Why I Love the St. Andrew Christmas Novena
It’s simple, really.
I don’t really want to go into all the details here, but I will tell you that last year there was an ache in my heart that I was struggling to bear.
A good and wise friend counseled me to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena for a miracle. I’m not used to praying for such radical miracles. But I prayed anyway.
With tears streaming down my face and a heart heavy as lead, I prayed every day for the gift of a miracle baby- the one I was rather certain I would never get to hold.
And now, just one year later, I’m washing itty bitty baby clothes and making room for a crib right next to my bed. Because our God? Is a God of miracles. And He loves to spoil His children.
My bubbling joy at this pregnancy overwhelms me every single day. And so we’re celebrating today, November 30th, the Feast of St. Andrew and the beginning of the St. Andrew Christmas Novena. And we’re celebrating in the best way possible.
Sarah,
Thank you for posting about this novena. i prayed it last year after trying for many months unsuccessfully to conceive. We conceived in January, had a safe and complication free pregnancy and delivery, and I now hold a healthy baby girl. !!! I am 39 and only have 1 fallopian tube so it makes it that much harder to conceive, but we did the very next cycle after completing the novena!
On top of that, I had a disabling back injury which is now 95% better post pregnancy. Surgeons had wanted to do major spine surgery on my fractured L5 with hardware. They warned that a pregnancy would be very painful and could possibly worsen the injury. But they ensured us pregnancy was safe and I should have surgery after. We wanted a baby so bad I didn’t care about the pain I’d experience. Turned out the surgeons were wrong. During pregnancy I found a fantastic PT who specialized in my specific injury. She found that the ligaments in my pelvis were also badly overstretched from the same injury and hadn’t healed because my pelvis was torqued and hypermobile. She taught me how to self re-align my pelvis throughout the day. She warned me that my pain would subside in third trimester because the baby’s head would anchor in my pelvis and stabilize it but that the pain would come back right after delivery. She was right….third trimester i was pain free. But now post delivery I am still 95% pain free ! Its almost like the third trimester of pregnancy allowed my pelvis to heal. I truly believe that with this pregnancy, God blessed us with a precious baby and gave me my life back! I am no longer on crutches or in constant severe pain. I will be forever grateful to St Andrew for our precious baby girl and my ability to walk, run, jump, and play with my kids again !
I am truly happy for you!
I walked into church. Nov. 30 and saw the Novenas at the back. Picked one up and put it down. Yikes. Fifteen times saying this crazy prayer for a month during Advent/Christmas-prep time? I don’t think so! I Put it back down.
Went to adoration and later to reconciliation, where I named some problems, conflicts and fears. The young priest said ” Why don’t you give the St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena a try and see what happens?”
So I took it home and read it aloud over and over and it’s been a week. Last night I started to memorize it. Today was SO peaceful in my heart and got a lot done. Tonight I recited it mostly without help and it felt inspired. I think I did 16 or 17 chants. I feel hopeful! And then I realized the prayer was meant for me in special ways. Nov. 30 was fifth anniversary of my wonderful mom-in-law’s death. My two sons-in-law are named Andreas and Andre. My first grandchild is due late next month. I’m praying for a few things but a peaceful easy feeling is already the most important thing. To realize my issues are in God’s hands and He will do what is best and righteous for all involved puts my heart at ease . Amen!
Loved reading about your miracles!
this is the first I am hearing about the St Andrew’s Christmas Novena and today is already Dec 7, but I am going to start. I plan to make up for the days already gone. I pray and trust that it will still work on my impossible situation.
As a lifelong Catholic, I’ve only recently heard of St. Andrew’s Christmas Novena. I intend to pray it along with my wife in faith and hope of a miracle.
Please remember us in your prayers and I will keep you in mine.
I am Blessed to hear this message. Praise be to God! I have 10 beautiful children of my own and many personal miracles as well from thiwonderful prayer that I have said over the last 20 years. I encourage all to say it at least once in their lifetime. And I also implore you to pray for our country. Because without any God in it, and the destruction of the “Family” there will be no Country worth speaking of. http://www.gfcinthatorder.WordPress.com and a community http://WWW.4GFC.WordPress.com
Just found this post (googling the St. Andrew’s novena) and it gave me chills, and a renewed faith! Thank you for sharing this wonderful story!
