In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy
Spirit.
Amen.
Morning Offering:
O Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works,
joys and sufferings
of this day for all the intentions
of Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins,
for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,
and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.
Grace Before Meals:
Bless us, God, as we sit together.
Bless the food we eat today.
Bless the hands that made the food
and help us, God, to be kind like you. Amen
Grace After Meals:
Thank you, God, for the food we have eaten.
Thank you, God, for all our friends.
Thank you, God, for everything.
Thank you, God. Amen.
Journey Prayer:
Arise with me in the morning.
Travel with me through each day.
Welcome me on my arrival.
God, be with me all the way.
Our Father:
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.
Hail Mary:
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst 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.
Glory be to the Father:
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Prayer to my Guardian Angel:
Angel of God, appointed by divine mercy to be my guardian, enlighten and protect, direct and govern me this day.
The Confiteor:
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have fail to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God Amen..
Act of Sorrow:
O my God, l thank you for loving me. I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others and not loving you. Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen.
Prayer for Forgiveness:
O my God help me to remember the times when I didn’t live as Jesus asked me to. Help me to be sorry and to try again. Amen.
Thank you for forgiving me. Help me to love others. Help me to live as Jesus asked me to. Amen.
Prayer Before Holy Communion:
O my God help me to make a good Communion. Mary, my mother, pray to Jesus for me. All you holy Angels and saints, pray for me. My dear Angel Guardian lead me to the altar of God.
Lord Jesus, come to me. Lord, Jesus, give me your love. Lord Jesus, come to me and give me yourself. Lord Jesus, friend of children, come to me. Lord Jesus, you are my Lord and my God.
Prayer After Holy Communion:
Lord Jesus, I love and adore you. You’re a special friend to me. Welcome, Lord Jesus, o welcome. Thank you for coming to me. Thank you, Lord Jesus, o thank you for giving yourself to me. Make me strong to show your love wherever I may be. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay close by me forever and love me, I pray. Bless all of us children in your loving care and bring us to heaven to live with you there. I’m ready now, Lord Jesus, to show how much I care. I’m ready now to give your love at home and everywhere. Amen.
Prayer for a Child:
Lord Jesus, I love and adore you. You’re a special friend to me. Welcome, Lord Jesus, O welcome. Thank you for coming to me.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, O thank you for giving yourself to me. Make me strong to show your love wherever I may be.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay, close by me forever and love me, I pray. Bless all of us children in your loving care and bring us to heaven to live with you there.
I’m ready now, Lord Jesus, to show how much I care. I’m ready now to give your love at home and everywhere. Amen.
Soul of Christ:
Soul of Christ, make me holy
Body of Christ, be my salvation
Blood of Christ, let me drink your wine
Water flowing from the side of Christ, wash me clean
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
Kind Jesus, hear my prayer
Hide me within your wounds
And keep me close to you
Defend me from the evil enemy
And call me at the hour of my death
To the fellowship of your saints
That I might sing your praise with them
for all eternity. Amen.
The Grail Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work. I give you my feet to go your way. I give you my eyes to see as you do. I give you my tongue to speak your words. I give you my mind that you may think in me. I give you my spirit that you may pray in me. Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me your Father and all mankind. I give you my whole self that you may grow in me. So that it is you, Lord Jesus, who live and work and pray in me. Amen
The Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth;
and 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.
The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come 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 the life everlasting.
Amen.
Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty. Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, he is adored and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, holy Queen, mother of Mercy.
Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping,
in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile, show unto us
the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet virgin Mary.
The Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
The Magnificat:
My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour. He looks on his servant in her lowliness; henceforth all nations will call me blessed. The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy his name! His mercy is from age to age, on those who fear him. He puts forth his arm in strength and scatters the proud-hearted. He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly. He fills the starving with good things, sends the rich away empty. He protects Israel, his servant, remembering his mercy, the mercy promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his sons forever.
The Angelus:
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R- And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. (Hail Mary….)
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R- Be it done unto me according to thy word. (Hail Mary….)
