TRADITIONAL PRAYERS

 

SIGN OF THE CROSS :In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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 among 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 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.

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; 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 life everlasting.  Amen.

ACT OF FAITH : O MY GOD, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.

ACT OF HOPE: MY GOD, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and Life Everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

ACT OF CHARITY: O MY GOD, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

ACT OF CONTRITION: O MY GOD,  I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

 

How to pray the Rosary

Look at a Rosary. It's made up of tiny beads that go around a circle. The beads in the circle are divided into five groups, for each of the five mysteries. Each group has ten beads that tell you to say the prayer The Hail Mary ten times. Each group begins with one bead that tells you to say the prayer The Our Father once.

The Rosary has a Cross on it to remind you of Jesus who loved you so much that he died on the Cross for you.

On any day, you can pick the five mysteries you want to think about. On Sunday, when we remember that Jesus rose from the dead, you may want to say the Glorious Mysteries. On Friday, which is the day we usually recall Jesus dying on the Cross, you may want to say the Sorrowful Mysteries.

Around Christmas time, when Jesus' birth is recalled, you may want to say the Joyful Mysteries. Or, you can go through the mysteries in order: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries.

At this Web site, we give you little sentences from the Bible to put before each Hail Mary, to help you remember the story told in that mystery.

The sentences are often from the Bible story the mystery recalls: for example, the story of the angel telling Mary she was going to be the mother of Jesus.

As you begin the Rosary, you can say the Apostles' Creed, which is a prayer that sums up the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries all together.

The Joyful Mysteries begin with the angel Gabriel saying to Mary that she is going to be the mother of Jesus.

Mary then visits her cousin Elizabeth to tell her how happy she is that she is going to have a baby. That's the Second Joyful Mystery.

The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem -- everybody knows that story -- is the Third Joyful Mystery.

The Fourth Joyful Mystery tells us that Mary and Joseph brought their little baby to the Temple, to offer him to God.

The Fifth Joyful Mystery is about something that happened to Jesus when he was a little boy. He got lost on a trip he took with his parents to Jerusalem. But they found him and were happy to bring him home.

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The Luminous Mysteries begin with the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. From then on, Jesus began to do great things.

In the Second Luminous Mystery we go to Cana in Galilee, where Jesus turned water into wine so that the people could have a good time. Mary said "Do whatever Jesus tells you."

The Third Luminous Mystery calls us to go with Jesus through the towns and cities of his own country. The light of his love shone on everyone he met, especially the poor and the sick and those that others looked down on.

On one of those journeys, Jesus led his friends up a high mountain. They saw him shining in light, and he promised they would share his light too.This mystery is called the Transfiguration.

Just before he died, Jesus had supper with his friends and he gave himself to them in bread and wine. "This is my body," he said. "This is my Blood." In the Fifth Luminous Mystery we remember the Holy Eucharist.

How wonderful to follow Jesus in the Luminous Mysteries. We were baptized too, and God wants us to do great things. We can bring joy to people, like Jesus did, especially to those that others look down on. This is a beautiful world where we live. Let's always see it lighted up with the beauty God gave it. Finally, let's always go to supper with Jesus and receive him in the signs of the Eucharist.

The Luminous Mysteries remind us to follow Jesus, the light of the world.

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The third part of the Rosary is about the Sorrowful Mysteries. They tell what happened to Jesus when some people decided to put him to death on a Cross. He really hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, he was always good to people, especially people who were sick or poor. On that day, which is called Good Friday, they did bad things to him, but Jesus knew God was with him. Yes, these stories are sad, but they also tell us that God is with us, even when bad things happen to us.

The First Sorrowful Mystery brings us to the Garden of Gethsemani in Jerusalem. There, Jesus was afraid and prayed for God's help, because he knew what was going to happen to him.

The Second Sorrowful Mystery takes us to the place where the soldiers beat him with whips.

After beating him, the soldiers put a crown of thorns on his head and made fun of him. That's the Third Sorrowful Mystery.

Jesus then was made to carry a heavy cross on his back to Calvary -- the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery.

Finally, Jesus dies on the Cross, which is the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery.

Have you ever been afraid? Have you ever been hurt by someone, or made fun of? Well, then, you know a little bit about what happened to Jesus. Have you ever had to do something very hard or painful? Maybe you were very sick, and it seemed like you were going to be sick forever?

