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Revised
03/25/2006 .
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HERE for Catholic Prayers
Prayer: A Gift to make us
Holy
Prayer is a very practical subject, you can
only really become proficient through doing
it. Included below are a few notes on
the main basic forms of prayer, in the hope
that you may be able to enrich your prayer
time, especially if you have become focused
just on one aspect of prayer.
Basic Forms of Prayer
 | Prayer of Blessing -
because God blesses us with his gifts, we
in return bless the One who is the source
of every blessing. As our prayer
ascends in the Holy Spirit through Christ
to the Father - we bless him for having
blessed us; our prayer implores the grace
of the Holy Spirit that descends through
Christ from the Father - he blesses us.
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| Prayer of Petition - in
petition we express our awareness of our
relationship with God. We are
sinners who as Christians know that we
have turned away from our Father.
Our petition, asking for forgiveness, like
the tax collector: "God, be merciful
to me a sinner!" is already a turning
back to him.
Then, having repented, Christian petition
is centered on the desire and search for
the kingdom to come: we pray for the
coming of the Kingdom, then for what is
necessary to welcome it and co-operate
with its coming.
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| Prayer of Intercession
- in intercession we pray asking on behalf
of another. We look not only to our
own interests, but also to the interest of
others, and imitating Christ, we even pray
for those who would do us harm. The
early Christian communities lived this
form of fellowship intensely. The
intercession of Christians recognizes no
boundaries: we pray for all, from the
highest to lowest; for our friends and for
those who set themselves up as our enemies
and persecutors.
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| Prayer of Thanksgiving
- as in the prayer of petition, every joy
and suffering, event and need, can become
an offering of thanksgiving which, sharing
in that of Christ, should fill one's whole
life. The letters of St. Paul often
begin and end with thanksgiving, and the
Lord Jesus is always present in our
thanks: "Give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you";
"Continue steadfastly in prayer,
being watchful in it with
thanksgiving."
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| Prayer of Praise -
Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes
most immediately that God is God. It
lauds God for his own sake and gives him
glory, quite beyond what he does, but
simply because HE IS. It shares in
the blessed happiness of the pure in heart
who love God in faith before seeing him in
glory. By praise, the Spirit is
joined to our spirits to bear witness that
we are children of God, testifying to the
only Son in whom we glorify the Father.
Praise embraces the other forms of prayer
and carries them toward him who is its
source and goal: the "one God, the
Father, from whom are all things and for
whom we exist". |
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Sign
of the Cross
In the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. Amen. |
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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 arose again from the dead. He
ascended into heaven, and is seated at the
right hand of God the Father Almighty;
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. |
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Lord's
Prayer
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Fatima
Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us
from the fires of hell and lead all souls
to heaven, especially those most in need
of Thy mercy. Amen. |
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Hail
Holy Queen
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, 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 valley of tears! Turn
then most gracious Advocate, your eyes of
mercy toward us; and after this, our
exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of
your Womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O
sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises
of Christ. Amen. |
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Lord,
make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
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