PRAYERS
MEDITATIONS

To the Trinity

The Father is my hope,
the Son my refuge,
the Holy Spirit my shelter.
O Holy Trinity, all glory be to You!

from the Eastern Rite Compline Service

Batter My Heart

Batter my heart, three-personed God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend.
That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurped town to another due,
Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.

Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betrothed unto your enemy;
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

John Donne

A Hymn to God the Father

Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallowed in, a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son
Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
And, having done that, thou hast done;
I fear no more.

John Donne

A Hymn to Christ

O Jesus Christ, Saint Mary's Son,
Through whom the world was meetly wrought
I pray thee come and dwell in me,
And of all sin cleanse thou my thought.

Jesu, from whom all goodness springs,
Whom all men ought to love by right,
Make me give heed to thy biddings,
And them fulfill with all my might.

Jesu, thy love into me send,
And with thy love do thou my feed;
Jesu, thy love aye to me lend,
Thy love be ever my soul's mead.

Jesu, that with thy love me bought,
Jesu, my joy and my loving,
Jesu, with thy love wound my thought,
Jesu, my God! Jesu, my King!

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification
Body of Christ, be my salvation;
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;
Water from 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,
Ne'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.

Poetic text by Cardinal Newman

O Jesus, Hidden God

O Jesus, hidden God, I cry to Thee;
O Jesus, hidden Light, I turn to Thee;
O Jesus, hidden Love, I run to Thee;
With all the strength I have I worship Thee;
With all the love I have I cling to Thee;
With all my soul I long to be with Thee,
And fear no more to fail, or fall from Thee.
O Jesus, deathless love, Who seekest me,
Thou Who didst die for longing love of me,
Thou King in all Thy beauty come to me,
White-robed, blood-sprinkled Jesus, come to me,
And go no more, dear Lord, away from me.

O God, most beautiful, most priceless One,
O God, most glorious, uncreated One,
O God, eternal, beatific One,
O God, O infinite and hidden One,
O God, immense, O God the Living One,
Thou, wisdom of the Everlasting One,
Thou, ever-loved and ever-loving One;
Make me, O holy God, Thy treasured one;
Make me, O glorious Lord, Thy precious one;
Make me, O highest Good, Thy longing one;
Make me, O blessed Light, Thy chosen one;
Make me forevermore Thy loving one.

My soul is dark away from Thee, my own;
My eyes are dim in seeking Thee, my own;
My flesh doth pine away for Thee, my own;
My heart leaps up with joy to Thee, my own;
My spirit faints receiving Thee, my own.
Where in the height of heaven, is light like Thee?
Where in the breadth of heaven is bliss like Thee?
Where, in the depth of heaven, is peace like Thee?
Where, in the home of love, is love like Thee?

With all my heart I give myself to Thee;
And waiting, wait, O King and Spouse for Thee,
Till I am one for evermore with Thee.
O sweetest Jesus, bring me home to Thee;
Free me, O dearest God, from all but Thee;
And break all chains that keep me back from Thee;
Call me, O thrilling Love, I follow Thee;
Thou art my all, and I have naught but Thee.

O hidden Love, Who now art loving me,
O wounded Love, Who once was dead for me,
O sun-crowned Love, Who art alive for me,
O patient Love, Who weariest not of me —
Alone of all, Thou weariest not of me —
O bear with me till I am lost in Thee;
O bear with me till I am found in Thee.

To the Holy Spirit

O Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that You permit to happen to me, only show me what is Your will. Amen.

Cardinal Mercier

Morning Prayers

Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance; that every word and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and by Thee be happily ended, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

daily opening prayer of the Irish Parliament

O Lord! thou knowest how busy I must be this day: if I forget thee, do not thou forget me.

Jacob Astley before the Battle of Edgehill

St. Patrick's Breastplate

From the Sarum Primer (1558)

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.

Take and Receive

Take, Lord, and receive
all my liberty, my memory,
my understanding, and my entire will,
all that I have and possess.
You have given all to me.
To You, Lord, I return it.
All is Yours;
do with it what You will.
Give me only Your love and Your grace,
that is enough for me.

St. Ignatius Loyola

For Generosity

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve You as You deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not ask for reward, save that of knowing that I am doing Your will. Amen.

St. Ignatius Loyola

Prayer of Abandonment

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

For the Peoples of the World

O God, who hast made of one blood all nations for to dwell on the face of the earth, and didst send Thy blessed Son Jesus Christ to preach peace to them that are afar off, and to them that are nigh, grant that all the peoples of the world may feel after Thee and find Thee; and hasten, O God, the fulfillment of Thy promise, to pour out Thy Spirit upon all flesh; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Bishop Cotton of Calcutta

Novena of Grace

O most lovable and loving St. Francis Xavier, in union with you I adore the Divine Majesty. While joyfully giving thanks to God for the great graces which He conferred upon you in life and for the great glory with which He has gifted you in heaven, I come to you with heartfelt love, begging you to secure for me, by your powerful intercession, the inestimable blessings of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beseech you to obtain for me the favors I ask in this Novena. (Make your request here) But if what I ask is not for the Glory of God, or for the good of my soul, do you obtain for me what is most conducive to both. Amen.

Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory be to the Father.

V. Pray for us, St. Francis Xavier,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, you chose to bring into your Church the peoples of the Orient through the preaching and miracles of St. Francis Xavier, mercifully grant us that we may imitate his virtues, whose glorious merits we hold in veneration. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for the Manresa Staff

Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Priest,
you have called us as people of God
to carry on the work which you began.

Help the Manresa staff, I pray you,
to do this task with such faith
that through their voices
even the disbelieving may listen to your Word;
with such hope, that through their hands
even the despairing may be held in your grasp;
and with such love, that through their work
even the despised may come to know
that they are never beyond the reach of your mercy.

Join all of us so deeply to yourself
that everyone I meet
shall be graced by the presence of my faith, hope and love.
Amen.