The 54-Day Rosary Novena

Hello!

This blog will be about my first journey through the 54-day Rosary Novena. Some of you may have heard of the 54-day Rosary Novena (also known as the Rosary Novena to Our Lady, or the Miraculous 54 Days Rosary Novena). I actually hadn't, until today.

I always thought a novena was saying the rosary for 9 days, plain and simple. I didn't realize that there are many different variations of it. I just completed my first 9-day rosary novena, and thought I would search to find another one. My searching brought be to the 54-day novena. I knew instantly that I wanted to do it.

I struggle with prayer, which is why the 9-day novena seemed like such a hard thing to do, yet something I wanted to do so that I could create discipline in my prayer life. This 54-day rosary seems impossible to me, to pray the rosary consistently for 54 days, are you kidding me?! But after reading about this novena, I am convinced that it will be worth it.

The 54-Day Rosary Novena is a series of six consecutive nine-day novenas. The first three novenas are offered for the intention, while the last three are offered in thanks to God in anticipation of granting a favor.

As the story goes:

The 54-day Rosary Novena was revealed to the chronically sick Fortuna Agrelli by Mother Mary at Naples in 1884. For thirteen months Fortuna Agrelli had endured many sufferings; she had been seen by the best physicians. On February 16, 1884, Fortuna and her relatives started a novena of rosaries. Mary appeared to her with an apparition on March 3rd. Mary was sitting on a throne, surrounded by luminous figures, she held the infant Jesus on her lap, and in her hand was a Rosary. Mary and the infant Jesus were clad in gold-embroidered garments. They were accompanied by St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. The throne was  decorated with flowers; the beauty of Our Lady was marvelous.

The Blessed Virgin said: "Child, thou has invoked me by various titles and hast always obtained favours from me. Now, since thou hast called me by that title so pleasing to me, 'Queen of the Holy Rosary,' I can no longer refuse the favour thou dost petition; for this name is most precious and dear to me. Make three novenas, and thou shalt obtain all."

Once more the Queen of the Holy Rosary appeared to her and said, "Whoever desires to obtain favours from me should make three novenas of the prayers of the Rosary, and three novenas in thanksgiving."

The Novena consists of five decades of the Rosary each day for twenty-seven days in petition; then immediately five decades each day for twenty-seven days in thanksgiving. The meditations vary from day to day. On the first day meditate on the Joyful Mysteries; on the second day the Sorrowful Mysteries; on the third day the Glorious Mysteries; on the fourth day meditate again on the Joyful Mysteries; and so on throughout the fifty-four days.

When I begin my Novena, I will post each day the prayers for that day. It will help me to keep track of my days of prayer, but also to help anyone else who wants to follow along.