My family has been saying this novena for decades, beginning when I was a child. As we raised our family, Tim and I brought our children into it, and, along with things like the Advent Wreath, it became part of our Liturgical New Year traditions.

The funny thing about prayer

Do an internet search for the St. Andrew Christmas Novena or any prayer for that matter, and depending on the site, you will get a history of the prayer, miracles associated with those who persevered in saying it, and maybe different versions of the prayer.

You might even see the statement on various prayers: “It is piously believed that this prayer has never been known to fail”.

We humble ourselves before Him, acknowledge our dependence on His generosity in meeting our needs, ask for mercy when our weakness leads us astray, and by asking for the spiritual and temporal things placed on our hearts, we don’t take for granted the good He does for us.

“Hmmph,” you may be thinking to yourself. “I’ve said prayers before and a good many of them were never answered.”

You may have even given up on praying….unless you had no other recourse. You know, the whole “there’s no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole” concept.

When all other human designs and devices have failed, it seems this is when we return to God. This is nothing new. The Old Testament is filled with stories illustrating this point. How often did the Hebrews fall away from doing what the Lord asked, suffer consequences like failing to beeline to the Promised Land, or fall into captivity…quite often.

Nebuchadnezzar II Takes Jerusalem & With That Sets a Magical Stage (patheos.com)

In reality, it is not all about us

A couple of things might be happening here. I know the Lord hears all of our prayers. He certainly knows what we need. Christ said:

Therefore do not be anxious, saying ’What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’, or ‘What are we to put on?’ (for after all these things the Gentiles seek; for your Father knows that you need all these things. (St. Matt. 6:31–32)

So perhaps we don’t need that yellow Lamborghini after all.

God is not Santa Claus, even though he is the only entity that knows if we truly have been “naughty or nice”.

I think where things go south for those trying to serve God and others (the Two Great Commandments) but struggle with the concept of prayer misunderstand it.

Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For eveyone who asks, received; and he who seeks, finds; and to hom who knocks, it shall be opened. Or what man is there among you, who, if his son asks him for a loaf, will hand him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? Therefore, if you evil as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (St. Matt. 7:7–11)

Therefore I say to you, all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you (St. Mark 11:24)

Well, OK then, how does a person reconcile these verses with this that has a different take:

You ask and you do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it upon your passions (St. James 4:3)

We just can’t expect that we can continually go to “The Bank of God” any more than we can go to  “The Bank of Dad” whenever we want something without somehow being asked to give something back.

Putting it into perspective: The Catholic Way

The catechism defines prayer as “the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God”. Bishop Louis Morrow in My Catholic Faith explains further that it is a “loving conversation” with God and that just thinking about God is not prayer (devils think of God but that is not a prayer).

We are commanded to pray, as found in the Gospel of St. Luke: And he also told them a parable — that they must always pray and not lose heart (St. Luke 18:1). St. Paul in his Epistle to the Thessalonians says “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).

We are commanded to pray for four big reasons:

• To adore Godand acknowledge our love, show loyalty, and praise him for all of his perfections, while recognizing that compared to him we are nothing.
• To thank Godfor all of the favors and benefits we have received from him. In the Old Testament, we find so many verses and canticles of thanksgiving. Indeed, St. Paul exhorts at least three others of his communities to not forget to give thanks:

Have no anxiety, but in every prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God (Phil. 4:6)

Giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father (Eph. 5:20)

Be assiduous in prayer, being wakeful therein with thanksgiving (Col. 4:2)

• To beg God’s pardon for our sins, our negligence of duty or service, and ask for the remission of punishment which in his divine justice these sins require.
• To petition God, asking for the graces we need, and for blessings (spiritual or temporal) for ourselves and others.

It is not as if God doesn’t know what we want: after all, he is God. My take on this is that by our supplication, we humble ourselves before him, acknowledge our dependence on his generosity in meeting our needs, ask for mercy when our weakness leads us astray, and by asking for the spiritual and temporal things placed on our hearts, we don’t take for granted the good he does for us.

On a purely human level, think of it this way. As children are dependent on their parents for all their needs, they often let them know how much they love them and appreciate what their parents do for them (at least they should).

When children fail to do as they are told or worse, neglect to do those things they ought to do, they ask to be forgiven. Who wants to be grounded or *gasp* be deprived of an electronic device?

Finally, how often have we overheard a child begging a parent for something, be it food or some latest apparel or trendy game?

The same holds true with our relationship with God. We just can’t expect that we can continually go to “The Bank of God” any more than we can go to  “The Bank of Dad” whenever we want something without somehow being asked to give something back.

Does this mean we will always receive whatever we ask? I ran across a prayer card the other day when I was searching for the St. Andrew Novena prayer, and on one novena, in addition to the “piously believed” statement there was an added caveat: I ask that you grant this request if it be for your honor and glory, and the salvation of my soul.

Bottom line: unless the yellow Lamborghini is for God’s honor and your eternal salvation, Our Lord might decline the request. But rest assured, there will be something much better in store for you if you accept God’s will.

Isn’t there a saying about God closing a door and opening a window?

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