Prayers
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Prayer is the elevation of the heart and mind to God.

These prayers, which are rooted in the Sacred Scriptures and Church tradition, have been a source of inspiration and consolation to the (Catholic) faithful down through the ages.

Prayers have a threefold object: That of praise, of supplication, and of thanksgiving.

The "Lord's Prayer" is truly the summary of the entire gospel. The Lord handed over the practice of prayer, and said elsewhere, "Ask and you will receive." Since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer (the Lord's Prayer) has primacy, and is the foundation of further desires.

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.

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We pray before Mass in order to prepare ourselves for the celebration of 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 see him face to face in glory,

who lives and reigns with You for ever.

Amen

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(The soul of Christ)

The Anima Christi is said after receiving communion, that one be enlivened by the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, heal me.

Blood of Christ, drench me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me. In Your wounds shelter me.

From turning away keep me.

From the evil one protect me.

At the hour of my death call me.

Into Your presence lead me,

to praise You with all Your saints

for ever and ever.

Amen.

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A prayer St. Ignatius Loyola of thanksgiving for giving us Eucharistic presence.

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 enough for me.

Give me these, Lord Jesus,

and I ask for nothing more.

Amen.

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Hail Mary

We imitate the greeting of the archangel Gabriel, and salute our Blessed Lady in his words. (Adapted from Luke 1:28ff)

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst 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.

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Confiding in our blessed Mother, we appeal to her divine Son, beseeching Him to spare, to hear, to have mercy upon us.

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 towards us, and

after this, our exile, show unto us

the blessed fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O clement,

O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that

we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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We petition Mary to help us in our need in time of distress.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

never was it known that anyone who fled to thy

protection, implored thy help, or sought thy

intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee O Virgin

Of Virgins, my Mother to thee do we come,

And before thee we stand sinful and sorrowful.

O, Mother of the word incarnate, despise

Not our petitions but in thy mercy, hear and answer us.

Amen.

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The Angelus

The Angelus is a prayer which is to be recited morning, noon, and night, in honor of the Mother of God and in adoration of the mystery of the incarnation.

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary

And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. ("Hail Mary" Prayer)

Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

Be it done unto me according to thy word. ("Hail Mary" Prayer)

And the word was made flesh.

And dwelt among us. 

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

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 of Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

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Praise for the three persons of the Blessed Trinity.

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.

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Start your day by praying the morning offering giving to God all that you do or may encounter for the upcoming day.

O Jesus,

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I offer You my prayers, works,

joys and sufferings

of this day for all the intentions

of Your Sacred Heart,

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

throughout the world,

in reparation for my sins,

for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,

and in particular

for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Amen.

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Act of Contrition

Act of Contrition is used after confession as an expression of sorrow for sin committed against God.

O my God,

I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee,

and I detest all my sins,

because I dread the loss of heaven, 

and the pains of hell;

but most of all because they offend Thee, 

my God,

Who are all good and deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve,

with the help of thy grace,

to confess all my sins,

to do penance,

and to amend my life.

Amen.

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The Patron of departing souls.

O blessed Joseph, 

Faithful guardian of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, 

Protector of thy chaste spouse, 

The virgin Mother of God, 

I choose thee this day 

To be my special patron and advocate. 

And

I firmly resolve to honor thee 

all the days of my life. 

Therefore,  I humbly beseech thee to receive me 

As thy client, 

To instruct me in every doubt,

To comfort me in every affliction,

To obtain for me and for all the

Knowledge and love of the Heart of

Jesus, and finally to defend and protect

Me at the hour of my death. 

Amen

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Prayer of St. Francis

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi who said to his followers: "Preach the gospel. Use words only if necessary."

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;

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 by pardoning that we are pardoned,

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

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