The Divine Praises are a litany of blessing that begins “Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy name.” Catholics pray them at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, after the priest has blessed the people with the Eucharist, and whenever they hear God’s name misused, as an act of reparation. Each line blesses God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Mary, St. Joseph and the saints. Below is the full text in English and Latin, its meaning, its history from 1797 to today, and when to pray it.
The Divine Praises
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His holy name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, virgin and mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints.
At Benediction, the priest or deacon leads each line and the people repeat it.
The Divine Praises in Latin (Laudes Divinae)
Benedictus Deus.
Benedictum Nomen Sanctum eius.
Benedictus Iesus Christus, verus Deus et verus homo.
Benedictum Nomen Iesu.
Benedictum Cor eius sacratissimum.
Benedictus Sanguis eius pretiosissimus.
Benedictus Iesus in sanctissimo altaris Sacramento.
Benedictus Sanctus Spiritus, Paraclitus.
Benedicta excelsa Mater Dei, Maria sanctissima.
Benedicta sancta eius et immaculata Conceptio.
Benedicta eius gloriosa Assumptio.
Benedictum nomen Mariae, Virginis et Matris.
Benedictus sanctus Ioseph, eius castissimus Sponsus.
Benedictus Deus in Angelis suis, et in Sanctis suis. Amen.
When to pray the Divine Praises
- At Benediction, after the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament and before it is returned to the tabernacle. See Eucharistic adoration prayers and Tantum Ergo.
- When you hear blasphemy or profanity, on television, at work or from your own lips, as a quiet prayer of reparation. “Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy name” is enough.
- During a Holy Hour or a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.
- As a family prayer, especially with children, who quickly learn the repeated “Blessed be.”
What the prayer means
The Divine Praises were written as an act of reparation: where others curse, we bless. The Catechism teaches that the second commandment “prescribes respect for the Lord’s name” (CCC 2142) and that blasphemy “is directly opposed to the second commandment” (CCC 2148). The prayer moves through the whole of our faith: God and his holy name; Jesus Christ, true God and true man, his name, his Heart, his Blood and his presence in the Eucharist; the Holy Spirit; Mary, Mother of God, in her Immaculate Conception and Assumption; St. Joseph; and all the angels and saints.
History
The Divine Praises were composed in Italian in 1797 by the Jesuit Father Luigi Felici as a prayer of reparation for blasphemy. Pope Pius VII indulgenced them in 1801. The original prayer had eight lines; later popes added the rest:
| Line | Added by |
|---|---|
| Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception | Bl. Pius IX |
| Blessed be His most Sacred Heart | Leo XIII |
| Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse | Benedict XV |
| Blessed be her glorious Assumption | Ven. Pius XII |
| Blessed be His most Precious Blood | St. John XXIII |
| Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete | St. Paul VI (1964) |
This is why older prayer books have shorter versions. Father Lasance’s With God (1911), for example, has ten lines:
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His holy name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and immaculate conception.
Blessed be the name of Mary, virgin and mother.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints.
Frequently asked questions
Why are they called the Divine Praises?
Because each line praises (blesses) God or the works of God, in Latin Laudes Divinae.
What do you say when you hear someone take the Lord’s name in vain?
A short act of reparation such as “Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy name,” or “Blessed be the name of Jesus.”
Are the Divine Praises said at every Benediction?
They are customary in the United States and many other countries, though not strictly required by the rite. Many parishes pray them after the blessing.
More Eucharistic prayers
- How to make a holy hour
- Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
- Eucharistic adoration prayers
- Tantum Ergo
- Litany of the Holy Name
- Spiritual Communion prayer
- Corpus Christi
Texts and sources
- English text: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, public domain (Wikisource), with the four invocations added after 1911 (St. Joseph, the Assumption, the Precious Blood and the Holy Spirit).
- Latin text: the traditional Laudes Divinae.
- History: The Raccolta (English translation, 1878), no. 170, “Act of Reparation for Blasphemy” (indulgence of Pius VII, July 23, 1801).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 2142, 2148.