How do I pray?
Various forms of prayer are presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2623-2649). These various forms include prayer of bless or adoration, prayer of petition, prayer of intercession, prayer of thanksgiving, and prayer of praise.What is meditation?
Meditation is a Christian practice of prayer dating back to the early Church. As the Catechism states: “Meditation is above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking.” By meditating on the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts, spiritual writings, or “the great book of creation,” we come to make our own that which is God’s. “To the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them. It is a question of acting truthfully in order to come into the light: “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (CCC 2705-2706). Meditation is an essential form of Christian prayer, especially for those who are seeking to answer the vocational question, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”Meditating on Sacred Scripture
Spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is an important form of meditation. This spiritual reading is traditionally called lectio divina or divine reading. Lectio divina is prayer over the Scriptures.How to meditate on Sacred Scripture
- The first element of this type of prayer is reading (lectio): you take a short passage from the Bible, preferably a Gospel passage and read it carefully, perhaps three or more times. Let it really soak-in.
- The second element is mediation (meditatio). By using your imagination enter into the Biblical scene in order to “see” the setting, the people, and the unfolding action. It is through this mediation that you encounter the text and discover its meaning for your life.
- The next element is prayer (oratio) or your personal response to the text: asking for graces, offering praise or thanksgiving, seeking healing or forgiveness. In this prayerful engagement with the text, you open yourself up to the possibility of contemplation.
- Contemplation (contemplatio) is a gaze turned toward Christ and the things of God. By God's action of grace, you may be raised above meditation to a state of seeing or experiencing the text as mystery and reality. In contemplation, you come into an experiential contact with the One behind and beyond the text.
- No Bible no breakfast, No Bible no bed. Stay steeped in the Word!
The Sign of the Cross...
In the Name of the Father; and of the Son; and of the Holy Spirit. AmenThe
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. The
Hail Mary...
Hail
Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray
for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. The
Glory Be...
Glory be
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. The
Apostles' Creed...
I believe
in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus
Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born
of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and
was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose from the dead. He
ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty,
from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the
Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
Amen. Grace
Before Meals...
Bless us,
O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty,
through Christ, Our Lord, Amen. Grace
After Meals...
We give
Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who lives and reigns
forever. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God,
rest in peace. Amen. Act of
Contrition...
O my God,
I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins,
because of Your just punishments, but most of all because they offend You,
my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve,
with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions
of sin. Amen. Morning
Offering...
O Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys
and sufferings of this day in union with Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred
Heart, the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, thr reunion of all
Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all the
associates, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this
month. Amen. Evening
Prayer...
O my God,
I adore You, and I love You with all my heart. I thank You for having
created me and saved me by Your grace, and for having preserved me during
this day. I pray that You will take for Yourself whatever good I might have
done this day, and that You wil forgive me whatever evil I have done.
Protect me this night, and may Your grace be with me always. Amen. Hail,
Holy Queen...
Hail,
holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee
do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious
Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this our exile show unto
us the blessed fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin
Mary. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God; That we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ. Amen. Saint
Michael the Archangel Prayer
Saint
Michael the Archangel,Defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
And do though, O Prince of the heavenly host,
By the power of God, thrust into hell
Satan and all evil spirits
Who wander through the world
For the ruin of souls. Amen.
The
Angelus...
The Angel
of the Lord declared unto Mary. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary...Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy word. Hail Mary...
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. Hail Mary...
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
The
Memorare...
Remember,
O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to
Thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left
unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins,
my Mother. To thee I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O
Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in Thy mercy,
hear and answer me. Amen. The
Seven Sacraments...
Baptism,
Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders,
Matrimony. For
Poor Souls...
May the
souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen. For
Courage...
Lord
Jesus, teach me to be generous; Teach me to serve You as You deserve. To
give and not count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds. To toil
and not to seek rewared, except that of knowing that I do Your will. Amen. My
Gift...
Lord, I
freely yield all my freedom to You. Take my memory, my intellect and my
entire will. You have given me everything I am or have; I give it all back
to You to stand uner Your will alone. Your love and your grace are enough
for me; I shall ask for nothing more. Amen. Day by
Day...
