What is the Spiritual Novena and why is it sacred? 9 prayers to Saint Benedict

To understand what a spiritual novena is and why it is considered one of the acts that shows the greatest devotion and faith, we must understand how it is mentioned in the Bible.

It is said that when Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, he ascended to heaven and nine days later he sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples.
During those nine days, a group of people was gathered together with the Virgin Mary and the apostles, praying with all their faith.

Mary encouraged the apostles to pray for nine days to receive the Holy Spirit.

Historically and according to biblical accounts, this act that shows the importance of constancy of faith was the first Christian novena.

Therefore, we must know that the spiritual novena is a series of nine days followed by prayers, which implies a great form of devotion to God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), the Virgin Mary, the angels and the saints.

Why pray a spiritual novena? An act of faith and devotion to God

Although praying a Spiritual Novena does not guarantee that any miracle will happen to us, it is in itself an act of hope and faith and a way to draw closer to God and our spiritual guides.

The novena is directly related to the act of devotion that is demonstrated when praying it and, therefore, it is a way of praising God.

When we have a problem, face a difficult situation, or are simply victims of sadness and depression, we can put our faith and hope in those nine days of prayer, which will help us cleanse ourselves spiritually and consider the little joys and blessings that we receive. .

When should a novena be said?

As its name implies, the novena involves prayers for nine days. Praying a novena daily for nine days is the most traditional way of doing it.

The novenas are cataloged in 4 ways:

Mourning: they are recited before a funeral or for similar periods of mourning.
Preparation novenas: They take place before a religious holiday or a spiritual event.
Novenas of prayer: The most common, through which the faithful ask for God's intervention to solve certain questions
Novenas of indulgence: To ask for the remission of sins

For the novena to be effective, it is important that the faithful have great faith and show their devotion through humility, perseverance and perseverance during the nine days of prayer.

There are many novenas, for example, the Novena to God the Father, is a prayer novena that stands out among the most used by the faithful when they go through difficult situations and want to ask for God's help to solve problems.

Saints also have their holy novenas, like Saint Benedict, a saint who helps us heal diseases and gives healing and calms our pain, whether physical or spiritual.

Novena of Saint Benedict Abbot (complete) to ask for his protection and help

San Benito

Sequence of prayers to be followed every day:

Opening prayer
Prayer that corresponds to the day of the novena
Three Hail Marys
Final prayer for each day
An Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory.

Preparatory or opening prayer for every day

We greet you with filial affection, oh glorious Father Saint Benedict, worker of wonders, cooperator of Christ in the work of salvation of souls.
O Patriarch of the monks! Look down at the vineyard that your hand planted. Multiply the number of your children, and sanctify them.
Protect in a special way those of us who put ourselves with subsidiary affection under your protection and subsidiary protection. Pray for the sick, for the tempted, for the afflicted, for the poor, and for us who are devoted to you.
Reach us all a quiet and holy death like yours. Remove from us in that supreme hour the snares of the enemy, and encourage us with your sweet presence. Now get us the special grace that we ask of you in this novena ...

The final prayer for every day

O glorious Saint Benedict, who from heaven are a pious father to us, your devotees! Your great power before God is recognized today, more than ever, thanks to the medal that is honored with your name, for the multitude of wonders and favors that God offers us through it. Pray for all of us who come to you. Reach out to us from the Lord, all the graces that are necessary to us during this life and especially the grace for which we do this novena. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Conclude with an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.

First day of the Novena to Saint Benedict: Day 1

O glorious Saint Benedict, who from your childhood recognized the vanity of the world and only desired eternal goods!
Grant us a lively desire for heaven and that we frequently remember God, our last end, and towards Him we order our whole lives so that in everything He may be glorified.
Saint Benedict, pray for us.

After each prayer each day three Hail Marys should be said and then concluded with the final prayer.

Second day of the Novena to Saint Benedict: Day 2

O glorious Saint Benedict, humble of heart, who knew how to disdain the praises of men!
Reach us humility, you who loved God above all things and gave him your heart without reservation, also get us God's love. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Third day of the Novena to Saint Benedict: Day 3

O glorious Saint Benedict, who consecrated your lips to prayer and sang the divine praises night and day!
Reach us the spirit of prayer. You, like a lily among thorns, kept an angelic chastity through humility, continuous vigilance, prayer and mortification of the senses, get us the gift of purity. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Fourth day of the Novena to Saint Benedict: Day 4

O glorious Saint Benedict who defeated the devil and triumphed over his deceptions! Grant us the grace to resist his suggestions and to flee from every occasion of sin.
You who, teaching an austere life, of renunciation and work, hated idleness, inspire us with love for work and self-denial to follow Christ. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Fifth day of the Novena to Saint Benedict Day 5

O glorious Saint Benedict, who loved silence, and never opened your mouth to light and impure words, complaints, murmurings, and judgments against the love of neighbor!
Grant us the grace to never say impure words and words against charity, to forgive and keep our tongue from all sin. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Sixth day of the Novena to Saint Benedict: Day 6

O glorious Saint Benedict, who was the target of persecution and kept the peace of your soul through the sweetness of patience!
Grant us the gift of patience and the grace to forgive offenses, you who forgave those who attempted against your life and expelled you from your country, and who mercifully asked the Lord to forgive them, mourning their blindness and terrible end. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Seventh day of the Novena to Saint Benedict: Day 7

O glorious Saint Benedict, who, animated by a burning zeal to assist others in their needs, you instructed the ignorant, you helped the poor, you healed the sick, you raised the dead, you delivered the captives of the devil and their passions, comforted the afflicted and converted sinners!
Grant us the grace to love our neighbor and to do works of mercy with him. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Eighth day of the Novena to Saint Benedict: Day 8

O glorious Saint Benedict, who flooded the heart of your sister Saint Scholastica with consolation, filling it with the love of God and the beatitudes of heaven!
Grant us the grace to sanctify our dearest affections. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Ninth day of the Novena to Saint Benedict: Day 9

O glorious Saint Benedict, whose soul in your happy death was raised to heaven in the midst of angels and saints, your disciples being consoled by the revelation of your glory!
Grant us from the Lord, the grace of final perseverance, of a good death and of your assistance and intercession on our last day. Saint Benedict, pray for us.