Prayers that we use

A Reference Source of Prayers that we use.

The Apostles’ Creed
Act of Contrition
Angelus
Prayer before meals
Prayer after meals
The Our Father
The Hail Mary
The Glory Be Prayer
The Regina Caeli
Canticle of Mary
The "O" Antiphons
The Nicene Creed
The Rosary
The Guardian Angel Prayer














The 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;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From there 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.

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.

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Hail Mary

Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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The 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; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there he will 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.

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The Glory Be Prayer

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.

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Angelus

Verse: The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
Response: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
    Pray the Hail Mary.
Verse: Behold the handmaiden of the Lord.
Response: Be it done unto me according to your word.
    Pray the Hail Mary.
Verse: And the Word was made flesh,
Response: And dwelt among us.
    Pray the Hail Mary.
Verse: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
Response:That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, your 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.

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Act of Contrition

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. Amen.

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The Regina Caeli

Verse: Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia
Response: For He whom thou was made worthy to bear, Alleluia.
Verse: Has risen as He said, Alleluia.
Response:Pray for us to God, Alleluia.
Verse: Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
Response: For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pary.: O God, who by the Resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, has vouchsafed to give joy to the whole world: grant, we beseech you, that , through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his mother, we may attain the joys of eterenal life. Through the same Christ , our Lord. Amen.

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Prayer before meals

Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Prayer after meals

We give you thanks, Almighty God, for all your blessings. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

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Canticle of Mary — Luke 1:45-56

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
        my spirit rejoices in God my savior,
        For He looked upon his lowly servant
From this day all generations will call me blessed;
        the Almighty has done great things for me,
        and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
        in every gereration.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
        And has scattered the proud in their conceit
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
        and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
        and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
        for he remembered his promise of mercy,
        the promise he made to our fathers,
        to Abraham and his children for ever."

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The "O" Antiphons

The "O" Antiphons are prayed at Evening Prayer before and after the Canticle of Mary (Luke 1:45-56).

December 17 — O Wisdom, O holy word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.

December 18 — O sacred Lord of ancient Irael, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sanai mountain; come, stretch out you rmighty hand to set us free.

December 19— O flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

December 20— O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of heaven: come, break down the walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into fredom.

December 21— O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

December 22— O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of men, come and save the creature you fastened from the dust.

December 23— O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Saviour of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.

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The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God of God, Light of Light,
true God of true God.
Begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
He came down from heaven.
and by the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated
at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead
and His Kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the Giver of life, who proceeds
from the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the Prophets.
I believe in one holy, catholic,
and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism
for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection
of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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The Rosary

A Beginner's Guide to the Rosary
Who Can Pray the Rosary

Anyone who knows six easy prayers can pray a Rosary; you will also need to know twenty Mysteries to meditate upon as you pray. You do not have to be a Catholic.

The Order of Prayers

The Rosary begins with the Apostles Creed, followed by one Our Father, three Hail Marys (traditionally offered for an increase in faith, hope, and charity for those praying the Rosary), a Glory Be, and, if desired, the Fatima Prayers. Next come five mysteries, each consisting of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be, and, if desired, the Fatima Prayers. Conclude with the Hail Holy Queen. Please say a few extra prayers after the Hail Holy Queen for the Pope.

Rosary Beads

If you do not have Rosary beads, it is perfectly okay to count with your fingers. Counting beads frees your mind to help you meditate. Prayers for Praying the Rosary

Fatima Prayer (Optional)

O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Hail Holy Queen

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!

Leader: Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
All: That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

(Optional)

Leader: Let us pray.
All: O God whose only begotten Son by his life, death, and Resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant we beseech thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Holy Father (for private devotion)

Leader: Upon this Rock He will build His Church...
All: ...and the jaws of death shall not prevail against her.

Leader: O Mother of the Redeemer...
All: ...Living Tabernacle of the Eucharist, and Luminous Rose of Heaven, with humble confidence we ask you to bestow upon the Holy Father all the graces and blessings reserved for him by the Holy Trinity from all eternity. Amen.

Leader: Help his friends...
All: ...convert his enemies.

Leader: Saint Joseph...
All: ...pray for us. Amen.

The Twenty Mysteries
Here is a brief listing and description of all twenty Mysteries.

The Joyful Mysteries
The Annunciation: The Archangel Gabriel "announces" to Mary that she shall conceive the Son of God.
The Visitation: Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist.
The Nativity: Jesus is born.
The Presentation: Mary and Joseph "present" Jesus in the Temple where they meet Simeon.
The Finding in the Temple: After losing Him, Mary and Joseph find young Jesus teaching the Rabbis in the Temple.

The Luminous Mysteries (The Mysteries of Light)
The Baptism in the Jordan: The voice of the Father declares Jesus the beloved Son.
The Wedding at Cana: Christ changes water into wine, his first public miracle.
The Proclamation of the Kingdom: Jesus calls to conversion (cf. Mk 1:15) and forgives the sins of all who draw near to him.
The Transfiguration: The glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ.
The Institution of the Eucharist: Jesus offers the first Mass at the Last Supper with his apostles, establishing the sacramental foundation for all Christian living.

The Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the Garden: Jesus sweats water and blood while praying the night before his passion.
The Scourging at the Pillar: Pilate has Jesus whipped.
The Crowning with Thorns: Roman soldiers crown Jesus’ head with thorns.
The Carrying of the Cross: Jesus meets His mother and falls three times on the way up Calvary.
The Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies before His mother and His apostle John.

The Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection: Jesus rises from the dead.
The Ascension: Jesus leaves the Apostles and bodily "ascends" to heaven.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit: The Apostles receive the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire in the upper room with Mary.
The Assumption: Mary is taken bodily—assumed—into heaven by God at the end of her life here on earth.
The Coronation: Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Mysteries for Certain Weekdays
As suggested by the Pope John Paul II:
    Monday - Joyful
    Tuesday - Sorrowful
    Wednesday - Glorious
    Thursday - Luminous
    Friday - Sorrowful
    Saturday - Joyful
    Sunday - Glorious (— with this exception: Sundays of Christmas season – The Joyful; Sundays of Lent – Sorrowful)

Try to place yourself "into" the scene of the particular mystery as you pray, imagining the sights, smells, sounds, and emotions that Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and other participants experienced during the actual events.

It is also okay to meditate on the meaning of the words of the prayers as you pray them, or even to meditate on the person for whom you are offering the Rosary.

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Guardian Angel Prayer
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.

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