Thak you
Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits and blessings Thou hast given me.
For all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me. Merciful Friend,
Brother and Redeemer, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly
and follow Thee more nearly, day by day. Amen.
Guardian Angel...
Angel of
God, My Guardian Dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be
at my side, to light and guard, to rule and to guide. Amen. Prayer
for Peace...
Lord,
make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is
despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness,
joy. O Divine Master, guide that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to
console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it
is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. Holy
Days of Obligation
Solemnity
of Mary (January 1), Ascension Thursday (40 days after Easter), Assumption
of Mary (August 15), All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Immaculate Conception
(December 8), Christmas (December 25). The
Beatitudes...
Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are
those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the land. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for
they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see
God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. The
Stations of the Cross...
1. Jesus
is condemned to die.2. Jesus carries his cross.
3. Jesus falls the first time.
4. Jesus meets his Mother.
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His cross.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
7. Jesus falls the second time.
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.
9. Jesus falls the third time.
10. Jesus is stripped of his garment.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross.
12. Jesus dies on the cross.
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross.
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.
Prayer
to St. Rita...
St. Rita,
come to my aid! Faithful, loving wife and mother, humble, prayerful widow
and nun, because of my need, answer my call. St Rita, come to my aid!
Beautiful rose born from the Savior's thorns, lead me far from anger and
hate; guide my heart on peaceful paths with charity to all. St. Rita, come
to my aid! Helper, healer, holy friend, hear my petition (make request). To
Christ take this prayer, for He is my Lord, my God, my all, my hope in
despair, my strength when afraid, St. Rita, come to my aid! St. Rita, answer
my call. Amen. The Ten
Commandments...
1. I am
the Lord thy God: thou shall not have strange gods before me.2. Thou shall not take the name of Thy Lord Thy God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's day.
4. Honor thy father and mother.
5. Thou shall not kill.
6. Thou shall not commit adultery.
7. Thou shall not steal.
8. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife.
10. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's goods.
The
Spritual Works of Mercy...
Admonish
the sinner. Instruct the ignorant. Counsel the doubtful. Comfort the
sorrowful. Bear wrongs patiently. Forgive all injuries, and pray for the
living and the dead. The
Corporal Works of Mercy...
Feed the
hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Shelter the homeless. Clothe the naked.
Care for the sick. Visit the imprisoned. Bury the dead. The
Laws of the Church
1.
Celebrate Christ's resurrection every Sunday and on holy days of obligation
by taking part in the Mass and avoiding unnecessary work.2. Lead a sacramental life. Receive Holy Communion frequently and the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly.
3. Study Catholic teaching throughout life, especially in preparation for the sacraments.
4. Observe the marriage laws of the Catholic Church and give religious training to one's children.
5. Strengthen and support the Church; one's own parish, the worldwide Church and the Holy Father.
6. Do penance, including not eating meat and fasting from food on certain dates.
7. Join in the missionary work of the Church.
The
Rosary...
A rosary
has a cross, followed by one large bead, three small beads and another large
one. Then there is a circle with five "decades." Each decade consists of one
large bead followed by ten smaller beads. Begin the Rosary with the Sign of
the Cross. Recite the Apostles' Creed. Then pray one Our Father, three Hail
Mary's, and one Glory Be. To recite each decade, say one Our Father on the
large bead and ten Hail Mary's on ths smaller beads. After each decade pray
the Glory Be. As you pray each decade, think of the appropriate Joyful,
Sorrowful or Glorious Mystery, or a special event in the life of Jesus and
Mary. The
Five joyful Mysteries...
1. The
Annunciation2. The Visitation
3. The Nativity
4. The Presentation in the Temple
5. The Finding in the Temple
The
Five Sorrowful Mysteries
1. The
Agony in the Garden2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death
The
Five Glorious Mysteries
1. The
Resurrection2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation of Mary
The
Five Luminous Mysteries
1. The
Baptism of Christ in the Jordan2. The Wedding Feast at Cana
3. Jesus' Proclamation of the Coming of the Kingdom of God
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Eucharist as a Sacrament