(Mention Your Request Here): The Church's Most Powerful Novenas

This is a small prayer book full of big-time punch. I always find it hard to review prayer books. Either you like them or you don't, which is like most books, but unlike fiction or theology it is a much more personal reaction. That being said, this is a great book. I wish there were a hard cover edition so it could take more of a beating. Michael Dubrueil does an amazing job in just over 350 pages of giving solid teaching on Novenas - both the history of Novenas, and how to endure in praying Novenas. He also instructs the reader in ways of encountering God, the reasons to pray Novenas and gives a personal account of some of the prayers he has used and God's care and provision for him. With over 30 Novenas highlighted in the book and Appendices to the prayers common to Novenas, and the shrines associated with Novenas in the book, Michael covers the whole gambit of Novenas. The specific Novenas in the book are categorized as Novenas to: 1. Christ and the Holy Spirit 2. The Blessed Virgin Mary 3. Relatives of Jesus 4. Particular Saints 5. American Saints 6. Holy Souls 7. A Quick Novena This collection of Novenas and prayers said over nine days will be a source of light, hope and encouragement in your life. Thank you Michael for this treasury.

I was expecting the usual novena book and was wondering why I had ordered it when I already had so many. But as I thumbed through the book I was fascinated with each little story attached to the individual novenas. The foreward and introduction was fascinating as well because I was not all that familiar with the history of novenas. I enjoying reading how they progressed from prayers for the dead to weekly "social nights" in church and finally to private novenas. I think my favorite novena from this book will be the "Quickie Novena" by Mother Theresa. If you don't have 9 days to do a novena, you just do this one 9 times in one sitting. There are also novenas that I had never seen before. Even if you, like me, have a stack of novena books, you will enjoy this one. My only worry is that the pages are super-thin. Keep your coffee cups away!

There's a cute story about Saint Theresa of Lisieux who complained to God about falling asleep during daily devotions at her French Carmelite convent because she apparently had trouble staying focused. "Mention Your Request Here: The Church's Most Powerful Novenas" may be the answer to Saint Theresa's plea for more spirit in daily meditations. Michael Dubruiel presents a varied bouquet of daily devotions ranging from traditional to modern petitions. Most interesting are the addresses provided for the North American shrines where the particular saints or religious orders supporting the special novenas are located. For example, I'm delighted to learn the meditations in honor of Saint Maximillan Kolbe and to learn where his shrine is located in Libertyville, Il. Traditional meditations to the Miraculous Medal are nostalgic for those who remember those continuous novenas during pre-Vatican II. Updated novenas to the French North American Martyrs and Native American Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha bring some interesting diversity to the collection as well. "Mention Your Request Here" is a delightful instructional about how to improve daily communications with God rather than a "novena book", or a ritualistic series of petitions asking for saintly favors. Indeed, Saint Theresa, the "little flower" is, quite likely, very well pleased with Dubruiel's impressive prayer collection, which, of course, includes her special devotion.

I found the prayers in this book to be truly powerful! The information on each devotion was very helpful to me and I have personally visited several of the shrines mentioned in the book that I had not realized were so close to my home. I have one question, when will the author's next book be out?

This is the kind of book that comes in handy when your prayer life is on the dry side. The novenas are there for you, but you also get the benefit of the history of the devotion and the shrines connected to it. It brings a deeper dimension and fuller understanding to praying a novena. I'm glad it's on my bookshelf! I use it often. It also makes a great gift.