The Catholic church is nearly 2000 years old, making it one of the oldest institutions in the western world. Today, there are over 1.3 billion Catholics in the world practicing their religion.
And while different individuals and families practice catholicism in different ways, most of them involve prayer. There are dozens of different prayers in the bible but this article will highlight 5 different prayers that are most commonly heard today.
1. Our Father
Our Father, or the Lord’s Prayer, is one of the most recognizable Catholic prayers. It is used in traditional Catholic masses, holiday masses, and sometimes as part of daily prayer. When people are praying the Our Father prayer, it’s about gratitude, forgiveness, resilience, and courage.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be
thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
2. Hail Mary
Like many of the different Catholic prayers, the Hail Mary is a bible prayer. It comes from passages in the gospel of Luke. The prayer is to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
3. St Dymphna Prayer
The Catholic Church prays to thousands of saints, like the st dymphna prayer. The prayer is about suffering, particularly suffering from mental or emotional illness.
Good Saint Dymphna, great wonder-worker in every affliction of mind and body, I humbly implore your powerful intercession with Jesus through Mary, the Health of the Sick, in my present need. (Mention it.) Saint Dymphna, martyr of purity, patroness of those who suffer with nervous and mental afflictions, beloved child of Jesus and Mary, pray to Them for me and obtain my request.
Saint Dymphna, Virgin, and Martyr, pray for us.
4. Glory Be
Glory Be is recited as part of the Rosary between each Hail Mary Prayer. The prayer affirms the glory of the holy trinity – the father, son, and holy spirit.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
5. Apostles Creed
The Apostles Creed is a prayer about what it means to be a Christian. It was used by missionaries to proclaim the tenants of their faith and explain it to others.
You can find the full Apostles Creed prayer here.
Using Different Prayers for Worship
People use different Catholic prayers in different situations or to convey different messages. These 5 are good examples of how different prayers are understood and used in practicing religion. Prayer can be powerful.
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