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WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4025 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2022-10-17 14:08:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-10-17 14:08:00 [post_content] => <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Let us not forget the great prayer: the one that Jesus taught us, and which is the prayer with which he prayed to the Father. This prayer prepares us for Communion.</p><cite>Pope Francis, General Audience — March 14, 2018</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Lord’s Prayer, also known as the ‘Our Father,’ comes from the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-gospels/">Gospel</a> of Matthew, with a shorter version in the Gospel of Luke. It is one of — if not the — most popular Christian prayers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><li><a href="#what-is-our-father-prayer">What is the Our Father Prayer?</a><ul><li><a href="#biblical-roots">Biblical roots</a></li><li><a href="#matthew's-context">Matthew’s context</a></li></ul><ul><li><a href="#luke's-context">Luke’s context</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#why-pray-our-father-prayer">Why do we pray the Our Father?</a><ul><li><a href="#scriptural-accounts">Scriptural accounts</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#when-to-pray-our-father-prayer">When do we pray the Our Father?</a></li><li><a href="#how-to-pray-our-father-prayer">How to Pray the Our Father Prayer</a></li><li><a href="#related-prayers">Related prayers</a></li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:image {"id":24976,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"custom","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://hallow.app.link/HowtoLordsPrayer"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Lords-Prayer-1920x960-v1-2-1024x512.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24976"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="what-is-our-father-prayer">What is the Our Father Prayer?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Lord’s Prayer is comprised of seven lines and was likely originally written in <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father-in-aramaic/">Aramaic</a>. The seven lines of the prayer are often called the Seven Petitions. St. Thomas Aquinas writes that not only do these petitions contain everything we could ever desire, <strong>but they are also written in the sequence in which they should be desired. </strong>The first three draw us toward the glory of the Father, giving Him praise. These last four ask for His help and commend our sins and weaknesses to His grace.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="biblical-roots">Biblical roots</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“Pray then in this way: ‘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.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Matthew 6:9-13</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As noted earlier, we find the Lord’s Prayer in two books of the New Testament: Matthew and Luke. However, the prayer doesn’t appear in the same form or location in the two <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-gospels/">Gospels</a>. In Matthew, the Lord’s Prayer is embedded in the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+5-7&amp;version=NABRE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sermon on the Mount</a>, when Jesus teaches His followers <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/">how to pray</a> with humility. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.&nbsp;But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.&nbsp;In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.</p><cite>Matthew 6:5-8</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the Gospel of Luke, the Lord’s Prayer is Jesus’ response to his disciples’ request: “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). So, Jesus responds with a slightly shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer than the one we find in Matthew’s Gospel. Scholars continue to debate their differences. However, the two contexts show us why we pray the Lord’s Prayer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="matthew's-context">Matthew’s Context</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus provides us with a few tenets of how to pray. He encourages us to pray alone, in the quiet, so that we can best speak with and listen to God. Before Matthew introduces the Lord’s Prayer, he tells us something essential: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). When we’re at a loss for words in prayer, turn to the Lord’s Prayer with intention. Whether we pray with gratitude or thanksgiving or pray for guidance or forgiveness, God always knows what we need. All we have to do is call on Him!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="luke's-context">Luke’s Context </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer after the disciples asked him how to pray, it wasn’t just about the words of the prayer itself. Though they hold much meaning (see “How to Pray” below), the Lord’s Prayer also provides us with a template for how to approach and talk with God. We call on Him, glorify Him, <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/21/how-to-pray-the-surrender-novena/">surrender</a> to His will, and ask for nourishment, forgiveness, and guidance. Thinking of the Lord’s Prayer as a template reminds us that we can talk with God about anything in prayer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="why-pray-our-father-prayer">Why do we pray the Our Father?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“The Our Father contains all possible petitions; we cannot conceive of any prayer not already contained in it. It is to prayer what Christ is to humanity. It is impossible to say it once through, giving the fullest possible attention to each word, without a change, infinitesimal perhaps but real, taking place in the soul.”</p><cite>Simone Weil</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The two Scriptural accounts of the Lord’s Prayer from Luke and Matthew demonstrate the power of this traditional prayer for many intentions and petitions. All we need to do is call on Him (Matthew) and approach our conversation with Him intentionally (Luke). This is why we pray the Lord’s Prayer: to talk with God intentionally and to <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2018/documents/papa-francesco_20180314_udienza-generale.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ask</a> Him for our “daily bread.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="when-to-pray-our-father-prayer">When do we pray the Our Father?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We pray the Lord’s Prayer as a community during Mass. We can also say this prayer at all times — to begin or end our time in prayer when we are stressed or grateful, and when we wake up or before we <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/falling-asleep-with-god/">fall asleep</a>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="how-to-pray-our-father-prayer">How to Pray the Our Father Prayer (line by line)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":24955,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"custom","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://hallow.app.link/HowtoLordsPrayer"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Lords-Prayer-1920x960-v2.2-1024x512.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24955"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We’ve broken down the meaning of each line of the Lord’s Prayer. In summary, we say this prayer hoping that we may be changed by God each time we pray these words. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://hallow.app.link/HowtoLordsPrayer">Try Hallow For Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Our Father</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As noted above, the first three petitions draw us toward the glory of the Father, giving Him praise and naming our relationship to Him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The love God has for us is the unconditional, intimate, all-encompassing love of a father. In naming who He is, God shows who we are. If God is our Father, then we are His sons and daughters. We are then invited to come to God with child-like trust and to love as He loves. Jesus taught us to use the word “our.” The Good News is for us, for everyone. In the rest of the prayer, we use the word “us.” This prayer excludes no one. God’s love and Fatherhood are for us all.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Who art in heaven</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, heaven “does not mean a place, but a way of being; it does not mean that God is distant but majestic.” Continuing, we read, “Our Father is not ‘elsewhere’: He transcends everything we can conceive of his holiness.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We are all moving towards our final home in our Father’s house — not a place in the way we often imagine, but a state of grace, joy, and true peace. It is there that God resides and where He invites us to be with Him both now and for eternity.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Hallowed be thy name</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Throughout Scripture, there is an ongoing emphasis on God’s name. For God to give us his name, He shows us that He is <em>not</em> a disconnected being from us. Rather, God is close to us, invested in us, and deeply personal. The word <em>hallow </em>means to revere, honor, respect, to make holy. We have the privilege to know God’s name and to call on Him. We have the freedom to disrespect God’s name, bring shame to it, or glorify it and make it hallowed (holy). When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we acknowledge the holiness of God’s name. And we also pray that we might hallow His name through our lives. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Jesus sums up all the commandments in one: love God and love one another as God loves us. This commandment expresses what the will of God is. This sounds simple until we realize how radical love is: love is Jesus crucified, dying for our sins. Love is the basis of the kingdom Jesus taught us about. It is a kingdom where the first shall be last and the last shall be first.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When we pray “thy kingdom come,” we ask Jesus to fulfill his promise that he will return on the Last Day. We also ask God to bring his kingdom here and now so we might reflect it in our own lives. This cultivates our desire to bring a foretaste of heaven to everyone we encounter.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We learn to be open to the will of God and build His kingdom on earth through prayer. Each time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to guide the surrender of our will and place our trust completely in Him. In desiring God’s will above our own, we let go of our control. It is only after our surrender that we become more ourselves than ever. Only then can we love as God does and allow His kingdom to flourish.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Give us this day our daily bread</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Now we enter into the second half of the Our Father, in which we petition God for His help.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When God saved the Israelites from slavery, He led them into the desert. And there, every morning in the desert, God sent them manna — flakes that were made into bread. Everyone could eat their fill each day, but the manna would rot if they tried to store it overnight. By teaching us to ask for our <em>daily</em> bread, Jesus calls us to find peace in trusting him to provide for us every single day, just as he did the Israelites. God desires us to be fully present, not looking backward in regret or forward in anxiety, but to love and serve where we are here and now.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Going beyond the bread God gave the Israelites, in John chapter 6, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” When we ask for our daily bread, we recognize that the Father gives us Jesus in the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/eucharist-holy-communion-adoration-prayer/">Eucharist</a> as our truest nourishment. Jesus is the daily bread that we need to feed us, to fill us, and to lead us to eternal life.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The first part of this petition is conditional on the second: to be forgiven, we must forgive. When we fail to recognize and pass on the forgiveness God has given us, we move ourselves and others away from God. We are only able to forgive because we ourselves have been forgiven. Jesus shows us how and gives us strength to do as he did by forgiving us first. Through prayer, seeking advice from spiritual mentors, and receiving Sacraments like the Eucharist and Reconciliation, God showers his grace upon us, forging in us the capacity to forgive. By including this petition in the Lord’s prayer, Jesus reminds us that we cannot give our heart fully to God if there is any animosity towards others in it.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil</strong>.</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The wording of this petition is confusing due to the difficulty of translating the original Greek into English. It can sound like we are asking God not to lead us into temptation, but God can’t tempt us against Himself. On the contrary, God wants to set us free from evil. So, in this petition, we ask God not to let us take the path that leads to sin. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We turn to God and ask him to help us distinguish between His voice and the voices that try to lead us away from him. We can distinguish between these voices is to ask questions like - is this thought or desire leading me closer to God? Does this open me to goodness, truth, and beauty? Will this action show God’s love to others and myself?&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Amen.</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Meaning, “so be it,” when we declare “amen,” we are saying that we believe and mean everything we just prayed for.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"opacity":"css"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You can pray the Lord’s Prayer in both English and Aramaic, with Jonathan Roumie from <em>The Chosen </em>as your guide, in Hallow. You’ll find the in-depth meditation on the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) in the Challenges tab of the app. We look forward to praying with you!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://hallow.app.link/HowtoLordsPrayer">Pray the Lord’s Prayer with Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="related-prayers">Related Prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">How to Pray the Hail Mary Prayer</a></li><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-litany-of-humility/">How to Pray the Litany of Humility</a></li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><meta charset="utf-8">Let your life be transformed by this prayer that God Himself gave us.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":24966,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"custom","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://hallow.app.link/HowtoLordsPrayer"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Our-Father-1920x960-v1-2-1024x512.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24966"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> [post_title] => How to Pray the Lord's Prayer (Our Father Prayer) [post_excerpt] => A line-by-line breakdown of the prayer Jesus gave us [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-our-father [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2021/06/30/how-to-pray-the-gospels/ https://hallow.com/2021/02/16/how-to-pray-our-father-in-aramaic/ https://hallow.com/2021/07/02/how-to-pray/ https://hallow.com/2019/08/06/falling-asleep-with-god/ https://hallow.com/2022/01/19/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ [post_modified] => 2022-10-30 15:23:51 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-10-30 15:23:51 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=4025 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 27550 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2022-10-15 18:51:54 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-10-15 18:51:54 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Table of Contents</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#intro">Introduction</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#weekday-mass">Weekday Mass during Advent</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#adults">Advent Activities for Adults</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#volunteering">Volunteering</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#baking">Baking</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#nativity-scenes">Nativity Scenes</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="http://candles-wreaths">Advent Candles and Wreaths</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#different-cultures">Advent Traditions in Various Cultures</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="" id="intro"></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When we slow down to truly appreciate the Advent season, it can be transformative.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While the commercial world celebrates Christmas from October through December, Catholics and many Christians recognize Advent as an important liturgical season–one that begins on Dec. 1 in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We can’t just fast-forward from Thanksgiving to Christmas morning!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent is not just a passive waiting; it’s a liturgical season highlighted by unique traditions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Just as the Mass during Advent features the custom of candle lighting, Catholics all over the world have embraced special activities and traditions outside of the liturgy to embrace this season of waiting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow explores a variety of Advent activities, customs and traditions you can consider to enrich your Advent in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="weekday-mass">Attend Mass on a Weekday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Many Catholics add a weekday Mass to their routines during Advent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Daily Mass can allow us to experience the liturgy in a new way, breaking from the normal Sunday routine. You arrive at church on a different day, likely at a different time, and perhaps with a different group of parishioners.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You might even decide to sit in a different pew or section of the church. Perhaps you can take note of the art around your parish that you might overlook on a busier Sunday liturgy or listen more attentively to the readings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">These small changes can help you see and experience the Mass in a new way. Even attending one Mass weekday Mass can greatly enhance your Advent. And it’s a great activity to do by oneself–or bring a friend with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/adventactivities">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="adults">Advent Activities for Adults and those without Families</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Leading up to Christmas, so many activities are geared towards families, particularly those with children.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For those without children or with complicated family dynamics, the holidays can be especially challenging.