Daily Catholic Prayers
Catholic Advent and Christmas Prayers
The Nativity (1597), Federico Barocci. Museo del Prado. Public domain.
"Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just" (Isaiah 45:8). For centuries the Church has sung these words in Advent, the season of longing for the Savior. Advent looks two ways. It prepares us to celebrate the birth of Christ at Bethlehem, and it turns our hearts toward His coming again in glory at the end of time.
In 2026 Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, and lasts until Christmas Eve. The Christmas season then begins on the evening of Christmas Eve and runs to the Baptism of the Lord on Sunday, January 10, 2027. This page gathers the prayers for each part of the season: the Advent wreath, the novenas, the feasts of Mary and the saints, the O Antiphons, Christmas itself, and the days of the Christmas season through the Epiphany.
Advent Prayers for Every Day
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Advent Wreath Prayers for Each Week of Advent: the traditional Sunday collects of Advent, for lighting one more candle each week at the family table.
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Advent Prayer (Traditional): the old collect of the Vigil of Christmas, asking that we who welcome Christ as Redeemer may meet Him without fear when He comes as Judge.
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The Angelus: the Incarnation remembered morning, noon, and night, a perfect daily habit for Advent.
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Joyful Mysteries: the Rosary mysteries for the Sundays of Advent, from the Annunciation to the finding of Jesus in the Temple. More on the Rosary page.
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Magnificat: Mary's song of praise when she visited St. Elizabeth, sung every evening at Vespers.
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Benedictus (Canticle of Zechariah): the song of Zechariah at the birth of his son, prayed every morning, "to enlighten them that sit in darkness."
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Prayer to St. John the Baptist: to St. John the Baptist, the voice crying in the wilderness, whose preaching fills the Gospels of the second and third Sundays of Advent.
Advent and Christmas Novenas
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St. Andrew Christmas Novena: a short prayer said fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew on November 30 until Christmas Eve.
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Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier: usually prayed March 4–12, but it can also be prayed November 24 to December 2, before the feast of St. Francis Xavier on December 3.
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Christmas Novena (December 16–24): nine days of prayer ending on Christmas Eve, with a simple daily form for families.
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The O Antiphons (December 17–23): the seven Great Antiphons of the last week of Advent, O Wisdom, O Adonai, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Dayspring, O King of the Nations, and O Emmanuel.
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New to novenas? The Novenas page explains how to pray one, and what to do if you miss a day.
Feasts of Mary and the Saints in Advent
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November 30, St. Andrew: the first Apostle called, who brought his brother St. Peter to Jesus. Advent begins on the Sunday nearest his feast.
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December 6, St. Nicholas of Myra: the fourth-century bishop whose secret kindness to the poor lies behind the stories of Santa Claus.
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December 7, St. Ambrose: bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church, who baptized St. Augustine and wrote hymns the Church still sings.
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December 8, the Immaculate Conception: Prayer to the Immaculate Conception, the collect of the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a novena from November 29 to December 7. Add the short O Mary Conceived Without Sin, the prayer of the Miraculous Medal.
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December 11, Pope St. Damasus I: the pope who asked St. Jerome to revise the Latin Bible.
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December 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe: Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe, recalling her appearances to St. Juan Diego in 1531. Her novena runs December 3–11.
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December 13, St. Lucy: Prayer to St. Lucy, Patron of Eyesight. Her name means light, and her feast falls in the darkest days of the year.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
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Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Prayers: the collects of the Vigil and of the three Christmas Masses, at Midnight, at Dawn, and during the Day, for keeping vigil at home.
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Christmas Prayer (Traditional): a simple prayer to the Christ Child, asking Him to make our hearts His crib. It recalls the first Nativity scene, which St. Francis of Assisi set up at Greccio.
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December 25, St. Anastasia: the martyr named in the Roman Canon, long remembered at the Mass at Dawn on Christmas Day.
