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Prayer

Prayer to Mary and the saints

Barb Szyszkiewicz

May 8, 2023 4:00 am May 8, 2023

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“Every so often, unite oneself interiorly with the saintly souls who serve God and praise him in their solitude, with the holy angels and all the heavenly court, and especially…

“Every so often, unite oneself interiorly with the saintly souls who serve God and praise him in their solitude, with the holy angels and all the heavenly court, and especially our darling and tender Mother Mary, who alone gives more glory to God than all the blessed put together.” (St. Eugène de Mazenod)

We believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints in heaven “contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. … Their intercession is their most exalted service in God’s plan” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2683). Just as we would never hesitate to ask a friend or relative for prayer support in a time of need, so we should not hesitate to prayerfully ask the Blessed Mother and the saints to bring our needs before God.

The Council of Trent affirmed “that the saints who reign together with Christ offer up their prayers to God for men, that it is good and beneficial suppliantly to invoke them and to have recourse to their prayers, assistance and support in order to obtain favors from God through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who alone is our redeemer and savior.” The saints and Mary cannot answer our prayers; only God can do that. But they can, and we believe they do, hear our prayers and pray for us, acting as intercessors on our behalf with God.

Eucharistic Prayer III reminds us of the saints’ role as intercessors. “May he make of us an eternal offering to you, so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect, especially with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs and with all the Saints, on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help.”

“To Jesus we always go, and to him we always return, through Mary” St. Josemaría Escrivá wrote. In the Gospel of John, we see the first example of Mary’s intercession at the Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-11), when Mary noticed that the wine had run out before the party was over and prodded Jesus to do something about it. By changing the water in six stone jars to wine, Jesus “revealed his glory” and astounded all who were present (Jn 2:11). Since that time, Catholics have gone to Jesus through Mary. “O Blessed Mary, whoever loves you honors God; whoever serves you pleases God; whoever invokes your holy name with a pure heart will infallibly receive the object of his petition,” St. Bernard of Clairvaux prayed. In a similar way, people of faith have reached out in prayer to the saints, pleading with them to bring their intentions to God by their own prayer.

Praying to Mary and the saints is not at all the same as worshipping them. Catholics believe that only God is worthy of our worship. Mary and the saints, however, are worthy of veneration, or special honor given to those considered to be holy. Our holy helpers, the saints, are the “cloud of witnesses” mentioned in the Letter to the Hebrews who surround us, helping us “persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith” (12:1-2). St. Thérèse of Lisieux proclaimed, “I want to spend my Heaven doing good on earth.”

With several thousand canonized saints, we can go a lifetime without getting to know them all. We often come to know particular saints because they are patron saints: a certain place, profession, condition or intention is dedicated to that saint’s intercession. Many times, this happens because of some connection in the saint’s real life. For example, St. Lucy’s eyes were plucked out during her martyrdom, and she is venerated as the patron saint of the visually impaired. St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, is the patron saint of fathers and of the universal Church (among many other patronages).

We can grow closer to the saints for whom we were named or who have an association to our jobs, home country or health needs. We can also choose to unite ourselves in prayer with saints who have undergone struggles similar to our own. Parents whose children have strayed from the Faith often seek the intercession of St. Monica, who prayed for decades that her son, Augustine, would return to the Church — and whose prayers were finally answered. Those grieving the loss of their own parents might pray for the intercession of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, whose father died when she was a small child. The Blessed Mother’s intercession can be invoked for many reasons. Some of her many titles suggest ways people of faith have sought her prayers throughout history: Our Lady, Health of the Sick; Mary, Help of Christians; Our Lady of Good Help; Our Lady of Prompt Succor and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

By uniting our prayers with those of Mary and the saints and learning more about their lives and their example, we can draw closer to God. “The very practice of venerating the saints does great good for those who are devoted to the saints. By practicing love of the saints we strengthen the unity of the entire Body of Christ in the Spirit” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).

Barb Szyszkiewicz, a Secular Franciscan, is editor at CatholicMom.com and author of “The Handy Little Guide to Prayer” (OSV, $5.95). Read more from the prayer series here.

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Devotional Prayer

Barb Szyszkiewicz

April 12, 2023 8:18 am April 12, 2023

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“Devotions promote the faith of the people” (St. John Paul II) Rosaries, chaplets, novenas, the Stations of the Cross, the Angelus, grace before meals, the veneration of relics, and sacramentals:…

“Devotions promote the faith of the people” (St. John Paul II)

Rosaries, chaplets, novenas, the Stations of the Cross, the Angelus, grace before meals, the veneration of relics, and sacramentals: all of these are related to devotional prayer. These practices often grow out of a local or cultural interest in and devotion to a particular aspect of Christ’s life, of the Blessed Virgin or a special saint, season, or feast of the Church.

