Glossary
- adoration
- our response of praise to God as we stand in awe of his great power, majesty, and goodness. Source The Catholic Way to Pray
- aspiration
- a one-line prayer. Also called ejaculation.
- Benediction
- a Eucharistic devotion in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in a monstrance and we are blessed with it.
- blessing
- 1) a prayer calling on God to bestow gifts on a person or to ask God to mark a certain object or place, such as a house, with favor and divine protection; 2) can also set apart a place or object as a means of grace, for example rosaries are blessed; 3) can mean the act of God bestowing grace andJavors, as when we say that God blesses us; 4) We can bless God, which means to praise God. canticle: a sung prayer.
- centering prayer
- a silent prayer that focuses on God dwelling in the center of us. When attention wanders away from God, we use a word or phrase to come back to God. In essence, centering prayer is resting in God, enjoying God's presence. See page 58.
- chaplet
- a prayer form that uses beads, such as the rosary.
- communal prayer
- prayer that is prayed together.
- contemplation
- the highest form of prayer, a prayer without words. We are totally rapt in God's presence.
- contrition
- We express sorrow for sin, ask forgiveness, and intend to avoid sin in the future.
- Divine Office
- see Prayer of Christians.
- Eucharistic devotions
- special prayers in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, such as visits to the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.
- examination of conscience
- a review of our life to notice where we have cooperated with God's grace and where we haven't. It is part of preparation for the sacrament of Reconciliation and recommended to be made each night.
- exposition
- making the sacred host visible for adoration by setting it in a monstrance.
- grace before/after meals
- In grace before meals we ask God to bless us and the food we are about to eat. In grace after meals we thank God for our food.
- holy hour
- an hour spent in prayer usually before the Blessed Sacrament.
- indulgence
- the canceling of the debt of satisfaction owed for sin by certain prayers or practices. It can be partial or
plenary (complete).
- intention
- in prayer, it is some cause for which we offer intercessory prayer, such as world peace.
- intercessory prayer
- we ask for something on behalf of another person. Jesus is our intercessor because he constantly prays to the Father for us.
- Jesus prayer
- "Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It is repeated over and over and can be synchronized
with breathing.
- journaling
- writing one's thoughts and prayers, sometimes daily. This practice makes us more reflective and can
produce a richer prayer life.
- labyrinth
- a circular path that leads to the center of a circle. As we walk the labyrinth, we pray on the way to the center, which stands for God, and on the way out into the world again. See page 60.
- lectio divina
- sacred reading, a method of prayer that leads to union with God in contemplation. The four steps are:
- read a passage and stop when a word or phrase catches your attention,
- reflect on your "word,"
- respond to God in prayer, and
- rest in the presence of God. See page 51.
- sacred reading, a method of prayer that leads to union with God in contemplation. The four steps are:
- litany
- a long prayer invoking God, Mary or a saint under many titles.
- liturgy
- the public worship of the Church: the Eucharist, the sacraments, and the Divine Office.
- Liturgy of the Hours
- see Prayer of Christians.
- mantra
- a prayer word or phrase that is repeated continually.
- May crowning
- a Marian devotion in which a statue of Mary is crowned. This usually occurs in May because it is
her month.
- meditation
- mental prayer in which we ponder God and the mysteries of our faith.
- mental prayer
- prayer that occurs silently in our minds as opposed to vocal prayer, which is said out loud.
- novena
- praying a prayer for nine consecutive days or nine hours. The practice is derived from the nine days that Mary and the disciples prayed waiting for the Holy Spirit to come
at Pentecost.
- O-antiphons
- nine short prayers that invoke Christ using Old Testament titles. They are prayed in the liturgy on the days right before Christmas. See page 97.
- octave
- eight days of prayer.
- petition
- prayer asking God for something such as healing, a safe journey, or forgiveness. Jesus encouraged this kind of prayer.
- pilgrimage
- a journey to a holy place, such as the Holy Land or a shrine, for religious purposes.
- prayer service
- a celebration with a religious theme that incorporates Scripture, prayers, quiet time for reflection, and hymns.
- procession
- walking in honor of God usually within a liturgical or devotional service. For example, there are processions within the Mass, and on Good Friday people may process outside with a cross or statue of Christ.
- Prayer of Christians
- also called the Liturgy of the Hours and the Divine Office, the official daily prayer of the Church in which the entire day is sanctified. Priests and some religious are obliged to pray it, and all Christians are invited to pray it. There are seven times or hours when these prayers are prayed.
- psalms
- the 150 prayer-songs in the Bible's Book of Psalms. They are the Jewish prayer book, and have been adopted by Christians. The psalms, which are Hebrew poetry, express the whole gamut of stances we have toward God: praise, lament, contrition, and thanksgiving.
- Raccolta
- a book that is collection of indulgenced Catholic prayers and practices. It was last published in Rome in 1898.
- retreat
- a period of time when we withdraw from everyday life and activities to focus on God and our relationship with God. A retreat can be a half day or as long as thirty days. Usually it has various prayer activities, including time for quiet prayer, talks by a retreat director, the celebration of the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Penance.
- rosary
- a Marian prayer in which we meditate on mysteries in the life of Christ while praying Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes on a circle of beads. Mary asked us to pray the rosary in her appearances at Lourdes and Fatima.
- sacramental
- a blessing or an object that has been blessed and whose use brings graces through the merits of Jesus
and the prayers of the Church.
- scapular
- an indulgenced sacramental, two small pieces of cloth connected by strings that are worn around the neck. It shows devotion, usually to Our Lady, and is worn continually. After a person has been invested in a cloth scapular by a priest, a scapular medal may be substituted for it.
- Stations of the Cross
- Way of the Cross a devotion in which we remember Jesus' passion as we walk from station to station and pray. Each of the fourteen stations has a cross and art depicting one event of the passion.
- spiritual bouquet
- a gift of prayers and good works. It usually lists the numbers of prayer and good works that are being offered for the recipient.
- spontaneous prayer
- informal prayer, vocal prayer that is not written down, prayed by rote using a formula prayer, or rehearsed.
- Taize prayer
- the Taize method of praying originated with an ecumenical community of monks in Taize, France. It mainly consists of chanting short prayers over and over alternating with periods of quiet prayer.
thanksgiving: a main purpose of prayer. We express our gratitude to God for all his loving acts of creation and redemption.
- triduum
- three days of prayer, such as the Holy Week Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday/Easter Sunday.
- veneration of a relic
- relics are parts of a saint's body, something a saint has used, or material that has been touched to a saint. These are displayed in a case called a reliquary and people may venerate them in a ritual of prayer.
- Viaticum
- the Communion that a dying person receives
- vigil light
- votive candle, a candle that is lit for an intention. A prayer is said and a donation is made. The flame represents the prayer rising to heaven.
- vocal prayer
- prayer prayed aloud.