The Christmas Season: From St. Stephen to the Epiphany
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December 26, St. Stephen: the first martyr, who prayed for those who stoned him.
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December 27, St. John the Apostle: Prayer to St. John the Evangelist, the beloved disciple who wrote, "the Word was made flesh."
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December 28, the Holy Innocents: the infant martyrs of Bethlehem, remembered by families who have lost a child.
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Feast of the Holy Family Prayers: for the Sunday after Christmas (December 27, 2026), honoring Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph at Nazareth.
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Te Deum: the Church's great hymn of thanksgiving, sung on December 31, the feast of Pope St. Sylvester I, for the year that is ending.
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Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1): the octave day of Christmas, honoring Mary as the Mother of God, the title upheld at the Council of Ephesus in 431.
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Veni Creator Spiritus: the hymn to the Holy Spirit traditionally sung on New Year's Day for the year ahead.
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A Catholic New Year's Prayer: thanksgiving for the past year and a fresh start under God's care.
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Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus: for early January, when the Church honors the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3.
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Epiphany Prayer: the collect of the Epiphany, when the Magi worshiped the Christ Child and Christ was revealed to all nations.
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Prayer to the Infant Jesus of Prague: a much-loved prayer to the Holy Child, prayed through the Christmas season and on the 25th of each month.
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After the season: on February 2, forty days after Christmas, the Church keeps the Presentation of the Lord. Pray the Nunc Dimittis (Canticle of Simeon), Simeon's song as he held the Child in the Temple.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Advent start in 2026?
Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, 2026, and ends on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24. The First Sunday of Advent is always the Sunday that falls on or nearest to November 30, the feast of St. Andrew, so Advent has four Sundays. Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday, is December 13, 2026. The new liturgical year begins on the First Sunday of Advent.
What do the candles of the Advent wreath mean?
The wreath has four candles, one for each Sunday of Advent. Three are violet, the color of preparation and penance. One is rose, lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, whose name comes from the opening words of that day's Mass, "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4). The evergreen circle speaks of eternal life. Many families give each candle a theme such as hope, peace, joy, and love. That is a popular custom, not a rule.
What is the St. Andrew Christmas Novena?
It is a short prayer said fifteen times a day from November 30, the feast of St. Andrew, until Christmas Eve. It received an imprimatur in New York in 1897. Despite its name, it is a meditation on the hour of Christ's birth:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
You can divide the fifteen repetitions between morning, noon, and night. See the full St. Andrew Christmas Novena.
What are the O Antiphons?
They are seven short prayers sung at Evening Prayer before and after the Magnificat, from December 17 to 23. Each one calls on Christ by a title from the prophets, from O Wisdom to O Emmanuel, and ends with the plea "Come!" The first letters of the Latin titles, read backward, spell ero cras, "Tomorrow I will be there." The hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is a paraphrase of them. See The O Antiphons.
What is the Immaculate Conception?
It is the dogma that the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception. This was a singular grace from God, given in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, her Son and Savior. Pope Pius IX defined it on December 8, 1854 (CCC 491–492). It is not the same as the virgin birth, which concerns the conception of Jesus. The feast is December 8. In the United States it is a holy day of obligation and the patronal feast of the country.
Which days are holy days of obligation this Advent and Christmas?
In the United States in 2026–27, they are the Immaculate Conception (Tuesday, December 8), Christmas (Friday, December 25), and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Friday, January 1, 2027), as well as every Sunday. The Epiphany is moved to Sunday, January 3, 2027. Other countries keep different holy days, so check with your diocese or parish.
When does the Christmas season end?
The Christmas season begins on Christmas Eve and lasts until the Baptism of the Lord, on Sunday, January 10, 2027. Its high points are the Octave of Christmas, ending on January 1, and the Epiphany. The Epiphany is traditionally January 6, but in the United States it is kept on Sunday, January 3, in 2027. Many families keep their Nativity scene up until Candlemas, the Presentation of the Lord on February 2.