What I Learned During my 54-Day Rosary Novena

Liesl Schiavone reflects on the challenges she faced as she prayed a 54-Day Rosary Novena, and the graces she received. 

I recently completed a 54-day Rosary novena. This was my second attempt; the first was in the difficult weeks leading up to my mom’s passing in 2022. I remember beginning that novena out of desperation, clinging to something structured when everything in my world felt like it was falling apart. I didn’t finish it then; my prayers were swallowed by grief. 

This time, I felt a prompting to begin again. My intention wasn’t urgent, but it was something that had lived in my heart for years: a hope for a change that has lingered for a long time. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the devotion, a 54-day Rosary novena is prayed in two parts: 27 days in petition, followed by 27 days in thanksgiving, thanking God as though He has already heard and answered your intention. Throughout the novena, specific prayers are offered to the Blessed Mother, asking her to carry your request to the feet of Jesus. 

Over those 54 days, I learned several things. 

I learned how deeply distracted I am.

I realized quickly that while I can commit to showing up to something for a set number of days, I struggle to commit my attention for even a set number of minutes. I still believe a distracted Rosary is better than no Rosary at all, but I was humbled — and a bit startled — by just how fragmented my mind is on any given day. 

I have a new appreciation for what it means to pray with your whole heart, mind, and soul, and I am now more committed to growing in this area. 

I learned that habit-stacking helps.

In this busy season of life, it’s easy for the most important things to get pushed aside. I began praying my Rosary on the drive to pick up my 4-year-old from school. Though it wasn’t a particularly quiet for prayerful space, it helped me stay consistent, and that was what I needed most. 

Sometimes holiness looks like showing up in the only pockets of time available. 

I learned that surrender requires practice.

I had heard many people say that the 54-day Rosary novena is often accompanied by spiritual challenges: moments that invite deeper surrender and union with Christ. This rang true for me. 

During the novena I experienced sickness, an injury, and financial stress, all while we were living through one of the most chaotic seasons of our lives. At one point my husband even asked, half-joking and half-concerned, “Are you done with that novena yet?” 

I learned that in asking the Blessed Mother to bring my requests to the feet of Jesus, I had to be prepared to go there with her — to surrender myself to God in the way she knows best. In this devotion I was prompted to surrender over and over again, to make it a habit and not a pious exchange. 

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1: 2-3) 

I learned it is much easier to pray in petition than in thanksgiving.

The structure of this devotion is intentional. After 27 days of asking, you switch to 27 days of thanking God for the answer — even if you haven’t seen anything change. 

That second half convicted me deeply, because to pray in thanksgiving requires two things:

• Confidence that God hears my prayer, and
• Surrender to the possibility that He may answer differently — or later — than I want. 

And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)  

Praying with confidence was difficult, I often felt guilty asking God for something more, as if wanting something meant I wasn’t grateful for what I already had. 

But Scripture gently reminds me: 

Find your delight in the Lord who will give you your heart’s desire. (Psalm 37:4)  

And praying with surrender required another layer of trust: believing that God’s “not yet” may not be a rejection, but a redirection. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; on your own intelligence do not rely. (Proverbs 3:5)  

What I did Obtain  

Despite my hope, I didn’t experience any dramatic signs or unmistakably answered petitions. It’s easy to feel a little jealous of those who pray this novena (or any devotion) and receive clear, immediate answers: stories full of perfect timing and miraculous alignment. 

That wasn’t my experience. 

But I did see constant signs of His faithfulness: little moments that gently told me everything would be okay. Through these small yet profound consolations, I found peace and a deeper understanding that His timing is perfect. God knows my heart, sees my desires, and is not withholding good from me, He’s simply waiting for the right blessings at the right time. 

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14) 

Though my earthly desires may remain unmet for now, the love of my Father remains constant. And He can be trusted — completely. 

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Copyright 2026 Liesl Schiavone
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