The Rural Life Prayerbook
ShareTHE RURAL LIFE PRAYERBOOK
Imprimi Potest Leo J. Burns, S.J. Provincial Wisconsin Province Milwaukee, Wis., 17 October 1955
Imprimatur Fr. Eduardus Caelestinus, O.P. Episcopus Desmoinen Des Moines, Iowa, 13 February, 1956
Written and Compiled by Alban J. Dachauer, S.J. In cooperation with The National Catholic Rural Life Conference Drawings by Tom Chouteau
Published by The National Catholic Rural Life Conference 4625 Beaver Avenue Des Moines, IA 50310-2199
Copyright, 1956 National Catholic Rural Life Conference
FOREWORD
"There is something almost sacramental about the life of the rural family" said the venerable missionary Bishop Wehrle, O.S.B., of Bismarck, North Dakota, in addressing the little group of priests and laymen and laywomen who assembled in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1923 to establish the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. The call to that Conference was issued appropriately in a publication entitled "St. Isidore's Plow." The occasion was the opening of the first furrow in the American Catholic Rural Life movement.
The intervening years have been a long springtime of planting and cultivating through labor and prayer. Manuals for the development of the material and social aspects of the movement have been wisely provided. It is fitting that a manual expressive of the religious foundation and spiritual aspirations of the movement should be made available in this Rural Life Prayerbook.
It appropriately begins with devotions at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which is the center of Catholic worship. Here will be found prayers suitable for various times and seasons and feasts dear to the farmer and his family. It also includes significant farm blessings from the Roman Ritual and Novena prayers to St. Isidore, the patron of farmers.
May the devotion to St. Isidore and his spirit of faith unite the Catholic farm families of our country in a spiritual and social movement which will enrich the Church in America with a fruitful rural apostolate.
Feast of St. Isidore 1956
+EDWIN V. O'HARA, Archbishop Bishop of Kansas City
Honorary President, National Rural Life Conference
The texts of the Scripture are reproduced with permission of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D. C.
INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
THIS little manual of prayers and blessings was first suggested by Msgr. Luigi G. Ligutti in December, 1943. Since then, a great deal of work has gone into its preparation, and a great number of books have been consulted, and sources studied. To list them all would be impossible. I can only say that most of the translations from the Latin are my own, and most of the prayers are my own. There are, of course, a number of prayers given here that are common to every prayerbook, and I make no claim to them. My thanks are due to the very many friends who helped and encouraged me in countless ways in the writing and compilation of this book. They may be sure of a very special place in my Holy Mass each day. May Saint Isidore, the gentle patron of rural people, bless all who have in any way helped in the preparation of this book, and likewise all who use it for their own devotion.
ALBAN J. DACHAUER, S.J.
Feast of the Holy Name of Mary September 12, 1965
CONTENTS
Forward
Introduction
PART I ORDINARY OF THE MASS PRAYERS FOR THE COUNTRY FAMILY
We Choose the Country Prayer in Honor of St. Isidore A Countryman Gives Thanks ORDINARY OF THE MASS Prayers after Mass
PART II OCCASIONAL PRAYERS FOR VARIOUS TIMES, FEASTS, AND SEASONS OF THE YEAR
A Note about the Prayers New Year's Prayer for Church and State A Holy Name Prayer A Prayer for the Whole Family Dedication of the Rural Family to the Divine Majesty A Prayer for Church Unity A Prayer for Candlemas Day To Jesus my Friend A Prayer for the Wood-Lot A Prayer to Simon of Cyrene A Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas for Catholic Schools The Breastplate of St. Patrick A Prayer to St. Joseph A Prayer to St. Isidore, Patron of Country People A Prayer for Lent A Prayer at Easter A Prayer in Planting Time A Prayer to Christ, King of the Universe Prayer for May First A Prayer for Choosing a State of Life A Prayer to Mary for Charity A Prayer to the Holy Spirit Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus A Prayer for the Wheat A Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus A Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus A Prayer for Gardens and Orchards Prayers for Rain Canticle of the Three Young Men in the Fiery Furnace Prayer of St. Ignatius for Generosity A Prayer to St. John Vianney, the Parish Priest of Ars, for the Pastor and the Parish A Prayer on the Feast of Mary's Assumption A Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary A Prayer for the Corn A Prayer in Time of Debt St. Francis of Assisi's Prayer for Peace A Prayer to the North American Martyrs A Prayer in Autumn for Country Living A Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angels Canticle of the Sun, St. Francis of Assisi A Prayer to St. Luke for the Family Doctor A Prayer to Christ the King A Prayer to all the Saints A Prayer in a Country Cemetery A Prayer for Protection against Fires A Prayer of Thanksgiving for God's Blessings A Prayer in Advent A Prayer in Winter A Prayer at Christmas Time for Country Living Hymn of Thanksgiving (Te Deum)
PART III BLESSINGS FROM THE ROMAN RITUAL
A Note on the Blessings Blessings of the Country Home and the People in It Blessing of the People with Holy Water, to be given on Sundays Blessing of a Baby Blessing of a Child to Obtain for It the Mercy of God Blessing for Sick Children Blessing of a Woman before the Birth of a Child Blessing of a Woman after Childbirth Blessing of a Sick Adult Blessing of Land or House Another Blessing of a Home Blessing of a Bedroom Blessing of an Image of Our Lord Jesus Christ, or of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or of a Saint Blessing of Candles Blessing of Candles on the Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr Blessing of Fire Blessing of Water Blessings of Food and Drink Blessing of Bread Another Blessing of Bread Blessing for Bread and Cakes Blessing of a Lamb Blessing of Lard or Bacon Blessing of Cheese or Butter Blessing of Eggs Blessing of the Barn and the Stored Harvest Blessing of Grapes Blessing of Fresh Fruit Blessing of Any Food Blessing of Wine on the feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist Blessing of Wine for the Sick Blessing for Any Medicine Blessings of Farm Animals and Their Needs Blessing for All Domestic Animals Blessing for Horses or Other Animals Blessing for Animals Afflicted with a Serious Disease Second Blessing for Animals with a Serious Disease Blessing of Poultry Blessing of Bees Blessing of Salt or Feed for Animals Blessings of Fields and Crops Blessing of Crosses to be Set in Fields, Vineyards, etc., which is performed on the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, or on the next Sunday Blessing of Sprouting Seed Blessing of Seeds, Flowers, and Crops on the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Blessing of All Kinds of Fruit Trees and Vines Blessing to Ward Off Destructive Insects and Other Small Animals Blessings of Buildings, Vehicles, Etc. Blessing of a Mill Blessing of a Spring or Well Blessing of a Bridge Blessing Against Floods Blessing of a Stable Blessing of an Automobile, a Wagon, or Tractor Blessing of the Cornerstone of a New Building Blessing of a School Blessing of a Library Blessing for Any Object
PART IV PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS
Prayers Every Catholic Should Know by Heart The Lord's Prayer The Hail Mary The Apostles' Creed An Act of Faith An Act of Hope An Act of Love An Act of Contrition Morning Offering A Prayer to the Holy Family Evening Prayer of a Rural Family Examination of Conscience Holy Communion Soul of Christ Prayer before a Crucifix Offering of Self Litany of the Sacred Heart A Short Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart The Promises of Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Litany of the Holy Name Litany of the Blessed Virgin The Angelus Regina Coeli A Farmer's Prayer to Mary The Rosary of Our Blessed Lady Litany of St. Joseph Novena to St. Joseph Prayer for the Church Unity Octave Prayer for Elected Officials An Act of Resignation Hymns and Prayers for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament The Way of the Cross
PART V LITURGICAL DEVOTIONS FOR COUNTRY LIVING
Novena in Honor of St. Isidore Litany of St. Isidore Hymn for the Novena to St. Isidore Devotions for the Feast of St. Isidore Mass of St. Isidore Mass of St. Joseph the Worker Mass of St. Mark Ceremonies for the Observance of the Rogation Days Mass of the Rogation Days Mass of the Sacred Heart Harvest Prayers and Blessings for the Feast of the Assumption in honor of Our Lady of the Fields Mass of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Prayers and Blessings for the Family and Parish Observance of Thanksgiving; Mass of Thanksgiving; Prayer for Church and State; Canticle of the Three Youths; Blessing of the Harvest Prayer of Thanksgiving The Company of St. Isidore
PART VI SELECTED PSALMS
Psalm 103 Psalm 117 Psalm 127 Psalm 146 Psalm 148
A Meditation
INDEX
WE CHOOSE THE COUNTRY
WE BELIEVE that:
Farming is a noble Christian occupation.
The farm home is a most suitable place to rear a Christian family.
The good earth is the greatest material gift of God to man.
WE KNOW that:
In this vocation we country people work closely with God in producing the essential elements of life.
By making ourselves aware of the special graces and opportunities of this way of life, and by cooperating with them, we and our families can most readily give glory to God and grow in holiness and happiness.
The earth returns greatest honor to God when through our care and labor, it brings forth an abundance for our family's needs and those of society, for this generation and for those to come.
WE PROCLAIM that:
We will strive always to appreciate and hold fast to the spiritual values of our vocation and to prevent the materialiLsm of this age from blinding us to them.
We will model our homes on that of Nazareth; by working, learning, playing, and especially praying together we will strengthen our faith in God and our mutual love and unity; we will fulfill our obligation to be good neighbors, faithful parishioners, loyal and active citizens.
We will regard our land as God's land; as stewards of His bounty we will conserve and improve it so that it will increasingly continue to give glory to Him.
WE PRAY that:
Through God's gl ace we may have wisdom and strength to grow constantly in the virtues necessary for holy rural living:
Faith, Hope firmly founded in knowledge of God's wisdom and providence, Love, Patience with the slow deliberate cycle of seasons and years, Fortitude, Temperance, Compassion, Mercy, Zeal.
PRAYER IN HONOR OF SAINT ISIDORE
O GOD, who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, revealed yourself the husbandman of our souls, deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
A COUNTRYMAN GIVES THANKS
O GOD, source and giver of all things, who manifests Your infinite majesty, power and goodness in the earth about us, we give You honor and glory.
For the sun and rain, for the manifold fruits of our fields, for the increase of our herds and flocks, we thank You. For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace, we are grateful.
Supreme Lord of the harvest, graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil, in union with Christ Your Son, as atonement for our sins, for the growth of Your Church, for peace and charity in our homes, for salvation to all. Amen.
THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS THE PRAYERS AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR
(At the foot of the altar the priest makes the sign of the cross:)
IN THE name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I will go to the altar of God.
R.To God who gives joy to my youth.
P. Judge me, O God, and take up my cause against the nation that is not holy. Free me from the unjust and deceitful man.
R. For You, O God, are my strength, why have You cast me off? And why do I walk in sorrow, while the enemy troubles me?
P. Send forth Your light and Your truth, they have led me, and brought me to Your holy hill, and to Your dwelling.
R. I will go to the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth.
P. To You, O God, my God, I will give praise upon the harp, why are you sad, O my soul? And why do you trouble me?
R. Hope in God, for I will still praise Him, the salvation of my countenance and my God.
P. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
P. I will go to the altar of God.
R. To God who gives joy to my youth.
P. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who has made heaven and earth.
P. Confiteor, etc.
R. May almighty God have mercy upon you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to life everlasting.
P. Amen.
R. I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed (strike the breast three times as a sign of contrition); through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beg blessed Mary, ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints and you, Father, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
P. May almighty God have mercy upon you, and forgive you your sins, and bring you to life everlasting.
R. Amen.
P. May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins.
R. Amen.
P. You will turn again, O God, and quicken us.
R. And Your people shall rejoice in You.
P. Show unto us, O Lord, Your mercy.
R. And grant us Your salvation.
P. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry reach up to You.
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
(Priest ascending altar steps says:)
Let us pray. Take from us our sins, O Lord, that we may enter with pure minds into the holy of holies. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Priest kisses the altar, where the relics of martyrs repose, saying:)
WE BEG You, O Lord, by the merits of Your saints, whose relics are here, and of all the saints, that You would be so kind as to forgive me all my sins. Amen.
(Priest goes to the missal on his right and reads:)
THE INTROIT
(Propers for Feast Day Masses are found in the sections on St. Isidore, St. Joseph, the Worker, St. Mark, Rogation Days, Assumption (Our Lady of the Fields), Sacred Heart and Thanksgiving.)
THE KYRIE
(Priest returns to center of altar to recite Kyrie:)
P. Lord, have mercy on us. R. Lord, have mercy on us. P. Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us. P. Christ, have mercy on us. R Christ, have mercy on us.
P. Lord, have mercy on us. R. Lord, have mercy on us. P. Lord, have mercy on us.
THE GLORIA
(The Gloria is omitted when the vestments are black or violet; and in votive Masses, other than the votive Masses of Angels, and of our Lady when said on a Saturday.)
GLORY be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise You, we bless You, we adore You, we glorify You, we give You thanks for Your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, God the almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, only-begotten Son. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; You who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For You alone are the Holy One. You alone are God. You, Jesus Christ, alone are the Most High, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
(Priest kisses altar, turns to people, and says:)
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
(Priest goes to missal on right to read:)
THE COLLECT
THE EPISTLE
(After the Epistle:)
R. Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL
PRAYERS BEFORE THE GOSPEL
(Priest returns to center of altar, and, bowing low, says:)
CLEANSE my heart and my lips, O almighty God, as You cleansed the lips of the prophet Isaias with a living coal. Through Your gracious mercy, so purify me that I may worthily announce Your Good Tidings, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Lord, give me Your blessing.
May the Lord be in my heart and on my lips, that I may worthily and effectively speak forth His Good Tidings. Amen.
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
THE GOSPEL (After the Gospel:)
R. Praise be to You, O Christ.
(Priest kisses the Gospel, saying:)
By the words of the Gospel may our sin be blotted out.
THE CREDO
(Priest returns to the center of altar, where he says the Credo, if there is one:) I BELIEVE in one God, the almighty Father, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages; God from God, light from light, true God from true God; begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father; through whom all things were made. He for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven (here all genuflect), and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary; and was made man. He was crucified for our sake under Pontius Pilate: suffered, and was buried And the third day He rose again according to the scriptures. And He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; and of His reign there will be no end. I believe too in the Holy Spirit, Lord and life-giver, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified; who spoke through the prophets. And I believe in one holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look forward to the resurrection of the dead (here all make the sign of the cross), and the life of the world to come. Amen. (After the Credo, the priest kisses altar, turns to people, saying:)
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
P. Let us pray.
MASS OF THE FAITHFUL
OFFERTORY VERSE
OFFERING OF THE BREAD
ACCEPT O holy Father, almighty and eternal God, this spotless sacrificial offering which I, Your unworthy servant, offer to You, my living and true God, to atone for my numberless sins, offenses, and negligences; on behalf of all here present, and likewise for all faithful Christians, living and dead, that it may profit me and them as a means of salvation unto life everlasting. Amen.
(When priest pours water and wine in the chalice:)
O GOD, You have established the nature of man in wondrous dignity and still more admirably restored it. Grant that through the mystery of this water and wine, we may be made partakers of His divinity, who has been so kind as to become partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
(As the priest offers the chalice of wine:)
WE OFFER to You, O Lord, the Chalice of salvation, humbly begging of Your mercy that it may arise before Your divine majesty with a pleasing fragrance, for our salvation and that of all mankind. Amen.
In a spirit of humility and with a contrite heart, may we be accepted by You, O Lord, and may our sacrifice be so offered in Your sight this day as to please You, O Lord God.
Come, source of holiness, almighty and eternal God, and bless this sacrifice prepared for the glory of Your holy name.
(As the priest washes his fingers at the Epistle side of the altar:)
(PS. 25:6-12)
WASH my hands in innocence, and I go around your altar, O Lord,
Giving voice to my thanks, and recounting all your wondrous deeds.
O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, the tenting-place of your glory.
Gather not my soul with those of sinners, nor with men of blood my life.
On their hands are crimes, and their right hands are full of bribes.
But I walk in integrity; redeem me, and have pity on me.
My foot stands on level ground; in the assemblies I will bless the Lord.
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. Amen. (Priest returns to center of altar, bows, and says:)
ACCEPT, most holy Trinity, this offering which we are making to You in remembrance of the passion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, our Lord; and in honor of the blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, of these, and of all the saints, that it may add to their honor and procure our salvation; and may they be so kind as to intercede in heaven for us who cherish their memory here on earth, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
(The priest kisses the altar, turns to people, and says:)
BRETHREN, pray that my sacrifice and yours may become acceptable to God the Father almighty.
R. May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, unto the praise and glory of His name, for our advantage and that of all His holy Church.
P. Amen.
THE SECRET
P. World without end.
R. Amen.
THE PREFACE FOR THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
P. Lift up your hearts.
R. We have them lifted up to the Lord.
P. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R. It is right and just.
It is truly right and just, proper and availing unto salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O holy Lord, Father almighty, and everlasting God. With Your only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit You are one God, one Lord; not in the oneness of a single person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For, that which we believe from Your revelation concerning Your glory, that same we believe also of Your Son, and of the Holy Spirit, without difference or distinction. So that in confessing the true and everlasting Godhead, we adore in it each several Persons, and yet a unity of essence, and equality in majesty. This the angels and archangels, the cherubim also and the seraphim do praise, ceasing not to cry out day by day as with one voice: THE SANCTUS
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
THE CANON (Commemoration of the Church.)
AND NOW, most gracious Father, we humbly beg of You and entreat You, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, to accept and bless these gifts, now set apart for the holy and all-perfect sacrifice; which we offer to You especially for Your holy Catholic Church, that You would be so kind as to keep it in peace and unity, to protect and sustain it throughout the world; together with Your servant N., our Pope, and N., our Bishop, and their flocks, who cherish the Catholic and apostolic faith.
(Commemoration of the Living.)
BE MINDFUL, O Lord, of Your servants and handmaids (name them) and of all here present, whose faith is known to You and likewise their devotion, on whose behalf we offer to You, and who themselves offer to You, this sacrifice of praise for themselves and all who are theirs, for the good of their souls, according to their hope of salvation and deliverance from all harm, and who pay You the homage which they owe You, eternal God, living and true.
(Commemoration of the Saints.)
UNITED in Your only Church, we honor the memory, first of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ; then that of Your blessed apostles and martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Thaddeus; Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, and of all Your saints, by whose merits and prayers grant that we may be always favored with the help of Your protection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Offering Prayer.)
WE FURTHER beg of You, O Lord, to receive in atonement this sacrifice of adoration from us and from all Your household. Provide that our days be spent in Your peace, save us from everlasting damnation, and cause us to be numbered among those whom You have chosen, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Invocation Prayer.)
BE SO kind, O God, as to bless what we offer, and make it approved, effective, worthy, and pleasing in every way, that it may become for our good, the Body and the Blood of Your dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
(Consecration of the Bread.)
WHO, the day before He suffered, took bread into His holy and venerable hands, and, having raised His eyes to heaven to You, His almighty Father, giving thanks to You, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: Take you and eat, all of you,
FOR THIS IS MY BODY.
