A Treasury of Catholic Prayers

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.

Hail Mary,

Full of Grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among 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.

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.

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, 

That my thoughts may all be holy. 

Act in me, O Holy Spirit, 

That my work, too, may be holy. 

Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, 

That I love but what is holy. 

Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, 

To defend all that is holy. 

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,

That I always may be holy. 

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.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine 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.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

St Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou,

O Prince of the heavenly hosts,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell Satan,

and all the evil spirits,

who prowl about the world

seeking the ruin of souls.

Gracious and holy Father,

grant us the intellect to understand you,

reason to discern you, diligence to seek you,

wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you,

a heart to meditate upon you.

May our ears hear you, may our eyes behold you,

and may our tongues proclaim you.

Give us grace that our way of life may be pleasing to you,

that we may have the patience to wait for you

and the perseverance to look for you.

Grant us a perfect end--your holy presence,

a blessed resurrection and life everlasting.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Watch over the people of [insert country here]

who have been forced to flee their homes

and face violence and fear.

Lord, send us the gift of peace

Lead them to a place of safety,

comfort those who grieve

and bring healing to those in pain.

Lord, send us the gift of peace.

Convert the hearts of those

who commit violence and wage war.

Turn them away from persecution towards peace.

Lord, send us the gift of peace.

Turn hatred to understanding,

and anger to compassion.

Through your love, transform horror into hope.

Lord, send us the gift of peace.

And fill us all with your Spirit

so that with one voice, throughout the world,

we may cry out:

Lord, send us the gift of peace

Mary, Queen of Peace, 

pray for us.

Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth.

O my God I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all of my sins because of thy just punishments but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and worthy 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.

St Thomas Aquinas

A prayer composed by Pope Leo XVI for the 800th Anniversary of the Death of St Francis in 2026.

Saint Francis, our brother, 

you who eight hundred years ago

went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,

intercede for us before the Lord.

You recognized true peace 

in the Crucifix of San Damiano,

teach us to seek in Him the 

source of all reconciliation

that breaks down every wall.

You who, unarmed, 

crossed the lines of war 

and misunderstanding,

give us the courage 

to build bridges

where the world 

raises up boundaries.

In this time afflicted 

by conflict and division,

intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers:

unarmed and disarming

witnesses of the peace 

that comes from Christ.

Amen

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To you God entrusted his only Son;

in you Mary placed her trust;

with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,

show yourself a father

and guide us in the path of life.

Obtain for us grace, 

mercy and courage,

and defend us from every evil.

Amen.

Pope Francis 2020

“When the signs of age begin to mark my body

(And still more when they touch my mind);

When the ill that is to diminish me

Or carry me off strikes from without

Or is born within me;

When the painful moment comes in which I

Suddenly waken

To the fact that I am ill or growing old;

And above all at the last moment

When I feel I am losing hold of myself

And am absolutely passive in the hands

Of the great unknown forces that have formed me;

In all those dark moments, O God,

Grant that I may understand that it is you

(Provided only my faith is strong enough)

Who are painfully parting the fibers of my being

In order to penetrate to the very marrow

Of my substance

And bear me away within yourself.”

Fr Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

(1881-1955)

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Father,

I abandon myself into your hands;

do with me what you will.

Whatever you may do, I thank you:

I am ready for all, I accept all.

 Let only your will be done in me,

and in all your creatures –

I wish no more than this, O Lord.

 Into your hands I commend my soul:

I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,

for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,

to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,

and with boundless confidence,

for you are my Father.

Amen.

Saint Charles de Foucauld

O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.

O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity.

Amen.

I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life.

I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than to live without

loving You.

I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally.

My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it

to You as often as I draw breath. 

O Almighty God,

Who in Thine infinite goodness

has sent Thine only-begotten Son into this world

to open once more the gates of heaven,

and to teach us how to know, love and serve Thee,

have mercy on Thy people 

Who dwell in Wales.

Grant to them the precious gift of faith,

and unite them in the one true Church

founded by Thy Divine Son; that,

acknowledging her authority and obeying her voice,

they may serve Thee, 

love Thee, and worship Thee

as Thou desirest in this world,

and obtain for themselves everlasting happiness

in the world to come.

Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Lady of Cardigan,

pray for Wales.

Saint David,

pray for Wales.

Saint Winefride,

pray for Wales.