Prayers (A-Z)

[A family prayer for eight days after the Feast of Pentecost, or the Octave of Pentecost. Since Vatican II, the Church officially celebrates only two octaves, the Easter Octave and the Christmas Octave. But these prayers can still be prayed.]

Family: 
Alleluia, the Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world. Come, let us adore Him, Alleluia. 

Father: 
Let us pray. O God, on this day Thou didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people by the light of Thy Holy Spirit; grant us by the same Spirit a right judgment in all things and ever to rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ our Lord. 

Family: 
Alleluia, Alleluia. 

Father: 
Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth, Alleluia Alleluia. 

Family: 
The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, Alleluia. 

Father: 
And He who embraces all things knows every spoken word, Alleluia. 

Family: 
The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us, Alleluia.

O Holy Father, I offer you all the Masses celebrated or to be celebrated throughout the whole Church this day, so that through the Blood of Jesus Your Son, and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary laden with sorrows beneath the Cross, You may deign to grant to the just the great gift of perseverance, to sinners the grace of a perfect conversion, and to all the faithful, and most of all me and my family, at the last hour of life, the grace of receiving the Holy Viaticum, of being anointed with the holy oil, and of dying a death precious in your sight.

Amen.

Lord, all hearts are in Your hands. You can bend as You will the most stubborn and soften the most obdurate. Do that honour this day to the Precious Blood, the merits, the sacred Wounds, the holy Name, and the loving Heart of Your beloved Son by granting my requests.
(Make Your Request here…)

Amen.

Virgin Mary, most loving Mother, please give me a heart like yours, firm in its attachments and of unshakable loyalty, an affectionate heart which radiates a discreet tenderness and which is open, a pure heart which lives in the flesh without being burdened by it, a generous heart, quick in forgetting its hurts and always ready to forgive, a considerate heart which hides a great deal of love in the smallest details, in the most humble service, a magnanimous heart which rejoices in other’s triumphs and shares in their sorrows, a heart which condemns no one, and does not tire of being confided to, a heart taken up by Christ, totally given to His infinite love. 

Amen.

O Jesus, only Son of God, only Son of Mary, I offer Thee the most loving Heart of Thy divine Mother which is more precious and pleasing to Thee than all hearts.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus, I offer Thee the most adorable Heart of Thy well-beloved Son, who is the life and love and joy of Thy Heart.

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. 

Amen.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son, for the honour and glory of Thy Name, for the conversion of sinners, and for the salvation of the dying.

(Here you may mention the name of the dying person…)

Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. Thou hast given me all that I am and all that I possess: I surrender it all to Thee that Thou mayest dispose of it according to Thy will. Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will have no more to desire.

Amen.

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.

Lord, You have given me a body for it to help me fulfill my mission on earth and for eternity. By baptism, it was consecrated just as was my soul. Today I renew that consecration and submit my body to your service. Help me acquire over my body absolute control, so that it will always be an instrument, not a tyrant. Give it strength and endurance. Help me reject whatever is harmful to it: too much eating, drinking, smoking; abuse of drug or sex. Help me have the will to deprive it at times of normal pleasures as acts of sacrifice and as exercises in character building. May the frequent contact with your Body in the holy Eucharist make it sound and pure. 

Amen.

Lord, sometimes I have a hard time finding something to pray about, yet the reasons to give You thanks are not lacking. Aren’t there young people whose life’s wish is found in these words: “God, I wish I could see!” or “Lord, I wish I could hear!” 

Yet, Lord, I who see, hear, speak with such ease, often forget to thank You for these gifts which I take for granted. 

Today, I thank You for my eyes which see light, colors, and the faces of those who love me. 

I thank You for my hearing which allows me to enjoy people’s voice and music.

I thank You for my voice which allows me to express my thoughts and innermost feelings. 

I thank You also for the sense of smell, and the sense of touch.

Lord, You have given me the senses. I now offer them back to You. 
Help me to use my senses sensibly, to see your beauty in the beauty of human faces and bodies, of flowers and rainbows, of nature and art; to use my eyes to read what will enrich my mind, ennoble my soul; to use my ears to listen to your Word and to what philosophers and scientists have to say about the mysteries of man, of the universe, of creation, so that I may better understand myself, others, and You, the Creator of all things seen and unseen, known and unknowable; about the past and the present, so that I may better understand myself, others, and You; to use my voice to proclaim the truth and to spread the joy around me. 

Amen.

Eternal Father, 
we offer Thee the precious Blood of Jesus, 
shed for us through exceeding love, 
and with exceeding pain 
from the wound of His right hand; 
through the merits and virtues of which, 
we beseech Thy divine Majesty 
to bestow on us Thy sacred benediction, 
that by its efficacy 
we may be protected from our enemies, 
and delivered from every evil. 
For this purpose we say: 
May the blessing of Almighty God, 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
descend upon us, 
and remain always with us. 

Amen.

(Then say Our Father…, Hail Mary…, and Glory be to the 
Father…. once, to the Most Adorable Trinity, in 
thanksgiving for all the blessings and benefits we 
receiv.)