Book Reviews and More: The Handy Little Guide to Novenas - Allison Gingras

The Handy Little Guide to Novenas

Allison Gingras

Our Sunday Visitor

ISBN 9781639661800

eISBN 9781639661817

ASIN B0CWMB61DQ

The Handy Little Guide to Novenas - Allison Gingras - OSV Handy Litte Guides

This is the fourth of the ‘Handy Little Guide’ books from Our Sunday Visitor that I have read, it is available in eBook format and I believe it is one of 4 available digitally from the 9 in the series, though one of them is not available digitally in Canada. This is a pity. I want to state that this is a wonderful little book or booklet. It was a great little read, and one that could read repeatedly, and with new benefits each time. Second, I really wish this that others in the ‘Handy Little’ series were available as eBooks. After having read four in the series I want to read the others but almost never pick up physical books anymore, or if I do I scan them to make digital copies if I am very desperate to read them. Mainly due to my dyslexia.

The chapters in this booklet are:

1. Discovering Novenas

2. History of the Novena

3. Biblical Connections

4. The Novena Prayer Mindset

5. Novena Fundamentals

6. Indulge Me for a Minute

7. Flexible and Joyful

8. Remembering to Pray

9. What Novena Should I Pray?

10. Gather Your Saint Posse

11. Make Friends with the Poor Souls

12. Novenas to Add to Your Repertoire

13. Novenas with Extra-Special Blessings

14. Miracles Happen

The description of this volume is:

“The Blessed Mother and the twelve apostles remained in the Upper Room in prayer for nine days after the Lord's Ascension. From those nine days of prayer, the tradition of novenas — praying for a specific period of time for a special intention — was born. The word "novena" is derived from the Latin novem, meaning nine.

The Handy Little Guide to Novenas is your easy-to-read, down-to-earth introduction to this beautiful devotion. In this brief booklet, author and novena enthusiast Allison Gingras helps you understand and practice this ancient, yet totally relevant, form of prayer. You'll learn:

The fundamentals of novenas — when to pray them, for how long, and to whom
The biblical connections of novenas
The proper mindset for praying a novena, including what not to do
Recommendations for tried-and-true novenas”

I only highlighted a few sections while reading this volume, they are:

“The effect of that first foray into praying a novena? I learned prayer’s most significant outcome: the change it brought about in me.”

“Fr. William Saunders defines a novena: A nine-day period of private or public prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or make special petitions. (Novena is derived from the Latin novem, meaning nine.) As the definition suggests, the novena has always had more of a sense of urgency and neediness.”

“Whether the novena lasts nine minutes, nine hours, five days, forty days, or fifty-four days, all are valid ways of praying for intercession in your time of need.”

“All prayer is good, all have merit, and I guarantee all will have some positive outcome, though most of the merit and grace will be found in what prayer does to the one who prays. He may not change our circumstances, but God will certainly touch and change our hearts.”

“As with all things, the growing popularity of something good can lead to abuses and misconceptions, and novena devotions are no exception. As so wisely explained by the Marian Fathers: “There are no absolute guarantees. Prayer must always be made according to the will of God. Even Christ himself prayed, ‘Not my will, Father, but Yours be done.’ We pray with trust that God will give us what he knows is best for us.”*”

“The plan God has for our lives is perfect, and we could spend a lifetime contemplating his mind, ways, and thoughts and not make a dent in uncovering their depth. Additionally, at least for me, tremendous solace can be acquired in this famous quote attributed to Saint Teresa of Ávila: “There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.””

“All prayer should begin with the Sign of the Cross, as it invokes the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

“Father Mitch Pacwa, SJ, a respected Scripture scholar, recommends three essential elements for the use of novenas: First, the prayers are specific, which helps us make our needs before God specific without telling God how to answer our prayer. Second, the prayers include an expression of trust and confidence in God’s ability to answer them. “Often we have some doubts, so we pray like the man with the epileptic son,” he said. “‘ Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.’ Prayers that rouse our trust in God are aids to the graces of faith and hope.” Third, repeating prayers and repeating them over time is helpful because we often need that length of time to move beyond merely making a request to learning to listen to God as he speaks to us in prayer.”

“In his book The Church’s Most Powerful Novenas, the late Michael Dubruiel lists three main benefits of praying a novena: It helps develop the habit of daily prayer. It reinforces a sense that God is our Father and that he loves us. It teaches us the benefits of praying with others to God.”

“Devotions help us give order and structure to prayer, and they come with blessings and graces. Some offer additional benefits in the form of an indulgence, either plenary (full) or partial.”

“The Rosary, for me, is an act of waging war against all the obstacles that fight to keep me from the peace Jesus has for me as I await his answer or the resolution of a situation or circumstance.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for the wisdom and instruction contained within this volume. When I was in university, I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, there was a series of booklets by the founder Bill Bright, called Transferable Concepts, and by reading them many times you could almost memorize them and the message so that you could share it. This volume and series remind me a lot of those books.

This book and series would be excellent for High School Students, College or University Students and older adults. It is easy to engage with. Can be read in a brief time. Allison writes in an engaging manner and offers a lot of personal examples and includes a good serving of humour. An excellent little volume.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books in the Handy Little Series from OSV:

The Handy Little Guide to Adoration - Michelle Jones Schroeder

The Handy Little Guide to Confession - Michelle Jones Schroeder

The Handy Little Guide to Prayer - Barb Szyszkiewicz

The Handy Little Guide to Spiritual Communion – Michael R. Heinlien

The Handy Little Guide to the Holy Spirit - Michelle Schroeder

The Handy Little Guide to the Lent - Michelle Schroeder

The Handy Little Guide to Novenas - Allison Gingras

The Handy Little Guide to Fasting - Greg Kandra

The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours - Barb Szyszkiewicz

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