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ApatternofdailyCatholicprayerwillhelpyoustayclosetoChristeach
day.
Andwhatyoupracticeeachday,you'lldoforeternity!
Thisarticlewilltellyou:
CommonprayersfordailyCatholicprayer
Howtousethemformaximumbenefit

WhybotherwithdailyCatholicprayer?
...becauseit'sanessentialpartoftheinteriorlife!
Theeasiestwaytostart(orrestart!)aprayerlifeistosimplyaddafew
quickprayersintoyourday.
Thisgetsyoupraying
YoulearnintheschoolofsomeoutstandingCatholicprayers
Youframethedayinprayer
YouturntoGodinthefabricofeverydaylife
Thislastpointisveryimportant!DailyCatholicprayermustbeapartof
yournormallife,notsomething"extra"thatyoutackontoit.
ThepracticeofCatholicdailyprayerwillgiveyouastrongbasisto
developanotheressentialpartoftheCatholicspirituallife:mental
prayer.
Solet'sgetstarted!

Thedailyrhythm
Youpraywiththeflowandrhythmofyourordinarydaytodevelopa
habitofdailyCatholicprayer.
It'seasytodothis.Therearethreequicksteps:
1. Findsomemajorpointsinyourday
2. Chooseaquickprayerforeach
3. Saythechosenprayerattherightpointinyourday
Ithelpstoprintouttheprayersyouchoose.Keepthemwithyou.
Committofollowingthemforoneweeksotheybecomeahabit.
EachdailyCatholicprayerwillgroundyouinawarenessofGod's
presence.Whenyourdayis"framed"likethisbyshortprayers,youget
usedtotalkingwithGodthroughouttheday.Thisisagoodthing.
Pleaseknowthatthisisessentialtodevelopingalifeofprayer!Weare
allcalledtoholiness.Really.Andtogetthere,you'vegottolivelike
everythingdependsonGod.Becauseitdoes!
ThispathofdailyCatholicprayerisdeeplyrootedintheCatholicChurch's
longtraditionofprayer.It'saneasyandveryeffectivewaytogrow
closertoGod.
Whatcouldbeeasier?

Howtousetheprayers
Ofcourse,thisisnottheonlywaytopray!Butit'sanoutstandingstart.
MostCatholicsusetraditionalCatholicprayersassomepartoftheirdaily
routine.
Thebestadvice:donotjustrattlethemoffasfastaspossible!
Letthemnourishandexpressyourownprayer.YourgoalindailyCatholic
prayeristoconversewithGod.
ThinkaboutwhattheseCatholicprayerscanteachyouaboutGod,
aboutyourself,andabouthowtopray.
ListenquietlytohearthewillofGod."Theprayeroffaithconsists
notonlyinsaying'Lord,Lord,'butindisposingthehearttodothe
willoftheFather."(Catechism,2611,referringtoMt7:21)
Slowdown.Feelthewordswithyourheart."Ifourheartisfarfrom
God,thewordsofprayerareinvain."(Catechism,2562)
Whenyourmindwandersoff,letthewordsoftheprayerhelp
restoreyourfocusonGod.
Don'tgethunguponthesespecificprayers.Traditionalwrittenprayers
arewonderful:youdon'tstruggletofindyourownwords,theyteachyou
alot,andyou'reunitedwithmanyothersusingthesamewordsallover
theworld.
Butyoumayneedtoadaptthemtoyourowncircumstances.

Suggestedprayers
Here'sasuggestedsetofprayerstoframeyourday.(Alloftheseand
manymorearecontainedintheHandbookofPrayers,editedbyJames
Socias.)
ThisoutlinefollowsthetraditionalpointsofthedayfordailyCatholic
prayer:morning,beforemeals,thebeginningofwork,noon,andnight.
Again,youshouldadaptthistofityourowncircumstances.
Solet'sstartdailyCatholicprayerfirstthinginthemorning!

