Now follows two lovely prayers that will help us to bring our day to a beautiful conclusion. I have a copy of this booklet on my bed stand and frequently pray the following prayers before I go to sleep. Couples who like to pray together could end their day with these prayers.
Day One: |
PRAYERS FOR GUIDANCE
Grant me, Lord, to know what
I ought to know,
to love what I ought to love,
to praise what delights you most,
to value what is precious in your sight,
to hate what is offensive to you.
Do not allow me to judge according
to appearances,
nor to pass sentence following
the judgment of the ignorant,
but to discern with true judgment
between things visible and spiritual,
and, above all things,
To seek to know what is the good pleasure
of your will. Amen
Thomas a Kempis |
Lord, take me where you want me to go;
Let me meet who you want me to meet;
Tell me what you want me to say,
and keep me out of your way.
Fr. Mychal Judge |
Day Two: |
PRAYER TO RADIATE CHRIST
Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance
everywhere I go today:
Flood my soul with your spirit and life;
Penetrate and possess my whole being
so utterly that all my life
may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through me and be so in me
That every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul
Let them look up and see no longer me,
but only Jesus! Amen
John Henry Cardinal Newman |
PRAYER FOR ONE WHO HURT YOU
Almighty God, have mercy on (name),
and on all who wish me harm.
Have mercy on their faults and on mine.
Bring us both to heaven together,
where we may always live
and love together
with you and your blessed saints,
glorious Trinity,
for the sake of the bitter suffering of
our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Thomas Moore |
Day Three: |
PRAYER FOR GOD'S MERCY
Almighty Lord God,
Your glory cannot be approached,
Your compassion knows no bounds,
Your love for all mankind
is beyond human expression.
In your mercy look on us
and on all your people;
Do not leave us to our sins,
But deal with us according
to your goodness.
Guide us to the haven of your will,
And make us truly obedient to your commandments,
so that we may not feel ashamed
when we come
before your judgment seat.
For you, God, are good and ever-loving.
We glorify you, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit,
Now and forever, to the ages of ages. Amen.
| MOLD US, LORD
Lord, you are like a potter,
shaping us into an image of yourself.
We are vessels into which you
have poured life.
We work with you in making the pottery
of our life into something beautiful.
You are worthy of all our energy and love.
We want to be your disciples.
This takes discipline to be a success
and to make our lives beautiful
by making the right and loving decisions,
we need to be in touch with you.
Mold us and form us
so that we are not enslaved by drugs,
money, power or possessions.
Let us experience the real freedom
to create and to love. Amen
Pope John Paul II |
Day Four: |
PRAYER FOR FAMILY UNITY
Lord Jesus, with Mary and Joseph,
you lived in a family;
Teach me to appreciate the gift of being
part of a family.
Show me ever-new ways of protecting
And comforting those closest to me;
And, each day, let me do something
That will say 'I love you'
without speaking those words.
Let me never part from any of my
family in anger;
Prompt me always to turn back without delay
to forgive and to be forgiven.
Let me see your image in my family,
in each of them,
and in my larger family too,
knowing that, in your kingdom,
We will be truly one family,
United by your sacrifice on the cross. Amen.
|
DAY BY DAY
Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ,
For all the benefits and blessings
you have given me,
For all the pains and insults you
have borne for me.
Merciful Friend, Brother and Redeemer,
May I know you more clearly,
Love you more dearly,
And follow you more nearly,
Day by day.
St. Richard of Chichester |
Day Five: |
PRAYER FOR EVANGELIZATION
God of truth,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
hear our prayer for those who do not know you
so that your name may be praised among
all peoples of the world.
Sustain and inspire your servants
who bring them the gospel.
Bring fresh vigour to wavering faith;
sustain our faith when it is still fragile.
Renew our missionary zeal.
Make us witnesses to your goodness,
full of love, of strength, and of faith,
for your glory and for the salvation
of the world. Amen.
Pope Paul IV |
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HURTING
We bring before you, O Lord,
the troubles and perils of people and nations,
the sighing of prisoners and captives,
the sorrows of the bereaved,
the necessities of strangers,
the helplessness of the weak,
the despondency of the weary,
the failing powers of the aged.
