The Growing Light; St. Andrew’s Novena
Every Advent carries a quiet ache. A longing. A holy restlessness that whispers through candlelight and early winter evenings. For centuries, Catholics have expressed that longing through one of the most beloved Advent devotions: the St. Andrew Christmas Novena, beginning each year on November 30, the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle.
Although commonly called a “novena,” it is not prayed for nine days. Rather, it is prayed 15 times a day from November 30 until Christmas Eve, forming a rhythmic heartbeat of desire for Christ’s coming — not just at Bethlehem, but into the soul of the one praying.
A Prayer Rooted in the Mystery of the Incarnation
Unlike many novenas, this one does not invoke St. Andrew’s intercession directly. Instead, it draws the believer to contemplate the breathtaking humility of God made flesh:
“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…”
The prayer places us directly in the Nativity scene: midnight, the sting of winter air, Mary’s purity, the threshold of salvation breaking into the world. Each repetition becomes a step closer to manger straw and the warmth of the Christ Child.
And as the prayer rises from the lips day after day, something profound happens inside — the spiritual darkness thins, much like Advent’s growing light.
The Growing Light of Advent
Advent begins in shadows. On the wreath sits a single flame — fragile, almost hesitant — reminding us that salvation often begins quietly, unnoticed by the world.
As the weeks pass, more candles are lit:
One flame becomes two.
Two become three.
The rose candle bursts like dawn.
And finally the wreath glows with full light.
This growing radiance mirrors what the St. Andrew Novena does in the soul.
Each day’s fifteen recitations strike another spark in the heart’s dark places. By the second week, the soul is brighter. By the third, hope has color again. By the final week, the anticipation burns not with frenzy, but with steady, holy expectancy.
The wreath grows brighter — and so do we.
Why St. Andrew?
Tradition connects the novena to St. Andrew’s feast because he was the first disciple called by Christ. He represents the beginning — the first footsteps toward the Messiah.
Praying this novena signals a similar readiness, an interior echo of Andrew's proclamation:
“We have found the Messiah.”
(John 1:41)
The devotion becomes a way of stepping into Andrew’s eager discipleship, orienting the heart toward Christ’s arrival with increasing clarity — candle by candle, week by week.
How to Pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena
Dates: November 30 – December 24
Frequency: 15 times daily
Intention: Any special request may be added.
The 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, I beseech Thee, 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.
Whether prayed all at once or scattered throughout the day, the heart of the devotion is faithfulness — allowing the prayer to shape and illumine the interior life.
A Devotion That Softens Winter
In a season often overtaken by noise and commercial frenzy, the St. Andrew Christmas Novena gently restores silence and holy focus. It aligns the soul with the slow, steady rhythm of Advent: light growing in darkness, grace advancing in hiddenness, Christ drawing near in humility.
By the time Christmas Eve arrives, the believer who has been faithful to this prayer finds that something quiet yet miraculous has happened.
The cold night no longer feels so cold.
The manger no longer feels distant.
And the heart — warmed by growing light — is ready for the Savior.