And the Word was made Flesh.
R- And dwelt among us. (Hail Mary….)
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R- That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that, we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Regina Coeli:
(This prayer is used to replace the Angelus during Easter)
All. Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia – For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia – Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V: Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R: Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.
V: Let us pray : O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beg Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.
Act of Consecration – Immaculate Heart of Mary:
O most pure heart of Mary, full of goodness, show your love towards us. Let the flame of your heart, O Mary, descend on all people. We love you immensely. Impress on our hearts true love so that we may long for you. O Mary, gentle and humble of heart, remember us when we sin. You know that all people sin. Grant that through your most pure and motherly heart, we may be healed from every spiritual sickness. Grant that we may always experience the goodness of your motherly heart, and that through the flame of your heart we may be converted. Amen.
Prayer to Our Lady of Knock:
Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland, you gave hope to our people in a time of distress and comforted them in sorrow. You have inspired countless pilgrims to pray with confidence to your divine Son, remembering His promise: “Ask and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find”. Help me to remember that we are all pilgrims on the road to heaven. Fill me with love and concern for my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those who live with me. Comfort me when I am sick or lonely or depressed. Teach me how to take part ever more reverently in the holy Mass. Pray for me now, and at the hour of my death. Amen.
The Rosary:
Joyful Mysteries: Monday and Saturday
(Annunciation; Visitation; Birth of Jesus; Presentation; Finding of Jesus in the Temple)
Sorrowful Mysteries: Tuesday and Friday
(Agony in the Garden; Scourging at the Pillar; Crowning with Thorns; The Carrying of the Cross; The Crucifixion)
Glorious Mysteries: Wednesday and Sunday
(The Resurrection; The Ascension; The Coming of the Holy Spirit; The Assumption; Crowning of Mary Queen of Heaven)
Luminous Mysteries: Thursday
(Baptism of Jesus; Manifestation of Jesus at Cana; The Proclamation of the Kingdom; The Transfiguration; The Institution of the Eucharist)
How To Pray The Rosary:
- Make the Sign of the Cross and say the Apostle’s Creed.
- Offer an Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s and one Glory Be for the Pope’s Intentions
- Announce the First Mystery
- Pray one Our Father, 10 Hail Mary’s and one Glory Be.
- Recite the Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
- Repeat steps 4 – 5 for each of the four remaining mysteries
- After the Rosary pray the following
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, hail our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
- Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us Pray:
O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
The Lord is My Shepherd:
Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. He guides me along the right path; He is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me comfort. You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever. Amen
Come Holy Spirit:
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray: O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
Holy Spirit, I want to do what is right. Help me. Holy Spirit, I want to live like Jesus guide me. Holy Spirit, I want to pray like Jesus teach me. Amen. Spirit of God in the heavens. Spirit of God in the seas. Spirit of God in the mountain tops. Spirit of God in me. Spirit of God in the sunlight. Spirit of God in the air. Spirit of God all around me. Spirit of God everywhere. Holy Spirit, Spirit of God help me. Amen.
Prayer in times of Financial Difficulty:
Dear Lord, help me find firm ground in this shaky economy. As I seek work and assistance, give me strength not to be anxious when I seem to be going nowhere; give me patience not to despair when things look bleak; give me serenity to know you are here with me, helping me to carry my crosses each day; so that I may do Your will. Amen
Prayer for Patience:
My dearest Jesus, teach me to be patient,
when all day long my heart is troubled by little, but troublesome crosses.
Prayer in Time of Sickness:
Jesus, You suffered and died for us. You understand suffering. Teach me to understand my suffering as You do; to bear it in union with You; to offer it with You to atone for my sins and to bring your grace to souls in need. Calm my fears; increase my trust. May I gladly accept your holy will and become more like You in trial. If it be your will, restore me to health so that I may work for your honor and glory and the salvation of all. Amen
Prayer when undergoing Medical Tests:
Dear Lord, as my loved ones and I await the results of medical tests about my affliction, let us offer you our anxieties for our good and your glory. Calm us in our worries, knowing these don’t add wisdom but rather stress to this situation. Enlighten us, though the power of your Spirit, to make wise decisions as to treatment. Help us not to turn away from You in these fragile, painful moments, but rather towards you for grace and strength. Comfort us in seeking you now as we place all our concerns in your loving hands as we say, “Thy Will Be Done.” Amen.