Morningprayer
Morningprayerisaquickwaytoofferyourselfandyourwholedayto
God.
Itisachoicetobeginaneweachday,andtoclearlychooseGodatthe
verystartoftheday.
Somepeoplemakeasimpleandinformalprayerassoonastheywake
up:"Iwillserveyou,Lord"or"Lord,helpmetoloveandserveyou
today"orevenjust"serviam"(Latinfor"Iwillserve").Theseareall
greatpartsofdailyCatholicprayer.
ThistraditionalCatholicmorningprayerisalsoverycommon:

Catholicmorningprayer
OJesus,throughtheImmaculateHeartofMary,Iofferyoumy
prayers,works,joys,andsufferingsofthisdayforallthe
intentionsofyourSacredHeart,inunionwiththeholysacrificeof
theMassthroughouttheworld,inthanksgivingforyourfavors,in
reparationformysins,fortheintentionsofallmyrelativesand
friends,andinparticularfortheintentionsoftheHolyFather.
Amen.

Gracebeforemeals
MostChristianssaygracebeforemealstogivethankstotheLord.Grace
isanimportantpartofdailyCatholicprayer.Thisisoftenthefirstway
thatchildrenareexposedtoalifeofprayer.

Gracebeforemeals
Blessus,OLord,andthesethygifts,whichweareabouttoreceive
fromthybounty,throughChristourLord.Amen.

Beginningofwork
Abriefminutejustbeforestartingworkisanotherimportantopportunity
forprayer.ThisdailyCatholicprayerisfromanancientformofthe
LitanyoftheSaints:

PrayerBeforeaDay'sWork
Direct,webegyou,OLord,ouractionsbyyourholyinspirations,
andgrantthatwemaycarrythemoutwithyourgracious
assistance,thateveryprayerandworkofoursmaybeginalways
withyou,andthroughyoubehappilyended.Amen.

Thisisanalternateprayertouseatthebeginningofwork,oratthe
beginningoftheday.ThistraditionaldailyCatholicprayerhelpsus
acknowledgethepresenceofGod,askforhishelpandprotection,and
dedicatetheday'sworktohim.

PrayertoKeepthePresenceofGod
Lord,GodAlmighty,youhavebroughtussafelytothebeginningof
thisday.Defendustodaybyyourmightypower,sothatwemay
notfallintoanysin,andthatallourwordsmaysoproceedandall
ourthoughtsandactionsbesodirectedastobealwaysjustinyour
sight.ThroughChristourLord.Amen.

Noon:TheAngelus
TheAngelusisatraditionaldailyCatholicprayerthat'softensaidat12
noon.ThisprayerisabeautifulmeditationontheIncarnation,andon
Mary'sroleinit.
Thisisoftensaidasagroupprayer,withtheleaderspeakingtheVparts
andthegrouprespondingwiththeRlines.Ifyou'resayingitalone,just
readbothpartstogether.

TheAngelus
VTheAngeloftheLorddeclareduntoMary.
RAndsheconceivedbytheHolySpirit.
HailMary...(SayTheHailMaryhere.)
VBeholdthehandmaidoftheLord.
RBeitdoneuntomeaccordingtothyword.

HailMary...
VAndtheWordwasmadeFlesh.
RAnddweltamongus.
HailMary...
VPrayforus,OHolyMotherofGod.
RThatwemaybemadeworthyofthepromisesofChrist.
LETUSPRAY:Pourforth,webeseechyou,OLord,yourgraceinto
ourhearts,thatwetowhomtheincarnationofChrist,yourSon,
wasmadeknownbythemessageofanangel,maybyhispassion
andcrossbebroughttothegloryofhisresurrection.Throughthe
sameChristourLord.
Amen.

SayingtheAngelusatnoonisawonderfulwaytomarknoontime,the
centerofeachday.Ithelpsusreturnourfocustotheeternal.The
AngelussteepsusinthespiritualityofMary,withitscompleteand
humbleservicetotheLord.
Ifyou'reatworkduringthistime,it'seasytosayitquietlytoyourself
beforeheadingtolunch.
TheAngelusisalsodiscussedinthearticleonprayerstotheBlessed
Mother.