You can engage in devotional prayer on your own or with a group. In many parishes, you will find groups who remain in the church after Mass each day to pray the Rosary, a chaplet, or a novena. Or you may find a solitary person visiting each of the Stations of the Cross and stopping to pray briefly before each one. There are even apps for devotional prayer: with a smartphone, you can virtually join others in praying novenas, Rosaries, chaplets, and other devotions, either by reading the prayer or listening to live or recorded audio.

Sacramentals “signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them … various occasions in life are rendered holy” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1667). Along with the prayer and sacraments of the Church, sacramentals “prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it” (CCC, No. 1669). Sacramentals can include blessings, exorcisms, and objects such as rosaries, religious medals, relics, scapulars, and holy water. The Sign of the Cross is itself a sacramental (whether or not holy water is used).

Sacramentals are not good luck charms, but are holy objects and actions that help us grow closer to God. Our physical human nature benefits from the use of objects and actions that increase our focus on prayer. Rosaries don’t simply help us count repeated prayers. Holding the rosary in our hands and moving our fingers from bead to bead draws our attention away from what’s going on around us and helps us concentrate on the life of Christ through the four sets of mysteries the Church calls us to contemplate.

In the encyclical Mediator Dei, Venerable Pope Pius XII observed that devotional prayer helps to direct our souls to God, encourages us to practice virtue, purifies us from sins, and helps us advance in holiness. Most importantly, the spiritual benefits we can reap from this type of prayer help us pray more fruitfully during liturgical celebrations.

Some types of devotional prayer, such as novenas (nine days of prayer to a particular intercessor for a special intention) and the Nine First Fridays devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Five First Saturdays devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary involve reciting devotional prayers for a certain number of days. These devotions are not superstitious practices, but are an exercise of perseverance in prayer, a practice Jesus encouraged. In the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus teaches, “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?” (Lk 18:7).

We are encouraged to take part in prayerful devotions that “harmonize with the liturgical seasons, are in some way derived from it, and lead the people to it” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, No. 13). For example, it is customary in some cultures to bless the home at Epiphany; this seasonal devotion involves the whole family in prayer, and includes these sacramentals: Sign of the Cross, holy water, and blessed chalk for inscribing the initials of the Magi and the date on the doorpost of the home. At many parishes, devotional prayers after Mass vary by the day of the week associated with particular saints or intentions: Monday: the holy souls in Purgatory; Tuesday: the holy angels or St. Anthony of Padua; Wednesday: St. Joseph; Thursday: the Holy Eucharist; Friday: the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Saturday: the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Because Jesus died on a Friday, some parishes or individuals pray the Stations of the Cross each Friday, or each day during Lent. In October, the Church calls us to focus on the Rosary, and in November, we pray for the holy souls in purgatory. And we pray the Angelus, a daily prayer associated with specific times of day, throughout the year — except during the Easter season, when we pray the Regina Caeli devotional prayer instead.

Through devotional prayer, Catholics sanctify time (time of day, days of the week, and months of the year) as well as observe holy days and liturgical seasons. Devotional prayer allows us to incorporate prayer seamlessly into our daily lives. Children can easily learn devotional prayers and practices, because of their frequent association with physical actions or holy objects as well as their regular (daily, weekly or seasonal) repetition. Devotional prayer allows us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17).

Barb Szyszkiewicz, a Secular Franciscan, is editor at CatholicMom.com and author of “The Handy Little Guide to Prayer” (OSV, $5.95). Read more from the prayer series here.

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Prayer as Blessing

Barb Szyszkiewicz

March 29, 2023 11:19 pm March 29, 2023

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“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people” (Lk 1:68). The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that blessing “is…

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people” (Lk 1:68).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that blessing “is an encounter between God and man. … The prayer of blessing is man’s response to God’s gifts: because God blesses, the human heart can in return bless the One who is the source of every blessing” (No. 2626). Blessing, as prayer, most fully exemplifies how prayer is a two-way street. We see and acknowledge the good gifts God has given to us, gifts we frequently refer to as “blessings.” In doing this, we give to God the honor of our worship, both in our private prayer and while praying as a community.

The Hebrew word that is translated as “to bless” also means “to kneel,” a posture of adoration that demonstrates the adorer’s humility before the One being adored. Frequently in the psalms, we see references to this prayer posture in the context of blessing God: “Enter, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord who made us. For he is our God, we are the people he shepherds, the sheep in his hands” (Ps 95:6-7). Prayer of adoration “exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil” (CCC, No. 2628).

