Topic
Prayer & Spirituality
Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God. Discover the forms of Catholic prayer, from the Our Father to the Rosary and silent contemplation — and simple ways to begin.
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How do Catholics pray?
Catholics pray in many ways — above all at Mass, but also through set prayers like the Our Father and Hail Mary, the Rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours, reading Scripture, silent meditation and contemplation. All prayer, the Church says, is "the raising of one's mind and heart to God."
Read the full answerQuestions about Prayer & Spirituality
All Prayer & Spirituality questionsHow do Catholics pray?
Catholics pray in many ways — above all at Mass, but also through set prayers like the Our Father and Hail Mary, the Rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours, reading Scripture, silent meditation and contemplation. All prayer, the Church says, is "the raising of one's mind and heart to God."
How do you pray the Rosary?
Begin with the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles' Creed on the crucifix, then pray an Our Father, three Hail Marys and a Glory Be. For each of the five decades, announce a mystery, pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys and a Glory Be while meditating on that event in the life of Christ. Close with the Hail, Holy Queen.
What is Lent, and why do Catholics fast?
Lent is the forty-day season of preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday. Catholics follow Jesus' forty days in the desert through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting and abstinence, and Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence from meat.
What is Advent?
Advent is the season of about four weeks before Christmas that begins the Church's liturgical year. It prepares for Christ's coming in two ways — remembering his birth in Bethlehem and awaiting his return in glory. It is a season of hopeful, joyful preparation.
What are holy days of obligation?
Holy days of obligation are feast days on which Catholics are required to attend Mass, as on Sundays. Every Sunday is one. Others vary by country; in the United States they include the Solemnity of Mary (Jan 1), the Ascension, the Assumption (Aug 15), All Saints (Nov 1), the Immaculate Conception (Dec 8) and Christmas (Dec 25).
When does Lent end?
Lent ends when the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper begins on Holy Thursday, which opens the Easter Triduum. Personal Lenten penances are voluntary and may be set aside on Sundays, though the Sundays of Lent are part of the season.
What is the Divine Mercy Chaplet?
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a prayer said on ordinary rosary beads, believed to have been given by Christ to St. Faustina Kowalska (1905–38) as a way of imploring God's mercy on sinners.
May I own a rosary for artistic display?
Yes. There is nothing wrong with buying a rosary because you find it beautiful. As long as it is treated with dignity, religious people should be flattered rather than offended that you want to display it.
Does abstinence from meat include animal byproducts?
Not for Latin-rite Catholics today. In the past, Lenten abstinence included meat byproducts like milk, eggs and butter — the origin of Fat Tuesday and Shrove Tuesday pancakes. It is still required in the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Isn't it wrong for a Catholic hospital cafeteria to serve meat on Lenten Fridays?
No. These cafeterias serve the general public, and non-Catholics are free to eat meat on Lenten Fridays. It would be a courtesy, though, to post a sign reminding Catholic patrons that it is a Lenten Friday and they must abstain.
Why is rose used in Advent, in the wreath and the vestments?
Advent is a season of penance, so its color is violet. On the Third Sunday, Gaudete ("Rejoice") Sunday, the color brightens to rose to mark the joyful anticipation of Christmas.
Does "world without end" mean there will be no end of the world?
No. "World without end" is an idiom meaning "forever," not a literal statement. It renders the Latin saecula saeculorum, "ages of ages."
What should I do with sacramentals sent by charities?
You may keep them or dispose of them, and you owe the charity nothing. Blessed objects should not be thrown away but burned or broken up and buried. If the charity doesn't say an item is blessed, you may assume it isn't — or donate it to a Catholic group that can use it.
Why weren't my prayers answered if the Memorare says no one was left unaided?
The Memorare does not oblige Mary or God to answer in exactly the way we ask. It expresses complete trust that every prayer is answered, even when the answer is not the one hoped for. Mary may have obtained for you courage and patience, or a deeper faith. Keep praying, as Jesus did.
Is the power of prayer lost if your mind wanders?
No. The more attention we give, the more we pray, but prayer lies in the will: the will to pray is itself a prayer. Deliberately encouraging distractions is wrong, but unwanted distractions don't take away prayer's value.
If no answer to prayer comes, should a person give up praying?
No. The Lord knows the best time. To keep praying is to keep trusting him, and to keep trusting him is to keep loving him. St. Monica prayed 30 years for her son's conversion — and became a saint herself while she prayed. Don't give up on God.
If you sell a blessed item, is it no longer blessed?
It remains blessed. A blessed item may be sold, but only for its intrinsic value — not for the value of its blessing, which couldn't be priced anyway.
Can we pray directly to God, or must all prayer go through Jesus?
Both, in different senses. Jesus taught us to pray directly to the Father in the Our Father. But our prayers have access to the Father only through Jesus, who said, "No one comes to the Father except through me."
Where can I find a copy of the Divine Office?
The Daughters of St. Paul and Catholic Book Publishing both offer one-volume editions without the Office of Readings; Catholic Book Publishing's four-volume set has the complete Office. You can start by praying it online, or use Magnificat's simplified daily hours.
