Catholic Prayers: Why do Catholics use statues, paintings, and light candles as part of their faith?
Do you light candles after you say your Catholic prayers? Whenever you go to mass, do you notice the religious statues and beautiful paintings that adorn the church? Have you ever wondered what these artifacts and traditions mean and what value they hold to our faith?
Why Bother Praying As A Family?
Your great-grandmother’s engagement ring, the “good” silver, holiday traditions, and the family’s blue-ribbon-winning apple pie recipe are just some of the things that may have been passed down for the last few generations in your family. You cherish these mementos and memories for the way they make you feel connected to your family. What about the gift of praying?
Don’t Pray Before Meals? Drop Your Fork and Bow Your Head
Can you recall the last time you ate and thought about how the food is helping to nourish your body and helping it to function properly? How about reflecting on the fact that for so many, food and clean drinking water is a luxury?
What’s a Novena?
The word novena comes from the Latin word, “novem,” which means nine. A novena is nine-day period of prayer (private or public) to “obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or to make special petitions” for yourself or for others. The practice of praying a novena goes back to the days of the Apostles when they along with the Virgin Mary, prayed for a period of nine days until the coming of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost). Why...
Admitting We Messed Up — The Act of Contrition
The Act of Contrition is that prayer that brings many of us back to our childhood— to that time when we were preparing to receive the Sacrament of Penance.
How To Pray the Rosary
The rosary is prayed by reflecting on the life of Christ from His birth to His resurrection. Download the guide for free.
Why Catholics Start Prayers with The Sign of The Cross
What does giving someone the thumbs up, the o.k. sign, and making the sign of the cross have in common? They’re all frequently used gestures that we perform countless times throughout our lifetime. Unlike the first two gestures, the sign of the cross is steeped with religious symbolism. When is the last time you made the sign of the cross and stopped to think about what you’re doing? Do you make the gesture consciously and piously? Do...
Selling Your Home With A Little Help From St. Joseph
When it comes to real estate it’s all about location, location, location—and St. Joseph! St. Joseph has been a successful ally for many Catholic homeowners trying to sell their homes. As the patron saint of families and a happy home, it has long been a tradition for Catholics to bury a small statue of St. Joseph somewhere in their yard and to recite a special prayer in the hopes that St. Joseph will intercede on their behalf for the...
Share Your Favorite Prayer With The World
Share a prayer with the world! Help spread the faith with a prayer you love in the comments. Pin...
Praise God Joyfully
Are you feeling weighed down, exhausted, uneasy with the world? Perhaps it’s time for a thorough examination of conscience. Admit your faults and praise God joyfully! Pin...
Do you forget to pray? A prayer altar is a visual reminder to pray
How many times have you watched an old movie or read a historical novel and told yourself, “I don’t know how they did it back then.” You can’t imagine living during a time where you had to wash and dry your clothes without the help of your energy-efficient washer and dryer, or prepare dinner minus your convection oven or multi-burner cooktop. Not too long ago, laundry day meant you had to wash clothes by hand, and feeding your family...
Mercy is Divine
How awesome is God’s mercy! Only a God of Love would extend mercy to sinners like us. Since the beginning of time, humans have ignored, disobeyed or turned cruelly against our Creator and Lord. Sometimes, these sins have happened right after God makes His presence known in a spectacular manner. Imagine being there when God parted the waters of the sea to offer your people a safe escape route, and yet a short while later, you are...
Lent is Almost Here — How will You Fast?
I was sure we were low on flour. And I don’t like going to the cupboard to bake something—which is usually at the last minute because Peter says, “I have to bring a snack to class tonight”—only to find there’s not enough flour for the recipe. So I brought home a ten-pound sack of high-quality pastry flour with my groceries. But when I went to pour it into the canister, low and behold, it was already full to the top. There was no room...
The Best Thanksgiving Stuffing Ever! Prayer
I suspect there are thousands of ways to stuff a turkey. I’ve been looking for a new recipe since my kids aren’t fond of the celery, onion & butter variety that my mother made throughout my childhood. At our house, we’ve tried stuffing with apples, walnuts, bacon and oatmeal. We’ve tried different spices and different juices. We’ve tried crunchy stuffing and moist stuffing. Just the thought of all those possibilities makes my...