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.
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ANIMA
CHRISTI
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.
MEMORARE
Remember, O
most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that any one who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
We fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother;
to thee do we come, before thee we stand, sinful and sorrowful;
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not our petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer them. Amen.
ACT
OF CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH
O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to your honor and give
myself to you,that you may always be my father, my protector and
my guide in the way of salvation.
Obtain
for me a greater purity of heart and fervent love of the interior
life.
After your example may I do all my actions for the greater glory
of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate
Heart of Mary.
O
Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me, that I may share in the peace and
joy of your holy death. Amen.
ACTS
OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
ACT OF FAITH
My God, I firmly
believe
that you are one God in three divine Persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Father, 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 are eternal truth and wisdom,
who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
In this faith I intend to live and die. Amen.
ACT OF HOPE
Lord God,
I hope by your grace
for the pardon of all my sins
and after life here
to gain eternal happiness
because you have promised it
who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind, and merciful.
In this hope I intend to live and die. Amen.
ACT OF LOVE
Lord God, I
love you above all things
and I love my neighbor for your sake
because you are the highest, infinite and perfect good,
worthy of all my love.
In this love I intend to live and die. Amen.
THE
ANGELUS
V- The Angel
of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R- And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
(Hail Mary....)
V- Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R- Be it done unto me according to thy word.
(Hail Mary....)
V- And the Word was made Flesh.
R- And dwelt among us.
(Hail Mary....)
V- 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.
ST.
MICHEAL PRAYER
Saint Michael,
the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God
cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
ACT OF CONTRITION
O my God, I
am heartfully sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my
sins because of Thy just punishment, but most of all because I have
offended Thee my God, Who is all good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more, and
to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.
ACT OF SORROW
O God of my
soul,
I am sincerely sorry
for not having loved you.
Instead of having loved you,
I have, for the sake of my pleasures,
offended and despised your infinite goodness:
I have turned my back on you;
in a word, O my God,
I have lost you through my own will.
Lord, I am sorry,
from the bottom of my heart,
for all my sins.
I hate above all things the offences,
which I have committed against you.
You have already cleansed me
from the stain of sin
in the sacrament of penance,
but I desire to become still purer in your sight.
Wash in your Blood this soul,
and make it your dwelling place.
A PRAYER
FOR PRIESTS
John J Cardinal Carberry
Keep them;
I pray Thee, dearest Lord.
Keep them, for they are Thine
The priests whose lives burn out before
Thy consecrated shrine.
Keep them, for they are in the world,
Though from the world apart.
When earthly pleasures tempt, allure --
Shelter them in Thy heart.
Keep them and comfort them in hours
Of loneliness and pain,
When all their life of sacrifice
For souls seems but in vain.
Keep them and remember, Lord,
they have no one but Thee.
Yet, they have only human hearts,
With human frailty.
Keep them as spotless as the Host,
That daily they caress;
Their every thought and word and deed,
Deign, dearest Lord, to bless.
PRAYER
FOR PRIESTS
St. Therese of Lisieux
O Jesus, eternal
Priest,
keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart,
where none may touch them.
Keep unstained
their anointed hands,
which daily touch Your Sacred Body.
Keep unsullied
their lips,
daily purpled with your Precious Blood.
Keep pure and
unearthly their hearts,
sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.
Let Your holy
love surround them and
shield them from the world's contagion.
Bless their
labors with abundant fruit and
may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation
here and in heaven their beautiful and
everlasting crown. Amen.
PRAYERS
BEFORE MASS
Prayer of St.
Thomas Aquinas
ALMIGHTY and
ever-living God,
I approach the sacrament
of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I come sick to the doctor of life,
unclean to the fountain of mercy,
blind to the radiance of eternal light,
and poor and needy
to the Lord of heaven and earth.
Lord,
in your great generosity,
heal my sickness,
wash away my defilement,
enlighten my blindness,
enrich my poverty,
and clothe my nakedness.
May I receive
the bread of angels,
the King of kings and the Lord of lords,
with humble reverence,
with the purity and faith, the repentance and love,
and the determined purpose
that will help to bring me to salvation.
May I receive the sacrament
of the Lord's Body and Blood,
in its reality and power.
Kind God,
may I receive the Body of your only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
born from the womb of the Virgin Mary,
and so received into his mystical body,
and numbered among his members.
Loving Father,
as on my earthly pilgrimage
I now receive your beloved Son
under the veil of a sacrament,
may I one day see him face to face in glory,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of St.