Sometimes we use the words “bless” and “praise” interchangeably, but these are actually different types of prayer. To distinguish between them, it might help to think about who is listening to us when we bless or praise. We can praise God to others, describing to someone else how good God has been to us, and we can praise God with others — but when we bless God, that is directly addressed to God: describing to God how good he has been to us.

Extolling God’s goodness, power and majesty in our prayer of blessing and adoration underscores our own dependence on him and our position of lowliness compared to God. The psalmist proclaims, “Appear on high over the heavens, God, your glory above all the earth!” (Ps 108:6). Prayer of blessing and adoration is our way of lifting God up, acclaiming him as our savior and Lord.

Praying in blessing and adoration is our deepest communication with God. We’re not asking for anything, confessing anything, or even thanking him. We simply worship him for the sake of worshipping him. A prayer of blessing and adoration can stem from thanksgiving; that prayer of gratitude moves into simple contemplation of God’s greatness. Prayers of blessing and adoration can even be wordless prayers: a kneeling posture (or bowed head if you are unable to kneel) and the silence of contemplation and adoration can sometimes express more than our words.

Prayer of blessing and adoration comes from our own need to remember that God is God, and that God is the source of all life and all goodness. By praying in this way, we put our spiritual priorities in order.

Where do we see this in the Mass?

We bless God many times throughout the Mass, beginning with the Gloria, which is both a prayer of blessing and praise. Just before the Gospel is proclaimed, the congregation acclaims, “Glory to you, O Lord.” The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins as the celebrant prays, “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation.” In the Eucharistic Prayer, the “Holy, Holy, Holy” is a prayer of blessing, as is the doxology at the conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer, “For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.”

Our posture during certain times of the Mass signifies moments of adoration: we kneel during the consecration and again after the Lord’s Prayer until the tabernacle has been closed after Communion. By the prayerful posture we show, even without words, our humility in the very presence of God in the Eucharist.

3 practical ways to pray this way:

Visit an adoration chapel and silently contemplate the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ in the Eucharist.
In your journal, write a poem or song of blessing, using your own words to express your thoughts about God’s greatness.
Next time you sing or recite the Gloria at Mass, pay close attention to the words.

What do the saints say about blessing and adoration?

“The happiness of man on earth, my children, is to be very good; those who are very good bless the good God, they love Him, they glorify Him, and do all their works with joy and love, because they know that we are in this world for no other end than to serve and love the good God” (St. John Vianney, On Salvation).

Barb Szyszkiewicz, a Secular Franciscan, is editor at CatholicMom.com and author of “The Handy Little Guide to Prayer” (OSV, $5.95). Read more from the prayer series here.

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Prayer as intercession

Barb Szyszkiewicz

February 23, 2023 8:19 am February 23, 2023

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“Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord,…

“Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (Jm 5:14-15).

Through intercessory prayer, we bring someone else’s needs before God, trusting God to take care of others, whether they are loved ones, friends, enemies, or total strangers. Praying for the living and the dead is one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Intercessory prayer is a powerful way to support others spiritually. This can be done in a general way — as when we pray for the faithful departed, the poor or victims of a natural disaster — or specifically by praying for a particular person by name. We may not be in a position to help others in a particular way every time a need is expressed, but we are always given the opportunity to pray for them.

God knows our cares and concerns and wants us to entrust those to him. The Gospel stories of the healing of Jairus’ daughter (Lk 8:40-42,49-56), the man born deaf (Mk 7:31-37), and the paralytic lowered by his friends through the roof of the house where Jesus was staying (Mk 2:1-12) all speak to the faith of people who approach God. These are not concerned with what they want for themselves, but with the needs of someone else. In the story of the paralytic, for example, it was the faith of the man’s friends that led Jesus to cure the man (Mk 2:5).

Young children can learn to intercede for others in prayer as part of a family prayer routine that includes “God bless Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa …”, and such a litany is an excellent way to help children understand the importance of praying for other people. But praying for others is not something we should stop doing as we grow into adulthood. We are always encouraged to pray for others, ultimately entrusting their needs to God’s will.

At the end of the Book of Job, Eliphaz the Temanite was seeking God’s forgiveness and was directed by God to seek Job’s prayers as intercession. “Go to my servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves, and let my servant Job pray for you. To him I will show favor and not punish your folly for you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job” (Job 42:8). We, too, can become “prayer warriors” for our family and friends: people who can be counted on to pray for their needs immediately and consistently.