(Elevation of the Sacred Host.)
(Consecration of the Wine.)
IN LIKE manner, when the supper was done, taking also this goodly chalice into His holy and venerable hands, again giving thanks to You, He blessed it and gave it to His disciples, saying: Take you and drink, all of you,
FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL TESTAMENT: THE MYSTERY OF FAITH: WHICH SHALL BE SHED FOR YOU AND FOR MANY UNTO THE REMISSION OF SINS.
(Elevation of the Chalice.)
AS OFTEN as you shall do these things, in memory of Me shall you do them.
(Offering Prayer.)
WHEREFORE, O Lord, we Your servants, and likewise Your holy people, calling to mind not only the blessed passion of the same Christ Your Son, our Lord, but also His resurrection from the dead, and finally His glorious ascension into heaven, offer unto Your supreme majesty, of Your gifts bestowed upon us, the pure, the holy, the all perfect sacrifice of thanks for our redemption--the holy Bread of life eternal and the Chalice of unending salvation.
Be so good as to regard with gracious and kindly attention and hold it acceptable, as You were kind enough to esteem the offerings of Your holy servant Abel, and the sacrifice of Abraham our patriarch, and that which Your chief priest Melchisedech offered unto You, a holy sacrifice, a victim without blemish.
(The priest bows low and kisses the altar.)
(Invocation Prayer.)
MOST humbly, we implore You, almighty God, cause these our mystic offerings to be brought by the hands of Your holy angel unto Your altar above, before the face of Your divine majesty, so that those of us who, by this sharing in the heavenly sacrifice, shall receive the most sacred Body and Blood of Your Son, may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Commemoration of the Dead.)
BE MINDFUL, O Lord, also of Your servants and handmaids who have gone before us with the sign of faith, and rest in the sleep of peace. (Name them) To these, O Lord, and to all who sleep in Christ, we beg of You to grant of Your goodness, a state of comfort, light, and peace, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Commemoration of the Saints.)
TO US also, sinners, yet Your servants, trusting in the greatness of Your mercy, be so kind as to grant some share of heavenly bliss in union with Your holy apostles and martyrs; with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and all Your saints; into whose company we implore You to admit us, not weighing our merits, but freely granting us pardon, through Christ our Lord. Through whom, O Lord, You ever provide, make holy, fill with life, make fruitful of good, and bestow upon us all these Your gifts.
(Praise to God.)
THROUGH Him, and with Him, and in Him, is to You, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory, for ever and ever. R. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
LET US pray. Directed by saving precepts and prompted by divine instruction, we make bold to say:
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.
R. But deliver us from evil.
P. Amen.
Deliver us, O Lord, we beg of You, from all evils, past, present, and to come; and through the intercession of the blessed and glorious Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God, together with Your blessed apostles, Peter and Paul and with Andrew, and with all the saints, grant of Your goodness, peace in our days, that, aided by the riches of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all disturbance, through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
P. May the peace of the Lord be always with you.
R. And with your spirit.
MAY this mingling and hallowing of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ help us who receive it unto life everlasting. Amen.
(The priest strikes his breast and says:)
THE AGNUS DEI
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
PRAYERS IN PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
O LORD Jesus Christ, You said to Your apostles: Peace I leave unto you, My peace I give to you, regard not my sins but the faith of Your Church, and be so kind as to keep it in peace and unity according to Your will, who live and are King and God for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, by the Father's will with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, You have given life to the world through Your own death. Deliver me by this Your most holy Body and Blood from all my sins and from every evil. Make me always obedient to Your commandments, and never permit me to be separated from You, who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and are King and God for ever and ever. Amen.
Let not the partaking of Your Body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, all unworthy, am about to receive, turn to my condemnation and punishment, but, by reason of Your fatherly love, may it be to my advantage as a safeguard of both soul and body like a well taken remedy, who live and are King and God in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
(The priest genuflects and, taking the Host says:)
I WILL take the bread of heaven, and call upon the name of the Lord.
DOMINE NON SUM DIGNUS (Striking his breast, he repeats three times:)
Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof; say but the word and my soul shall be healed.
(The priest receives the Body of Jesus Christ, saying:)
MAY the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life everlasting. Amen.
What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He has rendered to me? I will take the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. Praising, I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies.
(The priest receives the precious blood of Our Lord, saying:)
MAY the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life everlasting. Amen.
THE COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
(The people say the "Confiteor" as given in prayers at foot of the altar. Turning to the people, the priest says the two prayers that follow the "Confiteor." Then, after taking the ciborium the priest faces the people, holds the Sacred Host above the ciborium and says:)
Behold, the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Lord, I am not worthy, etc. (three times)
(The priest then administers Holy Communion to the people, saying each time:)
May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul to life everlasting. Amen.
THE ABLUTIONS (While purifying the chalice the priest says:)
WHAT we have taken, Lord, as bodily food, may we treasure in a pure heart; and may what is given us in time be our provision for eternity.
May Your Body, O Lord, which I have eaten, and Your Blood, which I have drunk, affect me to the depths of my being. Grant that no taint of sin may be found in me. whom these pure and holy mysteries have renewed, who live and are King through all eternity. Amen.
(The priest goes to the missal on his right.)
THE COMMUNION
(Returning to the center, turning to the people, the priest says:)
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
(The priest returns to missal on his right.)
THE POSTCOMMUNION
(Priest returns to middle of altar, turns to people, and says:)
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
P. Go, the Mass is ended.
R. Thanks be to God.
May the tribute of my worship be pleasing to You, most holy Trinity, and grant that the sacrifice which I, all unworthy, have offered in the presence of Your majesty, may be acceptable to You, and through Your mercy obtain forgiveness for me and all those for whom I have offered it, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
BLESSING
May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
R. Amen.
THE LAST GOSPEL
(The priest goes to the left side of altar and says:)
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
P. The beginning of the Holy Gospel according to St. John.
R. Glory be to You, O Lord.
(John 1:1-14) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was made nothing that has been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not. There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to bear witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him. He was not himself the light, but was to bear witness to the light. It was the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him He gave the power of becoming sons of God; to those who believe in His name; who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Here all kneel.) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we saw His glory--glory as of the only-begotten of the Father--full of grace and of the truth.
P. Thanks be to God.
PRAYERS AFTER LOW MASS
(These prayers are said for the Church in Russia--Pius XI, 1934--at all low Masses, except if they have a solemn character.)
"Hail Mary," three times, then the Salve Regina.
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show to us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
P. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O God, our refuge and strength, look graciously upon Your people crying to You; and through the intercession of the glorious and Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph her spouse, of Your holy apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Your mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners and for the freedom and exaltation of holy mother Church; through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Holy Michael the archangel, defend us in the conflict; be our protection against the malice and snares of Satan. May God restrain him, we humbly pray, and do you, O prince of the heavenly host, by the divine power thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who go about in this world seeking the ruin of souls.
R. Amen.
P. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
R. Have mercy on us. (three times)
PRAYERS FOR THE SEASONS OF THE YEAR
A NOTE ABOUT THE PRAYERS
THE majority of the occasional prayer were written specifically for this Rural Life Prayerbook. They will be found to follow, roughly, both the calendar and the ecclesiastical year. About a dozen of them, however, are more or less familiar prayers which fit so well into the pattern that the author did not presume to write his own and leave out the old favorites. The prayers at tempt to cover most of the important rural needs.
All these prayers can well be used for common family prayer in the home. Many are also easily adapted for use in the parish church, after Holy Mass, or in connection with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, or other devotions, particularly on certain feast days, or at times when specific needs arise.
The prayers will also lend themselves to meditation. Many of them, even though not so marked, can be used as novena prayers, either publicly or privately. All of them could, with great profit, be used in the family circle, for common prayer together, and, upon occasion, for family discussion.
JANUARY
NEW YEAR'S PRAYER FOR CHURCH AND STATE Composed by Archbishop Carroll
ALMIGHTY and eternal God, You have, through Jesus Christ, revealed Your glory to all nations. We pray You to preserve the works of Your mercy, that Your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Your name.
We pray You, who alone are good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life our Chief Bishop, Pope---------------, the vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of His Church; our own Archbishop and Bishop; all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry and conduct Your people into the ways of salvation.
We pray You, O God of might, wisdom, and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, to assist with Your holy spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of the United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Your people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion, by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy, and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge, and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.
We pray for his Excellency, the Governor Of this state, for the members of the Assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Your powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.
We recommend likewise to Your unbounded mercy all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Your most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. Amen.
A HOLY NAME PRAYER (Feast of the Holy Name, January 2)
LORD JESUS, we humbly pray You to give us all a great reverence and respect for Your most holy name. Forgive us for ever having used the name of Jesus in vain, or without due respect.
Help us remember how reverently and lovingly Your Mother Mary used the name of Jesus, and how humbly Saint Joseph called You and spoke to You by name.
Your name, dear Jesus, is above every other name in heaven or on earth, because You are the Jesus, the Savior of all men. You have saved us, and You have told us to ask God anything in Your name, and it would be granted.
We ask You, humbly and confidently, to bless us and our work, and give us the rich treasures of Your divine grace, without which we cannot even so much as pronounce the name of Jesus. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
(Feast of the Holy Family First Sunday after Epiphany)
DEAR Lord, bless our family. Be so kind as to give us the unity, peace, and mutual love that You found in Your own family in the little town of Nazareth.
Saint Joseph, bless the head of our family. Obtain for him the strength, the wisdom, and the prudence he needs to support and direct those under his care.
Mother Mary, bless the mother of our family. Help her to be pure and kind, gentle and self-sacrificing. For the more she resembles you, the better will our family be.
Lord Jesus, bless the children of our family. Help them to be obedient and devoted to their parents. Make them more and more like You. Let them grow, as You did, in wisdom and age and grace before God and man.
Holy Family of Nazareth, make our family and home more and more like Yours, until we are all one family, happy and at peace in our true home with You. Amen.
DEDICATION OF THE RURAL FAMILY TO THE DIVINE MAJESTY
ALMIGHTY and merciful Father, whom Your only-begotten Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, has named the Husbandman, or Farmer, graciously accept our praise and adoration. All things were made by You and all that we have is Yours.
Our lives and our talents, our home and furnishings, the soil and its fruits, the animals and their abode, sunshine and rain, fruit and harvest are all from You. By their use we are to come more securely to You. For all Your gifts, O God, we offer You our thanks.
You have made us branches of Your Son, the true Vine, members of Your kingdom, and sheep of Him who is our Good Shepherd. In gratitude and love we promise to remain ever close to the divine Heart of Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
We humbly beseech You to look with favor upon this Your family and to sanctify its members. Bless also our home, our flocks and herds, our fields and labors. Keep from us all attacks of Satan and preserve us from all evil, through Your beloved Son in the charity of the Holy Spirit.
With filial affection and reverence we humbly dedicate ourselves to the Blessed Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Keep us ever in Your love, faithful and true unto death.
We place this our dedication in the pure hands of the Immaculate Mother of God, the patroness of our beloved country. May the Most Holy Virgin Mary carry this offering of ourselves and all that is ours to the throne of Your divine majesty. Grant us through her intercession, we beseech You, the grace to pass through things temporal that we may not lose those which are eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR CHURCH UNITY (Church Unity Octave, January 18 to 25)
ALMIGHTY and eternal God, You have promised that there will someday be but one fold and one Shepherd. Hasten that day, we pray You, in Your most merciful kindness and generosity. Pour the light of Your grace into the minds of our non-Catholic friends so that they may see the truth, and fully realize that the truth is one and undivided. Give them also the strength of will needed to follow in the direction of the light You give them.
Let us, their neighbors and friends, not be a hindrance to their conversion by our bad example. Rather let Your goodness be made clear to them by the virtue of our lives. Then may they finally all be brought to You, the Light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. Amen.
FEBRUARY
A PRAYER FOR CANDLEMAS DAY (February 2)
LORD Jesus Christ, You are the true Light enlightening every soul born into this world. Today we celebrate the feast of Candlemas. Before Holy Mass, the priest blesses the candles, whose wax is the humming summer's work of countless bees. The flames of these candles will shed their light upon the altar at the Holy Sacrifice. Help us to realize, this day and every day, that our own humdrum daily work, if it is done for love of You, and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, will be a supernatural work, and will shine brightly before You for all eternity. Help us realize, too, each time we see the blessed candles at Holy Mass, or at the bedside of the sick, that they are a symbol of Yourself, the Light shining in the darkness of this world. Help us to live in that Light, to make it our own, and to kindle it in the souls of others, increasing the area Of light and lessening the darkness in the World This, dear Lord, help us do, through the merits of Your own dear mother, Mary, who did everything for love of You, from the moment she brought You into this world till the day she joined You in the realms of light at her death. Then we, too, working for You, shall be light-bearers who will help to spread Your kingdom on earth, and increase the number of those who dwell in heaven, the city of eternal light. Amen.
TO JESUS MY FRIEND By Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, S.J.
JESUS! You are my true Friend, my only Friend. You take a part in all my misfortunes; You take them on Yourself; You know how to change them into blessings; You listen to me with the greatest kindness when I relate my troubles to You, and You have always balm to pour on my wounds.
I find You at all times; I find You everywhere, You never go away: if I have to change my dwelling, I find You there wherever I go. You are never weary of listening to me, You are never tired of doing me good. I am certain of being beloved by You, if I love You; my goods are nothing to You, and by bestowing Yours on me, You never grow poor; however miserable I may be, no one nobler or cleverer or even holier can come between You and me, and deprive me of Your friendship; and death, which tears us away from all other friends, will unite me forever to You. All the humiliations attached to old age, or to the loss of honor, will never detach You from me; on the contrary, I shall never enjoy You more fully, and You will never be closer to me than when everything seems to conspire against me to overwhelm me and to cast me down. You bear with all my faults with extreme patience, and even my want of fidelity and my ingratitude do not wound You to such a degree as to make You unwilling to receive me when I return to You. O Jesus, grant that I may die praising You, that I may die loving You, that I may die for the love of you. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR THE WOOD-LOT
DEAR Lord Jesus, ever since You were nailed to the cross, wood has become a sacred thing. In every tree we are once more reminded of Your great love for us. Bless these trees of ours, let them grow tall and strong and reach full maturity without any injury. Keep far from them the terrible force of lightning. Let them not be torn and broken by the impact of strong winds. May they have a plentiful supply of water, and be protected from every blight and worm and insect.
May they always be a reminder to us, Lord, of Your glorious passion and death. May they help us to remember always that we are Christians, and that, as such, we must follow You our leader, Jesus Christ crucified. We must be willing to take up our cross daily, and follow You. Then will we also reap the fruit of our labors, and rise to a new life with You, because we have been willing to suffer with You. Amen.
A PRAYER TO SIMON OF CYRENE
GOOD Saint, tradition says that you were a farmer. If so, you knew what it meant to work hard in the fields day after day. You carried your cross of labor patiently, without complaint or grumbling. You were grateful to the Lord of the harvest when He blessed your work with abundant crops. And you did not lose your trust in Him when He limited His blessings, giving you only a small return for your labors.
And our good Lord blessed you, choosing you personally to help Him carry His cross to Calvary.
Dear Saint, teach us to realize that we too can carry the cross of Christ. Teach us to unite our labors and sufferings with the labors and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, offering what we do in union with Him to God, the Father of us all. In this way we can gain great graces for ourselves and for the whole world.
Teach us, too, good Simon, to bring up our children according to God's laws, as you did Yours Help us to be satisfied with our lot, in the assuring knowledge that the toil of the farmer is needed for the good of the nation and the world, and in itself is noble and honorable. Amen.
MARCH A PRAYER TO SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
SAINT Thomas Aquinas, you are called by Holy Mother Church, the Angel of the Schools. Your wisdom, gathered through long meditation from the source of all wisdom, the most holy Trinity, has long been a shining light in the Catholic Church. Ignorance of the things of God is a darkness now enveloping the minds of many of our countrymen. In this darkness, we need an angel like you who will protect, foster, and nourish the schools we have, and guide and strengthen us in establishing and building newer and more adequate schools for the instruction of our children in the ways of Christ. Help and bless the generous sisters, brothers, and priests who labor so unselfishly in the classroom to spread the knowledge of Christ. Inspire our Catholic men and women to be most generous in the support of the schools we have. Grant to parents the wise generosity they need to give their child back to God when that child wishes to follow a priestly or religious vocation. Help us, Saint Thomas, Angel of the Schools, to understand what you taught, and to follow your example. Amen.
THE BREASTPLATE OF SAINT PATRICK (Feast, March 17)
I BIND to myself today The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity; I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe.
I bind to myself today The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism, The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial, The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension The virtue of His coming on the Judgment Day
I bind to myself today The virtue of the love of the seraphim, In the obedience of angels, In the hope of resurrection unto reward, In prayers of Patriarchs, In predictions of Prophets, In preaching of Apostles, In faith of Confessors, In purity of holy Virgins, In deeds of righteous men.
I bind to myself today The power of Heaven, The light of the sun, The brightness of the moon, The splendor of fire, The flashing of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of sea, The stability of earth, The compactness of rocks.
I bind to myself today God's power to guide me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to teach me, God's eye to watch over me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to give me speech, God's hand to guide me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to shelter me, God's host to secure me, Against the snares of demons, Against the seductions of vices, Against the lusts of nature, Against everyone who meditates injury to me, Whether far or near, Whether few or with many.
I invoke today all these virtues Against every hostile, merciless power Which may assail my body and my soul, Against the incantations of false prophets, Against the black laws of heathenism, Against the false laws of heresy, Against the deceits of idolatry, Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.
Christ, protect me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against death-wound That I may receive abundant reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
I bind to myself today The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity. I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe. Amen.
(From "Devotions in Honor of Saint Patrick". by Abbot Richard Felix, O.S.B.)
A PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH (Feast, March 19)
GOOD Saint Joseph, you were the head of the Holy Family in the little house at Nazareth. You know the responsibilities, the joys and sorrows, the duties and rights of that position. Please, in your loving kindness, remembering the goods days at Nazareth, bless the head of our family. Help him in his needs. Make him kind and pure and gentle, as you were. Make him understanding and gracious, and obtain for him the kind of trust in God's loving providence that guided and supported you in Egypt. Obtain for the lady of our house, too, the same graciousness and kindliness, the same devotedness to duty and patient humility that Mary had. Help, please, the children Of this house to form themselves after the model for all children, the Holy Child of your house in Nazareth. And when we all finally come to the last moment of our earthly life, just before the beginning of our life with You and your Holy Family in heaven, stand by us, dear Joseph, and obtain for us the greatest of all graces, that of dying, as you did, a happy and holy death, in the company of Mary and Jesus. Amen.
A PRAYER TO SAINT ISIDORE, PATRON OF COUNTRY PEOPLE
(St. Isidore, patron saint o farmers, was himself a farm born in the city of Madrid, Spain, about the year 1110; His chief appeal is to those who, as he did, work the land. But his good qualities-whole-hearted trust in God, his enthusiasm and vigor in doing his job, his spirit of prayer and devotion to religious practice--these can profitably be admired and imitated by all laboring men, just as his wife Maria, can serve as a model for working men's wives. His feast day is celebrated through out the United States on March 22.)
