Reply to Catholics: does a shorter novena count the same as a longer one?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If by shorter duration, you mean less than nine days, it would not be a “novena,” which by definition requires nine days.

If what you are seeking is a briefer, less wordy, less editorial set of prayers, you should be able to find online something to suit you. Many of the older novenas have a lot of ancillary material that is intended to increase devotion and promote the appropriate spiritual orientation.

Keep in mind that none of this is magic. You’re asking God, ordinarily via the intercession of a Saint, for a particular favor. The prayer is really for your benefit. God already knows what you want and need. The novena is an aid to focus and to putting trust in God.

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It's not magic?  It sure sounds like magic - asking God, via the intercession of a saint, for a favor. And you're asking God to do something that He already knows you want and need.
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While your puerile carping and religion-envy do not merit a response, I’ll provide one. As I pointed out, the primary beneficiary of the prayer is the person praying and ultimately the individual prayed for. Prayer is raising the heart and mind to God. Christianity teaches to ask for our needs. The goal is conformity with God’s will and an increase in spiritual connection. Prayer is a mystery. Magic is a trick. [/quote]

Both Prayer and Magic are tricks.[/quote]

And both are mysteries until you figure them out.

Magic is a tougher mystery - it takes a lot of skill to do magic tricks and magic seems real to the naked eye.  Even so, people generally know it's a trick and wonder how it was done. Some people can figure it out and some people can even learn to do magic tricks themselves
 
Prayer is an easier mystery for people to figure out.  Anyone can pray and it's easy enough to see that sometimes prayers aren't answered.  It's also easy enough for some people to figure out that no one is listening to their prayers.  It's all up to chance.  And these days, modern medicine fixes things the way prayer never could, even by chance.
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