O Lord, draw near to each; for the sake
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
|
Day Six: |
PRAYER FOR HEALING THE FAMILY TREE
[Many families are cursed with the sins, wounds of their ancestors e.g., alcoholism, suicide, various physical and mental diseases. Hence, our need to pray for the healing of our Family Tree. Many individuals have through prayer been able to break the curse and heal wounds inflicted on their family.]
Heavenly Father, I come before you
as your child, in need of your help.
Many of my problems have been caused
by my own failure, neglect and sinfulness,
for which I humbly beg your forgiveness.
I also ask you to forgive the sins of my ancestors
whose failures have left their effects on me
in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns
and defects in body, mind and spirit.
Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders.
With your help I forgive all who have hurt me,
especially living or dead members
of my family tree, who have directly offended
me or my loved ones in any way,
or those whose sins have resulted
In our present sufferings and disorders.
In the name of your divine Son, Jesus,
And in the power of his Holy Spirit,
I ask you, Father, to deliver me
and my entire family tree
from the influence of the evil one.
Free all living and dead members
of my family tree,
including those in adoptive relationships,
and those in extended family relationships,
from every contaminating form of bondage.
By your loving concern for us,
heavenly Father, and by the shed blood
of your precious son, Jesus,
| I beg you to extend your blessing to me
and to all my living and deceased relatives.
Heal every negative effect transmitted through
all past generations, and prevent such negative
effects In future generations of my family tree.
I symbolically place the cross of Jesus
over the head of each person in my family tree,
and between each generation;
I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus purify
the bloodlines in my family lineage.
Set your protective angels
to encamp around us,
and permit Archangel Raphael,
the patron of healing,
to administer your divine healing
power to all of us,
even in areas of genetic disability.
Give special power
to our family members' guardian angels
to heal, protect, guide and encourage
each of us in all our needs.
Let your healing power be released
at this very moment,
and let it continue as long as your
sovereignty permits.
In our Family Tree, Lord,
Replace all bondage with a holy
bonding in family love.
And let there be an ever-deeper bonding with you, Lord,
by the Holy Spirit, to your son, Jesus.
Let the family of the Holy Trinity
pervade our family with its tender,
warm, loving presence, so that our family
may recognize and manifest that love in
all our relationships.
All of our unknown needs we include
with this petition that we pray
in Jesus' precious Name.
Amen
Rev. John H. Hampsch, CMF |
Day Seven: |
JUST FOR TODAY
My life is but an instant, a passing hour.
My life is but a day that escapes
and flies away.
O my God! You know that to love you
on earth I only have today.
Lord, what does it matter
if the future is gloomy?
To pray for tomorrow, oh no, I cannot!
Keep my heart pure,
cover me with your shadow.
Just for today.
O divine Pilot! Whose hand guides me.
I'm soon to see you on the eternal shore.
Guide my little boat over the stormy waves
in peace, just for today. Amen
|
PRAYER OF LOVE
I love you, O my God,
and my only desire is to love you
until the last breath of my life.
I love you, O my infinitely lovable God,
and I would rather die loving you,
than live without loving you.
I love you, Lord,
and the only grace I ask is
to love you eternally.
My God, if my tongue cannot
say in every moment
that I love you,
I want my heart to repeat it to you
as often as I draw breath. Amen
St. John Vianney |
Day Eight: |
SOUL OF 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.
Good Jesus, hear 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.
St. Ignatius of Loyola |
A MYSTIC'S PRAYER
You, Eternal Trinity,
are a sea so deep that the more
I enter in, the more I find;
and the more I find, the more
I seek of you;
for when the soul is satisfied
in your abyss, it is not satisfied,
but it ever continues to thirst for you,
Eternal Trinity,
desiring to behold you with the light
of your light.
As the hart desires the springs
of living water,
so does my soul desire to leave the prison
of this dark body
and to behold you in truth.
O how long shall your face be
hidden from my eyes.
O abyss, O eternal Godhead,
O deep sea!
Clothe me with yourself, Eternal Trinity,
so that I may run this mortal life
with true obedience, and with the light
of your most holy faith. Amen
St. Catherine of Siena |
Day Nine: |
PRAYER FOR SELF-ACCEPTANCE
My God,
Jesus revealed you as a waiting Father, full of compassion and love,
Ever willing to welcome anyone
who turns to you.
I believe that you accept me just as I am;
Help me to accept myself.
I believe that your arms are open
to receive me;
Help me to cast myself into them.
