Common Prayers

Anima Christi The Spiritual Communion Daily Offering Defeat the Work of Satan Divine Praises For Enlightenment Prayer For Forgiveness Greetings Blessed Virgin Prayer To Guardian Angel Invocations of The Holy Wounds Litany of Humility Perfect Trust Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit Exorcism Against Satan and the Rebellious Angels

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. From the malignant enemy, defend me. In the hour of my death, call to me. And bid me come to Thee. That with Thy saints I may praise Thee. Forever and ever. Amen.

The Spiritual Communion

By a rescript of November 24, 1922 the Sacred Congregation of indulgences
approved the following formula for a spiritual communion:

O Jesus I turn toward the holy tabernacle where You live hidden for love of me. I love you, O my God. I cannot receive you in Holy Communion. Come nevertheless and visit me with Your grace. Come spiritually into my heart. Purify it. Sanctify it. Render it like unto Your own. Amen. Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

An indulgence of 500 days, if thrice repeated. (129 The Raccolta 1944).
It was the Cure of Ars who said, A spiritual communion acts on the soul as blowing does on a cinder-covered fire which was about to go out. Whenever you feel your love of God growing cold, quickly make a spiritual communion.

Daily Offering

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, the union of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

Defeat the Work of Satan

O Divine Eternal Father, in union with your Divine Son
and the Holy Spirit, and through the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, I beg You to destroy the Power of your greatest
enemy - the evil spirits.

Cast them into the deepest recesses of hell and chain them
there forever! Take possession of your Kingdom which
You have created and which is rightfully yours.

Heavenly Father, give us the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 
I repeat this prayer out of pure love for You
with every beat of my heart and with every breath I take. Amen.

Divine Praises

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

For Enlightenment

O Holy Ghost, divine Spirit of light and love, I consecrate to
Thee my understanding, my heart and my will, my whole
being for time and for eternity.

May my understanding be always obedient to Thy
heavenly inspirations and the teachings of the holy
Catholic Church, of which Thou art the infallible Guide;
may my heart be ever inflamed with love of God and of
my neighbor; may my will be ever conformed to
the divine will, and may my whole life be a faithful
following of the life and virtues of Our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and
Thee be honor and glory for ever. Amen.

Prayer For Forgiveness

(The following prayer covers most significant areas of forgiveness and
will bring to mind others. Let the Holy Spirit move freely and
guide your mind to persons or groups you need to forgive.)

LORD JESUS CHRIST, I ask today to forgive everyone in my life.
I know that You will give me the strength to forgive and I thank
You that You love me more than I love myself and want my
happiness more than I desire it for myself. 
Father, I forgive You for the times death has come into my family,
hard times, financial difficulties, or what I thought were
punishments sent by You and people said It's God's will,
and I became bitter and resentful towards You.
Purify my heart and mind today.

Lord, I forgive MYSELF  for my sins, faults and failings,
and for all that is bad in myself or that I think is bad.
For any delvings in superstition, using ouija boards,
horoscopes, going to seances, using fortune telling or
wearing lucky charms, I reject all that superstition and
choose You alone as my Lord and Savior. Fill me with
Your Holy Spirit.  I further forgive myself for taking
Your name in vain, not worshipping You by
attending church, for hurting my parents,
getting drunk, fornication, adultery, homosexuality.
You have forgiven me; today I forgive myself.
Also, for abortion, stealing, lying, defrauding,
hurting peoples' reputation, I forgive myself.

I truly forgive my MOTHER. I forgive her for all the times
she hurt me, she resented me, she was angry with me and
for all the times she punished me. I forgive her for the
times she preferred my brothers and sisters to me. I
forgive her for the times she told me I was dumb, ugly,
stupid, the worst of the children or that I cost the family
a lot of money. For the times she told me I was unwanted,
an accident, a mistake or not what she expected, I forgive her. 
I forgive my FATHER. I forgive him for any non-support,
any lack of love, affection, or attention. I forgive him for
any lack of time, for not giving me his companionship,
for his drinking, arguing and fighting with my mother or
the other children. For his severe punishments, for
desertion, for being away from home, for divorcing
my mother or for any running around, I do forgive him.