Ambrose
Lord Jesus
Christ,
I approach your banquet table in fear and trembling,
for I am a sinner, and dare not rely on my own worth,
but only on your goodness and mercy.
I am defiled by my many sins in body and soul,
and by my unguarded thoughts and words.
Gracious God
of majesty and awe,
I seek your protection,
I look for Your healing.
Poor troubled sinner that I am,
I appeal to you, the fountain of all mercy.
I cannot bear your judgment, but I trust in your salvation.
Lord,
I show my wounds to you
and uncover my shame before you.
I know my sins are many and great,
and they fill me with fear,
but I hope in your mercies,
for they cannot be numbered.
Lord Jesus
Christ, Eternal King,
God and man, crucified for mankind,
look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer,
for I trust in you.
Have mercy on me, full of sorrow and sin,
for the depth of your compassion never ends.
Praise to you
saving sacrifice,
offered on the wood of the cross for me and for all mankind.
Praise to the noble and precious Blood,
flowing from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ
and washing away the sins of the whole world.
Remember, Lord,
your creature,
whom You have redeemed with Your blood;
I repent my sins, and I long to put right what I have done.
Merciful Father,
take away all my offenses and sins;
purify me in body and soul, and make me worthy
to taste the Holy of Holies.
May your Body
and Blood,
which I intend to receive, although I am unworthy,
be for me the remission of my sins,
the washing away of my guilt,
the end of my evil thoughts,
and the rebirth of my better instincts.
May it incite me to do the works pleasing to you
and profitable to my health in body and soul,
and be a firm defense against the wiles of my enemies. Amen.
Prayer to the
Blessed Virgin Mary Before Mass
Mother of mercy
and love,
blessed Virgin Mary,
I am a poor and unworthy sinner,
and I turn to you in confidence and love.
You stood by your Son
as he hung dying on the cross.
Stand also by me, a poor sinner,
and by all the priests who are offering Mass today
here and throughout the entire Church.
Help us to offer a perfect and acceptable sacrifice
in the sight of the holy and undivided Trinity,
our most high God. Amen.
Prayer of Intention
My purpose
is to celebrate Mass
and to make present
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to the rite of the holy Roman Church
to the praise of our all-powerful God
and all his assembly in the glory of heaven,
for my good
and the good of all his pilgrim Church on earth,
and for all who have asked me to pray for them
in general and in particular,
and for the good of the holy Roman Church.
May the almighty
and merciful Lord
grant us joy and peace,
amendment of life,
room for true repentance,
the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit,
and perseverance in good works. Amen.
THANKSGIVING
AFTER MASS
Prayer of St.
Thomas Aquinas.
Lord, Father
all-powerful and ever-living God,
I thank you, for even though I am a sinner,
your unprofitable servant,
not because of my worth but in the kindness of your mercy,
you have fed me with the precious body and blood of your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that this communion may not bring me
condemnation and punishment but forgiveness and salvation.
May it be a helmet of faith and a shield of good will.
May it purify me from evil ways and put an end to my evil passions.
May it bring me charity and patience, humility and obedience,
and growth in the power to do good.
May it be my
strong defense against all my enemies,
visible and invisible, and the perfect calming
of all my evil impulses, bodily and spiritual.
May it unite me more closely to you, the one true God,
and lead me safely through death
to everlasting happiness with you.
And I pray that you will lead me,
a sinner, to the banquet where you,
with your Son and Holy Spirit,
are true and perfect light, total fulfillment,
everlasting joy, gladness without end,
and perfect happiness to your saints.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Universal Prayer (attributed to Pope Clement XI)
Lord, I believe
in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.
I worship you
as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.
Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.
I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.
I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.
Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.
Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.
Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love
All whose lives I touch,
Those under my authority,
My friends and my enemies.
Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
Greed by generosity,
Apathy by fervor.
Help me to forget myself
And reach out toward others.
Make me prudent in planning,
Courageous in taking risks.
Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.
Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
Temperate in food and drink,
Diligent in my work,
Firm in my good intentions.
Let my conscience be clear,
My conduct without fault,
My speech blameless,
My life well-ordered.
Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
Keep your law,
And come at last to your salvation.
Teach me to realize that this world is passing,
That my true future is the happiness of heaven,
That life on earth is short,
And the life to come eternal.
Help me to prepare for death
With a proper fear of judgment,
But a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
To the endless joy of heaven.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer to our
Redeemer
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.
