Devotions

According to paragraph 4, Popular Devotional Practices: Basic Question and Answers, November 12, 2023 on the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) website, "Because popular devotional practices have such an important role in the spiritual life of Catholics, we, the bishops of the United States, have prepared this text to respond to questions that commonly arise in regard to such devotions. We aim to provide some explanation of popular devotional practices and their proper function in the life of the Church. On the one hand, we expect that, equipped with a fuller understanding of the proper role of popular devotional practices, the faithful will be better able to avoid possible misapplications and to recognize devotions whose appropriateness is questionable. On the other hand, we hope to encourage the faithful to make use of sound devotional practices, so that their lives might be filled in various ways with praise and worship of God. Faithful practice of popular devotions can help us experience God in our everyday lives and conform us more closely to Jesus Christ. As Pope Pius XII pointed out, the purpose of popular devotional practices is to attract and direct our souls to God, purifying them from their sins, encouraging them to practice virtue and, finally, stimulating them to advance along the path of sincere piety by accustoming them to meditate on the eternal truths and disposing them better to contemplate the mysteries of the human and divine natures of Christ."

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To read what the bishops have to say in its entirety, (which we recommend), please click here.