Prayer for a Cure:
Gentle Jesus, who cured the sick and laid a healing hand upon the lame, the blind and the handicapped, look with compassion upon me in my suffering. If it is not your Will to cure me, then give me strength to bear my burden and offer it up to You. You suffered so much for me. Give me grace to offer my sufferings in union with Your own, in reparation for my sins and those of others, for the needs of this troubled world, and for the release of the souls in purgatory. Mary, compassionate Mother, pray for your weary child. Health of the Sick, Comforter of the Afflicted, pray for me. Amen
Prayer to St Anthony:
O Holy St Anthony, gentlest of saints, your love for God and charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers.
Miracles waited on your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in trouble or anxiety.
Encouraged by this thought, I implore of you to obtain for me (request).
The answer to my prayer may require a miracle, even so, you are the Saint of Miracles.
O gentle and loving St Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen
Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
O most holy heart of Jesus, Fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You! Amen.
Cardinal Newman Prayer (1):
Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen today that You and I together can’t handle.
Cardinal Newman Prayer (2):
O Lord support us all the day long until the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then, Lord, in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last.
Complete Thy work, O Lord, and as Thou hast loved me from the beginning so make me to love Thee unto the end.
Cardinal Newman Prayer (3):
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus! Stay with me, and then I shall begin to shine as Thou shinest, so to shine as to be a light to others; the light, O Jesus, will be all from Thee; none of it will be mine; it will be Thou shining on others through me. Let me thus praise Thee in the way Thou dost love best by shining on those around me. Let me preach Thee without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to Thee. Amen.
A Meditation by Cardinal Newman:
God has created me to do him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission – I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told of it in the next.
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught, I shall do good, I shall do his work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it – if I do but keep His Commandments.
Therefore, I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorry, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me – still He knows what He is about.
Young Person’s Prayer:
Here I am Lord, standing at the crossroads of my life, the time has come for me to choose the road which leads to you. I hesitate for fear of what lies ahead of me, for I am much afraid of the unknown.
Take my hand in yours and walk with me for the road is long and there are no shortcuts. I place myself into your hands. You know the way. You are the Way.
The Hurler’s Prayer
Grant me O Lord, a hurler’s skill,
With strength of arm and speed of limb
Unerring eye for the flying ball
And courage to match whate’er befall
May my stroke be steady, and my aim be true
My actions manly and my misses few
No matter what way the game may go
May I rest in friendship with every foe
When the final whistle for me has blown
And I stand at last before God’s judgement throne
May the great referee when he calls my name
Say, you hurled like a man; you played the game.
A Hurler’s Wish: Oh God! Please grant that when this life I’ll yield That in heaven you’ll have a hurling field. With goalposts white and a green field grand And sunny days and a grand pipe band. And maybe, God, a singer or two To lilt a ballad for me and you. Then all I’d wish is to spend each day Watching all the great hurlers play. With Ring and Mackey and Rackard too And Semple and Lory to name a few. To watch Scanlon or Daly mind the net. You’ll promise too it won’t be wet. Ten-year tickets, they will not be Your ones will be for eternity No corporate funding you’ll require For who was it said, “God loves a trier” Where everyone is the same as you In red or white or gold or blue Your field dear Lord will have a mighty stand To hold the people from every land. Jew and Gentile, Pole and Moor, For the kings and queens and the humble poor. Put St Patrick on the gate For the new arrivals might be late So line the field and cut the grass I know some day it will come to pass When all will go to the final game Where rich and poor will be the same By Jack Ryan |
Prayer to do God’s Will:
Lord, make me a better person, more considerate towards others, more honest with myself, more faithful to you.
