Novenas

The word Novena come from the word "novem" which means "nine." It is a prayer that is said for nine days in a row. We pray novenas for particular intentions. God has granted certain gifts to certain Saints which enable them to intercede for us in times of difficulty and need. Why nine times? The number 9 symbolizes divine completeness or conveys the meaning of finality. Christ died at the 9th hour of the day, or 3 p.m. (The Jewish clock was seasonal and began at dawn). The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is the only Feast day of the Jewish people that requires believers to fast for one day. Most Jews consider this to be the holiest day of the year. It begins at sunset on the 9th day of the seventh Hebrew month (Leviticus 23:32). I believe the number nine is used 49 times in scripture but don't hold me to that because I haven't checked my notes! There are in Galatians 6:22-23 nine fruits of the Holy Spirit which brings me to the reason I decided to write about novenas. Today is Ascension Thursday which means that Pentecost is around the corner. The oldest novena we have is the Novena to the Holy Spirit, the Pentecost Novena. I believe it is the only novena officially prescribed by the church and it should begin tomorrow. EWTN has the novena on their website if you would like to join in. http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/pentecost/seven.htm If you don't have any personal necessities to pray for please consider praying for the end of the many abominations occurring in our world. Abortion, genocide, poverty and abuse to name a few.
As always thanks for reading and please feel free to add any comments or questions.