Or maybe it looked like people didn't care what happened to you at all. Then you know a little about what Jesus felt when he carried his Cross.

These stories of Jesus tell us not to give up -- even when things are very bad. God will help us through; God will make us strong enough to go on.

They call Good Friday "good" because God finally brings good to us -- no matter how bad things are.

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The Glorious Mysteries tell us what happened after Jesus died. The First Glorious Mystery brings us to Jesus' grave where he was buried after dying on the Cross. On Easter Sunday, his friends found his grave empty. Jesus had risen from the dead; he came to them and showed them he was alive and promised them that they would rise too.

In the Second Glorious Mystery, we watch Jesus going up into heaven to return as a hero to his true home. Before he left, he promised his friends that he would prepare a place for them there.

The Third Glorious Mystery tells the story of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent from heaven to lead people in this life and into the next life.

The Fourth Glorious Mystery is about Mary, the Mother of Jesus. He loved her so much that he brought her to heaven immediately after she died. We say that Mary was assumed -- brought up -- to heaven so that she could be with her Son.

The Fifth Glorious Mystery pictures Mary being crowned by Jesus as queen of the angels and saints in heaven. Jesus honored her because she was a person who had great faith.

The Glorious Mysteries say: Someday God will invite you to heaven. There, Jesus has a place for you. He sends you the Holy Spirit who leads you there. Our lives don't end in death, in a grave. God gives us a new life that never ends. And that life is more beautiful than we can ever imagine. What's the most wonderful thing you can think about having today? It's not anything like what you will experience with Jesus in heaven. Besides Jesus, so many of those you love will be there. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, will be there with you too.

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PRAYER TO MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Prayer for Peace By

St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy 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. 

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 to eternal life. 

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen. 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
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. 

We 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 worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

 

A Short Way of the Cross

• First Station - Jesus Condemned to Death
  O Jesus! so meek and uncomplaining, teach me resignation in trials.

• Second Station - Jesus Carries His Cross
  My Jesus, this Cross should be mine, not Thine; my sins crucified Thee.

• Third Station - Our Lord Falls the First Time
  O Jesus! by this first fall, never let me fall into mortal sin.

• Fourth Station - Jesus Meets His Mother
  O Jesus! may no human tie, however dear, keep me from following the road of the Cross.

• Fifth Station - Simon the Cyrenean Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
  Simon unwillingly assisted Thee; may I with patience suffer all for Thee.

• Sixth Station - Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
  O Jesus! Thou didst imprint Thy sacred features upon Veronica's veil; stamp them also indelibly upon my heart

• Seventh Station - The Second Fall of Jesus
  By Thy second fall, preserve me, dear Lord, from relapse into sin.

• Eighth Station - Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem
  My greatest consolation would be to hear Thee say: "Many sins are forgiven thee, because thou hast loved much."

• Ninth Station - Third Fall of Jesus
  O Jesus! when weary upon life's ong journey, be Thou my strength and my perseverance

• Tenth Station - Jesus Stripped of His Garments
  My soul has been robbed of its robe of innocence; clothe me, dear Jesus, with the garb of penance and contrition.

• Eleventh Station - Jesus Nailed to the Cross
  Thou didst forgive Thy enemies; my God, teach me to forgive injuries and FORGET them.

• Twelfth Station - Jesus Dies on the Cross
  Thou art dying, my Jesus, but Thy Sacred Heart still throbs with love for Thy sinful children.

• Thirteenth Station - Jesus Taken Down from the Cross
  Receive me into thy arms, O Sorrowful Mother; and obtain for me perfect contrition for my sins.

• Fourteenth Station - Jesus Laid in the Sepulchre
  When I receive Thee into my heart in Holy Communion, O Jesus, make it a fit abiding place for thy adorable Body. Amen.
  

Lord, I'm thirty-five years old,
A body made like others,
Arms ready for work,
A heart meant for love,
But I've given you all.
It's true, of course, that you needed it.
I've given you all, but it's hard, Lord.
It's hard to give one's body; it would like to give itself to others.
It's hard to love everyone and to claim no one.
It's hard to shake a hand and not want to retain it.
It's hard to inspire affection, only to give it to you.
It's hard to be nothing to oneself in order to be everything to others.
It's hard to be like others, among others, and to be other.
It's hard always to give without trying to receive.
It's hard to seek out others and to be, oneself, unsought.
It's hard to suffer from the sins of others, and yet be obliged to hear and bear them.
It's hard to be told secrets, and be unable to share them.
It's hard to carry others and never, even for a moment, be carried.
It's hard to sustain the feeble and never be able to lean on one who is strong.
It's hard to be alone,
Alone before everyone,
Alone before the world,
Alone before suffering,
death,
sin.

