying for all nine days with Mother Mary, the women and Jesus’ relatives, until they received the Holy Spirit nine days later.
How do we pray a novena?
Just like the apostles, we can gather together with other people to pray. Sometimes we gather together for nine days to pray a novena with people after they lose a loved one. Some people form prayer groups in person or even online, and bring all their intentions together as they pray a specific novena as a group. Other times, we can pray novenas privately, but no matter whether we pray with others or alone, a novena is never said without help. Novenas are one way to ask for intercession from Saints – the men and women who are now living with God and who can see Him face-to-face! Not only do these saints pray for us and our intentions, they can also help us to learn how to pray better and glorify God both through the novena and in the example of their lives on Earth.
Novenas are a good way to become more consistent in prayer because they give some structure to our prayer. Often a novena will have a short text asking a saint to pray for them, sometimes telling us a bit about that saint or what they did to show the love of God to others, the mention of your request, and then an instruction to pray some common prayers like the Our Father, for example. Because novenas are set over nine days, we can also more easily commit to praying consistently: it’s not too long and praying for nine days can help to establish good habits of prayer.
What happens if you forget to say the novena prayers one day?
Imagine if one day you told your mom or your dad that you were going to make your bed every day for a month. You started all excited to meet your goal, and you got a few days in, making your bed daily. But one day, you woke up late and had to hurry to get to school and you forgot to make your bed. Do you think they might love you less because you missed a day? No! It would not change their love for you one little bit! And if you made your bed the next day after that month was up, they would be happy that you made your bed. And if making your bed for that whole month helped you to make your bed every day, then they would be happy with that, too!
A novena, in fact, all prayer, is about working on our relationship with God and growing closer to Him. It’s not a system where if you remember to pray for nine days, you will get a reward.
God isn’t like a vending machine, where if you put in enough money and push the right buttons the food or drinks come out. When we pray, we aren’t making deals with the Lord – the most important deal was already made when He gave His life for us – He wants to be close to us for all time, and all we have to do in return is love Him and try to be better in the future. So if you forget a day, just keep going, and keep trying.
Is every intention always granted when we pray novenas?
Remember that whatever we are asking God for, whether it is in a novena or in any other kind of prayer, we must always put His will first. Just like Jesus taught us, and as we say in the Our Father, we should always ask God for His will to be done.
Whenever we pray, we always need to pray with faith. That means that no matter what we are asking for, we need to remember that God is the giver of all good things, and that if our intention isn’t granted, God has something even better planned for us!
Always ask God our Father for what you want, but also pray with a trusting heart, knowing that He loves you and wants what is best for you.
Talking points
- Have you ever prayed a novena? Is there something you would like to pray a novena for? Let’s look up the patron saint for your intention!
- Which saint do you approach the most for prayer? Is there a reason you like to go to this saint?
- Sometimes it’s not easy when God says no to the requests we make in prayer. What are some things we can do to keep trusting in God and growing closer to Him in those times?
Have you prayed a novena with your little ones? Or with someone else? What novena did you pray? I remember praying a novena with my now husband to Saints Louis and Zelie Martin in the lead-up to our wedding. I have also done a couple of novenas with family friends in mourning. And of course I’ve done my fair share of personal novenas! Let me know about your experience with novenas in the comments. I love hearing other people’s stories of how prayer works in their lives!
Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!
Mom Things Through Christ 