Prayer in the Catholic Church

The Angelus by Jean-François Millet, 1857-1859

Prayer can be dinstinguished into vocal and mental. Vocal prayer is that which is made by using some approved form of words, read, sung or recited; such as the sign of the cross, the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office), the Angelus, grace before and after meals, etc. Mental prayer is that which is made without employing either words or formulas of any kind. Catholics are exhorted to beware of underrating the usefulness or necessity of vocal prayer. Common vocal prayers include the Lord's Prayer (Our Father, Pater Noster), the Hail Mary (Ave Maria, Angelical salutation), the Glory Be (Gloria Patri, Minor Doxology), and the Apostles' Creed (Symbolum Apostolorum).

Catholics consider vocal prayer an essential element of the Christian life. Vocal prayer can be as simple and uplifting as "Thank you, God, for this beautiful morning", or as formal as a Mass celebrating a very special occasion.[7]

When two or more people gather together to pray, their prayer is called communal prayer. Examples of communal prayer are the rosary, devotional prayers including novenas and litanies, classroom prayers, and, most importantly, the Holy Mass.[7]

Ambrose introduced in Milan antiphonal singing of the psalms "after the manner of the East".[8]

Mental prayer was defined by John A. Hardon in his Modern Catholic Dictionary as a form of prayer in which the sentiments expressed are one's own and not those of another person. Mental prayer is a form of prayer whereby one loves God through dialogue with him, meditating on his words, and contemplating him.[9] It is a time of silence focused on God and one's relationship with him. It is distinguished from vocal prayers which use set prayers, although mental prayer can proceed by using vocal prayers in order to improve dialogue with God.[10] Mental prayer can be divided into meditation, or active mental prayer; and contemplation, passive mental prayer.[11]

Teresa of Avila

Meditation is a form of reflective prayer which engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. There are as many methods of meditation as there are spiritual masters.[12] Ordinary or active mental prayer consists of two operations; one belongs to the thinking faculty which applies the imagination, memory, and understanding to consider some truth or mystery. The other operation is dependent on the will and compels one to love, desire, and ask for the good proposed by the mind, and make resolutions to arrive at it. According to Teresa of Ávila, the soul in this stage is like a gardener, who, with much labour, draws the water up from the depths of the well to water his plants and flowers.[13]

Contemplative prayer is a silent attentiveness which looks at God by contemplating and adoring his attributes. Teresa describes contemplative prayer [oración mental] as "...nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us". In this inner prayer we can still meditate, but our attention is fixed on the Lord himself.[14] Contemplation, like all prayer, is a pure gift, and not anything one can achieve.[15]

Adoration is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before God. Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory, quite beyond what he does, but simply because he is.[16]

In its widest applications the word "blessing" has a variety of meanings in sacred writings. It can be taken in a sense that is synonymous with praise; thus the Psalmist, "I will bless the Lord at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth."[17][18] The prayer of blessing expresses praise and honour to God and is man's response to God's gifts.

Repentance is sincere regret or remorse for sin,[19] resolution to avoid sin in the future,[20] and conversion of the heart toward God,[21] with hope in his mercy[22] and trust in the help of his grace.[23][24] Contrition, similarly, is a sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again.[25] The Catholic Church further provides the sacrament of penance, by which members may receive forgiveness of their sins by Jesus Christ through his ordained priests, according to the words of Jesus Christ to his apostles, "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."[26]

Thankfulness is thanking God for what he has given and done.[27]

Catholics reciting the Lord's Prayer in Mexico

A prayer of petition is a request to God that asks him to fulfill a need.[28] By prayer of petition, Catholics acknowledge their dependence on God. This expression is not intended to instruct or direct God what to do, but to appeal to his goodness for the things we need; and the appeal is necessary, not because he is ignorant of one's needs or sentiments, but to give definite form to one's desires, to concentrate one's whole attention on what is being recommended to him, to help one appreciate our close personal relationship with him. The expression need not be external or vocal; internal or mental is sufficient.[6] The prayer of petition is at its heart an act of faith in that the one praying must believe first, in the existence of God; and second, that God is both willing and able to grant the petition. The Catechism states that asking forgiveness, coupled with trusting humility, should be the first movement of a prayer of petition (see Contrition/Repentance above). Jesus said to bring our every need to God in his name and assures that "whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you" (John 16:23). Through petition one can ask for God's help with every need no matter how great or small. According to the Catechism, Christ is glorified by what we ask the Father in his name.[29]

Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads one to pray as Jesus did. He is the one Great Intercessor with the Father on behalf of all people, especially sinners. As the Body of Christ, we are also called to intercede for each other[30] and encouraged to ask intercessory prayers of those members of the Body of Christ who have gone before us[31][32] and are in Heaven[33][34] as well as of the holy angels.[35][36] Mary, the Mother of Christ and our Mother[37] is especially looked to for intercessory prayers on our behalf because of her closeness with her Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, and our turning to her, to the saints, to the holy angels, and to each other, does not diminish, but enhances, the understanding that Christ remains above all the Head of the Body of Christ and the One, Great Intercessor before Our Father in Heaven.

A spiritual bouquet is a collection of prayers and spiritual actions given or offered up for a specific purpose.[43][44]