Some Prayers

PREPARATION FOR MASS

Prayer of Saint Thomas Aquinas

Almighty, everlasting God, behold, I approach the sacrament of our Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I come to it as a sick man to the physician who will save his life, as a man unclean to the fountain of mercy, a blind man to the radiance of eternal light, one poor and needy to the Lord O heaven and earth; praying that in your boundless generosity you will deign to cure my sickness, wash my defilement away, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness.

May the Bread of angels, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, be received by me with such humble reverence and devout contrition, such part of his mystical body and to be rec faith and purity, and such good resolutions as may help the salvation of my soul. Grant me grace, I beseech you, to receive not only the sacrament of our Lord’s body and blood, but also its inward power and effect. All-gentle God, grant that my receiving of that body, taken from the virgin Mary’s womb by your Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, may fit me to become part of his mystical body and to be reckoned one of its members. Most loving Father, grant that your beloved Son whom I, an earthly wayfarer, am now to receive in his sacramental guise, may one day give me sight of his face and let me gaze upon him for all eternity; who is God, living and reigning with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to our Lady

O Mother of pity and loving kindness, most blessed virgin Mary, I, a worthless and wretched sinner, fly to you in heartfelt love and confidence, entreating your compassion. You who stood by your dear Son when he hung upon the cross, have pity and deign to stand by me too, wretched sinner that I am and by all the priests who are offering Mass this day, here and elsewhere throughout holy Church.

By the help of your favour enable us to offer a sacrifice that shall be worthy and acceptable in the sight of the most high and undivided Trinity. Amen.

THANKSGIVING AFTER MASS

Prayer of Saint Thomas Aquinas

I thank you, holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who deigned to feast me , sinful and unworthy servant, with the precious body and blood of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, not for any merit of mine, but only because of your merciful goodness. And I pray that this holy communion, far from condemning me to punishment, may bring about my pardon and salvation, encompassing me with the armour of faith and the shield of a good will. By it let my vices be done away, all lustful desires extinguished. May it advance me in charity, patience, humility, obedience, and every other virtue. Let it be strong defence against the wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible, allaying for me every disturbance of flesh and spirit, binding me firmly to you, the one true God, and bringing my last hour to a happy close. I pray, too, that it may be your pleasure to call my sinful self one day to that banquet, wonderful past all telling where you, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, feast your saints with the vision of yourself, who are true light, the fulfillment of all desires, the joy that knows no ending, gladness unalloyed and perfect bliss: through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Petitions to our Holy Redeemer

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;

Body of Christ, be my salvation;

Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;

Water of Christ’s side, wash out my stains;

Passion of Christ, my comfort be;

O good Jesus, listen to me;

In thy wounds I fain would hide,

Ne’er to be parted from thy side;

Guard me, should the foe assail 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.

Self-Dedication

Take all my freedom, Lord; accept the whole of my memory, understanding, and will. Whatever I have or hold comes to me from your bounty, I give it all back to you, surrender it all to the guidance of your will. Your grace and the love of you are wealth enough: give me but that, and I ask for nothing more.

Before a representation of Christ crucified

My good and dearest Jesus, lo, I kneel before you beseeching and praying you with all the ardour of my soul to engrave deep and vivid impressions of faith, hope, and charity upon my heart, with true repentance for my sins, and a very firm resolve to make amends. Meanwhile I ponder over your five wounds, dwelling upon them with deep compassion and grief, and recalling the words that the prophet David long ago put into your mouth, good Jesus, concerning yourself: they have pierced my hands and my feet; they have counted all my bones!

BEFORE CONFESSION

Before confession examine your conscience by going through the ten commandments. In the confessional make the sign of the cross and say, In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Then say, “Bless me Father for I have sinned”. (It is helpful if you mention the length of time since your last confession.) If you have been away a long time you can tell the priest you wish to make a general confession and he will ask questions which you just answer, sometimes it is easier this way.

DO NOT FEAR GOING TO CONFESSION

Most people today have difficulties with going to confession. Priests today are a lot more understanding and sympathetic to those fears, so do not hesitate to make them known to the Priest and he will help you. He is there to help and guide you, if asked.

JESUS SAID TO ST FAUSTINA

When you go to confession, know this, that I am waiting for you in the confessional. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in the soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of Mercy. From this fount of Mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great there is no limit to My generosity,” (Diary VI6-7)

After telling your sins, say “for these and all the sins of my life, I am heartily sorry”. The priest may talk to you for a short time and then give you penance and invite you to say a good act of contrition while he is giving absolution.

THE ACT OF CONTRITION

OMy God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You and I detest my sins because I fear the loss of heaven and the pain of Hell, but most of all because they offend You my God, who are so good and deserving of all my love, and I firmly resolve with the help of your grace never more to offend you, and to amend my life. Amen. The priest will finally say: Go in the peace and love of Christ. Go out of the confessional and say your penance in the Church.

THE HOLY ROSARY

The Holy Rosary is composed of twenty decades, each decade consisting of the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory be to the Father; and each being recited in honour of some mystery in the life of Our Lord and of His Blessed Mother.

