Fundamental Catholic Prayers

Sign of the Cross

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

Our Father

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. Amen.

Hail Mary

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. Amen.

Glory Be

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. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers to Our Lady

The Rosary

The six fundamental prayers listed above are also part of the Catholic rosary, a devotion dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God. (CCC 971) The rosary consists of fifteen decades. Each decade focuses upon a particular mystery in the life of Christ and his Blessed Mother. It is customary to say five decades at a time, while meditating upon one set of mysteries.

Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of our Lord
4. The Presentation of our Lord
5. The Finding of our Lord in the Temple

Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord

Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption of our Blessed Mother into Heaven
5. The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

Luminous Mysteries

1. The Baptism in the Jordan
2. The Wedding Feast of Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Eucharist

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we turn to thee, O Virgin of virgins, our Mother. To thee we come, before thee we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, do not despise our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us. Amen.

The Angelus

The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. (Hail Mary . . .) Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. (Hail Mary …) And the Word was made flesh. R. And dwelt among us. (Hail Mary …) Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts; that, we to whom the incarnation of Christ, thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross, be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Prayers 

Prayer Before Meals

Bless us O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to Our Guardian Angel

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Morning 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 reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all the apostles of prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

Evening prayer

O my God, at the end of this day I thank you most heartily for all the graces I have received from you. I am sorry that I have not made a better use of them. I am sorry for all the sins I have committed against you. Forgive me, O my God, and graciously protect me this night. Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear heavenly mother, take me under your protection. St. Joseph, my dear guardian angel, and all you saints of God, pray for me. Sweet Jesus, have pity on all poor sinners, and save them from hell. Have mercy on the suffering souls in purgatory.

Generally, this evening prayer is followed by an act of contrition, which is usually said in conjunction with an examination of conscience. A daily examination of conscience consists of a brief recounting of our actions during the day. What sins did we commit? Where did we fail? In what areas of our lives can we strive to make virtuous progress? Having determined our failures and sins, we make an act of contrition.

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend thee, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.

Prayer after Mass 

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, make me holy. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, fill me with love. Water from Christ’s side, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. Good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds, hide me. Never let me be parted from you. From the evil enemy, protect me. At the hour of my death, call me, and tell me to come to you that with your saints I may praise you through all eternity. Amen.

Prayers to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle 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.

Let us pray

O God, who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers to the Angels and Saints

Prayer to Saint Joseph

O glorious Saint Joseph, you were chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus, the most pure spouse of Mary, ever virgin, and the head of the Holy Family. You have been chosen by Christ’s vicar as the heavenly patron and protector of the Church founded by Christ.

Protect the Holy Father, our sovereign pontiff, and all bishops and priests united with him. Be the protector of all who labor for souls amid the trials and tribulations of this life, and grant that all peoples of the world may follow Christ and the Church he founded.

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

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 host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

How do I have a Mass said for my intention?

If you would like to have a Mass offered for your special intention, please contact the parish office.  While particular dates or times may be requested, dates are assigned on a first come first served basis and may not be available as requested.  We ask for your understanding and flexibility in scheduling Mass intentions.  It is customary to offer a donation when requesting a Mass to be said; the parish suggests a five dollar donation.

What does it mean to have a Mass said?

Offering a Mass for a specific intention is a tradition that is almost as old as the Church itself. Records dating back to as early as the year 180 show evidence of early Christians having a Mass said for a loved one.  To arrange for a Mass to be said for your intention, please contact the parish office, as dates must be set in consultation with records of other intentions already on file.  Please Note:

It doesn’t cost anything…but if you’re able to give, an offering is appreciated.

There is no price tag on the Mass, however, it is customary to give an offering when requesting a Mass for an intention. That said, money should never be the reason for deciding against this beautiful tradition. Our parish suggests a donation of just ten dollars per Mass.

A Mass can be offered for many different intentions.

Though we often think of having a Mass said for those who have passed away, Masses can be offered for those who are still alive. The Council of Trent says that Mass may be said “for the living and the dead, for sins, punishments, satisfactions, and other necessities.” In other words, if you know someone who could benefit from the spiritual graces that come with having a Mass said on their behalf, there is no need to delay in doing so.

