Novena

The novena (from the Latin novem "nine" ) is a predominantly customary in the Catholic Church prayer form, in which certain prayers done for nine consecutive days, consisting of a constant and a daily changing part, to beg of God special graces.

Such novenas are, for example for the preparation of a high -strength ( Easter, Christmas, Pentecost ), or before an important personal decision or before major life events (such as ordination, profession, virginal consecration, marriage) spread. On the death of the clergy or consecrated persons a Trauernovene is often held.

The origin probably lies in the Pentecost Novena, the nine-day prayer for the Holy Spirit, as the apostles and disciples of Jesus with Mary after the ascension of Jesus practiced in the Upper Room. It goes back to the account of Pentecost in Acts 2.1 to 14 EU, according to which the first Christians withdrawn after the ascension of Christ lived in prayer until the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon them. Therefore, the Pentecost is part of the Tradition of the Church. Moreover, there are, among others, novenas to the Virgin Mary and the saints.

The original Roman Catholic practice of prayer is now maintained in the Orthodox, Anglican and some Lutheran churches.