Novena is a way of praying in Catholicism. If you want to pray a novena, you have to pray for 9 consecutive days or 9 hours in a certain period of time. In addition, you need to say a prayer or series of prayers according to the text while thinking about certain intentions. Praying the novena is a rite of the Catholic church that can enrich the experience of praying in spiritual life. While there are no fixed rules on how to pray a novena properly, there are a few pointers you need to know before you pray a novena.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparing Yourself Before Praying the Novena
Step 1. Know the meaning of the novena prayer
The Catholic Church forbids the practice of fortune-telling and cannot guarantee that people who pray a novena will experience miracles. Praying a novena is a way of devotion to God.
The novena prayer is not the same as the 8-day prayer before the holiday which is usually prayed before Christmas or Easter
Step 2. Know that novenas fall into several categories
Novena prayers are grouped into several categories: mourning, preparation, supplication, and repentance. At times, novena prayer intentions fall into several categories.
- The novena of mourning is prayed before the funeral service.
- The preparatory novena aims to prepare for the holiday.
- The supplication novena is prayed to ask God to intervene, give a sign, or help you in some other way.
- The novena of repentance is performed as reparation for sin. Usually, this novena is prayed after confession and receiving the Sacrament of Repentance or before attending mass.
Step 3. Define your intentions
Novena is a prayer that is said with a certain intention or request. Before praying, determine what you want by praying a novena.
As an intention, you may ask for directions before making important decisions, giving thanks, or making requests
Step 4. Decide which novena you want to use
If you don't know what prayer to say, ask a Catholic priest or nun. Usually, people pray the novena of Saint Jude, the novena of Saint Joseph, and the novena of Saint Teresa. In addition, you can pray a novena by saying several consecutive prayers each day, such as the novena of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the novena of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the novena of the Holy Spirit, and the novena of Divine Mercy.
You may pray a self-composed novena
Notes:
according to the tradition of the Catholic church, the novena of Divine Mercy begins on Good Friday.
Part 2 of 2: Saying the Novena Prayer
Step 1. Say the novena for 9 consecutive days if you wish to pray according to church tradition
The most traditional way of praying a novena is to say a prayer or series of prayers at least once a day for 9 consecutive days. Set a daily schedule for praying the novena because you must pray at the same time each day.
For example, if your first day of prayer was at 9:00 AM, you should pray at 9:00 AM for the next 8 days
Step 2. Apply the 9-hour format as a shorter way of praying the novena
You can pray the novena in another way that is shorter and more focused, namely praying every hour for 9 consecutive hours. For that, set aside time on certain days to pray 9 times in a row every 1 hour.
For example, if you start praying at 8 a.m., the next schedule is at 9 a.m., and so on until the last one at 4 p.m
Step 3. Say a prayer and present it to God or through a saint
You can pray silently because saying a prayer doesn't mean you have to pray out loud. Prayers can be written or memorized.
Saying a prayer is not the same as meditating and praying contemplatively. Both are the main ways of praying in the Catholic church
Step 4. Pray individually or with others in church
Usually, the novena is prayed alone in a closed place, but it is also permissible to pray it with other people who have the same intention. The church holds communal novenas periodically for a specific purpose or in preparation for the holidays.
Depending on the ordinance, you may have to pray the novena at church or you may pray at home with other members of the congregation
Step 5. Start praying the novena and do it until it's finished
Once you decide you want to pray the novena, make sure you pray consistently from beginning to end. Although there is no penalty if you stop halfway, praying the novena through to the end is beneficial for the spiritual life.
Focus your mind on the intention as you pray the novena
Tip:
if you don't have time to pray today, catch up by praying 2 times tomorrow so that no prayer is missed.
