The Roman Catholic

Prayers to God

This section contains some of the most well-known Catholic prayers. These prayers have nourished the faithful for years and continue to speak to us today. You might want to learn some of these prayers “by heart” so that they become a part of your daily life. Other prayers could be unfamiliar to you. These make the treasures of the Church’s rich tradition of prayer accessible to new generations.

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification.
Body of Christ, be my salvation.
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins.
Water of Christ’s side, wash out my stains.
Passion of Christ, my comfort be.
O good Jesu, 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.

O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God, in three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man and died for our sins and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.

O My God, relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

O my God, I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon for all whom I have injured.

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

(A traditional version)


or:

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.

(from the Rite of Penance)


or:

Lord Jesus, Son of God,
have mercy on me, a sinner.

(from the Rite of Penance)

Jesus, my God, I adore You,
here present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar,
where You wait day and night to be our comfort
while we await Your unveiled presence in heaven.
Jesus, my God,
I adore You in all places
where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved
and where sins are committed
against this Sacrament of Love.
Jesus, my God,
I adore You for all time,
past, present and future,
for every soul that ever was,
is or shall be created.
Jesus, my God,
who for us has endured hunger and cold,
labour and fatigue,
I adore You.
Jesus, my God, who for my sake
has deigned to subject Yourself
to the humiliation of temptation,
to the perfidy and defection of friends,
to the scorn of Your enemies,
I adore You.
Jesus, my God, who for us has endured
the buffeting of Your passion,
the scourging, the crowning with thorns,
the heavy weight of the cross,
I adore You.
Jesus, my God, who,
for my salvation and that of all mankind,
was cruelly nailed to the cross
and hung there for three long hours in bitter agony, I adore You.
Jesus, My God,
who for love of us
did institute this Blessed Sacrament
and offer Yourself daily for the sins of men,
I adore You.
Jesus, my God,
who in Holy Communion became the food of my soul,
I adore You.
Jesus, for You I live.
Jesus, for You I die.
Jesus, I am Yours in life and death.
Amen.

To the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, pains and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being other than to honor, love and glorify the Sacred Heart. This is my unchanging purpose, namely, to be all His, and to do all things for the love of Him, at the same time renouncing with all my heart whatever is displeasing to Him. I therefore take You, O Sacred heart, to be the only object of my love, the guardian of my life, my assurance of salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for all the faults of my life and my sure refuge at the hour of death.
Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before God the Father, and turn away from me the strokes of his righteous anger. O Heart of love, I put all my confidence in You, for I fear everything from my own wickedness and frailty, but I hope for all things from Your goodness and bounty.
Remove from me all that can displease You or resist Your holy will; let your pure love imprint Your image so deeply upon my heart, that I shall never be able to forget You or to be separated from You.
May I obtain from all Your loving kindness the grace of having my name written in Your Heart, for in You I desire to place all my happiness and glory, living and dying in bondage to You.
Amen.

My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself soul and body to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love. Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light and listen to Thy voice and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee by Thy compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee Adorable Spirit, helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and everywhere, “Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth.”
Amen.

I praise you, Father all-powerful.
I praise You, Divine Son, our Lord and Savior.
I praise You, Spirit of Love and Consolation.
One God, three Persons, Triune Unity, be near me in the temple of my soul.
Draw me to share in Your life and love.
In Your kindness grant me and to my family the riches of Your mercy, and share in Your blessing, that we may come to the glory of Your Kingdom and rejoice in loving You for all eternity.
Amen.

I vow and consecrate to God
all that is in me,
my memory and my actions,
to God the Father;
my understanding and my words,
to God the Son;
my will and my thoughts,
to God the Holy Spirit.
I consecrate my heart, my body,
my tongue, my senses and all my sorrows,
to the sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ,
Who consented to be betrayed
into the hands of wicked men
and to suffer the torment
of the Cross for me.
Amen.

O Blessed Face of my kind Savior,
by tender love and piercing sorrow of Our Lady
as she beheld You in Your cruel Passion,
grant us to share in this intense sorrow and love
so as to fulfill the holy will of God
to the utmost of our ability.
Amen.

