The Prayers on This Page
The Daily Anchors
Ancorae Quotidianae. The four prayers every Catholic knows by heart: the prayer Christ taught, the angel's greeting, the doxology of the Trinity, and the Church's oldest creed.
Pater Noster · The Our Father
The Lord's Prayer, taught by Christ himself (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4). Tertullian called it "truly the summary of the whole Gospel" (De Oratione 1, c. 200).
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Pater noster, qui es in cælis,
sanctificétur nomen tuum.
Advéniat regnum tuum.
Fiat volúntas tua,
sicut in cælo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie,
et dimítte nobis débita nostra,
sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris.
Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem,
sed líbera nos a malo.
Amen.
Ave Maria · The Hail Mary
The first half is pure Scripture: the greeting of the archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:28) joined to Elizabeth's cry (Luke 1:42). The petition "Holy Mary, Mother of God" grew in the later Middle Ages and was fixed in its present form by the sixteenth century.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Ave María, grátia plena,
Dóminus tecum.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus,
et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta María, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatóribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.
Amen.
Gloria Patri · The Glory Be
The lesser doxology, prayed since the early centuries of the Church, its Trinitarian form echoing the baptismal command of Matthew 28:19. It concludes every psalm in the Divine Office and every decade of the Rosary.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Glória Patri, et Fílio,
et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio,
et nunc, et semper,
et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Symbolum Apostolorum · The Apostles' Creed
The ancient baptismal creed of the Roman Church, grown from the Old Roman Symbol whose roots reach back to the second century. The legend that each of the twelve apostles contributed an article is pious tradition, but the faith it summarises is genuinely apostolic. It opens the Rosary and is professed at Baptism; how it differs from the Nicene Creed.
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father almighty;
from there He will come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipoténtem,
Creatórem cæli et terræ,
et in Iesum Christum,
Fílium Eius únicum, Dóminum nostrum,
qui concéptus est de Spíritu Sancto,
natus ex María Vírgine,
passus sub Póntio Piláto,
crucifíxus, mórtuus, et sepúltus,
descéndit ad ínferos,
tértia die resurréxit a mórtuis,
ascéndit ad cælos,
sedet ad déxteram Dei Patris omnipoténtis,
inde ventúrus est iudicáre
vivos et mórtuos.
Credo in Spíritum Sanctum,
sanctam Ecclésiam cathólicam,
sanctórum communiónem,
remissiónem peccatórum,
carnis resurrectiónem,
vitam ætérnam.
Amen.
The Guardian's Shield
Scutum Custodis. Two prayers of protection: one to the prince of the heavenly host, one to the angel God has set at your side.
Oratio ad Sanctum Michaëlem · Prayer to St Michael the Archangel
Composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 and prescribed to be prayed kneeling after Low Mass, a practice that continued throughout the Latin Church until the 1960s. Many parishes have since restored it.
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 the evil spirits
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Sancte Michaël Archángele,
defénde nos in prǽlio,
contra nequítiam et insídias
diáboli esto præsídium.
Ímperet illi Deus, súpplices deprecámur:
tuque, Princeps milítiæ cæléstis,
Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos,
qui ad perditiónem animárum
pervagántur in mundo,
divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde.
Amen.
Angele Dei · Prayer to the Guardian Angel
The traditional prayer to one's guardian angel, in continuous Catholic use since the Middle Ages and taught to children as one of their first prayers. It rests on Christ's own words: "their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father" (Matthew 18:10).
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.
Ángele Dei,
qui custos es mei,
me, tibi commíssum pietáte supérna,
illúmina, custódi,
rege et gubérna.
Amen.
The Hidden Altar
Altare Absconditum. For those who cannot reach a priest or the sacraments: the Church has always taught that grace is not out of reach for the soul that desires it.
Communio Spiritualis · Act of Spiritual Communion
The Council of Trent commended receiving Christ "by desire" when sacramental Communion is impossible (Session 13, 1551). This form of the act is commonly attributed to St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787).
My Jesus,
I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Iesu mi,
credo te in Sanctíssimo Sacraménto
præséntem esse.
Amo te super ómnia
et desídero te in ánimam meam veníre.
Cum nunc te sacramentáliter
recípere non possim,
veni saltem spirituáliter in cor meum.
Ampléctor te tamquam iam præséntem
et me totum tibi únio.
Ne permíttas me umquam a te separári.
Amen.
Actus Contritionis · Act of Contrition
The traditional form prayed in the confessional and before sleep. It expresses both imperfect contrition (sorrow for fear of just punishment) and perfect contrition (sorrow because sin offends God, who is all good), a distinction taught by the Council of Trent (Session 14, 1551).
O my God,
I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee,
and I detest all my sins
because I dread the loss of heaven
and the pains of hell;
but most of all because they offend Thee,
my God, Who art all good
and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve,
with the help of Thy grace,
to confess my sins,
to do penance,
and to amend my life.
Amen.
Deus meus,
ex toto corde me pǽnitet
ómnium meórum peccatórum,
éaque detéstor, quia peccándo,
non solum pœnas a te iuste statútas
proméritus sum,
sed præsértim quia offéndi te,
summum bonum, ac dignum
qui super ómnia diligáris.
Ídeo fírmiter propóno,
adiuvánte grátia tua,
de cétero me non peccatúrum
peccandíque occasiónes
próximas fugitúrum.
Amen.
The Treasury of the Saints
Two prayers beloved of the saints for seven centuries: one to Christ crucified, one to his Mother.
Anima Christi · Soul of Christ
A fourteenth-century prayer, found in manuscripts from the early 1300s and often wrongly attributed to St Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius loved it and set it at the head of his Spiritual Exercises, but it was already two centuries old. It is traditionally prayed after Holy Communion.
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 unto Thee,
that with Thy Saints I may praise Thee
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Ánima Christi, sanctífica me.
Corpus Christi, salva me.
Sanguis Christi, inébria me.
Aqua láteris Christi, lava me.
Pássio Christi, confórta me.
O bone Iesu, exáudi me.
Intra tua vúlnera abscónde me.
Ne permíttas me separári a te.
Ab hoste malígno defénde me.
In hora mortis meæ voca me
et iube me veníre ad te,
ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te
in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Memoráre · The Memorare
Attributed by long tradition to St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) and drawn from a longer medieval prayer to Our Lady. It was popularised in the seventeenth century by Fr Claude Bernard, "the Poor Priest", who spread it among prisoners and the dying in Paris.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thine 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.
Memoráre, O piíssima Virgo María,
non esse audítum a sǽculo,
quemquam ad tua curréntem præsídia,
tua implorántem auxília,
tua peténtem suffrágia,
esse derelíctum.
Ego tali animátus confidéntia,
ad te, Virgo Vírginum, Mater, curro,
ad te vénio,
coram te gemens peccátor assísto.
Noli, Mater Verbi,
verba mea despícere;
sed áudi propítia et exáudi.
Amen.
Vade Mecum
Carry these prayers with you. In every trial, in every silence, the Church prays with you and for you. Print any prayer on this page to keep it close at hand.
Continue
The Holy Rosary
An interactive digital Rosary with guided mysteries, and the history of the Rosary's power at Lepanto and beyond.
The Nicene Creed
The Church's profession of faith, drawn up at Nicaea in 325 and completed at Constantinople in 381, as recited at Mass.
The Creed in Latin
Credo in unum Deum: the liturgical Latin of the Roman Rite, side by side with the English translation.