The Power of a Novena

As we prepare for the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19th, we invite you to join us in a special time of prayer— a novena. What is a Novena? If you’ve never prayed a novena before, or if you’ve heard the word but aren’t quite sure what it means, you’re in the right place.

A novena is more than just a set of prayers. It’s a journey of faith, a time of focused reflection, and a powerful way to invite God’s grace into our lives. And when we pray a novena as a community, the impact of our prayer is exponential.

In this article, we will explore what a novena is, how it differs from other forms of prayer, and why praying together is particularly meaningful.

What is a Novena?

A novena is a nine-day prayer, typically dedicated to a particular intention. While some novenas are longer than nine days, the word novena comes from the Latin novem, meaning “nine.” A novena is a practice deeply rooted in Scripture and tradition, tracing back to the very first novena—when Mary, the apostles, and the early disciples prayed for nine days leading up to Pentecost (Acts 1:14). This ancient tradition is one that connects us to the roots of our faith in a special way. 

Who prays novenas? Novenas can be prayed individually or as a community, and they take many different forms. Some novenas include specific prayers and litanies, while others incorporate scripture, reflections, or personal petitions. But at its core, a novena is about perseverance in prayer—trusting in God’s timing and opening our hearts to His grace.

How is a Novena different then praying the Rosary?

If you already pray the Rosary, you might be wondering how a novena is different. While both are beautiful and powerful devotions, they serve different spiritual purposes.

• The Rosary is a meditative prayer, reflecting on the life of Christ through Mary’s eyes. Many pray the rosary daily as it offers a deep and rhythmic encounter with Jesus and Our Lady.

• A novena is a focused prayer for a particular intention, lasting for nine days. While some novenas incorporate the Rosary (such as the 54-day Rosary Novena), many consist of unique prayers asking for the intercession of a saint or seeking a special grace from God.

Think of the Rosary as a daily walk with Mary, while a novena is a spiritual pilgrimage—a set time of prayer dedicated to a specific need or feast day.

The Power of a Community Novena

One of the most powerful aspects of a novena is when it is prayed together. While private prayer is essential, there is something uniquely transformative about coming together as a prayer family.

Why does praying together matter?

1. Jesus Is Present When We Gather in His Name “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20) When we join together in prayer, we are united in spirit. Jesus promises to be with us in a special way when we gather together in prayer.

2. Community Strengthens Our Faith Life is filled with spiritual highs and lows and when we pray a novena as a community, we encourage one another, lifting each other up in faith and perseverance.

3. Intercession Multiplies Grace Throughout Scripture, we see that when people pray together, God responds in powerful ways. By uniting in prayer, we bring our intentions before God as one body, making our prayers even more powerful.

There is unique strength and power in community prayer and at The God Minute, coming together in prayer is what we are all about. Each day we pray together and reflect on the real life implications of a Bible Verse in order to grow in faith and love. A novena is a beautiful representation of our rich Catholic faith and we hope that this article has helped to show the great power and beauty in this type of prayer. 

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Join us for the 9-Day Novena to St. Joseph, which starts on Monday, March 10th. Download the pdf below to pray the Novena with us each day leading up to the Feast Day of Saint Joseph on March 19th.

Download the Novena PDF

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Pray beautifully with us each day!

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