GOOD Saint, we are told that your devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was so great that you would rise before it was light in order to be able to attend Mass before beginning your work in the fields. Obtain for us, we pray you, some of that loving devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There it is that the fruits of our farm labor, bread and wine, are brought and offered to God by the priest. Then, in the consecration, Christ Himself, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, becomes present on our altars under the appearances of this same bread and wine. And in what was the altar bread. He comes to us to be the very food of our souls. If we deeply realize the value and beauty of Holy Mass, we will be very happy to attend as often as we possibly can.
Help us to understand that in the Mass we offer ourselves to God with Christ by the hands of the priest. There we can bring to God all that we do, and offer it to Him in union with His Holy Sacrifice. The oftener we do this now, the happier we shall be hereafter. Good Saint Isidore, bless us and our labors, that we may some day reap the reward of good works with you in heaven. (Feast, March 22) Amen.
APRIL A PRAYER FOR LENT
DEAR Lord, we are now in the holy season of Lent. We begin to realize anew that these are the days of salvation, these are the acceptable days. We know that we are all sinners. We know that in many things we have all offended Your infinite majesty. We know that sin destroys Your life in us as a drought withers the leaves and chokes the life from the land, leaving an arid, dusty desert. Help us now, Lord, in our feeble attempts to make up for past sin. Bless our efforts with the rich blessing of Your grace. Make us realize ever more our need of penance and of mortification. Help us to see, in our ordinary difficulties and duties, in the trials and temptations of every day, the best opportunity of making up for past infidelities. Every day we are so often reminded in field and wood, in sky and stream, of Your own boundless generosity to us. Help us to realize that You are never outdone in generosity, and that the least thing we do for You will be rewarded, full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and flowing over. Then we shall see, in our own souls, how the desert can blossom, and the dry and wasted land can bring forth the rich, useful fruit that was expected of it from the beginning. Amen.
TODAY, dear Lord, we celebrate Your rising from the dead. We are happy with You that You have been victor over death. We look around us at the green fields, filled with new life, and are everywhere reminded of You.
The seeds we plant seem dry and dead, but with the combined wonders of rain and sun, and the powers of the earth, they rise from their death-like sleep and grow green and beautiful in our fields. The trees, too, that stood so stark and lifeless through the winter are now bright with living green.
With these reminders of a resurrection all about us every day, help us remember that death is not the end of things for us, but the beginning. Help us keep in mind that we shall rise again on the last day, to live with You forever. Then there will be no weeping any more, nor any tears; no suffering, nor any pain, but joy and happiness and love with You forever. With You, then, will we celebrate the eternal Easter. It will be an everlasting spring for us, if we only realize now that there is no glory without suffering, no Easter without a Good Friday. Help us, by Your grace, to live the good lives that will merit this new life in heaven forever with You. Amen.
A PRAYER IN PLANTING TIME
Dear Lord, You are wonderful in everything you do. In marvelous ways You take the full, rich life of the plant and carefully fold it into tiny seeds. You form the seeds according to many different shapes and sizes and colors, so that man can know what kind of growth will come of them. When they are placed the earth they may look dry and dead, but when they are watered by the life-giving rain and nourished by the warm sun, they lose all their lifeless look and grow in an almost miraculous manner. By the power You gave them, they take the dead minerals of the earth and build up the nourishing, tasty foods that men need to sustain life.
This week, dear Lord, we will plant these seeds of (wheat, corn, or whatever it may be) that You have given us. Bless them, and watch over them, and bring them to the full growth and rich harvest that You wish to bless us with.
But, should You not allow them to come to full harvest, we accept Your will humbly. We trust that You will nevertheless watch over us and make the seeds of grace that You have given us grow to flower and fruit in the full Christian life that You intend for us here and hereafter. Amen.
A PRAYER TO CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
O CHRIST JESUS, I acknowledge You King of the Universe. All that has been created has been made for You. Exercise upon me all Your rights. I renew my baptismal promises renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps. I promise to lead a good Christian life and to do all in my power To procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my poor actions in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your sacred royalty and that thus the reign of Your peace may be established throughout the universe. Amen . (Plenary indulgence, once daily, under the usual conditions.)
MAY PRAYER FOR MAY FIRST
O GOD, on this day, dedicated through long centuries to the honoring of Mary, Mother of Your divine Son, look down upon us Your children gathered here, and upon the millions of others who are also assembling in unnumbered other places throughout America, to pray for the people of Russia and for all those in countries under the influence of Communism. We pray that all these, our brothers and sisters in Christ, now dominated by the opponents of the Savior, may soon enjoy the full freedom to exercise those human rights and personal liberties that come from You and You alone.
We thank You, O heavenly Father, for the guidance given to our Founding Fathers in recognizing that "all men" of all nations "are endowed by their Creator with unalienable right," and in realizing at the very birth of our nation that the chief purpose of government is to safeguard these divine rights for even the least of us. Enable us, O God, to do all in our power to share with "all men" our heritage, Your precious blessings of true freedom.
We pray especially for those misguided souls who are spreading a hatred of You and of Your children throughout all nations. May we be enlightened and strengthened by the Holy Spirit never to "be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good" (Romans 12:21); that we may comprehend fully the sublime lesson of Your Incarnate Son: "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
Inspire us, O God, with a love of all men, and especially for those who suffer and are persecuted; teach us to go in Your name, as Christ-bearers, to bring love where there is hate, light of Christian principles where there is darkness of error; help us for Your honor and Glory to renew the face of the earth. Enable us never to flinch where truth and justice are assailed. May we serve You as other Christs by prayer and good works by bringing into every phase of private and public life the only truth that can make me free, the only love that embraces all mankind, the only peace that will last through the eternal ages.
Be so kind as to heed our fervent prayer, almighty God, that we, Your sons and daughters, despite our many weaknesses and failures, may be found worthy instruments of Your peace and messengers of Your love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (From the "Christopher" Literature.)
PRAYER FOR CHOOSING A STATE OF LIFE
FROM all eternity, O Lord, You planned my very existence and my destiny. You Wrapped me in Your love in baptism and gave me the Faith to lead me to an eternal life of happiness with You. You have showered me with Your graces and You have been always ready with Your mercy and forgiveness when I have fallen. Now I beg You for the light I so earnestly need that I may find the way of life in which lies the best fulfillment of Your will. Whatever state this may be, give me the grace necessary to embrace it with love of Your holy will, as devotedly as Your Blessed Mother did Your will. I offer myself to You now, trusting in Your wisdom and love to direct me in working out my salvation and in helping others to know and come close to You, so that I may find my reward in union with You for ever and ever. Amen.
A PRAYER TO MARY FOR CHARITY
DEAR Mother Mary, you lived for many years in the little country town of Nazareth. You had neighbors, good and bad. And you had occasion to talk about them to other people, and to listen to what others said about them. But we know, Mary, that in all your conversations with your neighbors, and about them, you never committed the least sin.
Make us realize, dear Mother, that there are no people who are so bad that we cannot say something good about them. Teach us to speak of the good things people do, instead of the evil. And when we must speak of the evil deeds, let us condemn the deed, and not the doer. Your own Son died on the cross to wipe away such deeds, and to save the men that do them.
Help us, when the conversation begins to become harmful to our neighbor, to turn it to other subjects with prudence and tact.
Mother Mary, you were always a good neighbor. The very thought of you, when the temptation to indulge in sinful gossip comes, will be a great help to us. You, Mary, are the Mother of divine Love; teach us to practice great charity and kindness in all our dealings with our fellow human beings. Amen.
A PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
MOST Holy Spirit of God, Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, there was a day (or there will be) when, by Your infinite mercy, the Most Reverend Bishop called me by name, and said, "I sign you with the sign of the cross, and I confirm you with the chrism of salvation; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen." That was the day on which I was confirmed. On that blessed day the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and fortitude, of knowledge and piety, and of wholesome, childlike fear of You, was called down upon me. On that blessed day, when the holy oil was traced in the form of a cross upon my brow, my soul was sealed with the seal of Your Spirit, and was marked with an indelible mark. I was made, body and soul, a temple of Your Holy Spirit. Dear God, let me today once more thank you for the wonderful grace of confirmation. Let me never do anything that would violate or. desecrate the temple that has been dedicated and consecrated to You. Let me never be ashamed of my badge of Christian soldiership. Let me serve You faithfully and bravely, no matter how long the fight, nor how intense or dangerous the battle may be. Help me to realize that as long as I fight bravely, and stay close to Christ, I can be absolutely certain of final victory, and so find my most perfect happiness in the complete possession of God forever in heaven. Amen.
(Rogation days, the three days preceding the Ascension of our Lord, commonly occur during the month of May.)
JUNE CONSECRATION OF THE FAMILY TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
SACRED Heart of Jesus, You made clear to Saint Margaret Mary Your desire of being King in Christian families. We today wish to proclaim Your most complete kingly dominion over our own family. We want to live in the future with Your life. We want to cause to flourish in our midst those virtues to which You have promised peace here below. We want to banish far from us the spirit of the world which You have cursed. You shall be King over our minds in the simplicity of our faith, and over our hearts by the wholehearted love with which they shall burn for You, the flame of which we will keep alive by the frequent reception of Your divine Eucharist. Be so kind, O divine Heart, as to preside over our assemblings, to bless our enterprises, both spiritual and temporal, to dispel our cares, to sanctify our joys, and to alleviate our sufferings. If ever one or other of us should have the misfortune to afflict You, remind him, O Heart of Jesus, that You are good and merciful to the penitent sinner. And when the hour of separation strikes, when death shall come to cast mourning into our midst, we will all, both those who go and those who stay, be submissive to Your eternal decrees. We shall console ourselves with the thought that a day will come when the entire family, reunited in heaven, can sing forever Your glories and Your mercies. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious patriarch Saint Joseph present this consecration to You, and keep it in our minds all the days of our life. All glory to the Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father!
(Indulgenced May 19, 1908. Prescribed for the ceremony of Consecration, March 1, 1918. A Plenary Indulgence may be gained by the members of the family on the day of consecration, and every year on the day of renewal, under the usual conditions.)
A PRAYER FOR THE WHEAT
(Feast of Corpus Christi)
DEAR Lord, in many broad fields of this vast country of ours, the wheat is growing now. Some is still young and green, some is headed out, and all, before very long, will be golden ripe.
Most of it, dear Lord Jesus, will go to feed the hungry. In countless loaves of bread and in cereals, it will find its way to tables in city and country almost all over the world.
Some of it will be used at another table. It will be ground into fine flour and used to make the hosts, the altar-breads for Holy Mass. Priests will take it into their anointed hands and pronounce over it the words of consecration, and it will cease to be ordinary bread, and will become the Bread of angels. It will look as it did before, but we know and believe that it will be the Body and Blood, the Soul and Divinity of You, Lord Jesus Christ, there really present, under the appearances of bread.
O Jesus, bless the broad, rich fields of wheat in our whole land. Protect them from hail and beating rains, from blight and rust, from windstorms and drought. Let them be full and rich, so that the hungry may be fed, and may praise You and thank You as You deserve. And may all the Holy Masses that will be said with hosts made of this wheat hasten the day when at last there will be enough reapers working in Your harvest, which is ripe and ready now, waiting only to be gathered home. Amen.
A NOVENA PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
SACRED Heart of Jesus, we know that there is but one thing impossible to You: to be without pity for those who are in suffering or distress. Look down on us, we beg of You and grant us the grace which we humbly and earnestly implore, through the Immaculate Heart of Your most sorrowful Mother to whom You confided us as her children, and whose prayers are all powerful with You. Amen.
(From "Heart Speaks to Heart," The Sacred Heart Program.)
A PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
MOST Sacred Heart of Jesus, each morning we offer to You again, all the thoughts, words, and actions of our whole day. Every single thing we do: our labor in the fields and barns, our work in the kitchen and all the house, our laughter and our play and our tears--all is consecrated to Your Sacred Heart. Thus everything we do is an act of love, and a prayer to You. Every thing except our sins. And yet, by the measureless mercy of Your Sacred Heart, even these sins of ours, once they are repented of, confessed, and forgiven in the sacrament of penance--even our sins become monuments to Your loving and generous mercy.
Dear Sacred Heart, still beating now in our tabernacles with infinite love for us, we adore You. We thank You for Your unending generosity to us, so clear in all the bountiful, beautiful gifts of nature, in field and wood, by night and day. We beg of You to forgive us all our sins, and those of the whole world. We ask You to help us, in our little way, to make up to You for the love and service that is not given to You by so many men. Countless people who should serve You are Your enemies. Help us to realize that by doing our humdrum daily duties well, and offering them to God with Your merits, we can do very much to make up for our sins and those of all men. Help us, by Your grace, to bear patiently and lovingly, the little trials and sufferings of each day, happy to repay You in these little things for all the great things You have done for us.
All these our efforts then, dear Heart of Christ, we offer You through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Mother, and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is at this very moment being offered to our most loving and generous God. Amen.
JULY
PRAYER FOR GARDENS AND ORCHARDS
ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, before our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned, they lived and were very happy in the Garden of Eden. There, as we read in the Holy Book, You would walk with them "at the afternoon air," and they heard the sound of You in the garden.
Later, Your own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, began His fearful passion with His sweat of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. Dear God, ever since then, a garden is a holy thing. You still walk there with men, at the afternoon air. You walk with men who can see You and Your generous and merciful providence working for them in the green things that grow and the trees that blossom and bear such rich and nourishing fruit: men who can see again the cross of Christ in every tree, and His crown of thorns in every thorn.
Bless all our gardens and orchards in this broad land of ours, dear God, and give us rich and plentiful harvest. Help us, as we go about our work here, to see You in Your loving kindness, working for us and with us.
Help us to do Your will at all times. Then, some day, we will walk with You and Your Son, and our dear Mother Mary, down the paths of another Garden, far better, far more beautiful than even the Garden of Eden. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR RAIN
ALMIGHTY God, we are in need of rain. We realize now, looking up into the clear, blue sky, what a marvel even the least drop of rain really is. To think that so much water can fall out of the sky, which now is empty and clear! We place our trust in You. We are sure that You know our needs. But You want us to ask You anyway, to show You that we know we are dependent on You. Look on our dry hills and fields, dear God, and bless them with the living blessing of soft rain. Then the land will rejoice, and the rivers will sing Your praises, and the hearts of men will be made glad. Amen.
ANOTHER PRAYER FOR RAIN
O GOD, in whom we live and move and have our being, grant us rain in due abundance, that being sufficiently helped with temporal gifts we may seek with more confidence those that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
CANTICLE OF THE THREE YOUNG MEN IN THE FIERY FURNACE (Dan. 3:57-88, 56)
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, you heavens, bless the Lord;
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. all you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord;
Sun and moon, bless the Lord; stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; all You winds, bless the Lord;
Fire and heat, bless the Lord; cold and chill, bless the Lord;
Dew and rain, bless the Lord; frost and cold, bless the Lord;
Ice and snow, bless the Lord; nights and days, bless the Lord;
Light and darkness, bless the Lord; lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;
You springs, bless the Lord; seas and rivers, bless the Lord;
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord; all you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
You sons of men, bless the Lord; O Israel, bless the Lord;
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord; holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Misael, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
(Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us praise and exalt God above all forever.)
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever!
PRAYER OF SAINT IGNATIUS FOR GENEROSITY (Feast, July 31)
Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve You as You deserve: to give, and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that I am doing Your will.
AUGUST
PRAYER TO SAINT JOHN VIANNEY, THE PARISH PRIEST OF ARS, FOR THE PASTOR AND THE PARISH (Feast, August 9)
SAINT John Vianney, we pray you to bless and help our pastor so that he may love dearly in this life and be richly rewarded in the next. Obtain for him the grace always to be kind and generous, self-sacrificing and zealous. Watch over the people of our parish, and keep them free from all evils. Help them to be loyal and generous in the support of our pastor.
Help us particularly always to give him the respect and honor due him as a priest. Except for him we should not have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, or Your presence among us, or the other sacraments that we so dearly love and need. From his anointed hands we receive the food of our souls, the most precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ From his lips we hear the word of God. By the power given to him our sins are forgiven, and we are given all blessings And it is he who will anoint us when we are dying, and will offer the Holy Sacrifice for us when we are dead. Help us, dear Saint, to see Christ in him, and to cooperate with him in all his work for the good of our souls. Amen.
A PRAYER ON THE FEAST OF MARY'S ASSUMPTION (Feast, August 15)
HOLY Mother Mary, we all rejoice with you today on the feast of your glorious Assumption into heaven. Long ago in the Garden of Eden, our first parents, Adam and Eve, were told that they would have to earn their bread in the sweat of their brow and that the earth would be cursed, bringing forth thorns and thistles. Now, after Christ our Redeemer has come, and taught us how to make use of the thorns and thistles of this life, and turn them into blessings, you, like Him, have been taken up body and soul into heaven. There, with your divine Son, you await our coming, and prepare a place for us. Mother Mary, it is a great comfort to us to realize that your precious body, the tabernacle of the infant Christ, is now in heaven with Him. Your being taken into heaven is also, like the resurrection of Christ's body, a pledge to us of the resurrection of our own bodies. It is wonderful to think that these hands, with which we earn our bread now in the sweat of our brow, will, because of the merits of Christ, one day, with our bodies, be glorified forever in heaven. O most pure Virgin Mary, help us to realize this as we go about our work from day to day. Help us to have great respect for these bodies of ours, and for those of others because we recognize in them the temple of the Holy Spirit, and because we look forward to seeing each other, body and soul, with you and your Son Jesus Christ forever in heaven. Amen.
A PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY (Feast, August 22)
HEART of Mary ever Virgin, you are full of grace. You are the dearest daughter of the heavenly Father, the tabernacle of the Word made Flesh, and the beloved home of the Holy Spirit. You are the wonder and delight of angels, of saints, and of men. I offer you my deepest reverence. With great love and thanksgiving I consecrate myself, body and soul, to you this day, and will never take back my word.
You are the marvel of God's creation; a Virgin's heart, yet a Mother's too, with a mother's love of Jesus and of men. Dear Mother, fashion in my heart a child's true love of you. Fill me with your own bright virtues: simplicity and innocence, meekness and courage, and unfailing devotedness to Jesus Christ.
Since I belong to you then, holy Mother, save me from my enemies, from the world, from Satan, from myself. Keep me always in your sinless Heart to make my poor heart more and more like your Heart and the Heart of Jesus.
Dear, merciful Mother, look with a mother's love and pity on the poor, sinful, suffering children of the whole human family. Our Holy Father Pius XII has consecrated them to your Immaculate Heart. Do not turn them away. Remember the cruel pain your heart suffered for their salvation with Jesus Christ on Calvary. Save them by His precious Blood. Draw them out of the darkness and despair of their sin and misery into the light, peace, and holiness of the Church.
