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Common Prayers

Prayers from Our Catholic Tradition

 “Memorized prayers are like family heirlooms,
passed on from generation to generation,
linking us to the basic truths of our faith,
uniting our minds, hearts, and voices
over the centuries"
A Parent Guide to Prayer, Loyola Press

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

The symbolic action and prayer reflects our belonging to God, belief in the Trinity and has been used as early as the second century.



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 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;
on the third day he rose again from the dead; he 
ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will 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.



Act of Contrition
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His Name, my God, have mercy. Amen

Sacred Heart of Jesus
O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing,    
I adore you, I love you,
and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. 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.


Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.         Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.


Prayer for Vocations
O Jesus, Good and Gentle Shepherd grant that the men and women from our community, may have the grace and the courage to hear and answer Your call to priesthood and religious life. Give them the wisdom to realize that life is a gift. Let them realize their life is part of Your plan. Call forth those You have chosen to spread the gospel message, and help them to freely respond to a life of service in the church. May the parents and families of our parish, support and encourage our young men and women to search for, follow and answer the call of God in their lives. AMEN

A Prayer for Priests
Lord Jesus, You have chosen Your priests from among us and sent them out to proclaim Your word and to act in Your name. For so great a gift to Your Church, we give You praise and thanksgiving. We ask You to fill them with the fire of Your love, that their ministry may reveal Your presence in the Church. Since they are earthen vessels, we pray that Your power shine out through their weakness. In their afflictions let them never be crushed; in their doubts never despair; in temptation never be destroyed; in persecution never abandoned. Inspire them through prayer to live each day the mystery of Your dying and rising. In time of weakness send them Your Spirit, and help them to praise Your heavenly Father and pray for poor sinners. By the same Holy Spirit, put Your word on their lips and Your love in their hearts, to bring good news to the poor and healing to the brokenhearted. And may the gift of Mary, Your mother, to the disciple whom You loved, be Your gift to every priest. Grant that she who formed You in her human image, may form them in Your divine image, by the power of Your Spirit, to the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

 
...For other popular Catholic Prayers
.....For more Prayers

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The 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.

"The Lord's Prayer is the most perfect of prayers...
In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired.  This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them.  -St. Thomas Aquinas





 The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and
was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. 

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. 

The Nicene Creed, was developed at the Council of Nicea (325) and the Council of Constantinople (381).  It was written to expand upon profession of faith in the Apostles’ Creed to defend the faith against heresies at that time. Historians first see its use at Mass in the sixth century.


Come Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your Divine Love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Oh God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructed the hearts of the faithful, Grant, that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. We ask this through Christ Our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Breath into me Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit,
that my work too, may be holy.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,
that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,
that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy.


Memorare
Remember, O most gracious 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 by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you do I come; before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O mother of
the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

Salve Regina
Hail Holy Queen, 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 towards us; And after this our exile, show onto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.  Amen.


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