Aspiration Prayers
An aspiration, like prayer in general, is an elevation of the mind to God. But it is an elevation that is impelled by love, composed of only a few words, and directed like a dart to God, that He may know the holy affections and desires of the soul. Like arrows that shoot directly toward their target, these prayers leap, as it were, from the soul directly to God. The most common aspiration is the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
To be a Catholic means to grow and develop a relationship with Our Lord. One of most effective ways to do this is through frequent small prayers to Him. As Saint Francis de Sales says, these short aspirations are retreats to God. These longings toward God, which take the form of short prayers are exactly what we need throughout the day to unite our hearts with God more fully and completely.
Examples of Aspiration Prayers
- Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I Love You! Save Souls!
- Jesus, I trust in You.
- Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me.
- Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for me.
- Mary my queen, bring me closer to your Son.
- Holy Spirit, command me to do Your will.
- Guardian angel, protect me!
- (Patron or favorite saint), pray for me!
Aspirations – Fr. Mark Goring, CC (1:47)
Novena Prayers
Novena prayers are prayers said over a continuous length of days for a special intention. The word “novena” comes from the Latin word for nine. Traditionally, there are nine days of prayer in a Catholic novena. Why nine days specifically? It begins when Our Lord ascended into Heaven. After the disciples watched him depart and were caught staring at the sky by an angel who asked the world’s most obvious question: “Why are you looking up?” We read in the Acts of the Apostles that the eleven Apostles, together with Mary and some of the other disciples, returned to the upper room in Jerusalem (where Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper) and they “devoted themselves with one accord to prayer” (see Acts 1:13-14).
13 When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All of these were constantly engaged in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. (Acts 1:13-14)
And how long did they pray? Well, if Jesus ascended forty days after Easter, and Pentecost took place fifty days after Easter, that means there were nine days in between these two events. The Apostles prayed for nine days in a row until the Holy Spirit descended upon them. This is the first novena, and the model for all novenas. There are nine days between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday. This has served as a model for all future novenas. They remained there together until finally, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came. He filled them with grace and hope and courage. They were literally on fire—so much so that that very day they converted 3,000 souls to Christianity. Ever since then, this great feast is celebrated as the birthday of the Church. At the heart of it is persevering trust. You bring your trials and struggles to God, petition Him with all your heart, and wait for the Holy Spirit.
Types of Novena Prayer
- Anticipation. We pray novenas in anticipation before or after a funeral, praying for the soul of the person who has passed away and asking God to be close to those who mourn them. This could be a saint’s novena that they were close to or a novena to Christ, such as the Sacred Heart Novena.
- Preparation. We hope to prepare ourselves for the nine days leading up to a sacrament or another important day with these novenas. For example, some couples might pray a novena before their wedding day, or you might pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena leading up to the Birth of Jesus.
- Petition. Novenas in petition ask God to answer a prayer or ask a specific saint for their intercession. First, identify your petition or intention for prayer. Then, select a saint associated with the subject matter.
- Penance. These novenas are prayed as an act of penitence; we pray for nine days asking God for His mercy. They are often given as a penance after the sacrament of confession.
How to Pray a Novena (the Right Way) (7:25)
