Do you want to start your day with God and grow closer to Him? Do you want to experience His grace and guidance throughout your day? Do you want to deepen your faith and trust in Him?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Catholic morning prayer is for you.
Catholic morning prayer is a simple and powerful way to connect with God and prepare yourself for the day ahead. It can help you to thank God for His blessings, ask Him for His help, praise Him for His glory, and offer Him your life.
By praying in the morning, you can align your will with God’s will and invite Him to work in your life. You can also receive His peace and joy, which will fill your heart and overflow to others.
The Bible encourages us to pray in the morning, as we see in many examples of God’s faithful servants. For instance, Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” And Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
If you want to follow the example of Jesus and the psalmist, and grow in faith, and strengthen your relationship with Christ, then here are 15 powerful Catholic morning prayers that you can use.
15 Powerful Catholic Morning Prayers
1. The Morning Offering
This prayer is a classic Catholic morning prayer that helps us to offer our whole day to God and unite ourselves with His will. It also helps us to join our prayers and sacrifices with those of the Church.
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.
2. The Prayer of St. Francis
This prayer is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, who is known for his love of God and creation. It helps us to ask God to make us instruments of His peace and love in the world.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
3. The Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola
This prayer is composed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, who is the founder of the Jesuits. It helps us to surrender ourselves to God and seek His greater glory in all things.
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me. Amen.
4. The Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila
This prayer is written by St. Teresa of Avila, who is a Doctor of the Church and a mystic. It helps us to trust in God’s providence and care for us.
Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices. Amen.
5. The Prayer of St. Benedict
This prayer is based on the motto of St. Benedict, who is the father of Western monasticism. It helps us to seek God’s blessing and protection from evil.
O Lord God Almighty, bless me by Your grace, that I may always fear You and keep Your commandments with all my heart. May I love You above all things and seek You in all things. May I always prefer nothing to Your love and nothing be too hard for me to do or suffer for Your sake. May I always praise You and give You thanks for all Your benefits and never cease from doing good. May I always serve You faithfully and persevere until the end. May I always flee from evil and resist temptation by the power of Your Holy Spirit. May I always trust in You and hope in You and never despair of Your mercy. May I always adore You and worship You and never offend You by my sins. May I always glorify You and honor You and never forget You in my prayers. Amen.
6. The Prayer of St. Augustine
This prayer is taken from the Confessions of St. Augustine, who is a Doctor of the Church and a convert. It helps us to express our desire for God and our need for His grace.
You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Your power, and Your wisdom is infinite. And You would call me to Yourself, and I would praise You, but I am a little one, and do not know how to praise You. You made me for Yourself, and my heart is restless until it rests in You. Grant me, O Lord, to know and understand whether it is better to call upon You or to praise You; whether it is better to know You or to love You. Teach me, O Lord, to seek You, and reveal Yourself to me when I seek You; for I cannot seek You unless You teach me, nor find You unless You reveal Yourself to me. Let me seek You in longing, let me long for You in seeking; let me find You in love, and love You in finding. Amen.
7. The Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
This prayer is composed by St. Thomas Aquinas, who is a Doctor of the Church and a philosopher. It helps us to ask God for His wisdom and guidance in our studies and work.
O Creator of the universe, who has set the stars in the heavens and causes the sun to rise and set, shed the light of Your wisdom into the darkness of my mind. Fill my thoughts with the loving knowledge of You, that I may bring Your light to others. Just as You can make even babies speak Your truth, instruct my tongue and guide my pen to convey the wonderful glory of the Gospel. Make my intellect sharp, my memory clear, and my words eloquent, so that I may faithfully explain what I believe. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability of expressing myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion of my work. You who are true God and true Man, who live and reign, world without end. Amen.
8. The Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena
This prayer is attributed to St. Catherine of Siena, who is a Doctor of the Church and a reformer. It helps us to ask God for His fire and love in our hearts.
O eternal God, You are the light of the intellects and the fire of the affections of those who truly love you. Give me, O Lord, a mind that knows you, a heart that loves you, a tongue that praises you, a life that glorifies you. You are my hope, my peace, my joy, my salvation, my all. Let nothing ever separate me from you, but let everything that happens to me bring me closer to you. Amen.
9. The Prayer of St. Therese of Lisieux
This prayer is written by St. Therese of Lisieux, who is a Doctor of the Church and a saint of the Little Way. It helps us to offer our day as a sacrifice of love to God.
O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love. O my God! I ask Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all Eternity. Amen.
10. The Prayer of St. Pio of Pietrelcina
This prayer is composed by St. Pio of Pietrelcina, who is a modern saint and a stigmatist. It helps us to ask God for His mercy and forgiveness for our sins.
O Lord Jesus Christ, You have given us Your Mother Mary to be our refuge and our strength; we humbly beseech You through her intercession, grant us pardon for our sins, and deliver us from all dangers that threaten us. You have given us Your Precious Blood to be our salvation and our life; we humbly implore You through its merits, grant us grace to live according to Your will and die in your love and peace. Amen.
