One of the beautiful things about our Catholic faith is the treasury of prayers we have to draw from—and many of them can be prayed in under a minute. But despite their brevity, these prayers are powerful! If you want to pray more but don’t have a lot of spare time, try one (or all) of these six short Catholic prayers.
Invoke the Holy Spirit in this classic prayer. If the first part of the prayer sounds familiar, that’s because it comes from the Pentecost Sunday sequence in the Roman Missal. Pray anytime you need the inspiration and guidance of the third Person of the Trinity.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Pray the Prayer to the Holy Spirit anytime on CatholicTV or on YouTube.
The Angelus commemorates the Annunciation and Incarnation, and it is traditionally prayed three times daily: 6am, noon, and 6pm. The prayer evolved from a lay custom of praying three Hail Marys in the evening when the monastery bells rang.
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
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.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary...
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary...
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Stream the Angelus on CatholicTV or on YouTube.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, often called “the Little Flower,” promised to spend her time in heaven doing good on earth. Though she lived a hidden life, after her death, the 24-year-old French Carmelite became a Doctor of the Church and a beloved friend and intercessor for countless Catholics. It is often said that she sends down “showers of roses” to those who ask for her intercession.
O Little Thérèse of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as a message of love.
O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence in your hands . . .
(mention in silence here)
St. Therese, help me to always believe as you did in
God’s great love for me, so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day.
Amen.
Pray the St. Thérèse Rose prayer anytime on CatholicTV or on YouTube.
St. Michael is the guardian of the Church and a powerful intercessor for anyone facing spiritual attack. Whenever you need protection against the devil, call on St. Michael the Archangel.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
You can find this prayer on CatholicTV and on YouTube.
The Memorare is an ancient prayer, but its devotion became widespread in the 17th century. Its name comes from the prayer's first word, which means “remember” in Latin.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thy intercession
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy, hear and answer me.
Amen.
Pray the Memorare on CatholicTV or on YouTube.
While the origins of the Anima Christi prayer are not clear, it is well known for appearing at the beginning of Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. “Anima Christi,” meaning “soul of Christ,” is the first phrase in the Latin prayer.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds, hide me.
Separated from Thee, let me never be.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me.
And close to Thee bid me,
that with Thy saints I may be praising Thee, forever and ever.
Amen.
Stream the Anima Christi anytime on CatholicTV or on YouTube.
Any of these prayers would make powerful additions to your personal prayer habit. Try choosing one to pray every day, or use a different prayer for each day of the week. Then, share this resource with a friend or loved one who wants to grow in prayer as well!
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