Make me generous enough to want sincerely to do your will whatever it may be, help me to find my true vocation in life and grant that through it I may find happiness myself and bring happiness to others.
Prayer of Thomas Merton:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Prayer of St Ignatius Loyola:
(Founder of the Jesuits)
Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve. 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 labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do thy will.
Take, Lord, all my liberty. Receive my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. Whatever I have and possess, you have given me; to you I restore it wholly and to your will I utterly surrender it for my direction. Give me the love of you only, with your grace, and I am rich enough; nor do I ask anything beside.
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred let me sow peace, where there is injury let me sow pardon, where there is doubt let me sow faith, where there is despair let me give hope, where there is darkness let me give light, where there is sadness let me give joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not try to be comforted but to comfort, not try to be understood but to understand, not try to be loved but to love. Because it is in giving that we receive, it is in forgiving that we are forgiven, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Prayer for Vocations (1):
Loving God, you call all who believe in you to grow perfect in love by following in the footsteps of Christ your Son. Call from among us more men and women who will serve you as religious. By their way of life, may they provide a convincing sign of your Kingdom for the Church and the whole world.
Gracious and loving God, help the men and women of our parish to hear your call. Open the hearts of many, raise up faithful servants of the Gospel, dedicated, holy priests, sisters, brothers and deacons, who will spend themselves for your people and their needs. Bless those who are serving now with courage and perseverance. Grant that many will be inspired by their example and faith. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for Vocations (2):
Father you call each one of us by name and ask us to follow you. Bless your church by raising up dedicated and
generous leaders from our families and friends who will serve your people as Sisters, Priests, Brothers, Deacons, and Lay Ministers.
Inspire us as we grow to know you and open our hearts to hear your call. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer of St. Richard Wych:
Thanks be to thee, O Lord Christ, for all the benefits which thou hast given us; for all the pains and insults which thou hast borne for us. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may we know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly. for thine own sake.
Prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola:
(Founder of the Jesuits)
Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve. 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 labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do thy will.
Take, Lord, and Receive:
(St Ignatius Loyola)
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will. All I have and call my own. Whatever I have or hold, you have given me. I restore it all to you and surrender it wholly to be governed by your will. Give me only your love and grace and I am rich enough and ask for nothing more.
A Prayer to Jesus:
Jesus, I believe in you, Jesus, I hope in you, Jesus, I love you.
I believe in you for those who do not believe. I hope in you for those who have never hoped and for those who have lost hope. I love you for those who have never known you and have never loved you.
Sweet Heart of Jesus, I trust in you. I trust in you for all, with all, in spite of all, and forever.
O Mary, Mother of my Jesus, keep me close to Jesus, keep Jesus close to me.
A Prayer for Peace:
O God, source of all holy desires, right counsels and just actions, grant to your servants that peace which the world cannot give, so that our hearts may be wholly devoted to your service, and all our days, freed from dread of our enemies, may be passed in quietness under your protection.
A Prayer for Busy People:
Lord Jesus, have pity on me.
With Martha I was busy all day long.
Allow me now with Mary to sit at your feet simply to look at you and listen to you.
A Prayer for Those Who Are Ill with the Coronavirus Disease:
God our Father, You are the ultimate Healer. Father, we come before You to pray for those infected with this virus. We pray for not only their healing but for them to be comforted while they heal. Lord, please eradicate every ounce of this virus from their bodies. Please heal every cell in their bodies, every infected part of their being. We pray for no lasting effects in their bodies from this illness. Father, please heal them inside and out and provide them with the medical care they need, with the medications they need, and with the healing not only physically but spiritually so that they may live life to the full.
Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love.
Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.
Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbors from helping one another.
Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders. Amen.
Prayer of St. Charles de Foucauld:
Father, I abandon myself into your hands, do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you. I am ready for all. I accept all. Let your will be done in me and all your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.
Prayer of Abu Bekr:
(Father-in-law of Mohammed)
I thank Thee, Lord, for knowing me better than I know myself, and for letting me know myself better than others know me.
