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.
O
gracious Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of Jesus, I implore you to obtain for
me by your powerful intercession these graces from you Divine Son.
St. Joseph, pray for me.
After Confession
O
almighty and most merciful God, I give You thanks with all the powers of my
soul for this and all other mercies, graces, and blessings bestowed on me, and
prostrating myself at Your sacred feet, I offer myself to be henceforth forever
Yours. Let nothing in life or death ever separates me from You! I renounce with
my whole soul all my treasons against You, and all the abominations and sins of
my past life. I renew my promises made in Baptism, and from this moment I
dedicate myself eternally to Your love and service. Grant that for the time to
come, I may detest sin more than death itself, and avoid all such occasions and
companies as have unhappily brought me to it. This I resolve to do by the aid
of Your divine grace, without which I can do nothing. Amen.
Prayer In Time of Danger
O God, Who knowest us to be set in the midst of such great perils, that, by reason of the weakness of our nature, we cannot stand upright, grant us such health of mind and body, that those evils which we suffer for our sins we may overcome through Thine assistance. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Consecration to the Holy Family
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having
come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass
the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in
the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an
example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it
dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou protect us, guard us
and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace and concord in Christian
love: in order that by living according to the divine pattern of Thy family we
may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.
Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by the kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.
O Saint Joseph, most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, help us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal needs; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be three times. Amen
Prayer for the Family
O God of goodness and mercy, to Thy fatherly
guidance we commend our family, our household and all our belongings. We commit
all to Thy love and keeping; do Thou fill this house with Thy blessings even as
Thou didst fill the holy House of Nazareth with Thy presence.
Keep far from us, above all else, the blemish of
sin, and do Thou alone reign in our midst by Thy law, by Thy most holy love and
by the exercise of every Christian virtue. Let each one of us obey Thee, love
Thee and set himself to follow in his own life Thine example, that of Mary, Thy
Mother and our Mother most loving, and that of Thy blameless guardian, Saint
Joseph.
Protect us and our house from all evils and
misfortunes, but grant that we may be ever resigned to Thy divine will even in
the sorrows which it shall please Thee to send us. Finally give unto all of us
the grace to live in perfect harmony and in the fullness of love toward our
neighbor. Grant that every one of us may deserve by a holy life the comfort of
Thy holy Sacraments at the hour of death. O Jesus, bless us and protect us.
O Mary, Mother of grace and of mercy, defend us
against the wicked spirit, reconcile us with Thy Son, commit us to His keeping,
that so we may be made worthy of His promises.
Saint Joseph, foster-father of our Savior, guardian
of His holy Mother, head of the Holy Family, intercede for us, bless us and
defend our home at all times.
Saint Michael, defend us against all the evil
cunning of hell.
Saint Gabriel, make us to understand the holy will
of God.
Saint Raphael, preserve us from all sickness and
from every danger to our lives.
Our holy Guardian Angels, keep our feet safely on
the path of salvation both day and night.
Our holy Patrons, pray for us before the throne of
God.
Yea, bless this house, O God the Father, who hast
created us; O God the Son, who hast suffered for us upon the holy Cross, and
Thou, O Holy Spirit, who hast sanctified us in holy Baptism. May the one God in
three divine Persons preserve our bodies, purify our minds, direct our hearts
and bring us all to everlasting life.