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In addition to attending Mass during the week, there are many ways to participate in Advent without family or children.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Being more deliberate about spending time outside–and enjoying the beauty of nature and God’s creation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Picking up a new prayer devotional can be a nice way to spend time with God and yourself. You could also read a book: <a href="https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/advent/books-for-advent/">Loyola Press</a> has a number of suggestions for Advent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Celebrating Advent separate from family or children does not mean you need to be at home by yourself. In fact, one of the best ways you can draw closer to God during Advent is to devote time to those who need it most.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="volunteering">Volunteering During Advent</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Spending time to service to others in Advent almost takes on a special meaning: Awaiting the coming of Jesus by seeing His face in those around us in need.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Traditional organizations that welcome volunteers, like soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters for those battling homelessness, can be especially busy in the winter months as the weather cools.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The need for help can be great, but the supply of volunteers can also spike around Thanksgiving and heading into December. As you explore volunteer opportunities, consider committing to help into the New Year, when the time and resources of other volunteers can dwindle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Of course, there are many other places to lend your help. The <a href="https://catholicvolunteernetwork.org/">Catholic Volunteer Network</a> lists a wide variety of options. You might find an opportunity more perfectly tailored to your talents than you could have imagined.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="baking">Advent Activities for Families: Bake Something Festive</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you have little ones, a great way to involve them in the season is with some holiday baking.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In addition to common holiday cookies, shapes like Christmas trees and candy canes, you can connect your kitchen time more deeply to the Advent season by listening to some Hallow Kids sessions as you and your little helpers traipse around the kitchen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Cookie cutter sets with more overtly Christian symbols, like this <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1128538444/christmas-nativity-cookie-cutter-set-of?gpla=1&amp;gao=1&amp;&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-home_and_living-kitchen_and_dining-cookware-cooking_utensils_and_gadgets&amp;utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjwy5maBhDdARIsAMxrkw0WxJ0YRdzSBfIctfzXfPYva7oZv5u1FhduNtPp__FlhXr0XUYNyHMaAj3OEALw_wcB_k_&amp;utm_content=go_12561589350_122200265969_506897932692_pla-305102694227_c__1128538444_525258577&amp;utm_custom2=12561589350&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwy5maBhDdARIsAMxrkw0WxJ0YRdzSBfIctfzXfPYva7oZv5u1FhduNtPp__FlhXr0XUYNyHMaAj3OEALw_wcB">nativity cookie cutter set</a>, can further connect your time together to Advent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="nativity-scenes">Buy (or Build) a Nativity Scene</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Anticipating Jesus, in mind, body, spirit–and figures: Nativity scenes can be visual reminders of the period of waiting and preparing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">They can also serve as easy ways to share your faith with friends and visitors. A nativity scene placed somewhere prominently in the home is a natural conversation starter and a subtle way to introduce your faith to those you’re welcoming to your home for the first time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Nativity scenes can also remind us of the rich diversity within the Church. Different cultures often portray nativity figurines in their own image. <a href="https://catholicvolunteernetwork.org/">On Etsy</a>, there are plenty of sellers whose handcrafted nativity sets you can browse, and your purchase may support a good cause.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Building a nativity scene can also be a fun Advent activity. You <a href="https://diycandy.com/how-to-make-a-wooden-diy-nativity-set/">don’t need to be a master woodworker</a> in order to create your own.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">One fun aspect to nativity sets is that you can add pieces to it in the future, making it an evolving heirloom. Many families won’t add the Jesus figurine until Christmas Eve or Christmas Day!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="candles-wreaths">Advent Candles and Advent Wreaths</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Perhaps the most popular Advent tradition is the advent wreath, often containing <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths/">Advent candles</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">During Sundays in Advent, a candle is lit on a wreath to symbolize our journey through Advent as we await Jesus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Simple Advent wreaths with candle holder for Advent candles are beautiful additions to homes. Most importantly, their powerful symbolism aid us in our days awaiting Jesus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/adventactivities">Pray with Hallow during Advent</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="different-cultures">Advent Traditions in Different Cultures&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Perhaps one of the most beautiful aspects to Advent is the different traditions it has inspired around the world in different countries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Consider some of these Advent traditions and perhaps they’ll inspire:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Las Posadas (Mexico, Latin America, parts of the U.S.)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://epicpew.com/why-you-should-attend-the-lively-posadas-this-advent/">The tradition</a> of posadas usually takes place from Dec. 16-24, for nine consecutive days. Posadas date back hundreds of years and spans many parts of Latin America and the U.S.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Two local members of the community portray Joseph and Mary and visit homes, looking for shelter. They are refused shelter until finally being granted entry at the last home, where a celebration takes place. Posadas can take place on a single day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>La Novena (Italy)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A <a href="https://romancandletours.com/blog/2017/12/14/italian-christmas-traditions/">similar tradition</a> takes place in Italy, where children often go door to door, singing carols and calling to mind the journey that the wise men made to find Jesus. The Novena prayer is also very popular at this time.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>St. Lucy (Sweden, Scandinavia)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Swedish culture features Lucia Day/St. Lucy Feast, <a href="https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/culture-history-and-art/swedish-traditions/christmas/lucia/">recognizing the fourth century martyr</a>, Lucia of Syracuse.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On Dec. 13, communities, schools and churches celebrate with a procession in which one girl, representing St. Lucy, carries a candle and offers sweet treats to those gathered along the process.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://www.stlucy-campbell.org/about-staint-lucy/">According to legend</a>, St. Lucy brought wheat and bread to the poor and also snuck food to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Jule brød - Bread Wreath (Denmark)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Another tasty tradition that you can easily try at home this year is the Danish bread wreath, known as Jule brød. The yeast bread is filled with fruits such as raisins before coming together by braiding strands of the dough together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLWEpWVGAYo">This video</a>, from a Danish cooking show, has the full walkthrough.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Simbang Gabi (Philippines)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Simbang Gabi is a hallmark of the Filipino celebration of Advent. Another nine-day celebration,&nbsp;Simbang Gabi refers to Mass at dawn from Dec. 16-24.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://teamrcia.com/2011/11/how-to-put-stars-in-the-eyes-of-your-rcia-participants-this-advent/">Parol lanterns</a> are closely associated with Simbang Gabi. These beautiful lights symbolize victory over darkness and add beauty to any Advent celebration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Advent Calendars (All over)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You can get <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/advent-calendars/">Advent calendars</a> with pretty much any theme you want. They have certainly exploded in popularity to the point where many have nothing to do with Advent at all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Still, they can help us await Jesus while building excitement for the Christmas celebration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button /--></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Related Blogs: </strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/advent-prayers-catholic-meditations/">Advent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/the-schedule-of-advent-when-does-advent-start/">Advent Schedule</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-st-andrew-christmas-novena/">St. Andrew Christmas Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/christmas-prayer-catholic-blessings/">Christmas Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths/">Advent Candles and Wreaths</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Advent Activities, Customs and Traditions for 2024 [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => advent-activities-customs-traditions [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-07-12 00:15:40 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-07-12 00:15:40 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=27550 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 27448 [post_author] => 43 [post_date] => 2022-10-07 18:50:07 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-10-07 18:50:07 [post_content] => <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem. May we let ourselves be drawn by </em><strong><em>the light</em></strong><em> of God made man.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Pope Francis</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">During Advent, we prepare for His coming – He who brought Light into the darkness – for four weeks, represented by the four candles around the Advent wreath.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#advent-wreaths">Advent wreaths – history and meaning&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Blessing-of-an-Advent-wreath">Blessing of an Advent wreath (USSCB)</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Advent-candles">Advent candles</a><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#What-do-the-four-candles-of-Advent-symbolize?">What do the four candles of Advent symbolize?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Advent-candle-weeks-names-colors">Advent candle weeks, names &amp; colors&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#first-advent-candle-hope">First Candle/Sunday: Hope</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#second-advent-candle-peace">SecondCandle/Sunday: Peace</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#third-advent-candle-joy">Third Candle/Sunday: Joy – “Gaudete Sunday”</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#fourth-advent-candle-love">Fourth Candle/Sunday: Love</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Prayer-for-lighting-Advent-candles">Prayers for lighting Advent candles (Henri Nouwen</a>)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#related-prayers">Related prayers&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The word <em>“Advent” </em>comes from the Latin word <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=advent"><em>“adventus,”</em></a> which means <em>“a coming, approach, arrival.”</em> When we expect guests to arrive at our homes, we turn the lights on; we anticipate their arrival and welcome them with joy. In Advent, we prepare our homes and churches as we joyfully anticipate His arrival, and the light also gets brighter as we near Christmas day, the day on which the <em>Light of the World</em> was born. St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote,&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em><strong>“Today, the darkness begins to grow shorter and the light to lengthen, as the hours of light become fewer. […] Do you see that the beams of light are more intense and the sun higher than it has been? Realize that the true light is now here and, through the rays of the Gospel, is illuminating the whole earth.”</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent wreaths and candles are commonly seen in Catholic churches during the liturgical season. Many people also display Advent wreaths in their homes and light a candle each Sunday as families. Read more to learn about the history, traditions, and symbolism behind Advent wreaths and candles and how you can celebrate Advent at home with family and friends.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="advent-wreaths">Advent wreaths</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Advent wreath is a centuries-old Christian tradition. Potentially overlooked by the candles it holds to light the way for the birth of Jesus, the Advent wreath itself symbolizes many themes and beliefs central to the Christian faith. In parishes, Advent wreaths are placed anywhere on the altar, on a side table, or even hung from the ceiling. In the home, you might place your Advent wreath on an entry or dining table or another location where you, your family, and your guests can enjoy the wreath during the Advent season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">History of the Advent wreath</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The origin of the Advent wreath has been traced back to Germany, though the exact dates are unknown. Historians have <a href="https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-history-of-the-advent-wreath.html">suggested</a> that pre-Christian Germanic peoples would light candles around wreaths in the dark winter months in anticipation of the warmer, lighter months in springtime. This tradition likely evolved into an “Advent wreath” at some point during the Middle Ages, transforming the pagan tradition into a Christian one. Rev. William Saunders <a href="https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-history-of-the-advent-wreath.html">explained</a> that “By 1600, both Catholics and Lutherans had more formal practices surrounding the Advent wreath.” Ultimately, the Advent wreath tradition spread beyond Germany and into other areas of the world, namely throughout the western Church.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Advent wreath meaning</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The circular shape of the Advent wreath symbolizes God’s infinite love for us – it is never-ending, just like the true Light of the World, Jesus, who leads us into eternal life with Him. The materials of the Advent wreath similarly lead us to reflect on the everlasting nature of God; traditionally, Advent wreaths have been made of evergreen leaves, such as pine or fir, which maintain their green color beyond the season in which they are collected. Nowadays, there are many modern interpretations of Advent wreaths that still help us celebrate the traditional meaning of the wreath: preparing the way for the Light of the World, Jesus. Battery-operated/LED wreaths are a good example of this as they simulate the four candles but don’t require lighting each week.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Blessing-of-an-Advent-wreath">Blessing of an Advent wreath (USCCB)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:yoast/how-to-block {"hasDuration":true,"minutes":"5","jsonDescription":"Pray \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.usccb.org/prayers/blessing-advent-wreath\u0022\u003ethis blessing\u003c/a\u003e from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops the night before or on the first Sunday of Advent in your home. ","steps":[{"id":"how-to-step-1665164747305","name":["Make the Sign of the Cross."],"text":[{"type":"em","props":{"children":[" In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. "]}}],"jsonName":"Make the Sign of the Cross.","jsonText":"\u003cem\u003e In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. \u003c/em\u003e"},{"id":"how-to-step-1665164773145","name":["Say, ",{"type":"em","props":{"children":["“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”"]}}],"text":[],"jsonName":"Say, \u003cem\u003e“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”\u003c/em\u003e","jsonText":""},{"id":"how-to-step-1665164779912","name":["Then, read Scripture from the Book of Isaiah."],"text":["The USCCB points us toward ",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+9%3A1-2%2CIsaiah+9%3A5-6\u0026version=NRSVCE","children":["Isaiah 9"]}},", ",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+63%3A+16-17+%2C+19\u0026version=NRSVCE","children":["Isaiah 63"]}},", or ",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+64%3A2-7\u0026version=NRSVCE","children":["Isaiah 64"]}},". "],"jsonName":"Then, read Scripture from the Book of Isaiah.","jsonText":"The USCCB points us toward \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+9%3A1-2%2CIsaiah+9%3A5-6\u0026amp;version=NRSVCE\u0022\u003eIsaiah 9\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+63%3A+16-17+%2C+19\u0026amp;version=NRSVCE\u0022\u003eIsaiah 63\u003c/a\u003e, or \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+64%3A2-7\u0026amp;version=NRSVCE\u0022\u003eIsaiah 64\u003c/a\u003e. "},{"id":"how-to-step-1665164789378","name":["Pray with the following blessing written by the ",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.usccb.org/prayers/blessing-advent-wreath","children":["USCCB"]}},"."],"text":[{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["“Lord our God,"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["He is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["He is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["He is the Savior of every nation."]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["Lord God,"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["let your blessing come upon us"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["as we light the candles of this wreath."]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["May the wreath and its light"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation."]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["May He come quickly and not delay."]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["We ask this through Christ our Lord."]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["Amen.”"]