PRAYERS
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Miraculous Medal
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Sacred Heart
Remember, O Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, that in what need soever, no one who had recourse to Your most loving Heart was ever rejected or sent away unrelieved. Animated with this confidence, Jesus, we come to You; burdened with miseries we fly to You, and with our miseries, we throw ourselves on Your Heart. Do not, O God, our Father, cast us off, Your all unworthy children, but give us admittance, we beseech You, into Your Sacred Heart, suffer us never to be separated therefrom. Aid us, we entreat You in all our wants now and forever, but above all at the hour of our death, O most benign, O most compassionate, O most sweet Jesus.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we trust in You!
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds, hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. From the malicious enemy, defend me. In the hour of my death, call me and bid me come unto Thee, that with Thy Saints I may praise Thee, forever and ever.
Amen.
Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, our 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 clemency hear and answer us.
Amen
(St. Bernard)
Make Us Worthy Lord
Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow [brothers and sisters] throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands, this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy.
Amen.
(Pope St. Paul VI)
Prayer for Peace
Lord, make me a channel of your peace, that where there is hatred, I may bring love; where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; where there is discord, I may bring harmony; where there is error, I may bring truth; where there is doubt, I may bring faith; where there is despair, I may bring hope; where there are shadows, I may bring light; where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted; to understand than to be understood; to love than to be loved; for it is by forgetting self that one finds; it is by forgiving that one if forgiven; it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life. Amen.
(Traditionally attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)
Radiating Christ
Dear Jesus, Help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that my life may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul. Let them look up, and see no longer me, but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I will begin to shine as You shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine. It will be You, shining on others through me. Let me thus praise You in the way You love best, by shining on those around me. Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for You.
Amen.
(adapted from St. John Henry Newman's "Meditation and Prayers" by St. Teresa of Calcutta. She prayed this daily after receiving Communion along with the Prayer for Peace, Anima Christi and Make Us Worthy Lord) -
Act of Oblation to Merciful Love
O My God! Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to Love You and make you Loved, to work for the glory of Holy Church by saving souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory. I desire to accomplish Your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory You have prepared for me in Your Kingdom. I desire, in a word, to be saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God! to be Yourself my Sanctity!
Since You loved me so much as to give me Your only Son as my Savior and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. I offer them to You with gladness, begging You to look upon me only in the Face of Jesus and in His heart burning with Love.
I offer You, too, all the merits of the saints (in heaven and on earth), their acts of Love, and those of the holy angels. Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity! the Love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my Dear Mother. It is to her I abandon my offering, begging her to present it to You. Her Divine Son, my Beloved Spouse, told us in the days of His mortal life: "Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you!" I am certain, then, that You will grant my desires; I know, O my God! that the more You want to give, the more You make us desire. I feel in my heart immense desires and it is with confidence I ask You to come and take possession of my soul. Ah! I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire, but, Lord, are You not all-powerful? Remain in me as in a tabernacle and never separate Yourself from Your little victim.
I want to console You for the ingratitude of the wicked, and I beg of you to take away my freedom to displease You. If through weakness I sometimes fall, may Your Divine Glance cleanse my soul immediately, consuming all my imperfections like the fire that transforms everything into itself.
I thank You, O my God! for all the graces You have granted me, especially the grace of making me pass through the crucible of suffering. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last Day carrying the sceptre of Your Cross. Since You deigned to give me a share in this very precious Cross, I hope in heaven to resemble You and to see shining in my glorified body the sacred stigmata of Your Passion.
After earth's Exile, I hope to go and enjoy You in the Fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for Your Love Alone with the one purpose of pleasing You, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally.
In the evening of this life, I shall appear before You with empty hands, for I do not ask You, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is stained in Your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in Your own Justice and to receive from Your Love the eternal possession of Yourself. I want no other Throne, no other Crown but You, my Beloved!
Time is nothing in Your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years. You can, then, in one instant prepare me to appear before You.
In order to live in one single act of perfect Love, I OFFER MYSELF AS A VICTIM OF HOLOCAUST TO YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE, Asking You to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within You to overflow into my soul, and that thus I may become a martyr of Your Love, O my God!
May this martyrdom, after having prepared me to appear before You, finally cause me to die and may my soul take its flight without any delay into the eternal embrace of Your Merciful Love.
I want, O my Beloved, at each beat of my heart to renew this offering to You an infinite number of times, until the shadows having disappeared I may be able to tell You of my Love in an Eternal Face to Face!
Marie, Françoise, Thérèse of the Child Jesus
(St. Therese of Lisieux)
and the Holy Face, unworthy Carmelite religious.
This 9th day of June,
Feast of the Most Holy Trinity,
In the year of grace, 1895 -
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely that I may be established in you as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity.
May nothing trouble my peace or make me leave You, O my Unchanging One, but may each minute carry me further into the depths of Your Mystery.
Give peace to my soul; make it Your Heaven, Your beloved dwelling and Your resting place. May I never leave You there alone but be wholly present, my faith wholly vigilant, wholly adoring, and wholly surrendered to Your creative Action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I wish to be a bride for Your Heart; I wish to cover You with glory; I wish to love You… even unto death!
But I feel my weakness, and I ask You to clothe me with Yourself, to identify my soul with all the movements of Your Soul, to overwhelm me, to possess me, to substitute Yourself for me that my life may be but a radiance of Your Life. Come into me as Adorer, as Restorer, as Savior.
O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my life in listening to You, to become wholly teachable that I may learn all from You. Then, through all nights, all voids, all helplessness, I want to gaze on You always and remain in Your great light. O my beloved Star, so fascinate me that I may not withdraw from Your radiance.
O consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, come upon me, and create in my soul a kind of incarnation of the Word: that I may be another humanity for Him in which He can renew His whole Mystery.
And You, O Father, bend lovingly over Your poor little creature; cover her with Your shadow seeing in her only the “Beloved in whom You are well pleased.” (Mt. 17:5)
O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I lose myself, I surrender myself to You as Your prey. Bury Yourself in me that I may bury myself in You until I depart to contemplate in Your light the abyss of Your greatness.
(St. Elizabeth of the Trinity)
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
(Preparation for Mass)
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 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,
and 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 be 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 Him face to face in glory,
Who lives and reigns with You for ever.
Amen.
Prayer of St. Ambrose
(Preparation for Mass)
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 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 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 Virgin Mary
(Thanksgiving after Mass)
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.
The Universal Prayer
(Thanksgiving after Mass)
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 in authority over me
or 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.
(attributed to Pope Clement XI)
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
(Thanksgiving after Mass)
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 holy 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.
Prayer to Our Redeemer
(Thanksgiving after Mass)
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 to Jesus Christ
(Thanksgiving after Mass)
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
(Thanksgiving after Mass)
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 My feet,
they have counted all My bones!