3 Catholic Prayers To Lead You To Sainthood This Year
Written by catholicradio on January 10, 2024
All Catholics are called to be saints. For some the path of life leads to Sainthood with a capital “S” whereby after one’s death there are approved miracles indicating sanctity. For others the sainthood is a lowercase “s” and holiness is more hidden. God calls each of us to one type or another. Catholic prayers help us along the road to sainthood.
There are many treasures in the Catholic church, including the Mass, Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, the sacraments, and the teachings of the magisterium. These provide the means to grace as well as foundational practices and principles to help us know, love, and serve God.
The canonized Saints are also treasures who serve as inspiration. They persisted in their daily trials, whether heroic circumstances for all to see, or hidden lives where they completed their daily duties with patience and love. A common denominator with all of the saints is a healthy prayer life with Catholic prayers that align them ever more closely with God.
What one step can be taken that will lead to personal conversion? Sometimes it starts with a heartfelt prayer meditated on daily from the heart. Here are three beautiful Catholic prayers that can help advance you in holiness to be a saint:
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Catholic Prayers: The Litany of Humility
Litanies are catholic prayers in which there is a repeated response to a list of petitions. There are many Catholic litanies but they are for private devotion and never prayed during Mass or other liturgical services.
This particular litany is designed to expose pride and inspire a desire for humility. The man credited for composing the Litany of Humility is Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930), who was the Secretary of State to Pope Saint Pius X (1903-1914).
Below are just a few lines from various parts of the Litany of Humility:
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus….
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, O Jesus….
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it….
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it….
For a printable version of the entire Litany of Humility along with a brief meditation, click here.
You can also learn more about Cardinal del Val in this article at Aleteia.
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Catholic Prayers: The Litany of Trust
This litany is relatively new, with an imprimatur (Latin for “let it be printed” or permission) granted in 2023. It was composed by Sister Faustina Maria Pia, of the religious order, the Sisters of Life.
As we mentioned before, litanies are powerful Catholic prayers with repetition. Reflecting on the Divine Mercy image of Jesus in the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska, in this litany Jesus is asked to deliver us from things that bind us spiritually as we place our trust in His promises.
Here are a few lines from the Litany of Trust:
From the belief that I have to earn Your love.
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear that I am unlovable.
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the false security that I have what it takes.
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute.
Deliver me, Jesus….
That You are continually holding me, sustaining me, loving me.
Jesus, I trust in You.
That Your love goes deeper than my sins and failings and transforms me.
Jesus, I trust in You.
That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on You.
Jesus, I trust in You.
That You are with me in my suffering.
Jesus, I trust in You….
That You will teach me to trust You.
Jesus, I trust in You….
You can learn more about the Litany of Trust at the Sisters of Life website, and also print a copy for personal use.
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Catholic Prayers: The Surrender Novena
Novenas are catholic prayers with nine days of prayer for a particular intention, and there is usually some part of the prayer that is repetitive for a rhythm of those days. This novena is for the intention of surrendering everything to Jesus to eliminate worry and live in faith.
The Surrender Novena was given in prayer to Don Dolindo Ruotolo, who lived at the time of Padre Pio and, was in fact, also his friend.
Below is Day One, which demonstrates the simplicity and peace to be discovered in this novena:
Day 1
Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)
You can learn more about this novena at Catholic Exchange and print out a copy for personal devotion on this page.
You Are Called To Be A Saint In the Catholic Church
Sometimes we confuse sainthood with perfection. God is not calling you to be perfect, He is calling you to be faithful to His promptings, His call, His whisper in your heart. You can answer the call by first, making time for conversation with Our Lord, and second, opening yourself up to be conformed to the heart of Jesus. Having an arsenal of faithful Catholic prayers will help you better navigate the road to sainthood in this life.
A helpful aid for your spiritual life is also Catholic radio. We become what we read, who we listen to, and those we spend time with. You will have more opportunities to grow in holiness when you listen to our programs, Catholic prayers, and Mass at Catholic Radio Network.
You can listen online to one of our five livestreams, find your local station, or download our free app for Apple and Android.
