ABSTRACT
A visit to any congregation reveals something about that congregation, whether
a mosque or a synagogue, whether a storefront church or a Gothic cathedral.
Perusing a Christian hymnal, seeing some common songs and some peculiar to a
tradition, reveals something of the faith and spirituality of the congregation.
Such diversity reflects the old Latin maxim: lex orandi, lex credendi. The law of
prayer is the law of belief. Put more simply, our prayer reveals and forms what
we believe. Understanding distinctive features of Roman Catholic prayer and
practice reveals the beliefs of Catholics and assists the caregiver in accompanying
Catholics in the end-of-life encounter.