Here I am, Lord;
Here is my body,
Here is my heart,
Here is my soul.
Grant that I may be big enough to reach the world,
Strong enugh to carry it,
Pure enough to embrace it without wanting to keep it.
Grant that I may be a meeting-place, but a temporary one,
A road that does not end in itself, because everything to be gathered there, everyting human, leads toward you.

Lord, tonight, while all is still and I feel sharply the sting of solitude,
While men devour my soul and I feel incapable of satisfying their hunger,
While the whole world presses on my shoulders with all its weight of misery and sin,
I repeat to you my "yes" -- not in a burst of laughter, but slowly, clearly, humbly,
Alone, Lord, before you,
In the peace of the evening.

There are two loves only, Lord,

Love of myself and love of you and of others,

And each time that I love myself, it's a little less love for you and

for others, It's a draining away of love,

It's a loss of love,

For love is made to leave self and fly towards others.

Each time it's diverted to myself, it withers, rots and dies.

Love of self, Lord, is a poison that I absorb each day;

Love of self offers me a cigarette and gives none to my neighbor;

Love of self chooses the best part and keeps the best place;

Love of self indulges my senses and supplies them from the table of others;

Love of self speaks about myself and makes me deaf to the words of others;

Love of self chooses, and forces that choice on a friend;

Love of self puts on a false front; it wants me to shine, overshadowing others;

Love of self is self-pitying and overlooks the suffering of others;

Love of self advertises my ideas and despises those of others;

Love of self thinks me virtuous, it calls me a good man;

Love of self induces me to make money, to spend it for my pleasure, to hoard it for my future;

Love of self advises me to give to the poor in order to ease my conscience and live in peace;

Love of self puts my slippers on and ensconces me in an easy chair;

Love of self is satisfied with myself; it gently rocks me to sleep.

What is more serious, Lord, is that love of self is a stolen love. It was destined for others; they needed it to live, to thrive, and I have

diverted it. So the love of self creates human suffering.

So the love of men for themselves creates human misery.

All the miseries of men,

All the sufferings of men;

The suffering of the boy whose mother has slapped him without cause and that of the man whose boss has reprimanded him in front of the workers. The suffering of the ugly girl neglected at a dance, and that

of the woman whose husband doesn't kiss her anymore.

The suffering of the child left at home because he's a nuisance and that of the grandfather made fun of because he's too old.

The suffering of the worried man who hasn't been able to confide in anyone and that of the troubled adolescent whose worries have been ridiculed;

The siffering of the desperate man who jumps into the canal and that of the criminal who is going to be executed, The suffering of the unemployed man who wants to work and that of the worker who ruins his health for a ridiculous salary.

The suffering of the father who piles his family into a single room next to an empty house and that of the mother whose children are hungry while the remains of a party are thrown into the garbage,

The suffering of one who dies alone, while his family, in the adjoining room, wait for his death, drinking coffee.

All sufferings,

All injustices, bitterness, humiliations, griefs, hates, despairs, All

sufferings are an unappeased hunger, A hunger for love.

So men have built, slowly, selfishness by selfishness, a disfigured world that crushes them;

So the men on earth spend their time feeding their self-love,

While around them others with outstretched arms die of hunger.

They have squandered love.

I have squandered your love, Lord.

Tonight I ask you to help me to love.

Grant me, Lord, to spread true love in the world.

Grant that by me and by your children it may penetrate a little into all circles, all societies, all economic and political systems, all laws, all contracts, all rulings; Grant that it may penetrate into offices, factories, apartment buildings, movie houses, dance halls;

Grant that it may penetrate the hearts of men and that I may never forget that the battle for a better world is a battle of love, in the service of love.

Help me to love, Lord, not to waste my powers of love, to love myself less in order to love others more and more, That around

me, no one should suffer or die because I have stolen the love they needed to live.
- Michel Quoist, 1954, France.