~ LET US PRAY EVERY DAY ~

When we open our hearts to God and His angels and His saints in prayer we are performing the most fundamental of Christian ministries. For in prayer we express our innermost thoughts, our petitions, promises, thanksgiving, offerings and praise, and we receive comforts and grace. Sometimes we say memorized words, sometimes our own words, and sometimes we just listen. Whatever the method, the more prayer the better for all of us.

The number of prayers formulated over the centuries is beyond counting. Here are links to a few. If you have a favorite you'd like to see added to this list, please tell us through our guestbook.

The Sign of the Cross

[To invoke God, and thus assure that we are not praying to our self, to the evil one, or to some false god, we begin and end our prayer sessions by blessing ourselves, making the sign of the cross on our head and body, while saying the following words ... ]

IN THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Morning Offering

Dear Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls and reparation for our sins. And I offer them for all the good intentions of the Church, especially those of our Holy Father the pope.

The Lord's Prayer

[In the the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus teaches that when we pray we should use the following words]

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

The Hail Mary

[The beginning sentence memorializes the words of the angel announcing the Incarnation, and the words of Mary's cousin Elizabeth. The ending sentence is our petition to Mary in Heaven.]

Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

The Apostle's Creed

[This ancient statement of what Catholics believe is still said at childrens' Masses in which only a few adults participate ... the longer Nicene Creed is used in Masses for adults]

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell, and on the third day he rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.

The Confiteor

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary, ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

May the Almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen.

May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins. Amen.

An Act of Faith

O my God! I firmly believe that You are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that Your divine son became Man, 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 You have revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

An Act of Hope

O my God! relying on Your infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

An Act of Love

O my God! I love You above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because You are all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

An Act of Contrition

O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

 

Blessing before Meals

BIess us, O Lord! and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grace after Meals

We give Thee thanks for all Thy blessings, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest for ever; and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The Benedictus

[In his canticle, the Benedictus, Zachary expresses his thanks to God for sending Jesus, the Messiah, and also his joy for the sublime mission of his own son John the Baptist ... ]

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David his servant, as he promised through the mouth of his holy ones, the prophets from of old; salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our forefathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant, of the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant us, that, delivered from the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear, in holiness and justice before him all our days.

And thee, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give to his people knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of their sins, because of the loving-kindness of our God, wherewith the Orient from on high has visited us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 1:68-79

The Magnificat

[In this canticle the Blessed Virgin Mary praises the mercy of God in the work of the Incarnation, His power displayed throughout the history of the chosen people, and His fidelity to His promises concerning the Messiah ... ]

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for behold henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; and his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.

He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy- Even as he spoke to our fathers- to Abraham and to his posterity forever."

Luke 1:46-55

The Nunc Dimittis

[When Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, the sight of the infant evoked these words from Simeon, who had been informed by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before seeing the Christ ... ]

"Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and a glory for thy people Israel."

Luke 2:29-32

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.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.

Saint Anthony Prayers

O good and gentle St. Anthony, your love of God and concern for His creatures made you worthy, while on earth, to obtain many miracles from God. Come to my help in this moment of trouble and anxiety. (Here mention the grace desired.)
Your ardent love of God made you worthy to hold the Holy Infant in your arms. Whisper to Him my humble request if it be for the greater glory of God and the salvation of my soul.
Amen.

[Also, St. Anthony of Padua is often asked to help find lost objects ... ]

Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around.
Something is lost and needs to be found.

Petitions of Saint Augustine

O Lord Jesus, let me know myself, let me know Thee.
And desire nothing else but only Thee.
Let me hate myself and love Thee;
And do all things for the sake of Thee.
Let me humble myself, and exalt Thee,
And think of nothing but only of Thee.
Let me die to myself, and live in Thee,
And take whatever happens as coming from Thee.
Let me forsake myself, and walk after Thee;
And ever desire to follow Thee.
Let me flee from myself, and turn to Thee;
That I may merit to be defended by Thee.
Let me fear for myself, let me fear Thee;
And be amongst those who are chosen by Thee.
Let me distrust myself, and trust in Thee,
And ever obey for the love of Thee.
Let me cleave to nothing but only to Thee,
And ever be poor for the sake of Thee.
Look upon me, that I may love Thee;
Call me, that I may see Thee,
and forever possess Thee.
Amen.

Prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where hate rules, let me bring love;
where malice, forgiveness;
where disputes, reconciliation;
where error, truth;
where doubt, belief;
where despair, hope;
where darkness, Thy light!
O Master, let me strive more
to comfort others than to be comforted,
to understand others than to be understood,
to love others, more than to be loved. . .
For
it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

[The following is St. Francis' meditation prayer]

My God and My All!

[The following is St. Francis' vocation prayer]

Most High, Glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of our minds.
Give us a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity,
so that we may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will.
enlighten the darkness of our minds.
Amen.

Saint Ignatius Loyola's Prayer

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous;
Teach me to serve thee as thou deservest;
To give and not to count the cost,
To fight and not to heed the wounds,
To toil and not to seek for rest,
To labor and not to ask for any reward,
Save that of knowing I do thy will.

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;
Body of Christ, be my salvation;
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;
Water from Christ's side, wash off all my stains;
Passion of Christ, my comfort be.
O good Jesus, listen to me;
In thy wounds I fain would hide;
Never to be parted from thy side;
Guard me when the foe assails me,
Call me when my life shall fail me,
Bid me come to thee above,
With thy Saints to sing thy love,
World without end.
Amen.

The Prayer of Saint Thomas the Apostle

[During the consecration at Mass, when the priest elevates the Body of Christ in the form of bread for all to see, it is appropriate to silently repeat the words of the no-longer-doubting Thomas ... ]

My Lord and my God!

Prayer for Priests

O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests;
for Your unfaithful and tepid priests;
for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields;
for Your tempted priests;
for Your lonely and desolate priests;
for Your young priests;
for Your dying priests;
for the souls of Your priests in purgatory.

But above all I recommend to You the priests dearest to me;
the priest who baptized me;
the priests who taught and instructed me;
the priests at whose Masses I participated;
the priests who absolved me from my sins;
the priests who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion;
all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way.

O Jesus, keep them close to Your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Emergency Baptism

Pour common water on the head or face of the person to be baptized and say while pouring it: "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Any person of either sex who has reached the use of reason can baptize in case of necessity.)