Then with the angels and saints, may they join us in singing the everlasting Magnificat of praise, gratitude, and love to your tender and Immaculate Heart, and to the adorable and merciful Heart of Jesus. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR THE CORN
ALMIGHTY and eternal God, You are the Lord of the harvest. All over the land now, under the August sky, stands field after field of corn. Its long leaves are drinking in the warm sun and rustling in the wind.
Bless this crop of ours, Lord, and make it plentiful and rich. Millions of people will be fed with this grain now standing in the fields, and millions of animals, too. Keep it from blight and pests. Give it sufficient rain and warm sun, and do not let the killing frost come too soon.
Help us in the harvesting of it, Lord, so that the hungry may be fed and the desires of the needy fulfilled.
We thank You for all Your kindnesses to us. We beg You to bless our work in the fields, and give us a plentiful harvest, so that we may with gratitude and loving faithfulness always do Your will, with the help of Your grace, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King with You forever in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
SEPTEMBER
A PRAYER IN TIME OF DEBT
ALMIGHTY, everlasting God, we beg of You to help us soon to pay off our debts to our fellowmen. Give us strength and courage to persevere until the last penny is paid. Give patience to those to whom we are in debt, and let them not treat us unjustly. Help us have great confidence in You and in the workings of Your providence, trusting that You will always direct things to our greatest good.
Make us also fully realize that no debt to our fellowmen can begin to equal the debt that we owe You on account of our sins, to say nothing of the immense debt we owe You for the gifts of Your divine grace. These we could never pay at all but for the coming of Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. To Him be all honor and thanksgiving, now and forever. Amen.
SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI'S PRAYER FOR PEACE (Feast of the Stigmata, September 17)
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. That where there is hatred I may bring love, That where there is wrong--I may bring the spirit of forgiveness, That where there is discord--I may bring harmony, That where there is error--I may bring truth, That where there is doubt--I may bring faith. That where there is despair--I may bring hope, That where there are shadows--I may bring Your light, That where there is sadness--I may bring Joy.
Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort--than to be comforted; To understand--than to be understood; To love--than to be loved:
For it is by giving--that one receives; It is by self-forgetting--that one finds; It is by forgiving--that one is forgiven; It is by dying--that one awakens to eternal life.
A PRAYER TO THE NORTH AMERICAN MARTYRS (Feast, September 26)
DEAR Saints Isaac Jogues, John Brebeuf, Noel Chabanel, Gabriel Lalemant, Anthony Daniel, Charles Garnier, Rene Goupil and John Lalande, we beg of you, pray for the people of this vast country ours.
You are the first canonized saints of the United States and Canada. We are glad to have you. We are happy to honor you. You know our country and its needs, and we know you are in heaven praying for us.
There is one very special favor we wish to ask of you. Dear Saints of North America, pray God to send us another saint, or better still, a number of them. Ask Him to have soon--a man or a woman, a boy or a girl from this country of ours raised to the honors of the altar. Let it be a farmer or a laborer, a housewife or a schoolboy, born and bred in these United States. Let it be some one who lived his whole life here--a Saint Joseph of Carville County, or a Saint Mary of Middletown, or a Saint William of New York.
We do not wish to displace you in our affections, but to add to your glorious number. You understand our desires in this, and we feel sure that we will obtain this great blessing for the salvation of the people of this land. Remember us now, and obtain this great blessing for us from God. Help us always to cooperate with the graces that God so richly and generously gives us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
OCTOBER
A PRAYER IN AUTUMN FOR COUNTRY LIVING
GOOD and generous Lord, You have once more brought the year full circle, through planting and growing and ripening to harvest time, and autumn.
We thank You for the sun and the wind, the rain and the dew, the minerals of the earth and all the plants that grow and all the beasts and birds of farm and field. We marvel at Your wonderful ways of bringing food from the earth for man's good.
Dear God, help us to use Your rich gifts as You want us to. Teach us to share them with our neighbor when he is in need. Make us see, in the marvelous succession of sea sons, and in the growth and ripening of our crops, the merciful, generous hand of Your divine providence.
Help us to realize, too, that if we keep Your commandments and live according to the inspirations of Your grace, we shall also reap a plentiful harvest in the autumn of our lifetime: a harvest that we will be able to enjoy for ever and ever, where no rust can destroy, nor blight spoil any least part of it. Amen.
A PRAYER TO THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS (Feast, October 2)
DEAR Angel at my side, my good and loyal friend, you have been with me since the moment I was born. You are my own personal guardian, given me by God as my guide and protector, and you will stay with me till I die. He who created you and me gave me to you as your particular charge. You assisted in great joy at my baptism, when I became part of the Mystical Body of Christ, and was made a member of the household of God and an heir of heaven. You saw the dangers that beset my path, and, if I sinned, it was in spite of you. You envied me when Christ came to me in Holy Communion. Even though you probably were there among the angels that adored Him the night that He was born, you have not been able to receive Him as I can. O, help me to appreciate these gifts! Help me to realize, as you do, with every fiber of my being, that to serve Christ is to be a King! Help me steadfastly to avoid evil and do good and always guard my soul from sin. Protect me as well from physical evils as I go about my daily work. You will be with me all my life, and at the hour of my death. Help me to face death bravely, patiently, with great love of God, knowing that it is only through death that I can come to Him in heaven! Then, come with me to my Judge, and when the hour of my salvation comes, take me home to my Father, God. Amen.
THE CANTICLE OF THE SUN
Saint Francis of Assisi (Feast, October 4)
Most high, all powerful, good Lord, to You be praise, glory and honor and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and there is no man worthy to name You.
Praise be to You, my Lord, with all Your creatures. Chief of all is Sir Brother Sun, who is our day; through whom You give light. Beautiful is he, radiant, with great splendor. He is a true revealer of You, Most High.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for Sister Moon and for the stars. In heaven You have formed them, bright, precious and fair.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for Brother Wind, and for the air, and for the cloud, for clear sky and for all weathers, by which You give nourishment to all Your creatures.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for Sister Water. She is most useful and humble, precious and pure.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for Brother Fire, by whom You light up the night. Fair is he and merry, mighty and strong.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and keeps us. She brings forth divers fruits, the many-hued flowers and grass.
O Creatures all! praise and bless my Lord, and gratefully serve Him with deep humility.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for those who grant pardon for love of You, and bear weakness and buffetings. Blessed are they who live in peace, for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
Praise be to You, my Lord, for our Sister, Bodily Death, From whom no living man can flee. Woe to them who die in mortal sin! But blessed they who shall find themselves in Your most holy will; to them the second death shall do no ill.
A PRAYER TO SAINT LUKE FOR THE FAMILY DOCTOR (Feast, October 19)
GOOD Saint Luke, we are told that before you met our dear Lord and became a follower of His and a writer of His Gospel, you were a doctor. We beg you this day to bless and help and protect our doctor. Obtain for him the graces he most needs to do his work well and serve God generously. Help him to be strong and gentle, prudent and charitable, understanding and self- sacrificing. Give him great skill in the care of our bodies, so that, blessed with physical strength and health, we may more faithfully perform our daily tasks.
Help us all, good Saint Luke, to imitate very closely the life and virtues of our Blessed Mother Mary, about whom you wrote so beautifully, and of Him whom she bore into this world, Jesus Christ our Lord and our God, who lives and is King for ever and ever. Amen.
A PRAYER TO CHRIST THE KING (Feast, Last Sunday of October)
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, after You had created heaven and earth, and all the living beings, plants and animals, then You created man. You made him king of Your whole creation. You put everything in the whole round world at his disposal. You gave to him alone, of all the creatures on this earth, the power to think and the power to will. Everything else was made to serve man.
Then, when man sinned, You sent Your Son to be the King of mankind, and the Redeemer of the human race. He is now King, not only of mankind, but of the whole universe. He is the "firstborn of every creature." He is our King, and everything that we have is made and given us to serve Him. We are to use it, not in selfishness and greed, but in gratitude and generosity, realizing that we are all subjects of the great King Jesus.
Help us to keep this in mind, as we plough His fields, lent to us for a time, and as we reap His crops, given to us by His generous hand. Help us to use with care the goods He here gives us, so that we may gain the eternal goods that He has won for us. Help us always and everywhere to be good, loyal subjects of Christ, our King, so that we may be with Him, our victor and King, forever in heaven. Amen.
NOVEMBER A PRAYER TO ALL THE SAINTS (Feast, November 1)
TODAY, dear friends in heaven, we celebrate your feast. We celebrate again the feasts of all the saints we know, and whom we honor day by day through the year. But we also honor today all the saints in heaven whom we do not know. We can not help thinking, on this day, that no one of us lacks a model to follow in one of you. We look around us at the familiar persons and things and activities that fill our every day lives, and we find that they are little different from the persons, things, and activities that filled your lives. We have the same human nature, wounded by the sin of Adam and Eve, but strengthened marvelously by grace, and fed and sanctified by the sacraments and prayer. We have exactly the same sacraments that you had, we have the same Christ, the same Blessed Mother, the same trials, sickness, pain, temptation, the same joys, pleasures, and happiness that crowded your lives. Then it must be true that, with the same means, we should be able to work out our lives in the same holiness and sanctity as yours, dear saints. Help us to do this. Help us to see the opportunities for holiness that fill our everyday lives. Obtain for us, by your prayers, the deep understanding and appreciation of spiritual things that were yours. Help us to see, too, in the beauty of the world in which we live, some slight mirroring of the eternal beauty which you now see, as you gaze on God. But let us not be deceived into thinking that this earthly beauty, this worldly pleasure, is an end in itself. Let us use it wisely and moderately, our hearts always yearning to come at last to the final beauty and joy, the possession of God Himself, with you, in heaven. Amen
A PRAYER IN A COUNTRY CEMETERY (All Souls Day, November 2)
DEAR Lord, here lie in their last rest, the boys and girls, the men and women that worked on the land. They knew the meaning of hard work. They knew the joy and peace that is the product of labor. Now we trust they know the peace and happiness of everlasting life with You.
They watched the sun rise often, winter and summer, over these hills and fields. They worked hard by its light, and turned willingly to their rest at its setting. Now they walk in the light of a Sun that knows no setting. Lord, if they are still in the waiting room of heaven--in purgatory--bring them speedily to the light of Your peace and the happiness of Your presence.
These men and women all their lives long labored to supply the food and drink necessary to sustain human life. Now, or soon, they enjoy in all its fullness the life that You, Lord, came down to earth to give men, and to give more abundantly.
Dear Lord, bless us who labor now in the fields and hills where these dear dead have worked. Grant that we may remember them with charity and kindness, walking reverently in the ways that they have left behind them. Grant, too, that we may finally meet these men and women, these boys and girls, in the eternal mansions that You are even now preparing for us. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION AGAINST FIRES
ALMIGHTY and eternal God, we ask Your protection against destroying fire. Fire is so very necessary for our existence, and yet, when it gets out of control, it can be more damaging than anything else. Keep our homes and buildings and woods and fields safe from this scourge. Help us always to be most careful in our use of it. Help us especially in the winter time when need and use it most. For then, if our homes are destroyed by fire, we suffer more than ever.
Give us, too, we humbly pray You, a saving fear of the fires of passion, and the help of Your grace to control them. Help us also to fear the fires of hell, that we may always keep away from serious sin, and live lives of goodness and virtue, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS (Last Thursday of November)
LORD, I am grateful that I am a farmer. I am glad to live close to the earth that You have made. I am happy to spend so much of my time in the open air, under the bright sun, the symbol of Your own justice and light. I am grateful for the rain and for the freshness that it brings--the rain, a symbol of Your rich and undying blessings.
I am happy to cooperate with You in Your work of continuous creation, by growing the food that men need to sustain life.
By Your almighty power You make grow seeds I plant. You fill the earth with minerals, You send the rain and the sun, the wind and the snow--and the dry, hard seeds I plant are raised to soft, green life. You have given men great wisdom and cleverness to build machines that make the labor of the farmer much less burdensome.
Dear Lord, I am in Your almighty hands. I depend upon You for everything. If I sow the seed and cultivate the young plants, and You do not see fit to give me a good harvest, I will be satisfied. You are the Lord and master and creator of all things. You know what is good for me and what would do me harm. I trust You, absolutely and without question.
I thank You again for calling me to a farmer's life. I beg of You never to let me forget its great advantages of closeness to You, absolute trust and confidence in You, and the fullness and richness of my life, close to the earth that You have made and have so marvelously blessed.
Lord, I am grateful that I am a farmer. Amen.
DECEMBER A PRAYER IN ADVENT
DEAR God, all over the world now, the children of Holy Mother Church are singing: "Send down dew from above, you heavens, and let the skies pour down upon us the rain we long for, Him, the Just One. May He, the Savior, spring from the closed womb of the earth!" We know, Lord, and we have seen, what drought does to the land. We know, too, and have seen, the ravages of frost and cold. We have walked in barren fields and up dry hills, through dead, silent woods and lifeless valleys, and along thirsty beds of once flowing streams. We have seen, clearly enacted for us upon the land, what our life would be without You. We can understand, now, how we should long for Your coming. Come, dear Lord and Savior, and do not delay! Rise up in Your power and come! Let the rain of Your grace water the parched soil of our souls. Let the warmth of Your love thaw the coldness of our indifference. Let the life of Your Body and Blood vitalize our deadened energies, and stir us up to fruitful labor in Your vineyard.
O eternal Father, rouse our hearts out of the sleep of sin, so that we may clear the path of Your Son into our souls. Each year in Advent, You gladden us with the thought of our redemption. Grant us, we pray You, that, as we receive Your Son as our Redeemer now, we may, in the future, gladly and confidently meet Him as our Judge. Amen.
A PRAYER IN WINTER
DEAR Lord, the summer is over and gone, and the harvest is once more past. All the wealth and warmth of the summer sun is marvelously packaged now, in seed and fruit and vegetable, and stored away in bins and cribs and basements.
Thank You, dear, generous God, for all Your goodness and for all Your gifts. All summer long You are working for us, storing heat and health and nourishment in the fields and woods. Now, when the air is cold, and there is no fruitfulness in the earth, we can live on what the summer and the harvest have stored up for us.
Thank You for Your unnumbered kindnesses to us, dear God. Help us to make good use of the riches of the earth. Help us to be generous, even as You are, and al ways avoid selfishness and greed.
Help us, too, to store up spiritual wealth in the summer of this life, while we can yet work. Otherwise life's autumn will come, death will call us, a spiritual winter will set in and we shall be found poor and unsheltered not for one season only, but for the winters of eternity.
Lord, we trust in You, that, cooperating with Your many graces, we may make good use now of our rich opportunities. And may we then reap a rich spiritual harvest which we will enjoy with You and Your saints in the eternal spring and summer of heaven. Amen.
A PRAYER AT CHRISTMAS TIME FOR COUNTRY LIVING
LORD Jesus Christ, when, on a winter's night I look up through the clear air at the stars, I can be very close to You and to Your native Bethlehem. It was at night that You first came to this earth. It was under the same stars that now gleam in this night sky that Mary first held You in her arms. It was by the faint light of these stars still shining tonight that the shepherds found their way to the stable, and discovered You, as the angels had said they would, lying in a manger. Dear Christ, it is especially at Christmas time that I see and understand how close You are to those who live on the land. We have so many reminders of You! The stars and moon at night and the sun by day--the same stars under which You were born; the same moon that shone that night on Bethlehem; the same sun that brightened Your first days on earth. The stable, and the farm animals that shared their quarters and their warmth with You, their creator. The sheep and the shepherds that came to adore You--rough men, but good, truthful, honest, and sincere. O Jesus, Son of the everlasting God, You are so wonderfully made one of us at Christmas time! You are our God, but You are our Brother, too. You are our King, but You come as a helpless little baby, longing for our love. Help us today and always to see You in all those with whom we come in contact. Let us never forget Your own instruction, that whatever we do for the least of those around us, we do for You. Help us always to serve You in the generous, selfless spirit of this season, and we shall then be real Christians--more and more like You--other Christs. Amen.
HYMN OF THANKSGIVING (Te Deum)
We praise You, O God; we acknowledge You to be the Lord. All the earth worships You, the Father everlasting. To You all the angels, to You the heavens, and all the powers, To You the cherubim and seraphim cry out Without ceasing; Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts! The heavens and the earth are full of the majesty of Your glory. The glorious choir of the apostles praises You. The admirable company of the prophets praises You. The white-robed army of martyrs praises You. Holy Church through the world acknowledges You, The Father of incomprehensible majesty, Your adorable, true, and only Son, And the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. You, O Christ, are the King of glories. You are the everlasting Son of the Father. You, in order to save men, did not shun the Virgin's womb. You have overcome the sting of death, and opened to believers the kingdom of heaven. You are sitting at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. You, we believe, are the Judge to come. We beg of You, therefore, to help Your servants, whom you have re deemed with Your precious Blood. Let them be numbered with Your saints in glory everlasting. O Lord, save Your people, and bless those who are Your heirs. And govern them and exalt them forever. Each day we bless You. And we praise Your name in eternity, for ever and ever. Be so kind, O Lord, as to keep us without sin this day. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we have trusted in You. In You, O Lord, I have trusted, let me not be put to shame forever.
V. Let us bless the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Spirit.
R. Let us praise and exalt Him forever.
O God, Your mercies are without number, and the treasure of Your goodness is infinite. We give thanks to Your most gracious majesty for the gifts You have given us. We continue to ask of Your mercy that, as You grant the petitions of those that ask You, You may never forsake them, but prepare them for the rewards to come through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
A NOTE ON THE BLESSINGS
All the blessings here given have been carefully translated into modern English from the 1944 edition (Benziger) of the "Rituale Romanum." The Latin version of each can easily be found in the "Rituale." All the blessings, with one exception, can be given by any priest. The one "reserved" blessing is that on page 184, "Blessing to Ward Off Destructive In sects and Other Small Animals." For this, the priest must have delegation from his Ordinary.
The Rituale Romanum says: "Blessings are in valid if the formula prescribed by the Church is not used" Blessings, especially those concerning Catholics, may also be given to catechumens Indeed, unless there is some ecclesiastical prohibition, they may also be given to non-Catholics to obtain the light of faith, or, along with it, health of body. Blessed objects are to be handled reverently and not put to any profane or improper use.
This collection of blessings is in no way intended to be a Priest's Ritual. The blessings have been translated into modern English for the use of men and women and their families. The intention is to acquaint them with the riches of the Church which have long been unknown and unused, like a treasure hidden under our very door step. The translations here given can be used with great profit in the family circle, with the father or mother leading and the children taking up the responses. They are excellent topics for discussion in the family circle.
And finally, these blessings will give the faithful much food for deep meditation upon the gifts of the earth with which God has so generously blessed us.
