The Act of Faith, the Act of Hope and the Act of Love are three short, traditional Catholic prayers in which we tell God that we believe in him, hope in him and love him above all things. They put into words the three theological virtues, the gifts by which we are joined to God, and generations of Catholics learned them by heart with the Act of Contrition. Below are the three acts in English and Latin, what each means, and when to pray them.
The Act of Faith
O my God! I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
In Latin, the Actus fidei:
Dómine Deus, firma fide credo et confíteor ómnia et síngula quæ sancta Ecclésia Cathólica propónit, quia tu, Deus, ea ómnia revelásti, qui es ætérna véritas et sapiéntia quæ nec fállere nec falli potest.
In hac fide vívere et mori státuo.
Amen.
What it means. Faith is believing God, who reveals himself, and believing everything he has revealed, because he can “neither deceive nor be deceived.” The prayer names the heart of the Creed: one God in three Persons, the Son made man who died for our sins and will come again. See the Apostles’ Creed.
The Act of Hope
O my God! relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
In Latin, the Actus spei:
Dómine Deus, spero per grátiam tuam remissiónem ómnium peccatórum, et post hanc vitam ætérnam felicitátem me esse consecutúrum: quia tu promisísti, qui es infiníte potens, fidélis, benígnus, et miséricors.
In hac spe vívere et mori státuo.
Amen.
What it means. Hope is trusting God to give us what he has promised: forgiveness, the grace we need, and eternal life. It rests not on our strength but on his goodness and faithfulness, and on the merits of Christ.
The Act of Love (Act of Charity)
O my God! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
In Latin, the Actus caritatis:
Dómine Deus, amo te super ómnia et próximum meum propter te, quia tu es summum, infinítum, et perfectíssimum bonum, omni dilectióne dignum.
In hac caritáte vívere et mori státuo.
Amen.
What it means. Charity is loving God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. The English version adds forgiveness: we cannot truly love God while refusing to forgive those who have hurt us.
The theological virtues
Faith, hope and charity are called theological virtues because they come from God, are directed to God and unite us with God. “They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life” (CCC 1813). St. Paul names them together: “And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greater of these is charity” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Praying the three acts is a way of exercising and strengthening these virtues. See the virtues.
When to pray the acts
- Every morning with the Morning Offering, or every night before sleep.
- After confession, together with the Act of Contrition.
- In temptations against faith, in discouragement or despair, or when it is hard to love someone.
- At the hour of death, prayed by or for the dying. See prayers for the dying.
- When teaching children, who often learn them for First Communion and Confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Acts of Faith, Hope and Love required prayers?
No single wording is required, but the Church teaches that we should make acts of faith, hope and charity often in our lives. These traditional formulas are an easy way to do so.
Is there an official version?
Several versions exist. The ones above are from the Baltimore Catechism, used for generations in the United States; the Latin ones are a common traditional form.
What is the difference between the Act of Love and the Act of Contrition?
The Act of Love tells God we love him above all things; the Act of Contrition tells him we are sorry for our sins because they offend him, whom we should love above all things.
More basic Catholic prayers
- Catholic prayer for grace
- Act of Contrition
- Apostles’ Creed
- Morning Offering
- Catholic prayers in Latin
- The virtues
- Catholic prayers
Texts and sources
- English: Baltimore Catechism No. 3 (1891), Prayers, public domain (Project Gutenberg).
- Latin: Latin Wikisource, “Actus fidei,” “Actus spei,” “Actus caritatis,” public domain.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 1812–1829; 1 Corinthians 13:13 (Douay-Rheims).