God invites us into a relationship with Him that is both personal and communal. He speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh. Prayer is our response to God who is already speaking or, better yet, revealing Himself to us. Therefore, prayer is not merely an exchange of words, but it engages the whole person in a relationship with God the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit.
Various forms of prayer are presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2623-2649). These various forms include prayer of blessing or adoration, prayer of petition, prayer of intercession, prayer of thanksgiving, and prayer of praise. [taken from www.usccb.org]
The Catholic faith has a rich tradition of prayer in a variety of forms. Some we learn by rote as children and they stay with us and carry us, giving us comfort during those times when we cannot find the words ourselves. They are like cherished family jewels passed from one generation to the next; a thread connecting us to our history and guiding us into our future.
The Catechism defines prayer as a “vital and personal relationship with the living and true God” (CCC, no. 2558). Prayer is Christian “insofar as it is communion with Christ” (CCC, no. 2565), and a “covenant relationship between God and man in Christ” (CCC, no. 2564).
Yet, how does one define something which defies full understanding. Prayer is the conversation with God that lifts us from the moment in which we find ourselves, happy or sad, to the timeless presence that gently holds our heart. It is speaking. It is listening. It is sitting in complete silence with breathless expectation. It is all of those things and much more.
There is no way to capture in one small space something as fluid as prayer, yet we offer this finite listing as a humble beginning. Click through to our Catholic Prayers page and peruse the listing that we have prepared. We hope you find some of your favorites on the list. Is there a prayer/novena you would like to see added? Email Sister Danielle and let us know.
Family Prayers from Birth to Death
Prayers for the Church and the World
Quotes about Prayer
“True prayer is nothing but love.” ~ St. Augustine,
“Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.” ~ St. John Vianney
“Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy—then we need an hour.” ~ St. Francis de Sales