Glory be to the Father, glory be to the Son, glory
be to the Holy Ghost! Amen
A Husband's Prayer
O
gracious Father, Maker and Preserver of heaven and earth, who in the beginning
didst institute matrimony, thereby foreshadowing the mystical union of the
Church with our Savior Christ, who, during His ministry upon earth, did honor marriage
with His first miracle: help me, I pray Thee, by Thy grace to live in holiness
and purity with the wife whom Thou hast given me. Mortify in me all violence of
earthly passion, all selfishness and inconsiderateness (here name any besetting sin which may be a hindrance to you), that
I may love her as Christ loved His Church, cherish and comfort her as my own
body, and have as great care for her happiness as for my own. Grant that we may
live in peace, without contention; in unity, without discord. [Give us, O Lord,
discreet heart and understanding minds, to bring up our children in Thy faith
and fear, that they may be obedient to Thee and to Thy commandments, and to all
that Thou requires of them in their duties towards their parents.] And give us,
O Lord, a sufficiency of those things necessary to maintain ourselves and our
family according to that rank and calling wherein Thou hast placed us, without
excess or vainglory, in singleness and pureness of heart. Grant this for Jesus
Christ's sake, to Whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
A Wife's Prayer
O
merciful Lord God, who in the beginning didst take Eve out of the side of Adam
and didst give her to him as a helpmate: grant me grace to live worthy of the honorable
estate of matrimony to which Thou hast called me, that I may love my husband
with a pure and chaste love, acknowledging him as my head, and truly
reverencing and obeying him in all good things; that thereby I may please him,
and live with him in all Christian serenity. Keep me from all worldliness and
vanity. Help me, O Lord, that I may, under him, prudently and discreetly guide
and govern his household. Let no fault of mine aggravate any sins by which he
may be especially tempted; enable me to soothe him in perplexity, to cheer him
in difficulty, to refresh him in weariness, and, as far as may be, to advise
him in doubt. [Give me understanding so to fulfill my part in the education of
our children, that they may be our joy in this world and our glory in the
next.] Grant that our perfect union here may be the beginning of the still more
perfect and blissful union hereafter in Thy kingdom; and this I pray through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Parents' Prayer for Their Children
O
God the Father of mankind, who hast given unto me these my children, and
committed them to my charge to bring them up for Thee, and to prepare them for
eternal life: help me with Thy heavenly grace, that I may be able to fulfill
this most sacred duty and stewardship. Teach me both what to give and what to
withhold; when to reprove and when to forbear; make me to be gentle, yet firm;
considerate and watchful; and deliver me equally from the weakness of
indulgence, and the excess of severity; and grant that, both by word and example,
I may be careful to lead them in the ways of wisdom and true piety, so that at
last I may, with them, be admitted to the unspeakable joys of our true home in
heaven, in the company of the blessed Angels and Saints. Amen.
O Heavenly Father, I commend my children to Thy care. Be Thou their God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is lacking in me through frailty or negligence. Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world, whether from within or without; and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy. Pour Thy grace into their hearts, and strengthen and multiply in them the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit, that they may daily grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; and so, faithfully serving Thee here, may come to rejoice in Thy presence hereafter. Amen.
The Sign of the Cross: In the name
of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Apostles' 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 Ghost, 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 sitteth 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
Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of
sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen
The 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.
The Hail Mary: Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among 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 Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever
shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Fatima Prayer: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from
the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need
of Your Mercy".
The Hail, Holy Queen: Hail, holy Queen, Mother of
Mercy! 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.
"O
God whose only begotten Son has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life,
Grant that we beseech Thee while meditating upon these mysteries of the Most
Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain
and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord Amen." "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope,
and I love You. I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore,
do not hope, and do not love You."
For the intentions of the Holy Father, one may recite at the end of the
Rosary one "Our Father", one "Hail Mary", and one
"Glory Be".
The
Apostles' Creed
(This is the first prayer to start the
Rosary)
All: 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 Ghost, 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, sitteth 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 Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness
of Sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
(Say this prayer at the separated or
isolated beads before the row of Hail Marys)
Leader:
"Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy
will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."
Response: "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
(This prayer is said at each of the
closely joined beads in-between the Lords Prayer and the Glory Be)
Leader:
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among
women and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."
Response: "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death. Amen."
Glory Be
(Say this prayer at the separated beads
after the row of Hail Marys)
Leader:
"Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost."
Response: "As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall
be, world without end. Amen."
The Angel's Prayer
(after each "Glory Be")
All:
"Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of Hell. Lead
all souls to Heaven especially those who are most in need of Thy Mercy.
Amen."
The Joyful Mysteries
(First Day)
First Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation
Archangel
Gabriel appears to Mary to Announce that God has chosen her to be the Mother of
Jesus. She consents.
Second
Joyful Mystery - The Visitation
Mary
leaves her home to go to care for her cousin, Elizabeth, who is soon to be the
mother of John the Baptist. The moment she sees Mary, Elizabeth pronounces the
famous words, "Blessed art thou among women and Blessed is the fruit of
thy womb."
Third
Joyful Mystery - The Nativity
Mary
gives birth to Jesus miraculously yet still remains a virgin. Meditate upon the
well-known story of the Birth of Christ.
Fourth
Joyful Mystery - the Presentation at the Temple
Mary
and Joseph take their first-born son (as was the custom) to the temple to
present Him to God. There, Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and predicts
that Mary's heart will be pierced with a sword of sorrow.