}}],"jsonName":"Pray with the following blessing written by the \u003ca href=\u0022https://www.usccb.org/prayers/blessing-advent-wreath\u0022\u003eUSCCB\u003c/a\u003e.","jsonText":"\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Lord our God,\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003ewe praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eHe is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eHe is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eHe is the Savior of every nation.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eLord God,\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003elet your blessing come upon us\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eas we light the candles of this wreath.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eMay the wreath and its light\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003ebe a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eMay He come quickly and not delay.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe ask this through Christ our Lord.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eAmen.”\u003c/em\u003e"}],"defaultDurationText":"Time needed:"} --> <div class="schema-how-to wp-block-yoast-how-to-block"><p class="schema-how-to-total-time"><span class="schema-how-to-duration-time-text">Time needed: </span>5 minutes. </p><p class="schema-how-to-description">Pray <a href="https://www.usccb.org/prayers/blessing-advent-wreath">this blessing</a> from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops the night before or on the first Sunday of Advent in your home.&nbsp;</p> <ol class="schema-how-to-steps"><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1665164747305"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Make the Sign of the Cross.</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em> In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. </em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1665164773145"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Say, <em>“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”</em></strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1665164779912"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Then, read Scripture from the Book of Isaiah.</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">The USCCB points us toward <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+9%3A1-2%2CIsaiah+9%3A5-6&amp;version=NRSVCE">Isaiah 9</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+63%3A+16-17+%2C+19&amp;version=NRSVCE">Isaiah 63</a>, or <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+64%3A2-7&amp;version=NRSVCE">Isaiah 64</a>. </p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1665164789378"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Pray with the following blessing written by the <a href="https://www.usccb.org/prayers/blessing-advent-wreath">USCCB</a>.</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><br/><em>“Lord our God,</em><br/><em>we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:</em><br/><em>He is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,</em><br/><em>He is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,</em><br/><em>He is the Savior of every nation.</em><br/><em>Lord God,</em><br/><em>let your blessing come upon us</em><br/><em>as we light the candles of this wreath.</em><br/><em>May the wreath and its light</em><br/><em>be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.</em><br/><em>May He come quickly and not delay.</em><br/><em>We ask this through Christ our Lord.</em><br/><em>Amen.”</em></p> </li></ol></div> <!-- /wp:yoast/how-to-block --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/adventwreath">Pray with Hallow This Advent</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Advent-candles">Advent candles&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":70255,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Advent-Candles-1024x768.png" alt="An illustration of the four Advent candles (three purple, one pink) with descriptions of their meaning and significance." class="wp-image-70255"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The four Advent candles each have meaning.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="What-do-the-four-candles-of-Advent-symbolize?">What do the four candles of Advent symbolize?</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The four candles of Advent represent the four Sundays of Advent, and they respectively symbolize hope, peace, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-happiness-and-joy/">joy</a>, and love. In some homes and parishes, people will also light a fifth candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to represent the birth of Jesus; this candle, when added to the Advent wreath, is typically white and larger than the other candles and is placed in the center of the wreath.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="Advent-candle-weeks-names-colors">Advent candle weeks, names &amp; colors&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Advent week 1 – Hope: Prophecy Candle (purple)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Advent week 2 – Peace: Bethlehem Candle (purple)&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Advent week 3 – Joy: Shepherd’s Candle (pink)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Advent week 4 – Love: Angel’s Candle (purple)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="first-advent-candle-hope">First Advent Candle/Sunday: Hope</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong><em>“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”</em></strong><strong> – C.S. Lewis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It is only fitting that the first candle on the Advent wreath represents <strong>Hope</strong> – the first Sunday of Advent not only leads us to anticipate the birth of Christ but celebrate the beginning of a new liturgical season as well. The first candle is <strong>purple</strong>, the primary color of Advent and a color symbolizing royalty. Sometimes called the <strong>“Prophecy Candle,”</strong> the first candle harkens us back to Isaiah’s foretelling of the birth of Christ and all of the promises God gave us in the Old Testament that would be fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. This Advent, light the first candle on <strong>Sunday, December 1, 2024</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="second-advent-candle-peace">Second Advent Candle/Sunday: Peace</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong><em>“May we be in this world a ray of that light which shone forth from Bethlehem, bringing joy and peace to the hearts of all men and women.”</em></strong><strong> – Pope Francis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The second candle on the Advent wreath represents <strong>Peace</strong>. Like the first candle, it is also purple. Often called the <strong>“Bethlehem Candle,”</strong> the second Advent candle reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Mary gave birth to Jesus. Building on the meaning of the Prophecy Candle, this second candle recalls that after all of the division, destruction, and dispersion of the kingdom in the Old Testament, there might finally be peace on Earth – Jesus is coming, and so is his Kingdom of Peace. As we read in the quote from Pope Francis, this light of peace shone forth from Bethlehem for all the world. This Advent, light the second candle on <strong>Sunday, December 8, 2024.&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="third-advent-candle-joy">Third Advent Candle/Sunday: Joy – “Gaudete Sunday”</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong><em>“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’”</em></strong><strong> (Luke 2:10-12)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The third candle of Advent symbolizes <strong>Joy</strong>. As we continue to approach Christmas Day, our joy grows more and more. The third candle takes us back to the joyful anticipation of the shepherds who journeyed to see Jesus in Bethlehem, even before the wise men. On this third Sunday of Advent, which the Church calls “Gaudete Sunday,” meaning rejoice or praise, we light the third candle and rejoice like the shepherds. For this reason, the third candle of Advent is called the <strong>“Shepherd’s Candle,” </strong>and its color is <strong>pink</strong>, the liturgical color for joy. This Advent, light the third candle on <strong>Sunday, December 15, 2024.&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="fourth-advent-candle-love">Fourth Advent Candle/Sunday: Love</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong><em>“And in the end, everything else will turn out to be unimportant and inessential, except for this: Father, Child, and Love.”</em></strong><strong> – St. (Pope) John Paul II</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The fourth candle of Advent represents <strong>Love, </strong>the ultimate love of God that He might send His only Son for us. Called the <strong>“Angel’s Candle,”</strong> the fourth candle of Advent is lit the Sunday before Christmas, and it is the color <strong>purple</strong>, leading us to eagerly await the new Kingdom of God on earth. This Advent, light the fourth candle on <strong>Sunday, December 22, 2022</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":70277,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Advent-Calendar-2024-1024x788.png" alt="" class="wp-image-70277"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="Prayer-for-lighting-Advent-candles">Prayer for lighting Advent candles — Henri Nouwen</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Each person or family might approach lighting Advent candles in a different way, which is totally okay! Some families will let different members light a candle each week and say a prayer. What matters most is that the candles remind you of the overflowing hope, peace, joy, and love that the birth of Jesus means for each of us. If you’re struggling to find the words for prayer, this Advent prayer from <a href="https://nhop.ca/an-advent-prayer-henri-nouwen/">Fr. Henri J.M. Nouwen</a> encapsulates what many of us feel and <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/02/prayers-for-hope/">hope</a> for during the Advent season:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>Lord Jesus, Master of both light and darkness, send your </em><a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/"><em>Holy Spirit</em></a><em> upon our preparation for Christmas.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear Your voice each day.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of Your Kingdom.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of Your presence.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>We are Your people, walking in darkness yet seeking the light. To You, we say, “Come, Lord Jesus!”&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/adventwreath">Pray with Hallow This Advent</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where to find Advent candles and wreaths?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">First, check with your local parish for Advent wreaths and candles. You can also purchase Advent candles and wreaths at local religious stores, from individuals selling on Etsy or personal sites, or through major shopping outlets like Target, Amazon, and Walmart. Or, you can attempt to DIY an Advent wreath and candles by putting together a wreath made of natural materials around your home or neighborhood; then, add purple and pink ribbons around plain white candles to signify the specialty and sacredness of the four Sundays of Advent.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Stay tuned for our #Pray25 Advent Community Challenge on Hallow – we cannot wait to pray with you!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="related-prayers">Related prayers &amp; information&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Advent-Calendar-2024-Digital.pdf">Hallow 2024 Advent Calendar for Download &amp; Print</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/30/advent-prayers-catholic-meditations/">Catholic Advent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/2022/10/03/the-schedule-of-advent-when-does-advent-start-in-2022/">When does Advent start in 2023?</a>&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/thanksgiving-prayer/">Thanksgiving Prayers &amp; Blessings</a>&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-st-andrew-christmas-novena/">How to Pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/christmas-prayer-catholic-blessings/">Christmas Prayers &amp; Blessings</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/new-years-prayers/">New Year’s Prayers &amp; Blessings</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">Our Father Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Advent Candles and Advent Wreaths: The History and Meaning, Colors, Symbolism, Themes, and More&nbsp; [post_excerpt] => Learn the meaning and history behind the traditional Advent wreath and Advent candles. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-11-06 17:24:43 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-11-06 17:24:43 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=27448 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 27381 [post_author] => 43 [post_date] => 2022-10-03 15:11:13 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-10-03 15:11:13 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent is a season of waiting and expectation for Christmas – the birth of Christ, the Nativity of Our Lord. We prepare our homes and hearts for four weeks before Christmas. Advent is also the beginning of a new liturgical season – it concludes a long period of Ordinary Time and leads us into the new church year with hope and patience in preparation for Christmas.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This season was likely first celebrated in the fifth century, originating from the tradition of fasting several times a week, beginning on St. Martin de Tours’ Feast Day (November 11) and concluding on Christmas Day. Nowadays, Advent always starts about four weeks before Christmas, on the Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s Feast Day (November 30).&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Keeping track of Advent dates amidst the busyness of the holidays can be tricky, especially as the dates change year after year. So, we put together these common FAQs for you to keep track of the Advent schedule and each Sunday of Advent. We also included the important dates that follow Christmas in the Church calendar.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#when-is-advent">When is Advent?&nbsp;</a><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#When-does-Advent-start">When does Advent start?<br></a><a href="#When-is-Advent-over">When is Advent over?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Sundays-of-Advent">Sundays of Advent&nbsp;</a><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#first-sunday-of-advent">First Sunday of Advent</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#second-sunday-of-advent">Second Sunday of Advent</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#third-sunday-of-advent">Third Sunday of Advent</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#fourth-sunday-of-advent">Fourth Sunday of Advent&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#dates-for-advent-decided">How are the dates for Advent decided?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#What-season-is-after-Advent">What season is after Advent?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#12-days-of-Christmas">When are the 12 Days of Christmas?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#When-is-Epiphany">When is Epiphany?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Dates for Advent 2022 - 2027">Dates for Advent 2022 - 2027</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#More-Prayers-and-Blessings">More Prayers &amp; Blessings</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="when-is-advent">When is Advent?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="When-does-Advent-start">When does Advent start?&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent always starts four Sundays before Christmas. This year, in 2024, Advent starts Sunday, December 1.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="When-is-Advent-over">When is Advent over?</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent always ends on Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas. Advent ends Tuesday, December 24, 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Sundays-of-Advent">Sundays of Advent</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="first-sunday-of-advent">When is the first Sunday of Advent?&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The first Sunday of Advent is December 1, 2024. The first Sunday of Advent is also the beginning of the new liturgical year when we transition into a new liturgical cycle. On the first Sunday of Advent in 2024, we’ll transition from cycle B to cycle C.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="second-sunday-of-advent">When is the second Sunday of Advent?</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The second Sunday of Advent is December 8, 2024.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="third-sunday-of-advent">When is the third Sunday of Advent?&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The third Sunday of Advent is December 15, 2024. Called “Gaudete Sunday,” meaning rejoice, a pink candle on the Advent wreath represents this Sunday. At Mass, you’ll also see priests and deacons in pink vestments, leading us to await the birth of Jesus joyfully.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="fourth-sunday-of-advent">When is the fourth Sunday of Advent?&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The fourth Sunday of Advent is December 22, 2024. Two days later is Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/4yIAPVIKKtb">Pray with Hallow This Advent</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="dates-for-advent-decided">How are the dates for Advent decided?&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent always begins on a Sunday and includes three other Sundays leading up to Christmas. Traditionally, this first Sunday of Advent is always the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle on November 30, whether before or after. This year, the Feast of St. Andrew is on a Wednesday, so the first Sunday of Advent precedes the apostle’s feast day.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em><strong>(Start the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-st-andrew-christmas-novena/">St. Andrew Christmas Novena</a> on November 30.)</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="What-season-is-after-Advent">What season is after Advent?&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After Advent, the Christmas season begins with Christmas Eve vigil masses. The Christmas season ends on Monday, January 8, 2024, the day on which we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="12-days-of-Christmas">When are the 12 days of Christmas?&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day, December 25, and end on January 5, the day before Epiphany.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="When-is-Epiphany">When is Epiphany?&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/feast-of-the-epiphany/">Epiphany</a> is always celebrated on January 6. Traditionally, this day marks the visit of the Magi – when the three wise men visited the baby Jesus.&nbsp;It's often observed on the Sunday between Jan. 2 and 8.