Again, most people remember to have a Mass said for the death of a loved one and a few may think to have a Mass offered for a special intention or friend who is suffering, but rarely do we think of having a Mass offered for a celebration! Is there a better way to show our gratitude to God? Masses can be said for birthdays, anniversaries, in celebration of the reception of the sacraments, or for prayers that have been answered!

Because the Mass is the highest form of worship on Earth, there are many fruits and graces that result from having a Mass said.

The reason that this tradition has been passed on for centuries is because of the many spiritual fruits that result from this form of prayer. The celebration of the Eucharist is the highest form of worship in the Catholic Church because we unite ourselves with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross in worship of his Father.

St. John Paul II emphasized the graces that come when a Mass is offered. “The Church believes that she will be heard, for she prays in union with Christ her Head and Spouse, who takes up this plea of His Bride and joins it to His own redemptive sacrifice.”

How do I light a candle?

There are prayer candles located at both St. Augustine and St. Edward parishes.  These candles may be lit by anyone, Catholic or not, to demonstrate the intention of a person’s prayer.  A small donation may is requested to offset the cost of the candle, to be placed in the provided envelopes and deposited in the box under the 10 hour candles, as follows:

Candles at St. Augustine

10 Hour Candles – located under the Infant of Prague statue on the side wall to the left of the main altar, please light these yourself as you offer your prayer – requested donation $.50 each

3 Day Candles – located at the side altars under the statues of Mary and the Sacred Heart on either side of the main altar, please light these yourself as you offer your prayer – requested donation $3 each

7 Day Candles – located on the main altar ,**Note: these candles are lit by Fr. each Saturday, please bring your donation to the parish office to have your candle lit the following Saturday** – requested donation $5 each

Candles at St. Edward

10 Hour Candles – please light these yourself as you offer your prayer – requested donation $.50 each

Why Do We Light Candles?

The practice of lighting candles is an important tradition in Catholic churches, communities and families. Its origins may be traced back in the Old Testament times where an oil lamp is lighted to “keep a flame burning perpetually” (Exodus 27:19-20), as “perpetual incense before the Lord from generation to generation” (Exodus 30:7-8) and as a “lamp stand in the Tent of Meeting…set up before the Lord as He has commanded Moses” (Exodus 40:24-25).

The New Testament further highlights the sanctity of this light in Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews. “A first tent was prepared with the lamp stand, the table and the bread of the presence; this is called the Holy Place” (Hebrews 9:2). In today’s Catholic tradition, this light has a very special place because it symbolizes Christ who said, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have light and life” (John 8:12).

The light signifies our prayer offered in faith coming into the light of God. With the light of faith, we petition our Lord in prayer or petition a saint pictured in a nearby statue or image to pray with us and for us to the Lord. The word “vigil” comes from the Latin vigilia and refers to keeping watch. The vigil candle that is lit remains so for a period of time (either a certain number of hours or a few days) and symbolizes our desire to remain present to the Lord in prayer even though we may depart and go about our daily business.

Another word for these candles is a “votive” candle and comes from the Latin votum, meaning promise, dedication or simply “prayer.” It reinforces the idea that the candles represent our prayers before God.

As humans, we are body and soul and our prayers often need to be expressed in a physical, tangible way. This helps our soul be at rest and is a way to deepen our spirituality. Similar to incense, the light of the candles is a physical reminder that points our souls to God. We light them not because we believe our prayers will be better heard by God, but because it provides something visual to connect our body and soul.

The prayer chain is a telephone network of parishioners who pray for any requested intentions. The purpose of our prayer chain is to provide spiritual support and healing for parishioners and their families and friends. When placing someone on the prayer chain, please use first names only, or obtain permission when giving full names. All prayers are kept confidential to our prayer warriors.

Your prayer request will be included in the daily prayers of our members for one month. You may continue to request prayers for prolonged illness. Feel free to send us back a “Prayers Answered” or “Thanksgiving” request upon resolution of the request, if appropriate.

Please call the parish office or use the form below to submit your prayer request, and include the following details:

NAME (of person to pray for?)

SPECIAL INTENTION (what are we praying for?)