|
- The Lord’s Prayer
- Morning Offering
- Act of Faith
- Act of Hope
- Act of Love
- Prayer for Generosity
- Examination of Conscience
- Retreat Prayer to the Sacred Heart
- Act of Adoration
- The Gift of Life
- Act of Contrition
- Psalm 23
- Memorare
- For the Faithful Departed
- Take and Receive
- Prayer for Spouse
- Prayer for Mothers
- Prayer for Fathers
- Prayer for Family
- Prayer for Young Children
- Prayer for Sons and Daughters
- Prayer for the Elderly
- Prayer for the Sick
- Prayer for Those Who are Addicted
- Soul of Christ
- Prayer Before a Crucifix
- Prayer of St. Francis
- Hail Mary
- A Spouse's Prayer
- A Parent’s Prayer
- The Apostles' Creed
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom
come; Thy will be done on earth as it 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 in to temptation, but deliver
us from evil. Amen. Top
Morning Offering
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers,
works, joys, and sufferings this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions
of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin,
the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of
our Bishops and of all members of the Apostleship of Prayer, and
in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Top
Act of Faith
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. Top
Act of Hope
O my God, relying on Your infinite goodness and promises, I hope
to obtain pardon of my sins with the help of Your grace and life
everlasting through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
Top
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. Top
Prayer for Generosity
Dear 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, except that of knowing that I am doing Your
will. Amen. Top
Examination of Conscience
We cannot really be Christians unless we are conscious of our sinfulness
and recognize our need of Jesus Christ.
Sin can be seen only in the light of the love of God for me. As
I realize that God loves me unconditionally, for myself, so will
be my realization of sin.
Attention should be given not only to particular, individual, and
perhaps isolated acts, but also to the overall thrust, the fundamental
orientation of my life.
My concept of sin should include not only its purely personal dimension,
but also its social dimension, an awareness of the collective and
individual responsibility for sinful structures and situations,
and a realization that the service of faith includes the promotion
of justice. Ask God to reveal your sinfulness. The following considerations
may be helpful:
The Ten Commandments
1. I am the Lord your God; You shall not have strange gods before
Me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day.
4. Honor your father and mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
The New Commandment
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your mind. . . You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.” Matt. 22:37-39
“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as
I have loved you.” John 13:34
“Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty, a stranger or
naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help? Then He
will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, insofar as you neglected
to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it
to me.’” Matt. 25:45-46 Top
Retreat Prayer to the Sacred Heart
O Jesus, most holy Redeemer, our Leader, and our King, it is to
Your Sacred Heart, that ocean of love and goodness, that we owe
the great blessing of this Retreat. Grant, O Lord, that we may be
faithful to Your grace and inspirations and that we may correspond
with the favors offered at this time.
Let Your eternal truths enlighten our minds. Let them move our hearts
so that we may realize our shortcomings and sincerely repent of
them and redirect our ways. I promise, O Sacred Heart, to be instant
in prayer, sincere in my resolutions, and ever devoted to Your promptings.
Bless me and all retreatants and so direct our way of life that
in life and death we may be close to Your Sacred Heart and the Immaculate
Heart of the Mother of us all. Amen. Top
Act of Adoration
Almighty, eternal God, I acknowledge You as my first beginning and
my last end, my Creator and Redeemer, my sanctification and my consummation,
my God and my all. I thank You for Your lavish gifts to myself,
to the whole human race, and to all of creation. Top
The Gift of Life
Lord, teach me not to hold on to life too tightly. Teach me to take
it as a gift. To enjoy it, to cherish it while I have it, but to
let go gracefully and thankfully when the time comes. The gift is
great but the Giver is greater still. You are the Giver and in You
is a life that never ends. Top
Act of Contrition
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. Top
Psalm 23 (The Lord is My Shepherd)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
For his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for You are at my side
With Your rod and Your staff
That give me courage.
You spread the table before me
In the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
All the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
For years to come. Top
Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that
anyone who fled to your protection, implored your assistance, or
sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence,
we fly to you, O Virgin of Virgins, our Mother; to you we come;
before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word
Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your mercy hear and
answer them. Top
For the Faithful Departed
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to Your
servants departed the full remission of all their sins, that they
may obtain the pardon they have always desired, You, who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen. Top
Take and Receive
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will – all that I have and call my own. You have
given it all to me. To You, Lord, I return it. Everything is Yours;
do with it what You will. Give me only Your love and Your grace.
That is enough for me. Top
Prayer for Spouse
(John 15:9-12)
Gracious and kind God, faithful friend of the people of the Old
Testament, I thank You for the spouse You have sent me to share
my life, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness
and in health. Bless my spouse for (his/her) faithfulness to me.
Enrich (her/him) with joy and happiness, let not the cares and concerns
of this life overpower (her/ him). Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Top
Prayer for Mothers
(1 Samuel 1:19-20, 24 & 2:1)
Loving God, as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children,
so You watch over Your Church. Bless my mother and all mothers that
they may be strengthened as Christian mothers. Let the example of
their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and
daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect.
