It takes almost a Herculean commitment to really enter into the season of Advent well, and so it seems there needs to be a time of preparation for the 'season of preparation'. 
 
November would be a good time to prepare for the season of Advent.  Not just looking for the Advent wreath or Jesse Tree ornaments (as I remind myself now to go look for them!) or do a deep clean of the house and rid it of clutter, (yes, I really need to do that too!) but to spiritually prepare for the battle for the senses that will come bombarding in once the turkey leftovers are put away.
 
Amidst the worldly noise and distractions, there are even, at times, well intentioned religious themed events, like Christmas caroling and parties during Advent, that only add to the busyness of a season that would better be focused on fostering stillness and prayer.
 
Advent well spent would be an intentional time of quiet preparation with focused joyful anticipation for the most incredible moment in human history, when God becomes man, born of a woman, in the dead quiet of a piecing cold night.  
 
Be distracted or exhausted with too many events and we miss how quietly and humbly Christ slips into time so He can dwell, unassumingly, on our side of the veil. 
 
"Be still and know that I am God" [Ps 46:11 NAB] would be a great verse to mediate on daily or use as an examination of conscience. 
 
If we have a hard time being still and quiet, what is it that robs us of our stillness, our inner peace?  What do the intrusive thoughts that repeatedly barge in tell us about what preoccupies us?  What is our interior clutter that we should get rid of?  Often little addictions can run wild while seemingly undetected and may need to be confessed or dealt with in other deliberate ways.
 
The seemingly harmless preoccupations or addictions we let ourselves fall into, whether it's a compulsion to check smart phones, reaching for comfort foods or drink, addictive thinking or behaviors, constant activity... pick your poison of distraction, we all pretty much do all of these to varying degrees. 
 
They only ultimately serve to distract us from some pain or void that we resist acknowledging and bringing to the light, so that we can let God heal and fill us with Himself.  We often hear that God alone can truly satisfy us, yet why are we still so willing to be distracted? 
 
It may be a lack of will to really dig deep and rid ourselves of the spiritual clutter. But in a way, we could also be unknowingly intoxicated on these cheap poisons, so much so that we don't even realize there is something better that will truly satisfy us and consequently don't give God the room to do His work.
 
Which is why I love Advent and the St. Andrew Christmas Novena so much! 
 
Advent is a time set aside specifically to spiritually declutter and prepare to receive the Christ Child, and the poetic repetition of the Advent-long Christmas novena prayer drills that 'hour and moment' of His coming into the forefront of my mind.  There's no guessing what I'm clearing the cobwebs out for. 
 
Intentionally creating this focus and stillness in my daily life allows for more interior space for Christ to pierce through that veil, 'at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold' and enter more deeply into my life. 
 
When I give Him more space in my interior life, He crowds out the need for those distracting poisons.  I give Christ permission to reign when I give Him the space to do so. 
 
Which is why it is so fitting that the last Sunday before Advent is the feast of Christ the King, a great preview and goal for Who to focus on during Advent.
 
We can also take as role models those who witnessed Christ's coming in person.  The simple life of the poor shepherds sleeping in the field and keeping watch by night could see and hear uninhibited the angels message of the Savior's birth.  Those who had extraordinary means, the Magi, traveled great distances to seek out the birth of a great King who was foretold by following the star.  The key to finding the Christ Child is in the disposition of the heart as being free from clutter and oriented towards God, regardless of external means, as we see in both the shepherds and Wisemen.  

Another reason why I love Advent so much is that it's essentially a mini retreat for refocusing on what our actual daily life is about, a joyful anticipation and preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.  Advent is in a way our everyday season of life.  We just set aside a specific time of year to remind ourselves that we need to be ready to receive Christ when he comes again.
 
Let's be intentional then, and prepare for Advent with a commitment to fostering stillness, prayer, and removing clutter from our souls, so we can better hear the angels announcing the good news, that today for us, in the city of David is born a savior, who is Christ the Lord!
 
Learn more about the St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer that is prayed all Advent long and its meaning.
 
To purchase prayer cards or prayer beads for this novena visit the shop.
 
I find that there are usually two kinds of people, those who love this unique novena (that it's even their all-time favorite!) and those who have never heard of it.  Would love to hear your experience!

Now you can purchase prayer cards separately, as a single card, or in quantities of 50 or 100 for  convenient price breaks.  (Contact me if your quantity is not available.)

