Have you ever wondered about the many different types of Catholic prayers? It can be confusing to the non-Catholic to keep up. This is a summary of some of the most common Catholic prayers: the rosary, the novena and the mass. The rosary and the mass are the most common. The novena is, however, growing in popularity.
The Rosary
The rosary has been around for centuries. It consists of praying a series of 53 "Hail Marys," five "Our Fathers" and "Glory Be to the Father" prayers and the Apostle's Creed. There are various other prayers depending on the personal devotions of the individual praying the rosary. The Hail Mary prayers are divided into five decades, or sets of ten. Each decade is preceded by an Our Father and followed by a Glory Be. The devotion is started by praying the Apostle's Creed, three Hail Mary's and an Our Father.
The rosary is a prayer of meditation. While the many repetitions are prayed aloud there are meditations on aspects of the biblical narrative. These are also called mysteries. The rosary is prayed as a devotion to Jesus through his mother Mary. Most of the prayers are directed to Mary but the meditations are mostly on the life of Christ.
The Novena
The novena is different from the rosary but it often includes the praying of the rosary as part of the devotion. The novena is a nine day prayer that is leading up to a liturgical event. It is in anticipation of something to come. Novenas can include many different Catholic prayers but these prayers are usually focused on the liturgical celebration that is coming.
Novenas are also often prayed to saints with prayers that are specific to the specific saint.
The Mass
The Mass is the central event and prayer of Catholic life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that it is the "Source and Summit" of Catholic life. It is obligatory for all Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Mass is also offered every day of the week at many churches around the world.
Although there are many prayers that are used in the mass, the rosary and the novena generally are not part of this type of liturgy.
The Mass, the rosary and the novena are three of the most important and most common Catholic prayers. Praying these three types of devotions will help you to deepen your prayer life according to the rich traditions of the Catholic faith.
The Novena is one of my favorite forms of Catholic prayer.
Click here now to read and pray a great Novena of your choice.
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