Prayers to Sts. Peter and Paul

(found here and, in part, here)

Saint Peter the Apostle

Thou art the Shepherd of the sheep, the Prince of the Apostles, unto thee were given the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

℣. Thou art Peter;

℟. And upon this rock I will build my Church.

Let us pray.

Raise us up, we beseech thee, O Lord, by the apostolic assistance of blessed Peter, thine Apostle: so that the weaker we are, the more mightily we may be helped by the power of his intercession: and that being perpetually defended by the same holy Apostle, we may neither yield to any iniquity, nor be overcome by any adversity. Through Christ our Lord.

O glorious Saint Peter, who, in return for thy lively and generous faith, thy profound and sincere humility, and thy burning love, wast honoured by Jesus Christ with singular privileges, and, in particular, with the leadership of the other Apostles and the primacy of the whole Church, of which thou wast made the foundation stone, do thou obtain for us the grace of a lively faith, that shall not fear to profess itself openly, in its entirety and in all of its manifestations, even to the shedding of blood, if occasion should demand it, and to the sacrifice of life itself in preference to surrender. Obtain for us likewise, a sincere loyalty to our holy mother, the Church; grant that we may ever remain most closely and sincerely united to the Roman Pontiff, who is the heir of thy faith and of thy authority, the one, true, visible Head of the Catholic Church, that mystic ark outside which there is no salvation. Grant, moreover, that we may follow, in all humility and meekness, her teaching and her counsels, and may be obedient to all her precepts, in order to be able here on earth to enjoy a peace that is sure and undisturbed, and to attain one day in heaven to everlasting happiness. Amen.

℣. Pray for us, Saint Peter the Apostle,

℟. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, who hast given unto thy blessed Apostle Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and the power to bind and loose: grant that we may be delivered, through the help of his intercession, from the bonds of all our sins: Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Saint Paul the Apostle

Thou art the Vessel of election, Saint Paul the Apostle, the Preacher of truth in the whole world.

℣. Pray for us, Saint Paul the Apostle,

℟. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy divine mercy, didst instruct thy blessed Apostle Paul what he should to that he might be filled with the Holy Ghost; by his admonitions directing us and his merits interceding for us, grant that we may serve thee in fear and trembling, and so be filled with the comfort of thy heavenly gifts. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O glorious Saint Paul, who, from being a persecutor of the Christian name, didst become its most zealous Apostle, and who, to carry the knowledge of our Jesus, our divine Saviour, to the uttermost parts of the earth, didst joyfully suffer prison, scourgings, stonings, shipwreck and all manner of persecutions, and who didst finish thy course by shedding the last drop of thy blood: obtain for us the grace to accept, as favours bestowed by the mercy of God, the infirmities, sufferings and misfortunes of this life, that we may not grow slack in our service of God by reason of these vicissitudes of our exile, but that we may the rather show ourselves ever more devoted. Amen.

℣. Pray for us, Saint Paul the Apostle,

℟. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, who hast taught the multitude of the Gentiles by the preaching of blessed Paul the Apostle: grant unto us, we beseech thee, that we who keep his memory sacred, may feel the might of his intercession before thee. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, in all the ages of ages. Amen.

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Pray, princes of the apostles, for the parish named in your honor, and for all God's holy Church.

Kenosis

He must increase, but I must decrease. [John 3:30]

Take from us, O Lord:
all greed, all envy, all malice;
all anger, all lust, all pride;
all preoccupation with this world
and all timorous fear of becoming holy.
Take from us our heart of stone
and breath into us the living Spirit,
clean and fruitful,
animating us us with a kindly charity and hope,
so that we may say with the apostle:
"And I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me."

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Pray for us, Spirit-filled baptizer of our Lord,
that our contrition and conversion
may be sincere and thorough
and that we may persevere
through the trials of this life,
acknowledging our faults, doing penance,
and following the way of the Lord faithfully.

We ask this in the name of thy holy kinsman
Jesus our Lord,
Who has lifted thee and all the saints to Heaven,
where He reigns with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
blessing all who dwell there
with gifts of joy and understanding.

Amen.

Third Sunday After Pentecost

O God, the Protector of those who put their trust in Thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: multiply upon us Thy mercy, that with Thee as our ruler, and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we may not lose those which are eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, forever and ever.

Commemoration of Feast of the Sacred Heart.--O God, who in the Heart of Thy Son, wounded by our sins, dost mercifully vouchsafe to bestow upon us the boundless treasures of Thy love: grant, we beseech Thee, that we who now render Him the service of our devotion and piety, may also fulfill our duty of worthy satisfaction. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, forever and ever.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, may my Father and all men of good will find shelter in Thee.   Amen.

Nine Elevations to the Sacred Heart

(Found here).
1. Heart of Jesus, perfect Adorer of God, teach me to adore the Father with Thee and by Thee.
2. Heart of Jesus,burning with love of me, inflame me with Thy Divine Love.
3. Heart of Jesus, only Victim worthy of God, unite me to Thy Divine Sacrifice.
4. Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with bitterness for the sins of men, break my heart with sorrow for my sins.
5. Heart of Jesus, sovereignly humble, annihilate my pride.
6. Heart of Jesus, perfect model of meekness, inspire my heart with this salutary virtue.
7. Heart of Jesus, infinitely pure and without stain, give me an inviolable purity of body, mind, and heart.
8. Heart of Jesus, consumed with zeal for the glory of the Father, enkindle in my heart an ardent zeal for Thy glory and my own sanctification.
9. Heart of Jesus, reign for ever in my heart, and grant me the grace to reign one day with Thee in Heaven.

