Common Catholic Prayers:
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 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.
Glory Be
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.
The Apostle's 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,
on the third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of
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 the life everlasting. Amen.
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,
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. Amen.
Anima Christi
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.
Hide me within your wounds,
keep me close to you,
defend me from the evil enemy,
call me at the hour of my death,
and bid me to come to you,
to praise you with your saints,
forever and ever. Amen.
Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that any one who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
We fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins my Mother;
to thee do we come, before thee we stand,
sinful and sorrowful,
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not our petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer them. Amen.
The Angelus
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace...
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace...
And the Word was made Flesh.
And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace...
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 Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint Michael Prayer
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against
the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl throughout the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, 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 sin no more and to avoid the occasions of sin. Amen
Miraculous Medal Prayer
O Mary, Conceived without Sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for those who do not have recourse to thee, especially the enemies of the Church. Amen.
Morning Offering
Dear Lord, I do not know what will happen to me today — I only know that nothing will happen that was not foreseen by you and directed to my greater good from all eternity. I adore your holy and unfathomable plans, and submit to them with all my heart for love of you, the pope, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.
Guardian Angel Prayer
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.
Prayer of Surrender
Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my understanding, and my will. All that I have and cherish you have given to me. I surrender it all to be guided by your will. Your love and your grace are wealth enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more. Amen.
Grace Before Meals
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Grace After Meals
We give thee thanks for all thy benefits, O Almighty God, who lives and reigns, world without end. Amen.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Rosary
The purpose of the Rosary is to help keep in memory certain principal events in the history of our salvation. There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the Rosary, and these are divided into the five Joyful Mysteries (said on Monday and Saturday), the five Luminous Mysteries (optional, said on Thursday), the five Sorrowful Mysteries (said on Tuesday and Friday), and the five Glorious Mysteries (said on Wednesday and Sunday). As an exception, the Joyful Mysteries may be said on Sundays during Advent and Christmas, while the Sorrowful Mysteries may be said on the Sundays of Lent.
The question is sometimes asked, why, of all the incidents in our Lord’s life, the Rosary only considers these particular twenty. The mysteries of the Rosary are based on the incidents in the life of Our Lord and His Mother that are celebrated in the Liturgy. There is a parallel between the main feasts honoring our Lord and his Mother in the liturgical year, and the twenty mysteries of the Rosary. Consequently, one who recites the twenty mysteries of the Rosary in one day reflects on the whole liturgical cycle that the Church commemorates during the course of each year. That is why some of the Popes have referred to the Rosary as a compendium of the Gospel. One cannot change the mysteries of the Rosary without losing the indulgences that the Church grants for the recitation of the Rosary.
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles' Creed.
- On the first bead, say an Our Father.
- Say one Hail Mary on each of the next three beads.
- Say the Glory Be
- For each of the five decades, announce the Mystery (perhaps followed by a brief reading from Scripture) then say the Our Father.
- While fingering each of the ten beads of the decade, next say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then say a Glory Be.
(After finishing each decade, some say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.) - After saying the five decades, say the Hail, Holy Queen, followed by this dialogue and prayer:
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 while meditating on 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.
Conclude the Rosary with the Sign of the Cross.
The Glorious Mysteries
Sunday and Wednesday
The Resurrection
The Ascension
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
The Assumption of Mary
The Coronation of the Blessed Mother
The Joyful Mysteries
Monday and Friday
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Birth of Jesus
The Presentation
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Tuesday and Friday
The Prayer in the Garden
The Scourging at the Pillar
The Crowning with Thorns
The Carrying of the Cross
The Crucifixion
The Luminous Mysteries
Thursday
The Baptism of Jesus
The Miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana
Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom of Heaven and Repentence
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Holy Eucharist
A Prayer of Oscar Romero
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
It is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
Of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
Which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No programme accomplishes the Church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
Knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything,
And there is a sense of liberation in realising that.
This enables us to do something,
And to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
An opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
But that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders;
Ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future that is not our own.
Amen
An Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly
Lord Jesus,
you were born of the Virgin Mary, the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne.
Look with love on grandparents the world over.
Protect them! They are a source of enrichment for families, for the Church and for all of society.
Support them! As they grow older, may they continue to be for their families
strong pillars of Gospel faith, guardians of noble domestic ideals, living treasuries of sound religious traditions.
Make them teachers of wisdom and courage, that they may pass on to future generations the fruits of their mature human and spiritual experience.
Lord Jesus,
help families and society to value the presence and role of grandparents and the elderly.
May they never be ignored or excluded, but always encounter respect and love.