Sharing a prayer card is a perfect way to introduce this novena to friends, prayer groups, or parishes.

Visit the Shop for details.

The Rules for St Nicholas Day GIVEAWAY are:
 
Enter your name and valid email in the form below.  This is necessary in order to contact the winner and coordinate shipping.
 
Giveaway, in honor of St Nicholas, will be open for entries from Dec 6 through to Dec 12, the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe, at midnight HST. 
 
**Optional, after entering the Giveaway via the form below, to increase your chances by one additional entry, state your favorite prayer beads product in the comments either on this blog post or on the Giveaway post on the Facebook page.  The names and/or emails would need to match the official entry form submission in order to be counted twice.   I would love to hear what your favorite prayer beads design is.  Want to know more about the inspiration behind the designs?  See my explanations of the symbols I used for these prayer beads.
 
Giveaway open only for entrants with valid USA mailing addresses for shipping purposes.
 
***Bonus $7 SAVINGS open to all within USA: Use COUPON code:  HILLTOP while supplies last, from Dec 6 through to Dec 13, the Feast of St. Lucy. However, NO purchase is necessary to enter giveaway.  This is just an extra offer in case you didn't win, but would still like to get in on a deal for yourself, or gift some prayer beads to a loved one for Christmas.   Browse prayer beads here.  So that you can be St Nicholas for someone else, your $7 savings will be donated to Hilltop Children's House, that provides beautiful Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Montessori programs for inner city kids in Ohio.
 
The winner of the bracelet, that honors Our Lady of Guadalupe's sign of roses, will be announced on Dec 13, St Lucy's day.  The winner will receive an email informing them of their win and must respond via email within 48 hours to claim their prize. 
 
Shipping will be within 1-2 days of announcing the winner and will be shipped for free via USPS Priority Mail.
 
Good Luck and Happy St Nicholas Day!  Do share with your friends!

Update Dec 13:
***We have a winner! Check your emails! Name will be announced once the prize has been claimed.  Must respond to email within 48 hours of announcement email having been sent.
Entries are now closed for 2018.

This feast is the marker that determines the start of Advent.  The first Sunday of Advent begins on the Sunday closest to (or on) November 30th, St Andrew's feast day.  That explains the first part of the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena's name.  The second part simply refers to when the novena ends.  On Christmas.  So the longest way of saying it is: The Saint Andrew to Christmas Day Novena, but it is also known simply as the Christmas Novena for short.
 
It is believed to be over 100 years old, and is traditionally prayed 15 times every day, though not necessarily all at once.  It may be broken up to be prayed throughout the day, such as five prayers in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

It is a simple and beautiful Advent prayer of preparation and petition by opening our hearts to both seek and to receive the Christ Child, and the salvation He brings on that cold, silent night.  In that moment we can confidently ask God, with humble confidence, to grant our deepest longings.

It is piously believed that who ever says this prayer with devotion will have their prayers answered, when or how is another matter I'm sure.  But this hour and moment reminds me of another potent hour and moment when a certain good thief, on a certain Good Friday, 'stole heaven'.  Being acutely aware of these 'potent moments' and offering our heart's desires, in the name of those moments, seems to be a really good practice with big results.

The prayer itself is directed toward God the Father (not Saint Andrew as commonly misunderstood) and zeros in on that sacred moment when Christ, through His Blessed Mother, entered human history, and we were forever changed.  The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us!  So, while no one is saying to ignore or exclude Saint Andrew from our thoughts while saying this prayer, (it does begin on his feast day!) the Christmas Novena itself is actually directed toward God.
 
I find this to be one of the shortest and most potent prayers of all time and is my favorite, albeit non-traditional, novena.  Novenas traditionally only last nine days in honor of the first novena, or time of prayer, when the embryonic Church prayerfully waited in anticipation for the decent of the Holy Spirit between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday (nine days).  Our word for nine comes from the Latin word novem, which is where we get novena from.  Even though the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena lasts for 25 days, it still falls within the tradition of an anticipation prayer, like that first novena to the Holy Spirit.
 
During the ever increasing noise and distractions of the Advent season, let this little prayer help keep our minds and hearts fixed on Christ's coming, so as to be more ready to receive Him on Christmas Day, and when He comes again.
 