My Lord Jesus Christ,
I believe that You are really here in this Sacrament.
Night and day You remain here compassionate and loving.
You call, You wait for,
You welcome everyone who comes to visit You.
I thank You, Jesus my Divine Redeemer
for coming upon the earth for our sake
and for instituting the Adorable Sacrament of the Holy
Eucharist
in order to remain with us until the end of the world.
I thank You for hiding beneath the Eucharistic species
Your infinite majesty and beauty,
which Your Angels delight to behold,
so that I might have courage to approach the throne of
Your mercy.
I thank You dear Jesus,
for having become the priceless Victim,
to merit for me the fullness of heavenly favors.
Awaken in me such confidence in You
that their fullness may descend ever more fruitfully upon
my soul.
I thank You for offering Yourself
in thanksgiving to God for all His benefits,
spiritual and temporal
which He has bestowed on me.
Grant me grace and perseverance in your faithful service.

Amen.

Almighty God, my Eternal Father,
from the fullness of my soul I adore You.
I am deeply grateful that You have made me
in Your image and likeness,
and that You ever hold me in Your loving embrace.
Direct me to love You with all my heart,
with all my soul,
and with my whole mind.
Direct me to love all Your children as I love myself.
O, my Father, my soul longs to be united to You,
and to rest in You forever.
Have the Holy Spirit touch my soul
so that I may love You as He does,
and as Your Beloved Son Jesus does.

Amen.

O Jesus, who for love of me consented to become man, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who for love of me, passed nine months in the bosom of a Virgin, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who for love of me willed to be born in a poor stable, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who for love of me worked in the sweat of your brow, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who for love of me suffered a painful passion, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who for love of me hung on the Cross for three hours and died in ignominy on it, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who from the Cross gave me Mary to be my Mother, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus who ascended to heaven, to prepare a place for me and to make Yourself my advocate with the Father, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who for love of me reside day and night in the tabernacle, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who for love of me immolate yourself every morning on the altar, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who come so often into my heart by Holy Communion, I thank You with all my heart.
O Jesus, who in the holy tribunal so often wash me in Your precious Blood, I thank You with all my heart.
Amen.

O Divine Spirit, Who have so often enlightened my soul with the light of Your beams, I thank You with all my heart.
O Divine Spirit, who have sent me so many holy inspirations and good desires, I thank You with all my heart.
O Divine Spirit, who sustain my weakness by Your sovereign virtue, I thank You with all my heart.
For the acts of virtue that You have made me accomplish and that are due to Your salutary assistance, I thank You with all my heart.
For the little good that I have been able to do by Your help, I thank You with all my heart.
Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
Who by His almighty power and love created me,
making me in the image and likeness of God.

Glory be to the Son,
Who by His Precious Blood delivered me from hell,
and opened for me the gates of heaven.

Glory be to the Holy Spirit,
Who has sanctified me in the sacrament of Baptism,
and continues to sanctify me
by the graces I receive daily from His bounty.

Glory be to the Three adorable Persons of the Holy Trinity,
now and forever.

Amen.

I Adore Thee, O my God, one God in three Persons;
I annihilate myself before Thy Majesty.
Thou alone art being, life, truth, beauty, and goodness.
I glorify Thee, I praise Thee, I thank Thee, and I love Thee,
all incapable and unworthy as I am,
in union with thy dear Son Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Father,
in the mercifulness of His Heart and through His infinite merits.
I wish to serve Thee, to please Thee, to obey Thee, and to love Thee always,
in union with Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother,
loving also and serving my neighbour for Thy sake.
Therefore, give me Thy Holy Spirit to enlighten, correct, and guide me in the
way of Thy commandments, and in all perfection,
until we come to the happiness of heaven,
where we shall glorify Thee forever.
Amen.

