Prayers

The gesture and words that open and close nearly every Catholic prayer. Eight words, and the shortest statement of what Christians believe about God.

The prayer Christ himself gave when his disciples asked how to pray. The Church calls it the summary of the whole Gospel — if you learn one prayer, it is this one.

Two greetings from the Gospel — the angel’s and Elizabeth’s — followed by the Church’s own petition. The prayer the Rosary is built from.

A single sentence of praise to the Trinity, prayed at the end of each decade of the Rosary and between the psalms. The oldest form of Christian prayer still in daily use.

The ancient baptismal creed of the Church in Rome — what a person professes before being baptised. Prayed at the start of the Rosary.

Three short prayers naming the three theological virtues, traditionally prayed together — and traditionally the prayers a Catholic makes when in danger or near death.

Not a single prayer but a method: the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be arranged around twenty scenes from the life of Christ. The order of the prayers, the mysteries for each day, the two prayers belonging to the Rosary alone, and the older Dominican form.

Three short prayers naming the three theological virtues, traditionally prayed together — and traditionally the prayers a Catholic makes when in danger or near death.

Prayed on waking. It hands the whole of the coming day over in advance — the work, the difficulties and the ordinary parts — so that nothing in it is wasted.

The prayer to one’s guardian angel — usually the first prayer a Catholic child is taught after the Hail Mary, and one many people go on praying all their lives.

The blessing said before eating, with the shorter thanksgiving that follows it. Both forms are given here because the second is the half most people were never taught.

Prayed last thing. It looks back over the day honestly — thanks for what was given, sorrow for what went wrong — and then lets it go.

Prayed at six, noon and six — traditionally when the church bells rang. It stops the day three times to recall the Incarnation. In Eastertide the Regina Caeli replaces it, and that form is given here too.

Two greetings from the Gospel — the angel’s and Elizabeth’s — followed by the Church’s own petition. The prayer the Rosary is built from.

Prayed at six, noon and six — traditionally when the church bells rang. It stops the day three times to recall the Incarnation. In Eastertide the Regina Caeli replaces it, and that form is given here too.

A prayer of confident appeal, made when things are urgent. Its whole argument is that no one has ever asked Mary for help and been turned away.

Prayed at the end of the Rosary and sung at the close of the day in monasteries. It does not pretend life is easy — it calls this world a valley of tears and asks for help in it.

The oldest known prayer to Mary — found on an Egyptian papyrus from around the third century. Christians were praying these words while the persecutions were still going on.

Mary’s own words, spoken to Elizabeth and recorded in Luke’s Gospel. The Church prays it every single evening. It is a good deal more revolutionary than most people remember.

A long chain of titles for Mary, each answered "pray for us". Prayed aloud with others it has a rhythm to it; prayed alone it is a slow way to think about who she is.

A novena prayer to Mary under the title of her Immaculate Conception, asking for purity of heart and the favors requested in the novena. It is traditionally made from November 29 to December 7, ending on the eve of the solemnity on December 8.

A short novena for a particular spiritual or temporal favor, asking the help of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and of St. Alphonsus Liguori. Each day has nine Hail Marys and three short prayers, and it can be made at any time of year.

The prayer to one’s guardian angel — usually the first prayer a Catholic child is taught after the Hail Mary, and one many people go on praying all their lives.

Composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 and prayed after Mass for most of the following century. Asked for when something needs to be defended rather than merely endured.

Also from Leo XIII, and traditionally prayed through March and in the month of October. Joseph is asked for as the patron of workers, of families, and of a good death.

The best known prayer attributed to St. Francis, though it first appears in print in 1912. It asks not to be consoled, understood or loved — which is why it is harder to mean than to say.

The prayer people reach for when something is lost. Anthony is invoked for lost objects, but the tradition applies it just as readily to lost faith and lost people.

Nine lines found written in St. Teresa of Ávila’s breviary after her death. The shortest useful answer in the tradition to being afraid.

A novena prayer asking St. Joseph to intercede for one particular request and to be a father to the one who prays. It is traditionally made on the nine days before his solemnity on March 19 (March 10–18), though it can be made at any time of year.

A Jesuit novena to St. Francis Xavier, traditionally made from March 4 to March 12, the anniversary of his canonization in 1622. It can also be made before his feast on December 3 (November 24 to December 2).

A novena prayer to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the Little Flower, asking for faith, love without limit and one particular favor. It is often made from September 22 to 30, ending on the eve of her feast on October 1.

The short invocation prayed before any undertaking that needs light — a decision, a difficult conversation, study, or the start of a meeting.

A ninth-century hymn, sung at ordinations, confirmations and the opening of a conclave — the Church’s prayer whenever something begins that it cannot manage on its own.

Asks by name for wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord — the seven gifts named by Isaiah and given at Confirmation.

The oldest novena, modeled on the nine days the apostles prayed with Mary between the Ascension and Pentecost. It is prayed each year in the days leading up to Pentecost, asking for the gifts of the Spirit.

The prayer of sorrow for sin, said at the end of Confession and traditionally each night before sleep. Both the long and short forms are given.