Please share, and join me in saying this beautiful novena all Advent long, even if you just say one prayer a day, to help be reminded of that epic hour and moment!   
 
I found that having something help me keep count to 15 with made a huge difference in staying committed to saying this prayer in its fullness, which is why I created the prayer beads for this site.  

Follow me on Facebook and/or subscribe below for updates about the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena, prayer beads, and related Advent topics.

For a fuller explanation of its meaning and misconceptions, visit the post where where I break down the prayer line by line.  
 
And do let me know in the comments if you are new to this novena or have been praying it a long time.  I know many have their special stories of answered prayers and I would love to hear your story.  Also, please feel free to simply list your prayer intentions to be included in our Novena prayers.
 
Happy Praying!

The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena starts in one week! 

Get ready for this beautiful Advent devotion that begins on November 30th! 

Review it's meaning and pick up some prayer beads for yourself or as a gift!  Invite a friend to pray it with you!  It shares the blessing and helps keep you on track. ;-)
Shop Now ​

One month from today is the start of the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena!

Can't believe it's already that time!  I'm surrounded by beads and want to make sure that everyone who would like to have a set of these unique and exclusive beads to aid them in praying this beautiful novena gets one in time!

So, I'm offering FREE USPS Priority Shipping on all beads, (no matter the order size!), on any orders placed now through November 16, for delivery in time for the start of the novena.  Just enter code FSNov18 during checkout.  Browse beads here.

I have a limited supply of certain beads and medals, so be sure to get your orders in early if you have a favorite.

If you have any special requests for designs or sizes, let me know that too, the earlier the better.

Very much looking forward to meditating on this beautiful season of hopeful expectation and praying this very calming and focusing novena!    Hope you'll be able to join me!

The Rules for St Nicholas Day GIVEAWAY are:
 
Enter your name and valid email in the form below.  This is necessary in order to contact the winner and coordinate shipping.
 
Giveaway, in honor of St Nicholas, will be open for entries from Dec 6 through to Dec 12, the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe, at midnight HST. 
 
**Optional, after entering the Giveaway via the form below, to increase your chances by one additional entry, state your favorite prayer beads product in the comments either on this blog post or on the Giveaway post on the Facebook page.  The names and/or emails would need to match the official entry form submission in order to be counted twice.   I would love to hear what your favorite prayer beads design is.  Want to know more about the inspiration behind the designs?  See my explanations of the symbols I used for these prayer beads.
 
Giveaway open only for entrants with valid USA mailing addresses for shipping purposes.
 
***Bonus 20% SAVINGS open to all within USA: Use COUPON code:  NICK202017 while supplies last, from Dec 6 through to Dec 13, the Feast of St. Lucy. Coupon extended through Friday Dec 15! However, NO purchase is necessary to enter giveaway.  This is just an extra offer in case you didn't win, but would still like to get in on a deal for yourself, or gift some prayer beads to a loved one for Christmas.   Browse prayer beads here.
 
The winner of the bracelet, that honors Our Lady of Guadalupe's sign of roses, will be announced on Dec 13, St Lucy's day.  The winner will receive an email informing them of their win and will need to respond via email within 48 hours to claim their prize. 
 
Shipping will be within 1-2 days of announcing the winner and will be shipped for free via USPS Priority Mail.
 
Good Luck and Happy St Nicholas Day!  Do share with your friends!
 
**Updates** 

Email announcing winner has been sent out, and awaiting reply from winner.

Coupon has been extended through Friday Dec 15!

Additional terms:
By submitting your name and email to ChristmasNovena.com, (operated by Renata Grzan Wieczorek at For the Love of Beauty, LLC), you grant permission to For the Love of Beauty, LLC to contact you for communications regarding this current Giveaway and for occasional updates and special offers.  Should you wish to no longer receive future updates and special offers, you can always unsubscribe.
 
Under no circumstances will your name and email be shared with third parties.
 
This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

The over all guiding principles behind my designs for the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer Beads were that they had to be:
 
beautiful, because just beauty alone can elevate the mind and soul to prayer,
 
have symbolic and catechetical value, for helping deepen the spiritual disposition appropriate to Advent,
 
and be easy (ergonomical) to use, and to maintain.    
 
Why I Needed the Beads

I wrote about this before, but here is more detail about why I needed to create these novena beads in the first place.  The goal initially was to just eliminate the obstacles to saying it, so that I had a better chance of staying committed to finishing this unique novena.
 
