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."