What does "Hosanna" mean?
"Hosanna," shouted as Jesus entered Jerusalem, is associated with rejoicing. It comes, St. Jerome held, from Hebrew words in Psalm 118 meaning "save, now" (hoshi'a na), repeated so often in the Feast of Tabernacles processions that it was shortened to "hosanna."
What did St. John of the Cross mean by detachment from people?
He wanted us to love God more than anyone else — not instead of anyone else. We must detach ourselves from loving the creature more than the Creator.
Why did the Church ban the Divine Mercy devotion from 1959 to 1978?
Faulty translations from the Polish made St. Faustina's writings appear doctrinally suspect, so the Holy See suppressed the devotion for about twenty years. Once the translations were corrected, the ban was lifted — largely through the work of the Archbishop of Krakow, who became John Paul II that same year.
Am I wrong to make the sign of the cross over my children's homes?
No — privately, it is appropriate to bless your family. In church, lay people should refrain, since it could be confused with a priest's blessing. Tracing a cross on the forehead is a good way to bless. The cross is the sign of our salvation and fitting in daily life.
How can we offer Jesus' Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Divine Mercy Chaplet?
Saying the prayer isn't offering Mass. But because Christ made his one sacrifice for us, that perfect prayer is now ours, and we can always refer to it. In effect we say to the Father: "By the merits of his Passion, have mercy."
Does the rosary have to be said a certain way to be effective?
When praying privately, you can mix and match. The object of the rosary is prayer; meditating on one mystery for all five decades is fine and not disrespectful.
How do solemnities, feasts and memorials differ?
They are ranks of celebration. Solemnities (S) are highest, with the Gloria and Creed; feasts (F) come next, with the Gloria but not the Creed; memorials, the lowest, celebrate most saints and have no Gloria. Obligatory memorials (M) must be kept, optional ones (m) may be.
How should elderly Catholics observe fasting and abstinence during Lent?
Abstinence binds Latin Catholics from age 14 with no upper age limit, though those who medically need meat may be dispensed. Fasting binds from 18 until the beginning of one's 60th year; after that one is excused but may still fast if health permits.
Can parishioners give each other ashes on Ash Wednesday?
Lay ministers may help a priest or deacon distribute ashes, but only a priest or deacon may bless them. Leaving ashes unattended on the altar for people to give one another is not provided for and should not be allowed.
Is the Mass obligation lifted when All Saints' Day falls on a Monday?
In the United States, yes. Bishops' conferences may suppress or transfer holy days with the Holy See's approval, and in 1991 the U.S. bishops decided the obligation is abrogated when November 1 falls on a Saturday or a Monday.
Did the early Church move the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday?
No. Catholics do not keep the Sabbath, the seventh day, but the Lord's Day, Sunday: the first day of creation, the day of the Resurrection and of Pentecost. Sunday replaced the Sabbath as the sign of the new creation in Christ.
How can I overcome severe anxiety?
Clinical anxiety calls for a professional. For everyone, the antidote to anxiety is Good Friday: spend time each day reflecting on Christ's Passion and thanking him for each suffering. His agony in the garden was anxiety of mind, and he is with you in it.
Is it OK to work on Sunday?
Rest is necessary, and the Church obliges us to rest on the Lord's Day from work that hinders worship, joy and relaxation. But family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse, as long as excuses do not become habits harmful to religion, family life and health.
What should I do about my sister's refusal to celebrate birthdays and holidays?
Point out that the Lord celebrated holidays (cf. Luke 2:41-43; John 6:3-5; 7:1-10; 10:22-23). Holidays are not worship of days or people but time set apart to focus on loving God and neighbor, the two great commandments.
Must all the mysteries be prayed to gain the rosary indulgence?
No. Five decades are enough. A plenary indulgence is granted for the rosary prayed in a church, oratory, family, religious community or pious association, without interruption and with meditation on the mysteries; otherwise the indulgence is partial.
How do we sanctify the Lord's Day (Sundays and holy days)?
It takes a common effort: not making unnecessary demands on others, ensuring time for rest and worship, taking part in the Eucharist, avoiding work and activities incompatible with the day's joy and rest, and using the day for spiritual enrichment and works of mercy.
In Scripture
- Matthew 6:6-13
- Luke 18:1
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- Philippians 4:6
- Luke 1:28, 42
- Luke 2:19
- Matthew 4:1-2
- Matthew 6:16-18
- Joel 2:12-13
- Isaiah 9:1-6
- Isaiah 40:3-5
- Luke 1:26-38
- Exodus 20:8
- Acts 20:7
- Luke 22:42
- Matthew 6:9
- John 14:6
- Matthew 21:9
- Leviticus 23:40
- Genesis 2:2-3
- Genesis 1:3
- 1 Corinthians 16:2
- Colossians 2:16
- Genesis 2:2
- Luke 2:41-43
- John 6:3-5
- John 7:1-10
- John 10:22-23
- Matthew 22:35-40
Key terms
- Rosary
- A Marian prayer of meditation on the life of Christ, prayed on beads in five decades of Hail Marys.