Night:Thedailyexamination
IndevelopingahabitofdailyCatholicprayer,oneveryimportanttimeis
justbeforegoingtobed.
Thisisanopportunitytospendafewbriefminutesreviewingtheday
withtheLord.Wecallthisthe"dailyexaminationofconscience."
Thissimpleexercisehelpsyouseetheeventsofyourdayfromthe
perspectiveofachildofGod.Thisreallyamountstoonlythreequick
"words"tosayintheexaminationitself.

DailyExaminationofConscience
1. PlaceyourselfinthepresenceofGod,andaskforhishelpin
examiningyourday.
2. Examineyourday(thethree"words"):
"Thankyou":ThanktheLordfortheblessingsofthe
day.
"I'msorry":Acknowledgeyourfaultsspecificallyand
directly.
"Pleasehelpmemore":AsktheLordforhelpfor
tomorrow.Makespecificresolutions.
3. Makeanactofcontrition(seebelow).
4. EndwithanOurFatherandaHailMary.

It'sgenerallyrecommendedtotakeonlyabout2or3minutesforthe
examinationpartitself,orupto1minuteforeach"word."Ashorttime
likethiscanhelpyoukeepfocusedwhenyou'retired.
Here'satraditionalActofContrition:

ActofContrition

OmyGod,Iamheartilysorryforhavingoffendedyou,andIdetest
allmysins,becauseIdreadthelossofheavenandthepainsof
hellbutmostofallbecausetheyoffendyou,myGod,whoareall
goodanddeservingofallmylove.Ifirmlyresolve,withthehelpof
yourgrace,toconfessmysins,todopenance,andtoamendmy
life.Amen.

Ican'trecommendthisstronglyenough:Thedailyexaminationof
conscienceisanessentialpartoftheChristianlife.Makeitoneofthe
firstthingsyouaddtoyourpatternofdailyCatholicprayer.
Ithelpsyoudevelopyourawarenessofhowyou'redoingdaytodayin
yourlifeasafollowerofChrist.Onlybyclearlyseeingthedetailsofeach
day,canwehopetoimprove.

Oneweektoanewlife!
NowyouhaveeverythingyouneedtoletGodbreathenewlifeintoyour
faith:
AwonderfulsetofCatholicprayers
AstrategyformakingdailyCatholicprayerapartofyourlife
Sostartnow!
Formaspecificplanthatwillworkforyou.Picktheprayersyou'lluse.
Thencommittojustoneweek.
Followyourplaneveryday.Iknow,itmayseemalittlestrangeonthe
firstday.It'snewthat'stobeexpected.
Buttheseconddaywillfeelmorenatural.Andthenyou'llrealizethat
yourhabitofdailyCatholicprayeriscomforting!Itbringspeaceand
ordereventoahecticday.YourawarenessofGod'spresenceinyour
dailylifeisgrowing.
Andsuddenly...
...youhaveahabitofpraying!Youdoitthroughoutyourday,from
morningtonight,andit'sgreat.Ittakesonlyafewsecondshere&there,
andyou'vemadeyourlifericher.
Morethanthat,you'vebroughtGodintoyourlife.
Andyou'llneverturnback!

ThisarticleondailyCatholicprayerisonlyonefromasetofarticleson
Catholicprayers.SeetheotherarticlesformanyotherwonderfulCatholic
prayers.You'llalsofindsoundguidanceforeasilydevelopingyour
prayerlifeinHowtoPray.
TheWebsiteCatholicCulture.orgalsohasmanymoreprayersthatare
idealfordailyCatholicprayer(opensanewbrowserwindow).
CatholicCulture.orgisamajorCatholicsite,andhasmanyoutstanding
resources.
SeeourhomepageformorearticlesforthebeginningCatholic.