By Jacqueline Kelly –
Novenas are always performed in faith and trust. They are special prayers or services set in a spiritual order for a number of specified days, woven in the divine network of faith and trust imploring God for His mercy, love and forgiveness.
It is a nine-day period of private or public prayer said in preparation for some particular feast or to obtain special graces, to implore special favours or to make special intentions, one’s own or another’s and make promises on its completion.
Novena is derived from the medieval Latin word “novem” or “nouenus” meaning nine. Though novenas are not part of the liturgy and remain a “popular devotion”, they have been prayed since the very beginning of the Church and before its official beginning.
The model and the first of all novenas was made in the Cenacle, after the Ascension of our Lord, by the Apostles and Blessed Virgin Mary in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit, a period of nine days [Acts 1:12-14]. This period between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost, when the Apostles gathered in the Upper Room to devote themselves to prayer, is often considered to be the first novena.
Some novenas are known for three or six days; some for nine hours in a single day. Some can be for nine weeks in succession. The novena should not be broken when in a time frame. Each day of the novena should have a short meditation on the Word of God. For example:
Day 1 – The acceptance of the Word of God [Luke 1: 26-38]
Day 2 – About humility [Luke 1: 48]
Day 3 – Meditate on Charity [Luke1:36-39]
Day 4 – A deep love for God [Luke 2: 21, 22, 40]
Day 5 – Grateful for our gifts [Luke 1: 46-49]
Day 6 – Gratefulness at the temple [Luke 2: 22-24]
Day 7 – The acceptance of poverty with trust in God [Luke 1: 48]
Day 8 – Prayer in the community [Acts 1: 12-14]
Day 9 – Thinking about Mary our Mother [John 19: 25-27]
This is generally followed by a prayer of supplication. A Hail Mary, an Our Father would be appropriate. Finally, a closing prayer. If the novena is led by a Priest, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed.
By the 11th century, the novena practice had become a means in Christianity of praying to petition spiritual or personal favours through the intercession of Mother Mary or the saints.
Novenas to certain saints identified on the liturgical calendar are often made according to that saint’s patronage. For example: Saint Jude Thaddeus was a relative of our Lord. He wrote the last of the Canonical Epistles, a very forceful Epistle, in which he warns against the seduction of false teachings. He is popular as the patron Saint of desperate cases.
Saint Anthony, Patron of seekers of lost articles. The novena in honour of Saint Anthony originated immediately after his death on 13 June, 1231. He died on a Tuesday and that is the reason of the Tuesday devotion. He is called the “Saint of the Whole World”, because the faithful of the whole world love and venerate him as the Apostle of Charity.
The novena in honour of Saint Francis Xavier, known as the “Novena of Grace” originated in 1633. Father Mastrilli, S.J. was at the point of death as a result of an accident, when Saint Francis Xavier, to whom he had great devotion, appeared to him and urged him to devote himself to the mission of the Indies. Father Mastrilli made a vow before his Provincial that he would go to the Indies if God spared his life. He set out for the Japanese Mission where he was martyred on 17 October, 1637.The fame of the miracle spread throughout Italy and inspired with confidence in the power and goodness of Saint Francis Xavier; the faithful implored his assistance in a novena with such success that it came to be called the “novena of grace”. This novena is now popular in many countries from 4-12 March, the latter being the date of the canonization of Saint Francis Xavier together with Saint Ignatius. The conditions include a visit to a Jesuit Church or Chapel.
In the Christian communities of Philippines and Latin America, novena traditions include devotional rituals in front of an altar, with nine levels where the Holy Cross is placed at the top.
The earliest ecclesiastical novena of which there is record is the Christmas novena, which commemorates the nine months during which the Christ child was carried in the womb of His Mother. This Novena begins on December 16, ending on December 24. The Christmas prayer can be recited 15 times, all at once; or divide the recitation perhaps 5 times at each meal.
Father Carlo Antonio Vachetta, Pastor of the Church of the Immaculate in Turin, Italy was a poet, scholar and Biblical theologian. He wanted to give his parishioners something unique for the Advent of 1721. He wanted them to understand the entwining of the Old and New Testaments so they could see for themselves the love of God unfold from the beginning of time and for all eternity. Father Vachetta decided to give them the gift of a novena – a prayer deep rooted into the spirit of Advent, leaving one inspired with utmost joy. So, Father Vachetta began to write his nine – day prayer, to stir the hearts of his parishioners to eagerly await the coming of Christ. Using the 4th century Latin version of the Bible, he wove the novena from the psalms and prophecies of the Old Testament which foretold the coming of the Messiah and crowned his masterpiece by retelling the birth of John the Baptist.
Then, taking some of the Scripture’s lesser known prophecies, he composed a Canticle or prayer- song of incomparable beauty called “Let the Heavens Be Glad”. The Canticle is sung after the seven major prophecies and makes a fitting antiphon for the Scripture readings of the day.
“O Antiphons”
From December 17 to 23, the liturgy uses seven short prayers that have special richness and
Importance known as the “O Antiphons” or the “Greater Antiphons”, these prayers express the Old Testament Messianic hope for Christ. These antiphons are read each day at Vespers and are used as the alleluia verse of the Advent Masses.
Each antiphon is a Mosaic of Biblical references, collected and written in a style called
Anthological. The unknown author of these beautiful prayers lived around the 6th or 7th century. The author chose seven titles whose first letters are S – A – R – C – O – R –E.
Read in reverse order, these letters form two Latin words “ero cras”, meaning “Tomorrow I shall be”.
December 16: “O Shepherd that rulest Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep, come to guide and comfort us”.
[Follow with Our Father, Hail Mary and the Glory Be];
December 17: “O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!”
[Our Father, etc.]
December 18: “O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!”
[Our Father, etc.]
December 19: “O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the Kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.”
[Our Father, etc.]
December 20: “O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.”
[Our Father, etc.]
December 21: “O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!”
[Our Father, etc]
December 22: “O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!”
[Our Father, etc.]
December 23: “ O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!”
[Our Father, etc.]
December 24: “O Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, God of hosts, come, show Thy face, and we shall be saved.”
[Our Father, etc.]
Receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive days of the week, that is, one after the other or on nine Sundays in Petition for a special favour. Then make another novena immediately afterwards in Thanksgiving even if you have not received the favour you prayed for. Your prayers will be answered. Perhaps not your way, but God’s way and He knows best.
People all over the world can bear witness to the graces and blessings they have received through the practice of praying the novenas. Novena prayers lead us to greater faith and trust in God, the Blessed Mother, Angels and Saints. We should continue praying and never lose hope and trust in God. The Holy Sacraments and Novena prayers heal our mental and spiritual wounds. Novenas made individually or collectively in Parish Churches for the intercession of those suffering can create a wealth of spiritual blessing. It reminds us to follow the Lord’s teaching that we must continue to pray without ceasing and never lose confidence.
“Ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” [Luke 11: 9-10]