Thank you Lord, for a good night's rest

that has refreshed and prepared me for the labors of the week ahead.  May I work promptly and joyfully, doing all things for the glory of Thy Holy Name.  Amen.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Kingdom come. Amen.

How boundless, O Jesus, is Thy Love!

Thou hast prepared for me,
of Thy most precious Body and Blood,
a divine Banquet,
wherein Thou dost give Thyself to me without reserve.
What hath urged Thee to this excess of love?
Nothing but Thine own most Loving Heart.
O adorable Heart of Jesus,
Furnace of divine Love,
receive my soul into the wounds of Thy most sacred Passion,
that in this school of charity
I may learn to make a return of love
to that God who hath given me such wonderful proofs of His Love.

Amen.

(from Manual of Prayers, Third Plenary Council of Baltimore)

A Prayer before Holy Communion

Today is Corpus Christi. In honor of the day, here is a prayer from St. Thomas Aquinas suitable for praying before receiving the Blessed Sacrament:

Almighty and everlasting God, behold, I am about to approach the Sacrament of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I approach as one who is sick to the physician of life, as one unclean to the well-spring of mercy and goodness, as one blind to the light of eternal brightness, as one poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Wherefore I beseech Thee, of Thine infinite goodness, to heal my sickness, to wash away my filth, to enlighten my blindness, to enrich my poverty, and to clothe my nakedness, that I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings, and Lord of lords with such reverence and humility, with such contrition and devotion, with such purity and faith, with such purpose and intention, as may conduce to the salvation of my soul. Grant, I beseech Thee, that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord, but also the fruit and virtue of the Sacrament. O most indulgent and merciful God, grant me so to receive the Body of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which he took of the Virgin Mary, that I may be found worthy to be incorporated with his mystical body and numbered among His members. O most loving Father, grant that I may one day contemplate for ever face to face Thy beloved Son, Whom now on my pilgrimage I am about to receive under a veil, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Trinity Sunday

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you, kind visitor. Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

Litany of Resignation to the Will of God

Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
God the Father, Who hath created me,
Hallowed be Thy will
God the Son, Who hath redeemed me,
Not my will but Thine be done.
God the Holy Ghost, Who hath offered sanctification,
Blessed be the Most Sweet Will of God.

Thou Who dost know and foresee all things,
Have mercy on us.
Thou Who dost govern and rule all things,
Have mercy on us.
Thou Who, according to Thy inscrutable designs,
dost effect all things in a wonderful manner,
Have mercy on us.
Thou Who dost permit evil in order thence to derive good
for the salvation of the elect,
Have mercy on us.

In all things and in all possible events,
Thy Holy Will be done, O my God.
In all circumstances and disgraces,
Thy Holy Will be done, O my God.
In my state and employment, etc.
In my affairs and occupations,
In all my actions,
In my health and strength,
In my body and soul,
In my life and death,
In myself and in those who belong to me,
In all men and angels,
In all creatures,
In all parts of the earth,
At all times,
For all eternity,
Although weak nature complains,
Although it costs much to self-love and sensuality,
Solely and only through love for Thee and Thy good pleasure,
Because Thou art my Creator,
Because Thou art the Supreme Lord of all things,
Because Thou art infinite perfection, therefore do I say,
with all the saints in Heaven,

With the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Thy Holy Will be done, O my God
With Jesus in the Garden of Olives,
Thy Holy Will be done, O my God

Our Father (silently).

V. May the just, most amiable will of God be done in all things.
R. May it be praised and magnified forever! Amen.

Let Us Pray

Grant me Thy grace, O Father, that perfect resignation to Thy Holy Will may be with me, and labor with me, and continue with me to the end. Grant me always to desire and will that which is most acceptable to Thee and which pleaseth Thee best. Let Thy will be mine, and let my will always follow Thine and agree perfectly with it. Let me always will and not will the same with Thee; let me not be able to will or not will anything except what Thou willest or willest not. R. Amen.

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All-holy Father of all creatures, Who permits and ordains trials in this life for our sanctification, still I pray to Thee as before, trusting in Thy goodness: mercifully spare Thy daughter R- and strengthen her, and cure her, if her cure is in accord with Thy providence. O Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, I beg Thee: in loving-kindness grant Thy gift of healing to my friend. Condescend, most holy Lord, to repair Thy temple which is her body, and to abide there, keeping R- safe from all shadow of darkness. O Blessed Savior, Love incarnate, mighty God at Whose command the storms cease and the dead arise, I implore Thee, save Thy handmaid from her affliction. Heal her as Thou healed the Canaanite's daughter and the centurion's servant, and grant that she may give thanks to Thee in Thy church and bless Thy holy Name forever. Amen.

Holy Blessed Trinity, Almighty Lord of all creation, help us in our weakness to trust in Thee, and to love Thee, and to bless Thy holy Name, now and always, through sorrow and joy, to the age of ages when sorrows will cease and joy will be perfected in Thee, from Whom all good things come.

Saint Peregrine, Pray for Her

A good friend is undergoing surgery early next week, for a blood cancer that has taken root in her bowels. Please, dear visitor, take a moment to pray for her.

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O great St. Peregrine, thou hast been called "The Mighty," "The Wonder-Worker" because of the numerous miracles which thou hast obtained from God for those who have had recourse to thee, thou who for so many years didst bear in thine own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the Source of all grace when the power of man could do no more; thou who wast favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal thy affliction, ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of R--- whom we entrust to thee.

Aided in this way by thy powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.