- John Warner's World Prayers of Thanks and Praise
- Praying by Readng Scripture on Three Levels
- Fr. Joe Tetlow's Praying With Scripture
COMMON PRAYERS
- 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 (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 Angelic Salutation (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.
- The Doxology (The Glory Be)
- 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.
- 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 Spirit, 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, sits 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 Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, and life everlasting. Amen.
- Prayer before an Undertaking (a common Jesuit prayer)
- We beseech you, O Lord, precede our actions by your holy inspirations and carry them through by your gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from you and through you be successfully completed.
- The Anima Christi (a favorite of Ignatius)
-
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 never to be separated from thee.
From the wicked enemy defend me.
At the hour of my death call me
and bid me come to thee,
so that with thy saints I may praise thee forever. Amen.
- St. Francis Xavier�s Prayer (translated by G.M. Hopkins)
-
O God, I love thee, I love thee--
Not out of hope of heaven for me
Nor fearing not to love and be
In the everlasting burning.
Thou, thou, my Jesus, after me
Didst reach thine arms out dying, For my sake sufferedst nails and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance,
Sorrows passing number,
Sweat and care and cumber,
Yea and death, and this for me,
And thou couldst see me sinning;
Then I, why should not I love thee,
Jesus, so much in love with me?
Not for heaven�s sake; not to be
Out of hell by loving thee;
Not for any gains I see;
But just the way that thou didst me
I do love and I will love thee:
What must I love thee, Lord, for then?
For being my king and God. Amen.
- The Suscipe (from Ignatius� Spiritual Exercises)
- Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will. You have given me all that I have and possess; I return it all to you and surrender it to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love and your grace, and I am rich enough and ask for nothing more.
-
Ignatius's "Soul of Christ"
Jesus, may all that is you flow in me.
May your body and blood be my food and drink.
May your passion and death be my strength and life.
Jesus, with you by my side enough has been given.
May the shelter I seek be the shadow of your cross.
Let me not run from the love which you offer,
But hold me safe from the forces of evil.
On each of my dyings shed your light and your love.
Keep calling to me until that day comes,
When, with your saints, I may praise you forever. Amen
- St. Ignatius� Prayer for Generosity
- Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I am doing your will. Amen.
- St. Thomas Aquinas� Prayer before Studying
-
Lord, give me Wisdom, the companion of your throne, that she may ever be with me and labor with me, so that I may know what is acceptable to you, Lord God. Who is there that can know your meaning unless you give Wisdom and send your Holy Spirit from on high?
V. Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten and guide us.
R. And kindle within us the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.
O God, you have taught the hearts of your faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit. Grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. 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 to me according to your word. (Hail Mary)
V. And the Word became 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.
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your 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.
- The Regina Caeli (replaces Angelus during Easter)
Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
Has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
O God, who, by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, have been pleased to fill the world with joy, grant, we beseech you, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his mother, we may receive the joys of eternal life, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
- The Salve Regina (The Hail Holy Queen)
- Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
- St. Augustine�s Prayer to the Holy Spirit
-
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy;
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy;
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love but what is holy;
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy;
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy.
- St. Patrick�s Breastplate
-
Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I rise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
- St. Francis� Prayer for Peace
-
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 despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
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.
- Act of Faith
- O my God, I believe and profess all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, believes, and professes, because you revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
- Act of Hope
-
O my God, relying on your infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
- Act of Love
- O my God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
- Act of Contrition
- O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.
- Likrat Shabbatby Jack Riemer
-
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end war;
For we know that You have made the world in a way
That man must find his own path to peace
Within himself and with his neighbor.
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end starvation;
For you have already given us the resources
With which to feed the entire world
If we would only use them wisely.
We cannot merely pray to you, O God,
To root out prejudice,
For you have already given use eyes
With which to see the good in all men
If we would only use them rightly.
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end despair,
For you have already given us the power
To clear away slums and to give hope
If we would only use our power justly.
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end disease,
For you have already given us great minds with which
To search out cures and healing,
If we would only use them constructively.
Therefore we pray to You instead, O God,
For strength, determination, and willpower,
To do instead of just to pray,
To become instead of merely to wish.
- Mother Teresa's Prayer
-
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
...Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
...Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
...Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
...Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
...Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
...Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
...Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
...Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
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