Make me, I pray Thee, better than they suppose, and forgive me for what they do not know.
Prayer from a Book of Hours:
God be in my head, and in my understanding, God be in mine eyes, and in my looking, God be in my mouth, and in my speaking, God be in my heart, and in my thinking, God be at my end, and at my departing.
Cistercian Prayer for the Dead:
God our Father, you have glorified your Son and your Son has glorified you. Through him grant eternal life to all those you have given him, so that together they may know you, and sing your glory, for ever and ever.
Prayer for the Dying:
Go forth, O Christian soul, in the name of God the Father almighty, who created you, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who suffered for you, in the name of the Holy Spirit, who was given to you, in the name of the holy and glorious Mary, Virgin Mother of God, in the name of blessed Joseph, in the name of the angels, archangels and prophets, of the holy apostles and evangelists, of the holy martyrs, confessors, monks and hermits, of the holy virgins and of all the saints of God, may peace be yours this day, and may your home be in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Apache Wedding Prayer:
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness and may your days be good and long upon the earth.
A Prayer for a New Child:
O Lord our God, Creator of heaven and earth, and our creator: we give you thanks and praise for the gift of this child… We thank you for creating him/her in your image and breathing into him/her the breath of life. We thank you for the love which her parents have for each other, and for the welcome they are giving to… By the power of the Holy Spirit, fill their home with love, trust and understanding, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for the Child in the Womb:
Lord Jesus, you are the source and lover of life. Reawaken in us respect for every human life. Help us to see in each child the marvelous work of our Creator. Open our hearts to welcome every child as a unique and wonderful gift. Guide the work of doctors, nurses and midwives. May the life of a mother and her baby in the womb be equally cherished and respected.
Help those who make our laws to uphold the uniqueness and sacredness of every human life, from the first moment of conception to natural death.
Give us wisdom and generosity to build a society that cares for all.
Together with Mary, your Mother, in whose womb you took on our human nature, help us to choose life in every decision we take. We ask this in the joyful hope of eternal life with you, and in the communion of the Blessed Trinity. Amen.
A Simple Blessing:
May you walk in Peace.
Live with Love.
Work with Joy and May Your God go with you.
Prayer for those who live Alone:
I live alone, dear Lord, stay by my side. In all my daily needs be Thou my guide. Grant me good health, for that indeed, I pray, to carry on my work from day to day.
Keep pure my heart, my thoughts, my every deed. Let me be kind, unselfish in my neighbour’s need. Spare me from fire, from flood, malicious tongues, from thieves, from fear and evil ones. If sickness or an accident befall, then humbly, Lord, I pray, hear Thou my call, and when I’m feeling low, or in despair, lift up my heart and help me in my prayer. I live alone dear Lord, yet have no fear, because I feel Your presence ever near.
I Asked for Strength:
I asked for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I had asked for, but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered; I am, among all men, most richly blessed.
Prayer for Fathers of Families by Pope John XXIII:
St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfilment of duty. You supported the Holy Family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. But amid the worries of material life your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God’s Son entrusted to you with Mary, His tender Mother. Assure those you protect that they do not labour alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over Him faithfully as you have done. Amen.
Prayer for Guidance:
Father, I have knowledge, so will You show me now how to use it wisely and find a way somehow to make the world I live in a better place, and make life with its problems a bit easier to face?
Grant me faith and courage and put purpose in my days and show me how to serve Thee in the most effective ways, so all my education, my knowledge and my skill, may find their true fulfilment as I learn to do Your will.
And may I ever be aware in everything I do, that knowledge comes from learning, and wisdom comes from You.
Student Prayer:
Lord help me to study hard, to do my best always, so I can achieve what I am capable of according to the talents and ability you have given me.
Guide me along the right path, because I know that following your Will is what will make me happiest in life. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Prayer when you’re Confused:
Lord Jesus, I’m really confused. I really don’t know why, And I don’t know what to do and I can’t help the way I feel. So, I’m coming to You. Lord Jesus, speak a Word to scatter the darkness in my mind and heart. Burn away the clouds of uncertainty. Shed a ray of Your Divine Light with its healing rays to set me straight. Jesus, I trust in You!