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/4yIAPVIKKtb">Pray with Hallow This Advent</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="advent-2022-2027">Dates for Advent 2022 - 2027</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:table {"hasFixedLayout":false,"className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Year</strong></td><td><strong>Advent Start Date</strong></td><td><strong>Advent End Date</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Advent 2023</td><td>Sunday, December 3, 2023</td><td>Sunday, December 24, 2023</td></tr><tr><td>Advent 2024</td><td>Sunday, December 1, 2024</td><td>Tuesday, December 24, 2024</td></tr><tr><td>Advent 2025</td><td>Sunday, November 30, 2025</td><td>Wednesday, December 24, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Advent 2026</td><td>Sunday, November 29, 2026</td><td>Thursday, December 24, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Advent 2027</td><td>Sunday, November 28, 2027</td><td>Friday, December 24, 2027</td></tr><tr><td>Advent 2028</td><td>Sunday, December 3, 2028</td><td>Sunday, December 24, 2028</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="More-Prayers-and-Blessings">More Prayers &amp; Blessings&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/30/advent-prayers-catholic-meditations/">Advent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/2022/10/07/advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths/">Advent Candles &amp; Advent Wreaths</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/advent-calendars/">Advent Calendars</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/christmas-prayer-catholic-blessings/">Christmas Prayers &amp; Blessings</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/thanksgiving-prayer/">Thanksgiving Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a>&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">How to Pray the Hail Mary</a>&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => The Schedule of Advent – When Does Advent Start in 2024? When are the Sundays of Advent? [post_excerpt] => Common FAQs for you to keep track of the Advent schedule and each Sunday of Advent. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => the-schedule-of-advent-when-does-advent-start [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-10-30 00:12:34 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-10-30 00:12:34 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=27381 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 27299 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2022-09-30 00:19:51 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-09-30 00:19:51 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"className":""} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#intro">Introduction</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#short">Short Advent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#2023">Advent Prayers for 2024</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#daily">Daily Advent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#bible-verses">Advent Bible Verses</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#others">Additional Prayers&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p id="intro" class="">Sometimes it feels as if we’re in a rush to speed through the calendar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Pumpkin-flavored <em>everything</em> seems to be ubiquitous by Labor Day. Christmas decorations will start popping up on store shelves long before Halloween costumes fly off the shelves.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent challenges the hectic pace of our lives and the sometimes indomitable march toward Christmas. It gives us time to prayerfully remember Jesus’s birth and the majesty of the Incarnation while looking ahead to His second coming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent prayers can help us focus on this important liturgical season when it seems like so many forces pull us from summer to Christmas Eve. Praying during Advent can help us keep in mind the true purpose of all of the build-up to Christmas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Let Hallow enrich your prayer life this year with Advent prayers for 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="short">Short Advent Prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Advent is a relatively short liturgical season, so perhaps it’s fitting that short, simple prayers are all we need to feel God’s calming presence in our lives amid the many distractions of November and December.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Consider these brief Catholic prayers this Advent season:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Dear Lord, please allow me to embrace Advent in the way the Church intends: as a way to prepare for Your arrival. May everything I do–every gift I send, every party I attend, every meal I share–remind me to prepare space in my heart for You. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Heavenly Father, heal my heart during this season of Advent. Help me to love more fully. To forgive more generously. To wait more patiently for Christmas, embracing each day and hour knowing the joy that awaits. In Your name I pray. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lord, send down Your Spirit to guide me during Advent this year. May the Holy Spirit help me journey closer to You and lift me up when I feel down and led me when I feel lost. I may stumble at times, but I know my ultimate journey is to draw closer to You and build Your kingdom here on earth–a kingdom that Jesus’s birth, life and death helped secure. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>I pray for focus today, dear God, because during Advent, my mind and attention tend to wander. There are so many distractions, many of them well-meaning. But nothing gives my heart rest like resting in You. I pray that keep You at the focus of my day today, because I know the peace that only You offer. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/AdventPrayers">Pray on Hallow this Advent</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="2023">Prayers for Advent in 2024</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s been a challenging year for many of us for many reasons. Here are some prayers that may resonate during the 2024 Advent season:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Dear Heavenly Father, this Advent season, we especially are in need of peace. War rages on in our world. It impacts the daily lives of millions in different ways. This year, as much as ever, we need Jesus, Prince of Peace, in our world and in our hearts. During Advent in 2024, we pray that Jesus transforms our world as we await His coming again.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>In his <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2022/documents/20220914-omelia-kazakhstan.html">September 2022 homily</a> during his journey to Kazakhstan, Pope Francis reminds us that God’s response to the spread of evil in the world was that He “gave us Jesus, who drew near to us in a way we could never have imagined.” Father, this Advent, we eagerly await Jesus drawing near to us again. In a world that can feel overcome by the sins of violence, poverty and injustice, we pray that we can be instruments of peace and <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-healing/">healing</a> in Your name. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="daily">Daily Advent Prayers and Meditations</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Hallow app offers dozens of simple daily prayers that are perfect for Advent, including the daily rosary, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/bible-in-a-year-with-father-mike-schmitz/">Bible in a Year</a>, several different <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-novenas/">novenas</a> and daily miracle stories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">During the four weeks of Advent, these daily prayers and meditations can help calm your heart during a season filled with distractions. Pray these prayers each day to draw close to God during Advent in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>God, be with me today. Help my heart be open to the ways Jesus is at work in my life. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Give me peace today, O Lord. Help me to live this day in eternal hope knowing Jesus will come again.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Heavenly Father, Give me the strength to have the same trust in You that Mary had, as she awaited the birth of Jesus.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>I pray for humility today, Father. Our Savior entered this world in a manger with animals. When I feel too proud, let me remember the Holy Family and Jesus’s humble birth.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="bible-verses">Advent Bible Verses: Scriptures to Read During Advent</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Spending time with Scripture is important to our prayer lives during all liturgical seasons. Hallow offers the daily Gospel and other Scripture-based meditations to guide your Advent meditations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">These simple Bible verses also resonate during Advent:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Isaiah 40:3: </strong><em>“A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Isaiah 30:18:</strong> <em>“Truly, the Lord is waiting to be gracious to you, truly, he shall rise to show you mercy; For the Lord is a God of justice: happy are all who wait for him!”</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Hebrews 6:15:</strong> <em>“And so, after patient waiting, he obtained the promise.”</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Luke 1: 34-38: </strong><em>“But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.”</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="others"><strong>More Prayers</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Let Hallow help you pray throughout the Advent season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/thanksgiving-prayer/">Thanksgiving Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">Hail Mary Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">Our Father Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/christmas-prayer-catholic-blessings/">Christmas Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/christmas-eve-mass/">Christmas Eve Mass</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/advent-calendars/">Advent Calendars</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/AdventPrayers">Pray on Hallow this Advent</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> [post_title] => Advent Prayers: Catholic Advent Prayers for the 2024 Advent Season [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => advent-prayers-catholic-meditations [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-09-18 20:17:15 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-09-18 20:17:15 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=27299 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 27312 [post_author] => 43 [post_date] => 2022-09-29 17:48:48 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-09-29 17:48:48 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Some of the biggest blessings from God in our lives are the people – our friends, family, and all we love – who are on this journey with us. Birthdays remind us to celebrate those special people, as well as their gifts and thank God for placing them in our lives. Turn to these birthday prayers, blessings, and inspiring quotes to graciously recognize the special people in your life. You can also include them as spiritual birthday blessings in cards or text messages.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Celebrating-birthdays">Celebrating birthdays</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Bible-verses-for-Birthdays">Bible verses for birthdays&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Birthday-prayers-blessings">Birthday prayers and blessings</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#birthday-inspiration-from-the-saints">Birthday inspiration from the saints</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#More-prayers">More prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/bFzo8LSTItb">Celebrate your big day with God. Try Hallow for Free!</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Celebrating-birthdays">Celebrating birthdays</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":"lent-embed"} --> <p class="lent-embed">The birthdays of our loved ones offer us a special day to show love and gratitude to those people in our lives. On our own birthdays, we pause for reflection on the previous year, celebrate our journey thus far, and look forward to what the future holds.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">During these days of remembrance and gratitude, we thank God for introducing us to the people who have ventured into our lives and walk alongside us, no matter how young or old they might be. We hope you’ll find these birthday prayers and blessings helpful in celebrating the unique lives of people that have blessed your own life.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Bible-verses-for-Birthdays">Bible verses for Birthdays</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Include a Bible verse in a birthday card or birthday text to a friend to show your gratitude for God placing them in your life. If it’s your own birthday, turn to these prayers as you celebrate another year of the gift of life from Him.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Numbers 6:24-26</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>The Lord bless you and keep you;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">1 Corinthians 1:3-7</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind — just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you — so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Jeremiah 29:11</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Psalm 23 - A Psalm of David&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He makes me lie down in green pastures;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>he leads me beside still waters;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;he restores my soul.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>[...]</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;all the days of my life,</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;my whole life long.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">[Read the full Psalm <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+23%3A1%E2%80%936&amp;version=NRSVCE">here</a>.]</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">See more <a href="https://hallow.com/scripture/bible-verses-for-birthdays/">Bible verses for birthdays</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/bFzo8LSTItb">Try Hallow For Free Today</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Birthday-prayers-blessings">Birthday prayers and blessings</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Turn to these prayers in celebration of your friends and family members to reflect on the previous years and look forward to the years to come.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Prayer of gratitude</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Dear Lord,&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Thank you for placing [Name] in my life and inviting me into their journey.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>I am so grateful to have them in my life and for their many gifts.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>May you be with them on this special day and continue to bless them in the years ahead.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Amen.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Prayer to the Holy Spirit</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Holy Spirit,&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Please watch over [Name] as they celebrate another year of life.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>May you be present with them in this time of reflection, gratitude, and looking ahead.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>May you guide them with joy, gratitude, and love on this special day.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Amen.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Traditional Irish blessing&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>May the road rise up to meet you.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>May the wind be always at your back.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>May the sun shine warm upon your face;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>may God hold you in the palm of His hand.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Birthday blessings</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>As we celebrate your birthday, I give thanks to God for placing you in my life. May your day be filled with joy, reflection, and hope for the year ahead, and may He continue to bless you and watch over you all the days of your life.</em>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Short birthday blessings&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>May your next year be filled with His joy and love.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>May God hold you in the palm of His hand.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>May God be with you in this next year of your life.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>May God bless you today and forever.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>May your journey continue to be blessed each and every day.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>May you look back with joy on the years of your life and with hope for those to come.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="birthday-inspiration-from-the-saints">Birthday inspiration from the saints and other individuals</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Whether it’s your birthday or the birthday of a loved one in your life, a great quote can inspire gratitude. We put together a few of our favorite quotes from the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-with-saints/">saints</a> to share with you!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Pope Saint John Paul II</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>"Let us remember the past with gratitude, live the present with enthusiasm, and look forward to the future with confidence."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mother Teresa</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">St. Francis of Assisi</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Thomas Merton&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Junipero Serra</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“I pray God may preserve your health and life many years.”</em>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong><em><a href="https://hallow.com/daily-quote/2022-09-29/">Be </a></em></strong><em><strong><a href="https://hallow.com/daily-quote/2022-09-29/">Inspired: Subscribe to Hallow’s Daily Quote!</a></strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="More-prayers">More prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/thanksgiving-prayer/">Thanksgiving Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-to-the-holy-spirit/">Holy Spirit Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-healing/">Prayers for Healing</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-happiness-and-joy/">Prayers for Happiness and Joy</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-hope/">Prayers for Hope</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-surrender-novena/">How to Pray the Surrender Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:cover {"url":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/illos_grid-scaled.jpg","id":10227,"dimRatio":50} --> <div class="wp-block-cover"><span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim"></span><img class="wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-10227" alt="" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/illos_grid-scaled.jpg" data-object-fit="cover"/><div class="wp-block-cover__inner-container"><!