Advent Prayers for Each Day: 11 Catholic Prayers for Advent (2026)

Advent prayers for each day are short prayers that help you keep watch for Christ from the First Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve. In 2026 Advent runs from Sunday, November 29, to Thursday, December 24. A simple pattern works well: a morning “Maranatha,” the Angelus at noon, and an evening prayer that follows the theme of each week.

Below you will find a prayer for every week of Advent, the Angelus in full, a guide to the O Antiphons for the last days before Christmas, and prayers for families. Most are original prayers written for this site and are labeled as such. Pray them as they are, or let them lead you into your own words.

What Is Advent and Why Pray Every Day?

Advent is the season of waiting that opens the Church’s year. It has two parts. Until December 16, the readings turn our hearts to the second coming of Christ at the end of time. From December 17 to 24, they prepare us more directly for His birth at Bethlehem.

The Catechism explains why we keep this waiting each year: by sharing in Israel’s long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, “the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming” (CCC 524). Daily prayer keeps that desire alive in the middle of shopping, cooking and travel.

If you want the dates of each Sunday and how the season is counted, see when Advent starts in 2026. For the blessing of the wreath and a candle prayer for each Sunday, see our Advent wreath prayers. The prayers here are for the other days of the week.

A Simple Daily Pattern for Advent

You do not need much time. Ten minutes a day is enough to make this Advent different from the last one.

1. Morning: pray the Maranatha prayer and the morning offering below.
2. Noon: pray the Angelus, the Church’s daily prayer of the Incarnation.
3. Evening: read a few verses of Isaiah or the day’s Gospel, then pray the prayer for that week.
4. From December 17: add the O Antiphon of the day before you go to bed.

Week	Dates in 2026	Theme	Sunday Gospel (Year B)
First week	Nov 29 – Dec 5	Stay awake and watch	Mark 13:33-37
Second week	Dec 6 – Dec 12	Prepare the way of the Lord	Mark 1:1-8
Third week	Dec 13 – Dec 19	Rejoice, the Lord is near	John 1:6-8, 19-28
Fourth week	Dec 20 – Dec 24	Mary says yes	Luke 1:26-38

Advent Prayers for Every Day

Maranatha: A Short Advent Prayer for Today (Original Prayer)

The oldest Christian prayer for the Lord’s coming is one word in Aramaic, Marana tha, “Our Lord, come” (1 Corinthians 16:22). The Bible ends with the same cry: “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Come, Lord Jesus.
Come into my day and into my home.
Come into the places I keep closed to You.
Come to those who wait in pain or alone.
Come again in glory, and find me ready.
Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus.
Amen.

Advent Morning Offering (Original Prayer)

Lord God, this new day is Your gift.
I offer You my work, my worries and my joys.
Teach me to wait for You with patience,
to look for You in the people I meet,
and to make room for You in my heart.
May everything I do today prepare the way for Your Son.
Amen.

Week 1: Advent Prayer for Watchfulness

In the first week, Jesus tells His disciples to be watchful and alert, because no one knows when the master of the house will return (Mark 13:33-37). The prophet Isaiah gives voice to our longing, begging God to tear open the heavens and come down (Isaiah 63:19).

Prayer to Stay Awake for the Lord (Original Prayer)

Lord Jesus, You told us to stay awake.
Wake me from the sleep of habit and distraction.
Open my eyes to see where You are coming to me,
in Your Word, in the Eucharist, and in the poor.
Keep my lamp burning until You return.
Amen.

Week 2: Advent Prayer to Prepare the Way

The second week belongs to St. John the Baptist, who cries out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord (Mark 1:1-8). The first reading opens with some of the tenderest words in Scripture: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1).

This week also brings the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday, December 8, a holy day of obligation in the United States. A good confession this week is the best way to prepare the road for Christ.

Prayer for a Prepared Heart (Original Prayer)

Lord, fill in the valleys of my discouragement.
Bring low the mountains of my pride.
Make straight what I have made crooked,
and smooth the rough ways of my words.
Like John the Baptist, let me point to You and not to myself.
Comfort Your people, Lord, and comfort me.
Amen.

Week 3: Gaudete Prayer of Joy

The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for “rejoice.” The priest may wear rose vestments, and the rose candle is lit on the wreath. St. Paul’s words set the tone of the week: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Advent Prayer for Joy (Original Prayer)

Lord, You are near.
Let that be enough for me today.
When I am tired, give me Your joy.
When I am anxious, give me Your peace.
When I am tempted to complain, teach me to give thanks.
Let my joy be a light for someone who is waiting in the dark.
Amen.

Week 4: Advent Prayer with Mary

The last Sunday of Advent tells the story of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel came to Mary and she answered, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). No one waited for Jesus as Mary did. This is a good week to pray the Magnificat, her song of praise.

Prayer with Mary in the Last Days of Advent (Original Prayer)

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
you carried the Savior beneath your heart.
Teach me to wait as you waited,
in silence, in trust and in love.
Help me to say yes to God as you did,
even when I do not understand.
Bring me with you to Bethlehem.
Amen.

The Angelus: The Church’s Daily Advent Prayer

The Angelus is traditionally prayed at 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. It tells the whole story of Advent in a few lines: the angel’s message, Mary’s yes, and the Word made flesh. It is the perfect daily Advent prayer.

The Angelus (Traditional Prayer)

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
V. And the Word was made flesh,
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace…
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts,
that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ thy Son
was made known by the message of an angel,
may by His Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of His Resurrection.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The O Antiphons: Advent Prayers for December 17–23

From December 17, the Church sings a special antiphon before the Magnificat at Evening Prayer. Each one calls on Jesus by a title from the Old Testament. You may know them from the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Date	Antiphon	Title of Christ
Dec 17	O Sapientia	O Wisdom
Dec 18	O Adonai	O Lord and Ruler of Israel
Dec 19	O Radix Jesse	O Root of Jesse
Dec 20	O Clavis David	O Key of David
Dec 21	O Oriens	O Radiant Dawn
Dec 22	O Rex Gentium	O King of the Nations
Dec 23	O Emmanuel	O God With Us

Evening Prayer with the O Antiphons (Original Prayer)

Pray this each evening from December 17 to 23, adding the title of the day where the line is marked.

O Christ, [title of the day],
the prophets longed to see Your day.
We have waited through the long nights of this world.
Come and save us, Lord our God.
Do not delay.
Amen.

Christmas Eve Prayer (December 24)

Advent ends on the evening of December 24, when the Church begins to celebrate the birth of Christ. Before you leave for Mass or sit down to dinner, pause for this prayer.

Prayer on Christmas Eve (Original Prayer)

Lord Jesus, the waiting is almost over.
Thank You for every day of this Advent,
for the prayers I said and even the ones I forgot.
Tonight, be born again in our hearts and in our home.
Bless all who will be alone this Christmas,
and bring us all one day to the joy of Your coming in glory.
Amen.

Advent Prayers for Families

Advent is a beautiful time to pray together at the table, even for a minute. Grandparents can lead the prayer when the family visits, or call a grandchild and pray it over the phone. For more family prayers when the season arrives, see our short Christmas prayers for family blessings.

Advent Family Prayer Before Dinner (Original Prayer)

Bless us, Lord, as we wait for You.
Bless this food and the hands that prepared it.
Make our home a little Bethlehem,
where there is always room for You and for each other.
Help us to be kind, to forgive, and to share with the poor.
Come, Lord Jesus, and stay with us.
Amen.

Advent Prayer for Those Who Are Waiting or Grieving (Original Prayer)

For many people, Advent and Christmas bring an empty chair at the table. This prayer is for them and for anyone waiting for news, for healing or for peace.

Lord, You know what it is to wait.
Be close to all who are grieving this Advent,
to the sick, the lonely and the worried.
Give them light in their darkness
and the hope that does not disappoint.
Remember our beloved dead, and bring them to see Your face.
Amen.

Tips for Praying Every Day of Advent

• Choose a set time and place. A chair by the window, a small candle, a Bible.
• Read Isaiah. The Church reads Isaiah throughout Advent. A chapter a day is a good companion to these prayers.
• Go to Mass on a weekday if you can, and to confession before Christmas.
• Do not give up if you miss a day. Advent is about waiting with hope, not about perfect attendance. Start again the next morning with “Come, Lord Jesus.”