3 Novenas that Every Catholic Should Pray...plus one

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1. 30 Day Novena to St. Joseph

This beautiful novena begins a month before the Feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, March 19th. It is a lovely meditation on the life of St. Joseph as husband, father and protector of the Blessed Mother and her Divine Child. It helps us to reflect on the sorrows that St. Joseph suffered (silently) as he took care of his holy little family. What a wonderful way to pray for his intercession for fathers, the dying, those in need of employment, homes, the universal church...

The novena can be found here.

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 2. The Divine Mercy Novena.

A very powerful novena that our Lord Himself gave to St. Faustina, in order to prepare souls for the great feast of Divine Mercy. It begins on Good Friday and ends on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday.

"...He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said: 'These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy.' In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her: 'On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls.'

The novena can be found here "

I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fountain of My mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever grace they have need of in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death."

3. Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts

This is the oldest novena known in the Church. It begins 9 days prior to the vigil of Pentecost. It is simply a very beautiful and spiritually moving novena!

The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.

The novena can be found here.

In addition, for those times when we need spiritual assistance, there is no better novena than the one Blessed Mother Teresa had a devotion to...the express Memorare novena.  You pray the Memorare of our Lady nine consecutive times.

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Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come,
before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

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