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","placeholder":"Write title…","className":"","fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size">Pray Every Day on Hallow</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button {"backgroundColor":"white","textColor":"black"} --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/bFzo8LSTItb"><strong>Download the Hallow App</strong></a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --></div></div> <!-- /wp:cover --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Prayers for Birthdays and Birthday Blessings [post_excerpt] => Turn to these birthday prayers, blessings, and inspiring quotes on the birthdays of loved ones in your life. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => prayers-for-birthdays-and-birthday-blessings [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-05-15 20:29:56 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-05-15 20:29:56 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=27312 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 26642 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2022-09-02 00:57:27 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-09-02 00:57:27 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Key takeaway:</strong> God is with you in your moment of need. Even short, simple prayers can help you feel His peace in your most desperate moments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prayers for Hope: <strong>Table of Contents</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"className":""} --> <ol class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#intro">Introduction</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#bible-verses">Bible Verses for Hope</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#short-prayers">Short Prayers for Hope&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#eucharist">Hope and the Eucharist</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#prayers-for-others">Praying for Others&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#st-jude-novena">St. Jude Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#more-prayers">More Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="" id="intro">It can be challenging to have hope in some of our darkest moments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Even for people of faith–who know the promise of salvation that Jesus offers–it’s not always easy to be hopeful when life’s challenges weigh on us during difficult times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But when things seem most hopeless and life’s struggles seem overwhelming, God is by our side.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The <a href="https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-affairs/hope-eternal-life">USCCB reminds us</a> that “We cannot know the details of this future: ‘No eye has seen nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ (1 Cor. 2:9). Nevertheless, we know that Jesus is our future.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">At Hallow, we want to help you draw closer to God every day but especially when you’re feeling hopeless.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our hope begins with God and what God reveals to us in the Bible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="bible-verses">Bible Verses for Hope&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Isaiah 40:30-31</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Psalm 130:5-8</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and I hope for his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak. More than sentinels for daybreak, let Israel hope in the Lord, For with the Lord is mercy, with him is plenteous redemption, And he will redeem Israel from all its sins.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Psalm 9:19</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>For the needy will never be forgotten, nor will the hope of the afflicted ever fade.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Romans 8:24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="short-prayers">Short Prayers for Hope</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When it feels like nothing is going right for us, and we just can’t seem to catch a break, God is always near to us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We might be searching for the right words to pray, but the truth is that God knows what is in our hearts even when our words fall short.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Use these short, simple prayers to ask the <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/">Holy Spirit</a> to calm your heart and feel God’s love for you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><em>Heavenly Father, please be with me today. My heart hurts. I feel overwhelmed, and it’s difficult for me to see the joy that only You provide. Still, I trust in You and place my problems in your hands. I pray that you can open my eyes to the ways in which Your love is embracing me. Amen.</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><em>God, even though I don’t understand everything happening in my life, the one thing I know confidently is Your love for me. Look upon me, Your humble servant, in my moment of need. Help me feel the peace that only You provide. Help me remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel–Your warm light that will brighten even my darkest day. Amen</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><em>Loving Father, the Bible tells us “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” (Phillippians 4:6). So today I come to You in prayer. I turn to You, knowing Your power is infinitely stronger than my worries. My doubts. My struggles. Today and all days, Father, may I remember Your promise. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.&nbsp;</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><em>I know You will never forsake me, God. I take this moment to spend with You as things around me seem uncertain. I feel lost and my worries consume me. But when I close my eyes and quietly think of You, I feel a second of peace. I pray that today, those seconds can become minutes or hours. That Your peace can drown out my doubts and inspire hope inside of me. Amen.</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/PrayersForHope">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="eucharist">Hope and the Eucharist&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When we need to be uplifted and reminded of God’s loving embrace, perhaps the best prayer we can turn to is the sacrament of the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/eucharist-holy-communion-adoration-prayer/">Eucharist</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Paul J. Waddell, professor of theology at St. Norbert College, <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2016/11/07/hope-forgotten-virtue-our-time">writes</a> that hope can be strengthened through the Eucharist because “at the Eucharist we remember that we, thanks to our baptism, have been incorporated into the story of God, a story that is much more promising and blessed than anything we could offer ourselves,”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When we receive Communion, we’re reminded that we are a part of God’s bigger plan.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This can give us hope amid our struggles, and so, too, can acknowledging the struggles of others in prayer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="prayers-for-others">Prayer for Hope–Praying for Others</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Praying for others when we feel helpless can actually help us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_volunteering_can_help_your_mental_health">Studies have shown</a> that helping others can help our own mental health. The same is true of our prayer lives.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Rita Buettner, a writer for <a href="https://catholicreview.org/the-joy-of-praying-for-others/">Catholic Review</a>, writes that praying for others “helps us feel connected to people and places and issues beyond ourselves. It opens our minds to the challenges that others are experiencing. It broadens our perspective. It helps us grow in gratitude and hope.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When we pray for others, we draw nearer to them. That Communion with others–and with God–inspires hope.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So if you’re feeling hopeless, try lifting up others in prayer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When we are still struggling and in need of hope and encouragement in difficult times, we can always turn to St. Jude.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="st-jude-novena">St. Jude Novena</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">St. Jude is the patron saint of hopeless causes and desperate situations.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">According to tradition, since Jude’s name is so close to that of Jesus’s betrayer, Judas, most people relied on other saints when asking for intercession.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Only the most desperate and hopeless turned to St. Jude, who stands ready to pray for us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The St. Jude Novena spans nine days which, <a href="http://forms.shrineofstjude.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ssj_shrine_celebrate">according to the Shrine of St. Jude</a>, represent the nine days the Apostles prayed together between Jesus’s Ascension and <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/pentecost/">Pentecost</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you feel like your situation is without hope, remember that God will never abandon you. Consider learning <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-st-jude-novena/">how to pray the St. Jude Novena</a> and join millions of other people who’d relied on St. Jude in their most challenging times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/PrayersForHope">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="more-prayers"><strong>More Prayers</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Whether you’re needing strength, struggling to sleep, or seeking healing, God is ready to embrace you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you found our prayers for hope helpful, consider these prayers in other moments of need:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-strength/">Prayers for Strength</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-healing/">Prayers for Healing</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-sleep/">Prayers for Sleep</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-anxiety/">Prayers for Anxiety</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-happiness-and-joy/">Prayers for Happiness and Joy</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/thanksgiving-prayer/">Prayers for Thanksgiving</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Prayers for Hope: Catholics Prayers to Give Hope in Difficult Times [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => prayers-for-hope [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2021/10/15/how-to-pray-st-jude-novena/ https://hallow.com/2021/09/19/prayers-for-sleep/ https://hallow.com/2021/11/24/thanksgiving-prayer/ https://hallow.com/2021/07/16/prayers-for-anxiety/ [post_modified] => 2023-05-26 15:44:24 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-05-26 15:44:24 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=26642 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 26575 [post_author] => 43 [post_date] => 2022-08-29 18:31:45 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-08-29 18:31:45 [post_content] => <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite><meta charset="utf-8"><p>St. Faustina Kowalska</p></cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Written by the Sr. Faustina Maria Pia of the <a href="https://sistersoflife.org/litany-of-trust/">Sisters of Life</a>, this beautiful litany leads us to pray for less self-reliance and more trust in Jesus and His overflowing love for us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#what-is-litany-of-trust">What is the Litany of Trust?&nbsp;</a><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#origin">Origin</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#St-Faustina-Kowalska">St. Faustina Kowalska</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#when-to-pray-litany-of-trust">When do we pray the Litany of Trust?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#why-pray-litany-of-trust">Why do we pray the Litany of Trust?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#how-to-pray">How to pray the Litany of Trust</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#related-prayers">Related prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="what-is-litany-of-trust">What is the Litany of Trust?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The litany first helps put into words the fears, worries, and refusals we struggle with that hold us back from placing our complete trust in Jesus. Then, in the second part of the litany, we state our trust in Jesus, relying on the <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/">Holy Spirit</a> to give us the grace to do so.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="origin">Origin</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Sr. Faustina Maria Pia wrote this litany while living in the Bronx with the Sisters of Life. With the words formed from her own spiritual life and her experiences in the streets of New York City, Sr. Faustina <a href="https://catholicreview.org/the-litany-of-trust-a-prayer-for-our-times/">wrote</a> this litany with the trials and tribulations of the world we live in today in her heart.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As she describes in the Introduction to the Litany of Trust on Hallow,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:pullquote --> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote><p>“I had no intention of writing a prayer, and a prayer on trust. But I found myself a few years into my religious life as a sister in a situation where I didn’t know what to do, and I was asking Jesus for clarity. The question came across my heart: <strong>What does it mean to trust?</strong>”</p><cite>Sr. Faustina Maria Pia</cite></blockquote></figure> <!-- /wp:pullquote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After speaking with Jesus, she felt His answer “more in the language of the heart than in words” to say, “Yes.” Sr. Faustina Maria took out her journal and began to write the Litany of Trust, formatting it similarly to the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-litany-of-humility/">Litany of Humility</a>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><br>Now, the Sisters of Life share this beautiful litany in their in-person and online communities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="St-Faustina-Kowalska">St. Faustina Kowalska</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You might have noticed that Sr. Faustina’s name sounds familiar; she <a href="https://radiantmagazine.com/2019/02/18/my-friend-st-faustina/">took</a> on the name of Saint Faustina Kowalska, to whom Jesus revealed the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">Divine Mercy Chaplet</a> in the 1930s. If you’re unfamiliar with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, it is commonly prayed daily at 3:00 p.m., the time at which Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday. Much like the Litany of Trust, the Divine Mercy Chaplet leads us to ask for Jesus’s mercy and place our trust in Him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="when-to-pray-litany-of-trust">When do we pray the Litany of Trust? </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">To answer this question best, we look to some of the words that flowed out of the heart of Sr. Faustina when she sat down to write the litany:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>From anxiety about the </em><strong><em>future</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the </em><strong><em>past</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>From restless self-seeking in the <strong>present moment</strong>&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-anxiety/">Prayers for Anxiety</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I struggle with these lines, just like Sr. Faustina did. And I bet you have, too.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Pray this litany when you struggle to trust Jesus in regard to the past, the present moment, and the future.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why do we pray the Litany of Trust? </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When you read the lines of this litany, I would guess that a few particular lines might stick out to you. They might be words you’ve never spoken aloud but resonate deep within your heart. This litany allows you to tell Jesus about your struggles and ask for the grace to trust Him.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This is why Sr. Faustina wrote the litany – she felt the stirring of Christ in her heart to share these words so that we might pray with them and find solace in the struggles that life throws at us.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As Sr. Faustina’s brother Haneal Bianchi <a href="https://catholicreview.org/the-litany-of-trust-a-prayer-for-our-times/">wrote</a>,&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“This wonderful prayer will help you to rely more on Jesus and less on yourself. It will help you with your little struggles during the good times, but it will also provide you with great comfort and confidence in the heat of your greatest struggles.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/cKFwIIVlTsb">Pray the Litany of Trust</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="how-to-pray">How to pray the Litany of Trust</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:yoast/how-to-block {"hasDuration":true,"minutes":"15","steps":[{"id":"how-to-step-1661788531213","name":["Make the Sign of the Cross. "],"text":[{"type":"em","props":{"children":["In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. "]}}],"jsonName":"Make the Sign of the Cross. ","jsonText":"\u003cem\u003eIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. \u003c/em\u003e"},{"id":"how-to-step-1661788569560","name":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["Ask Jesus to deliver you from the various fears and insecurities that hold us back from fully trusting Him. After each petition, respond with “Deliver me, Jesus.”"]}}],"text":[{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From the belief that I have to earn Your love"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From the fear that I am unlovable "]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From the false security that I have what it takes"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From all suspicion of Your words and promises"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From the rebellion against childlike dependency on You"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From refusals and reluctances in accepting Your will ",{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},"From anxiety about the future"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From restless self-seeking in the present moment "]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From disbelief in Your love and presence"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From the fear of being asked to give more than I have "]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth "]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From the fear of what love demands"]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"em","props":{"children":["From discouragement"]}}],"jsonName":"\u003cstrong\u003eAsk Jesus to deliver you from the various fears and insecurities that hold us back from fully trusting Him. After each petition, respond with “Deliver me, Jesus.”