The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy
Spirit.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (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.
(A Second Ending: added after’ but deliver us from evil. ‘ )
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory.
forever and ever. Amen
The Jesus prayer (the pilgrim’s prayer)
O Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Anima Christi (Soul of Christ)… after Communion
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.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
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.
Glory Be to the Father… (The Doxology)
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.
Daily Morning Prayer
O Jesus,
through the most pure heart of Mary,
I offer you all my prayers , works and sufferings of this day,
for the intentions of your Sacred Heart and
the intentions of our most holy father, Pope Francis.
Amen
Daily Evening Prayer
God, our Father,
this day is done.
We ask you and Jesus Christ, your Son,
that with the Spirit, our welcome guest,
you guard our sleep
and bless our rest.
Amen.
Popular morning or night prayer to Guardian Angel
Angel of God, my Guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day (or night) be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
Grace Before Meals
Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts,
which of thy bounty we are about to receive
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Grace After Meals
We give Thee thanks Almighty God,
for all the benefits which we have received
through Christ our Lord.
Lord, bless all those who have worked so hard to prepare this food for us.
Amen
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Prayer for a safe journey
“In the name of God I go on this journey. May God the Father be with me, God the Son protect me, and God the Holy Ghost be by my side. Amen.“
“Lord, be our guide and our protector
on the journey we are about to take.
Watch over us.
Protect us from accidents.
Keep us free from harm to body and soul.
Lord, support us with Your grace when we are tired.
Help us be patient in any trouble which may come our way.
Keep us always mindful of Your presence and love.
Amen.“
St Christopher guide us safely home.
Biblical blessing for all occasions (Numbers 6:24-26)
May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord let his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you;
May the the Lord uncover his face to you, and bring you peace.
Amen
Personal 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 and 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.
Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed.. an early Church prayer of Christian belief
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;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty
from there he will 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 life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father 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 (men) and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by 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,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who 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.
Personal Act of Contrition
My God,
I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.
In his name, my God, have mercy.
Amen
Prayer to the Holy Family and a happy death
Jesus , Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus , Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony
Jesus , Mary and Joseph, may my soul in peace with you forver
Prayer for a Happy Death
O God, great and omnipotent judge of the living and the dead, we are to appear before you after this short life to render an account of our works. Give us the grace to prepare for our last hour by a devout and holy life, and protect us against a sudden and unprovided death. Let us remember our frailty and mortality, that we may always live in the ways of your commandments.
Teach us to “watch and pray” (Lk 21:36), that when your summons comes for our departure from this world, we may go forth to meet you, experience a merciful judgment, and rejoice in everlasting happiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for Students or before exams
Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom!
Pour forth your brilliance upon my limited intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance.
Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself.
Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion.
This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever.
Amen.
The Serenity Prayer –the common name for a prayer authored by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). The first three lines are the most known and prayed.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
(Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.)
Prayer for peace – St. Francis
The prayer is often attributed to St Francis Bernadone who was born in Assisi, Italy in 1181. (After living a carefree childhood and young adulthood filled with wealthy entertainment and pleasure, Francis fell ill at the age of 20 and his thoughts began to focus on eternity and his relationship with God. Francis turned from his wealthy lifestyle and decided to give his life over to the church. He passed in 1226 after rekindling the love of God among many thousands of people.)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is dispair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
SACRAMENTS
Prayers for Baptism – Family prayer before the ceremony
Heavenly Father,
On this day of new beginnings, bless our child ……
with your grace and love, surround him/her with goodness, guide his/her steps along the way and keep him/her from harm.
Lord, smile upon him/her, and through your teachings may ….. find contentment through kind and thoughtful acts.
With the guidance & love of his Parents n….. and n….., his/her Godparents n ….. and …..n, and his/her dear Family & Friends, we pray ….. will lead a life full of happiness, faith and love for all.
Amen
Core Prayer of Baptism (as the water is poured on the child’s head.)
I baptise you ………
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Confirmation – Prayer for Confirmation
Holy Spirit, strengthen …….
with your gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord,that he/she serve as a disciple of Christ.
Grant that she/he may grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ. Fill her/him with the joy
of your presence.
Increase in her/him the fruit of your Spirit. Help him/her to experience and trust your dwelling within, so that he/she can count on your guidance today and every day.
Show all of us the way to help one another become better disciples of Jesus Christ, sharing your
love with our world and with each person we meet.
Come, Holy Spirit! Come
Eucharist
Prayer before Communion
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said to Your Apostles: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you,” regard not my sins but the faith of Your Church, and deign to give her peace and unity according to Your Will: Who live and reign, God, world without end. Amen.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Who, by the will of the Father, with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, have by Your death given life to the world, deliver me by this Your Most Sacred Body and Blood from all my sins and from every evil. Make me always cling to Your commandments, and never permit me to be separated from You. Who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and reign, God, world without end. Amen.
Let not the partaking of Your Body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, though unworthy, presume to receive, turn to my judgment and condemnation; but through Your goodness, may it become a safeguard and an effective remedy, both of soul and body. Who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof; but only say the word, and my soul will be healed. (3 times.)
Prayer after Communion (by St Thomas Aguinas 13th Century)
I thank You, Lord, Almighty Father, Everlasting God, for having been pleased, through no merit of mine, but of Your great mercy alone, to feed me, a sinner, and Your unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that this Holy Communion may not be for my judgement and condemnation, but for my pardon and salvation. Let this Holy Communion be to me an armour of faith and a shield of good will, a cleansing of all vices, and a rooting out of all evil desires. May it increase love and patience, humility and obedience, and all virtues.
