Worship

- Worship
Links
- The Sunday Obligation Explained (Dr. Brant Pitre)
- Learn about Gregorian Chant
"There are millions of favors hanging from Heaven on silken cords, and prayer is the sword that cuts them." Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

Worship

Christians all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day after the Jewish Sabbath, but also the first day when God separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ, our savior, rose from the dead. For Christians, Sunday symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ’s Resurrection. Sunday is our first of all days, the first of all feasts – The Lord’s Day.

The celebration of Sunday fulfills the moral command of the Old Testament’s Covenant to render God an outward, visible, public and regular weekly worship “as a sign of his universal beneficence to all. The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life and is observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church.
Sunday is sanctified by assisting during Mass, by prayer, and by abstaining from unnecessary servile work.

Sacred scripture makes it abundantly clear we have a duty, as individuals and as a social being,
to offer God authentic worship; to lift our minds and hearts in prayer and adoration of God. Adoration, thanksgiving, repentance, and petition are the four purposes of prayer.

“Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that belongs to him, fulfilling the
promises and vows made to him are acts of the virtue of religion which fall under obedience to
the first commandment.” (CCC 2135)

We worship God by attending Mass on Sundays and on Days of Obligation, to participate in
adoration, prayer, and to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist. At other times, through prayer we express our love for God and our gratitude for his many blessings, and to request his help during times of need.

We are creatures composed of a spiritual soul and a physical body. We are all guilty of sin;
prayer allows us to express our sorrow and regret for our sins, as well as seek protection and
consolation in times of difficulty. Our strength comes from without, not within.

Prayer is how you begin a conversation with God. We live in a world of distractions, from noise,
from the many stresses involved in everyday life. Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to
set aside time each day to spend in prayer, to shut out all the noise, the chaos, around you and
focus solely on your conversation with God.
Prayer
"Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocket, it shall be opened. Or what man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone? Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?" Matthew 7:7-11)

These prayers have nurtured the faithful for generations, yet they still speak to us. Some of these prayers you may wish to learn "by heart" so that they become part of your daily living. Other prayers may be less familiar. These open for new generations the treasures of the Church's rich tradition of prayer.

Essential Prayers
Other Prayers
Novenas

Novenas: A novena is made up of nine days of prayer and meditation usually to ask God for special prayer requests or petitions. Novenas are an ancient tradition that goes back to the days of the Apostles. Various apps for novenas are available for cell phones, for example, go to the “Google Play Store” and type in the word “Novenas”, several options for apps will be listed - a popular one is the “Pray Catholic Novena Prayers” app. Download the selected app to your phone and enjoy access to numerous novenas throughout the year.

Worship

"There are millions of favors hanging from Heaven on silken cords, and prayer is the sword that cuts them." Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

Other Prayers