Jerome's Pages on the Catholic Church and Faith -- 18

The Catholic Encyclopedia: PRAYER (Objects of Prayer, To Whom May We Pray, For Whom We May Pray, Effects of Prayer, Conditions of Prayer, Attention in Prayer, Necessity of Prayer, Vocal Prayer, Postures in Prayer, Mental Prayer, and Methods of Meditation)

Prayer (How To Pray As A Catholic) (Web Links)

 COMMON CATHOLIC PRAYERS 

 SIGN OF THE CROSS 

   In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 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 rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the 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 body and life everlasting. Amen.

 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.

 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 Spirit.

   As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 MORNING PRAYER 

   In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I will begin this day. I thank you, Lord, for having preserved me during the night. I will do my best to make all I do today pleasing to You and in accordance with Your will. My dear mother Mary, watch over me this day. My Guardian Angel, take care of me. St. Joseph and all you saints of God, pray for me. (Then say the DAILY OFFERING)

 DAILY OFFERING 

   O Jesus, through the immaculate heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of 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 all the apostles of prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

 ACT OF FAITH 

   O 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 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 my 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.

 EVENING PRAYER 

   O my God, at the end of this I thank You most heartily for all the graces I have received from You. I am sorry that I have not made a better use of them. I am sorry for all the sins I have committed against You. Forgive me, O my God, and graciously protect me this night. Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear heavenly Mother, take me under your protection. St. Joseph, my dear Guardian Angel, and all you saints of God, pray for me. Sweet Jesus, have pity on all poor sinners, and save them from hell. Have mercy on the suffering souls in purgatory. (Then say the ACT OF CONTRITION)

 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 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 confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.

 PRAYER BEFORE MEALS 

   Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 PRAYER AFTER MEALS 

   We give thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

 PRAYER TO ONE'S GUARDIAN ANGEL 

   Angel of God my Guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

 THE MEMORARE (Prayer to Our Lady) 

   Remember, O most loving 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 turn 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, do not despise our petitions, but in your mercy hear us and answer us. Amen.

 PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT 

   Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them 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.

   Let us pray. O God, who did instruct the heart of your faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us the gift of the same spirit to be truly wise and rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 DIVINE PRAISES 

   Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy. Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception. Blessed be her Glorious Assumption. Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

 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, how unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

    V.  Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

    R.  That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

    Let us pray. O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

 THE ANGELUS 

(Traditionally, the Angelus is said daily at 6:00 a.m., 12 noon, and 6:00 p.m.)

V.  The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.

R.  And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

(Hail Mary....)

V.  Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

R.  Be it done unto me according to thy word.

(Hail Mary....)

V.  And the word was made 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.

    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 Christ our Lord. Amen.