\u003c/strong\u003e","jsonText":"\u003cem\u003eFrom the belief that I have to earn Your love\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom the fear that I am unlovable \u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom the false security that I have what it takes\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom all suspicion of Your words and promises\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom the rebellion against childlike dependency on You\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom refusals and reluctances in accepting Your will \u003cbr/\u003eFrom anxiety about the future\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom restless self-seeking in the present moment \u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom disbelief in Your love and presence\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom the fear of being asked to give more than I have \u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom the belief that my life has no meaning or worth \u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom the fear of what love demands\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom discouragement\u003c/em\u003e"},{"id":"how-to-step-1661788596600","name":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["Place your trust in Jesus, knowing that He will always wrap you in His arms. 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Amen. "]}}],"jsonName":"\u003cstrong\u003eConclude with the Sign of the Cross. \u003c/strong\u003e","jsonText":"\u003cem\u003eIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. \u003c/em\u003e"}],"defaultDurationText":"Time needed:"} --> <div class="schema-how-to wp-block-yoast-how-to-block"><p class="schema-how-to-total-time"><span class="schema-how-to-duration-time-text">Time needed: </span>15 minutes. </p><p class="schema-how-to-description"></p> <ol class="schema-how-to-steps"><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661788531213"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Make the Sign of the Cross. </strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. </em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661788569560"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name"><strong>Ask Jesus to deliver you from the various fears and insecurities that hold us back from fully trusting Him. After each petition, respond with “Deliver me, Jesus.”</strong></strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>From the belief that I have to earn Your love</em><br/><em>From the fear that I am unlovable </em><br/><em>From the false security that I have what it takes</em><br/><em>From the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute</em><br/><em>From all suspicion of Your words and promises</em><br/><em>From the rebellion against childlike dependency on You</em><br/><em>From refusals and reluctances in accepting Your will <br/>From anxiety about the future</em><br/><em>From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past</em><br/><em>From restless self-seeking in the present moment </em><br/><em>From disbelief in Your love and presence</em><br/><em>From the fear of being asked to give more than I have </em><br/><em>From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth </em><br/><em>From the fear of what love demands</em><br/><em>From discouragement</em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661788596600"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name"><strong>Place your trust in Jesus, knowing that He will always wrap you in His arms. After each petition, respond with “Jesus, I trust in You.”</strong></strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">That You are continually holding me, sustaining me, loving me<br/>That Your love goes deeper than my sins and failings and transforms me <br/>That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on You<br/>That You are with me in my suffering <br/>That my suffering, united to Your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next<br/>That You will not leave me orphan, that You are present in Your Church <br/>That Your plan is better than anything else<br/>That You always hear me and in Your goodness always respond to me<br/>That You give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others  <br/>That You give me all the strength I need for what is asked <br/>That my life is a gift<br/>That You will teach me to trust You</p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661788650860"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name"><strong>Conclude with the Sign of the Cross. </strong></strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. </em></p> </li></ol></div> <!-- /wp:yoast/how-to-block --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/cKFwIIVlTsb">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="related-prayers">Related prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-litany-of-humility/">How to Pray the Litany of Humility</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-novenas/">How to Pray a Novena&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-strength/">Prayers for Strength</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/2022/10/12/st-teresa-of-avila-prayers-quotes-feast-day/#St-Teresa-of-Avila-prayers">St. Teresa of Ávila prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/saints/faustina/">St. Faustina Kowalska prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We look forward to praying the Litany of Trust with you on Hallow. God bless!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => How to Pray the Litany of Trust [post_excerpt] => Pray this litany to place your trust in Jesus. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-the-litany-of-trust [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2020/03/08/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/ https://hallow.com/2020/05/01/how-to-pray-novenas/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2021/07/16/prayers-for-anxiety/ [post_modified] => 2023-10-05 15:39:28 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-10-05 15:39:28 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=26575 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 26225 [post_author] => 43 [post_date] => 2022-08-23 16:42:20 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-08-23 16:42:20 [post_content] => <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>There is more value in a little study of humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world.</p><cite><meta charset="utf-8"><p>St. Teresa of Ávila</p></cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Humility is a virtue we deeply admire, but it is also one of the most challenging virtues to practice genuinely. Sometimes our pride gets in the way; other times, stubbornness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul id="origin" class=""><li><a href="#overview">What is the Litany of Humility?&nbsp;</a><ul><li><a href="#defining-humility">Defining humility&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#origin">Origin</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#when-to-pray">When do we pray the Litany of Humility?</a><ul><li><a href="#when-desiring-grace">When you desire grace but don’t quite have the words for it&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#daily-weekly-monthly">Daily, weekly, monthly&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#during-Lent">During Lent</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#why-pray">Why do we pray the Litany of Humility?</a><ul><li><a href="#for-deliverance">For deliverance</a></li><li><a href="#for-grace">For grace</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#how-to-pray">How to pray the Litany of Humility</a></li><li><a href="#related-prayers">Related prayers</a></li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="overview">What is the Litany of Humility?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Litany of Humility is a series of petitions in which we ask Jesus to deliver us from the various desires and fears that hold us back from being humble and replace them with renewed desires focused on Him and others rather than ourselves.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="defining-humility">Defining “humility”</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">People often think humility is making yourself small, “less than,” and lowering your self-esteem. This isn’t the kind of humility that Christ, the disciples, Mary, and the Saints have shown us! Instead, we pray that we desire a humility that exudes love and tenderness, that knows we are all created equal in the image of God, and that understands our service in this earthly life is to love others beyond everything else.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Sometimes humility is being so comfortable with yourself, the person God created you to be, that you don’t spend time or energy worrying so much about what others think about you. Instead, you might spend that time and energy thinking about others, loving them, and supporting them. Humility sometimes manifests as being comfortable in compassion for the sake of others.&nbsp;As Mother Teresa said, <meta charset="utf-8">“if you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.<meta charset="utf-8">” </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">What I believe is the hardest part about humility is the understanding that only God’s love will <a href="https://blessedisshe.net/blog/pray-litany-humility/">truly fulfill us</a>, not how the world looks at us. This sentiment is the heart of the litany.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Living this out, however, is no easy feat. I can name several of my own flaws and fears that hold me back in this virtue. But, I feel called to work on and pray about humility, and I believe this desire holds for most of us. It’s likely why this prayer for humility was written and has become quite popular in the last few decades. And, as James M. Barrie said, “Life is a long lesson in humility.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="origing">Origin&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While there were likely earlier versions of the Litany of Humility, the text that we pray with today is attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (1865-1930). Known for his life of <a href="https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=9263">piety</a>, he was the Secretary of State to Pope Saint Pius X from 1903 to 1914.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We also know from the <em>Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis</em> that Merry de Val’s Litany of Humility resonated with C.S. Lewis. To the friend who shared the litany with him, Lewis <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/cs-lewis-daily/2153/10/01">wrote</a>,&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“You did not know, did you, that all the temptations against which he pours forth these prayers I have long been exceeding conscious of?” – C.S. Lewis</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Over the decades since it was written, the Litany of Humility continues to grow in popularity, likely due to its approachability and the universal truth it speaks to us as human beings.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://hallow.app.link/LitanyofHumility">Pray the Litany of Humility</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="when-to-pray">When do we pray the Litany of Humility?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="when-desiring-grace">When you desire grace but don’t quite have the words for it&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This litany puts into words many of the desires we sometimes struggle to name ourselves. Each time I read over or pray this litany, a different line seems to stick out to me. I believe that is because the Litany of Humility is a prayer we reach for when we desire grace from Jesus but maybe don’t know why or how to ask for it.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="daily-weekly-monthly">Daily, weekly, monthly&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You could choose to start your day, week, or even the month by praying the litany. It’s a beautiful reminder that we fail often, but we can always ask for the grace to serve God and others with love each day.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="during-Lent">During Lent</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Much like the ashes we receive on <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/ash-wednesday/">Ash Wednesday</a> each Lent, this prayer helps us acknowledge where we fall short as human beings. We recognize our desire to be loved by everyone, to be popular, to be successful, and we name our fears regarding how others view us in this life. Because of this, the Litany of Humility is an excellent fit for prayer throughout Lent:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><li>The length is suitable for daily prayer.&nbsp;</li><li>It guides us in acknowledging where we fell short.&nbsp;</li><li>And it helps us ask for deliverance, grace, and forgiveness to love Jesus more fully, despite our human desires.&nbsp;</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This being said, the Litany of Humility is a great way to continue working on understanding our human desires and asking for the grace to desire what Jesus does, regardless of the liturgical season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="why-pray">Why do we pray the Litany of Humility?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him. That is all the doing you have to worry about.</p><cite><meta charset="utf-8"><p>St. Jane Frances de Chantal</p></cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="for-deliverance">For deliverance</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We respond to the first series of petitions in the litany with, “Deliver me, Jesus.” We ask Him to guide us out of places of sin, distrust, and fear and to lead us instead to a place of love and trust. The first petition is,&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“<em>From the desire of being esteemed,&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Deliver me, Jesus.”&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We ask Him to lead us not further down the paths we create for ourselves but to trust in His plan for our day, week, and life.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We pray this litany to be delivered from the desires, such as being honored, praised, and preferred to others, that hold us back and imprison us. We ask to be humbled so that we can experience true freedom with Jesus.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="" id="for-grace">For grace</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After asking for deliverance, we also ask for grace from Jesus, especially in areas where we place our self-esteem above the love of God and our neighbors. When we say read these petitions, we respond with, </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.” </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Read this response carefully; we are not simply asking for Jesus to plant the desire for love in our hearts, but for the grace to desire such. We acknowledge that we might not have those desires we seek yet, and that is okay.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We pray this litany to open our hearts to Jesus.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As Thomas Merton said, “Grace is not a strange, magic substance which is subtly filtered into our souls to act as a kind of spiritual penicillin. Grace is unity, oneness within ourselves, oneness with God.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As we turn again and again to this Litany of Humility, may we continue to ask for grace from Jesus in our struggles and challenges in loving God, loving others, and seeking to live humbly.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://hallow.app.link/LitanyofHumility">Stay Humble With Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">How to pray the Litany of Humility</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When practicing virtues and praying for them, it can be helpful to have a model to emulate. Likely, you can call to mind a kind and humble person you admire. It might be a friend, a family member, a teammate, a mentor, or a <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-with-saints/">Saint</a>. As we meditate on the words of this beautiful litany, think of that person as being here with you, praying alongside you.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:yoast/how-to-block {"hasDuration":true,"minutes":"5","steps":[{"id":"how-to-step-1661272573446","name":["Make the Sign of the Cross. "],"text":[{"type":"em","props":{"children":["In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the ",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/","children":["Holy Spirit"]}},". "]}}],"jsonName":"Make the Sign of the Cross. 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Amen. \u003c/em\u003e"}],"defaultDurationText":"Time needed:"} --> <div class="schema-how-to wp-block-yoast-how-to-block"><p class="schema-how-to-total-time"><span class="schema-how-to-duration-time-text">Time needed: </span>5 minutes. </p><p class="schema-how-to-description"></p> <ol class="schema-how-to-steps"><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661272573446"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Make the Sign of the Cross. </strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/">Holy Spirit</a>. </em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661272605792"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Call on Jesus to hear your petitions. </strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>O Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, Hear me.</em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661272619952"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Ask Jesus to deliver you from the desire for people to see you in a particular way or light. After each petition, respond with, <meta charset="utf-8"/><strong>“</strong>Deliver me, Jesus.<meta charset="utf-8"/><strong>”</strong></strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>From the desire of being esteemed, <br/>From the desire of being loved,<br/>From the desire of being extolled,<br/>From the desire of being honored,<br/>From the desire of being praised,<br/>From the desire of being preferred to others,<br/>From the desire of being consulted,<br/>From the desire of being approved,</em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661272687335"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name"><strong>Ask Jesus to deliver you from the fears that prevent you from living life with compassion for God, others, and yourself. After each petition, respond with “Deliver me, Jesus.”</strong></strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>From the fear of being humiliated,</em><br/><em>From the fear of being despised,</em><br/><em>From the fear of suffering rebukes,</em><br/><em>From the fear of being calumniated,</em><br/><em>From the fear of being forgotten,</em><br/><em>From the fear of being ridiculed,</em><br/><em>From the fear of being wronged,</em><br/><em>From the fear of being suspected,</em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661272720588"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name"><strong>Ask Jesus to guide you toward loving your neighbors before yourself. Respond with, “Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.”