Category: U

Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life. 
Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today who are not thinking of motherhood. 
Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image, as well as theirs, made for eternal life. 
Dispel their fear of selfishness and give them true womanly hearts to love their babies and give them birth and all the needed care that a mother can give. 
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Almighty God, our Father,
you who have given us life 
and intended us to have it forever, 
grant us your blessings. 
Enlighten our minds to an awareness 
and to a renewed conviction 
that all human life is sacred 
because it is created 
in your image and likeness. 
Help us to teach by word 
and the example of our lives 
that life occupies the first place, 
that human life is precious 
because it is the gift of God 
whose love is infinite. 
Give us the strength to defend human life 
against every influence 
or action that threatens or weakens it, 
as well as the strength 
to make every life more human 
in all its aspects. 

Give us the grace…
When the sacredness of life 
before birth is attacked, 
to stand up and proclaim 
that no one ever has the authority 
to destroy unborn life.

When a child is described as a burden 
or is looked upon only as a means 
to satisfy an emotional need, 
to stand up 
and insist that every child is a unique 
and unrepeatable gift of God, 
a gift of God 
with a right to a loving 
and united family.

When the institution of marriage 
is abandoned to human selfishness 
or reduced to a temporary conditional arrangement 
that can easily be terminated, 
to stand up and affirm 
the indissolubility of the marriage bond.

When the value of the family is threatened 
because of social and economic pressure, 
to stand up and reaffirm 
that the family is necessary 
not only for the private good of every person, 
but also for the common good of every society, 
nation and state.

When freedom is used to dominate the weak, 
to squander natural resources and energy, 
to deny basic necessities to people, 
to stand up and affirm 
the demands of justice and social love.

Almighty Father, 
give us courage to proclaim the supreme dignity 
of all human life and to demand 
that society itself give its protection. 
We ask this in your name, 
through the redemptive act 
of your Son and in the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

“Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints” 
O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request). O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours.

Amen.

O United Hearts of Jesus and Mary, You are all grace, all mercy, all love. Let my heart be joined to Yours, so that my every need is present in Your United Hearts. Most especially, shed Your grace upon this particular need… (State your need here.) Help me to recognize and accept Your loving will in my life. Holy and Sacred Wounds of the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary, answer my prayer.

Amen.

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love
All whose lives I touch,
Those under my authority,
My friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
Greed by generosity,
Apathy by fervor.
Help me to forget myself
And reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning,
Courageous in taking risks.
Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.

Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
Temperate in food and drink,
Diligent in my work,
Firm in my good intentions.

Let my conscience be clear,
My conduct without fault,
My speech blameless,
My life well-ordered.
Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
Keep your law,
And come at last to your salvation.

Teach me to realize that this world is passing,
That my true future is the happiness of heaven,
That life on earth is short,
And the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death
With a proper fear of judgment,
But a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
To the endless joy of heaven.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

My God, I believe in Thee;
do Thou strengthen my faith.
All my hopes are in Thee;
do Thou secure them.
I love Thee with my whole heart;
teach me to love Thee daily more and more.
I am sorry that I have offended Thee;
do Thou increase my sorrow.

I adore Thee as my first beginning.
I aspire after Thee as my last end.
I give Thee thanks as my constant Benefactor.
I call upon Thee as my sovereign Protector.
Vouchsafe, 
O my God,
to conduct me by Thy wisdom,
to restrain me by Thy justice,
to conform me by Thy mercy,
and to defend me by Thy power.

To Thee I desire to consecrate all my thoughts,
words, actions, and sufferings;
that henceforward I may think of Thee,
speak of Thee,
willingly refer all my actions to Thy greater glory,
and suffer willingly whatever Thou shalt appoint.

Lord, I desire that in all things Thy will may be done;
because it is Thy will,
and in the manner that Thou willest.

I beg of Thee to enlighten my understanding,
to inflame my will,
to purify my body,
and to sanctify my soul.

Give me strength, O my God,
to expiate my offences,
to overcome temptations,
to subdue my passions,
and to acquire the virtues proper for my state.

Fill my heart with tender affection for Thy goodness,
hatred for my faults,
love for my neighbour,
and contempt of the world.

May Thy grace help me to be submissive to my superiors,
condescending to my inferiors,
faithful to my friends,
and charitable to my enemies.

Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification,
avarice by alms-deeds,
anger by meekness,
and tepidity by devotion.

O my God, make my prudent in my undertakings,
courageous in dangers,
patient in afflictions, 
and humble in prosperity.
Grant that I may be ever attentive at my prayers,
temperate at my meals,
diligent in my employments,
and constant in my resolutions.

Let my conscience be ever upright and pure,
my exterior modest,
my conversation edifying,
and my conduct steady.

Assist me, that I may continually labour to overcome nature,
to correspond with Thy grace,
to keep Thy commandments,
and to work out my salvation.

Discover to me, O my God,
the nothingness of this world,
the greatness of heaven,
the shortness of time,
and the length of eternity.

Grant that I may prepare for death,
that I may fear Thy judgments,
that I may escape hell,
and in the end, obtain heaven;
through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.