Help them to live serenely and to feel welcomed in all the years of life which you give them.
Mary, Mother of all the living, keep grandparents and the elderly constantly in your care,
accompany them on their earthly pilgrimage, and by your prayers, grant that all families
may one day be reunited in our heavenly homeland, where you await all humanity
for the great embrace of life without end. Amen!
Prayer for motorists before driving
Holy Mother, hear our prayer,
Keep us in your loving care,
Whatever the perils of the way,
Let us not add to them this day.
So to our caution and attention,
We add a prayer for your protection,
To beg God’s blessing on this car,
To travel safely near and far.
Amen.”
Prayer for Emigrants
Bless all those who have left our country and now live in other lands.
Give them a strong faith so that they will always put their trust in you and make you known by the example of their lives.
Console those who are lonely because they are separated from those they love.
Help all missionaries who are working far from home to make your love known.
Bless our people overseas who are sick or in prison.
We pray for foreigners living in our country that they may experience our hospitality.
Grant your eternal welcome to our emigrants who have died and to all the dead.
Amen.
Prayer for Migrants
Dear Lord,
Be with the displaced and the migrant.
Be with those who have lost contact with their families.
Be with those who long for a friendly face.
Be with those who long for a loving touch.
Be with those who are weary and find it hard to keep going.
Be with those who are cold and long for a warm fire and a cosy chair.
Be with those who sleep on hard ground and long for a comfortable bed.
Be with those who have no home.
Be with those who long to feel safe from wars and hatred.
Be with those who are in hiding from violent people.
Be with those who have lost hope.
Be with those today who have to leave their homes
To look for a better or a safer place.
Grant them a safe journey and welcome wherever they go.
Be with those who have been trafficked.
Grant that they might meet a compassionate person
Who will release them and give them back their freedom.
Be with those who are vulnerable and alone,
Especially children.
Grant them protection from those
Who would exploit their vulnerability.
Be with those today
Who are separated from loved ones at the time of death.
Grant them a safe home in heaven
And eternal life in your presence.
Be with me today and with those I love.
Help us to recognise you in all the people we meet,
In the homeless,
In the sick,
In the needy,
And in the stranger.
Help us to extend a caring hand to all your people
So that we can build a better, just and caring world
Where all will be one.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer to St Peregrine
St Peregrine, we come to you confidently to implore your aid with God in our necessity.
You were converted instantly from a worldly life by the good example of one holy person.
You were also cured instantly of cancer by God’s grace and unceasing prayer.
In your gracious kindness please ask the Lord to heal us also in body, mind, and soul.
May we then also imitate you in doing his work with renewed vigour and strength.
Amen
Prayer in Union with Creation by Pope Francis from the Encyclical Laudato Si’
Father, we praise you with all your creatures.
They came forth from your all-powerful hand;
they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love.
Praise be to you! Son of God, Jesus, through you all things were made.
You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother,
you became part of this earth,
and you gazed upon this world with human eyes.
Today you are alive in every creature in your risen glory.
Praise be to you! Holy Spirit,
by your light you guide this world
towards the Father’s love and accompany creation as it groans in travail.
You also dwell in our hearts and you inspire us to do what is good.
Praise be to you! Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love,
teach us to contemplate you in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness for every being that you have made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined to everything that is.
God of love, show us our place in this world as channels of your
love for all the creatures of this earth, for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good,
advance the weak, and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.
Prayer for Our Earth by Pope Francis from the Encyclical Laudato Si’
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.
Prayer for the Dioceses of Achonry and Elphin
Lord Jesus,
You came among us proclaiming the Word of Life,
And giving us an example of loving service.
In Baptism, you have made me
A member of your body, the Church.
Help me to recognise the gifts that you have given me
And the particular service to which you have called me.
Help me to recognise also the gifts and the ministries of others,
So that, together,
We may work for the building up of your body.
As we walk the road that leads to a deeper relationship
Between our two dioceses,
Walk with us Lord Jesus.
Open our hearts to your Word.
May the Spirit whom you promised
As the Advocate to be with us always,
Strengthen us with many gifts,
And draw us closer to one another and to you,
Who live and reign, for ever and ever. Amen.
Mary, Mother of the Church – Pray for us
St Asicus – Pray for us
St Attracta—Pray for us.
Saint Eithne – Pray for us
St Fidelma – Pray for us
Saint Nathy—Pray for us.
Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood.
Lord, you know our needs and you read our hearts. You stir our souls and bless our journey. Grant, we pray, an open ear and an open heart to some among us, that they might serve you and your church as priests in the Dioceses of Achonry and Elphin.