I believe that you hear me
even before I begin to pray,
and that you know my heart's
deepest desires.
You are with me here right now,
loving me, forgiving me,
finding joy in my being with you.
And so I can come to you with great confidence, knowing that all you
want is my trust. Amen
Elizabeth Ruth Obbard |
PRAYER FOR RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE
For the littlest child in her mother's womb,
that in her life we may see the infinite love of God.
For the oldest person who in sickness approaches death,
that in his weakness we may find strength,
and in his suffering see the cross of Christ.
For all who are forgotten or cast off,
that we might value each human life,
as an inestimable gift from God.
For those who are mentally disabled,
that we might cherish the gifts God has given them,
and in their lives hear the voice of our loving God.
For those who have lost hope,
and especially for those condemned
to die, that we might work
to save their lives.
For all who are tempted to sin against life,
that they might turn from darkness
and embrace the infinite love
and light of God. Amen
|
Day Ten: |
WHEN FEARFUL
Lord, we ask you to deliver us from fear
of the unknown future:
from fear of failure; from fear of poverty;
from fear of bereavement;
from fear of loneliness;
from fear of sickness and pain;
from fear of age; and from fear of death.
Help us, Father, by your grace
to love you above all,
and to fear nothing.
Fill our hearts with cheerful courage
and loving trust in you;
Through our Lord and Master,
Jesus Christ. Amen.
|
PRAYER OF SPOUSES
FOR EACH OTHER
[If not married, pray this pray for those who are, especially for relatives, friends, and neighbors who are married.]
Lord Jesus, grant that I and my spouse may
have a true and understanding
love for each other.
Grant that we may both be filled
with faith and trust.
Give us the grace to live with each other
in peace and harmony.
May we always bear with one another's
weaknesses and grow from each other's strengths.
Help us to forgive one another's failings
and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness,
and the spirit of placing the well-being of one
another ahead of self.
May the love that brought us together grow
and mature with each passing year.
Bring us both closer to You through
our love for each other.
Let our love grow to perfection.
Amen |
Day Eleven: |
WHEN FEELING SPIRITUALLY DRY
Dear Lord,
In the midst of much inner turmoil
and restlessness,
there is a consoling thought:
maybe you are working in me in a way
I cannot yet feel,
experience or understand.
My mind is not able to concentrate on you, my heart is not able to remain centered,
and it seems as if you are absent
and have left me alone.
But in faith I cling to you.
I believe that your Spirit reaches deeper
and further than my mind or heart,
and that profound movements are not
the first to be noticed.
Therefore, Lord,
I promise I will not run away,
not give up, not stop praying,
even when it all seems useless, pointless,
and a waste of time and effort.
I want to let you know that I love you
even though I do not feel loved by you,
and that I hope in you even though
I often experience despair,
let this be a little dying I can do with you
and for you as a way of experiencing some
solidarity with the millions in this world who
suffer far more than I do. Amen.
Fr. Henri Nouwen |
PRAYER OF TRUST
O Lord, though I have no feeling
of confidence in you, nevertheless,
I know that you are my God,
That I am all yours,
And that I have no hope but in your goodness;
So, I abandon myself
entirely into your hands. Amen
St. Francis de Sales |
Day Twelve: |
GOD AS MY FIRST LOVE
Lord God,
I know that if I do not love you with
all my heart, with all my mind,
with all my soul and with all my strength,
I shall love something else
With all my heart and mind
and soul and strength.
Grant that, putting you first in all my loving,
I may be liberated from all lesser loves and loyalties,
and have you as my first love,
my chief good and my final joy. Amen
(Adapted from George Appleton) |
FOR A GENEROUS SPIRIT
Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labor and not to ask for reward,
except to know that I am doing your will.
St. Ignatius of Loyola |
Day Thirteen: |
PRAYER TO THE HOLY TRINITY
O my God, Blessed Trinity whom I adore,
help me to become utterly forgetful of self,
that I may bury myself in thee,
as changeless and as calm as though
my soul were already in eternity.
May nothing disturb my peace
nor draw me out of thee,
O my immutable Lord!
But may I penetrate more deeply every moment
into the depths of thy Mystery.
Give peace to my soul;
Make it thy heaven, thy cherished dwelling place,
thy home of rest.
Let me never leave thee there alone,
But keep me there all absorbed in thee,
in living faith, adoring thee and wholly yielded
up to thy creative action.
