A library of common Catholic prayers.
O my God,
I am heartily sorry for having offended thee,
and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishment,
but most of all because I have offended Thee my God,
Who is 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.
O my God, who are infallible Truth
and can neither deceive nor be deceived,
I firmly believe all that you have revealed and propose to my belief
though your holy Church, because you have revealed it.
I believe that you are one in nature and three in Persons:
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I believe that you are the Creator of all things
and that you reward the just for all eternity in heaven
and punish the wicked for all eternity in hell.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God made man,
that he suffered and died for my sins and rose from the dead in glory,
and that it is only in him through the Holy Spirit that eternal life is given to us.
I believe in all that your holy Church believes.
I thank you for having called me to the true faith,
and I propose that with the help of your grace
I will live and die in this holy faith.
Amen.
O my God, trusting in your promises
and because you are faithful, powerful and merciful,
I hope, through the merits of Jesus Christ,
for the pardon of my sins, final perseverance
and the blessed glory of heaven.
Amen.
O my God, because you are infinite goodness and worthy of infinite love,
I love you with my whole heart above all things,
and for love of you I love my neighbor as myself.
Amen.
V- The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R- And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
(Hail Mary....)
V- Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R- Be it done unto me according to thy word.
(Hail Mary....)
V- And the Word was made Flesh.
R- And dwelt among us.
(Hail Mary....)
V- Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R- That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that, we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen
Soul of Christ, make me holy.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, fill me with love.
Water from Christ’s side, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds, hide me.
Never let me be parted from you.
From the evil enemy, protect me.
At the hour of my death, call me, and tell me to come to you
that with your saints I may praise you through all eternity. Amen.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again 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.
Come, O Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray:
O God, who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant that by the gift of the same Spirit
we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation,
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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 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 thine,
and our inmost being fill.
Where you are not, man has 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 sev'nfold gift descend.
Give us virtue's sure reward.
Give us your salvation, Lord.
Give us joys that never end.
Amen. (Alleluia.)
I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,
all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Amen.
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 Paraclete.
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, the most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in his angels and in his saints.
Amen.
O my God,
at the end of this day I thank you most heartily
for all the graces I have received from you.
I am sorry that I have not made a better use of them.
I am sorry for all the sins I have committed against you.
Forgive me, O my God, and graciously protect me this night.
Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear heavenly mother, take me under your protection.
St. Joseph, my dear guardian angel, and all you saints of God, pray for me.
Sweet Jesus, have pity on all poor sinners, and save them from hell.
Have mercy on the suffering souls in purgatory.
Amen.
O my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell,
and lead all souls to heaven,
especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Amen.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you,
we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For You alone are the Holy One,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
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.
We give thanks for all your benefits,
almighty God, who lives and reigns forever.
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Bless us, O Lord!
and these Thy gifts,
which we are about to receive from Thy bounty,
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Angel of God, my Guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day (or night) be at my side,
to light and guard,
to rule and guide,
Amen.
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
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 toward us,
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst 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.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come,
before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful;
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to thee,
and for those who do not have recourse to thee,
especially the enemies of the Church
and those recommended to thee.
Amen.
Dear Lord, I do not know what will happen to me today.
I only know that nothing will happen that was not foreseen by You,
and directed to my greater good from all eternity.
I adore Your holy and unfathomable plans,
and submit to them with all my heart for love of You,
the Pope, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Amen.
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day
in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
I offer them for all the intentions of your sacred heart:
the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, the reunion of all Christians.
I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all the apostles of prayer,
and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.
Amen.
Father in heaven,
I give you today,
all that I think and do and say.
And I unite it with all that was done,
by Jesus Christ, your dear Son.
I rise up with God,
may He rise up with me,
may his arm be round me,
waking, sleeping and working.
Amen.
O my God, you love me,
you’re with me night and day.
I want to love you always in all I do and say.
I’ll try to please you, Father.
Bless me through the day.
Amen.
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, one in Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered died, and was buried.
On the third day He rose in fulfillment of 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.
With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified.
He 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.
May I lie down with God,
and may God lie down with me.
May I not lie with evil, nor evil lie with me.
Brigid’s girdle round me,
Mary’s mantle beneath me,
Blessed Michael, hold my hand,
and make my peace with the Son of Grace.
If any evil thing pursue me,
may the Son of God protect me for a year from this night,
and this night itself, and ever and always.
Amen.
Before I sleep tonight,
I want to say a prayer for all the people –
known to me and unknown to me –
for whom this has been a special day of gladness or of grief,
of trouble or of joy.
Bless all the homes in which today
life has ended or life has begun.
Amen.
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.
I give thee thanks, eternal Father, for having, out of Thy pure mercy, without any deserts of mine, been pleased to feed my soul with the Body and Blood of Thy only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I beseech Thee, that this Holy Communion may not be to my condemnation, but prove an effectual remission of all my sins.
May it strengthen my faith; encourage in me all that is good; deliver me from sinful habits; remove all concupiscence; perfect me in charity, patience, humility, and obedience, and in all other virtues.
May it secure me against all the snares of mine enemies, both visible and invisible; perfectly moderate all my inclinations; closely unite me to Thee, the true and only good, and happily settle me in unchangeable bliss.
I now make it my hearty request, that Thou wilt one day admit me, though an unworthy sinner, to be a guest at that divine banquet, where Thou, with Thy Son and the Holy Spirit, art the true light, eternal fullness, everlasting joy and perfect happiness of all the Saints, through the same Christ our Lord.
Most tender Jesus, may thy most sacred Body and Blood be my soul's sweetness and delight; health and holiness in every temptation, joy and peace in every sorrow, light and strength in every word and work, and my last safeguard in death.
Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas
O almighty and most merciful God,
I give You thanks with all the powers of my soul
for this and all other mercies, graces, and blessings bestowed on me,
and prostrating myself at Your sacred feet,
I offer myself to be henceforth forever Yours.
Let nothing in life or death ever separate me from You!
I renounce with my whole soul all my treasons against You,
and all the abominations and sins of my past life.
I renew my promises made in Baptism,
and from this moment I dedicate myself eternally to Your love and service.
Grant that for the time to come,
I may detest sin more than death itself,
and avoid all such occasions and companies as have unhappily brought me to it.
This I resolve to do by the aid of Your divine grace,
without which I can do nothing.
Amen.
O almighty, everlasting God, behold, I draw near to the Sacrament of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I draw near, as a sick man to the Physician of life, as one defiled to the Fountain of mercy, as one blind to the Light of the Eternal Splendour, as one poor and needy to the Lord of Heaven and Earth.
Wherefore I implore the fullness of Thine infinite bounty that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to cure all my sickness, to wash away my defilement, to give light to my blindness, to enrich my poverty, and to clothe my nakedness, so that I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, with such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, such purpose and intention, as may avail to the welfare and salvation of my soul.
Grant me, I beseech Thee to receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of my Lord, but also the very Reality and Substance of the Sacrament.
O most gracious God, grant me so to receive the Body of Thine only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ that very body which He took of the Virgin Mary, that I may be truly incorporated into His mystical body, and so numbered among its members.
O most loving Father, grant me at last to behold unveiled and forevermore Thy beloved Son, Whom I propose in my pilgrimage to receive now beneath the veils of the Sacrament.
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
Amen
St. Thomas Aquinas
Receive my confession, O most loving and gracious Lord Jesus Christ,
only hope for the salvation of my soul.
Grant to me true contrition of soul,
so that day and night I may by penance make satisfaction for my many sins.
Savior of the world, O good Jesus,
Who gave Yourself to the death of the Cross to save sinners,
look upon me, most wretched of all sinners;
have pity on me, and give me the light to know my sins,
true sorrow for them, and a firm purpose of never committing them again.
O gracious Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of Jesus,
I implore you to obtain for me by your powerful intercession
these graces from you Divine Son.
St. Joseph, pray for me.
Amen.
O creator past all telling, you have appointed from the treasures of your wisdom the hierarchies of angels,
disposing them in wondrous order above the bright heavens, and have so beautifully set out all parts of the universe.
You we call the true fount of wisdom and the noble origin of all things.
Be pleased to shed on the darkness of mind in which I was born,
the twofold beam of your light and warmth to dispel my ignorance and sin.
You make eloquent the tongues of children.
Then instruct my speech and touch my lips with graciousness.
Make me keen to understand, quick to learn, able to remember;
make me delicate to interpret and ready to speak.
Guide my going in and going forward, lead home my going forth.
You are true God and true man, and live for ever and ever.
Amen
(written by St. Thomas Aquinas)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred let me sow love,
where there is injury let me sow pardon,
where there doubt let me sow faith,
where there is despair let me sow hope,
where there is darkness let me give light,
where there is sadness let me give joy.
O divine master, grant that I may
not try to be comforted but to comfort,
not try to be understood but to understand,
not try to be loved but to love.
For it is giving that we receive,
it is forgiving that we are forgiven,
and it is dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
O God, and Mary, your mother,
who have brought me and mine safe
from the depths of sleep to another day,
bring us safely
through every trouble of this day and protect us,
body and soul from all evil.
Amen.
Saint Gerard, we honour you as the patron of expectant mothers because of the miracle granted through your prayers for a woman in labour.
Through your intercession, protect all expectant mothers who the Lord has entrusted with tiny, infant souls.
Bless them with health and fill them with love for the lives they carry.
Give them the courage to overcome the pain of childbirth, the strength to heal from it and a constant faith to rear their children in the spirit of Christ.
Amen.
St Joseph
Oh, St. Joseph,
whose protection is so strong,
so great, so prompt before the throne of God,
I place in you all my interests and desires.
Oh, St Joseph,
do assist me by your powerful intercession,
and obtain from your Divine Son for me
all spiritual blessings through Christ Our Lord,
so that, having engaged here below your Heavenly Power,
I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.
Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you,
and Jesus asleep in your arms.
I dare not approach while He reposes near your Heart.
Press Him in my name,
and kiss His fine head for me
and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath.
St. Joseph, Patron of Departing souls, pray for me.
Amen.
(St. Jude, The Patron Saint of Hopeless Cases and Things Despaired Of)
O Glorious Apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus,
true relative of Jesus and Mary,
I salute you through the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Through this Heart I praise and thank God
for all the graces He has bestowed upon you.
Humbly prostrate before you,
I implore you through this Heart to look down upon me with compassion.
O despise not my poor prayer,
let not my trust be confounded.
To you God has granted the privilege
of aiding mankind in the most desperate cases.
O come to my aid, that I may praise the mercies of God.
All my life I will be grateful to you
and will be your faithful client until I can thank you in heaven.
St. Jude, help of the hopeless, aid me in my distress.
Amen.
Most glorious Saint Patrick,
Bishop and Confessor,
chosen by the Almighty to be the Apostle of Ireland,
we, the children of those to whom you preached the Faith of Christ,
never to be renounced,
hail you as the wonderful instrument of God’s mercy
for the obtaining of our eternal salvation.
Most glorious Apostle and Patron of our island,
submit to the Almighty our every temporal and spiritual want,
that through your intercession,
we may be relieved, in all our necessities through life,
and when called from this world to the glory of God,
we may, to your honour,
be found worthy of the faith that is within us,
and of eternal salvation.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Loving Father, we praise you and we thank you for all that you have done for us and for all that you have given to us.
We thank you especially for the life of St. Therese.
During her short life she taught us about your great love for us and the importance of doing the ordinary things well.
May her life continue to inspire us on our pilgrim way to your kingdom of love and peace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
O glorious advocate and protector,
St Valentine,
look with pity upon our wants,
hear our requests,
attend to our prayers,
relieve by your intercession the miseries
under which we labour,
and obtain for us the divine blessing,
that we may be found worthy to join you
in praising the Almighty for all
eternity: through the merits of
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Breathe into me Holy Spirit,
that all my thoughts may 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, t
hat I always may be holy.
Amen.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ within me,
Christ below me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left hand,
Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my waking,
Christ in the heart of all who think of me,
Christ in the mouth of all who speak of me,
Christ in every eye that looks at me,
Christ in every ear that listens to me.
Amen.
O God, who from among all your angels
chose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the mystery of the Incarnation,
mercifully grant that we who solemnly remember him on earth
may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.
O glorious Apostle, Saint James,
who by reason of thy fervent and generous heart was chosen by Jesus
to be witness of His glory on Mount Tabor, and of His agony in Gethsemane;
thou, whose very name is a symbol of warfare and victory:
obtain for us strength and consolation in the unending warfare of this life,
that, having constantly and generously followed Jesus,
we may be victors in the strife and deserve to receive the victor's crown in heaven.
Amen.
O glorious Saint Joseph,
you were chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus,
the most pure spouse of Mary, ever virgin,
and the head of the Holy Family.
You have been chosen by Christ’s vicar
as the heavenly patron and protector of the Church founded by Christ.
Protect the Holy Father, our sovereign pontiff, and all bishops and priests united with him.
Be the protector of all who labor for souls amid the trials and tribulations of this life,
and grant that all peoples of the world may follow Christ and the Church he founded.
Dear St. Joseph, accept the offering I make to you.
Be my father, protector, and guide in the way of salvation.
Obtain for me purity of heart and a love for the spiritual life.
After your example, let all my actions be directed to the greater glory of God,
in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
and your own paternal heart.
Finally, pray for me
that I may share in the peace and joy of your holy death.
Amen.
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our safeguard 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.
O God, send the Archangel Raphael to our assistance.
May he who stands forever praising you at your throne
present our humble petitions to be blessed by you.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Thank you, O God
for everything that has happened today:
for the good things which have made me happy;
for the not so good things which have taught me
that I can’t always be getting my own way;
for successes, to give me happy times to remember;
for failures, to keep me humble;
for time at school, at games, with my friends
and in my own home.
And thank you for this minute with you.
Amen.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her lowliness;
henceforth all nations will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
Creator Spirit all Divine, come visit every soul of Thine.
And fill with Thy Celestial Flame the hearts which Thou Thyself did frame.
O Gift of God, Thine is the Sweet consoling name of Paraclete.
And spring of life and fire of love, and unction flowing from above.
The mystic seven-fold gifts are Thine, finger of God's Right Hand Divine.
The Father's Promise sent to teach, the tongue a rich and heavenly speech.
Kindle with fire brought from above each sense, and fill our hearts with love,
And grant our flesh so weak and frail, the strength of Thine which cannot fail.
Drive far away our deadly foe, and grant us Thy true peace to know,
So we, led by Thy Guidance still, may safely pass through every ill.
To us, through Thee, the grace be shown, To know the father and the Son,
And Spirit of Them Both, may we forever rest our Faith in Thee.
To Sire and Son be praises meet, and to the Holy Paraclete.
And may Christ send us from above, that Holy Spirit's gift of love.
Amen.