P r a y e r s  

 

What is prayer?

Prayer is the raising of Mind, Soul and Body to God. Prayer is a humble supplication of a faithful soul to God.

What makes the prayer effective?

Many things go to make a prayer effective. Most important among them is the earnesty and humility which accompanies this prayer. Other things include the general disposition of the soul i.e. holy, very holy, mortal sin, man-of-the-city, etc. The prayer itself whether it is an accepted form or cooked up. Accepted forms like the Rosary are more powerful than cooked up monologues. The religion to which a man belongs. Who the prayer is addressed to e.g. St. Anthony or The Blessed Virgin or Jesus. Why is the prayer being made and for what reason? The ultimate discretion of the success of the prayer is with God Himself. Prayers said by children, monks, and prayers at the time of death are very powerful and answered immediately.

How does prayer work?

When a Catholic prayers a Church-accepted-prayer like the Rosary the prayer is collected by his guardian angel and submitted to Heaven. All that the man says between the two sign-of-the-crosses is recorded along with his deeds, disposition and earnesty and a commensurate response is made.

Why do some prayers appear to go unanswered?

The earnesty and disposition of the soul or the petition itself may not be in sync with the Kingdom of God. eg. a man might pray to God to get rid of his wife because she has cancer. In the eyes of the man this woman is suffering unnecessarily whereas God has made her suffer to atone for the sins of some member of the family that that member might get lost forever. At other times the granting of the request might be detrimental to the soul the danger of which is not immediately visible to the soul, it is only after the calamity has passed that the soul realizes his folly. At other times the soul might be in a horrid state of mortal sin and thus all prayers are held in suspension till Christ lovingly and anxiously waits for the recovery. The prayer is not of sufficient magnitude commensurate with the petition eg. a man might prayer for the conversion of his entire family with just one weakly said Rosary.

What is an indulgence?

Let's say a man has led a licentious life flirting with women, drinking alcohol to this heart's content and abusing. Then one day he realizes his folly and repents and makes a sincere confession and then dies. Now he is a good man but the debt of his sin still has to paid in Purgatory. let's say his sin requisites 25 years so he is sentenced to purgatory for the same time and has no power to lessen this time himself except by the prayers and indulgences offered on his behalf by friends and relatives. Remember that he can make restitution for his sin while still on earth by contrary works or good deeds.

What are the main topics of prayer?

There are many topics for prayer

  1. For personal benefit eg. cure from sickness, acquiring a job. 

  2. Prayer for forgiveness.

  3. General prayer eg. for peace in the world, advancement of God's kingdom.

  4. Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

  5. Thanksgiving i.e. thanking God for numerous gifts.

It is easy to go to Hell - But it is easier to save one's soul.

 

On this page you will find a plethora of common Catholic prayers in all their clarity and originality. Memorize and say the prayers to win great graces. Someone said "the sins and injustice in this century are unbearable" - yes but commensurate with this suffering is the abundance of graces.

The reason for prayer are many......thanksgiving, pleading, for the souls in purgatory, for forgiveness and many other reasons. The most common reason for prayer is supplication or asking for something, mostly a job or solving of some problem or cure from a sickness or ailment. The most oft negligence is forgetting to thank and Christ asks where are the other 11?.  Can anyone count the billions and billions of miracles that God has performed for his children, good and bad alike. What we normally see are the big miracles - people being healed from a cancer, or an alcoholic that suddenly decides to call it quits, a tumor that disappears but one seldom sees the countless miracles that happens in a single person's life. God does miracles even for people that do not believe in him to draw them to salvation with great love.

Prayer is defined as the raising of the mind, soul and body to God. a pre-requisite for prayer is silence and an image. It is impossible to pray effectively without silence and an image. Silence let's one concentrate and meditate in peace and the image arrests and focuses attention. Sometimes however it is not possible to do so because the prayer is said while traveling or the like. 