Call me at my death to the fellowship of your saints,
that I may sing your praise with them through all eternity.
Amen.
Prayer of Self-Dedication
Lord Jesus
Christ, take all my freedom,
my memory, my understanding, and my will.
All that I have and cherish you have given me.
I surrender it all to be guided by your will.
Your grace and your love are wealth enough for me.
Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more.
Prayer to Jesus
Christ Crucified
My good and
dear Jesus, I kneel before you,
asking you most earnestly to engrave upon my heart
a deep and lively faith, hope and charity,
with true repentance for my sins,
and a firm resolve to make amends.
As I reflect upon your five wounds,
and dwell upon them with deep compassion and grief,
I recall, good Jesus, the words the prophet David
spoke long ago concerning yourself:
they have pierced my hands and feet,
they have counted all my bones.
Prayer to the
Virgin Mary
Mary, holy
virgin mother, I have received your Son, Jesus Christ.
With love you became his mother, gave birth to him, nursed him,
and helped him grow to manhood.
With love I return him to you, to hold once more,
to love with all your heart, and to offer to the Holy Trinity
as our supreme act of worship for your honor
and for the good of all your pilgrim brothers and sisters.
Mother, ask God to forgive my sins
and to help me serve him more faithfully.
Keep me true to Christ until death,
and let me come to praise him with you for ever and ever.
Amen.
PRAYERS BEFORE WORK OR MEETINGS
1. Actiones Nostras
2. Domine, Desu Omnipotens
3. Exaudi Nos
4. Veni Sancte Sapiritus
5. Visita, quaesumus Domine
6. Adsumus
ACTIONES NOSTRAS
Father,
may everything we do
begin with your inspiration
and continue with your saving help
Let our work always find its origin in you
And through you reach completion.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Or:
Lord,
may everything we do
begin with your inspiration
and continue with your help
so that all our prayers and works
may begin in you
and by you be happily ended
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Or:
Direct, we beseech you, O Lord,
our actions by your holy inspirations,
and carry them on
by your gracious assistance,
that every prayer and work of ours
may begin always with you,
and through you come to completion.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
DOMINE, DEUS OMNIPOTENS
Almighty Father,
you have brought us to the light of a new day:
keep us safe the whole day through
from every sinful inclination.
May our thoughts, words and actions,
Aim at doing what is pleasing in your sight.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
EXAUDI NOS
Hear us, Lord, holy Father,
almighty and eternal God;
and graciously send your holy angel from heaven
to watch over, to cherish, to protect, to abide with,
and to defend all who dwell in this house.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS
V. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
R. And kindle in them the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created
R. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
VISITA, QUAESUMUS, DOMINE
Lord,
we beg you to visit this house
and banish from it
all the deadly power of the enemy.
may your holy angels dwell here
to keep us in peace,
and may your blessing be upon us always.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
ADSUMUS
We have come, O Lord, Holy Spirit,
we have come before you,
hampered by our many and grievous sins,
but for a special purpose
gathered together in your name.
Come to us and be with us
and enter our hearts.
Teach us what we are to do
and where we ought to tend;
show us what we must accomplish,
in order that, with your help,
we may be able to please you in all things.
May you alone
be the author and the finisher of our judgments,
who alone with God the Father and his Son
possess a glorious name.
Do not allow us to disturb the order of justice,
you who love equity above all things.
Let not ignorance draw us into devious paths.
Let not partiality sway our minds
or respect of riches or persons pervert our judgment.
But unite us to you effectually
by the gift of your grace alone,
that we may be one in you
and never forsake the truth;
As we are gathered together in your name,
so may we in all things
hold fast to justice tempered by mercy,
so that in this life
our judgment may in no way be at variance with you
and in the life to come
we may attain to everlasting rewards for deeds well done. Amen.
Or:
We stand before you, Holy Spirit, conscious of our sinfulness,
but aware that we gather in you name.
Come to us, remain with us, and enlighten our hearts.
Give us light and strength to know your will,
to make it our own,
and to live it in our lives.
Guide us by your wisdom, support us by your power,
for you are God, sharing the glory of Father and Son.
You desire justice for all:
enable us to uphold the rights of others;
do not allow us to be misled by ignorance
or corrupted by fear or favor.
Unite us to yourself in the bond of love
and keep us faithful to all that is true.
As we gather in your name
may we temper justice with love,
so that all our decisions may be pleasing to you,
and earn the reward promised to good and faithful servants.
You live and reign with the Father and the Son,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.