Prayer in difficult Moments
Lord, sometimes I find it hard to believe that you are a loving Father. Someone close to me dies or becomes seriously ill. A senseless tragedy occurs. Children starve. The poor and aged are ignored.
People are hated because of their colour, beliefs, birthplace. When these things happen, I want to know why Lord. But you never answer. And I, in darkness of faith and trust in you, can only accept. It’s a lot like the way parents must treat their young children. They don’t explain fire or pain to their toddler. They simply keep the child from going close, touching the fire.
From my limited point of view, I cannot hope to understand the enormous mysteries of life. I can try to approach them with love and compassion. I can try to lessen, at least a little, the pain and suffering about me. Lord, help me to do this. Amen.
Prayer for Friends:
Jesus, I thank you for my friends. I ask your blessing on my friends today. Show them your great love for them, and if any are struggling or lonely, hurting or broken in any way, care for their needs and comfort them as only you can. Give me the graces I need to be a good friend – open and trusting, caring and giving. Help me to see my friends with your eyes, so I can see when they are hurting on the inside even though they don’t show it on the outside. And most of all, give me your heart and your love for my friends so that I could love them as you do.
(Fr Stan Fortuna, CFR)
Prayer for those away from Home:
Loving God, we pray for those whom we love, but who are absent from us.
Keep them safe from all harm, evil and danger.
Bless them with peace, laughter, wisdom, love and joy.
Grant that we may be reunited in the fullness of love;
St Colmcille, who suffered the pain and grief of exile,
watch over the children of Ireland, scattered throughout the world.
Obtain for them solace and courage.
Keep them true to God in every trial and temptation. Amen.
Prayer for a young person who has left Home:
She/he is far away, lonely and alone. She/he is starting a new life in a city where she/he knows no one and none notice her/him. Give her/him courage, O God, to face each new day, to find work that gives meaning, to discover friends who enrich her/his life. Guard her/him from all danger and harm, from disease and despair, and from all which threatens to destroy the gift of life which you have given unto her/him. All this we ask in the name of Christ. Amen.
Quotes for Young People:
“God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go.” – Tony Evans
“If God is your partner, make your plans BIG!” – D.L. Moody
“You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read.” – John MacArthur
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us” – St. Augustine
“God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile” – Max Lucado
“Christ literally walked in our shoes.” – Tim Keller
“If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire!”
St Catherine of Siena
‘I wanted to live, to play for Munster, to travel the whole world’
A Promise from God:
I know what plans I have in mind for you; plans for peace and not disaster to give you a future and a hope. When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you seek me, you will find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me.
Jeremiah 29: 11-13
Our Lady:
“When you follow Mary, you will not go astray. When you pray to her, you will not despair. When your mind is on her, you will not wander. When she holds you up, you will not fall. When she protects you, you will have no fear. When she guides you, you will feel no fatigue. When she is on your side, you will arrive safely home.
St Bernard
“To live without faith, without a heritage to defend, without battling constantly for truth, is not to live but to ‘get along’; we must never just ‘get along’.”
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
“Do not be afraid to be holy! Have the courage and humility to present yourselves to the world, determined to be holy, since full, true freedom is born from holiness.”
Pope John Paul II
“We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution.
Each of us is the result of a thought of God.
Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.”
Pope Benedict XVI
Faith gives us an anchor in a raging sea. Calm in the midst of chaos,
Vision to know right from wrong. And the courage to express it.
Anonymous
In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal
are worth rushing back to.
Dave Hollis
Stations of the Cross:
(Composed by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri)
Opening Prayer:
My Lord, Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love;
and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You. But now I love You with all my heart;
and, because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You.
Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me;
I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You.
My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.
