How to Pray a Novena
Nine days of prayer for one intention
A novena (from the Latin novem, “nine”) is prayer for one intention on nine days in a row. The custom looks back to the days between the Ascension and Pentecost, when the Apostles waited for the Holy Spirit:
“All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:14)
- Name your intention. Say it plainly at the start: a person, a need, a decision, or thanks for a grace received.
- Choose the prayer. Many novenas have their own prayer for each day. If yours does not, the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy or the same short prayer each day serves well.
- Pick a time. The same time each day, such as morning coffee or before bed, makes nine days easier to keep. A reminder on your phone helps.
- Pray it nine days in a row. Novenas often end on a feast, so a novena to a saint is usually timed to finish on his or her feast day.
- If you miss a day, pick it back up. A private novena is not a contract. Most people simply carry on, or add a day at the end.
Then leave the answer to God. A novena is not a formula; it is a way of persevering in prayer. Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow “to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).