Lord, I extend forgiveness to my SISTERS AND BROTHERS.
I forgive those who rejected me, lied about me, hated me,
resented me, competed for my parents' love, those who
hurt me, who physically harmed me. For those who were
too severe on me, punished me or made my life unpleasant
in any way, I do forgive them.  Lord, I forgive my SPOUSE
for lack of love, affection, consideration, support, attention,
communication; for faults, failings, weaknesses and those
other acts or words that hurt or disturb me.  Jesus, I forgive
my CHILDREN for their lack of respect, obedience, love,
attention, support, warmth, understanding; for their
bad habits, falling away from the church, any bad
actions which disturb me.

My God, I forgive my IN-LAWS, my mother-in-law,
father-in-law, son/daughter-in-law and other relatives
by marriage, who treat my family with a lack of love. For
all their words, thoughts, actions or omissions which
injure and cause pain, I forgive them. Please help me to
forgive my RELATIVES, my grandmother and grandfather,
aunts, uncles, cousins who may have interfered in our
family, been possessive of my parents, who may have
caused confusion or turned one parent against another.

Jesus, help me to forgive my CO-WORKERS who are
disagreeable or make life miserable for me. For those
who push their work off on me, gossip about me, won't
cooperate with me, try to take my job, I do forgive them.
My NEIGHBORS need to be forgiven, Lord. For all
their noise, letting their property run down, not tying
up their dogs, who run through my yard, not taking
in their trash barrels, being prejudiced and running down
the neighborhood, I do forgive them.

I now forgive all priests, ministers, nuns, my parish,
parish organizations, my pastor, bishop, the Pope,
and the church for their lack of support, affirmation,
bad sermons, pettiness, lack of friendliness, not
providing my family with the inspiration we needed,
for any hurts they have inflicted on me or my family,
even in the distant past, I forgive them today. 
Lord, I forgive all those who are of different PERSUASIONS,
those of opposite political views who have attacked me,
ridiculed me, discriminated against me, made fun of me,
economically hurt me.  I forgive those of different
religious DENOMINATIONS who have tried to
convert me, harassed me, attacked me, argued
with me, forced their views on me.

Those who have harmed me ETHNICALLY, have
discriminated against me, mocked me, made jokes
about my race or nationality, hurt my family physically,
emotionally or economically, I do forgive them today.
Lord, I forgive all PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE who have
hurt me in any way: doctors, nurses, lawyers, judges,
politicians and civil servants. I forgive all service
people: policemen, firemen, bus drivers, hospital workers
and especially repairmen who have taken advantage
of me in their work.

Lord, I forgive my EMPLOYER for not paying me enough
money, for not appreciating my work, for being unkind
and unreasonable with me, for being angry and unfriendly,
for not promoting me, and for not complimenting me
on my work.  Lord, I forgive my SCHOOLTEACHERS
AND INSTRUCTORS of the past as well as the present.
For those who punished me, humiliated me, insulted me,
treated me unjustly, made fun of me, called my dumb or
stupid, made me stay after school, I truly forgive them.

Lord, I forgive my FRIENDS who have let me down, lost
contact with me, do not support me, were not available
when I needed help, borrowed money and did not
return it, gossiped about me.  Lord Jesus, I especially
pray for the grace of forgiveness for that ONE PERSON
in life who has HURT ME THE MOST. I ask to forgive
anyone who I consider my greatest enemy, the one who
is the hardest to forgive, the one I said I will never forgive. 
Lord, I beg pardon of all these people for the hurt I
have inflicted on them, especially my mother and
father, and my marriage partner. I am especially sorry
for the three greatest hurts I have inflicted on them. 
Thank you, Jesus, that I am being freed of the evil of
unforgiveness. Let your Holy Spirit fill me with light
and let every dark area of my mind be enlightened. AMEN.