When one becomes distracted with trying to keep count, it's easy to lose focus and maintain a prayerful disposition.  At least that's what happens to me!  I'm sensitive and contemplative by nature, so little things can distract me very easily.  Keeping 15 prayers accounted for was always frustrating without a dedicated tool and trying to use an imaginary third hand was not helping.  It was almost impossible if I left praying the novena at night, in bed. If this describes any of your experiences with this novena, you might find these prayer beads helpful. 
 
Years ago I found nothing out there I could buy, except for one rare set of beads that was sold out, and featured a medal of St Andrew - not the best interpretation unfortunately.  (See my post on the meaning and misconception about this novena.)   So after the first hasty set of beads that I made for myself (out of desperation halfway through Advent several years ago), my imagination began to percolate on how I can make another set that was better and more beautiful, more meaningful, and more lasting! 
 
Ergonomic Value

One of my goals was simply a functional one.  To create a smooth, distraction free, sensory experience while using the beads by selecting proportionally sized prayer beads, along with their corresponding spacers, so that you would always know where you are, even if you are saying the prayers in the dark, like in bed. (Particularly helpful for the visually impaired, I might add!)  Some beads I have used over the years, on different rosaries or chaplets for example, are too close together or are too far apart, and so the fingers do not move over the beads naturally so as to comfortably rest on them, and therefore, end up being more of distraction rather than an aid to prayer.  
 
About the Bracelets

I've tried to wear rosary bracelets before (with clasps) but they always seem to be a pain to put on and off with one hand.  I never warmed up to memory wire either (even though they seemed so cool!), because I preferred low profile/low impact bracelets, so that I could keep the bracelet on all day and not have it clank around so much and get in the way of my daily activities. 
 
Stretch chord bracelets then became a favorite, simply for the ease of getting them on and off.  It increased the chances of ultimately actually using them to pray with because it was more likely I would wear them, and thereby be reminded to pray.  I didn't however, like the quality of typical commercial stretch chord prayer bracelets and how they were finished.  They used an inferior chord that always frayed and eventually gave out, and the knot was always visible and took away from the aesthetic of the design.  Not to mention, so many silver plated small parts that were impossible to keep looking bright over many years.
 
I sure set pretty high requirements for myself!   I searched for the most sturdy stretch chord I could find, that still fit the bead hole, and tied the knot as securely as possible (with a dab of glue) and hid it inside the bail that holds the pendant/medal, for both extra security and aesthetic value. 
 
I used silver colored spacer beads that are made of fire-polished Czech glass or crystal instead of silver plated spacers common used, so the beads will maintain their sparkle and age beautifully.  The medals are made either of an affordable nickel free zinc alloy that will maintain it's color, or solid sterling silver that is easily cleaned, with a polishing cloth, since it is on the end of the bracelet.
 
By creating multiple sizes for better fit options, and with common sense mindful usage practices (like rolling the bracelet on and off on your non-dominant hand instead of pulling on it hard when taking it on and off), my stretch chord bracelets can last for many Advents to come!   
 
About the Symbolism of the Beads

So here's a little about the anatomy of my prayer beads, the components I chose, and some of the symbolism behind them.
 
Other than the olive wood beads, which will be discussed later, all the other beads come in a beautiful shade of purple or violet, the color designated for the liturgical season of Advent. 
 
I searched only for the best colors and materials that would reflect the simplicity and dignity of this novena prayer.

Some of the violet colored beads are made of semi precious amethyst stones, others with Czech glass, and two sets of beads made of small rose bud Czech glass shapes that were selected in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast falls during Advent.  The rose bud beads specifically recall her special sign of the proof of her presence, -roses in winter.  This evokes another image of roses and Our Lady from the carol, Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming,
 
Lo, how a rose e'er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung.
Of Jesse's lineage coming,
As men of old have sung;
It came, a flow'ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
 
Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind;
To show God's love aright,
She bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The carol (one of my all time favorites!),  refers to the prophecies in Isaiah 11:1 of "... a shoot shall sprout from the stump* of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom."

This particular deep violet, rose bud set of beads (that evoke a dark midnight sky) has two designs: one, where all the 15 beads run together (great for people who like to say the novena all at once) and another, where the beads are divided in 5 sets of 3, (great for those who like to divide up their prayers three times a day, or just to know their place better while saying it, or simply just like the look of it!).  

