St. Andrew Novena Prayer to Obtain Favors
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 Savior, 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.
As you pray the novena, remember to unite your intentions with the most perfect Will of God, and be open to and respectful of His judgments in all circumstances.
God knows what He is doing, and He loves and values us all beyond measure.
About St. Andrew: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 Savior, 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.
As you pray the novena, remember to unite your intentions with the most perfect Will of God, and be open to and respectful of His judgments in all circumstances.
God knows what He is doing, and He loves and values us all beyond measure.
"Andrew, like his brother Simon Peter, was a fisherman. He became a disciple of the great St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John to follow the Divine Master. Jesus knew that Andrew was walking behind him, and turning back, he asked, "what do you seek?" When Andrew answered that he would like to know where Jesus lived, Our Lord replied, "Come and see."
"Andrew had been only a little time with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah. From then on, he chose to follow Jesus. Andrew was thus the first disciple of Christ. Next, Andrew brought his brother Simon (St. Peter) to Jesus and Jesus received him, too, as His disciple. At first the two brothers continued to carry on their fishing trade and family affairs, but later, the Lord called them to stay with Him all the time. He promised to make them fishers of men, and this time, they left their nets for good. It is believed that after Our Lord ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel."
-www.catholic.org
"It is generally agreed that he was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas or Aegeates, at Patrae in Achaia, and that he was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to prolong his sufferings. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have been the decussate cross, now known as St. Andrew's, though the evidence for this view seems to be no older than the fourteenth century. His martyrdom took place during the reign of Nero, on 30 November, A.D. 60); and both the Latin and Greek Churches keep 30 November as his feast.
"St. Andrew's relics were translated from Patrae to Constantinople, and deposited in the church of the Apostles there, about A.D. 357. When Constantinople was taken by the French, in the beginning of the thirteenth century, Cardinal Peter of Capua brought the relics to Italy and placed them in the cathedral of Amalfi, where most of them still remain. St. Andrew is honored as their chief patron by Russia and Scotland."
-http://www.newadvent.org
On November 30, 1993, I began saying the St. Andrew Novena Prayer to Obtain Favors, and asked that God send us a child. I also prayed to my dear friend St. Therese, and asked her to send me yellow roses as a sign that our first baby was on the way.
For Christmas that year, a very kind colleague at Children's Hospital, whom I did not know very well, surprised me with a rose-scented lotion set. I still have one of the bottles. On February 2nd, 1994 I received a birthday card with a bouquet of yellow roses on the cover. I didn't notice at first; it was a day or two later when I was looking at the card and noticed the yellow roses on the front of the card, and at that moment knew for certain that my prayers had been answered.
On October 27, 1994, my beloved son Andre Joseph was born. He just celebrated his 17th birthday, and what a tremendous gift he remains to this day.
Andre, left, with his brother Nick and sister Alyssa,several years ago on Christmas Eve.
Wishing you and yours apeaceful, joyful, holy,
and
Christ-centered Advent.
God is at work in you.
____________
Sources:
St. Andrew Picture: http://www.catholicmedia.net/Saints/standrew.jpg
Photographs taken at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Catholic Church, Sterling Heights, Michigan, U.S.A.
