1. Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Breathe 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 may always be holy. Amen.
by St. Augustine
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2. Divine Praises
Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Consoler.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.
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3. St. Michael, the Archangel
St. 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 you, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God cast into hell
Satan and all the evil spirits who wander through
the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
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4. Prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola
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. Amen.
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5. Selflessness
O Dearly beloved Word of God,
teach me to be generous,
to serve You as You deserve,
to give without counting the cost,
to fight without fretting at my wounds,
to labor without seeking rest,
to spend myself without looking for any reward
other than that of knowing that I do Your holy will.
Amen. (by St. Ignatius of Loyola)
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6. An Offering
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. (by St. Ignatius)
I pray, Lord, that you enlighten my mind, inflame my will,
purify my heart, and sanctify my soul (Pope Clement XI).
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7. Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi before the Blessed Sacrament
We adore You, O Lord Jesus Christ, in this Church
and all the Churches of the world,
and we bless You, because, by Your holy Cross
You have redeemed the world.
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8. St. Francis of Assisi's vocation prayer
Most High, Glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of our minds.
Give us a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity,
so that we may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen.
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9. St. Francis of Assisi's prayer in praise of God given to Brother Leo
You are holy, Lord, the only God,
and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good,
Lord God, living and true.
You are love. You are wisdom.
You are humility. You are endurance.
You are rest. You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage. You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord,
God Almighty, Merciful Savior.
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10. Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that any one who fled to your protection,
implored your help or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired with 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 you mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
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11. Ancient Prayer to the Virgin
We turn to you for protection,
holy Mother of God.
Listen to our prayers
and help us in our needs.
Save us from every danger,
glorious and blessed Virgin.
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12. Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve:
to you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley
of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus,
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us O holy Mother of God.
That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen.
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13. Soul of Christ
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.
Within your wounds, hide me.
Never let me be separated from you.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me;
and bid me come to you.
That with your saints I may praise you
forever and ever.
Amen.
(By St. Ignatius Loyola)
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14. Prayer for Peace: Saint Francis
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;
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;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.
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15. St. Patrick's Breastplate
Christ be with me, Christ within me
Christ behind me, Christ before me
Christ beside me, Christ to win me
Christ to comfort me and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend or stranger.
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16. Prayer for our Country
Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future. From famine and war, deliver us. From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us. From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us. Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the “sin of the world, ”sin in all its manifestations. Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the redemption: the power of merciful love. May it put a stop to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. Amen. (by U.S. Bishops' Committee)