O my Christ, whom I love,
Crucified by love,
fain would I be the bride of thy heart;
fain would I cover thee with glory
and love thee, until I die of love!
Yet I realize my weakness,
And beg thee to clothe me with thyself;
to identify my soul with the
movements of thine own.
Immerse me in thyself;
possess me wholly; substitute thyself
for me that my life may be
but a radiance of thine own.
Enter my soul as adorer,
as restorer, as Savior!
|
O eternal Word, utterance of my God!
I long to pass my life in listening to thee,
to become docile,
that I may learn all from thee.
Through all darkness, all privations,
all helplessness, I crave to keep thee
ever with me and to dwell beneath
thy lustrous beams.
O my beloved star!
So hold me that I cannot wander
from thy light.
O "Consuming fire," Spirit of Love!
Descend within me and reproduce in me,
as it were, an incarnation of the Word,
that I may be to him another humanity
wherein he renews his mystery.
And thou, O Father, bend towards thy poor little creature and overshadow her,
beholding in her none other than thy beloved Son,
in whom thou hast set all thy pleasure.
O my Three, my all, my beatitude, infinite solitude, Immensity wherein I lose myself!
I yield myself to thee as thy prey.
Merge thyself in me,
that I may be immersed in thee
until I depart to contemplate in thy light the abyss of thy greatness! Amen
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity |
Day Fourteen: |
I HAVE A MISSION
God has created me
To do Him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me
Which He has not committed to another.
I HAVE A MISSION
I may never know it in this life
But I shall be told it in the next
I AM A LINK IN A CHAIN
A bond of connection between persons
He has not created me for naught
I shall do good - I shall do his work
I shall be an angel of peace
A preacher of truth in my own place
While not intending it
If I do but keep his commandments
THEREFORE I WILL TRUST HIM
Whatever I am,
I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness,
my sickness may serve Him.
In perplexity,
my perplexity may serve Him.
If I am in sorrow,
my sorrow may serve Him.
HE DOES NOTHING IN VAIN
He knows what he is about
He may take away my friends
He may throw me among strangers
He may make me feel desolate
Make my spirits sink
Hide my future from me-still
HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS ABOUT.
John Cardinal Newman |
PRAYER FOR ONE'S HOME
Visit, we beseech you, O Lord,
this dwelling and drive
far from it all snares of the enemy;
let your holy angels dwell herein,
to preserve us in peace;
and let your blessing be upon us forever.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen. |
Day Fifteen: |
TO BE FILLED WITH GOD
O Divine One,
to thee I raise my whole being,
a vessel emptied of self.
O Accept, gracious God,
this my emptiness,
and so fill me with thyself,
thy light, thy love, thy life
that these thy precious gifts
may radiate through me
and overflow the chalice of my heart
into the hearts of all those
with whom I come in contact this day
revealing unto them the beauty
of thy joy and wholeness
and the serenity of thy peace,
which nothing can destroy. Amen
|
OPENNESS TO GOD'S WILL
Lord, I do not know what to ask of you.
You alone know what are my true needs.
You love me more than I myself know how to love.
Help me to see my real needs
which are concealed from me.
I do not ask either a cross or a consolation;
I can only wait for you.
My heart is open to you.
Visit and help me;
Cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence your holy will
and your inscrutable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to you.
I put all my trust in you.
I have no desire other than
to fulfill your will.
Teach me how to pray.
Do you pray yourself in me. Amen
Philaret of Moscow |
Sixteen: |
FOR THE AGED
Eternal Father,
You who are unchanged down the changing years,
Be near to the aged.
Even though their bodies weaken,
Grant that their spirit may be strong;
May they bear weariness and affliction with patience,
and, at the end, meet death with serenity;
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pope Paul VI |
PRAYER FOR A GIVING HEART
I do not know how long I'll live
but while I live, Lord, let me give
some comfort to someone in need
By smile or nod-kind word or deed
And let me do what e'er I can
To ease things for my fellow man.
I want naught but to do my part
To "lift" a tired or weary heart.
To change folks from frowns
to smiles again-
Then I will not have lived in vain.
And I'll not care how long I'll live
If I can give- and give- and give.
|
Day Seventeen: |
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Holy Spirit,
let your gracious love and presence descend upon us,
so that no unchaste thought may corrupt the souls which you have ordained for your praise,
no unchaste actions defile the bodies
which are temples of you.
Grant that, our hearts being filled with love of you, we may be enabled to overcome the temptations
of this present life, and finally be made partakers
of the glories of the world to come:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
|
PRAYER OF NATIVE AMERICANS
O Great Spirit
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all
the world, hear me!
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes
ever behold the read and purple sunset!
Make my hands respect the things
you have made and my ears sharp
to hear your voice.
Make me wise that I may understand the
things you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength, not to be greater than
my brother, but to fight
my greatest enemy - myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when my life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame. Amen
|
Day Eighteen: |
WHEN SEEKING DIRECTION
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain
where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think
that I am following your will does not mean
that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me
by the right road though
I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone. Amen
Thomas Merton |
PRAYER FOR THE
UNITED STATES
Almighty God,
we make our earnest prayer
that you will keep the United States
in your holy protection;
that you will incline the hearts of the citizens to respect government
and entertain a brotherly affection
and love for one another and
for the fellow-citizens of the
United States at large.
Dispose us all to do justice,
to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility
and pacific temper of mind
which were the characteristics
of the Divine Author
of our blessed religion
and without which we can never
be a happy nation.
Grant our supplication, we beseech you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
|
Day Nineteen: |
LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU
Let nothing disturb you,
nothing frighten you.
All things are passing,
God never changes.
Patient endurance attains to all things.
Whom God possesses,
in nothing is wanting.
God alone suffices. Amen
Teresa of Avila
PRAYER BEFORE MEDITATION
Give me a candle of your Spirit,
O God, as I go down into the deep
of my own being.
Show me the hidden things.
Take me down to the spring of my life,
and tell me my nature and my name.
Give me freedom to grow so that
I may become my true self -
the fulfillment of the seed which
You planted in me at my making.
Out of the deep I cry unto thee, O God. Amen.
George Appleton |
PRAYER FOR EMPLOYMENT
[If not seeking employment pray
this prayer for those who are.]
God, our Father,
I turn to you seeking your divine help
and guidance as I look for
suitable employment.
I need your wisdom to guide my footsteps
along the right path and to lead me
to find the proper things to say
and do in this quest.
I wish to use the gifts and talents
you have given me,
but I need the opportunity to do so
with gainful employment.
Do not abandon me, dear Father,
in this search,
but rather grant me this favor I seek
so that I may return to you
with praise and thanksgiving
for your gracious assistance.
Grant this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
|
Day Twenty: |
PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
AND VOCATIONS
Jesus, good and gentle shepherd
I thank you for the men
who have heard and responded
to your call to priesthood.
Place in their hearts
a deep desire to love and serve you
and the people you have placed
in their care.
May their word to us be your Word.
And my we hear and act on your Word.
Protect and guard your priests
from false and sinful ways.
Keep them in your truth.
Help them to grow in holiness.
Help us, your people
to love and support your priests
by word and deed.
Lord of the harvest,
may all those whom you are calling
to the priesthood and religious life
hear and answer your call.
Show us, as a parish,
ways to foster vocations.
Jesus, bless all Vocations Directors.
Help them to discover effective ways
to call men and women
to the priesthood and religious life. Amen
|
PRAYER FOR HEALING
Lord, you invite all who are burdened
to come to you.
Allow your healing hand to heal me.
Touch my soul with your
compassion for others.
Touch my heart with you courage
and infinite love for all.
Touch my mind with your wisdom,
that my mouth may always
proclaim your praise.
Teach me to reach out to you in my need,
and help me to lead others to you
by my example.
Most loving Heart of Jesus,
bring me health in body and spirit
that I may serve you with
all my strength.
Touch gently this life, which you have created,
now and forever. Amen.
|
Day Twenty-one: |
PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
Lord Jesus Christ,
when you were about to suffer,
you prayed for your disciples
that they might all be one
as you are in the Father and the Father in you.
Look down in pity on the many divisions
among those who profess faith in you,
and heal the wounds which human pride
has inflicted on your people.
Break down the walls of separation,
which divide one party and denomination
of Christians from another.
Look with compassion on the souls of those
who have been born
in one or another of these various denominations,
and bring them all into that one communion
which you willed from the beginning. Amen
|
PRAYER OF PROTECTION
FOR THE UNBORN
Father, all life is in Your care.