BLESSING OF THE PEOPLE WITH HOLY WATER, TO BE GIVEN ON SUNDAYS
(The priest who is to celebrate the Mass, wearing a copy of the color of the day's Office, approaches the altar, and having genuflected at the step, takes the aspergill from the deacon and first sprinkles the altar three times, then himself, and, standing, the servers. Then he begins the antiphon "You will sprinkle me," and the choir continues: "with hyssop, Lord, etc.," as below. Meanwhile the celebrant sprinkles the clerics and then the people, saying with his servers in a low voice the Psalm "Have Mercy on me, God.")
Antiphon
You will sprinkle me* with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be made clean. You will wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
(Psalm 50:3) Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
(And the antiphon "You will sprinkle me" is repeated.)
(This antiphon is said as indicated here at the sprinkling of holy water on Sundays all through the year except Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday, when the "Glory be to the Father" is omitted, and during Paschal time, or from Easter Sunday to Pentecost inclusive, when the following is sung:)
I saw water* flowing from the temple, on the right hand side. Alleluia. And all to whom this water came have been saved, and will say: alleluia, alleluia.
(Psalm 117:1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
(The antiphon "I saw water" is repeated. On Trinity Sunday, however, the antiphon "You will sprinkle me, Lord, etc." is resumed as above. When the antiphon is finished as indicated above, the priest who sprinkled the water, having returned to the altar, and taken his stand before the step, says, with joined hands:)
V. Show us Your mercy, Lord. (In Paschal time "Alleluia") R. And give us Your salvation. (In Paschal time "Alleluia") V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God, hear us, and be so kind as to send Your holy angel from heaven to guard, assist, protect, visit and defend all those gathered in this church, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
BLESSING OF A BABY
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. May our God have mercy. R. The Lord guarding the little ones. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, You were begotten before all time, and yet desired to become an infant in time. You are delighted with the innocence of tender years. You lovingly embraced the children who were brought to You, and blessed them. In the blessings of Your sweetness, go before this infant (these infants) and grant that no evil may mar its (their) intellect. Grant too that, growing in age, wisdom and grace, it (they) may ever be pleasing to You, who live and are King and God with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(Then the priest sprinkles the infant (or infants) with holy water, saying:)
May the peace and blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always.
R. Amen.
BLESSING OF A CHILD TO OBTAIN FOR IT THE MERCY OF GOD
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, You have said: "Let the little children come to me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Pour the power of Your blessing upon this child. Have regard for the faith and devotedness of the Church and of its parents. Grant that, growing in virtue and wisdom before God and man, it may live to a desirable old age and attain to eternal life, who live and are King for ever and ever. R. Amen.
PSALM 112
Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever. From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the Lord to be praised. High above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens is his glory. Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below? He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor To place him with princes, with the princes of his people. He makes the childless mother live in a household, as the happy mother of its children. 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.
Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us. Our Father (in silence until)
V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil.
May the blessing of almighty God, Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen
A BLESSING FOR SICK CHILDREN
(Sick children who have attained a sufficient use of reason to receive the sacrament of extreme unction may be helped by the exhortations and prayers given for the visitation and care of the sick in the "Rituale Romanum," according to the time available and the stage of their illness.) (For other, younger children, however, the following prayers may be used. When the priest has entered the sick child's room he first says:)
V. Peace to this house. R. And to all who live in it.
(Then he sprinkles the sick child, its bed and the room with holy water, but saying nothing. Then he says the Psalm "Praise, you servants of the Lord," as in the Blessing for Children with the "Glory be to the Father" at the end. Afterwards he says:)
Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy us. Lord have mercy on us.
Our Father (in silence until)
V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil. V. May our God have mercy. R. The Lord guarding the little ones. V. Let the little ones come to me. R. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as they are. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
All things, God, grow to maturity in Your sight and when grown up are supported by You. Stretch out Your right hand over this servant of Yours, ill even at a tender age. Grant that having again received the vigor of good health, he (she) may live his (her) full life and give You grateful service faithfully and unfailingly to the end of his (her) day, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
Father of mercies and God of all consolation, You are so kind as to show concern for those You have surrounded with manifold love, pouring out grace for the cure not only of man's soul, but even for his body. Do us the favor of raising this sick child from its bed of illness. Be so kind as to restore it to Your holy Church and to its parents in good health, so that, for all the days of its prolonged life, it may grow in grace and wisdom before You and men, and may serve You in justice and holiness and return proper thanks to You for Your mercy, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
O God, You assign the tasks of angels and of men in a wonderful fashion. Kindly grant that the life of this little boy (girl) be strengthened on earth by those who are always before You in heaven, ministering to you, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(Having finished this prayer, the priest puts his right hand on the head of the sick child and says:)
"They shall lay hands upon the sick and they shall get well." May Jesus, Son of Mary, Salvation and Lord of the world, be merciful and kind to you through the merits and intercession of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and of all the saints. R. Amen.
(The priest may then say the Gospel of Saint John if he thinks there is sufficient time and the parents of the sick child want it. While the priest ways "The beginning of the Gospel, etc." he makes the sign of the cross as usual on his forehead, lips and breast. Also on the sick child, if it cannot sign itself. Afterwards the priest, blessing the sick child, adds:)
May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen.
(Then he sprinkles the child with holy water. If there are a number of sick children in the same room or place, these prayers are said over them in the plural number.)
BLESSING OF A WOMAN BEFORE THE BIRTH OF A CHILD
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. Give health to your handmaid. R. Her hope, O my God, is in You. V. Be to her, O Lord, a tower of strength. R. In the face of the enemy. V. Let the enemy have no power against her. R. And let not the son of evil draw near to harm her. V. Send help to her, O Lord, from Your holy place. R. And watch over her from Mount Sion. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, You have granted to your servants, in their profession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and to adore Its unity in the power of Its majesty. We ask that this your handmaid (insert name), by her constancy in that same faith, may ever be strengthened against all evils, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
O Lord God, creator of all things, mighty and awe-inspiring, just and merciful, You alone are kind and loving. You set Israel free from every evil, making our forefathers Your beloved people, and made them holy by the power of the Holy Spirit. You also prepared, by the co-working of the Holy Spirit, the body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mary, that it might become a worthy home for Your Son. You filled John the Baptist with the Holy Spirit, having him leap with joy in his mother's womb. Receive the sacrifice of a contrite heart, and the ardent desire of Your handmaid (insert name), who humbly begs You for the welfare of the child you have allowed her to conceive. Watch over the work which is Yours, and defend it from all the deceit and harm of our bitter enemy. Let the hand of Your mercy assist her delivery, and bring her child to the light of day without harm. May her child be preserved for the holy regeneration of baptism, serve You always in all things, and attain to everlasting life, through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(Then the woman is sprinkled with holy water, and after which Psalm 66 is said.)
May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us. May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! 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. R. Amen
V. Let us bless the Father, and the Son with the Holy Spirit. R. Let us praise and exalt Him forever. V. God has commanded His angels concerning you. R. That they may guard you in all your ways. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Visit, we beg of You, O Lord, this dwelling, drive far from it, and from Your handmaid (name) all the snares of the enemy. Your holy angels dwell here to keep her and her child in peace, and may Your blessing be always upon her. Save them, O almighty God and grant them Your eternal light, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and your child, and remain always. R. Amen.
BLESSING OF A WOMAN AFTER CHILDBIRTH (Also known as the Churching of Women)
(When a woman after childbirth desires, according to a pious and praiseworthy custom, to come to the Church to give thanks to God for her safe delivery, and when she has asked the priest's blessing, he, vested in surplice and white stole, proceeds, with an acolyte carrying the holy water sprinkler, to the door of the church. He may address the following words to the woman, who is kneeling and holding a lighted candle in her hand:)
Exhortation Before Entering Into the Church
According to a very laudable custom, you have come to request the blessing of the Church upon yourself and the child that has been committed to your care. While you return thanks to God for the many favors He has bestowed upon you, at the same time fervently consecrate yourself and your offspring to His holy service. Be careful, both by word and by example, to impress upon its youthful heart the principles of solid piety, that you may correspond to the views of divine providence in placing it under your charge, and may have the happiness of seeing your children attentive in their duties to God, and zealous for their own eternal welfare, You hold a lighted candle in your hand, to signify the good works by which you should express your thanks to God for the benefits which He has bestowed upon you, and the pious example by which you should lead your children, and all around you, to the love and practice of virtue. Endeavor to enter into this disposition, and to cultivate it all the days of your life, so that you may obtain and enjoy the blessings which I am now about to ask for you, in the name of Holy Church .
(The kneeling woman is sprinkled with holy water, then the priest says:)
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth.
(Antiphon:) She shall receive.
PSALM 23
The Lord's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain, nor swears deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory. 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.
(Antiphon:) She shall receive the blessing of the Lord, and the mercy of God her savior, for such is the generation of them that seek the Lord.
(The priest offers his stole to the mother, and leads her towards the altar:)
Enter into the temple of God, and worship the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary who has granted you fruitfulness of offspring.
(And after the woman has come into the church, she kneels before the altar and prays, thanking God for the benefits bestowed on her. Then the priest says:)
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father (in silence until)
V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil. V. Save Your handmaid, O Lord. R. Who hopes in You, O my God. V. Send her help, O Lord, from Your holy temple. R. And from Sion protect her. V. May the enemy never prevail against her. R. And may the son of wickedness come not near her to harm her. V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, by the delivery of the Blessed Virgin Mary You have changed the pangs of the faithful at childbirth into joy. Look now with kindly favor on this Your handmaid, who comes joyously into Your holy temple to pay You her debt of thanks. Grant her, after the present life, through the merits and prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to obtain together with her offspring the joys of eternal happiness, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(Then the priest again sprinkles her with holy water, saying:)
May the peace and blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen.
(The foregoing blessing of a woman after childbirth should be given by the pastor, if he is asked. But it may be given by any priest if, likewise, he is asked. It may be given in any church or public oratory, but the Superior of the church should be told of it.)
BLESSING OF A SICK ADULT (As he enters the sick person's room, the priest says:)
V. Peace to this house. R. And to all who live in it.
(And immediately approaching the sick person, he adds:)
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. Lord hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, may Your peace and mercy enter into this house along with my humble entrance. Let every wickedness of the devil flee from this place. May the angels of peace be here, and may every sinful discord leave this home. Show that Your name is great among us, O Lord, and bless our living together. Lord, You are holy and faithful, and You remain with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
Look upon Your servant, Lord, suffering from sickness of body, and refresh the soul You have created, so that, purified by this affliction, he (she) may always remember that he (she) has been saved by Your loving pity through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
Merciful Lord, consoler of the faithful, we beg of Your great mercy that at our humble entrance You will visit this Your servant, lying on a bed of pain, just as You visited Simon's mother-in-law. Kindly come to him (her) so that, after receiving his (her) former health he (she) may return thanks to You in Your Church, who live and are King and God for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(Then, extending his right hand towards the sick person, he says:)
The Lord Jesus Christ be with you to defend you. May He be within you to preserve you, before you to lead you, behind you to guard you, and above you to bless you, who lives and is King with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen
(Then he sprinkles the sick person with holy water.)
BLESSING OF LAND OR HOUSE
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord God almighty, bless this land (or this house). May health, chastity, conquest of sin, virtue, humility, goodness, and meekness flourish here. May the law be observed in its fullness, and thanks be given to God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing always remain on this land (or this house) and on those who live in it, now and for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
ANOTHER BLESSING OF A HOME
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
We humbly beg of you, God the Father almighty, to bless and sanctify this home, those who live in it and everything in it. Be so kind as to fill it with all good things. Grant them, Lord, abundance of blessings from heaven and the substance of life from the richness of the earth. Direct the longings of their prayer to the fruits of Your mercy. Be so kind, then, as to bless and sanctify this home at our coming in, just as You blessed the home of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. May Your angels of light live within the walls of this house, and guard it and all who live in it, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF A BEDROOM
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Bless this bedroom, Lord, so that all who live in it may remain firm in Your peace and persevere in Your will. May they live a long life and have children for many days to come, and finally arrive at the kingdom of heaven through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
THE BLESSING OF AN IMAGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, OR OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, OR OF A SAINT
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Almighty and eternal God, it does not displease You that images of Your saints are carved or painted. For as often as we look on these images with our bodily eyes, so often we do consider the actions of Your saints with our mind's eye, and ponder their sanctity for our imitation. Be so good, we beg of You, as to bless and sanctify this image (or statue) made in honor and memory of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (or the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, or blessed [Name], Your Apostle or Martyr, or Bishop, or Confessor, or Virgin). Grant that whoever in the presence of this image humbly pays devout reverence and honor to Your only begotten Son (or the most Blessed Virgin, or the glorious Apostle, or Martyr, or Confessor, or Virgin), may through his (her) merits and intercession win grace in this life, and everlasting glory in the world to come, through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF CANDLES
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, bless these candles at our request. By virtue of the holy cross, Lord, pour upon them the virtue of Your heavenly blessing. You have given them to mankind to drive away the dark. May they, at this sign of the cross, receive such blessing that wherever they may be lit or placed, the princes of darkness may depart and be afraid and fly in fear from those houses with all their helpers. Nor may they dare again to trouble or bother those who serve You, almighty God, who live and are King for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF CANDLES ON THE FEAST OF SAINT BLAISE, BISHOP AND MARTYR
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray
Almighty and most loving God, by Your Word alone You have created all the great variety of things in the world. You have also wished that the same Word by whom all things are created should become man to make men once again like God. You are great and measureless, awe-inspiring and worthy of praise, and You do marvelous things. The glorious Martyr and Bishop Blaise, for his confession of faith in You, did not fear to suffer different kinds of tortures, and happily won the palm of martyrdom. You granted him, among other graces, this privilege, that he might by Your power cure any illness of the throat. We humbly beg of Your majesty that, not considering our offenses, but rather his merits and prayers, You would, in Your wonderful goodness, be so kind as to bless and make holy these candles which You have made, and pour Your grace upon them. Grant that all who shall in lively faith have their throats touched with them may by his suffering and merits be freed from every illness of the throat. May they, healthy and happy, return thanks to You in Your Church and praise Your glorious name, which is blessed for ever and ever, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water. Then the priest takes two candles fitted into the form of a cross, and applies them to the throat under the chin of each person to be blessed [they meanwhile kneeling before the altar] and he says:)
Through the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may God free you from every evil of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.
BLESSING OF FIRE
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray. Lord God, Father almighty, You are the unfaltering light. You are the creator of every light. Bless this new fire, and grant that after the darkness of this world we may, with pure minds, come to You, the Light that does not fail, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. (And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
THE BLESSING OF WATER
(On Sundays, or as need arises, salt and clean water are prepared in the sacristy, and the priest, wearing a violet stole, says:) V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth.
(Then the priest continues:)
Salt made by God, I purge you of evil, by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, by God who ordered by the mouth of the prophet Eliseus that you be mixed with water to heal the latter's sterility. Become now the salt of exorcism for the salvation of the faithful, that all tasting you may receive health of soul and body. From wherever you are sprinkled let there flee away all appearance of devilish deceit, and wickedness and cunning. Let every unclean spirit be commanded by Him who is to come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. R. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, we humbly beg of Your measureless mercy to bless this salt that You have made and given mankind to use. Sanctify it in Your loving kindness, so that all who partake of it may receive health of both mind and body. Grant that whatever is touched or sprinkled by it may be preserved from uncleanness, and from every assault of the wicked foe, through our Lord Jesus Christ. R. Amen.
(Exorcism of the water. The priest says:)
Water made by God, I purge you, too, of evil, in the name of God the Father almighty, in the name of Jesus Christ His Son our Lord, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Become now water blessed to banish all power of the enemy, and to conquer and dispel that enemy himself with his fallen angels, by the power of the same Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
O God, for the salvation of mankind You have built Your greatest sacraments on this substance of water. Give a kindly hearing to our prayers, and pour out the power of Your blessing on this element, now prepared for our many kinds of purifications. Grant that this, Your creature, may receive power by divine grace, in serving Your mysteries, to drive away evil spirits, and dispel diseases. Grant that everything in the homes or other buildings of the faithful that is sprinkled with this water may be freed of all uncleanness, and be freed from harm. Let no harmful spirit abide here, nor breath of corruption approach, and may all the snares of our hidden enemy vanish. If there be anything which threatens either the health or the peace of those living there, may the sprinkling of this water put it to flight. Grant that the well-being sought by calling on Your holy name may be defended from all attacks, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, You are the origin of unshakable power, the King of an unconquerable dynasty, and a ruler ever magnificent in triumphs. It is You that hold in check the forces of the hostile power, You that vanquish the rage of the roaring foe, You that scatter far and wide the snares of the enemy. Trembling and bowing before You, we ask of You and we beg, O Lord, that You behold with favor this mixture of salt and water, to regard it with kindness, and to bless it with the breath of Your tireless love. Grant that wherever it is sprinkled at the invocation of Your holy name, the attacks of the unclean spirit may be banished, and the fear of the fatal serpent be kept far away. Let the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, who humbly implore Your mercy, be everywhere granted, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(The faithful can take this Holy Water home in bottles, to sprinkle the sick, their homes, fields, vineyards, and so forth, to keep in their bedrooms, for sprinkling these every day.
A BLESSING OF BREAD
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, You live and are King forever. Bread of angels, Bread of everlasting life, be so kind as to bless this bread as You blessed the five loaves in the desert, that all who taste of it may through it receive health of body and soul. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
ANOTHER BLESSING OF BREAD
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God, be so kind as to bless this bread with Your holy spiritual blessing. May it be, to all that eat of it, health of both mind and body. May it be a guard against all illnesses and all snares of the enemy, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Your Son, the Living Bread that comes down from heaven and gives life and salvation to the world, and who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
A BLESSING FOR BREAD AND CAKES
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, You live and are King forever. Bread of angels, Living Bread, and Bread of life eternal, be so kind as to bless this bread as You blessed the five loaves in the desert. Grant that all who becomingly enjoy it may receive from it due health of both body and soul. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF A LAMB
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, when You freed Your people from Egypt You ordered, through Your servant Moses, that a lamb be killed in likeness of our posts of the houses be sprinkled with its blood. Be so kind as to bless and sanctify this flesh which You have made, and of which we, Your servants, wish to partake in Your honor, through the resurrection of the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and is King with You for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
(N.B. This Blessing of a Lamb, along with the Blessings of Eggs, of Bread, of Fresh Fruit, and of Any Food, are used especially at Easter Time, but they may also be used at any other season. Note the reference to our Lord's resurrection in the Blessing of a Lamb and in the Blessing of Eggs.)