The spacer beads I carefully selected are made of silver colored fire-polished Czech glass that help evoke the starry night sky that surrounds the Star of Bethlehem.

Of the beads that are separated in three groups of five beads, there are also two diamond shaped beads that reminded me of a diamond shaped star, or the Star of Bethlehem, that one could ponder on while praying, take a pause or rest with, or just gaze in wonder of it's beauty.  (This set is my personal go-to set, as I like to have the option of breaking up the prayers throughout the day or just to know I am a third of the way through, etc.)
 
About the Chaplet and Strand Designs
(Update: Read about the NEW Chaplet and Strand Designs Added in 2020!)

With the other two designs, the chaplet and the strand, the beads are strung on very strong yet flexible nylon coated wire. 
 
I created one bead set that is a chaplet (i.e. not to be worn as a bracelet), simply out of recognition that not every woman may like to wear bracelets, and that men pray this novena as well, and can also use the aid of beads.  (The chaplet and the strand bead sets were specifically created for these reasons.) The chaplet uses heavier semi precious amethyst stone beads with an elaborate medal of the nativity with the Star of Bethlehem. 
 
For the bead set that is not a chaplet or bracelet, but a single strand, I chose to use olive wood beads from Bethlehem, in order to particularly put us in touch with actual matter from Bethlehem, like a relic as it were.  It also symbolizes the wood of the Cross, the instrument of our salvation for which Christ came, and the material of the trade of St Joseph the carpenter.  St Joseph, the protector and guide of the Holy Family can be our guide and strength when we are weary on our spiritual journey to Bethlehem.  That is why the strand begins with the Star and ends with a medal of the Madonna and Child.  This is also the suggested method to use the strand beads set during prayer: to start with the Star and follow it to Our Lady holding the Infant Jesus.  Hematite was used as spacer beads on this set, partly because I saw it all over on my trip through he Holy Land, and partly because it looks like strong metal and give the overall sense of the strength of St Joseph. 

The Star 

The symbol that is featured on all the prayer beads is (or contains) the Star of Bethlehem, in two traditional Christmas versions:  either as a comet, as in Italian art popularized by the painter Giotto and later in traditional Italian nativity scenes, or as the stationary North Star more familiar to those of us in the United States. 

The version of the star that looks like a comet, a star in motion, is especially helpful to mediate on during Advent precisely because it is moving, or leading us towards Bethlehem. It is a fitting visual while praying this novena to help us look for signs that God places in our lives that lead us to Himself.  The stationary star, with it's tail pointing straight down, means it's already Christmas, Jesus is here! and can be found present in every tabernacle in the Catholic Church.  Both versions are potent visuals to help us to enter more deeply into the symbolism of the Star of Bethlehem and to Whom it leads us to.
 
As an example, the star that is described in the Gospel of Matthew, inspired the Wise Men (also known as the Magi, or Kings from the East), to seek out it's meaning. God chose to speak to the Magi through signs they were already familiar with, the signs of the heavens and the prophesies they had studied.
 
Inspired by the great wonder this particular star pointed to, they left all behind and set out to follow it.  In the darkness of these anticipatory winter days of Advent, like the Wise Men, we can look to the Star of Bethlehem as our inspiration as well. 
 
What signs or means does God use in our lives today, that we are familiar with, to point us towards His Son?  We can be inspired by the Magi to pay attentions the signs around us, our metaphorical star, and set out on a journey to seek the new born King.
 
It's a fruitful spiritual disposition to cultivate during Advent, (and indeed everyday) the attitude that we are on a journey, seeking to be with our Savior. 
 
Whether you enjoy the simple beauty of the violet Czech glass, or amethyst stone beads, the delicate Czech rosebud beads that evoke Our Lady, or the strength of St. Joseph with the olive wood beads, praying with For the Love of Beauty brand beads made for ChristmasNovena.com, offers a genuinely rich experience of contemplation during the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena and Advent Season.
 
If you have one of  these prayer bead sets, let me know what you think, or if you'd like one yourself, let me know your favorite designs.  I can also try and custom make a set of beads for you as well if you like, just send me a note! Either way, looking forward to hearing from you!
 
 
Happy and fruitful praying!