The general confession of sin. Note that this is the traditional devotional wording, not the form currently used at Mass — see the note on the text.

One sentence, repeated slowly, often in time with the breath. It comes from the desert monks of the fourth century and is the whole of the Gospel compressed into twelve words.

David’s psalm after his sin was uncovered, and the Church’s great penitential prayer. Prayed every Friday morning, and by many people after Confession.

Prayed kneeling before a crucifix, traditionally after Communion on a Friday. It asks for the one thing that cannot be manufactured: real sorrow and real amendment.

A short litany-style novena that unites the one praying with the prayer and virtues of the heart of Jesus, ending with a prayer of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. The source has it made each month so as to end on the eve of the First Friday, and it suits the nine days before the feast of the Sacred Heart as well.

A fourteenth-century prayer said after Communion, and the prayer St. Ignatius placed at the front of the Spiritual Exercises. Short enough to have by heart within a week.

For anyone who cannot receive Communion — through illness, distance, or because they are not able to receive at present. St. Alphonsus Liguori’s words, and the ones most used.

Said after Benediction. Written in the eighteenth century as reparation for blasphemy — which is why every line begins with "Blessed be".

The last two verses of St. Thomas Aquinas’s hymn for Corpus Christi, sung at Benediction while the Blessed Sacrament is incensed.

Prayed kneeling before a crucifix, traditionally after Communion on a Friday. It asks for the one thing that cannot be manufactured: real sorrow and real amendment.

The psalm read at nearly every Catholic funeral, and worth knowing long before then. It does not promise the valley will be avoided — only that one is not alone in it.

Nine lines found written in St. Teresa of Ávila’s breviary after her death. The shortest useful answer in the tradition to being afraid.

Written by Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who spent fifteen years in the Sahara with almost nothing to show for it. For the stretches when a person has genuinely run out of plans.

For a person who is ill themselves. It asks for healing plainly, and then asks for something harder in case healing is not what comes.

Written by Newman in 1833, becalmed on a boat off Sicily and unable to get home. Its request is deliberately small: not to see the distance, only the next step.

The prayer said for someone who has died — at the graveside, on an anniversary, or whenever they come to mind. The De Profundis, traditionally prayed with it, is given as well.

Said at a deathbed, by anyone present — a priest is not required for this. It can be prayed aloud with the dying person or silently beside them.

For someone else who is ill — the prayer of the person sitting in the chair rather than lying in the bed.

For those already ordained or in vows, and for those being called and not yet answering. Traditionally prayed on Thursdays.

For the household — those in it, those who have left it, and those not currently speaking to one another.

A novena by St. Alphonsus Liguori for the souls in purgatory, with a short reflection and prayer for each of the nine days. Many people make it in the nine days before All Souls’ Day on November 2 (October 24 to November 1), or for someone who has recently died.

The oldest novena, modeled on the nine days the apostles prayed with Mary between the Ascension and Pentecost. It is prayed each year in the days leading up to Pentecost, asking for the gifts of the Spirit.

A novena prayer asking St. Joseph to intercede for one particular request and to be a father to the one who prays. It is traditionally made on the nine days before his solemnity on March 19 (March 10–18), though it can be made at any time of year.

A Jesuit novena to St. Francis Xavier, traditionally made from March 4 to March 12, the anniversary of his canonization in 1622. It can also be made before his feast on December 3 (November 24 to December 2).

A short litany-style novena that unites the one praying with the prayer and virtues of the heart of Jesus, ending with a prayer of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. The source has it made each month so as to end on the eve of the First Friday, and it suits the nine days before the feast of the Sacred Heart as well.

A novena prayer to Mary under the title of her Immaculate Conception, asking for purity of heart and the favors requested in the novena. It is traditionally made from November 29 to December 7, ending on the eve of the solemnity on December 8.

A short novena for a particular spiritual or temporal favor, asking the help of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and of St. Alphonsus Liguori. Each day has nine Hail Marys and three short prayers, and it can be made at any time of year.

A novena by St. Alphonsus Liguori for the souls in purgatory, with a short reflection and prayer for each of the nine days. Many people make it in the nine days before All Souls’ Day on November 2 (October 24 to November 1), or for someone who has recently died.

A novena prayer to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the Little Flower, asking for faith, love without limit and one particular favor. It is often made from September 22 to 30, ending on the eve of her feast on October 1.

The short invocation prayed before any undertaking that needs light — a decision, a difficult conversation, study, or the start of a meeting.

Written by Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who spent fifteen years in the Sahara with almost nothing to show for it. For the stretches when a person has genuinely run out of plans.

For those already ordained or in vows, and for those being called and not yet answering. Traditionally prayed on Thursdays.

The prayer at the end of the Spiritual Exercises. Four sentences that offer back everything a person has, including the parts they would rather keep.

Newman’s meditation on having a particular purpose that nobody else has. Written for people who cannot see what theirs is — and it says that not seeing it changes nothing.

Written by Newman in 1833, becalmed on a boat off Sicily and unable to get home. Its request is deliberately small: not to see the distance, only the next step.

St. Thomas Aquinas’s prayer before beginning work. Useful before anything that requires thinking clearly, which is most things.