11. The Prayer of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
This prayer is written by St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, who is a Doctor of the Church and a martyr. It helps us to ask God for His grace and strength to follow Him faithfully.
O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me, and I shall meet it with peace. Amen.
12. The Prayer of St. John Paul II
This prayer is composed by St. John Paul II, who is a modern saint and a pope. It helps us to ask God for His mercy and love for ourselves and the world.
O God, You are rich in mercy and from generation to generation You reveal Your love for mankind. We thank You for the gift of life and for Your constant presence and care. We entrust ourselves to You and to Your infinite mercy. Forgive our sins and heal our wounds. Renew our hearts and fill them with Your love. Grant us the grace to live according to Your will and to share in Your mission of salvation. Bless our families, our communities, our Church, and the whole world with Your peace and joy. O God, You are our Father, and we are Your children. We praise You and we thank You for Your great mercy and love. Amen.
13. The Prayer of St. Faustina Kowalska
This prayer is written by St. Faustina Kowalska, who is a modern saint and a visionary of Divine Mercy. It helps us to ask God for His mercy and trust in His promises.
O Lord Jesus Christ, You have promised that You will never abandon us, that You will always be with us, that You will hear our prayers and grant us what we ask for according to Your will. We trust in You, O Lord, and we place all our hope in You. You are our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend, our Brother, our Spouse, our All. You are the King of Mercy, the Fountain of Life, the Source of Happiness. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are the Lord of lords and the God of gods. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the One who is, who was, and who is to come. You are the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. You are the Bread of Life who gives life to the world. You are the Light of the World who enlightens the world. You are the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. You are the Resurrection and the Life who raises us up from death to life. You are the Divine Mercy who loves us with an everlasting love. O Lord Jesus Christ, we adore You, we worship You, we love You, we thank You, we praise You, we glorify You, we bless You, we honor You, we serve You, we belong to You, we surrender to You, we trust in You, we hope in You, we live in You, we die in You, we rise with You, we reign with You, forever and ever. Amen.
14. The Prayer of St. Josemaria Escriva
This prayer is composed by St. Josemaria Escriva, who is a modern saint and a founder of Opus Dei. It helps us to ask God for His grace and help to sanctify our daily work.
O Lord Jesus Christ, You have taught us that work is not only a duty but also a means of holiness and apostolate. Help me to work with diligence and competence, with order and cheerfulness, with justice and charity, with humility and patience, with generosity and perseverance. Help me to sanctify my work by offering it to You as a sacrifice of praise and by doing it for love of You and for the good of my brothers and sisters. Help me to see Your face in everyone I meet and to serve them as I would serve You. Help me to transform my work into prayer by uniting it with Yours on the Cross and by making it an expression of my faith, hope, and love. O Lord Jesus Christ, You are my Master, my Model, my Friend; be also my Companion in my work and grant me Your grace and help to fulfill Your holy will in everything I do. Amen.
15. The Prayer of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
This prayer is written by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who is a modern saint and a founder of the Missionaries of Charity. It helps us to ask God for His love and compassion for the poorest of the poor.
O Lord Jesus Christ, You have taught us that whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do it to You. Help me to see You in the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the lonely, the dying. Help me to love You in them and to serve You in them with joy and generosity. Help me to be Your hands, Your feet, Your heart, Your voice, Your smile, Your presence in this world of suffering and need. Help me to share Your love and mercy with everyone I meet and to bring them Your peace and hope. O Lord Jesus Christ, You are my Lord, my Savior, my Brother; be also my Love in my work and grant me Your grace and compassion to be a faithful witness of Your Gospel and a living sign of Your presence in this world of darkness and despair. Amen.
Tips for Using the Prayers Effectively
Here are some tips for using these Catholic morning prayers effectively:
- Pray together as a family. Praying together as a family can strengthen your bonds and help you to grow in faith together. You can choose one or more of these prayers to pray together every morning, or you can take turns choosing a prayer each day. You can also add your own intentions and thanksgivings to the prayers.
- Pray in private. Praying in private can help you to deepen your personal relationship with God and to listen to His voice in your heart. You can pray these prayers in your room, in your car, in your office, or anywhere you can find some quiet time with God. You can also meditate on the words of the prayers and apply them to your life.
- Journal your prayers. Journaling your prayers can help you to express your thoughts and feelings to God and to keep track of His answers and blessings. You can write down these prayers in your journal, or you can write your own prayers inspired by them. You can also write down what God is saying to you through these prayers and how He is working in your life.
Conclusion
Catholic morning prayer is a powerful way to start your day with God and grow closer to Him. It can help you to grow in faith and strengthen your relationship with Christ. By praying these 15 powerful Catholic morning prayers, you can thank God for His blessings, ask Him for His help, praise Him for His glory, and offer Him your life.
Why not start praying these Catholic morning prayers today? You will be amazed at how much God can do in you and through you when you give Him the first place in your day.
May God bless you and keep you always in His love and mercy. Amen.