BLESSING OF LARD OR BACON
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Bless, Lord, this lard (or bacon) which You have made, that it may be a healthful food for mankind. Grant by the invocation of Your holy name that all who partake of it may receive health of body and safety of soul, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF CHEESE OR BUTTER
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord God eternal, please bless and sanctify this cheese (or butter) which You have been so kind as to produce from the fat of animals. Grant that all Your faithful ones who partake of it may be filled with every heavenly blessing and with much grace abound in good works, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF EGGS
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
We beg of You, Lord, to let the grace of Your blessing come upon these eggs which You have made. May they be healthful food for Your people, who eat them in thanksgiving for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and is King with You for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF THE BARN AND THE STORED HARVEST
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty Lord God, You keep on giving abundance to men in the dew of heaven, and food out of the richness of the soil. We give thanks to Your most gracious majesty for the fruits of the field which we have gathered. We beg of You, in Your mercy, to bless our harvest, which we have received from Your generosity. Preserve it, and keep it from all harm. Grant, too, that all those whose desires You have filled with these good things may be happy in Your protection. May they praise Your mercies forever, and make use of the good things that do not last, in such a way that they may not lose those goods that are everlasting, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF GRAPES
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Bless, Lord, this fresh fruit of the vine, which You have been so kind as to bring to full ripeness with the dew of heaven, abundant rain, and calm and clear weather. You have given them for our use, and we should receive them with gratitude in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF FRESH FRUIT
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray. Bless, Lord, these fresh fruits (name them) and grant that all who eat of them in Your holy name may acquire health of body and soul, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. (And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF ANY FOOD
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray. Bless this (name it), Lord, which You have made, so that it may be a healthful food for mankind. Grant by the invocation of Your holy name that whoever partakes of it may receive both health of body and safety of soul, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. (And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF WINE ON THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
(On the Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, at the end of the principal Mass, that is, after the last Gospel, the priest, retaining all his vestments except the maniple, in the following manner blesses wine brought by the people in memory and in honor of Saint John, who drank poison without harm:)
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Be so kind as to bless and consecrate with Your right hand, Lord, this cup of wine, and every drink. Grant that by the merits of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, all who believe in You and drink of this cup may be blessed and protected. Blessed John drank poison from the cup, and was in no way harmed. So, too, may all who this day drink from this cup in honor of blessed John, by his merits, be freed from every sickness by poisoning and from any harms whatever. And, when they have offered themselves in both soul and body, may they be freed, too, from every fault, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Bless, Lord, this beverage which You have made. May it be a healthful refreshment to all who drink of it. And grant by the invocation of Your holy name that whoever tastes of it may, by Your generosity receive health of both soul and body, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen
And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon this wine which He has made, and upon every drink, and remain always, R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water. If this blessing is given outside of Mass, the priest performs it in the manner described above, but with surplice and stole.)
BLESSING OF WINE FOR THE SICK
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, in Cana of Galilee You turned water into wine. Be so kind as to bless and sanctify this wine which You have made and given for the sustenance of Your servants, so that, wherever men may pour this wine, and whoever drinks of it, may be filled with the richness of Your goodly blessing.
Almighty, everlasting God, eternal salvation of those who believe, hear our prayers for Your sick servant (or servants) for whom we ask help in Your mercy, that he (she or they) may regain health and return thanks to You in Your Church, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And the wine is sprinkled with holy water.)
A BLESSING FOR ANY MEDICINE
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, You have made man out of nothing in a marvelous way, and in a still more marvelous way You have "remade" him. You have been so kind as to come to our aid with many remedies in the various sicknesses with which mankind is weighed down. Kindly hear our prayers and pour Your holy blessing from heaven upon this medicine, that he (she, or they) who partakes (partake) of it may merit to receive health of both mind and body, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
A BLESSING FOR ALL DOMESTIC ANIMALS
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord God, You are King of heaven and earth. You are the Word of the Father, and through You He has given us all created things for our support. We beg You now to consider our lowly position. Just as You have given us help in our labors and needs, so, in Your most kind mercy, bless these cattle and beasts of burden with a heavenly blessing, and guard and preserve them. Be so kind, too, as to give us, Your servants, along with benefits that do not last, Your unfailing grace, so that we may gratefully praise and glorify Your holy name, who live and are King and God with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
A BLESSING FOR HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, our refuge and our strength, You are the very source of our loving service. Hear the devout prayers of the Church, and grant that what we ask in faith we may actually obtain through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You tried the glorious Saint Anthony (the Hermit) with various temptations, and allowed him to pass unharmed through the storms of this world. Grant to Your servants that we may profit by his splendid example, and by his merits and intercession be freed from the dangers of this present life, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
May these animals, Lord, receive Your blessing. Keep them sound in body, and through the intercession of Saint Anthony (the Hermit) may they be freed from every evil, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
A BLESSING FOR ANIMALS AFFLICTED WITH A SERIOUS DISEASE
(The priest wearing a surplice and a violet stole, says:)
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. Lord, do not act with us as our sins would demand. R. Nor repay us according to the measure of our evils. V. Men and cattle You will save, Lord. R. According as You have multiplied Your mercy, O God. V. You open Your hand. R. And fill every animal with blessing. V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
God, by the means of dumb animals You have given help to men in their labors. We humbly beg of You that these animals, without which our human wants cannot be supplied, be not lost to our use, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
We humbly beg of You, Lord, in Your mercy, that in Your name and by the power of Your blessing, You cure these animals, afflicted with a serious disease. May all power of the devil that is in them be driven out. And that they be not any more afflicted by diseases, Lord, be for them a guard of their life and remedy producing health, through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
Be so kind, Lord, as to turn away from those who are faithful to You all the scourges of punishment. Drive away the harmful disease that is raging among the animals so that, as with justice You punish those men who wander from Your paths, so with mercy You may assist them when they have amended their ways, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
A SECOND BLESSING FOR ANIMALS WITH A SERIOUS DISEASE
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
We humbly beg of You, Lord, in Your mercy, that in Your name and by the power of Your blessing, You cure these animals, afflicted with serious disease. May all power of the devil that is in them be driven out. And that they be not any more afflicted by disease, Lord, be for them a guard of their life and a remedy producing health, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSINGS OF POULTRY
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, creator of all nature, among other various types of creatures You were so kind as also to produce birds from the waters (Gen. 1:20) for the use of mankind. Of these Noah, when he came out of the ark, offered You a pleasing holocaust. And when You had led Your people out of Egypt by Moses, Your servant, You divided the clean from the unclean, and commanded that they should eat of them. We humbly beg of You to bless and sanctify the meat of these clean birds so that those who partake of it may be filled with Your abundant blessing and merit to be brought to the pastures of eternal life through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
A BLESSING OF BEES
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord God almighty, You have created heaven and earth, and all the animals existing on the earth and in the earth and the air, that men might make use of them. You have also directed that the priests of Your holy Church should in the House of God light candles made of the work of bees while that sacred ministry is being performed in which the most holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, becomes present and is consumed. May Your blessing come down upon these bees and these beehives. May they multiply and be fruitful and be preserved from all evils, so that the product which comes from them may be used to praise You, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit, and the most blessed Virgin Mary, through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF SALT OR FEED FOR ANIMALS
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray. Lord God, creator and preserver of all things, in Your hand rests the life of every living being and the spirit of all flesh. We pray You, hear and answer the prayers of Your faithful ones. Pour out Your blessing upon this salt (or feed) which You have made, and give it the strength of Your unseen power. May then, the animals which You have been so kind as to give us for our human needs, when they have tasted of this, be made free from every sickness and by Your protection be kept from the attacks of the evil spirit, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF CROSSES TO BE SET IN FIELDS, VINEYARDS, ETC. (Which is performed on the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, or on the next Sunday.)
(Approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, February 10, 1888.)
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, Father of all consolation and kindness, through the merits of the bitter passion of Your only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which He was so kind as to undergo for us sinners on the wood of the cross, bless these crosses, which Your people will take from here to set in gardens, vineyards, fields, or other places, so that the farms on which they are set up may be free from the crushing of hail, the violence of tornadoes, the power of storms, and from every disturbance of the enemy. May then their produce be brought to full ripeness, and gathered in honor of Your name by those who trust in the power of the holy cross of the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King with You for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF SPROUTING SEED
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
We ask and beg of You, Lord, to bless this sprouting seed. Warm it with the gentle breath of soft winds, make it fruitful with dew from heaven, and be so kind as to bring it to its fullest maturity for the good of our souls and bodies, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF SEEDS, FLOWERS, AND CROPS ON THE FEAST OF THE BIRTH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God, we beg and pray You to be so kind as to turn Your calm eyes and happy countenance upon these crops and seeds. You testified to Your servant Moses in the land of Egypt, saying: "Tell the sons of Israel that when they have entered the land of promise which I shall give them, they should offer their first fruits to the priests, and they shall be blessed." Now we ask You, Lord, by the aid of Your mercy, to send the blessing of Your right hand upon these crops, which You have been so kind as to give us to present to You. Grant that no hail may crush them, nor violent winds destroy them, but may they ever remain unharmed. Be so kind as to bring them to great abundance and ripeness for the use of body and soul. You live and are King in the perfect Trinity for ever and ever. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, sower and nourisher of the heavenly Word, You till the ground of our hearts with spiritual tools. Hear our prayers, please, and pour Your great blessing upon the fields that have been sown, and by the grace of Your protection, turn away from them the force of every storm. Let all these fruits be filled with Your blessing and be brought to storehouse without trouble, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water, and if possible, incensed.)
BLESSING OF ALL KINDS OF FRUIT TREES AND VINES
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
We beg You in Your goodness, almighty God, to pour the showers of Your blessing upon these newly budding trees and vines which You have made, and which You have been so kind as to nourish with temperate weather and sufficient rain. Bring the fruits of Your earth to full ripeness. Grant, too, that Your people may always give You thanks for Your gifts, so that You may fill them that are hungry with the fruits of a fertile land and that the poor and the needy may praise the glory of Your name, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
A BLESSING TO WARD OFF DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS AND OTHER SMALL ANIMALS
(The priest delegated by the Bishop, vested in surplice and violet stole, comes to the fields infested by grasshoppers, locusts, or other pests, and says:)
(Antiphon)
Rise up, O Lord, and come to our aid; and free us for Your name's sake.
(Psalm 43)
O God, our ears have heard, our fathers have declared to us.
V. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
(Antiphon)
Rise up, O Lord, and come to our aid; and free us for Your name's sake.
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. Lord, hear our prayer. R. And let our cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O Lord, we beg of You kindly to hear our prayers, so that we, who in just punishment for our sins bear the affliction of this plague of (name it) may mercifully be freed from it for the glory of Your name. By Your power may these injurious pests be driven off, doing no injury to anyone, and leaving our fields and plains unharmed, so that the plants sprouting and growing in these fields may do honor to Your majesty and serve our needs, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let us pray
Almighty, everlasting God, You reward the good and have great mercy on the sinner. In Your name, every knee is bent, in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. By Your power grant to us sinners that what we have begun in reliance on Your mercy, we may, through Your favor and help, successfully complete. Let us act as Your servants in our efforts to control these pests, to free our farms of them, and to exterminate them. And so, delivered from them by Your mercy, we may freely give thanks to Your majesty, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
I bid you depart, animals of destruction, through God the Father almighty, through Jesus Christ, His only Son, through the Holy Spirit proceeding from them both. Leave our fields and plains immediately; live no longer in them, but pass over into places where you can harm no one. In the name of the almighty God, and of the whole heavenly court, and of the Holy Church of God, I call God's wrath upon you, so that, wherever you may go, you bear it with you, and, diminishing from day to day, you may disappear; except where you serve the health and good purposes of mankind, may no trace of you be found. All this may He be so good as to grant us, who is to come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire. R. Amen.
(Then the afflicted fields are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF A MILL
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God, You have said, as a punishment for sin, "With the sweat of your brow shall you earn your food." Bless this mill, which has been built to grind our grain, so that bread for our nourishment can be made of it, and send an angel of light to protect it, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
BLESSING OF A SPRING OR WELL
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
We humbly beg of Your merciful kindness, Lord, that You make this font of water holy with a heavenly blessing, and make it healthful for the common uses of life. Be so kind as to drive away from it every attack of temptation from the devil, so that all who draw from it, or drink of it, or make use of the drawn water in any need whatsoever of it, may enjoy the delight of all strength and health, and be worthy of giving thanks to You, the sanctifier and the Lord and Savior of all men. through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF A BRIDGE
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Hear our prayers, Lord, and be so kind as to bless this bridge, and all who pass over it, that in the successes as well as the failures of this world they may always be protected by Your assistance, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
Hear us, holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God, and be so kind as to send your holy angel from heaven to guard, visit, and defend this bridge, and all who pass over it, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING AGAINST FLOODS
(Approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, December 1, 1886.) (Vested in surplice and stole, the priest accompanied by the people, carries a relic of the Holy Cross with which to bless the stream or river. There he devoutly reads, facing in turn the four directions, the beginnings of the four Gospels, and after each Gospel adds the following versicles and prayer:)
V. Help us, God, our salvation. R. And free us because of the glory name. V. Save Your servants. R. Those who hope in You, my God. V. Lord, do not act with us as our sins would demand. R. Nor repay us according to the measure of our evils. V. Send us help, Lord, from the holy place. R. And from Sion protect us. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, You make the wicked man just, and You do not desire the death of the sinner. Your servants have confidence in Your mercy. We humbly beg Your majesty that You will, by Your heavenly aid, kindly shield us from the dangerous waters, and preserve us by Your continued care, so that we may always gladly serve You, and by no temptation be separated from You, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon these waters, and keep them within bounds. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF A STABLE
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty Lord God, it was Your will that Your only begotten Son, our Redeemer, should be born in a stable and rest in a manger between two beasts of burden. We beg You to bless this stable, and to protect it from all wickedness and from the cunning and deceit of the devil, so that it may be a place of health for the horses, cattle and other animals, and safe from every harm. Now since "the ox knows its owner, and the ass his master's crib," have mercy on us Your servants. You have fashioned us "according to Your own image," and made us "little less than the angels," and You have "subjected all things under our feet, all sheep and oxen, moreover the beasts also of the fields." Do not allow us, then, to be "compared to senseless beasts," or "become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding." May we rather acknowledge You, the One God, and the source of all good things. May we faithfully persevere in Your service, and, giving thanks to You for your many gifts, may we be worthy to receive even greater blessings, through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(Then if there are animals gathered in the stable, the priest may add the following prayers" "Almighty, everlasting God, etc." and May these animals, Lord receive Your blessing, etc.", as above in the Blessing for Horses or Other Animals. Then he sprinkles the stable and the animals with holy water.)
BLESSING OF AN AUTOMOBILE, A WAGON OR TRACTOR
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lend a willing ear, Lord God, to our prayers, and bless this vehicle with Your holy right hand. Direct Your holy angels to accompany it, that they may free those who ride in it from all dangers, and always guard them. And just as by Your deacon Philip You gave faith and grace to the man of Ethiopia as he sat in his chariot reading the Sacred Word, so, point out to Your servants the way of salvation. Grant that, aided by Your grace, and with their hearts set on good works, they may, after all the joys and sorrows of this journey through life, merit to receive eternal joys, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF THE CORNERSTONE OF A NEW BUILDING
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Everything that is good has its beginning in You, O God, and from You receives progress towards betterment. We humbly beg of You to provide that by the never failing help of Your fatherly wisdom, this work, begun for the glory of Your name, may be brought to completion, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF A SCHOOL
(Upon entering the building, the priest sprinkles the rooms with holy water, saying:)
V. Peace to this house. R. And to all who live in it. V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, You commanded Your apostles to beg a blessing of peace on whatever house they should enter. We beg of You, through our ministry, make this house, destined for the education of boys (and/or girls,) a holy one. Pour on it the richness of Your blessing and peace. Make it their salvation, as You did for Zachaeus, when You entered his house. Have Your angels watch over it, to drive away every hostile force. Fill those who teach here with the spirit of knowledge, wisdom, and fear of You. Support with heavenly grace those who study here, so that they may grasp with their minds what is taught for their salvation, keep it in their hearts, and follow it out in their conduct. May all who use this building be pleasing to You in the exercise of every virtue, so that they may sometime merit to be received into their eternal home in heaven, through You, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, who live and are King and God for ever and ever. R. Amen.
BLESSING OF A LIBRARY
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, master of all knowledge, be so kind as to shed Your blessing on this library. Grant that it may be preserved from fire and other dangers; that it may in time grow to suitable size; and that all who gather here for work or study may grow in the knowledge of divine and human affairs and may at the same time make progress in the love of You, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And it is sprinkled with holy water.)
A BLESSING FOR ANY OBJECT
(Any priest may use this formula of blessing for all things which do not have a special blessing in the Rituale Romanum.)
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, at Your word all things are made holy. Pour Your blessing upon this thing (these things) which You have made. Grant that whoever gratefully makes use of it (them) according to Your will and law may, by calling on Your holy name, receive from You health of body and salvation of soul, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
PRAYERS EVERY CATHOLIC SHOULD KNOW BY HEART
THE 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.
THE 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.
THE 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, sitteth 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.
AN ACT OF FAITH
O MY GOD, I firmly believe that You are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; I believe that Your 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 You have revealed them, Who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
AN ACT OF HOPE
O MY GOD, relying on Your infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
AN ACT OF LOVE
O MY GOD, I love You above all things with my whole heart and soul, because You are all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
AN ACT OF CONTRITION
O MY GOD! I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because I have offended You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
MORNING OFFERING
O JESUS, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all our associates and in particular for the Holy Father's intention of this month.
A PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY By Most Rev. Peter W. Bartholome, D.D.
GOD, in Your divine wisdom and solicitude for mankind, You instituted marriage for the continuation of the human race and for the mutual earthly and eternal happiness of men and women. Be so kind as to bless the homes of our beloved country.
Give to the manhood of the nation, who share in Your divine fatherhood, a fuller understanding of the dignity and responsibility of their calling. Make them careful providers, gentle protectors, and shining examples of Christian virtue in their homes.
Give to the women of America a true realization of the dignity and purpose of motherhood. Let the beautiful example of Your most holy Mother inspire them with a deep loyalty and constant devotion to their homes.
May the life of Your divine Son inspire a spirit of love, respect, and obedience in the souls of our children.
Grant that fathers, mothers, and children may in their souls have charity, which is the bond of perfection. May the peace of Christ reign in their hearts and homes, so that, instructed by the example of Your Holy Family, they may be received by You into their eternal home, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
EVENING PRAYER OF A RURAL FAMILY By Mrs. Florence Hynes Willette
Wise and compassionate God, accept this our prayer; Sheltered from storm and darkness, under this roof, This family kneels to adore You. For the day just past, For keeping us safely, body and soul, Now we most humbly thank You. For hilltops and verdure, For sunlight and wind and boundless space, For rain and the sky's rich color, For boughs and blossoms and cold clean snow, We are eternally grateful. For birds and beasts, For the good black earth and the seeds producing The plenteous harvest; for times without number When we have eaten of that same harvest, We thank You and bless You forever. Deliver us safely, if such be Your will, From deluge and drought, From famine and war and disaster. Give us tomorrow, as yesterday and today, All things most needed for rightful living; And move our hearts that we may have sorrow for sinning against You. God of the hearth and the harvest, Your children, here kneeling, adore You. Bless now our rest And cherish us safe till the morrow. Amen.
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
(Every examination of conscience, no matter how short, should contain these five points: 1. Thank God. 2. Pray for help. 3. Search for sins. 4. Be sorry sins. 5. Resolve to do better. A careful examination of conscience, made according to this plan. will be a great help in making a good confession. This plan also, followed even briefly each night before retiring, will help remarkably toward real growth in the spiritual life.)
