Prayer

Prayer is communion with God. Prayer can be public or personal, spoken or silent. The psalms are prayers we sing; they have been a part of the Church’s communal prayer since the earliest days of the Church. Prayer is communication with a God who loves us and desires to be in relationship with us.


Jesus teaches us about the importance of prayer. The Gospels record seventeen times that Jesus took time apart to pray. In the Scriptures, Jesus prays often, morning and night. He prays during critical events in his life and he prays before ministering to people in need. Jesus is a model of prayer for us.


Prayer is essential to living a full, Catholic life. The central communal form of prayer for the Church is the Mass. Some of the Church’s most traditional and foundational prayers are as follows:

Grace before Meals
Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts which we are about to receive from your goodness, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Glory to the Father
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary
Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women; and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Act of Contrition
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.

Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, the children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this land of exile. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; lead us home at last and show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus: O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.New Paragraph
There are also contemporary ways to pray. Talking with God each day, no matter the form or words used, nourishes our relationship and helps it to grow.
  1. Silent prayer or meditation helps us center our thoughts on God’s goodness and offers renewal in a noisy, hectic world.
  2. Lectio Divina is a way of praying with the sacred Scriptures. Find a Scripture passage that speaks to you. Read it out loud and then reflect upon it silently for several minutes. Read it again. Notice any words or phrases that stick with you. Ask God what you are to learn from this passage. Listen.
  3. Keep a prayer journal with all of your wants, needs, thoughts and reflections related to your prayer life.

More Prayers

MARIAN PRAYERS


  • The Magnificat
  • The Angelus
  • The Memorare
  • Salve Regina
Go to EWTN WEBSITE for some Marian Prayers

ST. JOSEPH PRAYERS


  • For St. Joseph Protection
  • Confidence in St. Joseph
  • Prayer Before Work
  • Petition for St. Joseph Blessing
Go to EWTN WEBSITE for Prayers to St. Joseph

PRAYERS TO SAINTS


  • Prayer to St. Therese
  • To St. Anne for Grandparents
  • To St. Dymphia for Mental Illness
  • To St. Jude for Hopeless Causes
Go to EWTN WEBSITE for Prayers to Saints

Other Types of Prayers

CHAPLETS


Similar to the rosary where prayers are said to a particular saint using prayer beads.


  • Chaplet to St. Michael
  • Chaplet of Divine Mercy
  • St. Anne Chaplet
  • The Virtues Chaplet
  • Adoration Chaplet
  • Fatima Chaplet

NOVENAS


A prayer or set of prayers that are prayed to a particular saint for a particular intention over consecutive nine days prior to the saint's feast day.


  • Novena of Abandonment
  • St. Monica Novena
  • Holy Souls Novena
  • St. Rita Novena
  • Our Lady of Lourdes Novena
Go to the EWTN WEBSITE for some Novena Prayers

LITANIES


A poetic form of prayer that focuses on a particular saint, characteristic of the divine (such as the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus), or virtue where a series of petitions or invocations are said by the leader, followed by a certain response from the people.


  • Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • Litany of St. Joseph
  • Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Go to the USCCB WEBSITE for some Litanies

Prayer Apps

Scripture

LECTIO DIVINA

A prayerful and meditative way to read Scripture, where, after reading the passage, meditate on what stood out to you and where it pulled your heart.  Then read through the passage again, and again pause to contemplate and go deeper into the passage, allowing God to speak to you.

LITURGY OF THE HOURS

A set of prayers, comprised of Scripture passages, psalms and other prayers, that are said at six specific hours of the day, used by priest and lay people to sanctify the day in prayer.

Go to the DIVINE OFFICE WEBSITE for Liturgy of the Hours