Monica
Thank you for sharing your story! So beautiful! And, congratulations!
What a beautiful and inspirational post, Sarah! God is indeed good. You radiate beauty and are even more beautiful right now. I am so happy for your entire family and will keep you all in my prayers. I am new to the St. Andrew Novena this year and am asking for my own Christmas miracle as well. Like I said, God is good :D
That is so beautiful! So happy for you!
that bump!! it’s spectacular!!
Dear Anonymous,
Your post breaks my heart. I am so, so sorry. I don’t have an answer for you, but I have prayers coming your way.
Much love,
Sarah
I wish this novena worked for me. I have prayed it for 2 of my babies. Both of them died. Why does God only answer some people’s prayers??
What an encouraging, beautiful post this was. You look lovely. I’m so excited for you and your family.
Beautiful! Beautiful momma. Beautiful post. Beautiful prayer. :)
God bless you and your little one, Sarah.
I love the St. Andrew novena, too. :-) This was such an inspiring and beautiful post – thanks for sharing it! (And you look great! :-)
It is so good to hear of long-for prayers answered with a God-sized YES! You are radiant and your joy is shining in your face. Motherhood is beautiful and so are you!
Thank You Sarah for responding to my banner question. I’ve been meaning to check out Picasa since I do just about everything else with google. I can’t wait to check it out! Oh before I forget, I love what you did to that fireplace picture – Awesome. :-)
Elizabeth, I make my blog headers in Picasa, as a collage. Then I just paste the collage in as a single picture. Does that make sense?
God Bless You and your beautiful family. What an inspiring story of God’s Glory and Infinite Mercy. Like yourself, I wasn’t used to praying for radical miracles but I prayed to St. Jude this summer and Boy did he answer my prayers! I’m starting the Saint Andrew novena tonight inspired by your post.
Love the blog makeover! I would LOVE to know how you are able to design your blog headers! Your pictures are so lovely as is your growing belly.
Peace to you!
The blog looks terrific!
I’ve noticed your bubbling joy in this pregnancy, and it touches me that it’s your fourth, not your first. I didn’t realize there was such a story behind it; it makes me wish we could hear more (privacy respected, though, of course).
Sarah, you look marvelous in all that baby joy! Your blog looks great as well. You are so talented in so many ways. Enjoy your miracle! Praying for you.
Thanks for sharing those great pregnancy pics. And, I’m so glad you included that lovely one in your header. The pregnancies seem to last forever, and then you can barely remember how it feels to carry a baby. Those pics will help you to always remember how darling you looked in these days. And, thanks for sharing the novena. So simple, and I felt the HS when I said it.
Oh my, thank you for all the sweet words. Primrose took those pictures; didn’t she do a good job?
Of course, I didn’t post the ones where I was CRACKING UP because she put on a photographer’s accent (whatever that is) and started saying “That’s right! Arch that back, lady!” :)
Oh thank you for sharing that miracle Sarah! I’m with Elizabeth, your belly pictures are so beautiful ;-)
Oh, and those belly pictures? amazing. I’m staring. You are so darn cute and you’re even cuter pregnant:-)
Praise God for your precious miracle baby.
Continued prayers you.
Ad Jesum per Mariam,
Lena
you are simply gorgeous, I miss you.
Also love the new look
Beautiful!
God is good!
I must say, that of all the lovely things you are amongst, you, yourself, are the loveliest of all.
So happy for you :)
Oh, Sarah! I could have written the same post – except my miracle baby was a result of the pleading of his 4 big sisters to Mary during a Immaculate Conception Novena 4 years ago! Not a day goes by that I don’t look at his sweet face and give thanks again for his life. I really never thought it would happen again.
Weeping happy tears for you, sweet friend. I love this story so much. Give your big Andrew a hug for me and wish him a happy, happy feast. Enjoy your celebration!
What a beautiful post!
I usually do the St Andrew novena, but decided to do the Immaculate Conception novena instead this year….your post decided it for me, I’m doing both!
And now I’m crying. Thanks a lot. ;)
You’re beautiful – inside and out. Have a blessed Advent!