Fifth
Joyful Mystery - The Finding of the child Jesus at the Temple
Twelve-year-old
Jesus was lost after the annual trip to the Temple in Jerusalem. He was found
three days later by His sorrowing parents; He was in the Temple talking to the
learned doctors of the church and astounding them with His great knowledge. He
said, "Know you not that I must be about my Father's business?" But
He went with them and was subject to them. And Jesus grew in stature and in
Grace before God.
(Note: This is the first third of the
Rosary. It is said by going around the Rosary beads once. [See diagram] After
announcing a Mystery, recite the "Our Father" before the "Hail
Mary's" which are counted on the ten beads. On the larger bead say
"Glory be" and the "Angel's Prayer." Announce the next
Mystery, recite the "Our Father" all on the larger bead. Then pray
ten "Hail Mary's" on the next ten beads and so on around the Rosary.
Practice until the Meditation becomes a part of the prayer. Meditation is
thinking about the events which are stated in the Mystery.)
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(The Second Day)
First Sorrowful Mystery - The Agony in
the Garden
Jesus
leaves His disciples and enters the Garden of Olives to pray, the night before
His death. As He prays, the weight of all the sins of Mankind press heavily
upon Him. It is for sin He must die - your sin, too - and the knowledge of His
suffering and death, added to the burden of the Sins He would die to atone,
brought a bloody sweat which was the outward sign of the Agony within His soul.
Second
Sorrowful Mystery - The Scourging [Whipping] at the Pillar
Pilate
decreed that Jesus would be scourged, thinking in this way to appease the
crowd's cry for Jesus' death. A Roman soldier whipped Him and stripped the
flesh from His back. The Pain was greatly magnified, for Jesus had been up all
night in the Agony of prayer. He could have stopped the whipping with a glance,
but He bore it for your sins, because He loved you.
Third
Sorrowful Mystery - The Crowning with Thorns
The
soldiers put a purple cloak around His shoulders; then plaited a crown of sharp
thorns and crushed it down upon his head. They put a reed in His hand, then
bowed the knee and mocked Him as "King of the Jews." They spat upon
His face. He did not speak out against them.
Fourth
Sorrowful Mystery - The Carrying of the Cross
A
heavy wooden cross was placed upon His bruised shoulder and He was forced to
carry His own Cross to Calvary. He fell three times beneath its weight. The
weight of sins for which He was to die was greater than the weight of the
Cross.
Fifth
Sorrowful Mystery - The Crucifixion
Nails
were driven through His hands and feet. He lay upon His deathbed, the Crown of
Thorns still on His head. He was lifted up and hung for three hours upon the
Cross - for your sins - and then Jesus died. Weep for the death of the Sinless
Son of God who died that you might live forever in Heaven.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Third day)
First Glorious Mystery - The Resurrection
On
the third day Jesus rose from the dead. The heavy stone was rolled away from
the tomb and He came forth gloriously for He had conquered death forever. He
had opened the gates of Heaven which had been closed since the fall of Adam and
Eve. It is because of His death and resurrection that you have an opportunity
to be saved from hell and to enter Heaven where you will live forever.
Second
Glorious Mystery - The Ascension
At
last Jesus was reunited with His Father in Heaven, but now He has a human form
for He has forever taken the body of Man. His body and soul were both taken
into Paradise, and He sits at the right hand of His Father. He shall come again
in glory to judge the living and the dead.
Third
Glorious Mystery - The Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles
and Mary
Jesus
had promised His disciples that when He went back to Heaven He would send the
Holy Spirit to be with them. The Holy Spirit (Ghost) descended upon them and
upon His mother in tongues of flames seen above their heads. They were filled
with enthusiasm and went about converting many souls. The Holy Spirit has lived
upon the earth to give comfort and understanding and help to man, but men have
scorned the third Person of the Holy Trinity. Pray to the Holy Spirit in
reparation for your neglect of His help.
Fourth
Glorious Mystery - The Assumption of Mary into Heaven body and Soul
Mary's
body became glorified after her death. Her soul and body were reunited and she
was taken or "assumed" into Heaven because her body had created the
body of Christ and it could not be allowed to decay. Nothing of Christ must be
destroyed. His Mother is with Him in Heaven, body and soul.
Fifth
Glorious Mystery - The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Queen of Heaven
As
Christ is King so Mary is Queen, and rules with Him in Heaven. All the Saints
and Angels bow before her beauty and she who is dearest to Jesus is also
dearest to God and the Holy Spirit. Her power is not her own - It comes from
God.