There is but one road which reaches God and that is Prayer; if anyone shows you another you are being deceived - St Thresa of Avila

 

The Holy Rosary

The Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

Prayer of St.Gertrude

The Magnificent Prayers of St. Bridget of Sweden

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy ( Sr. Faustina)

Morning Prayers

Night Prayers

Novenas

Novena Prayer to Infant Jesus of Prague

Novena to St Anthony

Novena to the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Novena Prayer to Perpetual Succour

Novena to St.Anne

Novena to Our lady of Lourdes

Novena to Our Lady of Fatima

Novena to St. Jude

Novena to Immaculate Conception

Novena to St Theresa The Little Flower

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Prayers in honour of the Precious Blood of Jesus.

The 7 Dolours prayer

Chaplet of St Michael (Prayer to Angels)

Stations of the Cross

 

Latin prayers

 

 

The Chaplet Of Mercy  Sr. Faustina

 Divine Mercy.JPG (39828 bytes)

1.      Say one Pater Noster (Our Father)

  2.      One Ave Maria (Hail Mary)

3.      One Gloria (Glory be)

4.      The Credo ( I believe..)

 on the big beads say…….

 Eternal Father, I offer thee the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

 On the small beads say……..

 For the sake of his sorrowful passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.

In conclusion say three times

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One have mercy on us and on the whole world.

The novena begins on Good Friday and ends on the Sunday after that, which is the Feast Of Mercy the promise below is unbelievable and extremely easy to carry out.

“The soul that will go to confession and communion on that day will obtain a 

complete remission of sin and punishment …….Jesus

Each day of the novena is dedicated as follows

 

*The last type caused Jesus much pain in the Garden of Gethsemane and must be especially prayed for

 The Extremely Powerful Prayer of St. Gertrude

Is it possible to release 3,650,000 souls from Purgatory? - Yes, just say this prayer 10 times a day for a year.

Our Lord told St Gertrude the Great, that following prayer would release 1000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said. the prayer was extended to include living sinners which would alleviate the indebtedness accrued to them during their lives. St Gertrude the Great was born in Germany in 1263. She was a Benedictine Nun who meditated on the Passion of Christ which many times brought tears to her eyes.

    She did many penances, and Our Lady appeared to her many times. Her holy Soul passed away in 1334. November 16 is her feast day.

Eternal Father, I offer thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my own family. Amen

this then is the power and value of the Blood of Christ. Amen Amen Amen


The Novena to Infant Jesus of Prague

Say this prayer every hour for nine hours in one single day.

O Jesus, Who hast said, "Ask, and it shall be given to you: seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you" through the Immaculate Heart of Thy most holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted:

(Make your intention)

O Jesus! Who hast said, "If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it to you," through the Immaculate Heart of Thy most holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask Thy Father in Thy Name that my prayer be granted:

(Make your intention)

O Jesus! Who hast said, "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away," through the Immaculate Heart of Thy most holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted:

(Make your intention)

 

Short Prayer of Consecration To The Blessed Mother

My Queen, my Mother, 
I give myself entirely to Thee,
And to show my devotion to Thee, 
I consecrate to Thee this day, 
my eyes, my ears, 
My mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve. 
Wherefore good Mother as I am thine own, keep me, Guard me, as thy property and possession.  Amen

(500 days indulgence)

Morning Offering 

'O JESUS, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings, 
Of this day, be they good or bad: 
In union with the Mass said throughout the world today 
For the love of Thee, the conversion of sinners, for the poor souls in purgatory, 
And in reparation for all the sins committed against 
The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'

When you awake in the morning, let your first act be to salute My Heart, and to offer Me your own.... Whoever shall breathe a sigh toward Me from the bottom of his heart when he awakes in the morning and shall ask Me to work all his works in him throughout the day, will draw Me to him ... For never does a man breathe a sigh of longing aspiration toward Me without drawing Me nearer to him than I was before." 

