Catholic Prayers
A library of Catholic prayers you can pray today — traditional prayers of the Church, the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet, novenas, and intercessions for peace and for persecuted Christians. Each prayer is given in full, with instructions where the devotion has a particular form.
Start here
Traditional Prayers
The prayers every Catholic learns by heart — the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, the Creed and the Acts of Faith, Hope and Love.
Glory Be
Traditional Catholic Prayer
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.
Amen.
Hail Mary
Traditional Catholic Prayer
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.
Amen.
The Our Father (Lord's Prayer)
Matthew 6:9-13
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.
Amen.
Peace Prayers
Intercessions for wars and conflicts, for reconciliation between peoples, and for peace in families and in the heart.
Prayer for World Peace
Traditional Catholic Prayer
Almighty and eternal God,
may your grace enkindle in all people
the love of the many blessings you have bestowed on us.
We pray for peace in the world,
that a spirit of respect and cooperation
may grow among all nations.
Grant that we may put aside our differences,
heal divisions, and work together
to build a world of justice and lasting peace.
May your love guide the work of those
who serve as peacemakers and reconcilers.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer of St. Francis
Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Persecuted Prayers
Prayers for Christians who suffer for the faith today, and for the courage of those who stand with them.
Prayer for Persecuted Christians
Contemporary Catholic Prayer
Heavenly Father,
we lift up to you our brothers and sisters
who are suffering persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ.
Grant them courage and strength
to remain steadfast in their witness.
Comfort those who mourn,
heal those who are wounded,
and bring freedom to those imprisoned.
Convert the hearts of their persecutors,
and open the eyes of government leaders
to see the injustice of religious persecution.
Give us compassion to remember them in prayer,
wisdom to advocate on their behalf,
and boldness to defend religious freedom for all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
who was himself persecuted and crucified,
yet rose triumphant over death. Amen.
Keep praying
- Saint of the day — today's feast, with a prayer to pray with the saint the Church remembers.
- Daily meditation — the day's scripture with a short reflection.
- Stations of the Cross — the fourteen stations with meditations.
- Examination of conscience — a guide for preparing for confession.
- Holy Hour guide — how to spend an hour before the Blessed Sacrament.