May it be a firm defense against the evil designs of all my visible and invisible enemies, a perfect quieting of all the desires of soul and body.
May this Holy Communion bring about a perfect union with You, the one true God, and at last enable me to reach eternal bliss when You will call me. I pray that You bring me, a sinner, to the indescribable Feast where You, with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, are to Your saints true light, full blessedness, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for Penance/Reconciliation/Confession
Prayer before Confession
Receive my confession, O most loving and gracious Lord Jesus Christ, only hope for the salvation of my soul. Grant to me true contrition of soul, so that day and night I may by penance make satisfaction for my many sins. Savior of the world, O good Jesus, Who gave Yourself to the death of the Cross to save sinners, look upon me, most wretched of all sinners; have pity on me, and give me the light to know my sins, true sorrow for them, and a firm purpose of never committing them again.
Act of Contrition in Confession
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 I have offended 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.
Prayer after confession
(After you say your penance as given by the priest this may be a prayer you might like to add this prayer)
Dear Jesus, I have told all my sins to the best of my ability. I have sincerely tried to make a good confession and I know that you have forgiven me. Thank you dear Jesus! Your divine heart is full of love and mercy for poor sinners. I love You dear Jesus; you are so good to me. My loving Saviour, I shall try to keep from sin and to love You more each day.
Dearest Mother Mary, pray for me and help me to keep all my promises. Protect me and do not let me fall back into sin. Dear God, help me to lead a good life. Without Your grace I can do nothing.
Amen!
Holy Orders
Prayer for ordained deacons
Lord Jesus, you came to serve, not to be served,
form within us your generous spirit;
Fill us with your love,
that we may love the Father as your love him.
Fill us with your compassion,
that we may see our brothers and sisters
as you see them.
Fill us with your courage,
that we may give our lives in service to the Church
as you gave your life for her.
Fill us with that Spirit which will make us
preachers of your Word,
ministers of your Sacrifice,
servants of your Bride,
friends of the poor,
and the voice of the forgotten.
Transform us through your Holy Spirit
so that we may transform the world into
Your Kingdom of justice and faith.
Amen.
Prayers for priests
O Jesus, our great High Priest, Hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father ….. Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life.
In his loneliness, comfort him In his sorrows, strengthen him In his frustrations, point out to him that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show him that he is needed by the Church, he is needed by souls, he is needed for the work of redemption.
O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your son who is close to you because of his priestly ordination, and because of the power which he has received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs him so much.
Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength, and especially help him to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.
Amen.
Prayer for Bishops
Heavenly Father,
in these trying times
when the spirit of the age
threatens Christian values,
give our bishop …… holiness of life
and wisdom to direct and guide our (arch)diocesan
family so that we may grow in your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer for the Pope
O Lord, we are the millions of believers, humbly kneeling at Thy feet and begging Thee to preserve, defend and save the Sovereign Pontiff for many years. He is the Father of the great fellowship of souls and our Father as well. On this day, as on every other day, he is praying for us also, and is offering unto Thee with holy fervoUr the sacred Victim of love and peace.
Wherefore, O Lord, turn Thyself toward us with eyes of pity; for we are now, as it were, forgetful of ourselves, and are praying above all for him. Do Thou unite our prayers with his and receive them into the bosom of Thine infinite mercy, as a sweet savor of active and fruitful charity, whereby the children are united in the Church to their Father. All that he asks of Thee this day, we too ask it of Thee in union with him.
whether he weeps or rejoices, whether he hopes or offers himself as a victim of charity for his people, we desire to be united with him; nay more, we desire that the cry of our hearts should be made one with his. Of Thy great mercy grant, O Lord, that not one of us may be far from his mind and his heart in the hour that he prays and offers unto Thee the Sacrifice of Thy blessed Son. At the moment when our venerable High Priest, holding in His hands the very Body of Jesus Christ, shall say to the people over the Chalice of benediction these words: “The peace of the Lord be with you always,” grant, O Lord, that Thy sweet peace may come down upon our hearts and upon all the nations with new and manifest power.
Amen
Marriage
Prayer of the Newly, and not so newly, Married Couple
c/f Rite of Marriage (Veritas)
We thank you, Lord,
And we praise you
For bringing us
To this happy day.
You have given us to each other.
Now, together, we give ourselves to you.
We ask you, Lord:
Make us one in our love;
Keep us one in your peace.
Protect our marriage.
Bless our home.
Make us gentle.
Keep us faithful.
And when life is over
Unite us again
Where parting is no more
In the kingdom of your love.
Sacrament of the Sick
“Extreme unction,” which may also and more fittingly be called “anointing of the sick,” is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to
receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should
pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, 15and the prayer of faith will
save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be
forgiven. St James Letter 5:14-15
Family Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
With heavy hearts we come to You. You are Almighty Creator God; holy and full of grace and love. Our hearts are heavy because of a life that is leaving us. Death engulfs us Lord. Fear is waiting to take us down.
Thank You Father, that because of Jesus, You know our pain and sorrow intimately. Thank You that Jesus knows the way through this dark shadow. Take the hand of our dear sister/brother ….. and make Yourself known. Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Keep that which is Your own and take it into eternity to be with You. In Jesus,