</strong></strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>That others may be loved more than I,</em><br/><em>That others may be esteemed more than I, </em><br/><em>That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, </em><br/><em>That others may be chosen and I set aside,</em><br/><em>That others may be praised and I unnoticed,</em><br/><em>That others may be preferred to me in everything,</em><br/><em>That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,</em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1661272739906"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Conclude with the Sign of the Cross. </strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. </em></p> </li></ol></div> <!-- /wp:yoast/how-to-block --> <!-- wp:columns --> <div class="wp-block-columns"><!-- wp:column {"width":"100%"} --> <div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:100%"></div> <!-- /wp:column --></div> <!-- /wp:columns --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="" id="related-prayers">Related Prayers&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-novenas/">How to Pray a Novena&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-strength/">Prayers for Strength</a></li><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-anxiety/">Prayers for Anxiety and Fear</a></li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We look forward to praying the Litany of Humility on Hallow with you. God bless!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => How to Pray the Litany of Humility [post_excerpt] => Pray this litany to ask for the grace to grow in the virtue of humility. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-the-litany-of-humility [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2022/02/06/ash-wednesday/ https://hallow.com/2021/04/06/how-to-pray-with-saints/ https://hallow.com/2020/05/01/how-to-pray-novenas/ https://hallow.com/2021/07/16/prayers-for-anxiety/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ [post_modified] => 2022-12-22 17:55:16 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-12-22 17:55:16 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=26225 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 25723 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2022-08-06 01:11:08 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-08-06 01:11:08 [post_content] => <!-- wp:video {"id":25885,"align":"center"} --> <figure class="wp-block-video aligncenter"><video controls src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/i_am_here-1080p-1.mp4"></video></figure> <!-- /wp:video --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>In partnership with the Archdiocese of Detroit and supported by the National Eucharistic Revival, we’re excited to bring you Eucharist Prayers and the <a href="https://www.iamhere.org/">I AM Here</a> campaign through this blog and exclusive <a href="http://hallow.com/i-am-here-meditations">free meditations on the Hallow app</a>. Be filled, be inspired, and come to Jesus through these prayers and adoration today.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Table of Contents</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"className":""} --> <ol class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#intro">Introduction</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#definition">What is the Eucharist?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#real-presence">The Real Presence</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#bible">The Eucharist in the Bible</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#understanding">Understanding the Eucharist</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#last-supper">The Last Supper</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#adoration">Adoration - Spending Time With Jesus</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#adoration-prayers">Prayers to Say During Adoration</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#before-communion">Prayers to Say Before Communion</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#after-communion">Prayers to Say After Communion</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#spiritual-communion">Spiritual Communion</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#transformational-power">Transformational Power of the Eucharist&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="" id="intro">At your first <em>Holy Communion</em>, you receive the <em>Eucharist</em> for the first time. The priest hands you the <em>host</em> and says the words, “The <em>Body of Christ</em>.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Holy Communion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eucharist.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/corpus-christi/">Body and Blood.</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The meaning of these words can be hard to wrap your mind around. Yet the Eucharist not only sits at the center of our faith but represents an integral component of our prayer lives.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="definition">What Is the Eucharist?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The word eucharist (pronounced YOO-kuh-rist) comes from the Greek word <em>eucharistia</em>, meaning thanksgiving. The Catholic Church describes the Eucharist as “<a href="https://www.usccb.org/eucharist">the source and summit of the Christian life</a>.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Pope Paul VI, in his 1965 <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_03091965_mysterium.html">encyclical Mysterium Fidei</a>, wrote:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">"<em>The Mystery of Faith, that is, the ineffable gift of the Eucharist that the Catholic Church received from Christ, her Spouse, as a pledge of His immense love, is something that she has always devoutly guarded as her most precious treasure</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In more practical terms, the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. In addition to being the source and summit of Christian life, it’s also the center of the Catholic Mass in the Liturgy of the Eucharist (which follows the Liturgy of the Word–readings, Gospel, homily and intercessions).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">"Communion" or "Holy Communion" are often used synonymously with "Eucharist." Holy Communion sometimes refers to the entire action of receiving the sacrament, while "Eucharist" is normally reserved for the <a href="https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/why-the-sacraments/">sacrament</a> itself. The USCCB itself <a href="https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/the-reception-of-holy-communion-at-mass">makes reference both to</a> receiving Communion and distributing Communion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In either case, it’s critical to grasp the concept of Real Presence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="real-presence">Real Presence - The Actual Body and Blood of Jesus</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the actual Body and Blood of Jesus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Not a symbol or a ritual to remind us of Jesus’s sacrifice. His genuine, true Body and Blood.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">How could that possibly be?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">During Mass, the priest consecrates bread and wine. The bread is usually round “hosts,” or wafers consisting of just flour and water. Liturgies must use wine from grapes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The prayers that a priest offers during consecration transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. This occurs by the power of the <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/">Holy Spirit</a> through a process called transubstantiation.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In transubstantiation, the substance of the bread and wine is transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. The accidents, or appearance, of the bread and wine retain their familiar hallmarks–the host still looks like host and not flesh; the wine still smells and tastes like wine.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But it is no longer bread and wine, despite its appearance.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button {"backgroundColor":"hallow-purple","textColor":"white"} --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-hallow-purple-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/eucharist-prayers">Try Hallow For Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="bible">The Eucharist in the Bible</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Where do we gain our understanding of the Eucharist?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">First and foremost, we learn about Jesus’s Body and Blood…from Jesus.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Matthew 26:17-30</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In John 6:53-57, Jesus further tells us that “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the Luke account of the road to Emmaus, the two men traveling recognize Jesus only when he breaks bread at the table.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Their eyes were opened,” Luke tells us. When we spend time with Jesus’s Body, the Blessed Sacrament, our eyes can be opened, too. That’s why the Eucharist is so important to our prayer life.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">And it comes directly from Jesus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="understanding">Understanding the Eucharist</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Jesus knew the mystery of His real presence in the Eucharist would be a hard teaching to accept; John’s Gospel reveals that this very teaching was the reason many stopped following him:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”</em> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>John 6:66-69</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Church invites us to respond with the same faith of Peter. Though it may be difficult to understand and believe, when we do, we realize what an incredible gift the Eucharist is.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="last-supper">The Eucharist and The Last Supper</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After Jesus washed His disciples’ feet (which we recognize during Holy Thursday), commissioning them to lives of servant leadership, He instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite><em>Luke 22:19-20</em></cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Mass itself traces its origins to the Last Supper. Priests speak these words from Jesus every Sunday as they consecrate the bread and wine, shortly before we are invited to receive Jesus.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After Mass, Jesus’s Body, as consecrated hosts of bread, may remain. Jesus’s Body stays in the tabernacle where it can be used for Adoration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="adoration">Adoration–Spending Time in Prayer with the Blessed Sacrament.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In Matthew 28:20, Jesus tells us “I will be with you always.” This is certainly true in the Eucharist and one of the reasons why many Catholics pray in Adoration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The practice of Adoration <a href="http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/vs_eucharistador_oct05.asp">dates back to the early Church</a> but surged in popularity during the Middle Ages. It remains an important part of the prayer life of millions of Catholics.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The <a href="https://www.usccb.org/resources/7-703%20The%20Mystery%20of%20Eucharist,%20for%20RE-UPLOAD,%20JANUARY%202022.pdf">USCCB considers</a> adoration “the natural consequence of the Eucharistic celebration.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For Eucharistic Adoration, the Eucharist is sometimes displayed in a monstrance, a metal stand that resembles a sunburst that holds a consecrated host. Other times, it is kept in a ciborium (the dish from which hosts are distributed during Holy Communion) inside of a tabernacle. A candle signals the presence of Jesus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Either way, that concept is the same: Being physically present with Jesus, who is physically present with us in the Eucharist.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Churches that offer perpetual Adoration often have volunteers sign up for one-hour time slots so that someone is always present to adore&nbsp; Jesus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="adoration-prayers">Prayers to Say During Adoration</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There is no exact “right” prayer (or <em>way</em> to pray) during Adoration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbyMeNPddBs">Fr. Josh of Ascension Press explains</a> that Adoration is about imitating God:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“We want to imitate our Savior, Jesus Christ. Any time we spend time with people, we become more like the people we hang out with,” he said. “The more we spend time with Jesus, the more we’re going to be like Jesus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Consider that as a starting point: Merely being with Christ in the Eucharist helps us draw closer to Him, regardless of the prayers we offer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Still, Adoration can be a powerful opportunity for transformative prayer. Adoration can involve any of the following prayers or meditations:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-holy-hour/">Holy Hour</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">Praying the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/">Lectio Divina</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You can also say this prayer, courtesy of the <a href="https://www.archstl.org/Portals/0/Documents/Worship/Eucharistic%20Adoration/adoration_large_prayer_card.pdf">Archdiocese of St. Louis</a>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>My Lord Jesus Christ, it is Your great love for us that keeps You day and night present in the Blessed Sacrament, full of compassion and love, waiting for us to visit You. I believe that You are really present in the Sacrament of the Altar. From the depth of my heart, I adore You and I thank You for the many graces You have given me. especially for the gift of Yourself in this Sacrament, for the gift of Your most holy Mother as my Mother and for the privilege of visiting You in this church at this time. My Jesus, I love You with all my heart. I am sorry for my ingratitude and I now resolve, with the help of Your grace, never to offend You again. I consecrate my entire self to You, my thoughts, my feelings, and all that I have. From now on, do whatever You want with me. All I ask for is Your love and strength to do Your Holy Will.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button {"backgroundColor":"hallow-purple","textColor":"white"} --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-hallow-purple-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/eucharist-prayers">Try the Hallow App for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="before-communion">Prayers to Say Before Receiving Holy Communion</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We most commonly encounter the Eucharist during Mass. There are some prayers built into the structure of the liturgy to help us prepare to receive Holy Communion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Shortly before we are called to receive the Eucharist, we recite the following prayer, inspired by the words of the centurion in Matthew’s Gospel: “Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The previous English translation, which was revised in 2010, began with the phrase “Lord, I am not worthy to receive You…”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Both convey the same meaning: a small act of confession and humility to cleanse our souls and prepare us to intimately experience Christ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When you approach the priest or lay person distributing Holy Communion (known as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion), showing a sign of reverence is appropriate such as a bow or kneeling.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You may also say any number of simple prayers. These should be short and easy to remember since you’ll be standing or walking to receive the Eucharist (and probably not able to read prayers):&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Consider trying any of the following:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>"I love You, Lord. May the Eucharist transform me."</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“Thank You for the sacrifice You made. I love You with all my heart.”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“I’m truly sorry for all my sins. Please fill me with Your grace.”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="after-communion">Prayers to Say After Receiving Holy Communion</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Roman Missal <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html">gives broad guidelines</a> for post-Communion prayer, saying that those who have received the Eucharist can “praise and pray to God in their hearts.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">All prayers in the moments following Communion are said silently. Similar to prayers offered before receiving Communion, prayers afterward can be short and free-flowing. Some examples of simple Communion prayers to say after receiving are:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“Thank you, Lord, for this most precious gift."</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“I’m eternally grateful for your sacrifice. Strengthen me to do Your will.”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“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 your wounds hide me; separated from you, let me never be; From the evil one protect me; At the hour of my death, call me; And close to you bid me; That with your saints, I may be praising you forever and ever. Amen.” (Anima Christi - St. Ignatius of Loyola)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The time after Communion can be a dialogue with God, and you may find yourself doing less talking and more listening.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">These incredibly intimate moments with our Lord don’t require strict prayers and structures. Be with God. Feel His presence. Listen to God’s call.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The power of the Eucharist can overcome any inability we have to offer the exact right prayer!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>MORE: </strong><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/why-i-pray-in-adoration/">Why I Pray in Adoration</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="spiritual-communion">Spiritual Communion</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you’re unable to receive the Eucharist, you can consider praying the Act of Spiritual Communion:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">My Jesus,<br>I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.<br>I love You above all things,<br>and I desire to receive You into my soul.<br>Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,<br>come at least spiritually into my heart.<br>I embrace You as if You were already there<br>and unite myself wholly to You.<br>Never permit me to be separated from You.