What Is A Novena?

Before His ascension into heaven, Jesus directed His
apostles to wait and pray for the coming of the Holy
Spirit. With Mary, they prayed in Jerusalem for nine
days. The next morning, Pentecost, they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and the Church was born.
In later years, the practice of praying nine days for a
special intention developed. This devotion was called
a novena, from the Latin word for nine: novem. A
novena, then, refers to devotions which take place
over nine consecutive days or, in some cases, one day
a week over nine consecutive weeks.
(Note: I was told that there are some who do them
all year long. That a person can say novenas for as
long as they wish to for whatever their intentions
might be.)

Through the many novenas prayed down the long
ages of the Church, believers have sought for and
found help, relief, and peace from God.

Jesus told us, "Therefore I tell you, all that you ask
for in prayer, believe that you will receive and it shall
be yours."