Greetings Blessed Virgin

Hail, Lady and Queen, holy Mary, Mother of God, Virgin who became the Church, chosen by the Father in heaven, consecrated by his beloved Son and his Spirit, the Comforter: in you was and remains, the whole fullness of grace and everything that is good. Hail, his palace, hail, his tabernacle, hail, his dwelling, hail, his robe, hail, his handmaid, hail, his mother!  O holy Mother, sweet and fair to see, for us beseech the King,your dearest Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,to death for us delivered: that in his pitying clemency,and by virtue of his most holy incarnation and bitter death,he may pardon our sins. Holy Virgin Mary, among all the women of the world, there is none like you. You are the daughter and handmaid of the most high King, Father of heaven. You are the mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ. You are the bride of the Holy Spirit. Pray for us, with St. Michael the archangel, and all the powers of heaven and all the saints, to your most holy and beloved Son, our Lord and Master. Amen

Prayer To Guardian Angel

Angel of God My guardian dear
To Whom His love Commits me here
Ever this day Be at my side
To light and guard to rule and guide.
Amen

Invocations of The Holy Wounds

Eternal Father I offer Thee the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the wounds of our souls. My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of Thy Sacred Wounds.

Sister Mary Martha Chambon, a humble lay Sister of the Visitation Order of Chambery, France, who died in the odor of sanctity, March 21st, 1907,
received these two invocations from Our Lord Himself, as she affirmed, and with them a double MISSION to adore and invoke the
Sacred Wounds unceasingly and to revive this devotion in the hearts of creatures. Our Lord Said, The soul who during life has
honored and studied the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and has offered them to the Eternal Father for the souls in Purgatory,
will be accompanied at the moment of death by the Holy Virgin and the angels; and Our Lord on the Cross all brilliant in glory will receive her and crown her.

Litany of Humility

For private devotion only, which His Eminence Cardinal Merry del Val was accustomed to recite daily after the celebration of Holy Mass.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me
From the desire of being esteemed,
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I,
That others may be esteemed more than I,
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase,
and I may decrease
That others may be chosed and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may
become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

--Imprimatur: +James A. McNulty - Bishop of Paterson, N.J.

Perfect Trust

Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust,
My loving God, in thee;
Unwavering faith that never doubts
Thou chooses best for me!
Best, though my plans be all upset;
Best, though the way be rough;
Best, though my earthly store be scant;
In Thee I have enough.
Best, though my health and strength be gone,
Though weary days be mine,
Shut out from much that others have;
Not my will, Lord, but Thine!
And even though disappointments come,
They, too, are best for me,
To wean me from this changing world,
And lead me nearer Thee.
Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust
That looks away from all;
That sees thy hand in everything,
In great events or small.
That hears Thy voice - A Father's voice -
Directing for the best.
Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust,
A heart with Thee at rest.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

O HOLY SPIRIT,
Divine Spirit of light and love,
I consecrate to Thee my understanding,
Heart and will, my whole being for time and eternity.
May my understanding be always submissive
to Thy heavenly inspirations,
and to the teaching of the Catholic Church,
of which Thou are the infallible guide;
may my heart be ever inflamed
with love of God and of my neighbor,
may my will be ever conformed to the divine will,
and may my whole life be a faithful imitation of the life
and virtues of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
to whom with the Father and Thee
be honour and glory forever. Amen

Exorcism Against Satan and the Rebellious Angels

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF H.H. POPE LEO XIII

The following is a simple exorcism prayer that can be said by priests or laity.  The term exorcism does NOT always denote a solemn exorcism involving a person possessed by the devil. In general, the term denotes prayers to curb the power of the devil and prevent him from doing harm. As St. Peter had written in Holy Scripture, your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. (1Peter 5:8) The Holy Father exhorts priests to say this prayer as often as possible, as a simple exorcism to curb the power of the devil and prevent him from doing harm. The faithful also may say it in their own name, for the same purpose, as any approved prayer. Its  use is recommended whenever action of the devil is suspected, causing malice in men violent temptations and even storms and various calamities. It could be used as a  solemn exorcism (an official and public ceremony, in Latin), to expel the devil. It would then be said by a priest, in the name of the Church and  only with a Bishop's  permission.

