St. John Henry Newman (1801-1890) wrote these verses in 1833, years before he became a Catholic, while he was stranded on a ship becalmed between Corsica and Sardinia, weak from illness and longing to get home to England. Unsure of the future, he asked only for enough light to take the next step. The poem became one of the best-loved hymns in the English language. It is a perfect prayer for times of uncertainty, discernment, illness, grief, or a new chapter of life, when you

In this famous meditation, St. John Henry Newman reflects that God has created each person for a particular purpose that no one else can fulfill. It comes from his Meditations and Devotions, published in 1893, three years after his death. Its central line, "God has created me to do Him some definite service," has encouraged countless people who wonder whether their life matters. Pray it when discerning a vocation or career, during sickness or disappointment, when you feel use

Jesus said, "He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). The Church calls final perseverance, remaining in God's grace until the moment of death, a great gift that we cannot earn but must humbly ask for. This prayer borrows the words of the traditional Act of Hope, trusting in God's goodness and promises, and adds a direct request for the grace of final perseverance. Pray it daily, especially in times of spiritual dryness, after falling into sin,

Baptism is the doorway to every other grace. In it we were washed of original sin, made children of God, and joined to the Church, most of us long before we could understand what had happened. It is good to go back to that gift deliberately and give thanks for it. This short prayer of thanksgiving is ideal on the anniversary of your baptism (worth finding out and marking on the calendar), at the Easter Vigil when the baptismal promises are renewed, on the feast of the Baptism

Ask God to extend the light of the Gospel to all nations. The Prayer O God, Who willest that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth: send forth, we beseech Thee, laborers into Thy harvest, and grant them grace to speak Thy word with all confidence; that Thy Gospel may be spread among all nations, and that all peoples may acknowledge Thee, the one true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent. Amen. Traditional prayer for missions/faith; classic manual

Honor the Blessed Trinity with this traditional act of adoration. The Prayer O everlasting and Triune God, I adore Thee profoundly, and I thank Thee for the grace of Baptism, by which I was made a child of God. Grant that I may always live as Thy child, loving Thee above all things and my neighbor as myself, for Thy sake. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Amen. Traditional prayer to the Trinity; classic manuals, public domain. If these prayers hel

The Nicene Creed confesses the Church's faith. This traditional English form is from older Catholic prayer books (not modern ICEL). The Prayer I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; by Whom all things were made

St. Peter, the fisherman Simon whom Jesus renamed "Rock," was the first among the Apostles. When he confessed, "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus answered, "Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:16-18). Although Peter denied the Lord three times, he wept bitterly, was restored by the risen Christ, and ultimately gave his life as a martyr in Rome. This prayer asks St. Peter for a strong, living faith and the grace never to deny

The Act of Faith is a short profession of the truths God has revealed: one God in three Persons, the Incarnation, and the redemption won by Jesus Christ. It is one of the traditional "acts" that Catholics have learned by heart since childhood. By praying it we assent to everything the Church teaches, not because we understand it all, but because God, who can neither deceive nor be deceived, has revealed it. Pray it as part of your morning or evening prayers, before Mass, in t

This traditional act accepts God's holy will in joy and sorrow, a classic prayer of trust. The Prayer O Lord my God, I now, at this moment, readily and willingly accept at Thy hand whatever Thou dost ordain for me concerning my life and my death, with all their circumstances and sufferings. And I now, with all my heart, resign myself wholly to Thy most holy will. Amen. Traditional Act of Resignation; classic prayer books, public domain. If these prayers help you, you can supp

The Apostles’ Creed summarizes the faith handed down from the earliest Church. Catholics recite it at the start of the Rosary and in many morning and evening prayers. Let each article settle in the mind—creation, Incarnation, Cross, Resurrection, Church, and everlasting life. The Prayer 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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Po