In the story of Job, we see that intercessory prayer is not only effective, but it can benefit the one who does the praying. Job, who prayed for others despite his personal trials, grew in humility and selflessness and was ultimately rewarded when the Lord restored his fortunes (Job 42:10). When we ask God to have mercy on someone else, we too can develop greater mercy and humility.

Just as we might pray for someone in need, whether a loved one, friend, or stranger, we can also call upon the saints in heaven to pray for them as well — or for our own needs. We know that the saints are in the presence of God, and we believe that they care for us. As Pope St. Paul VI observed, “We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are attaining their purification, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion the merciful love of God and His saints is ever listening to our prayers” (Solemni Hac Liturgia, No. 30).

In the Gospels, we are clearly instructed not only to pray for our loved ones, but even to pray on behalf of those who harm us. Jesus commands us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:44-45). Even at his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for the ones who put him to death: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). St. Stephen, the first martyr, echoed this prayer at the moment of his own death when he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

Where do we see this in the Mass?

The Universal Prayer, or “Prayer of the Faithful,” brings the needs of the Church and the community, even including the faithful departed, before God. During the Eucharistic Prayer, we pray for the universal Church, including the pope and our bishop, and remember the faithful departed, praying that God will welcome them to heaven.

3 practical ways to pray this way:

Pray an Intentional Rosary. Designate a special intention for each decade, or even each bead, of the Rosary.
Keep a list of prayer intentions in a journal. Make a habit of regular prayer for those in your list.
Place a picture of someone for whose needs you’re praying, or a card with their name, in your Bible or prayer book. Pray for that person every time you see it.

What do the saints say about intercessory prayer?

“How pleasing to Him it will be if you sometimes forget yourself and speak to Him of His own glory, of the miseries of others, especially those who mourn in sorrow; of the souls in purgatory, His spouses, who long to behold Him in Heaven; and of poor sinners who live deprived of His grace” (St. Alphonsus Liguori, How to Pray at All Times).

Barb Szyszkiewicz, a Secular Franciscan, is editor at CatholicMom.com and author of “The Handy Little Guide to Prayer” (OSV, $5.95). Read more from the prayer series here.

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Prayer as Petition

Barb Szyszkiewicz

January 21, 2023 7:00 am January 21, 2023

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“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” (Phil 4:6-7). Prayer of petition, quite simply, is asking for…

“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” (Phil 4:6-7).

Prayer of petition, quite simply, is asking for God’s help. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus encourages us to place our needs before God in prayer. In giving us the Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6:9-13), Jesus instructs us to ask God for what we need, trusting that God both knows our needs and loves us enough to give us what is good for us. “Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him” (Mt 7:9-11).

At the same time, Jesus emphasizes in the Lord’s Prayer that we need to express, along with our needs, our willingness to accept God’s will. Jesus, in his own prayer at Gethsemane, offers an example of how to pray this way: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will, but yours, be done” (Lk 22:42).

In all humility, we reach out to God, knowing that he is the source of all good things, including forgiveness. Prayers of contrition, expressing sorrow for our sins and asking for God’s mercy, help to bring us back into communion with God and each other, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (see No. 2631). Psalms 51 and 130 are beautiful expressions of prayers of contrition. In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14), the prayer, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” is a humble prayer of contrition.

Many of the psalms are prayers of petition, often including themes of contrition (Psalms 51 and 130, for example) and need for protection (Psalms 4, 6, 10, 13, and 17, among many others). Some psalms, such as 94, 98, 99, 137, and 147, also express anticipation of the coming of God’s Kingdom, just as Jesus echoes, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven” (Mt 6:10).

Prayers of petition are often very spontaneous: “God, help me!” Even if we feel far from God, we are able, in our supplication, to turn to him for help. Every need, the Catechism reminds us, “can become the object of petition” (No. 2633). We should not be afraid to approach God to entrust him with our needs, in ordinary times as well as desperate ones. Bringing these needs to God is a humble way to acknowledge his goodness, kindness, power, and mercy. Even in the most difficult times, when “God, help me!” or “God, help us!” is as much as we can muster, we are encouraged to ask for God’s help.

We are also encouraged to persevere in this kind of prayer. In the parable of the persistent widow (Lk 18:1-8), Jesus underscores the need to “pray always without becoming weary.” God hears and answers those who have faith, and that faith is shown in our determination not to give up when our prayer is not answered immediately or in the way we expect.

Where do we see this in the Mass?

One of the first things we do at Mass is pray for God’s mercy and forgiveness of our sins during the Penitential Act. Just before the Eucharistic Prayer, we petition God to accept and bless the gifts we offer to him. One of the options for the Memorial Acclamation contains a prayer of petition: “Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.” The Lord’s Prayer and Lamb of God are both prayers of petition, as is our prayer after the Lamb of God: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” By the time we approach the altar to receive the Lord in the Eucharist, we have prayed for God’s mercy at least four times.