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="transformational-power">Transformational Power of the Eucharist&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Encountering Christ in the Eucharist truly can be a transformational experience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow is teaming up with the Archdiocese of Detroit to launch the <a href="https://hallow.com/iamhere">I AM HERE</a> campaign, which aims to inspire people to spend time with Christ in Adoration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The I AM HERE <a href="https://www.iamhere.org/">website</a> will feature inspirational stories from those whose lives have been transformed by spending time with Christ in the Eucharist. The campaign is in support of the <a href="https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/">National Eucharistic Revival</a> happening throughout the Church.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Within Hallow, Julianne Stanz and Bishop Andrew Cozzens will lead meditations and prayers to guide you through Eucharistic Adoration, helping you encounter Jesus in a deeper and more meaningful way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Want to bring the I AM Here campaign to your dioceses or Parish? Fill out the form <a href="https://hallow.com/i-am-here-parish-kit/">here</a>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":25967,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/I-am-Here-Site-banner-1536x864-1-1024x576.png" alt="IAM Here Campaign Banner" class="wp-image-25967"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>More Prayers</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-st-jude-novena/">St. Jude Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-strength/">Prayers for Strength</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-54-day-novena/">54-Day Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father-in-aramaic/">How to Pray the Our Father in Aramaic </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => The Eucharist: Catholic Guide to Adoration and Holy Communion Prayers [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => eucharist-holy-communion-adoration-prayer [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2020/09/24/how-to-pray-holy-hour/ https://hallow.com/2019/03/15/why-i-pray-in-adoration/ https://hallow.com/2021/10/15/how-to-pray-st-jude-novena/ https://hallow.com/2020/08/23/how-to-pray-54-day-novena/ https://hallow.com/2021/02/16/how-to-pray-our-father-in-aramaic/ https://hallow.com/2020/01/09/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/ [post_modified] => 2023-06-05 15:31:06 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-06-05 15:31:06 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=25723 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 25153 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2022-06-07 01:32:08 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-06-07 01:32:08 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"className":""} --> <ol class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#intro">Introduction</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#sharing-weakness">Sharing with others in our weakness</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#through-others">God strengthens us through others</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#daily-strength">Prayers for strength for the day</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#difficult-times">Prayers for strength during a difficult time</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#for-a-friend">Prayers for strength for a friend</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#family-prayer">Family prayer for strength&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#bible-verses">Bible verses for strength</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#more-prayers">More prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="" id="intro">It can be easy to feel close to God in our best moments–when things go well, when we have occasions to celebrate or feel connected to people around us who uplift us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In our challenging moments–when we are lonely, sick, overwhelmed or scared–we might feel distanced from God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">God makes it clear to us that in these moments when we feel weak, or whatever reason, God can be our source of strength, gently guiding us toward peace.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In Psalm 50:15, God tells us, “Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In our worst moments of weakness, God is ready to be by our side. His presence–and the strength He offers–may take a form you don’t expect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="sharing-weakness">We Can’t Endure Our Weakness Alone</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Weakness is a universal human experience since original sin. But in our weakness, we’re reminded of our reliance on God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In a June 2015 morning meditation, Pope Francis reminded us of this–and the importance of recognizing our weakness.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“One who thinks he is strong, who thinks he can do it on his own, is at least naïve and, in the end, is a man defeated by so many weaknesses which he carries within himself,” <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/cotidie/2015/documents/papa-francesco-cotidie_20150618_the-strength-in-our-weakness.html">he said</a>, “Weakness leads us to ask the Lord for help.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/qRgHnqBdFqb">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="through-others">God’s Strength Working Through Others</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A famous <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/parables-of-jesus/">Christian parable</a> known as The Drowning Man (or Man on the Roof) tells the story of a man who repeatedly ignores rescuers offering him help because he believes God will help him. Ultimately, he dies and asks God why He never came to help Him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As the parable (and popular homily joke) goes, God replies, “I sent two boats and a helicopter to rescue you. What more did you want?”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s a simple reminder that God is at work in the world around us through the <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/">Holy Spirit</a>. When we pray to God for strength, we ought to open our eyes to the support He helps procure for us: trusted medical professionals, licensed therapists, support groups and other organizations to lift us up when during moments of need.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While God is at work through those around us, prayer is not a standalone solution for severe mental or physical illness, which is why it’s important to reach out to professionals in your area who are equipped to address these issues.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Of course, the Church believes in true <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/your-story-on-hallow/">miracles</a>, which has been Hallow’s focus during the Easter season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="daily-strength">Prayers for Strength for the Day</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Beginning each day in prayer is an excellent habit for our faith lives, and this can include asking God for strength for the upcoming day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Here’s a simple, one-line prayer given to us by Pope Francis that you can pray to ask God for strength each day. You can pray it any time on its own or before other prayers or meditations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“Lord, I know that in my weakness, I can do nothing without Your help.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The following is another short prayer for strength to begin each day:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“As I begin my day, I turn to You, Lord, and ask for strength. Be my rock whenever the day shakes me. Guide me through the day as I navigate choppy waters that might come my way. Empower me to speak up when I need to, even if my voice shakes. Help me to feel tall in situations that make me small. Be the light that empowers me in darkness. Most of all, help me feel Your loving embrace this day and all days. Amen.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="difficult-times">Prayers for Strength during a Difficult Time&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">One of the best prayers for strength during challenging times comes to us from one of the great Church Fathers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://hallow.com/saints/augustine-of-hippo/">St. Augustine of Hippo</a>, in <em>Confessions</em>, gave us a prayer for strength that has withstood the test of time and is as meaningful today as it was more than 1500 years ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This prayer reminds us that we are always God’s children, whom God loves and protects, and that challenging moments are fleeting compared to the promise of eternal salvation in heaven.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>O Lord our God, grant us to trust in your overshadowing wings. Protect us beneath them and bear us up. You will carry us as little children, even to our grey-headed age you will carry us still. When you are our strong security, that is strength indeed. But when our security is in ourselves, that is but weakness. Our good abides ever in your keeping, but in diverting our steps from you we have grown perverse. Let us turn back to you at last, Lord, that we be not overturned. Unspoiled, our good abides with you, for you are yourself our good. We need not fear to find no home again because we have fallen away from it; while we are absent our home falls not to ruins, for our home is your eternity.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite><em>St. Augustine, </em><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NilcEAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT83&amp;lpg=PT83&amp;dq=O+Lord+our+God,+grant+us+to+trust+in+your+overshadowing+wings.+Protect+us+beneath+them+and+bear+us+up.+You+will+carry+us+as+little+children,+even+to+our+grey-headed+age+you+will+carry+us+still.+When+you+are+our+strong+security,+that+is+strength+indeed.+But+when+our+security+is+in+ourselves,+that+is+but+weakness.+Our+good+abides+ever+in+your+keeping,+but+in+diverting+our+steps+from+you+we+have+grown+perverse.+Let+us+turn+back+to+you+at+last,+Lord,+that+we+be+not+overturned.+Unspoiled,+our+good+abides+with+you,+for+you+are+yourself+our+good.+We+need+not+fear+to+find+no+home+again+because+we+have+fallen+away+from+it;+while+we+are+absent+our+home+falls+not+to+ruins,+for+our+home+is+your+eternity.&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=QVuoburWBU&amp;sig=ACfU3U3gL1DJRvP3RrQA5yFzt4bwnL_wRA&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjU-uG1lJD4AhXimYQIHdrqDMAQ6AF6BAgeEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=O%20Lord%20our%20God%2C%20grant%20us%20to%20trust%20in%20your%20overshadowing%20wings.%20Protect%20us%20beneath%20them%20and%20bear%20us%20up.%20You%20will%20carry%20us%20as%20little%20children%2C%20even%20to%20our%20grey-headed%20age%20you%20will%20carry%20us%20still.%20When%20you%20are%20our%20strong%20security%2C%20that%20is%20strength%20indeed.%20But%20when%20our%20security%20is%20in%20ourselves%2C%20that%20is%20but%20weakness.%20Our%20good%20abides%20ever%20in%20your%20keeping%2C%20but%20in%20diverting%20our%20steps%20from%20you%20we%20have%20grown%20perverse.%20Let%20us%20turn%20back%20to%20you%20at%20last%2C%20Lord%2C%20that%20we%20be%20not%20overturned.%20Unspoiled%2C%20our%20good%20abides%20with%20you%2C%20for%20you%20are%20yourself%20our%20good.%20We%20need%20not%20fear%20to%20find%20no%20home%20again%20because%20we%20have%20fallen%20away%20from%20it%3B%20while%20we%20are%20absent%20our%20home%20falls%20not%20to%20ruins%2C%20for%20our%20home%20is%20your%20eternity.&amp;f=false"><em>Confessions</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em></cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="for-a-friend">Prayers for Strength for a Friend</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We often turn to God when we see a friend struggling. We want to help–and we try to help. But sometimes, we struggle to know what to say or do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We can lift up to God those around us in need of strength, asking God to hold them in the palm of his loving hands when they’re most vulnerable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>God, at moments, I feel helpless, unsure of how I can best support my friend. I know You are all-powerful and all-knowledgeable, knowing our wants, needs and abilities even better than we understand them ourselves. I ask that in Your mercy, You strengthen and protect my friend in their moment of need and strengthen me in support of them. Help them to know peace. I ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We know, O Lord, that You call us to build Your kingdom here on earth through love and care of those around us who are most vulnerable and most in need. Today, I lift up my friend, who is weary, suffering and in need of strength. Give them the power to live today in courage and hope. Bolster them with Your loving presence. Help them to know that they are loved: by You, by me and by many others. Be with them today, tomorrow and all days. Thank You, Lord. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="family-prayer">Family Prayer for Strength</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our struggles are often shared. What affects one family member usually affects many. It can be difficult to feel fully at peace when one family member is dealing with difficult times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When your family collectively needs the strength and support that only God offers, consider the following prayer given to us by Pope Francis in <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf">AMORIS LÆTITIA</a>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Jesus, Mary and Joseph,</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>in you we contemplate</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>the splendour of true love; to you we turn with trust.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Holy Family of Nazareth,</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>grant that our families too</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>and small domestic churches.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Holy Family of Nazareth,</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>may families never again experience violence, rejection and division;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Holy Family of Nazareth,</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>make us once more mindful</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Graciously hear our prayer.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Amen.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="bible-verses">Bible Verses for Strength&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When we pray to God for strength–or anything else–our words need not be perfect. In fact, our words don’t even need to be our words at all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Bible provides us with plenty of prayers and words of inspiration that we can lean on in our prayer life.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Rely on these verses of Scripture when you're in need of strength.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Philippians 4:12-13</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Do you not know?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Have you not heard?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Lord is God from of old,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;creator of the ends of the earth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">He does not faint or grow weary,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">He gives power to the faint,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;abundant strength to the weak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Though young men faint and grow weary,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and youths stagger and fall,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;they will soar on eagles’ wings;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">They will run and not grow weary,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;walk and not grow faint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Make me understand the way of your precepts;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I will ponder your wondrous deeds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">My soul is depressed;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;lift me up according to your word.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lead me from the way of deceit;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;favor me with your law.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite> Isaiah 40:28-31 </cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and summoned from its far-off places,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">To whom I have said, You are my servant;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I chose you, I have not rejected you—</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Do not fear: I am with you;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;do not be anxious: I am your God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I will strengthen you, I will help you,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Yes, all shall be put to shame and disgrace</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;who vent their anger against you;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Those shall be as nothing and perish</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;who offer resistance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You shall seek but not find</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;those who strive against you;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">They shall be as nothing at all</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;who do battle with you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For I am the Lord, your God,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;who grasp your right hand;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It is I who say to you, Do not fear,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I will help you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Isaiah 41:9-13&nbsp;</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/qRgHnqBdFqb">Try Praying with the Hallow App</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="more-prayers"><strong>More Prayers</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/how-to-pray/">How to Pray</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-litany-of-trust/">How to Pray the Litany of Trust</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/2021/07/16/prayers-for-anxiety">Prayers for Anxiety</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-happiness-and-joy/">Prayers for Happiness and Joy</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-sleep/">Prayers for Sleep</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-healing/">Prayers for Healing</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/02/prayers-for-hope/">Prayers for Hope</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Prayers for Strength: Catholic Prayers and Blessings for Strength in Difficult Times [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => prayers-for-strength [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2021/07/16/prayers-for-anxiety https://hallow.com/2021/08/10/prayers-for-healing/ https://hallow.com/2021/09/19/prayers-for-sleep/ [post_modified] => 2023-07-19 20:32:38 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-07-19 20:32:38 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=25153 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )