Act of Contrition (Traditional)

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, 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 sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.

Act of Contrition (Alternate Form)

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.

Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary…

Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
Be it done unto me according to your Word.
Hail Mary…

And the Word was made flesh,
And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary…

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification.
Body of Christ, be my salvation.
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins.
Water of Christ’s side, wash out my stains.
Passion of Christ, my comfort be.
O good Jesus, listen to me.
In Thy wounds I fain would hide,
N’er to be parted from Thy side,
Guard me, should the foe assail me.
Call me when my life shall fail me.
Bid me come to Thee above,
With Thy saints to sing Thy love,
World without end. Amen.

Come, Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.

You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend:
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end.

(Normally prayed at 3 PM with a rosary)

Sign of the Cross

Our Father

Hail Mary

The Apostles’ Creed

On the Our Father bead:
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

On the Hail Mary beads:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Invocation (3x):
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Optional Closing Prayer:
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

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

Bless us, O Lord, as we go forth
from this table,
where You have nourished us
and given us strength.
May we hunger and thirst for holiness,
in You, our portion and cup.
Amen.

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 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.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…

(full text continues as in source)

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.

Via Crucis in Spanish

The Way of the Cross in English

Saint Michael 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 through the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who reigns on high,
With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty. Amen.

V. You have given them bread from heaven,

R. Having all delight within it.

Let us pray.

O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament
left us a memorial of your Passion:
grant, we implore you,
that we may so venerate
the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood,
as always to be conscious of the fruit of your Redemption.
You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer in Defense of Marriage

God our Father, we give you thanks
for the gift of marriage: the bond of life and love,
and the font of the family.

The love of husband and wife enriches your Church with children,
fills the world with a multitude of spiritual fruitfulness and service,
and is the sign of the love of your Son, Jesus Christ, for his Church.

The grace of Jesus flowed forth at Cana at the
request of the Blessed Mother. May your Son,
through the intercession of Mary, pour out upon us
a new measure of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
as we join with all people of good will
to promote and protect the unique beauty of marriage.

May your Holy Spirit enlighten our society
to treasure the heroic love of husband and wife,
and guide our leaders to sustain and protect
the singular place of mothers and fathers
in the lives of their children.

Father, we ask that our prayers
be joined to those of the Virgin Mary,
that your Word may transform our service
so as to safeguard the incomparable splendor of marriage.
We ask all these things through Christ our Lord,
Amen.

Prayer for Families

We bless your name, O Lord,
for sending your own incarnate Son,
to become part of a family,
so that, as he lived its life,
he would experience its worries and its joys.

We ask  you, Lord,
to protect and watch over this family,
so that in the strength of your grace
its members may enjoy prosperity,
possess the priceless gift of your peace,
and, as the Church alive in the home,
bear witness in this world to your glory.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prayer for Healing

God of endless love,
ever caring, ever strong:
your only Son
was delivered into the hands of the wicked,
yet healed us with the blood of his cross.

May the gentle Jesus
join to his own suffering,
the pains of those abused
by priests who have betrayed your love,
and servants of your Church,
whose sin has brought us shame.

May Christ hear the cries of those abused,
may he quell their restless fears with faith in your protection,
their doubt, with confidence in your love,
and all rage with trust in your healing mercy.

Grant all Shepherds of his Church
the compassion to protect his lambs,
the strength to guide his flock,
and the wisdom to model their lives
on Christ, the Good Shepherd.

God of justice and compassion,
protect all children from abuse,
and deliver us from hate.
May we seek only justice and truth,
and trust in your unending mercy.

We ask this through the same Christ, our Lord.

Prayer for Priests

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests.
Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.

Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.

Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.

Amen.

Prayer for Students

Lord our God,
in your wisdom and love
you surround us with the mysteries of the universe.

Send your Spirit upon these students
and fill them with your wisdom and blessings.
Grant that they may
devote themselves to their studies
and draw ever closer to you,
the source of all knowledge.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.

Prayer for Teachers

Lord God,
your spirit of wisdom fills the earth
and teaches us your ways.

Look upon these teachers.
Let them strive to share their knowledge with gentle patience
and endeavor always to bring the truth to eager minds.

Grant that they may follow Jesus Christ,
the way, the truth, and the life,
forever and ever.
R/. Amen.

Prayer in Time of Financial Difficulties

God of mercy and compassion,
you promise to give us all that we need.
As we face this time of financial struggle,
help us to trust in your providence
and keep our hearts fixed on the treasures of heaven.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen

Prayer in Times of Seeking God’s Will (Psalm 27:7–9, 13–14)

Psalm 27:7-9, 13-14

Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks;
your presence, O Lord, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off;
forsake me not, O God my savior.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.

Prayer in Times of Suffering & Need

When a member of a household is passing through a time of anguish or great need, this prayer may be appropriate.  

All make the sign of the cross.  The leader begins: 

God comforts us in all our afflictions.
Blessed be God forever.
R/. Blessed be God forever.

Then the Scripture is read: 

Listen to the words of the Book of Job (7:3-7, 11): 

So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been told off for me.

If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?"
Then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My flesh is clothed with worms and scabs;
my skin cracks and festers;
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.

My own utterance I will not restrain;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.
R/. Thanks be to God.

After a time of silence, all join in prayers of intercession and in the Lord's Prayer. Then the leader prayers:

God of all mercies, God of all consolation,
comfort us in our afflictions
that we in turn might comfort those who are in trouble
with the same consolation we have received.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen

All make the sign of the cross as the leader concludes:

Let us bless the Lord.
R/. Thanks be to God.

The prayer may conclude with "Amazing Grace" or another appropriate song.