The Novena For the Dead | 9 Days

Praying a Novena for the Dead is a wonderful 9 day pray to encourage an honor a loved one who has passed away. 

What is a Catholic Novena for the Dead?

The word “novena” is derived from the Latin word for nine, or “novem.” A novena is typically nine days of prayer during which a person asks God for a particular intention, frequently with the help of a saint's intercession. Novenas are a lovely way to develop a purposeful, regular, and persistent daily prayer life.

On a Saint's feast day, many of the most well-known and frequently prayed novenas begin or end. Most Novenas are nine days, with some exceptions (such as the St. Andrew Christmas novena, which is 25 days long!) You can recite any number of existing novenas. You can find them in devotional prayer books or ask a priest for advice. However, if you feel inspired to write your own novena, you are welcome to do so.

Numerous novenas exist, as do numerous novena prayers. The nine-day novena for the dead is one method in particular. A Novena for the dead is a 9-day prayer specifically intended for someone who has passed away. Our prayers seek to help the deceased person and strengthen them through their journey in the afterlife. It’s a powerful way to honor, remember, and encourage this person.

Why are Novenas 9 Days Long?

There are several explanations for why nine might be significant. Novenas have existed since the beginning of Christianity. Every time someone passed away back then, funeral masses were held for nine days. All nine days were filled with devotional prayers. There is some evidence to suggest that this practice has roots in an old Greek and Roman tradition.

In that custom, people would hold a feast in memory of the deceased after nine days of mourning. But over time, Roman Catholics started to connect novenas with more overtly Christian symbolism.

The first is found in the Acts of the Apostles, where Jesus instructed His followers to assemble and pray following His ascension into heaven. Tradition has it that during the nine days between Jesus' Ascension (which is thought to have occurred 40 days after His Passion/Passover) and Pentecost, the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary went to the Upper Room and prayed there together.

Another explanation for why nine is significant is that Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months. In fact, people in the Middle Ages customarily prayed for nine days before Christmas to represent the nine months that Jesus was conceived in His mother's womb.

How Should the Nine-Day Novena for the Dead Be Prayed?

The nine-day Catholic novena is exactly what it sounds like: a prayer for the deceased. It is a series of prayers recited over the course of nine days in memory of a deceased person. Here, we'll outline the procedures for performing this novena:

Decide which prayer(s) to use.

Any novena that is prayed must be done so with purpose. When praying, you must have a specific intention in mind.

For instance, you might want to express your joy when praying a preparation novena. When you pray a novena of mourning, you are publicly expressing your sorrow and grief. Choose prayers that will enable you to express your intention with clarity.

Allocate time each day for prayer.

A novena is a commitment to prayer. If you fail, will something terrible happen? No. But when someone begins a novena, it's because they realize how crucial it is to their spiritual well-being. Following a schedule will help ensure that you can finish this task. The novena should ideally be prayed at the same time each day.

You won't be able to schedule anything else during your prayer time if you schedule it. Additionally, it will give you the time and room you need to focus entirely on your prayer. The number nine feels significant in context, so some people like to pray the novena at nine in the morning, but choose the time that will consistently work best for you.

But keep in mind, even if you miss a day, not everything is lost. You can simply finish your novena one day later than planned, or you can say it twice in one day to catch up.

Determine to whom you will direct your novena to.

There are various entities to which people can pray when they perform a novena. The choices are God, Jesus, Mary, the saints, and so on.

Since St. Joseph is the patron saint of departed souls, you should pray to him in honor of a loved one who has passed away. A wonderful saint to pray to is St. Gertrude, who wrote prayers for souls imprisoned in purgatory. You could tailor your novena to coincide with a saint's upcoming Feast day if there is one.

Once more, a lot of factors with a personal connection and influence are at play in your choice.

Say your prayer aloud or silently in your head.

Vocal prayer is a type of prayer practiced in the Catholic church. As you might expect, it is not a prayer that is spoken aloud. Instead, it involves saying a prepared prayer aloud or silently to yourself.

The prayer can be recited by heart or in advance so that you don't forget it. Even a book can be used for reading it. Knowing the words you're going to use and saying them with intention is crucial.

Recite a novena each day.

Some people use a different prayer for each day of the novena when praying it. Some prefer to say the same prayer nine days in a row.

No real right or wrong way to do it exists. It boils down to a matter of personal preference once more.

A Novena For the Dead | 9 Days Catholic PDF Guide

Please use our Free Novena for the Dead PDF Guide to pray your own novena for your loved ones.

Printable PDF Novena for the Dead 

Pray a Nine-Day Catholic Novena in Mourning for the Dead

Traditions and rituals are significant. They help us get by in daily life. Bigger ideas and emotions, like death, can be helped by rituals with a lot of symbolic meaning. Similar to a Funeral Mass, praying a nine-day novena is an ancient religious practice. You can find solace in the knowledge that this prayer practice will support you as you go through the grieving process.

Read our articles on the Rosary for the Dead and Litany of Trust if you're looking for additional prayer suggestions.

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