Pillar IV — How We Pray
Prayers & Devotions
"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Catholic prayer runs from the simplest childhood words to a lifetime of contemplation — every bit of it is a real conversation with God.
Core prayers every Catholic knows
These prayers form the backbone of Catholic life — memorized in childhood, prayed for a lifetime.
The Our Father
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.
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.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more.
The Rosary
The Rosary is a meditation on the life of Christ, prayed through the eyes of His mother, using beads to keep count while the mind rests on the Gospel. Each set of ten Hail Marys (a "decade") is preceded by an Our Father and followed by a Glory Be, and is paired with one of twenty Mysteries:
| Mysteries | Traditionally prayed | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Joyful | Monday & Saturday | The Annunciation to the Finding in the Temple |
| Sorrowful | Tuesday & Friday | The Agony in the Garden to the Crucifixion |
| Glorious | Wednesday & Sunday | The Resurrection to the Coronation of Mary |
| Luminous | Thursday | The Baptism of Christ to the Institution of the Eucharist |
St. Padre Pio called the Rosary "the weapon" for our times — not because it is aggressive, but because it quietly forms the mind of Christ in whoever prays it faithfully.
The Stations of the Cross
The Stations (or Way of the Cross) walk through fourteen moments of Christ's Passion, from His condemnation by Pilate to His burial in the tomb — traditionally prayed on Fridays, especially during Lent, moving physically or in imagination from station to station in a church.
Popular devotions
Divine Mercy
Rooted in the visions of St. Faustina Kowalska, this devotion centers on the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the image of Christ with the words "Jesus, I Trust in You," celebrated each year on Divine Mercy Sunday.
The Sacred Heart
Devotion to the pierced, burning Heart of Jesus as the symbol of His boundless love for humanity, revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and honored each June.
A word of Scripture
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7