Sunday, September 10, 2017

Memorial Prayer for the Suffering Souls in Purgatory







Almighty God, Father of Goodness and love, 
have mercy on the Poor Suffering Souls,
and grant Thine aid:

To my dear parents and ancestors;
Jesus, Mary, Joseph! My Jesus Mercy.
To my brothers and sisters and other near relatives;
Jesus, Mary, Joseph! My Jesus Mercy.
To my benefactors, spiritual and temporal; etc.
To my former friends and subjects;
To all for whom love or duty bids me pray; 
To those who have suffered disadvantage or harm through me; 
To those who have offended me; 
To all those who are especially beloved by Thee;
To those whose release is at hand; 
To those who desire most to be united with Thee;
To those who endure the greatest suffering;
To those whose release is most remote;
To those who are least remembered; 
To those who are most deserving on account of their services to the Church; 
To the rich, who now are the most destitute; 
To the mighty, who now are as lowly servants;
To the blind, who now see their folly; 
To the frivolous, who spent their time in idleness;
To the poor, who did not seek the treasures of Heaven; 
To the tepid, who devoted little time to prayer; 
To the indolent, who were negligent in performing good works;
 To those of little faith, who neglected the frequent reception of the Sacraments; 
To the habitual sinners, who owe their salvation to a miracle of grace; 
To parents who failed to watch over their children;
To superiors who were not solicitous for the salvation of those entrusted to them; 
To the souls of those who strove for hardly anything but riches and pleasures; 
To the worldly-minded, who failed to use their wealth and talents in the service of God; 
To those who witnessed the death of others, but would not think of their own; 
To those who did not provide for the great journey beyond, and the days of tribulation; 
To those whose judgment is so severe because of the great things entrusted to them; 
To the popes, rulers, kings and princes;
To the bishops and their counselors; 
To my teachers and spiritual advisers;
To the deceased priests of this diocese; 
To all the priests and religious of the whole Catholic Church; 
To the defenders of the Holy Faith; 
To those who died on the battlefield;
To those who are buried in the sea; 
To those who died of stroke or heart attack; 
To those who died without the last rites of the Church; 
To those who shall die within the next twenty-four hours; 
To my own poor soul when I shall have to appear before Thy judgment seat; 

V. O Lord, grant eternal rest to all the souls of the faithful departed, 
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them. 
V. May they rest in peace. 
R. Amen. 

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Lord Jesus, Let me Know Myself : An Augustinian Prayer



No matter where we are in life, it's important to take the time to stop and reflect. We should constantly work on bettering ourselves, which means we need to be keenly aware of our own weaknesses. And what better way is there to do that than with prayer?

I came across this Augustianian prayer on the EWTN site and knew I wanted to share it. I went ahead and included both the English and Latin version so you can feel free to use whichever you prefer.

Saint Augustine 

St. Augustine of Hippo is renowned for his influential Church writings and philosophy. His life remains an inspiration for sinners everywhere. Though his mother (Saint Monica) was a devout Catholic, his father was a Pagan. Despite the best efforts of his mother, Augustine chose to embrace Manichaeism and a life of sin. During this time, his mother prayed for him ceaselessly, begging God's intercession for her wayward son. Her prayers were answered in the form of an encounter between her son and St. Ambrose (who also became a Doctor of the Church). Augustine abandoned his old ways, embraced the faith, and, of course, eventually became a saint.

The Prayer

Domine Iesu, Noverim me (Lord Jesus, Let Me Know Myself)

English 

Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know Thee,
And desire nothing save only Thee.
Let me hate myself and love Thee.
Let me do everything for the sake of Thee.
Let me humble myself and exalt Thee.
Let me think of nothing except Thee.
Let me die to myself and live in Thee.
Let me accept whatever happens as from Thee.
Let me banish self and follow Thee,
And ever desire to follow Thee.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in Thee,
That I may deserve to be defended by Thee.
Let me fear for myself, let me fear Thee,
And let me be among those who are chosen by Thee.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in Thee.
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of Thee.
Let me cling to nothing save only to Thee,
And let me be poor because of Thee.
Look upon me, that I may love Thee.
Call me that I may see Thee,
And for ever enjoy Thee. Amen.


Latin 

Domine Iesu, noverim me, noverim te,
Nec aliquid cupiam nisi te.
Oderim me et amem te.
Omnia agam propter te.
Humilem me, exaltem te.
Nihil cogitem nisi te.
Mortificem me et vivam in te.
Quaecumque eveniant accipiam a te.
Persequar me, sequar te,
Semerque optem sequi te.
Fugiam me, confugiam ad te,
Ut merear defendi a te.
Timeam mihi, timeam te,
Et sim inter electos a te.
Diffidam mihi, fidam in te.
Obedire velim propter te.
Ad nihil afficiar nisi ad te,
Et pauper sim propter te.
Aspice me, ut diligam te.
Voca me, ut videam te,
Et in aeternum fruar te. Amen.

Original files by Michael Martin