Have you ever had a special intention you were praying for? What did you do? Did you ask others to pray for you? Did your prayers get answered? Read the following 3 stories to find out which holy friends the authors called on for aid, and how each of them had their prayer answered! (One is about the St. Andrew Christmas Novena which starts today!)
St. Andrew (and the Christmas Novena)
Jacinta originally shared this story on her Instagram account. I loved it so much I asked if I could share it here and she graciously said yes!
Our prayers aren’t always granted exactly how we ask God to grant our desires. God will ALWAYS hears our prayers! Sometimes it’s a yes, no, just wait or I’ve got something better hang on tight!
It was advent 2019, we had just gone through three consecutive miscarriages that year and our hearts longed for a baby. We decided to pray the St. Andrew novena with the petition to conceive again.
The St Andrew Christmas novena is one that is near and dear to my heart, I’ve prayed it since I was a little girl. Many prayer requests have been granted.
My husband and I prayed it again.
We waited.
We waited some more.
We then found out in March 2020 that we were pregnant!
Nine months later… Our baby girl decided her birthday. November 30th—the feast day of St. Andrew and the first day of the novena!!!
God listens to our every need, even if times it may not feel like He’s listening. He is. And He has a beautiful plan for you.
Pray the St. Andrew novena! It starts November 30th. You’ll say this prayer 15xs daily until Christmas Eve!
If you’ve prayed this novena, what petitions have you had granted?
St. Andrew Christmas Novena
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 the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother.
Amen
About the Author
Jacinta is a cradle Catholic, a wife and mother. Growing up in a traditionally Catholic family the devotion to the saints and this special novena were and are important to her. Now as a momma to three little ones, one with special needs, and a another baby on the way, life is a beautiful and chaotic adventure which she’s loving to share the rich Faith with her children! Having gone through primary and secondary infertility, and the loss of four babies to miscarriage, she shares her journey of pregnancy after loss on her Instagram. Through infertility, miscarriage and a special needs child, the draw to focus on healing through nutrition and fitness has been a huge part of her journey, which she shares as an online fitness coach. “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure!” -St JPII.
Padre Pio
This story was originally a Facebook post from November 2013 that Julia-Anne shared with me for this project.
“On Thursday, I started a novena for a petition that had been on my heart. I couldn’t decide on a Saint, but after going up and down Laudate novenas, I chose St. Padre Pio because for some reason he stuck out. I didn’t know why then, but I felt compelled to choose him (maybe because of “Pray, hope, don’t worry”?).
Yesterday, I met a Priest who met St. Padre Pio and he told me, “Imagine this is St. Padre Pio answering you.”
Well, tonight, the petition was indeed answered completely. Thanks be to God (and St. Padre Pio!). Gotta love Italian Saints!” –
About the Author
Julia-Anne McMahon is a life long Catholic. She grew up in the DC area but is now an army wife and lives in central Texas and a music teacher. St. Therese is her confirmation Saint due to St. Therese’s little ways of doing things out of love, but since this story, she’s also become quite fond of St. Padre Pio. She is quite the Catholic geek and loves finding out whose feast day it is that day. She is so grateful for the friendships of the Saints in our lives.
St. Therese of Lisieux
This is a blog post Julia shared with me from her website about how some extra roses she sent to a family friend was an answer to their novena! Click the link to read a story “About St. Therese sending roses on the ninth day of a novena for her intercession.“
About the Author
Julia Miller is the creative force behind FreshRosary.com, the Catholic online florist that makes only one thing: Rosaries from whole, fresh roses. These are prayerfully made by hand and shipped overnight in the lower 48 states for funerals and other significant Catholic events. She and her husband John have five adult children including a pediatric brain cancer survivor, six grandchildren, and two Corgis who alternate between adorable and obnoxious. They are members of Sts. Cosmas and Damian parish in Orting, Washington.
Fresh Rosary | Fresh Rose Rosaries | Rosaries From Flowers
Are you looking for a distinctive rosary made entirely from fresh roses? Three sizes are available – beautiful for Catholic funerals and more.
