St. Andrew Christmas Novena
The
Feast Day of Saint Andrew, The Apostle, is celebrated on November
30th . Unlike most novenas which are said for nine days
or nine weeks this one is said for twenty-five days. One would start
it on November 30th, Saint Andrews' Feast Day and continue to
say it during the Advent season up till and including Christmas Eve,
December, 24th. It is known by a few different names;
Saint Andrew's Novena, The Christmas Novena or the Advent Novena.
It
is believed to have originated in either Ireland or Scotland over a
hundred years ago. There are beads specifically for this novena
consisting of fifteen beads connected in a loop onto a Saint Andrew
medal.
It
is a very simple one prayer repeated fifteen times over the course of
a day. It is convenient to break it up into three segments such as
before each meal or morning, mid day and night time.
Some
believe that reciting this prayer fifteen times a day until Christmas
Eve that whatever favor requested will be granted. I prefer to think
of it as a way to prepare ones heart and spirit to welcome the baby
Jesus into the world. The spirit of Christmas is about the coming of
Christ, Our Savior.
THE
PRAYER
