Hello Rosary lovers! In this post we will look at the query: do Novenas really work?
I will give an answer from my own experience.
My story
YES, Novenas really do work. I know this because I tried one when I was about to lose my faith in 2020.
I had been battling much with the rationality of the Catholic faith and of Christianity, having studied much philosophy and skepticism.
In addition to this torrent of mental overload, I was deep in sins which I loved and didn’t really want to give up.
All of this combined to cause me to nearly lose my faith not only in the Catholic Church but in the whole of Christianity. I was on the verge of becoming agnostic.
I was at the very end of my faith and I couldn’t see a way back for me.
For whatever reason, I decided to give it one last attempt, and for me this was a 5-day Novena to St Therese of the Child Jesus.
A few things to say about this Novena to St Therese
The Novena to St Therese was unique among novenas.
It only lasted for 5 days. Novenas usually last for 9 days, hence the name ‘novena’, which I presume has something to do with the word ‘nine’.
The Novena to St Therese was very simple and focuses on the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be and a short prayer to St Therese of the child Jesus, asking her to pick me a rose from heaven.
The actual Novena is prayed like this. You pray this prayer:
St. Therese, the Little Flower, please pick me a rose from the Heavenly Garden and send it to me with a message of love. Ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore (mention your petition here) and tell Him I will love Him each day more and more. Amen.
After (or before) this prayer, you offer 5 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Marys and 5 Glory Bes. You can pray them in any order you like, but you do all of this before 11 am.
You repeat this process on day 2, day 3, day 4 and day 5.
The only difference is that on day 5, you pray 10 Our Fathers, 10 Hail Marys and 10 Glory Bes.
It’s a terrific little Novena which perfectly reflects the utter simplicity of St Therese’s form of spirituality. She was known to focus her prayers around the Our Father and the Hail Mary.
Back to my story
Anyway, I have no idea how I came across this Novena. I also have no idea why I decided to try out this particular prayer as a way to try to save my faith.
I wasn’t very hopeful it would work, but I figured it was easy enough and what did I have to lose?
So I gave it a go.
I didn’t pray the prayers with much heart, I simply just recited them and waited to see what would happen – if anything. For 5 days, these were my only prayers to God.
The results of this Novena
What happened took me by surprise. By about day 3 or 4, my faith began to reignite. My doubts began to fade and I’ve never since struggled with the possibility of losing my faith. Not once.
The things that had so bothered me intellectually before praying this Novena simply seemed to fall away and have never bothered me since.
Very soon after, the sins I had been clinging to also completely fell away, never to return.
I credit St Therese and this Novena with saving my faith. I’ve never really been able to explain it, but that’s what happened. Glory to God!
So yes, Novenas really do work! Try one! Why not try this one to St Therese of the child Jesus?
If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch.
God bless you through the prayers of St Therese of the child Jesus!