Christmas Anticipation Prayer

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.


Above is the most beautiful prayer of the Christmas Novena, aka the Christmas Anticipation Prayer, aka the St. Andrew Novena.  The mathematically inclined will point out that it is not really a novena, because it is not a multiple of nine, as it is said 15 times a day for 25 days (November 30th, the feast of St. Andrew, to Christmas Eve,) for a total of 375 times prayed.  I assure you, however, that can still be considered a novena, as the term has historically been used for other devotions that last multiple days. It is a beautiful - and simple - Advent devotion.  And it starts Wednesday!  I love this prayer because it is so simple, yet draws the mind to the whole point of Christmas: That hour, that moment, when Christ was born.  I've tried to find the history of this Novena, but in my half-hour or so of internet searching, I came up with nothing - not even on fisheaters.com!

I did, however, find the text for another novena, to be prayed from November 29th through the vigil of the Immaculate Conception on December 7th. I decided to put it into a separate post here.

There are so many ways we prepare for Christmas.  We buy gifts, bake cookies, and decorate.  Let's not forget to prepare our souls, too! There are many devotions, like the two above, and the Jesse Tree and the Advent Wreath.  There are so many fun little feasts, too, like St. Barbara (I'll update last year's post!) and St. Nicholas.  Have a Blessed Advent!

St. Andrew Novena

I fully intended to do some research and write up a nice little history and such on this, but I ran out of time. So here's the short version. Also, I realize that it is a little late.

The St. Andrew Novena is to be recited 15 times a day from the Feast of St. Andrew on November 30th (yes, I know that is today, and that it is almost over,) to Christmas Eve.




Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.


(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Imprimatur
+MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York
New York, February 6, 1897

For more info, wait until next year or visit

http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent7.html (Fisheaters is one of my favorite sources for Catholic Tradition Info!)

http://catholicism.about.com/od/prayers/qt/Andrew_Novena.htm

http://www.4marks.com/articles/details.html?article_id=5851 (Probably the best out of these three for information on the St. Andrew Novena)

My family and I have been praying this Novena for the last few years, and I also find it to be a wonderful meditation for the Advent season.  I believe I have also had some favorable results in obtaining favors.