Prayer. That one word that everyone knows so much about, but yet know so little about.  The word “pray” simply means “to ask”.  Old English used to use the phrase “Pray tell me” when a question was asked.  To pray does not imply that we can only ask God for favors.  We can ask anyone for favors, especially the saints in heaven, who, contrary to protestant popular opinion, are very much alive and well, not to mention holy. Jesus himself said that God is not the God of the dead, but OF THE LIVING (Luke 20:38).  Paul says that the saints in heaven are our witnesses (Hebrews 12:1).  Presumably one has to be alive to witness to a judge on behalf of somebody.

According to an ancient definition, prayer is "keeping company with God.  There are prayers the Catholics learn from their youngest days.  The tabs below will lead you to those basic Catholic prayers.