Articles
What Is a Novena? How to Pray One, When to Start, and Popular Novenas Through the Year
A novena is a Catholic devotion of prayer repeated for nine consecutive days for a particular intention or to prepare for a feast. The word comes from the Latin *novem*,...
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The Morning Offering Prayer: Full Text, Meaning, and How to Begin Each Day with God
The Morning Offering is a short Catholic prayer said at the start of the day. In it, you offer God all of the day’s prayers, works, joys, and sufferings, united...
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Catholic Prayer Before Meals: 'Bless Us, O Lord,' Grace After Meals, and Other Mealtime Prayers
The traditional Catholic prayer before meals is “Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.” It...
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All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day: What They Are, How They Differ, and How to Pray for the Dead
All Saints’ Day on November 1 honors all the saints in heaven, known and unknown, who share fully in God’s glory. All Souls’ Day on November 2 is the day...
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What Is the Immaculate Conception? Meaning, the December 8 Feast, and a Common Mix-Up
The Immaculate Conception is the Catholic teaching that the Virgin Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her own conception in her mother’s womb, by God’s...
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St. Nicholas Day (December 6): Who St. Nicholas Was, Traditions, and Simple Ways to Celebrate
St. Nicholas Day is December 6, the feast of St. Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop of Myra in present-day Turkey who was known for his secret generosity to the poor. Families...
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The Act of Contrition: Full Text, Meaning, and How It Is Prayed in Confession
The Act of Contrition is a short Catholic prayer that tells God we are sorry for our sins and resolve, with His grace, to sin no more. In confession it...
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The Serenity Prayer: Full Text, Who Wrote It, Its Meaning, and Bible Verses Behind It
The Serenity Prayer is the short prayer “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know...
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The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Meaning, Symbols, First Fridays, and Enthroning the Sacred Heart at Home
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Catholic devotion to the love of Christ, shown as His heart surrounded by flames and a crown of thorns, pierced, and topped with...
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The Hail Mary Prayer: Full Text, Meaning, Latin Ave Maria, and the Hail Holy Queen
The Hail Mary is the most familiar Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary. Its first half comes from the angel Gabriel’s greeting (Luke 1:28) and Elizabeth’s blessing (Luke 1:42), and...
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