Catholic rules for Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving may be useful for those looking to make a resolution for the New Year. The Catholic rules are stringent, so any variation of these would be acceptable as a resolution. Readers may be unfamiliar with the requirements of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church says its 2 billion adherents should pray, fast, and give alms. They are explained below in that order.
Types of Catholic Prayer
At the crux of any religion is prayer. Many people like to meditate, and praying is a form of meditation, so it fits with what many people already do. There are several types of prayer in the Catholic religion. This article will go through them and give some other helpful tips that may be useful for a New Year’s Resolution.
Reading Scripture
The simplest form of Prayer is reading Scripture. A person can read a little of the Bible every day. In this way, one can memorize Scripture. All Catholics must do, though others may also find it helpful to read the word of God. Nevertheless, the canonical activity many may find appealing is prayer.
Individual Catholic Prayers
There are a myriad of prayers. This article will focus on the most popular prayers and set up the next section on how to pray the Rosary. The Our Father is the most popular Christian Prayer. One can pray this individually; many do. Catholics have a particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so they pray the Hail Mary often.
Another particular Catholic Prayer is the Apostles Creed. The Creed says what Catholics believe. It is sometimes helpful to praise God, and the Glory Be is a good prayer for this. It is also helpful to praise Mary, and the Hail Holy Queen is a good prayer for that. It is also helpful to ask Jesus for his mercy, and the Fatima Prayer is good for
How to Pray the Rosary
To pray the rosary, one uses the prayers from the last section in a particular order. Step One: While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles’ Creed. Step Two: On the first large bead, say the Our Father prayer. Step Three: On the next three small beads, pray the Hail Mary. Step Four: after the third Hail Mary, pray the Glory be.
The large portions of a rosary are the The Decades. Step Five: On the first large bead of the decade, pray the Our Father. Step Six: On each small bead in the decade, pray the Hail Mary. Step Seven: In the space after the 10th bead, pray the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer. Repeat steps five through seven for the remaining four decades. Then there are the closing prayers. Step eight: Pray the Hail, Holy Queen, and the Rosary Prayer. Step Nine: While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross.
Types of Catholic Fasting
If one does not want to pray, one can fast. Fasting means not eating for a day, though the Catholic rules are somewhat less strict than this. Fasting is the second leg of the Catholic tripod, as it were. Catholics believe this kind of sacrifice will help a specific intention they have. So, they fast for a cause. You can do that. There is reason to believe that fasting is good for you. The rules for fasting are that you can eat two small meals, not equaling a whole meal and one big meal. Many people who are fasting do not eat at all. It is, however, necessary to drink plenty of water when fasting.
Almsgiving
Many Christians do something called tithing. This is the third and final leg of the triad. That means they give 10% of what they earn to their church. They emphatically say God lets them keep 90%. You could give money to any charity you want. You could also give more or less than 10%. Service also fits in here. Rather than giving money, a person could volunteer in any way they like. Find something you like and give your time there.
Administrative Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving Rules
Catholics have some administrative rules for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that may be useful. With respect to prayer, Catholics should pray the rosary and read the Bible every day. When fasting, Catholics must dress and look well and should not tell anyone they are fasting. Jesus said so. Finally, when giving alms, it counts more if you give a greater percentage of what you have; 10% is more of a guide. People should also volunteer both at church and for secular organizations.
Conclusion
If you are making a resolution for 2025, any of these things may be a good idea. For instance, pick your favorite organization and volunteer there. Fasting is both cost-effective and good for you. Or, you could always give money to your favorite charity.