1. THANK GOD
I adore You, O my God, I praise You and give You thanks for all the good things You have done for angels and men and for myself in particular. You have always loved me. You have created me according to Your own image and likeness. Your divine Son died on the cross for me. You have been so kind as to save me from dangers of both body and soul through the activity of my Guardian Angel, who is watching over me right now, Many, many times You have allowed me to share in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to have my sins forgiven, and to be fed in Holy Communion with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ Himself. Thank You, also, for the priceless gifts of my baptism and confirmation, and the graces You have given and continue to give me through these sacraments. (If you are married, include the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.) Thank You also, good, generous God, for my life and work so close to You in the open air, where I can so readily watch You and the marvels of Your world working together for the good of mankind. Thank You for all the good things of earth, which You have given me, so much more than to many other people, here, in my life on the land. But besides this, You have made ready for me a place in heaven, where, if I serve You as I should on earth, I shall see You, love You, praise You forever in the greatest joy along with all Your angels and saints. How shall I thank You for countless good things, so many of which, including my health, my family, my possessions, my physical faculties, I have not even mentioned? I offer You with all my love, all the praise of the Church on earth and in heaven, the love that burns in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the merits of Jesus, Your divine Son.
2. PRAY FOR HELP
O my God, I beg You, in the name of Your divine Son, to give me the grace of knowing, hating, and making up for my sins and failures in Your service. Grant that I may know and hate my sins just as You know and hate them. Help me to know and hate them now, just as I shall know and hate them when I stand before You, O Jesus, as my Judge, the moment after I die.
(N.B. In making this examination of conscience before confession, remember that the helps given here do not pretend to be a complete table of sins. They are simply guides which will normally lead a person to a quick and easy knowledge of his sins. If you have any doubt or question, simply state it to the priest in the confessional. Ask his help, and you will get it.
3. SEARCH FOR SINS
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods before me.
Neglect of morning and evening prayer . . . Of grace before and after meals . . . Superstitious practices . . . Consulting fortune tellers . . . Deliberate doubts about what is in the Apostles' Creed . . . Reading or circulating books against religion. Have I accepted my life's work as one that is noble before God and given by Him for my salvation and for the good of my neighbor? Have the pleasures and glamour of city life caused me to be envious and dissatisfied with my own work? Have I murmured against God's providence? Have I thanked Him for the fecundity of the soil? For rains and fair weather? For the constancy of the seasons?
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Irreverence toward God . . . His name, His Church . . . Cursing or swearing . . . False, unlawful, or unnecessary oaths . . . Breaking lawful vows.
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
Missing Holy Mass on Sundays or Holydays through my own fault . . . Being late for Holy Mass on Sundays or Holydays through my Own fault . . . Doing servile work on Sundays without a good reason.
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
Honor thy father and thy mother.
Insulting or neglecting parents . . . Disobedience . . . Failing to send children to religious schools when possible . . . Neglect of home or children . . . Neglect of trade, professional, or civil duties . . . Making fun of old or infirm people. Have I taken care to provide what is needed to make life on the land attractive and pleasant for my family? Have I so far as possible regulated working hours so as to permit myself and my family an enjoyment of some of the finer things of life? Has the desire for profit been an overruling influence in the management of my farm and home? Have I neglected the spiritual formation and education of my children? Have I for the sake of gain put them to work too early in life causing harm to their proper formation and education? Have I sought to instill in them a reverence for life? A reverence for the land? An appreciation of the nobility of work? Of God's providence? Have I helped them to establish themselves in their life's work whether on the land or in one of the professions or in some other employment?
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shalt not kill.
Anger . . . impatience . . . stubbornness . . . Being unkind or mean to others . . . Hating, slandering, or mistreating others because of their race or nationality, or for any other reason . . . Fighting or quarreling . . . Causing others to fight or quarrel . . . Bad example . . . Excess in eating or drinking .. . Ignoring the spiritual and corporal works of mercy . . . Reckless or dangerous driving.
THE SIXTH AND NINTH COMMANDMENTS
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
Willfully taking pleasure in or listening to impure words, songs, stories . . . Willfully looking at impure things or pictures . . . Wanting impure thoughts, taking pleasure in them . . . Teaching others impurity . . . Impurity of act with myself or with others . . . Abuse of marriage rights . . . Unfaithfulness to husband or wife . . . Going to places of bad entertainment . . . Bad movies . . . Reading bad books or magazines . . . Going with bad companions.
THE SEVENTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS
Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
Jealousy . . . Envy . . . Wishing to get in any wrongful way what belonged to another . . . Cheating . . . Stealing (what was it, and how much?). . . Helping others to steal . . . Telling others to steal . . . Accepting or offering bribes . . . Taking or keeping stolen goods given me by others . . . Spoiling others' property . . . Failing to return lost articles I found . . . Neglecting to do work for which I was paid . . . Neglecting to pay a living wage . . . Refusal or neglect in paying lawful debts. Have I taken steps to insure that the family homestead will pass down to succeeding generations? Have I through pride or avarice over-reached myself in the purchase of land or equipment? Have I carefully tended the soil? Have I for the sake of quick gain put land under cultivation in such a way as to expose it to serious erosion with the likelihood of eventual impoverishment? Have I as a renter or owner exploited in any other way the land entrusted to me, with little thought for the welfare of those who will succeed me? Have I been negligent in the control of noxious weeds, to the detriment of my land and that of my neighbor? Have I shown a readiness by material assistance, by counsel, or by encouragement, to help my neighbor in need? Have I lent my support to cooperative projects designed for the common welfare? If God has blessed me with surplus wealth have I in investing it considered the needs of the common good and of my neighbor? Mindful of the rights of all to property and honorable employment, have I, according to my means and position, done what I can to help young Catholic men, or other worthy young men, to become established on the land? In the sale of land or farm have I given special consideration to offers on the part of Catholics who might wish to establish themselves in the parish? Have I taken advantage of my neighbor's need or misfortune to gain possession of his land through foreclosure, or in any other way? Have I shown justice and Christian consideration in the rental contracts given to the tenants on my land? Have I paid just wages to my farm help and provided a decent place for them to live? Have I been conscientious in avoiding contamination in the production of foodstuffs? Have I knowingly placed contaminated produce on the market? Have I been conscientious about sanitation in processing and handling of foodstuffs?
THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Speaking meanly about others . . . Backbiting . . . Race prejudice . . . Detraction . Rash judgments . . . Lies . . . Did my lies injure others?
THE PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH
1. To hear Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation. 2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed. 3. To confess at least once a year, and to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season. 4. Not to join forbidden societies. 5. To contribute to the support of the Church and pastors. 6. Not to marry contrary to the laws of the Church.
Ask yourself now: Is there anything else that I did that was a sin? Is there anything along this line that is worrying me? Is there anything I should ask the priest about? Do I really mean to keep from sin? Do I have a clear plan for avoiding sin in the future, especially the biggest sin in this confession?
4. BE SORRY FOR SINS
O my God, I don't want to go to hell. I know that because of my many sins I deserve to go there. Help me get rid of my sins. I don't want to lose my soul in everlasting torment, without all happiness, banished from You forever. Help me realize that I shall have to make up for my venial sins, too, and that some of the punishment due to all sin, even if we escape hell, must be paid in purgatory. Help me do some real penance to make up for my sins, and get rid of part of my purgatory before I die.
O my God, now I see very clearly that I have not given You the service that I owe You for so many reasons. I have abused Your wonderful gifts, using them to offend You who are so good and so lovable. I sinned even in Your presence. I saddened Your Heart at the very moment when You were looking on me with perfect love. I was so blind and ungrateful as to love creatures more than You, my creator, who because You are infinitely good and lovable deserve all my love; I preferred my own pleasure to doing Your will. Pardon me, O my God, for all the sins of my whole life. I am sorry for them. I hate them from the bottom of my heart because You hate them. I beg of You, say to me, "Your sins are forgiven."
5. RESOLVE TO DO BETTER
Most merciful Jesus, from now on I want whatever You want. I have made up my mind to avoid all sin and to follow You with bravery and courage. I will try above all to correct myself in this particular matter (here mention one thing that you are going to avoid especially between now and your next confession). O my Redeemer, strengthen my resolution by the merits of the Blood You shed for me on Calvary. I really want to make up for the past. With Your help, which I humbly ask for, I will try hard to do whatever You want of me.
HOLY COMMUNION
"Let Holy Communion, frequent and even daily, a thing so desired by Jesus Christ and His Church, be available to all the faithful whatever condition of life they may be, so that it may never be denied to anyone who is in the state of grace and has a right intention." SAINT PIUS X.
In your attitude toward receiving Holy Communion, try to bear the words of Saint Pius X in mind. Communion, he says, should "never be denied to anyone who is in state of grace and has a right intention." Many, many people still have the mistaken idea that it is necessary to go to confession every time they receive Holy Communion. But the truth is that a person may receive Holy Communion any day if, as the Holy Father says, "he is in the state of grace, and has a right intention." The regulations as to fasting, of course, must also be observed.
There are many, many people who are missing a great deal of spiritual help because they do not receive Holy Communion as often as they can. For the ordinary Catholic, there is little reason why he should not receive Holy Communion at least every Sunday and Holyday, when he is obliged to attend Holy Mass anyhow.
Try to realize what a great privilege it is to receive our Lord in Holy Communion. The Eucharist is not just a sacrament, a thing, it is a Person who comes to us--a divine person--God Himself. Can you imagine any gift to you that could be greater than the gift of God Himself? Can you imagine any honor that could come to you greater than a visit of Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, coming to you as intimately and wonderfully as He comes in Holy Communion? When you receive Him in this Most Blessed Sacrament, He is closer to you than your own heart. He is as intimately united with you as your soul with your body. He is as truly with you as He was with Mary before He was born.
Once you have begun to realize this, you will see that you are wasting wonderful opportunities if, when you attend Holy Mass on Sundays, you do not receive Him regularly. The short fasting that you must do is very little compared with the wonderful gift you receive of Christ Himself. Try to remember that in serving Christ you will never be outdone in generosity. He will give you, He says Himself, "full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and flowing over." Believe Him, take Him at His word. Receive Him every Sunday and Holyday, and the First Friday and First Saturday of the month, if you can.
On days when you are to receive Him, begin your preparation as soon as you rise in the morning. Try to be especially recollected, looking forward with love and expectation and wonder to the great gift that is to be given you at Holy Mass this morning. In your prayers before and after Holy Communion, try above all to realize who it is that comes to you, how humbly and lowly He comes to you, and why He comes. These three questions, Who comes? How does He come? and Why does He come? will give you much food for thought, both before and after receiving Christ.
After receiving Holy Communion, remember what the Church teaches you: Jesus Christ, true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, under the appearance of bread, is truly with you. He is with you in this way for about ten or fifteen minutes. Do your best then, to spend those few minutes in prayer and love and recollection. If it should happen that you must leave the Church before that time of thanksgiving is complete, at least remember the divine Guest who is with you, and be respectful to Him. But make every attempt to spend at least ten minutes after you receive in silent, loving, recollected prayer with Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior, who is truly with you under the appearances of bread.
There are a few prayers given here for Communion. They may be used, most of them, before or after you receive. Many of the "Occasional Prayers" are also suitable for after Communion. But the best prayers will be your own loving thoughts and conversations with the One who has been so kind as to come and be your personal Guest.
SOUL OF CHRIST
O Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O Good Jesus hear me. Within Your wounds hide me. Permit me not to be separated from You. From the wicked foe defend me. At the hour of my death call me. And bid me to come to You. That with Your saints I may praise You. Forever and ever. Amen
PRAYER BEFORE A CRUCIFIX
MY GOOD and dearest Jesus, I kneel before You, begging and praying with all the ardor of my soul to engrave deep and vivid impressions of faith, hope, and charity on my heart, with true repentance for my sins, and a very firm purpose of amendment. Meanwhile I ponder over Your five wounds, dwelling on them with deep compassion and sorrow, remembering the words that David the prophet long ago put into Your mouth, good Jesus, about Yourself: They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones.
(Plenary Indulgence, under the usual conditions.)
OFFERING OF SELF By Saint Ignatius Loyola
TAKE, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and all my will, whatever I have and possess. You have given all these things to me; to You, O Lord, I restore them. All are Yours, dispose of them according to Your will. Give me Your love and Your grace, for this is enough for me.
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mother's womb, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, rich to all who call upon You, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in You, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in You, have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. , Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, R. Make our hearts like unto Your Heart.
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Your most beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction He offers You in the name of sinners, and forgive those who beg Your mercy in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King with You for ever and ever. R. Amen.
A SHORT ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART
Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by my ingratitude, pierced by my sins, yet loving me still, accept the consecration that I make to You, of all that I am and all that I have. Take every faculty of my soul and body, and draw me, day by day, nearer and nearer to Your Sacred Side, and there, as I can bear the lesson, teach me Your blessed ways. Amen.
PRACTICES OF DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
No one can really live a life of consecration to the Sacred Heart without a deep and active practice of devotion to the Sacred Heart.
1. Be sure that all members of the family are members of the Apostleship of Prayer. There are two requirements for active membership: (a) actual enrollment in some Local Center (see your Reverend Pastor about this), and (b) the daily recitation of the Morning Offering, or some similar prayer.
2. See to it that a large, beautiful, attractive picture of the Sacred Heart has a prominent place in your consecrated home.
3. Remember to make every Holy Communion you receive a Communion of Reparation, but especially so on the First Friday of the month.
4. Make a Holy Hour at least once a month. A Holy Hour consists of an hour of mental or vocal prayer in union with the prayer of our Savior in the Garden of Olives on Holy Thursday Night.
5. Renew the Morning Offering frequently during the day, in order to keep its spirit alive. As an aid to this, the frequent use of the following ejaculations, or others similar, will be a great aid:
All for You, most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Your kingdom come.
Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, make my heart-like unto Yours. My Jesus, mercy.
(All the above ejaculations carry an indulgence of 300 days each time.)
6. Renew THE ACTS OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART, and to the IMMACULATE HEART on First Fridays and Saturdays.
7. Exercise your Apostleship not only by prayer, but also by ever increasing your knowledge of the faith, and by making constant efforts to bring that faith to those of your relatives, friends, and acquaintances who do not yet possess it, or who have become lax in their practice of it.
THE PROMISES OF OUR LORD TO SAINT MARGARET MARY For Souls Devoted to His Sacred Heart
1. "I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life."
2. "I will establish peace in their homes."
3. "I will comfort them in all their afflictions."
4. "I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death."
5. "I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings."
6. "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy."
7. "Tepid souls shall grow fervent."
8. "Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9. "I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored.
10. "I will give to priests the gifts of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. "Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
12. "I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment."
LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us. Jesus, Son of the living God, Have mercy on us. Jesus, splendor of the Father, Have mercy on us Jesus, brightness of eternal light, Have mercy on us Jesus, King of glory, Have mercy on us Jesus, sun of justice, Have mercy on us Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, Have mercy on us. Jesus, most amiable, Have mercy on us Jesus, most admirable, Have mercy on us Jesus, the mighty God, Have mercy on us Jesus, Father of the world to come, Have mercy on us Jesus, angel of great council, Have mercy on us Jesus, most powerful, Have mercy on us Jesus, most patient, Have mercy on us Jesus, most obedient, Have mercy on us Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Have mercy on us Jesus, lover of chastity, Have mercy on us Jesus, lover of us, Have mercy on us Jesus, God of peace, Have mercy on us Jesus, author of life, Have mercy on us Jesus, example of virtues, Have mercy on us Jesus, zealous lover of souls, Have mercy on us Jesus, our God, Have mercy on us Jesus, our refuge, Have mercy on us Jesus, father of the poor, Have mercy on us Jesus, treasure of the faithful, Have mercy on us Jesus, good Shepherd, Have mercy on us Jesus, true light, Have mercy on us Jesus, eternal wisdom, Have mercy on us Jesus, infinite goodness, Have mercy on us Jesus, our way and our life, Have mercy on us Jesus, joy of Angels, Have mercy on us Jesus, King of the Patriarchs, Have mercy on us Jesus, Master of the Apostles, Have mercy on us Jesus, teacher of the Evangelists, Have mercy on us Jesus, strength of Martyrs, Have mercy on us Jesus, light of Confessors, Have mercy on us Jesus, purity of Virgins, Have mercy on us Jesus, crown of Saints, Have mercy on us
Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus.
From all evil, deliver us, O Jesus. From all sin, deliver us, O Jesus. From Your wrath, deliver us, O Jesus. From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Jesus. From the spirit of fornication, deliver us, O Jesus. From everlasting death, deliver us, O Jesus. From the neglect of Your inspirations, deliver us, O Jesus. By the mystery of Your holy Incarnation, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your Nativity, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your Infancy, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your most divine Life, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your labors, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your agony and passion, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your cross and dereliction, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your sufferings, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your death and burial, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your Resurrection, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your Ascension, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your institution of the most Holy Eucharist, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your joys, deliver us, O Jesus. By Your glory, deliver us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus.
Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you." Grant, we beg of You, to us who ask it, the gift of Your most divine love, that we may ever love You with our whole heart, in word and deed, and never cease praising You.
Give us, O Lord, as much a lasting fear as a lasting love of Your Holy Name, for You, who live and are King for ever and ever, never fail to govern those whom You have solidly established in Your love. R. Amen.
LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us. Holy Mother of God, pray for us. Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us. Mother of Christ, pray for us. Mother most pure, pray for us. Mother most chaste, pray for us. Mother inviolate, pray for us. Mother undefiled, pray for us. Mother most amiable, pray for us. Mother most admirable, pray for us. Mother of good counsel, pray for us. Mother of our Creator, pray for us. Mother of our Savior, pray for us. Virgin most prudent, pray for us. Virgin most venerable, pray for us. Virgin most renowned, pray for us. Virgin most powerful, pray for us. Virgin most merciful, pray for us. Virgin most faithful, pray for us. Mirror of justice, pray for us. Seat of wisdom, pray for us. Cause of our joy, pray for us. Spiritual vessel, pray for us. Vessel of honor, pray for us. Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us. Mystical rose, pray for us. Tower of David, pray for us. Tower of ivory, pray for us. House of gold, pray for us. Ark of the covenant, pray for us. Gate of Heaven, pray for us. Morning star, pray for us. Health of the sick, pray for us. Refuge of sinners, pray for us. Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us. Help of Christians, pray for us. Queen of angels, pray for us. Queen of Patriachs, pray for us. Queen of Prophets, pray for us. Queen of Apostles, pray for us. Queen of Martyrs, pray for us. Queen of Confessors, pray for us. Queen of Virgins, pray for us. Queen of all Saints, pray for us. Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us. Queen taken up into Heaven, pray for us. Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us. Queen of peace, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin. R. Amen.
THE ANGELUS
(To be said morning, noon and night; kneeling, except on Saturday evening and throughout Sunday.)