3 practical ways to pray this way

Pray an Act of Contrition every day.
When you pray in petition, be sure to close with the Lord’s Prayer or simply the words, “your will be done.”
Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a prayer of trust in the Lord and the power of his mercy.

What do the saints say about prayer of petition?

“God bestows many things on us out of His liberality, even without our asking for them: but that He wishes to bestow certain things on us at our asking, is for the sake of our good, namely, that we may acquire confidence in having recourse to God, and that we may recognize in Him the Author of our goods.” (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica)

Barb Szyszkiewicz, a Secular Franciscan, is editor at CatholicMom.com and author of “The Handy Little Guide to Prayer” (OSV, $5.95). Read more from the prayer series here.

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Prayer as liturgy

Barb Szyszkiewicz

January 20, 2023 7:00 am January 20, 2023

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“The liturgy is … a participation in Christ’s own prayer addressed to the Father in the Holy Spirit. In the liturgy, all Christian prayer finds its source and goal. Through…

“The liturgy is … a participation in Christ’s own prayer addressed to the Father in the Holy Spirit. In the liturgy, all Christian prayer finds its source and goal. Through the liturgy the inner man is rooted and grounded in ‘the great love with which [the Father] loved us’ in his beloved Son” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1073).

Liturgy, which includes but is not limited to the Holy Mass, is considered “formal” prayer because it follows a certain pattern, or rubric. Liturgical prayer is also “common” prayer, meant to be prayed by the community as a group. Even when circumstances require that liturgical prayer (such as the Liturgy of the Hours) is prayed alone, its established formula means that it is still being prayed in conjunction with anyone else in the world who is also praying. As we have learned during the coronavirus pandemic, a community does not always need to share space in order to share prayer, and we can find creative ways to pray liturgically without being in the same space — the exception being that we generally do not receive the Eucharist when we are not together.

The liturgy of the Church includes the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, and the celebrations of the sacraments. The Second Vatican Council stated the baptized who share a common faith “should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in the Sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s Supper (Sacrosanctum Concilium, No. 10). As we pray our way through the liturgy, we unite ourselves to the whole Church.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops explains, “The word liturgy comes from a Greek term meaning ‘public work or work done on behalf of the people.’ A work, then, done by an individual or a group was a liturgy on behalf of the larger community. All the worshipers are expected to participate actively in each liturgy, for this is holy ‘work,’ not entertainment or a spectator event. Every liturgical celebration is an action of Christ the High Priest and of his Mystical Body, which is the Church. It therefore requires the participation of the People of God in the work of God.” Liturgical prayer is usually led by an ordained minister, who is configured uniquely to Christ.

Active participation in liturgy does not mean that everyone present has the same role. Bishops, priests and deacons — in addition to those who serve as lectors, altar servers, singers and musicians — participate in different ways from others. In different seasons of our lives, generally we participate differently. Even the person with limited mobility, who might need the priest to bring the Eucharist to their pew, can participate by listening to the readings, homily, and prayers, and by joining the singing of hymns and speaking the responses. Parents of young children may not be able to listen during Mass as well as they’d like, but their participation by helping their children learn to make the Sign of the Cross and continually redirecting their little ones’ attention to what is happening on the altar is still valuable and active participation. Through their participation, all present — no matter their role in the liturgy — exercise the royal priesthood of the baptized faithful.

Our liturgical celebrations should draw us closer to God as we pray as a community. The structure of the liturgy unites us as a Church in celebrating with the same prayers and Scripture readings no matter where in the world we are or what language we speak. The Scripture readings for Mass follow a cycle that repeats every three years for Sundays and solemnities, and every other year for daily Masses. The Church also uses a liturgical calendar to measure time according to certain seasons of feasting, penance, anticipation and expectation. With the liturgical calendar, we mark the celebration of holy days (the Proper of Saints) and holy seasons (the Proper of Time). Throughout the year in the liturgy, we celebrate the events of Jesus’ life as well as the feasts of Mary and the saints.

Liturgical prayer invites us to engage in praise, blessing and adoration, thanksgiving, petition and intercession as a community. Our communal prayer grows from the relationship with God we develop on our own in our devotional prayer. Coming together as a community to pray in a formal way, that relationship is nourished further, which then fuels our individual devotional prayer.

Barb Szyszkiewicz, a Secular Franciscan, is editor at CatholicMom.com and author of “The Handy Little Guide to Prayer” (OSV, $5.95). Read more from the prayer series here.

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