St. Andrew Christmas Novena Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment it which the Son of God was born of a most pure Virgin Mary at midnight in Bethlehem in the piercing cold. At that hour, vouchsafe, my God, I to hear my prayers and grant my desires. (Mention your intentions here) Through Our Savior Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother. Amen.
(You can state your prayer request in each repetition, or after a set of repetitions. I typically state my requests at the end.)A Word about Superstition
I know how easy it is to slip into superstitious thinking. Especially during infertility, many of us have been there at one point or another, with a “maybe this will work.” The thought of repeating one prayer 15 times a day may seem superstitious. Perhaps it would be if your only aim was to mindlessly ramble out the words 15 times per day thinking it will earn you a specific favor, such as your miracle baby.
It takes conscious effort to remember that we pray and ask in prayerful request, yet surrender completely to the Will of God (His will is love and mercy). Yes, ask for miracles. No this novena is not magic. But ,(1) God is faithful. And (2) He tells us to ask. So make your request known, and trust that He is faithful, no matter the outcome If you start praying this prayer at a different time than on November 30th, if you miss a day or more, if you don’t pray it all 15 times, that’s fine. It’s not a magic potion. It’s a prayer. The first of the Ten Commandments tells us not to be superstitious “I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods before Me. “ Reciting a prayer fifteen times a day for four weeks does not cause God to change His will, or make him give us the “yes” that we want. Prayer brings us closer in our relationship with God. Prayer beings us peace, and a deeper love. It helps us to surrender more deeply, and receive His guidance more clearly and more fully. We do not gain merits, or special favors because we pray. Grace is given to us freely. God’s salvation is a gift; we don’t do anything to earn it. All of God’s good gifts are given freely to us, but they aren’t free; they were secured on the merits of Jesus, his birth, life, death, and resurrection. In this prayer we ask for our requests based on the merits of Christ, and when we pray with attention on the words and meaning, throughout the 15 reputations, it’s a beautiful way to prepare your heart for Advent, for Christ’s coming at Christmas. If God answers with a “no” or a “no, not now” this doesn’t mean that we didn’t ask in the right way, or pray in the right way. For all those who carry the cross of Infertility, Praying for a Christmas Miracle Pregnancy There are so many people begging for a miracle. Many people receive miracles from God, every day, every month, very year. I also know what it feels like to say “but what about me, when is it my turn, why them and not me.” It’s fine to feel that way, but important to move through those thoughts and arrive at a bigger perspective of remembering the truth that “God works all things together for good” (Romans 8) For all those who carry the cross of Infertility, the Christmas novena helps us quiet our hearts and our worries long enough to ponder the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. The Lord is glad that we have the desire to offer up this the prayer and contemplation, even if we say it wrong or forget to say it one day. I was blessed with a Christmas Miracle pregnancy after five years of waiting, hoping, trying. When I look back, I clearly see the blessings that infertility offered me. The love between my husband and I grew deeper and stronger, our Faith in the Lord grew deeper, our desire to know our faith grew deeper, and by the time the miracle pregnancy arrived we were willing to delve deep into researching and reading everything on healthy pregnancy, healthy birth, baby and child development to become the best parents we could be. My relationship with God is far more beautiful and full because of the journey through infertility.Now I offer up this novena for all those who carry the cross of infertility. For those unfamiliar with the tradition The St. Andrew Christmas prayer is said fifteen times per day from November 30th, the Feast of St. Andrew, until Christmas Day. It’s not a prayer to St. Andrew, rather it’s a prayerful meditation on the incarnation Unlike a traditional novena, this prayer is not prayed over nine consecutive days but over 25 days. As you can see, it’s different in many ways. St Andrew was St. Peter’s brother, and one of Jesus’ first disciples. He is the Patron Saint of many places and causes, including women wanting to be mothers. It’s a wonderful way to enter into the Advent season that is marked by a time of anticipation, penance, and prayer. It is piously believed that whoever recites the St. Andrew Christmas novena prayer fifteen times each day from the feast of St. Andrew (November 30th) until Christmas Eve will obtain the favor requested. If you receive your Christmas miracle, it will be a most beautiful blessing. If you do not receive your Christmas miracle in the time that you hoped for, let it be well with your soul. Have faith in Gods Will and His plans. Not now, might mean not just yet. Need help praying this beautiful novena prayer? Here’s the video, you can pray along with https://youtu.be/aiEKrCmSiNc