The Christmas Novena, also known as the Saint Andrew Novena, as it begins on his Feast (Nov. 30), is a good way to prepare for Christmas and remind us of our intentions during Advent.

The Novena consists of saying the below prayer 15 times daily from the Feast of Saint Andrew (Nov. 30) to Christmas. I remember the joy I had on Christmas Day while reciting the prayer the first year I devoted myself to praying this Novena prayer. How beautiful it is to place ourselves humbly before the Manger of Our Lord on Christmas in the silence of the night. What joy!

The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena prayer:

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 piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Our Lord is always knocking upon our hearts — that is His daily coming into our lives each and every day. Let us not fail to listen to and to hear His voice during these days of Advent, by taking extra times of prayer and allowing a greater silence to be more attentive to His loving voice.