EXORCISM

In the Name of the X Father, and of the X Son, and of the Holy X Ghost.  Amen.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints (and powerful in the holy authority of our ministry)*,

We confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil.
* Lay people omit the parenthesis above.

PSALM 67:
God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish at the presence of God.

V. Behold the Cross of the Lord, flee bands of enemies.
R. He has conquered, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the offspring of David.
V. May thy mercy, Lord, descend upon us.
R. As great as our hope in Thee.

[The crosses { + } below indicate a blessing to be given if a priest recites the Exorcism; if a lay person recites it, they indicate the Sign of the Cross to be made silently by that person.]

We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal invaders, all wicked legions, assemblies and sects;
in the name and by the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, X may you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God
and from the souls made to the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb.

X Most cunning serpent, you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church, torment God's elect and sift them as wheat.
X The Most High God commands you, X He with whom, in your great insolence, you still claim to be equal; He who wants all men to be saved and
to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim., II,4).


X God the Father commands you.
X God the Son commands you.
X God the Holy Ghost commands you.
X Christ, God's Word made flesh, commands you;
X He who to save our race outdone through your envy,
humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death (Phil.,II,8);
XHe who has built His Church on the firm rock and declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Her, because
He will dwell with Her all days even to the end of the world
(Mat.,XXVIII,20).

X The sacred Sign of the Cross commands you, X as does also the power of the mysteries of the Christian Faith.
X The glorious Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, commands you.
X The blood of the Martyrs and the pious intercession of all the Saints command you.
XThus, cursed dragon, and you, diabolical legions, we adjure you by the living God, X  by the true God, X  by the holy God,
X by the God who so loved the world that He gave up His only Son, that every soul believing in Him
might not perish but have life everlasting (St.John,III); stop deceiving human creatures and pouring out to them the poison of eternal damnation;
stop harming the Church and hindering her liberty.
X Begone, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man's salvation.

XGive place to Christ in whom you have found none of your works; give place to the One, Holy, Catholic and
Apostolic Church acquired by Christ at the price of His Blood.

XStoop beneath the all-powerful Hand of God; tremble and flee when we invoke the Holy and terrible Name of Jesus,
this Name which causes hell to tremble, this Name to which the Virtues, Powers and Dominations of heaven
are humbly submissive, this Name which the Cherubim and Seraphim praise unceasingly repeating: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, the God of Armies.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
V. May the Lord be with thee.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray. - God of heaven, God of earth, God of Angels,
God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God of Prophets,
God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors,
God of Virgins, God who has power to give life after
death and rest after work, because there is no other
God than Thee and there can be no other, for Thou
art the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of whose
reign there shall be no end, we humbly prostrate ourselves
before Thy glorious Majesty and we beseech Thee to deliver
us by Thy power from all the tyranny of the infernal spirits,
from their snares, their lies and their furious wickedness;
deign, O Lord, to grant us Thy powerful protection and
to keep us safe and sound. We beseech Thee through
Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. X

X From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Lord.

XThat Thy Church may serve Thee in peace and liberty, we beseech Thee to hear us.

X That Thou may crush down all enemies of Thy Church, we beseech Thee to hear us.
(Holy water is sprinkled in the place where we may be.)

Imprimatur: +Henri, O.M.I., Vicar Apostolic of James Bay - Aug. 15, 1967