A new baby is a gift straight from the hand of God, and the first days bring wonder, weariness, and gratitude all at once. This prayer is for new parents, grandparents, godparents, and everyone welcoming a newborn into the family. Pray it at the hospital bedside, on the first night home, or as you prepare for the baby's Baptism. The Prayer Heavenly Father, Author of all life, we thank You with full hearts for the child You have placed in our arms. Before this little one was f

St. Francis of Assisi composed the Canticle of the Sun (also called the Canticle of the Creatures) near the end of his life, around 1225, while he was nearly blind and in great pain. It is one of the first great poems written in Italian. In it, Francis praises God for Brother Sun, Sister Moon, wind, water, fire, and Mother Earth, and in the final verses even for Sister Death. Pray it outdoors, at sunrise, on the feast of St. Francis (October 4), when blessing animals, or when

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

Most Catholics know grace before meals, but the tradition also includes a thanksgiving after eating. This extended form thanks God for all His benefits and then adds a brief prayer for the faithful departed, a beautiful custom that remembers the dead every time the family rises from the table. Grace after meals is a natural way to close a family dinner, especially on Sundays, feast days, and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It helps children learn gratitude and keeps

This longer grace joins the familiar "Bless us, O Lord" with a second line drawn from the Church's traditional table blessings: "May the King of eternal glory make us partakers of the heavenly table." The addition lifts our thoughts from the food in front of us to the banquet of heaven, which Jesus often compared to a wedding feast. Monasteries and religious houses have used similar blessings at their meals for centuries. Use this form for Sunday dinners, feast days, holidays

Give thanks for God's countless gifts with this traditional prayer. The Prayer O my God, I thank Thee for all the benefits which I have received from Thy bounty, especially for my creation, redemption, and preservation. I thank Thee for Baptism, for the Holy Eucharist, for Thy holy Mother Mary, for my Guardian Angel, and for all the means of salvation. Glory be to Thee forever. Amen. Sources: Traditional thanksgiving; classic manuals, public domain. If these prayers help you,

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

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 Te Deum is the Church's great hymn of praise and thanksgiving. It dates from the fourth or fifth century; a beautiful legend says Sts. Ambrose and Augustine composed it together at Augustine's baptism in 387, though many scholars credit Niceta of Remesiana. It is sung at the end of the Office of Readings on Sundays and feasts, and for centuries it has been sung at coronations, consecrations, and victories, and whenever the Church wants to thank God for a great blessing. P

At Easter we rejoice that Christ is risen. Give thanks with this traditional prayer. The Prayer O God, Who on this day, through Thine only-begotten Son, hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life: we humbly beseech Thee that, as Thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by Thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Traditional Easter collect-style

At Christmas the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Lord, the eternal Son of God born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. This simple devotional prayer speaks directly to the Child Jesus, adoring Him, thanking Him for coming to save us, and asking Him to make our hearts a crib where He may rest. It recalls the tradition of the Christmas crèche, made popular by St. Francis of Assisi, who arranged a living Nativity scene at Greccio in 1223. Pray it on Christmas Eve and Christma

The Magnificat is Mary's song of praise, which she spoke when she visited her cousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation (Luke 1:46-55). Echoing the song of Hannah in the Old Testament, it celebrates how God lifts up the lowly, fills the hungry, and keeps His promise to Abraham. The Church sings it every evening at Vespers, so for centuries Christians have ended the day praising God in Mary's own words. Pray it at Evening Prayer, on the feast of the Visitation (May 31), on Maria

A "visit" to the Blessed Sacrament is simply stopping into a church or chapel, outside of Mass, to spend a few minutes with Jesus present in the tabernacle. St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote a whole book of such visits, and generations of Catholics have made the practice part of their day on the way to work, school, or home. This short prayer thanks Our Lord for His presence and asks never to be separated from Him. Pray it when you kneel before the tabernacle, look for the sanctuar

The Divine Praises were composed in 1797 by an Italian Jesuit, Fr. Luigi Felici, as an act of reparation for blasphemy and profanity. Over the following century and a half, popes added new lines honoring the Immaculate Conception, the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph, the Assumption, the Precious Blood, and the Holy Spirit. Each line begins with "Blessed be," turning the heart toward God in simple praise. The Divine Praises are traditionally prayed or sung at Benediction of the Bless

After receiving Holy Communion, the Church encourages a few minutes of quiet thanksgiving, while Christ is sacramentally present within us. This traditional prayer thanks God the Father for refreshing us with the Body and Blood of His Son and asks that Communion bring not judgment but salvation and health of soul and body. It echoes St. Paul's warning to receive the Lord worthily (1 Corinthians 11:27-29). Pray it in the pew after Communion or after the final blessing, before

After receiving Our Lord, linger in thanksgiving with this traditional prayer. The Prayer My good Jesus, I thank Thee with all my heart for giving Thyself to me in this Holy Communion. May Thy holy Body and Blood increase my faith, strengthen my hope, and inflame my charity. Take entire possession of me, that I may live only for Thee. Keep me from all sin, and make me persevere in Thy love until death. Amen. Traditional prayer after Communion; classic manuals, public domain.

After receiving absolution, this traditional thanksgiving asks for perseverance in amendment. The Prayer O almighty and most merciful God, I give Thee hearty thanks for having admitted me to the Sacrament of Penance, and for having cleansed my soul from sin through the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Strengthen me by Thy grace, that I may never again offend Thee, and that I may carefully avoid the occasions of sin. Help me to perform my penance faithfully, and to begin a new

After the meal, linger a moment to thank God and remember those who have gone before us. Gratitude after eating is as traditional as the blessing before it. This form also asks rest for the faithful departed—a quiet work of charity at every table. The Prayer We give Thee thanks, O Almighty God, for all Thy mercies. Who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good for Thy name's sake. R. Amen. V. Let us

The Benedictus is the Gospel canticle of Zechariah from Luke 1. Traditional English forms have long been used at Morning Prayer. The Prayer Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because He hath visited and wrought the redemption of His people: And hath raised up a horn of salvation to us, in the house of David His servant: As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who are from the beginning: Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us: To perform mercy

"Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts" is the English form of the old Latin table blessing, Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona. It is probably the most familiar Catholic grace, the words countless families have said around the kitchen table for generations. Giving thanks before eating follows the example of Jesus Himself, who looked up to heaven and blessed the loaves before feeding the multitude, and who took bread and gave thanks at the Last Supper. Begin with the Sign