A novena for impossible requests is one of the most powerful and ancient forms of prayer in the Catholic tradition. When your need is urgent, when the situation seems beyond human resolution, and when you need the sustained, fervent intercession of our Blessed Mother — this 9-day novena is for you.
This particular novena honours the nine months during which Our Lady carried Jesus in her womb — making it one of the most intimate and powerful forms of Marian prayer. As you pray these prayers for nine days, you are uniting your petition to the very mystery of the Incarnation.
(This 9 day Novena honours the pregnancy period during which Our Lady carried Our Blessed Lord in her womb.)
“Hail, Holy Queen,
Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope!
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us;
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.”
V – Pray for us, most holy mother of God.
R – That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
“Virgin of the Incarnation,
a thousand times we greet thee,
a thousand times we praise thee
for thy joy when God was incarnated in thee.
Because thou art so powerful
a Virgin and Mother of God,
grant what we ask of thee for the love of God.”
Here state your first intention.
Repeat all of above
and then state your second intention.
Repeat all of above
and then state your third intention.
CONCLUSION:
After the above prayers and intentions,
say the Memorare.
Remember, O most Gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help
or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of Virgins,
my mother.
To thee do I cry,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
What is a Novena?
The word “novena” comes from the Latin novem, meaning “nine.” The practice of praying for nine consecutive days finds its origin in the nine days the Apostles and the Virgin Mary spent in prayer in the Upper Room between the Ascension and Pentecost (Acts 1:14), when the Holy Spirit descended upon them.
The Church has approved and encouraged novenas throughout her history. Many of the Church’s most significant feasts are preceded by novenas. The Novena of Grace (to Saint Francis Xavier), the novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and this novena for impossible requests have all been associated with extraordinary answers to prayer.
Why Novenas Work
Novenas work not because of magic or mechanical repetition, but because they cultivate the dispositions God responds to: perseverance, trust, and total surrender.
Jesus taught us the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) to show that we should “pray always and not lose heart.” He praised the faith of the persistent — the blind Bartimaeus who kept crying out despite being told to be quiet, the Canaanite woman who refused to take “no” for an answer. Novenas are a structured way to cultivate this persistence.
How to Pray This Novena
1. Begin on any day and pray for nine consecutive days without skipping.
2. State three intentions — this novena asks you to state your intentions three times. Many Catholics use this structure to pray for their most pressing need, then for a second person’s need, then for a more general spiritual intention.
3. Conclude with the Memorare — as instructed in the novena above. The Memorare is the great prayer of trust in Mary’s unfailing intercession.
4. Keep a prayer journal during the nine days, noting any spiritual insights, consolations, or developments related to your petition.
5. Give thanks in advance — throughout the novena, thank God and Our Lady for hearing your prayer, even before seeing the answer. This act of trust is itself spiritually powerful.
What to Expect
Many Catholics who pray novenas for impossible requests report that answers come in unexpected ways and at unexpected times — sometimes during the novena, sometimes after, sometimes in a completely different form than expected, but always in a way that is ultimately for their greatest good.
The Hail Holy Queen which opens this novena addresses Mary as our “life, sweetness, and hope” — and acknowledges our exile in this “valley of tears.” In praying it, we acknowledge our need and our trust simultaneously. We are poor banished children of Eve, crying out to our heavenly Mother. And she hears us.
Complete Trust in Mary’s Intercession
The great Dominican preacher Blessed Alan de la Roche wrote: “Those who trust in Mary’s intercession will never be confounded.” This is not a guarantee that we will always get exactly what we ask for — it is a guarantee that Mary will never abandon those who cry out to her.
Begin your novena today. Pray it with perseverance, faith, and complete trust. Our Lady of the Impossible, intercede for us.
More Powerful Novenas
- 9-Day Novena for Impossible Requests
- Saint Jude Novena for Miracles
- Saint Anthony Miracle Prayer Novena
- The Best Novena Jesus Recommended