During each decade, we should call to mind the mystery which it is intended to honour, and pray that we may learn to practice the virtue specially taught us by that mystery.

A plenary indulgence may be gained, under the usual conditions for the recitation of the Rosary (five decades are sufficient), in a church or public oratory or in the family. If the Rosary is said privately a partial indulgence may be gained.

There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the Rosary, and these are divided into the five Joyful Mysteries, the five Luminous mysteries, the five Sorrowful mysteries, and the five Glorious mysteries;

As suggest by the Pope John Paul 11 the Joyful mysteries are said on Monday and Saturday, the Luminous on Thursday, the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, and the Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday (with the exception: Sundays of Christmas season – The Joyful; Sundays of Lent – Sorrowful)

THE FIVE JOYFUL MYSTERIES

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1.26-38)

2. The Visitation. (Luke 11.39-50)

3. The Birth of Our Lord. (Luke 1.14)

4. The Presentation in the Temple. (Luke 1.14)

5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2.42-52)

THE FIVE SOROWFUL MYSTERIES

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matt.26.36-46)

2. The Scourging at the Pillar. (Matt.27.17- 26)

3. The Crowning with Thorns. (Matt.27.27- 30)

4. The Carrying of the Cross. (Matt.27.31- 32)

5. The Crucifixion (John 19.17-42)

THE FIVE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

1. The Resurrection. (Matt.28.1-8)

2. Ascension of Christ into Heaven. (Acts 1.6-11)

3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1.6- 11)

4. The Assumption. (Redemptoris Mater)

5. Coronation of the Virgin Mary (Rev.12.1- 2)

THE FIVE LUMINIOUS MYSTERIES

1. The Baptism of Jesus’ in the Jordan (Matt.3.13)

2. The Wedding at Cana (Jn.2.1-12)

3. Jesus’ Proclaims the Kingdom (Matt. 1.15, 2.3-13)

4. Jesus’ Transfiguration (Luke. 9.34)

5. Institution of the Eucharist (Jn.6.22-65)


PRAYERS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE

A Prayer by Cardinal Mercier

I am going to show you a secret about holiness and happiness. For five minutes every day let your imagination be quiet, close your eyes to everything they see, and shut your ears to all of the world’s noise, so that you can withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptised soul, temple of the Holy Spirit. There, speak to the Holy Spirit saying:Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen and comfort me. Show me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to submit to anything You require from me, and to accept everything You allow to happen to me. Simply show me what is Your Will. Amen. Your life will be quiet and peaceful, and grace will be given to match any trial, leading you to the gates of heaven full of merit. Such docility to the Holy Spirit is the secret of holiness and happiness.
 

Saint Faustina’s Prayer for Healing

Jesus, may Your pure and healthy blood circulate in my ailing organism, and may Your pure and healthy body transform my weak unhealthy body, and may a healthy and vigorous life flow within me, if it is truly Your holy will, Amen.

Saint Faustina’s Prayer for Priests

O My Jesus,

I beg You on behalf of the whole Church:

Grant it love and the light of Your Spirit,

Give power to the words of priests

So that hardened hearts

Might be brought to repentance

And return to You.

Lord, give us holy priests;

You yourself maintain them in holiness.

O Divine and Great High Priest

May the power of Your mercy

Accompany them everywhere and protect them

From the devil’s traps and snares which are

Continually being set for the souls of priests.

May the power of Your mercy, O Lord,

Shatter and bring to naught

All that might tarnish the sanctity of priests,

For You can do all things.

Prayer to St. Joseph

Remember, O most pure spouse of Mary, and my dearly beloved guardian, St. Joseph, that never was it known that anyone who invoked your care and requested your help was left without consolation.

Inspired with this confidence, I come to you, and with all the ardor of my spirit I commend myself to you. Do not reject my prayer, O Foster Father of the Saviour, but graciously receive and answer it. Amen.

Prayer to the Divine Mercy

OLord, behold here before You a soul who exists in this world in order to allow You to exercise Your admirable MERCY and manifest it before heaven and earth. Others may glorify You through their faithfulness and perseverance, thus making evident the power of Your grace. How sweet and generous You are to those who are faithful too You!

Nevertheless I will glorify You by acquainting others of Your goodness to sinners and by reminding them that Your MERCY is above all malice, that nothing can exhaust it, and that no relapse, no matter how shameful or criminal, should allow the sinner to despair of forgiveness.

have offended You grievously, O beloved Redeemer, but it would be still worse if I were to offend You by thinking that You were lacking in goodness to forgive me. I would rather be deprived of everything else than the TRUST I have in Your MERCY.

Prayer for Mercy for the Dying

O merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I beseech You, by the agony of Your Most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Your immaculate Mother, wash clean in Your Blood the sinners of the whole world who are not in their final agony but especially those on their way to eternal damnation and who are to die this day.

Heart of Jesus who suffered death’s agony, I beg You have mercy on these poor souls.

Prayer for Mercy for Souls in Purgatory

Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of Your divine Son, Jesus in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, for those in my own home and within my own family. Amen