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. Amen.
Give me the Strength, Lord
Lord, you are Holy above all others, and all of the strength that I need is in your hands.
I am not asking, Lord, that you take this trial away. Instead, I simply ask that Your will be done in my life. Whatever that means, that is what I want.
But I admit that it’s hard, Lord.
Sometimes I feel like I can’t go on. The pain and the fear are too much for me, and I know that I don’t have the strength on my own to get through this.
I know that I can come to you, Jesus, and that you will hear my prayer. I know that it is not your intent to bring me to this point just to leave me in the wilderness alone.
Please, Lord, give me the strength that I need to face today. I don’t have to worry about tomorrow.
If you just give me the strength that I need today that is all I need.
Keep me from sinning during this trial. Instead, help me to keep my eyes on you. You are the Holy Lord, and all of my hope rests in you.
Thank you for hearing my prayer.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Almighty, true and incomparable God, You are present in all things, yet in no way limited by them. You remain unaffected by place, untouched by time, unperturbed by years, and undeceived by words. You are not subject to birth and in no need of protection. You are beyond all corruption, above all change, immutable by nature. You live in unapproachable light and are invisible, yet You are known to all those who seek You with hope and love. You are the God of Israel, and of all who hope in Christ.
Amen.

We beseech you, O Lord, let the power of the Holy Spirit be always with us; let it mercifully purify our hearts, and safeguard us from all harm. Grant this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

May the Comforter, Who proceeds from You, enlighten our minds, we beseech you, O Lord, and guide us, as Your Son has promised, into all truth. We ask this through Christ, our Lord, Holy Spirit, Sweet guest of My Soul, Abide In Me and Grant That I May Ever abide in Thee.
Amen.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord,
Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thy Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with Thee, and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God, and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit.
Amen.

Come, O Holy Spirit, come! From Your bright and blissful Home Rays of healing light impart. Come, Father of the poor, Source of gifts that will endure Light of ev’ry human heart.

You of all consolers best, Of the soul most kindly Guest, Quick’ning courage do bestow.

In hard labor You are rest, In the heat You refresh best, And solace give in our woe.

O most blessed Light divine, Let Your radiance in us shine, And our inmost being fill.

Nothing good by man is thought, Nothing right by him is wrought, When he spurns Your gracious Will.

Cleanse our souls from sinful stain, Lave our dryness with Your rain, Heal our wounds and mend our way.

Bend the stubborn heart and will, Melt the frozen, warm the chill, Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful who in You, Trust with childlike piety, Deign Your sevenfold gift to send.

Give them virtue’s rich increase, Saving grace to die in peace, Give them joys that never end.

Amen. Alleluia.

O most Holy Trinity,
I adore you who dwell by your grace in my soul.
Sanctify me more and more,
make me love you more and more,
abide with me evermore and be my true joy.
Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee who
are dwelling by Thy grace within my soul.

O Most Holy Trinity, who art dwelling
by Thy grace within my soul, make
me love Thee more and more.

O Most Holy Trinity, who art dwelling
by Thy grace within my soul,
sanctify me more and more.

Abide with me, O Lord;
Be Thou my true joy.
Amen.

In order that I may be a living act of perfect love,
I offer myself as a whole burnt offering to Thy tender love,
beseeching Thee to consume me continually,
letting my soul overflow with the floods of
infinite tenderness that are found in Thee,
that so I may become a martyr of Thy love, O God!
Let this martyrdom make me ready to appear
before Thee and at last cause me to expire;
let my soul cast itself without delay
into the everlasting arms of Thy merciful love.
With every beat of my heart I desire,
O my dearly Beloved,
to renew this offering an infinite number of times,
until that day when the shadows shall vanish
and I shall be able to retell my love in eternal union with Thee!
Amen.

With our whole heart and voice
we glorify Thee, we praise Thee,
we bless Thee, God the Father
unbegotten, the only-begotten Son,
the Holy Ghost the Paraclete,
the Holy and undivided Trinity.

For Thou art great, and dost
Wonderful things: Thou alone art God.
To Thee be praise, to Thee glory,
to Thee thanksgiving forever and ever,
O blessed Trinity!
Amen.

O eternal God! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;
the beginning and end of all things;
in whom we live and move and have our being;
prostate before Thee in body and soul, I adore Thee.
I bless Thee and give Thee thanks.
What return can I make to Thee, O God,
for all that Thou hast done for me?
I will bless Thy Holy Name,
and serve Thee all the days of my life.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let
all that is within me bless His Holy Name.
Amen.

