What is a "devotion?"

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skye

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Hello!

I am confused about the term “devotion,” and what it means for someone to have a devotion. I’ve heard of people having devotions to specific prayers, such as the Stations of the Cross, and also to Jesus in various forms, such as the Infant of Prague or the Sacred Heart, but do people have devotions to saints or Mary?
I’m curious to learn what a devotion is, exactly, and how is it beneficial to someone?

Also - how does one get or develop a devotion? Is it like having a patron saint, where you select one at a certain time in life and then that is the one you have for the rest of your life?

Thank you so much for your kind and generous work!

Skye
 
Hi,

Catholic devotions are prayer forms which are not part of the official public liturgy of the Church but are part of the popular spiritual practices of Catholics. Read more:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_devotions

If one feels attracted to a particular devotion, then one uses it as a prayer form. No one HAS to have a particular favorite devotion. No one is obliged to remain with one devotion for life. One can have one for only a period of time. One can also have several. Probably the most popular one is the rosary.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
 
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