At the cross her station keeping
Stood the mournful Mother weeping
Close to Jesus to the last
1st Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus Christ, after being scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
2nd Station: Jesus Accepts His Cross:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider Jesus as He walked this road with the cross on His shoulders, thinking of us, and offering to His Father in our behalf, the death He was about to suffer.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
3rd Station: Jesus Falls the First Time:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider the first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowing with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
4th Station: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the Son met his Mother on His way to Calvary. Jesus and Mary gazed at each other and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
5th Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how weak and weary Jesus was. At each step He was at the point of expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way when they wished Him to die the infamous death of the cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help carry the cross after Our Lord.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
6th Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider the compassion of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil. Jesus wiped His face and left upon the cloth the image of his sacred countenance.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
7th Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the second fall of Jesus under His cross renews the pain in all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
8th Station: Jesus Speaks to the Women:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the women wept with compassion seeing Jesus so distressed and dripping with blood as he walked along. Jesus said to them, “Weep not so much for me, but rather for Your children.”
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
9th Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak, and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps though He hardly had strength to move.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
10th Station: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners. The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Have pity for your Savior so cruelly treated and tell Him:
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
11th Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider Jesus, thrown down upon the cross, He stretched out His arms and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. They nailed His hands and feet, and then, raising the cross, left Him to die in anguish.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
12th Station: Jesus Dies Upon the Cross:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Your Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head and dies.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
13th Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how, after Our Lord had died, He was taken down from the cross by two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, and placed in the arms of His afflicted Mother. She received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him close to her bosom.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
14th Station: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb:
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to its burial, while His holy Mother went with them and arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They then closed the tomb, and all departed.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Litany of the Saints:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
After each response below the invocation is: Have mercy on us. God, our heavenly Father, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, one God,
After each response below the invocation is: Pray for us. Holy Mary, pray for us. Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, All you holy Angels and Archangels, All you holy orders of blessed Spirits, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Joseph, All you holy Patriarchs and Prophets, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Andrew, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Thomas, Saint James, Saint Philip, Saint Bartholomew, Saint Matthew, Saint Simon, Saint Thaddeus, Saint Matthias, Saint Barnabas, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, All you holy Apostles and Evangelists, All you holy Disciples of the Lord, All you holy Innocents, Saint Stephen, Saint Lawrence, Saint Vincent, Saint Fabian and Saint Sebastian, Saint John and Saint Paul, Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian, All you holy Martyrs, Saint Silvester, Saint Gregory, Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, Saint Martin, Saint Nicholas, All you holy Bishops and Confessors, All you holy Doctors, Saint Anthony, Saint Benedict, Saint Bernard, Saint Dominic, Saint Francis, Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint Agatha, Saint Lucy, Saint Agnes, Saint Cecilia, Saint Catharine, Saint Anastasia, All you Saints of God,
After each invocation below, the response is: Lord, save Your people. Lord be merciful, Lord save Your people From every evil, From every sin, From Your anger, From sudden and unforeseen death, From the snares of the devil, From anger, hatred, and all ill will, From the spirit of uncleanness, From lightening and tempest, From the scourge of earthquake, From plague, famine, and war, From everlasting death, By the mystery of Your holy Incarnation, By Your coming, By Your birth, By Your baptism and holy fasting, By Your Cross and suffering, By Your death and burial, By Your holy resurrection, By Your wonderful ascension, By the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, On the day of Judgment,
After each invocation below, the response is: Lord, hear our prayer. Be merciful to us sinners, Lord, hear our prayer. That You will spare us, That You will pardon us, That it may please You to bring us to true repentance, To govern and preserve Your holy Church, To preserve in holy religion the Pope, and all Holy Orders, To humble the enemies of holy Church, To give peace and unity to the whole Christian people, To recall to the unity of the Church all those who are straying, to bring all unbelievers to the light of the Gospel, To strengthen and preserve us in Your holy service, To raise our minds to desire the things of heaven, To reward all our benefactors with eternal blessings, To deliver our souls from eternal damnation, and the souls of our brethren, kinsmen, and benefactors, To give and preserve the fruits of the earth, To grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, that it may please You to hear and heed us, Jesus, Son of the living God, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Amen.
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