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| Sacristy window at Spencer Abbey, Massachusetts |
But in the meantime, I will share with you some prayers which you can use from time to time.
Parents' Prayer for Their Children
O God the Father of mankind, who has given to me these my children, and committed them to my charge to bring them up for You, and to prepare them for eternal life: help me with Your heavenly grace, that I may be able to fulfill this most sacred duty and stewardship. Teach me both what to give and what to withhold; when to reprove and when to forbear; make me to be gentle, yet firm; considerate and watchful; and deliver me equally from the weakness of indulgence, and the excess of severity; and grant that, both by word and example, I may be careful to lead them in the ways of wisdom and true piety, so that at last I may, with them, be admitted to the unspeakable joys of our true home in heaven, in the company of the blessed Angels and Saints. Amen.
Prayer of Spouses for Each Other
Lord Jesus, grant that I and my spouse may have a true and understanding love for each other. Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust. Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony. May we always bear with one another's weaknesses and grow from each other's strengths. Help us to forgive one another's failings and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit of concern and mutual love, placing the well-being of one another ahead of self. May the love that brought us together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring us both ever closer to You through our love for each other. Let our love grow to perfection. Amen.
Parents apologize to their children
Forgive us if we instilled it in your heads that only a career and money are the only important things in life.Forgive us if we gave you more objects than values, more luxury than principles. Forgive us if we spent more time in scolding than in correcting and giving good examples. Forgive us if we were more concerned about the cleanliness of your teeth than your speech. Forgive us if we emphasized more the easy life than the good and just way of life.
Forgive us if we were overly concerned about making more money, to such an extent that to build a beautiful house, we destroyed the unity of our home. Forgive us if we were so busy that we couldn't find time to do things together, to talk to each other, and to simply be together. Forgive us if we erred in our calculations, as we increased the buying of stuff but decreased the true show of love. Forgive us if we never stressed the importance of loving God, thereby ending up desiring everything but the presence of God in your lives. Forgive us that we taught you many subjects, but ignored the most important, the Bible and the catechism.
Prayer before doing the laundry
Lord Jesus, as we prepare to wash our clothes, help us to see in the clothes our own individual lives. The detergent we use is like the grace of your mercy, while the dirt and stains are like our sins. As we see our clothes become clean again, may our lives be also cleaned of any imperfections or blemishes, any hurtful feelings we may have towards others, and may we also look at others as a reflection of your creative powers. As we wear our clean clothes again, make us realize that we are putting on a new person, with a refreshed attitude, a renewed outlook, alive, healthy and well.
Prayer before a construction project
Lord Jesus, as we start this project today, we ask your help and guidance as we plan and execute different strategies to see a successful finished product. Help us to work safely and cautiously, without anyone getting hurt or injured. May we see our project successfully completed in the stipulated time, as everyone shares his load of work. Remind us to work as a team, as teamwork makes hard jobs much easier. And just as you rested after completing the work of creation, may we rest at the end, enjoying the fruits of our labor. And may we always give you honor and praise for helping us start and finish.
Prayer before cooking a big meal
Lord Jesus, today we have company and we plan to cook a nice meal for our guests, as well as for our family. We ask your help and assistance in being creative and even inventive in what we prepare. May everyone help out in the various ways, like setting up the table, cleaning up afterwards, doing the dishes, and of course cutting, slicing, mixing and stirring whatever is being cooked. And as we remember the poor and the hungry in this world, may we all enjoy the meal which as a family we are creating today.
Prayer before a long trip
Lord Jesus, I have a long trip ahead of me, and I am nervous - that something may go wrong. With so many terrorist attacks in the past few years, it seems we are never ever safe anymore. So I ask for your protection and blessings as I travel across thousands of miles, mostly by air and overland. I pray for the pilots and drivers who will be driving me and others to our destination. Give us also good weather and safety on the roads. And after returning back home, remind us always to thank you.
Prayer of a husband and wife
(to be prayed while sitting facing each other and holding hands.)
Lord, we praise you and thank you for all the goodness you showered on us. For our health and faith, for our home and our children, for caring relatives and respectful friends. Please, give us the patience with each other and those around us, remind us not to take each other for granted, and make us always pleasant to live with. Encourage us also to show our best side to our better half, especially when we are tired or cranky. Help us to remember the happy times we had in our marriage, and remind us always to keep each other as the number one priority. And may we be an example to our children, co-workers and family members. May we see you Lord as our inspiration and guide through tough times and turbulent moments. We ask your blessing on our family and keep us all united together, in and peace and harmony.
Prayer for your children at school
Lord Jesus, I pray today for my children who are in school. Make them realize how important it is for them to focus on their studies, to do their homework, to listen to their teachers and pay attention as something is being explained to them. Remind them always to ask question when they don't understand something, and never be afraid of asking for an explanation when something is not clear enough. I thank you Lord for their teachers who spend hours with my children, for principals who keep order and everything else running smoothly, for custodians who keep the classes and hallways clean and so many other parents who help out generously with so many little things. From Nursery School to Graduation from College, give my children and all children the perseverance to strive for the best, to strive for the best grades in exams, and to absorb as much as possible from what they learn in those critical first 20 years of their lives.
Prayer when facing stress
Lord Jesus, I am facing a stressful situation, and I need your help. I need your guidance to show me which way to go. I know you will tell me to be patient, but I feel like I'm at the end of the line. I really need some time to think and reflect on my own, but most importantly, I need to know that you will handle all my problems. You who said "Come to me all you who feel burdened, and I will lighten your load," I am literally dumping this situation on Your Lord. Relieve me of the pressures and stress I'm feeling right now, and give me peace and contentment. I know I have to deal with this issue mostly on my own, but I appreciate any kind of support you can give me.
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