I thank You for my mother and all mothers for their faithful presence
in my life and in our lives. Grant her and them the grace to enjoy
the good things of this life and strength to endure the disappointments
and sorrow of this life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Top
Prayer for Fathers
(Philippians 1:3-11)
God our Father, in your wisdom and love You made all things. Bless
my father and all fathers that they may be strengthened as Christian
fathers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant
that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a
spirit of profound respect. I thank You for him and all fathers,
for the long hours they have labored for us, for their concern and
encouragement. Grant him and them the grace to enjoy his successes
and to turn over his frustrations to You. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen. Top
Prayer for Family
(Ephesians 4:1-6)
O God, You have created us in love and saved us in mercy, and through
the bond of marriage, You have established the family and willed
that it should become a sign of Christ’s love for His Church.
Shower Your blessings on my family. Enable us who are joined by
one love to support one another by our fervor of spirit and devotion
to prayer. Make us responsive to the needs of others and witnesses
to the faith in all we say and do. I ask this through Christ our
Lord. Amen. Top
Prayer for Young Children
(Mark 10:13-16)
O God, gracious Father, out of the speech of little children You
have fashioned a hymn of praise. Look with kindness on children
especially (say names), whom I commend to Your tender care. Your
Son, born of the Virgin Mary, gladly welcomed little children. He
took them in his arms, blessed them, and held them up as an example
for all.
We pray that You, Father, will also send Your blessing on them,
so that they may grow in Christian maturity and, by the power of
the Holy Spirit, become Christ’s witnesses (witness) in the
world, spreading and defending the faith. I ask this through Christ
our Lord. Amen. Top
Prayer for Sons and Daughters
(1 Corinthians 13:4-13)
Father of mercies, inexhaustible source of life and author of all
good, I bless You and thank You for brightening my life by Your
gift of my son(s) and/or daughter(s).
Grant that my children (child) will find peace and happiness and
that they will be compassionate Christians and they (he/she) will
strive always for what is right and good and one day, by Your grace,
reach their (his/her) home in heaven. I ask this through Christ
our Lord. Amen. Top
Prayer for the Elderly
(Luke 2:25-32, 36-38)
All-powerful and ever-living God, in whom we live and move and have
our being, I thank You and praise You for giving members of my family
long years, lived in faith and in doing good.
Grant that they may have the loving support of their friends and
relatives, that in good health they may be cheerful, and in poor
health not lose hope. Sustained by the help of Your blessing, let
them spend their old age giving praise to Your name. We ask this
through Christ our Lord. Amen. Top
Prayer for the Sick
(2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
Lord, our God, You sent Your Son into the world to bear our infirmities
and to endure our sufferings. For my friends, Your servants who
are sick, I ask that Your blessing will give them strength to overcome
their weakness through the power and patience and the comfort of
hope and that with Your aid they will soon be restored to health.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Top
Prayer for Those Who Are Addicted
(2 Corinthians 4:6-9)
God of mercy, I bless You in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ,
who ministered to all who came to him. Give Your strength to Your
servants, bound by the chains of addiction. Enfold them in Your
love and restore them to the freedom of God’s children.
Lord, look with compassion on all those who have lost their health
and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of Your unfailing mercy,
and strengthen them in the work of recovery.
To those who care for them, grant patient understanding and a love
that perseveres.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Top
Soul of Christ
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 Your wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from You.
From the wicked foe defend me.
At the hour of my death call me.
And bid me come to You.
That with Your saints I may praise You.
Forever and ever. Amen. Top
Prayer Before a Crucifix
Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself on my knees in
Your sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul, I pray
and beseech You that You would impress upon my heart lively sentiments
of faith, hope, and charity, with a true repentance for my sins
and a firm desire of amendment, while with deep affection and grief
of soul I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate Your five
most precious wounds, having before my eyes that which David spoke
in prophecy of You, O good Jesus; they pierced my hands and feet;
they have numbered all my bones. Top
Prayer of St. Francis
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 darkness, light; and 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. Top
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. Top
A Spouse’s Prayer
O Lord, my God, You have entrusted to me a devoted partner in life,
and I want to be truly grateful for this holy trust. Enable us to
be a sign of love to the world and symbol of the union between You
and Your Church. Continually renew us with Your grace, given in
the Sacrament of Matrimony, so that we may ever strive to know each
other better, to talk in love about our deepest feelings and longings
and values, and to share all that we have. As we share life’s
joys and burdens, may we ever grow in love for each other and for
You, and may this love become so perfect in unity that it will last
forever. Amen. Top
A Parent’s Prayer
Heavenly Father, You have given me a share in Your creative power,
and entrusted me with the care of Your precious children. Grant
me the light of Your Holy Spirit to reverence this great gift, to
see my children as uniquely endowed and loved by You in Christ,
to be able to give to them the right values, particularly in my
way of life, as I strive with Your grace to be the kind of parent
that Mary and Joseph were to their Jesus. Amen. Top
The ApostlesÌ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended
into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will
come again 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 the life everlasting. Amen. Top
|
