Morning Prayer Catholic
Catholic mornings have long begun with prayer—whether the brief, beloved Morning Offering said at the bedside, or the more structured Lauds, the Church's official Morning Prayer within the Liturgy of the Hours. Lauds is prayed each day around sunrise by clergy, religious, and lay Catholics using the breviary, and centers on psalms of praise for the new day.
You don't need the full breviary to start; the Morning Offering below takes thirty seconds and does the same essential thing—it hands the day to God before it begins. Use either one, or both, to shape how your morning starts.
The Morning Offering
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. Amen.
A Short Catholic Morning Prayer
Lord, bless this new day. Keep me close to You in my thoughts, my words, and my work. Guard my family, and let everything I do today give You glory. Amen.
A Prayer for the Grace of the Day
Heavenly Father, thank You for this new day and for the grace to meet it. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, keep me faithful in prayer, patient with others, and mindful that this day is a gift. Amen.
A One-Line Catholic Morning Prayer
Jesus, I trust in You—guide this day. Amen.
A Longer Catholic Morning Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, I thank You for bringing me safely through the night to see this new day. Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, my work, my joys, and whatever I will suffer today, united with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered around the world. Keep my mind fixed on You even amid the small distractions of the day. Give me the grace to treat everyone I meet with the charity Christ showed to all. Where I am weak, strengthen me; where I sin, forgive me and draw me back. I entrust this day, my family, and my work to Your loving providence. May Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, watch over me, and may my guardian angel guide my steps. Let this day, in whatever small way, bring You glory. Amen.
Scripture to pray
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.— Psalm 143:8
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.— Psalm 90:14
Frequently asked questions
What is the Catholic Morning Prayer called?
There are two common meanings: the Morning Offering, a short prayer many Catholics say upon waking, offering the day to God; and Lauds, the Church's official "Morning Prayer" within the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed daily using the breviary and centered on psalms of praise.
What is the traditional Morning Offering prayer?
"O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. Amen." It's brief enough to say the moment you wake.
What is Lauds in the Liturgy of the Hours?
Lauds is the Church's Morning Prayer, one of the fixed hours of daily prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, traditionally prayed around sunrise. It's built around psalms and canticles of praise and is prayed daily by priests, religious, and many lay Catholics using a breviary or prayer app.