Catholic Christmas Novena 2026: St. Andrew Prayer and 9 Daily Prayers

A Catholic Christmas novena is a time of prayer that prepares the heart for the birth of Jesus. Catholics keep two of them: the St. Andrew Christmas Novena, a short prayer said 15 times a day from November 30, 2026, until Christmas, and the traditional Christmas Novena, nine days of prayer from December 16 to December 24, 2026.

Both are simple, both can be prayed at home, and both fit beautifully into Advent. Below you will find the dates for 2026, the full text of the St. Andrew prayer, and a prayer for each of the nine days before Christmas.

Christmas Novena Dates for 2026

Devotion	Begins	Ends	How often
St. Andrew Christmas Novena	Monday, November 30	Friday, December 25	15 times a day
Christmas Novena (9 days)	Wednesday, December 16	Thursday, December 24	Once a day
Christmas Day	Friday, December 25		Mass of the Nativity

Advent itself begins a day earlier, on Sunday, November 29. You can read more in our guide to when Advent starts in 2026.

What Is the St. Andrew Christmas Novena?

The St. Andrew Christmas Novena is a short prayer to God that recalls the very hour of Christ’s birth. It is named for St. Andrew the Apostle only because it begins on his feast day, November 30. Andrew was the first disciple to follow Jesus, and he brought his brother Simon Peter to Him (John 1:40-42), which makes him a fitting companion at the start of Advent.

It is not strictly a novena, since a novena lasts nine days. It is a daily devotion kept for all of Advent, about 25 days in all. Its author is unknown, but it has been printed on Catholic prayer cards for generations.

The St. Andrew Christmas 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 Savior Jesus Christ,
and of His blessed Mother.
Amen.

“Vouchsafe” is an old word that means “graciously grant.”

How to Pray the St. Andrew Novena

1. Choose your intention. Many people bring one special request to God for the whole of Advent: a family need, a healing, a conversion, a decision.
2. Pray it 15 times each day, from November 30 until Christmas.
3. Spread it out if that helps. Five times in the morning, five at noon and five at night works well. Some people count on the beads of a rosary.
4. Pray slowly. Picture the stable, the cold night, Mary and Joseph, and the Child. The prayer is meant to draw you into the mystery, not to be rushed.
5. Don’t worry about a missed day. Simply continue. The number 15 is a custom, not a condition God sets.

A word about “grant my desires.” Jesus invites us to ask: “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). The Catechism also teaches that we pray with filial trust, asking for what we need while seeking first God’s will and His Kingdom (CCC 2734-2737). So we present our desires to the Father with confidence, and we trust Him with the answer. No prayer is a formula that obliges God, and this one never promises that.

What Is the Christmas Novena of December 16-24?

The traditional Christmas Novena is nine days of prayer that end on Christmas Eve. It grew out of the Church’s liturgy itself. From December 17, the weekday Masses and the Liturgy of the Hours turn directly toward the birth of Christ, and the great “O Antiphons” are sung at Evening Prayer: O Wisdom, O Lord, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Radiant Dawn, O King of the Nations, and O Emmanuel.

The Church’s Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001) speaks warmly of the Christmas Novena as a way to share the riches of the Advent liturgy with ordinary families. Many Catholic cultures keep it: the dawn Masses of Simbang Gabi in the Philippines, Las Posadas in Mexico, and the Novena di Natale in Italy.

As the Catechism says, when the Church celebrates Advent each year, “she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah” (CCC 524). The novena helps us share Mary’s waiting.

9 Daily Prayers for the Christmas Novena

Pray one each day. You may begin with the Sign of the Cross, read the short Scripture passage, say the prayer, and close with an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be.

Day 1 (December 16): Prayer of Longing (Original Prayer)

Read Isaiah 9:1-6.

Lord God, the people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.
Stir up in me a true longing for Your Son.
Clear away whatever keeps me from Him,
and make my heart ready for His coming.
Amen.

Day 2 (December 17): Prayer for Wisdom (Original Prayer)

Read Isaiah 11:1-5.

O Wisdom of God, Jesus Christ,
You order all things with strength and gentleness.
Teach me the way of prudence,
so that I may choose what pleases You
in my words, my plans and my days.
Amen.

Day 3 (December 18): Prayer with St. Joseph (Original Prayer)

Read Matthew 1:18-24.

Lord Jesus, You chose St. Joseph to guard You and Your Mother.
Give me his quiet trust
when I do not understand Your plans.
Help me, like him, to rise and do Your will.
Amen.

Day 4 (December 19): Prayer for Those Who Wait (Original Prayer)

Read Luke 1:5-17.

God of Zechariah and Elizabeth,
You did not forget them in their long waiting.
Remember all who wait today:
for a child, for healing, for work, for peace.
Give them patience and a hope that does not fail.
Amen.

Day 5 (December 20): Prayer with Mary’s Yes (Original Prayer)

Read Luke 1:26-38.

Holy Mary, you said to the angel,
“May it be done to me according to your word.”
Pray for me, that I may say yes to God
in small things and in great ones,
and make room for Jesus in my life.
Amen.

Day 6 (December 21): Prayer for Joy (Original Prayer)

Read Luke 1:39-45.

Lord Jesus, even hidden in Your Mother’s womb
You filled Elizabeth and John with joy.
Come into my home this Christmas.
Lift the sadness of those who grieve,
and let Your joy reach every heart around my table.
Amen.

Day 7 (December 22): Prayer of Thanksgiving (Original Prayer)

Read Luke 1:46-56.

My soul proclaims Your greatness, O Lord.
Thank You for every blessing of this year,
the joys I noticed and the ones I missed.
Make me humble and grateful, like Mary,
and generous to the poor and lonely.
Amen.

Day 8 (December 23): Prayer for Families (Original Prayer)

Read Luke 1:57-66.

Heavenly Father, bless my family this Christmas.
Heal old wounds and soften hard words.
Bring home those who are far away,
in body or in faith,
and gather us all one day in Your house.
Amen.

Day 9 (December 24): Christmas Eve Prayer to Emmanuel (Original Prayer)

Read Luke 2:1-14.

O Emmanuel, God with us,
tonight You come to us as a little Child.
I kneel before You with the shepherds.
Receive my prayer, my intention and my whole life.
Be born again in my heart, Lord Jesus.
Amen.

Ways to Make Your Christmas Novena Fruitful

• Pray it at the Advent wreath. Light the candles and say the novena together as a family. Our Advent wreath prayers give a blessing for each week.
• Add daily Advent prayers. For the weeks before December 16, our Advent prayers for each day pair well with the St. Andrew prayer.
• Keep Mary’s feast. The Immaculate Conception novena runs from November 29 to December 7, before the holy day on December 8.
• Go to Confession. Many parishes hold Advent penance services. A clean heart is the best gift to bring to the manger.
• Finish at Mass. The novena ends on Christmas Eve; the celebration begins at the Mass of Christmas. Then share our short Christmas prayers for family blessings at your Christmas table.

A Final Word

A novena does not earn God’s favor; it opens our hearts to the favor He already offers. Whether you pray the St. Andrew prayer fifteen times a day or a single prayer each evening from December 16, you are joining Mary and Joseph on the road to Bethlehem. Come, Lord Jesus.