Today begins the St. Andrew Christmas Novena! We joined in last year and enjoyed adding this to our Advent prayer as a family.
Of course, the novena can be prayed for any petition to be obtained but it is also known to be prayed by/for those wishing to conceive. I believe that our Advent prayers last year were leading our family in preparation for our child we are awaiting the arrival of this year. Believe me, this year we will be praying with heartfelt gratitude to St. Andrew during this beautiful season.
This year we will pray too for so many blogging women I've met whose hearts and arms still remain empty this coming Christmas. We will especially be praying for Mr. and Mrs. B who continue to walk the infertility journey. Mrs. B over at Joy Beyond the Cross offered St. Andrew novena chaplets she made to her readers. I just received mine yesterday and my kids will appreciate it since they enjoyed counting and following along faithfully every evening last year.
Of course, the novena can be prayed for any petition to be obtained but it is also known to be prayed by/for those wishing to conceive. I believe that our Advent prayers last year were leading our family in preparation for our child we are awaiting the arrival of this year. Believe me, this year we will be praying with heartfelt gratitude to St. Andrew during this beautiful season.
This year we will pray too for so many blogging women I've met whose hearts and arms still remain empty this coming Christmas. We will especially be praying for Mr. and Mrs. B who continue to walk the infertility journey. Mrs. B over at Joy Beyond the Cross offered St. Andrew novena chaplets she made to her readers. I just received mine yesterday and my kids will appreciate it since they enjoyed counting and following along faithfully every evening last year.
Join me in this time of preparation (today until Christmas) in prayer as we make way for the child Jesus to be born in our hearts.
Blessed Advent to all of you!!
That is a beautiful chaplet!
ReplyDeleteIsn't this a beautiful tradition, Sarah? We are so very thankful for St. Andrew's intercession in our family as well.
ReplyDeleteI'll try to be as brief as possible here: my husband was not raised Catholic, and after we had one boy and one girl, his whole family made unsolicited comments, such as "now your family is complete" and "one of each, there's no need for more," etc. He conferred with my (then) priest, who told him that it was everyone's personal choice whether vasectomies were permissible or not.... And after one more baby boy, my DH had a vasectomy. I was devastated.
After almost 7 years of praying, I 'discovered' this St. Andrew Prayer.
Fast-forward about 11 years.... My DH has converted to Catholicism and we now have 6 wonderful children in our family. I thank St. Andrew, and give him all the credit, because by his intercession, my DH's hardened heart has been changed enough that we've welcomed three more children into our family. :-)
Blessings to you as you prepare to welcome your new little blessing, thanks to St. Andrew's intercession, to your family. I am so happy for you!