Most holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us
In accord with your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of our minds,
All the words of our tongues,
All the affections of our hearts,
And all the actions of our being May always be conformed to your holy Will. Thus, after we have seen here below in appearances
And in a dark manner by means of faith,
We may come at last to contemplate you face-to-face
In the perfect possession of you Forever in heaven.
Amen.

OMNIPOTENCE OF THE FATHER,
help my weakness, and deliver me
from the depth of misery.
WISDOM OF THE SON,
direct all my thoughts, words and actions.
LOVE OF THE HOLY GHOST,
be thou the source and beginning
of all the operations of my soul,
whereby they may be always
conformable to the divine will.
Amen.

O Omnipotence of the Father,
help my frailty and save me
from the depths of misery.

O Wisdom of the Son,
direct all my thoughts,
my words, and my deeds.

O Love of the Holy Spirit,
be the source of all the actions of my mind,
that they may always be conformed
to God’s good pleasure.
Amen.

Most holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
you have made us in accord with your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of our minds,
all the words of our tongues,
all the affections of our hearts,
and all the actions of our being
may always be conformed to your holy Will.
So may we, having seen you veiled in appearance here below by means of faith, come at last to contemplate you face-to-face, in the perfect possession of you forever in heaven.
Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
behold us prostrate in your divine presence.
We humble ourselves profoundly
and beg you to forgive our sins.
We adore you, Almighty Father,
and with hearts overflowing we thank you
that you have given us your divine Son Jesus to be our Redeemer,
and that he bequeathed himself to us in the most holy Eucharist
even to the end of the world,
revealing to us the wondrous love of his heart
in this mystery of faith and love.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
O Word of God, Jesus our Redeemer,
we adore you and with hearts overflowing we thank you
for having taken human flesh upon yourself
and having become both Priest and Victim in the sacrifice of the Cross,
for our redemption:
a sacrifice which, through the overflowing love of your Sacred Heart,
you renew upon our altars every moment.
O High Priest, divine Victim,
give us the grace to honor your holy sacrifice in the most sacred Eucharist
with the homage of Mary most holy and of all your holy Church,
triumphant, suffering and militant.
We offer ourselves wholly to you;
of your infinite goodness and mercy accept our offering,
unite it to your own and grant us your blessings.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
O Divine Spirit the Paraclete, we adore you
and with hearts overflowing we give you thanks
that you have, with such great love for us,
brought about the ineffable blessings of the Incarnation of the Word of God,
a blessing which is being continually extended and enlarged
in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.
By this adorable mystery of love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
grant to us and all poor sinners your holy grace.
Pour forth your holy gifts upon us and upon all redeemed souls,
and in an especial manner upon the visible head of the Church, the Pope,
upon all Cardinals, Bishops and Pastors of souls,
upon priests, deacons and all other ministers of your sanctuary,
upon those in the religious and consecrated life,
and all your people. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.

Eternal God, eternal Trinity, you have made the blood of Christ so precious through his sharing in your divine nature. You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more. When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished for your light. I desire above all to see you, the true light, as you really are.

I have tasted and seen the depth of your mystery and the beauty of your creation with the light of my understanding. I have clothed myself with your likeness and have seen what I shall be. Eternal Father, you have given me a share in your power and the wisdom that Christ claims as his own, and your Holy Spirit has given me the desire to love you. You are my Creator, eternal Trinity, and I am your creature. You have made of me a new creation in the blood of your Son, and I know that you are moved with love at the beauty of your creation, for you have enlightened me.

Eternal Trinity, Godhead, mystery deep as the sea, you could give me no greater gift than the gift of yourself. For you are a fire ever burning and never consumed, which itself consumes all the selfish love that fills my being. Yes, you are a fire that takes away the coldness, illuminates the mind with its light and causes me to know your truth. By this light, reflected as it were in a mirror, I recognise that you are the highest good, one we can neither comprehend nor fathom. And I know that you are beauty and wisdom itself. The food of angels, you gave yourself to man in the fire of your love.
You are the garment which covers our nakedness, and in our hunger you are a satisfying food, for you are sweetness and in you there is no taste of bitterness, O triune God! Amen.