Mother Theresa Flying Novena

When a quick prayer response was needed, Mother Teresa always prayed a Flying Novena to Our Lady.  It was her “go-to” prayer weapon, which Our Lady never failed to answer.  Remember that Mother Teresa was constantly traveling and didn’t have time to wait for answers to her right-away needs.  And she was continuously bombarded with problems to solve from her religious community and many outside contacts.

The Flying Novena consists of praying the Memorares ten times.  Why ten, since a novena refers to the number nine?  She took the cooperation of Heaven with her prayer request for granted, so she added the 10th Memorare to thank Heaven for the favor received.  The words of the Memorare prayer:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

No problem was too small to pray the Novena: getting out of traffic for an appointment, for healing a sick child, finding a missing passport, when car fuel was low and the distance to the destination was far, and so many more like these.  One example mentioned by Mother Teresa was at a 1984 Mass that Pope John Paul II was going to celebrate outdoors in Rome.  It was pouring raining so Mother Teresa and her Sisters started praying a Flying Novena for the rain to stop.   As they were praying the first Memorares, it started to rain even harder, but as they were completing the 8th Memorare the rain was beginning to stop and after the 9th Memorare it had totally stopped.  Heaven heard their plea.

Today the Missionaries of Charity sisters constantly use the Flying Novena today for all their needs and intentions, from the simplest things, like getting out of heavy traffic, to serious life and death matters.  

Mother Teresa wanted ever person on this earth, especially the poor, to learn and use the Flying Novena because she knew its efficacy and the good it could do in their lives.   So use it all the time because it really works, and besides, it gives glory to God and Our Lady will be gloried.

Here are four examples when I used it for intentions and each was granted:

  1. I had been without a refrigerator for three weeks after my 39-year old relic died.  I looked high and low for a refrigerator that I liked.  Finally, I found the make and model I wanted.  Then the hunt was on.  I couldn’t find it in stock at different appliance stores that I tried.   I was at church and prayed a Flying Novena, telling Our Lady that today we are going to find my refrigerator.  Sure enough the store I went to had it in stock, and it was soon delivered.
  2. A dear church friend had her car stolen, and it had been 4 months with no news on the car.  So I decided to pray a Flying Novena on a Wednesday to find her car.  The following Saturday it was found.
  3. My sister was attempting to buy her first house, and the owner was starting to back out of the deal.  So I prayed a Novena and the owner changed her mind and sold her the house.
  4. My car was not passing its biannual smog check.  The check engine light would come on while I was driving, and my son would reset it.  This happened over a two week period.  On this particular day I decided to drive it for almost an hour and try something different.  So while I was driving, I surrendered my car to Jesus and prayed a Flying Novena.  I drove to the smog test shop for a retest, and the car passed.

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