You have entrusted us to one another,
that we may show our brothers and sisters
the same love you have for us.
We pray, then, for the least among us,
the children in the womb.
Protect them from the violence of abortion.
We pray for those that are scheduled to die today
at some abortion clinic.
Save them from death.
Give new hope to their parents,
That they may turn away from the desperate
act of abortion.
Grant conversion to abortionist
and their staff.
Show us how we are to respond to the
bloodshed in our midst, and lead us to the day
when this place of death will be transformed
into a haven of life.
Guard us with your joy and your peace,
for in You, life is victorious.
We pray in the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Frank Pavone
|
Day Twenty-two: |
PRAYER FOR FAITH, HOPE
AND CHARITY
My God, I believe in you
and in all that you teach,
because you have said it,
and your word is true.
My God, I hope in you,
for grace and for glory,
Because of your promises,
your mercy and your power.
My God, because you are so good,
I want to love you with all my heart,
and for your sake to love my
neighbor as myself. Amen
|
PRAYER FOR WORLD PEACE
Almighty and Eternal Father,
God of wisdom and mercy,
enlighten and direct those who bear
the heavy responsibility of
government throughout the world,
in these days of stress and trial.
Grant them the strength to stand firm
for what is right, and the skill to dispel
the fears that provoke discord.
Inspire them to be mindful
of the horrors of atomic war;
inspire them to seek reconciliation,
so that people of all nations may,
in our day, enjoy the blessings
of a just and lasting peace. Amen
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Day Twenty-three: |
PRAYER FOR HEALING
Dear Jesus,
I believe you have
designed and created me,
therefore, you can also
repair and restore me.
In the comfort of your love
I pour out to you
the memories that haunt me,
the anxieties that bewilder me,
the fears that stifle me
and the sickness that besets me.
I confess my frustration
in dealing with the emotional,
physical and Spiritual pain of my life.
Help me to image your gentle touch
as you tenderly enclose me in your arms.
Give me the gift of faith
to believe in your merciful love each
step of my earthly journey.
I trust your tender care will
yield peace to my mind,
serenity to my heart,
renewal to my spirit and
healing to my body.
I offer you a sacrifice of praise
in the midst of my suffering,
knowing that you promised to never
leave me nor forsake me. Amen.
Barbara Ryan |
FOR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE
IN GOD
My God, I want to have confidence in your love, but so many things seem to hold me back:
past wounds, past hurts, past betrayals,
past sins-mine and others'.
Open my eyes. Open my heart.
Enable me to take the leap of faith
that is needed now.
Holiness isn't a matter of starting to love you
some time in the future, or even tomorrow.
I don't have to wait until I become
a better person, more worthy, more virtuous.
It's a matter of trusting in your mercy today,
just as I am.
You showed this to the saints;
show me, too, and give me a spirit
of great confidence.
I ask this through your beloved Son,
our merciful Saviour. Amen.
Elizabeth Ruth Obbard
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Day Twenty-four: |
PRAYER TO OUR BLESSED MOTHER
Mary, Mother of Jesus
and Mother of Mercy,
since Jesus from the Cross
gave you to me,
I take you as my own.
And since Jesus gave me to you,
take me as your own.
Make me docile
like Jesus on the Cross,
obedient to the Father,
trusting in humility and in love.
Mary, my Mother,
in imitation of the Father,
who gave his Son to you,
I too give my all to you;
to you I entrust all that I am,
all that I have and all that I do.
Help me to surrender
ever more fully to the Spirit.
Lead me deeper into the Mystery
of the Cross, and the fullness of Church.
As you formed the heart of Jesus
by the Spirit, form my heart
to be the throne of Jesus
in his glorious coming. Amen
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PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH
O blessed Joseph,
faithful guardian of my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ,
protector of they 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 our of my death. Amen
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Day Twenty-five: |
PRAYER OF ABANDONMENT
Father, I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me as you will.
For whatever you do, I thank you;
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let your will be done in me as in all creatures;
I ask nothing else.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I give it to you with all the love of my heart.
I love you and I want to give myself
into your hands with a trust beyond
all measure because you are my Father.
Charles de Foucauld
|
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy.
Amen
St. Augustine
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Day Twenty-six: |
PRAYER OF SURRENDER
Lord Jesus, I give you my hands
to do your work.
I give you my feet to go your way.
I give you my eyes to see as you see.
I give you my tongue to speak
your words.
