Hail and Blessed: Praying the St. Andrew Christmas Novena
It was my first Christmas as a Catholic- well, almost Catholic. I was in the midst of the RCIA program at my parish and vowed to fully dive into the season of Advent.
One of the things I decided to take on during this Advent was the St. Andrew Christmas Novena. This novena begins on the feast of St. Andrew, November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve. Each day you recite the prayer 15 times noting your intentions.
I found a cute wallpaper background for my phone of the prayer so I could easily access it. Now the question was, what were my intentions? I remember thinking I’d figure it out and didn’t give it much thought after that.
And figure it out I did. Due to some interesting family dynamics, my husband and I weren’t seeing eye to eye on some things. Our typically strong marriage seemed to be under a little stress and we found ourselves arguing more than usual. The first night I was supposed to start the novena, my husband and I had a disagreement that left me in tears. I knew in that moment I would pray for our marriage.
It was a long 25 days of prayer, but when I woke up on Christmas Day, I felt at peace knowing I was striving towards growing in my faith both alone and in my marriage. Our arguments had lessened over the course of the novena and we had our marriage convalidated in March 2018, right before I came into the Church at the Easter Vigil.
Fast forward to November 2018. It was time to start gearing up for the St. Andrew Christmas novena again. This year, I had chosen to pray for my mother. She was just getting out of a bad relationship and in need of finding a place to call her own. She was overwhelmed, stressed, sad, and lonely.
Praying each night, I asked for happiness, health and a home for her. Shortly after Christmas, my mom was in her own place and she seemed to be finding joy for the first time in years. It was that second Christmas I knew this novena was something special.
Barbie Bauer, @barbievbauer.
It is believed that those who pray this novena obtain the favor requested. In my case, I firmly believe that’s true. While my intentions and their outcomes may look different in my mind, I know God will take care of the details.
If you’re looking to grow in your prayer life this Advent, I can assure you the St. Andrew Christmas Novena will give you a deeper connection to our Lord. As you meditate on the words of the prayer and reflect on the moment that Jesus entered our world, you can feel the silence of the night, the gift of peace, and the joyful anticipation of our Savior come to change hearts of all who draw near to Him.
How to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena:
Recite this prayer 15 times a day from November 30th to December 24th.
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother.
Meet Ashton Decker Kelly
Hailing from Illinois, Ashton always knew adventure was waiting out in the world which is how she landed in Phoenix with her husband, Mark, raising their daughter, Addison and sweet pup, Bauer. Ashton is a convert to the faith after a lifetime of being ‘nearly Catholic’ and enjoys deepening her understanding of all things Catholicism. She lives for hot lattes on a quiet morning, Arizona winter and traveling the world. Ashton wears many hats from stay at home mom to professional philanthropist, but she finds joy in the everyday moments of chaos reminding her to be present and thankful for even the smallest of blessings. You can find her laughing through motherhood on Instagram @ashdecks.