In the Catholic tradition, devotions are particular customs, rituals, and practices of worship of God or honour of the saints which are in addition to the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The three-level hierarchy of latria, hyperdulia and dulia determines the appropriate type of worship or veneration for different situations. Latria (from the Greek λατρεία, latreia) is used for worship, adoration and reverence directed only to the Holy Trinity. Dulia (from the Greek δουλεία, douleia) is the kind of honor given to the communion of saints, while the Blessed Virgin Mary is honored with hyperdulia, a higher form of dulia but lower than latria.
People express their love and fidelity to God that arise from the intersection of one's own faith, culture and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Over the centuries, a wide number and variety of devotions originated in local cultures and reflected the unique spiritual and ethnic sensitivities of the local population; others originated in a particular religious community or order. Over time, these local devotions spread more widely through the universal church and were eventually sanctioned by church authorities.
Often devotions express a particular conviction about the object of the devotion: Eucharistic devotions are commonly an expression of Catholic belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist; devotions to Mary and the saints commonly express a confidence in their role as spiritual companions, guides and mediators.
These popular and indigenous devotions are a manifestation of the Catholic sense of sacramentality -- the ability of time and space, nature, human relationships and human activity to mediate (signify or express) the presence, love and grace of an Incarnate God.
Devotions are not considered part of liturgical worship, even if they are performed in a church or led by a priest,but rather they are paraliturgical.
The Catholic Church considers liturgy to be central to the life and mission of the church, it acknowledges the benefit of popular devotions, stating in Sacrosanctum Concilium that:
The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy … Popular devotions of the Christian people are to be highly commended, provided they accord with the laws and norms of the Church, above all when they are ordered by the Apostolic See … These devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very nature far surpasses any of them.
Several factors shape the efficacy of devotional practices in eliciting feelings of devotion: a strong emotional appeal, a simplicity of form which puts them within the reach of all, the association with many others engaged in the same practices, and their derivation from the example of others considered to lead a holy life.
Since the Middle Ages, popes have encouraged devotions such as Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, while maintaining the primacy of liturgy over private devotions. Pious devotions have influenced some important parts of the Catholic calendar such as the feast of Corpus Christi or various Marian feasts that gradually appeared with the growth of devotions.
As a part of the liturgical renewal which followed the Second Vatican Council, the Church made a deliberate effort to recover a proper understanding of popular devotions. The Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship warned that popular devotions cannot become substitutes for the Liturgy of the Eucharist or be incorporated into Liturgical celebrations. It stressed that the Liturgy has a preeminence over any other legitimate form of Christian prayer, no matter how worthy or widespread it might be. Moreover, the Congregation said, various forms of popular devotion, especially those associated with particular groups or regions, should not overshadow the common and universal nature of the church and its worship; nor should veneration of the saints take precedence over worship of the Divine Trinity.
Devotions are manifestations of our profound love of God, rooted in worship and service to his Holy Name. As Catholics, it is our readiness to give honor and glory to God, whether in public or private prayer, or by performing some act of God's will, that exercises our own spirituality. Through prayer, our devotions reaffirm our total commitment to our Lord, Jesus Christ. And in return, we hope to obtain favors that only He can provide through his infinite mercy and blessings. Devotions -- prayers, novenas, litanies and meditations – is designed to help Catholics grow in their faith and love of God.