I give you my mind that you may
think in me.
I give you my spirit that you
may pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart
that you may love in me-
Love the Father and all humanity.
I give you my whole self that you may
grow in me, so that you,
Lord, may be the one who lives,
and works, and prays in me. Amen.
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PRAYER OF A GOOD STEWARD
God our Father,
we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of all people.
Help us to take every talent and gift, which we possess and to lay them on the altar of your service, that we too may be used to bring others to you.
Help us to be ready to give,
and even to sacrifice, our time,
our energy, our money,
to spread Christ's message
wherever we live and to share with
others the life of Christ which is in us.
Help us so to live that by our word
and our lives many more may be moved
to give their minds and hearts to you.
God our Father, hear this prayer through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
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Day Twenty-seven: |
FOR A
MAGNANIMOUS SPIRIT
God, keep me from smallness of mind.
Let me be big in thought,
word and action.
Let me be finished for ever with
self-love and fault-finding.
May I put away all pretence,
and meet everyone
face to face without self-pity or deceit.
May I not be hasty in judging others,
but may I always be generous.
Let me take time for things.
Help me grow calm, peaceful and gentle.
Teach me to put my good intentions
into action.
Teach me to be straightforward
and fearless.
Grant that I may realize that it is the small
things in life that separate us, and that
in the big things of life we are one. Amen
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PRAYER FOR A GODLY SPIRIT
Give us a pure spirit so we can see you,
A humble spirit so we can hear you,
A loving spirit so we can serve you,
A believing spirit so we can live with you.
Amen
Dag Hammarskjold
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Day Twenty-eight: |
PRAYER OF SERENITY
God Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time.
Accepting hardship as pathway to peace.
Taking, as Jesus did, this world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that you will make all things right if
I surrender to your will.
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you forever in the next. Amen.
Reinhold Niebuhr
|
PRAYER FOR A GODLY HEART
Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart,
Which no unworthy affection may
drag downwards.
Give me an unconquered heart,
Which no tribulation can wear out.
Give me an upright heart,
Which no unworthy purpose
may tempt aside. Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas
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Day Twenty-nine: |
THE PRAYER OF MICAH (6:7)
Lord, make us able to walk blamelessly,
To act justly, to speak truthfully,
And to give no welcome to speaking badly
of our neighbour.
Then we shall know that peace of mind
To which sincerity gives the only true claim. Amen
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PROTECTION FROM NEGATIVE ATTITUDES
God, keep me from grumbling.
I know that there are few people harder
to put up with than those who are
always complaining.
Don't let me become like that.
Don't let me have discontent written
all over my face.
If I can't get my own way,
don't let me sulk about it.
If I can't get what I want,
help me to make the best of what I have.
Don't let me take offence easily,
getting into a huff,
even when no harm was intended.
Help me all day and every day to
see the best in people.
Help me, too, to live in the certainty
that you are working all things
together for good.
May I have the patience to wait for your
purposes to work out.
This I ask for your love's sake. Amen.
William Barclay
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Day Thirty: |
PRAYER OF SURRENDER
Take and receive, Lord, all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding and my will,
all that I have and own.
You gave them to me;
To you, Lord, I return them.
They are all yours;
Do with them what you will.
Give me your love and your grace;
These are enough for me;
Then I am rich enough.
I do not ask anything more. Amen.
St. Ignatius Loyola |
FOR THOSE SUFFERING AFFLICTION
Be merciful, Lord, to all our brothers and sisters
who suffer any kind of persecution or affliction,
whether in mind or body,
especially those who suffer for your name
and gospel; give them patience,
constancy and steadfast hope
until you send them full and good deliverance
of all their troubles;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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Day Thirty-one |
WHEN WE DO NOT KNOW
WHAT WE WANT
Lord, we do not know
what we should ask of you,
but you already know what we need.
You love us better than we know
how to love ourselves.
Father, give to us, your children,
that which we do not know how to ask.
We have no desire other than
to do your will.
Teach us to pray.
Pray in us; in Jesus' name. Amen.
Francois de la Mother Fenelon |
PRAY TO THE SACRED HEART
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity,
Heart of Jesus, burning with love for me
Inflame my heart with love for Thee
and for those around me.
Pour into us, O Lord, the spirit of thy love.
From anger and hate
and from all evil wishes,
O Lord deliver us. Amen
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