Our Lord to Saint Mechtilde (1298)

Novena Prayer to St. Philomena

St Philomena.JPG (95249 bytes)

O faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St. Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing, have pity on me. Thou knowest the multiple (incomplete)

 Prayer in honour of the Precious Blood of Jesus 

Jesus promised St. Bridget of Sweden that those who will say 7 Our Fathers and 7 Hail Mary's for 12 years in honour of His precious Blood and meditate on the 7 sorrows of Christ will receive 5 Graces.

  1. They will not enter purgatory
  2. Jesus will raise them to the status of Martyrs, should they have shed their blood for the faith.
  3. Jesus shall keep three souls of their relatives of their choice, in a state of grace.
  4. The souls of their relatives will be spared from hell upto the 4th generation.
  5. Jesus will inform them of their death a month in advance. 

Should they die during the years when they are reciting the prayer, then He shall consider it completed. - Jesus

  1. His Circumcision
  2. His Sweat of Blood
  3. His Scourging
  4. His Crowning with thorns
  5. His Carrying of the Cross
  6. His Crucifixion
  7. His Piercing of His side

 The 7 Dolours of Mary 

Our Blessed Lady passed on to St. Bridget the devotion of the 7 Dolours. To those who honour her daily by reciting 7 Hail Marys and meditating on her sufferings called Dolours will receive 7 graces

  1. Peace to their families

  2. They will be enlightened about the Divine Mysteries

  3. They will be consoled in their pains

  4. Their prayers will be answered

  5. They will be defended in their battles with the infernal enemy

  6. They will see Our Lady at the moment of their deaths

  7. Those who propagate this devotion will be taken directly from this earthly life to Eternal Bliss.

 

  1. The Prophecy of Simeon ("A sword shall pierce thy heart)

  2. The flight into Egypt (to avoid the slaughter of Herod)

  3. The loss of the child Jesus in the temple

  4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the way of the Cross

  5. The Crucifixion

  6. The taking down of the Corpus (body) of Jesus down from the Cross.

  7. The Burial of Jesus

Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel

St Michael appearing one day to Antonia d'Asontac, a most devout servant of God, told her that he wished to be honoured by nine salutations corresponding to the nine Choirs of Angels, which should consist of one Our Father and three Hail Marys in honour of each of the Angelic Choirs.

Promises of St Michael

Whosoever would practice this devotion in his honour would have, when approaching the Holy Table, an escort chosen from each one of the nine Choirs of  Angels, which should consist of one Pater Noster (Our Father) and three Aves (Hail Marys) in honour of each of the Angelic Choirs. In addition, for the daily recital of these nine salutations he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life and after deliverance from purgatory for themselves and their relations.

Method of reciting the Chaplet

The Chaplet is begun with the following invocation.....

O God, come to my assistance, O Lord make haste to help me, Glory be to the..............

Say one Our Father and Three Hail Marys after each of the following nine salutations in honour of the nine Choirs of Angels

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Seraphim, may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect Charity. Amen

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Cherubim, may the Lord vouchsafe to grant us grace to leave the ways of wickedness to run in the paths of Christian Perfection. Amen

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Thrones, may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of Humility. Amen

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Dominions, may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and subdue our unruly passions Amen.

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Powers, may the Lord vouchsafe to protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the Devil. Amen

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Virtues, may the Lord preserve us from evil and suffer us not to fall into temptation. Amen

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Principalities, may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Archangels, may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works, in order that we gain the glory of Paradise. Amen

By the intercession of St. Michael and the Celestial Choir of Angels, may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted hereafter to eternal Glory. Amen

Now say one Our Father in honour of each of the following angels.

St. Michael

St. Raphael

St. Gabriel

Our Guardian Angel

Prayer

Almighty and Everlasting God, who by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, hast appointed the most glorious Archangel, St. Michael, Prince of Thy Church, make us worthy, we beseech Thee, to be delivered from our enemies, that none of these enemies may harass us at the hour of our death, but that we may be conducted by him into the august presence of Thy Divine Majesty. This we beg through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.

    Pray for us, O Glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Jesus Christ. Amen

Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi