Forms of popular piety

Popular piety means the different types of worship that are inspired by our culture instead of the church.

"People have always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the church's sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions..." (CCC 1674-1675)

The main forms of this are:

• The rosary (This is based on the fifteen mysteries of the rosary)
• Joyful mysteries (e.g. The nativity)
• Luminous mysteries (e.g. The transfiguration)
• Sorrowful mysteries (e.g. The crucifixion)
• Glorious mysteries (e.g. The resurrection)

The luminous mysteries:

• The baptism of Jesus in the jordan
• The wedding at cana
• Jesus' proclsmation of kingdom of God
• The transfiguration
• The institution of the eucharist

The rosary was formed by St Dominic to teach people the basics of catholic faith.

The rosary:

• Provides a structured time of meditation
• Gives an opportunity to remember the events in the life of Jesus
• Gives an oppurtunity to remember the work of the virgin Mary
• It brings many blessings

Eucharistic adoration is focused on the blessed sacrament and can be performed when the Eucharist is exposed and when it is not.

When the Eucharist is exposed for viewing, it is desplayed in a monstrance. This normally occurs during a special service devoted to the blessed sacrament. This is believed to be important practice by the catholic church.

Many catholics perform this for an hour called the Holy Hour. This is inspired by the story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Eucharistic adoration is said to let the worshipper 'get in touch with the presence of christ'

It is believed that jesus himself is present in the blessed sacrament, so it is our duty to adore it.

The stations of the cross

• 1. Jesus is condemned to death.
• 2. Jesus carries his cross.
• 3. Jesus falls the first time.
• 4. Jesus meets his mother.
• 5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross
• 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
• 7. Jesus falls the second time.
• 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.
• 9. Jesus falls the third time.
• 10. Jesus is stripped of his garments.
• 11. Jesus is nailed to the cross.
• 12. Jesus dies on the cross.
• 13. Jesus is taken down from the cross.
• 14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

The stations of the cross are important for catholics because:

• They give catholics a chance to identify with the sufferings of Jesus.
• They give catholics a chance to pray throught he journey of Jesus to the cross.
• They give catholics a chance to give thanks for what Jesus did for them.
• They give catholics a chance to remember the cost of the salvation which Jesus brings them.

"In addition to the liturgy, christian life is nourished by various forms of popular piety, rooted in different cultures." (CCC1679)

Protestants tend to have a different view of piety to catholics:

• They do not pray the rosary because of it's connections with the virgin mary. Protestants believe that mary had other childeren.
• Protestants do not practice eucharistic adoration because they do not believe in transubstantiation.
• Protestants do not follow the stations of the cross becasue some are not based on the bible.

Useful words:

• Popular piety - Worship and devotion shown to god and the saints
• Rosary - The prayer beads used to help in saying the set of prayers based on the rosary beads
• Decades - The ten hail marys said during the rosary
• Blessed sacrament - The consecrated host
• Monstrance - Vessel used for the exhibition of the blessed sacrament
• Holy hour - An hour spent in eucharistic adoration
• Nave - The main part of the church where the people sit