Words to borrow when your own run out
The Church has been praying for two thousand years, and she keeps the good ones. Here are the traditional prayers — for the morning, the hour of mercy, the end of the day, and the moments when you cannot find any words at all.
Begin → The RosaryPrayer works best on a rhythm. These mark the morning, the noon, the three o’clock, and the night.
Said before the day has a chance to take you.
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians. Amen.
Prayed at six, noon, and six — wherever you are when the bell would have rung.
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary…
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary…
V. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary…
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Replaces the Angelus through the whole of Eastertide — because in Easter we do not kneel, we stand.
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. For he whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia,
Hath risen as he said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. R. For the Lord hath truly risen, alleluia.
Prayed on ordinary rosary beads, traditionally at three o’clock — the hour of the Cross.
Begin: Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed.
On each large bead: Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On each of the ten small beads: For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
After five decades, three times: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
The Church’s last words of the day, at Night Prayer.
Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace;
Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples:
A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. — Luke 2:29–32
For fear, for battle, for the times you are out of your depth.
Composed by Pope Leo XIII, once prayed at the end of every Low Mass.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
The first prayer many Catholics ever learn, and one of the last they forget.
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here; ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
A prayer for when you have run out of other prayers.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Call and response — the oldest shape of communal prayer.
Litanies are prayed as call and response — one voice, then many. Pray the right-hand line aloud.
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father,
have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful,
have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon thee,
have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,
have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
A prayer after Communion, beloved of St Ignatius.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within thy wounds hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from thee.
From the malignant enemy defend me. In the hour of my death call me, and bid me come to thee, that with thy saints I may praise thee for ever and ever. Amen.
Not a formula — a discipline of asking for nine days running.
A novena is simply nine consecutive days of prayer for one intention, echoing the nine days the apostles and Mary spent in the upper room between the Ascension and Pentecost (Acts 1:14).
Choose one prayer — a Chaplet, a Memorare, a litany, or your own words — and one intention. Pray it every day for nine days without skipping. The discipline is the point: it teaches perseverance, and it keeps you asking long enough to notice what you are really asking for.
All prayers here are traditional and in the public domain. Profess Your Faith is an independent lay project, not a parish or official Church body; for approved liturgical texts, consult your parish or a Catholic missal.
It is a short devotion prayed on ordinary rosary beads, offering the Father the Body and Blood of Christ in atonement for sin. It takes about seven minutes and is traditionally prayed at three o'clock, the hour of Christ's death on the cross.
The Angelus is traditionally prayed three times daily, at six in the morning, at noon, and at six in the evening, marking the Incarnation. During Eastertide it is replaced by the Regina Caeli, which is prayed standing rather than kneeling.
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer for a single intention. The pattern echoes the nine days the apostles and Mary spent in prayer between the Ascension and Pentecost. Any prayer may be used; the discipline of persistence is the essential part.
Yes. Every prayer on this page is a traditional text in the public domain, including the Chaplet, the Angelus, the Memorare, the St Michael prayer, and the Anima Christi. They may be freely copied, printed, and shared.
A litany is a prayer of call and response, in which one voice offers a series of invocations and the others answer with a repeated phrase such as “have mercy on us” or “pray for us.” It is among the oldest forms of communal Christian prayer.
No. Set prayers are offered as words to borrow, especially when your own run out. The Church encourages spontaneous prayer alongside traditional forms, and using a familiar text imperfectly is far better than not praying at all.
Two one-page guides you can print and keep beside you.
A short piece on prayer, a saint, or a question worth sitting with — sent once a week. No daily pestering, no selling, and your address is never passed on. Leave whenever you like.
Opens your email app with the message ready — just press send.
Open a ready-made prompt in your assistant of choice for a clear summary of how the Church answers these questions — with its Scriptural and historical basis.
Every answer on this page is drawn from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sacred Scripture, and the Church Fathers — and cited, so you can weigh it for yourself.