Monday, August 29, 2011

100 Catholic Ways to Pray

This post is a collection of different kinds of prayer, ways to pray, devotions, sacramentals, etc.  It is by no means an exhaustive list, nor is the numbering in any way more than a simple way of listing them.  You will probably find most of the list familiar, but I have tried to give a link to all of them in order to explain the content, method, or kind of prayer in some way.  I recommend your feedback or additions to the list.  I hope you will find this helpful.
  1. Mass
  2. Baptism
  3. Confession / Reconciliation / Penance
  4. Confirmation
  5. Matrimony
  6. Anointing of the Sick
  7. Ordination
  8. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
  9. The Holy Rosary
  10. Sign of the Cross
  11. Liturgy of the Hours
  12. Our Father (The Lord's Prayer)
  13. Hail Mary
  14. Glory Be
  15. The Apostle's Creed
  16. The Nicene Creed
  17. The Angelus
  18. Guardian Angel Prayer
  19. St. Michael The Archangel Prayer
  20. Lectio Divina
  21. Meal Blessing (Grace)
  22. Divine Mercy Chaplet
  23. Bible study
  24. The Beatitudes
  25. Indulgences
  26. Novenas (There are many different ones)
  27. Litanies (There are many different ones)
  28. Act of Spiritual Communion
  29. Consecration to Mary (this is a sample of one way to do it)
  30. Blessings (There are many different ones)
  31. Hail Holy Queen
  32. Fatima Prayer (for the Rosary)
  33. Fatima Prayer (for reparation)
  34. Examination of Conscience (There are many different ones)
  35. Fasting
  36. Act of Contrition (There are several different ones)
  37. Act of Faith (There are several different ones)
  38. Act of Hope (There are several different ones)
  39. Act of Love (There are several different ones)
  40. Prayer of Abandonment (There are several different ones)
  41. Prayer for a Happy Death (There are several different ones)
  42. Morning Offering (There are many different ones)
  43. The Divine Praises
  44. Blessing and Adoration to God
  45. Meditation
  46. Vocal Prayer
  47. Petition
  48. Intercession
  49. Thanksgiving
  50. Praise
  51. Contemplation
  52. Repentance
  53. Regina Coeli
  54. Memorare
  55. Singing hymns
  56. Chant
  57. Praise and Worship
  58. Lorica of St. Patrick
  59. Prayer for Travelers
  60. Anima Christi
  61. Renewal of Baptismal Promises
  62. Prayer for Vocations (There are many different ones)
  63. Prayer After Mass (There are many different ones)
  64. Prayer Before Mass (There are many different ones)
  65. Offering Suffering for Others / "Offering it up" (There are many different ones)
  66. Prayers for Souls in Purgatory (There are many different ones)
  67. Prayer to the Holy Spirit (There are many different ones)
  68. Come, Holy Spirit
  69. Prayers of the Saints (There are millions of different ones)
  70. Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
  71. Holy reading / Spiritual reading
  72. St. Alphonsus method of mental prayer
  73. St. Theresa of Avila’s method of mental prayer
  74. Canticle of Zechariah
  75. Canticle of Simeon
  76. Prayer before Confession (There are several different ones)
  77. Blessing of a house
  78. Praying with the Psalms
  79. Devotion of the Scapular (There are different kinds of scapular devotions)
  80. Prayer as a couple (There are many different ones)
  81. Family prayer (There are many different ones)
  82. Spiritual Bouquets 
  83. Spiritual journaling
  84. Sacred Heart devotion
  85. Confiteor
  86. Benediction
  87. Devotion to the Miraculous Medal
  88. Praying with Holy cards
  89. Agnus Dei
  90. Prayer before a crucifix (There are many different ones)
  91. Votive Offerings - Prayer while lighting a candle
  92. The Holy Face
  93. Devotion to the Child Jesus
  94. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
  95. Praying with Icons
  96. Pilgrimages
  97. Charismatic prayer (speaking in tongues, slain in the Spirit, etc.)
  98. Prayer for peace (There are many different ones)
  99. Prayer for healing (There are many different ones)
  100. Prayer for the unborn (There are many different ones)
Please add your own in the comments.

Below are a few sites that have tons of prayers:
-EWTN devotionals.
-Catholic.org
-Catholic Doors
-Awaken To Prayer

9 comments:

  1. I just read Dr. Moynihan's description a performance of Russian Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion's "A Song of Ascent." It brings to mind the Psalter and veneration of icons.

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  2. Prayer walking. I find it hard to stay still when I pray. So I tend to slip off my shoes and pad about if I won't disturb anyone else. (if in a sanctuary). I also love to pray while on a walk or hike.

    It's very Dominican.

    Check out the wonderful 13th century manuscript: The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic
    http://www.domcentral.org/places/stjude/NineWays.html

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  3. When we perform the duties of our state in life throughout the day we are effectively praying.

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  4. Prayer for All Souls

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  5. Mostly you have described the ways "Roman Catholics" pray, leaving little room for the many millions of other Catholics in communion with Rome and their many ways of prayer. I'm speaking here of Greek (Byzantine) Catholics, Syriac Catholics, Maronites, Malankara, etc.

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  6. So, Mike, fill everyone else in.

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  7. Anonymous7:12 AM

    I'm fairly certain Eastern Catholics pray most of the first 20 on this list since the Orthodox do and it gets sparser after that.

    I'm not quite sure how scripture reading (as opposed to Lectio Divina) is a prayer...I'd call it more a devotion. But if this is on the list, then reading the Church Fathers is also a common form of devotion, as is the Jesus Prayer, reading the writings of saints.

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  8. Charismatic prayer - yes, sure! But being "slain in the spirit" I find rather suspect and it doesn´t seem to qualify as prayer anyway.

    Shalom
    Hermann

    ReplyDelete