St. Richard of Chichester (1197-1253) was an English bishop known for his simple life, generosity to the poor, and courage in standing up to the king. According to his early biographer, he spoke this prayer on his deathbed. Its closing lines, asking to know Christ more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly, became famous in the twentieth century as the song "Day by Day." The prayer joins thanksgiving for all Christ has done with a desire to grow closer to

Devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague centers on a small wax statue of the Christ Child that was given to the Discalced Carmelites of Prague in 1628. When the city was sacked and the statue damaged, Fr. Cyril of the Mother of God found it and restored it. He reported that he heard the words, "The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you," and devotion to the Holy Infant spread across the world. This prayer, traditionally attributed to Fr. Cyril, is prayed in any urgent n

Honor the Holy Face of Jesus wounded for our sins. The Prayer O Lord Jesus Christ, in presenting ourselves before Thine adorable Face to ask of Thee the graces of which we stand most in need, we beseech Thee, above all, to grant us that interior disposition of never refusing at any time to do what Thou requirest of us by Thy holy commandments and Thy holy inspirations. Amen. Traditional Holy Face prayer; classic devotionals, public domain. If these prayers help you, you can s

"Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit" (Luke 23:46) is the seventh and final Word of Jesus from the Cross. It is His last prayer, drawn from Psalm 31, and it shows complete trust in the Father at the very moment of death. Christians have made these words their own for centuries. They are part of Night Prayer (Compline) in the Liturgy of the Hours, and many saints died with them on their lips. This short meditation asks for the grace to surrender ourselves to God both no

"It is consummated" (John 19:30), in some translations "It is finished," is the sixth of the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. It is not a cry of defeat. It announces that the work the Father gave Him, the redemption of the world, has been accomplished to the end. This brief meditation applies that Word to our own lives: each of us has work God has given us to do, in our vocation, our family, and our daily duties, and we ask for the grace to finish it faithfully. It i

The Seven Last Words are the seven sayings of Jesus from the Cross recorded in the Gospels. They have been prayed and preached on for centuries, especially on Good Friday, when many parishes hold a three-hour service from noon to three o'clock. "I thirst" (John 19:28) is the fifth Word. Jesus' thirst was real and physical after hours of suffering, but spiritual writers have long seen in it a deeper thirst: His longing for souls and for our love. This short meditation asks for

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46) is the fourth of Jesus' Seven Last Words, cried out in the darkness that covered the land. It is the opening line of Psalm 22, a psalm that begins in anguish and ends in trust and praise. In this Word, Jesus takes on the experience of abandonment that so many people feel in grief, depression, doubt, or spiritual dryness. This brief meditation asks for faithfulness in desolation and the grace never to despair of God'

"Woman, behold thy son... Behold thy mother" (John 19:26-27) is the third of the Seven Last Words. From the Cross, Jesus gave His mother to the beloved disciple John, and the Church has always understood that in John He gave Mary to all of us as our spiritual mother. This short meditation accepts that gift personally and asks Mary to be a mother to us now and at the hour of our death. It is a good prayer on Good Friday, on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15), b

"Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43) is the second of the Seven Last Words. Jesus spoke it to the repentant thief, often called St. Dismas, who asked only to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom. This Word is one of the most hopeful moments of the Passion: it shows that it is never too late to turn to Christ. This brief meditation echoes the good thief's request and asks for the grace of final perseverance and the hope of hea

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) is the first of the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. While He was still being crucified, He prayed for the very people who were putting Him to death. No Word is harder to live. This short meditation asks forgiveness for our own sins and a merciful heart like Christ's toward those who have hurt us. Pray it on Good Friday, before Confession, when you are struggling to forgive a family member, coworker,

Ask God for a humble heart after the example of Jesus. The Prayer O Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being loved, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being consulted, deli

Between 1673 and 1675, Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation nun at Paray-le-Monial in France, showing her His Heart burning with love for mankind and asking for a devotion of love and reparation. This act of consecration, which comes from her writings, gives everything to the Sacred Heart: our person, our life, our actions, and our sufferings, so that our whole being may be used to love and glorify Him. Pray it on the Feast of the Sacred Heart (the Fr

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

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus honors His human heart as the sign of His infinite love for us. It spread widely after Our Lord's revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1670s, and the whole month of June, along with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, is dedicated to it. These short aspirations are meant to be repeated often, especially "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee." Pray them when you feel worried or tempted, before work, on First Fridays,

These three short aspirations to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are among the best-known in the Catholic tradition and were once commonly taught to children and printed in every prayer book. Invoking the Holy Family together is especially fitting because St. Joseph is the patron of a happy death, since by tradition he died in the arms of Jesus and Mary. The first aspiration gives heart and soul to the Holy Family; the second and third ask their help at the hour of death. Pray them o

The Luminous Mysteries contemplate Christ's public life. Titles below may be prayed with the usual Rosary structure. The Prayer 1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan 2. The Wedding Feast at Cana 3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God 4. The Transfiguration 5. The Institution of the Holy Eucharist Pray each decade with Our Father, ten Hail Marys, Glory Be, and Fatima prayer, meditating on the mystery. Traditional Gospel titles for the Luminous Mysteries; public-domain Gospe

An aspiration is a very short prayer, just a few words, that you can repeat throughout the day. This one, "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee," is among the most loved in the Catholic tradition. It sums up the whole devotion to the Sacred Heart: Jesus loves us with a human heart, and we answer that love with complete confidence in His goodness and mercy. Say it when you wake, when you begin a task, when worry rises, or when you pass a church or a crucifix. Some p

The Chaplet of the Five Wounds honors the Passion of Christ. This traditional structure may be prayed on ordinary beads. The Prayer On the crucifix: Apostles' Creed. On the large beads: Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the wounds of our souls. On the small beads (five times for each Wound): My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of Thy Holy Wounds. Conclude: Holy Mother, pierce me through; in my heart each Wound renew of my Savio

A traditional Sacred Heart novena prayer suitable for nine days of petition. The Prayer O my Jesus, Thou hast said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek, and I ask for the grace of (mention request). O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee, that I may ever do Thy will. O my Jesus, Thou hast said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in My Name, He w

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart, renew love and reparation to the Heart of Jesus. The Prayer O God, Who in the Heart of Thy Son, wounded by our sins, dost mercifully bestow upon us the infinite treasures of Thy love: grant, we beseech Thee, that, rendering It the devout homage of our affection, we may also fulfill our duty of worthy satisfaction. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Traditional Sacred Heart feast collect; classic English, public domain. If these prayers h