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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Prayers and novenas	Nathan	Saturday, April 8, 2017
Question: I have a question regarding prayers. I hear many people say: “This prayer/novena is a VERY powerful prayer/novena.” Let’s say that I am praying to our Blessed Mother for a certain thing and I say a certain novena, then someone comes along and says, “Oh, you need to pray THIS novena for your request because this is a VERY ‘powerful’ novena.” Why would novena “B” to the Blessed Mother (Virgin of so and so) be more powerful than novena “A” that I am praying to the Blessed Mother (Virgin of such and such). It’s still a novena to our Blessed Mother but under a different title. So why would one be more powerful than another? I know prayers are not magic formulas or incantations but must come from the heart and all answers come from God and His will. Also, why would a novena to “St. Doe”, be more powerful than a novena to “St. Moe” for the same request? Thank you for your reply.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Nathan: A good question. The primary power of a prayer is the faith of the person who prays it. As you say, prayers are not magical incantations. In this sense, it does not matter which novena you use. The idea of a certain novena or prayer being effective arises from the devotion of patron saints. Saints may have a specialty in one subject as opposed to another. The same goes for prayers to our Blessed Mother under one title as opposed to another. For example, we use the Litany of Loreto (referring to the birthplace of Mary) and the Novena of Lepanto (referring to the Battle of Lepanto when a Christian navy, after praying the Rosary, won the battle against an overwhelming Muslim navy), when praying against demonic harassment, oppression, and obsession. This is because Our Lady under these titles are particularly hated by demons. But, in the final analysis, it is your faith, not the particular prayer, that has "power." God knows your heart and the purpose of your prayer. I would not pay a whole lot of attention to people who border on treating prayers like incantations. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Prayers and novenas

Nathan

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Question:

I have a question regarding prayers.

I hear many people say: “This prayer/novena is a VERY powerful prayer/novena.” Let’s say that I am praying to our Blessed Mother for a certain thing and I say a certain novena, then someone comes along and says, “Oh, you need to pray THIS novena for your request because this is a VERY ‘powerful’ novena.” Why would novena “B” to the Blessed Mother (Virgin of so and so) be more powerful than novena “A” that I am praying to the Blessed Mother (Virgin of such and such). It’s still a novena to our Blessed Mother but under a different title. So why would one be more powerful than another?

I know prayers are not magic formulas or incantations but must come from the heart and all answers come from God and His will.

Also, why would a novena to “St. Doe”, be more powerful than a novena to “St. Moe” for the same request?

Thank you for your reply.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Nathan:

A good question. The primary power of a prayer is the faith of the person who prays it. As you say, prayers are not magical incantations. In this sense, it does not matter which novena you use.

The idea of a certain novena or prayer being effective arises from the devotion of patron saints. Saints may have a specialty in one subject as opposed to another. The same goes for prayers to our Blessed Mother under one title as opposed to another. For example, we use the Litany of Loreto (referring to the birthplace of Mary) and the Novena of Lepanto (referring to the Battle of Lepanto when a Christian navy, after praying the Rosary, won the battle against an overwhelming Muslim navy), when praying against demonic harassment, oppression, and obsession. This is because Our Lady under these titles are particularly hated by demons.

But, in the final analysis, it is your faith, not the particular prayer, that has "power." God knows your heart and the purpose of your prayer. I would not pay a whole lot of attention to people who border on treating prayers like incantations.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum