Tomorrow, November 30th, is the feast of St. Andrew; fisherman, fisher of men, Apostle, and martyr. While in many places as various as Scotland, Russia, and Barbados honor the great saint himself, in our home the feast day stands out as the beginning of the Saint Andrew Novena/Chaplet. Other than the fact that this prayer cycle starts on the feast of Peter’s brother, it has little to do with Andrew himself. It is actually the recitation of a prayer for fifteen times a day (hence some calling it a chaplet) for the next twenty five day till Christmas (and so others call it a Novena).
Either way this prayer focusing on the event surrounding the birth of Our Lords has a special place in the heart of my family. This time last year found my wife and me in the exhilarating and terrifying instance of expecting our first child. Because of this, it felt as if the Saint Andrew Novena/Chaplet was written for us alone. After the twenty five days of prayer we had decided to make this Novena/Chaplet part of our annual preparation for Christmas.
No matter where life finds you this Christmas season, I would encourage you to take the time to pray this prayer.
Saint Andrew Novena/Chaplet
3x
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
15x
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, [mention your prayer intention] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother.
Amen
[To the best of my knowledge this prayer is in the public domain]
