The word “novena” is derived from the Latin word for nine, or “novem.” Typically, a novena refers to nine days of prayer, asking God for a specific intention, often through a Saint’s intercession. Novenas are a beautiful way to grow purposeful, consistent, and persistent in daily prayer.Many of the most popular and widely-prayed novenas begin or end on a Saint’s feast day. And it’s important to note that while most novenas are indeed nine days long, there are some exceptions (like the St. Andrew Christmas novena, which is 25 days long!).

There are a few reasons why the number nine might be significant.

The first comes from the Acts of the Apostles, when Jesus told His disciples to gather together and pray after His Ascension into Heaven. Tradition tells us that the Apostles, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, went to the Upper Room and prayed together for the nine days between Jesus’ Ascension (believed to have been 40 days after His Passion/Passover) and Pentecost.

Another reason could be that nine is significant because of the nine months that Mary carried Jesus in her womb. In fact, people in the Middle Ages traditionally spent nine days in prayer leading up to Christmas to signify the nine months that Jesus spent in the womb of His mother!

The Church prays the Divine Mercy Novena each year for 9 days: from Good Friday through the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. On each day of the Novena, we pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and "bring" to Jesus various people who need our prayers.

The central prayer of the Divine Mercy Novena begs Jesus to "have mercy on us, and on the whole world." We pray the Divine Mercy Novena in sorrow for our own sins, to ask mercy for the sins of our loved ones, and to intercede for God's mercy upon the whole world.

Jesus himself taught these prayers to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, or "St. Faustina," a humble Polish nun who lived in the early 1900s. There are many wonderful novenas and prayers that the saints have written out of their love for God - the Divine Mercy prayers are a gift Jesus himself gave out of his love for us. 

Yes! Jesus spoke and appeared repeatedly to St. Faustina, instructing her to write down the messages she received from him. St. Faustina obediently did so, and after many decades, the Church, under the leadership of St. John Paul II, approved her writings as being authentic. Read more about that here.

**Information above was taken from Blessedishe.net and Ascensionpress.com**

Not a member of our parish yet but want to join?  Click the button below.

We hope everyone has a blessed Triduum and Easter!