In the First Book of Samuel, Hannah longed for a child for many years and suffered the ridicule of others. At the sanctuary at Shiloh she poured out her heart to God so intensely that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. God heard her prayer, and she gave birth to Samuel, who became a great prophet. After his birth she sang a hymn of praise that echoes later in Mary's Magnificat. Hannah's words are a gift to couples struggling with infertility or waiting to adopt, and to any

When someone we love is sick, it can be hard to know what to pray. The Church's own rites for the sick give us simple, trustworthy words. This short prayer comes from the traditional Roman Ritual for the visitation of the sick, prayed by priests at the bedside for centuries. It asks God to look upon the sick person, refresh the soul He created, and bring healing through His own remedy. Say it for a spouse, parent, child, or friend who is ill at home or in the hospital, insert

The Book of Tobit tells the story of young Tobias, guided on his journey by the Archangel Raphael, and his marriage to Sarah, a woman who had known great sorrow. On their wedding night, before anything else, the couple rose and prayed together, praising God as Creator of man and woman and asking Him for mercy and a long life together. The Church has long used this passage at weddings. It is a beautiful prayer for engaged couples, newlyweds, and married couples renewing their

St. Monica (331-387) is the patron saint of mothers, wives in difficult marriages, and parents whose children have drifted from the faith. For years she prayed and wept for her brilliant, restless son Augustine, who was living far from God. A bishop comforted her with the words, "It is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish." Augustine was baptized in 387, became a bishop and Doctor of the Church, and wrote movingly of his mother's prayers in his Confessions

The Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, is the model and protector of every Christian home. Like every family, they knew hardship, poverty, travel, and worry, and the Church celebrates them on the Sunday after Christmas. This prayer asks their blessing on your household and the grace to bear with one another, forgive quickly, and serve each other. Pray it together at dinner or bedtime, during times of tension or conflict, when family members are estranged, or wh

St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin, is a patron of mothers and families. Ask her motherly help with this traditional prayer. The Prayer With a heart full of sincere and filial affection, I venerate thee, O glorious Saint Anne. Thou art that beloved of God, that mother of Mary, that grandmother of Jesus. By the power and the grace with which God has filled thee, deign to hear the prayers which I address to thee. Obtain for me the grace to live in the friendship of God, to

Parents and godparents pray this traditional petition for the faith and protection of children. The Prayer O God, Who hast given little children as a precious gift, watch over them with Thy fatherly care. Grant that they may grow in wisdom, age, and grace before Thee and men. Keep them from all evil, guide them by Thy Holy Spirit, and bring them safely to the joy of Thy kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Traditional prayer for children; classic manuals, public domain.

A traditional prayer asking God to bless one's father and mother with grace and peace. The Prayer O Almighty God, Who hast given unto us our parents, and commanded us to honor them, grant that we may love them sincerely, obey them faithfully, and assist them in their needs. Bless them, O Lord, with Thy heavenly gifts, preserve them in health of soul and body, and grant that we may one day be reunited with them in the joy of Thy eternal kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.