Praying Novenas...I always seem to get lost and never finish. Then I tried:: The Instant Novena

When it comes to praying a novena, (a special prayer or worship for nine CONSECUTIVE

days),

I always seem to get lost in the whirlpool

at the bottom of the waterfall.

Around and around I'd go.

Beginning the novena is easy for me.

Maybe, I'd pray for a day or two, but, due to life happenings,

it would be 3-5 days before I remembered to pray that novena again.

I'd start again.

Same. Thing. Happened.

I tried scheduling a time for the novena on my phone.

That didn't always work because there were other things to do, and, of course, I'd forget.

I even subscribed to a site where you sent daily reminders of different novenas to pray.

Worked for the first couple of days, then I would run out of time or forget.

Then I read about Mother Teresa's 911 novena.

When she needed something very quickly or urgently,

Mother Teresa and her beautiful nuns would gather and pray

9 Memoraraes in a row.

One of the stories is that Mother Teresa needed a specific amount of money to travel.

The congregation did not have that money.

Mother gathered her nuns and they prayed and waited about an hour.

Nothing happened.

Knowing this was a test of faith,

Mother Teresa, then called her sisters together.

She began,

"We don't know why you have not granted us this petition, but we humbly ask that you send us the money our congregation needs for Mother to travel."

Again, they prayed.

10 minutes after finishing their second 911 novena, the phone rang.

The exact sum that was needed for Mother Teresa to purchase her ticket for her flight had just been donated by a wealthy business man visiting Calcutta.

Faith in action.

I do pray this novena frequently.

I've also added others to my collection of simple novenas.

I pray,

"Jesus, I trust in You," 9 times to praise God.

If I begin to think about someone, I pray 9 Hail Mary's for their soul and intentions.

If I am afraid, I pray to my Guardian Angel,

"Angel of God, My Guardian Dear, to Whom God's Love entrusts you here.  Ever this day/night be at my side, to light, to rule, to guide.  Amen."

You get the idea.

Any prayer can be turned into an instant novena.

Simply state your intention.

Pray the prayer 9 times.

You've made up an instant novena.