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, etc. V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to Your Word. Hail Mary, etc. V. And the Word was made Flesh, R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary, etc.
V. 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 beg of You, O Lord, Your grace into our hearts, that as we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, we may, by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(100 days indulgence each time, Leo XIII, May 20, 1896)
REGINA COELI (From Holy Saturday till Trinity Eve.)
O Queen of heaven, rejoice. Alleluia. For He whom you were worthy to bear. Alleluia. Has arisen, as He said. Alleluia. Pray for us to God. Alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary. Alleluia. R. For the Lord has risen indeed. Alleluia.
Let us pray.
O God, through the resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You were kind enough to fill the world with joy. Grant, we beg of You, that through His Virgin Mother, Mary, we may attain to the joys of everlasting life, through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(100 days indulgence each time. Leo XIII, May 20, 1896.)
THE MEMORARE
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly toyou, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
A FARMER'S PRAYER TO MARY
O Blessed Lady of the Fields, who loved the land of your native Galilee, who watched the tiller of the earth and the shepherd of the flock go out and return from Nazareth, who lived with and loved the rural folk of the village, look down graciously upon the fields and pastures of this, your adopted land. Make our homes sanctuaries of Christ as was your home. Make our fields fertile and abundant in the harvest. Help us to understand more fully the dignity of our toil and the merit it acquires when offered through you to your divine Son, Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
THE ROSARY OF OUR BLESSED LADY
The Rosary was for many years called "the poor man's Bible," because in saying it and meditating on its mysteries, even a person who is too poor to own a book can learn a great deal about the most important mysteries of our faith.
The Rosary is like a song that is sung: the "Our Fathers" and the "Hail Marys" are the melody, and the mysteries are the words. There is no clash between the two, but one must learn to fit melody and words together.
In saying the Rosary, especially in saying it daily, it is a good thing to find various ways of stirring our thoughts, so that we do not think exactly the same ideas over and over again until they become worn, thin, routine, and unattractive.
One method of doing this is to change from thinking of the actual moment of the mystery to thinking of a different time. For example, instead of looking in at the stable of Bethlehem on Christmas night in the third Joyful-Mystery, come back to the stable the next morning, when the shepherds are gone, and the sound of the angels' choir has long died. Go in and talk to Mary and Joseph, and hold conversation with them about the events of the preceding night. Or, again, instead of going through the actual mysteries of the Passion and Death as they occur, for the sake of variety come back to Jerusalem ten years after the Resurrection, and ask Mary to show you the places of the Agony, the Scourging, the Crowning, ask her to walk the Way of the Cross with you, and to tell you what happened there on Calvary. In this change of time, you will have a fresh and new approach to contemplating the mysteries of the Rosary.
Another way of enlivening your meditations is to take any one virtue that you feel you need to grow in, and go through all fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, seeing how the people in each particular mystery exercise that virtue. Then apply what you learn to your own life. Thus you can take the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries, and see how our Lord and our Lady, St. Joseph, and all the other good people in the mysteries practice the virtue of patience, let us say, or of charity toward neighbor, or any other virtue. This will lend almost endless variety to your recitation of the Rosary, and at the same time make it very personal, and helpful toward your own growth in the spiritual life.
The recitation of the Rosary is richly indulgenced. Be sure your beads are blessed. If you are busy about some work that requires the use of your hands, but leaves your mind free enough to say the Rosary, it is sufficient to gain the indulgences if you merely have a blessed Rosary about your person. Otherwise you should hold the beads in your fingers while you say the Rosary. When saying the Rosary in a group, it is sufficient, even for gaining the indulgences, if only the leader has a blessed Rosary.
The best way to say the Family Rosary is to establish it as a practice in your home at a definite time each day when all or most of the family are together, and then let each one plan his activities around that established practice. Many families find it best to say the Rosary immediately after the evening meal.
The suggestions given below with the listing of the mysteries are only a very slight indication of the variety that can be introduced into their recitation. Almost any one of the virtues suggested for any one of the mysteries could be used for all the mysteries. This would give great variety to your Rosary meditations.
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
(Recited on Monday and Thursday, and on Sunday from the first Sunday of Advent until Septuagesima exclusive.)
THE ANNUNCIATION--Humility.
Mary fully realized her unworthiness, but humbly bowed to the will of God. True humility will enable me to realize my relation ship to almighty God, and will help me todo, simply and honestly, whatever God wants of me. Humility is obedience in action.
THE VISITATION--Charity.
Mary hastened to visit her cousin Elizabeth and to assist her in time of need. This is an example of charity that I have many opportunities to imitate.
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST--Detachment from the world.
Jesus Christ came into the world in great poverty. He left the world, hanging naked upon the cross. In this way He teaches me the folly of allowing earthly things to take possession of my heart.
THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE--Respect for authority.
Christ was the Lawgiver; Mary, His Mother, was not subject to the law; yet both of them submitted voluntarily to the law so that I might learn by their example to respect and obey all lawful authority, because it comes from God.
THE FINDING IN THE TEMPLE--Love of Jesus Christ.
Mary and Joseph could not be consoled when they lost Jesus. Do I feel His loss when, because of my sinfulness, He withdraws from my soul? Do I seek Him sorrowing as Mary and Joseph did?
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
(Recited on Tuesday and Friday, and Sunday from Septuagesima till Palm Sunday, inclusive.)
THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN--The spirit of prayer.
"And being in an agony, He prayed the longer." When suffering comes to me, only continuous prayer will win for me the grace to bear it bravely in the imitation of my Savior. But like Him, I must not wait till suffering comes to learn to pray. I must now.
THE SCOURGING--Purity.
By the terrible pains of the scourging, Christ merited for me the grace to conquer all temptations against holy purity. The vision of Christ lying at the foot of the pillar, in a pool of His own blood, will help put to flight even the most violent temptations.
THE CROWNING OF THORNS--Meekness.
Christ, mocked and ridiculed by the soldiers, did not say a word. How do I bear the little slights and thoughtless criticisms that occasionally give me an opportunity to imitate my thorn-crowned King?
THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS--Resigation to the will of God.
"Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Do I accept my cross as willingly and lovingly for His sake as He bore the sins of the world for mine?
THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH ON THE CROSS--Generosity.
"He loved me and delivered Himself up for me." Kneeling in spirit at the foot of the cross, let me ask myself three questions: What have I done for Christ in the past? What am I doing for Him at the present? What am I going to do for Him from now on?
THE GLORlOUS MYSTERIES
(Recited on Wednesday and Saturday, and on Sunday from Easter until the first Sunday of Advent, exclusive.)
THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD--Faith.
Christ's resurrection from the dead is a pledge of my own resurrection. He who is Truth itself said: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, shall never die."
THE ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN--Hope.
"In My Father's house there are many mansions. Were it not so, I should have told you, because I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again, and I will take you to Myself; that where I am, there you also may be."
THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Devotion to the Holy Spirit.
In the sacrament of confirmation I was made a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do I remember this often, and thank Him for living in me? Do I act the part of a real soldier of Christ?
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY--Devotion to Mary.
Mary shared in the poverty, humiliations, and sufferings of her divine Son here on earth. So it was right that she should share in the triumph of His resurrection. Her virginal body was taken up into heaven so that she might enjoy, body and soul, the company of her risen Son and Savior. "Through Mary to Jesus." "The Mother of God is my Mother."
THE CORONATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY--Perseverence.
Christ the King gives all His graces, and especially the grace of final perseverance, through the hands of His Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven. She is the Mediatrix of all graces. "Never was it known that anyone who fled to her protection, implored her help, and sought her intercession, was left unaided."
V. Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
O God, Your only-begotten Son purchased the reward of eternal life for us by His life, death, and resurrection. We beg of You, that meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
LITANY OF SAINT JOSEPH
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God. have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us. Saint Joseph, renowned son of David, pray for us. Light of Patriarchs, pray for us. Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us. Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us. Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us. Watchful protector of Christ, pray for us. Head of the Holy Family, pray for us. Joseph, most just, pray for us. Joseph, most chaste, Joseph, most prudent, pray for us. Joseph, most valiant, pray for us. Joseph, most obedient, pray for us. Patron of the dying, pray for us. Terror of demons, pray for us. Protector of holy Church, pray for us. Joseph, most faithful, pray for us. Mirror of patience, pray for us. Lover of poverty, pray for us. Model of workmen, pray for us. Ornament of the domestic life, pray for us. Guardian of virgins, pray for us. Safeguard of families, pray for us. Consolation of the poor, pray for us. Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. He made him Lord of his household. R. And prince of all his possessions.
Let us pray.
O God, in a way more wonderful than we can say, You chose blessed Joseph to be the Spouse of Your most holy Mother. Grant, we beg of You, that we may become worthy to have him praying for us in heaven, whom on earth we honor as our protector, who live and are King for ever and ever. R. Amen.
NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH (March 11 to March 19)
O glorious Saint Joseph, you were appointed by the eternal Father as the guardian and protector of the life of Jesus Christ. You were the comfort and support of His holy Mother, and the instrument in His great design for the redemption of mankind. You had the happiness of living with Jesus and Mary, and of dying in their arms. Be moved with the confidence we place in you, and procure for us from the Almighty, the particular favors which we humbly ask through your intercession. (Here ask for the favors you desire.)
Pray for us, O great Saint Joseph, and by your love for Jesus and Mary, and by their love for you, obtain for us the supreme happiness of living and dying in the love of Jesus and Mary. Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH UNITY OCTAVE
(The Church Unity Octave is observed annually from January 18, feast of St. Peter's Chair in Rome, until the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Jnauary 25. The following prayer is recited daily:)
Antiphon. That they may all be one, as You, Father, in Me and I in You; that they so may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You have sent Me. (John 17:21)
V. I say unto you, that you are Peter. R. And upon this rock I will build My Church.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, You said to Your Apostles: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you." Look not upon our sins, but upon the faith of Your Church, and grant to her that peace and unity which are agreeable to Your will, who live and are King and God, for ever and ever. R. Amen.
PRAYER FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS
O GOD, from whom all power comes, by whose divine will all must abide, we thank You for our civil liberties and freedom, for our opportunities and our privileges.
We beg of You to bless, assist, and enlighten the Senators from our State (here mention their names) and the Congressman for our District (here mention his name). May they prove worthy of the confidenceplaced in them by their fellow citizens. May they be just and upright in their thinking, honest in all their actions, and ever be guided by a true conscience in the legislation they propose or vote upon.
Forgive us all our mistakes and selfish tendencies, and help prepare us by our good deeds for an eternal union with You, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
AN ACT OF RESIGNATION
My Lord God, even now I accept at Your hands, cheerfully and willingly, with all its anxieties, pains and sufferings, whatever kind of death it shall please You to be mine. Amen.
(Seven years indulgence each time. Plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to be applied at death, if recited the next time you go to the Sacraments.)
HYMNS AND PRAYERS FOR BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
The following hymn is generally sung while the Blessed Sacrament is being exposed, or immediately afterwards:)
O SALUTARIS Hostia Quae coeli pandis ostium Bella premunt hostilia Da robur, fer auxilium.
Uni trinoque Domino Sit sempiterna gloria, Qui vitam sine termino Nobis donet in patria.
O Saving Victim, opening wide The gate of heaven to man below; Our foes press on from every side, Your aid supply, Your strength bestow,
To Your great name be endless praise, Immortal Godhead, one in three; O grant us endless length of days, In our true home eternally. Amen.
(After this is finished, and before the Tantum Ergo is begun, any approved hymn in Latin or English may be sung. Then special prayers may be said, if desired. After that the Tantum Ergo is sung:)
Tantum ergo Sacramentum Veneremur cernui; Et antiquum documentum Novo cedat ritui. Praestet fides supplementum Sensuum defectui.
Genitori Genetoque Laus et jubilatio, Salus, honor, virtus, quoque Sit et benedictio; Procedenti ab utroque Compar sit laudatio.
Amen.
Therefore we, before Him bending, This great Sacrament revere; Types and shadows have their ending, For the newer rite is here. Faith our outward sense befriending Makes our inward vision clear.
Glory let us give and blessing To the Father and the Son Honor, might, and praise addressing, While eternal ages run. Ever too His love confessing Who from both, with both is one. Amen.
(After Tantum Ergo the celebrant immediately sings:)
You have given them bread from heaven. Panem de caelo praestitisti eis (P.T. Alleluia.)
(To which the choir and/or people answer:)
Containing in its self sweetness of every kind. Omne delectamentum in se habentem (P.T. Alleluia.)
(Then the priest sings:)
O GOD, You have left us in this wonderful Sacrament a perpetual memorial of Your passion. Grant us, we pray You, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Your Body and Blood, that we may ever feel within us the fruit of Your Redemption, who live and are King for ever and ever. Amen.
DEUS, qui nobis sub Sacramento mirabili passionis tuae memoriam reliquisti: tribue, quaesumus, ita nos Corporis et Sanguinis tui sacra mysteria venerari; ut redemptionis tuae fructum in nobis jugiter sentiamus: Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.
(To which all answer:) Amen.
The Benediction is then given immediately after which the Divine Praises are said, by the priest, the people repeating each one after him:)
Blessed be God. Blessed be His most holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God andtrue Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His most Sacred Heart. Blessed be Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar. 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 Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints.
(10 years indulgence, Pius XI, 1933) (While the Blessed Sacrament is being replaced in the tabernacle, the following Antiphon and Psalm is generally sung:) (Antiphon)
Adoremus in aeternum sanctissimum Sacramentum. Let us adore the most Blessed Sacrament forever.
(Psalm 116)
Praise the Lord, all nations, praise Him, all peoples. For great is His mercy towards us and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. 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.
Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes; laudate eum omnes populi. Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus; et veritas Domini manet in aeternum. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
(And the Antiphon is repeated.)
(Other approved hymns may be sung in place of this Antiphon and Psalm.)
Holy God, We Praise Your Name
Holy God, we praise Your name! Lord of all, we bow before You! All on earth Your scepter claim. All in heaven above adore You: Infinite Your vast domain, Everlasting is Your reign.
Hark, the loud celestial hymn Angel choirs above are raising Cherubim and seraphim In unceasing chorus praising, Fill the heavens with sweet accord: Holy! Holy! Holy Lord!
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
(Prayer before making the Way of the Cross.)
Lord Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the world, /I want to walk again this way of the cross / with You and with our holy Mother, Mary. / Help me, I pray You, / to learn the lessons / that You want me to learn on this holy way. / Help me to see the love of Your Sacred Heart for me, / that from it I may learn to love You as I should. / Help me to learn from this way of the cross / the true value of suffering. / Help me to understand / that I must work out my love of You by doing, / humbly and patiently, / from day to day, / what I know You want me to do. / Mother Mary, / teach me to know and love and serve your Son, / our Lord Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the world.
The First Station JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
With Mary I stand and watch / as Pilate condemns Jesus to death on the cross. / Jesus accepts the punishment that should rightly be mine. / He who gave me a supernatural life in holy baptism, / here accepts death that I may live. / Lord Jesus Christ, / help me live the kind of life You want me to live, / rich in Your grace, and always following Your holy will. / Mother Mary, / teach me to love our Lord by doing His will.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Second Station JESUS TAKES THE CROSS UPON HIS SHOULDERS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless you, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
At Mary's side, / I watch the soldiers bring out the heavy wooden cross. / Jesus, my Savior, / though He has been weakened by the agony in the garden, / the sleepless night, / the scourging and crowning with thorns, / willingly and gladly accepts the burden of the cross, / because He knows that by taking it / He eases the burden for me. Lord Jesus Christ, help me, / I pray You, / to accept the burden of my own sufferings and troubles, / which, in comparison to what You did for me, / are so little and insignificant. / Yet help me to realize / that if I do take them gladly in union with Your suffering, / I can act out my own love of You, / and help You in Your work of redemption. /Mother Mary, / help me to see and love the cross of Christ / in the trials and troubles of every day.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Third Station JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME UNDER THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
With Mary at my side I walk along the streets of Jerusalem, / following Christ on His way to Calvary. / I see how, / blinded by the blood from the crown of thorns,/ He stumbles on the rough stones, / and falls the first time beneath the weight of the cross. / But immediately, and with great effort, / He rises again, / takes up His cross and goes on His way. / Lord Jesus Christ, / help me to learn the lesson of beginning again. / No matter what it is that makes me stumble and fall, / help me to rise again immediately, as You did, / and walk bravely after You, / the way, the truth, and the life. / Holy Mother Mary, / teach me the patience I need to begin / again and again.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Fourth Station JESUS MEETS HIS BLESSED MOTHER
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
At a corner of the street, / we stand beside Mary as Christ turns and looks into her eyes. / We see all His pain doubled now, / because He realizes that His own mother sees Him, / and suffers with Him. / Such a mother, and such a Son! / The pain in their hearts can be measured only by their love, / each for the other. / O Heart of Jesus, and Heart of Mary, / help me to grow in the love of God, / and help me to prove my love by doing always what is pleasing to You!
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Fifth Station SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS CARRY THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless you, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
O Mary, / with what loving and grateful eyes / you must have looked at Simon of Cyrene, / as he helped your Son to carry His cross. / Simon, as tradition says, / was a farmer. / He knew the meaning of earning his bread in the sweat of his brow, / of working land that still lived under the curse of Adam. / But he learned, too, / the wonder and joy of bearing the cross of Christ, / even though he carried it reluctantly at first. / Mother Mary, / help me to see that I can help Christ now to bear His cross / by humbly and patiently suffering the trials and temptations, / and taking generously the little pain and suffering that He sends me. / Christ, in His Mystical Body, / still bears that cross, / and I can help Him.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore. R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departedthrough the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Sixth Station VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
We see here how lovingly and gratefully/ Mary looks upon this brave woman Veronica, / who breaks through the soldiers' guard, / and gently wipes the face of Jesus with her own veil. / Wondrously, the face of Christ/ is imprinted on the fine cloth. / O Mother Mary, / obtain for me the grace / to see the face of Christ in every one I meet. / Help me to treat all with the same gentleness and graciousness / that I would show towards Christ Himself. / Then, by God's grace the same wonder / can occur in my soul / that occurred in Veronica's veil. / It will be plain to all / that I am a Christian, / that I am like Christ,/ in my attitude toward all men whom He died to save. /
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Seventh Station JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME UNDER THE CROSS
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
With Mary on the way to Calvary, / I see how weakness again overcomes our Lord, / and how He falls again beneath the weight of the cross. / He is weaker now, / and it takes a greater effort to rise again. / But He does it, because He loves me, / and wants to be crucified for love of me. / Lord Jesus Christ, / help me to rise again from every venial sin / with an act of love of You. / No matter how often it happens, / I know that if I love You truly, and begin again bravely, / then eventually I will be victorious / as You were over sin and even death itself. / Mother Mary, / obtain for me the grace always to begin again / whenever I fall into venial sin.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Eighth Station JESUS MEETS THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
With Mary I stand in wonder / at the generosity of our Lord. / He is weak from loss of blood, / He is about to die, / yet He has the courage and the thoughtfulness / here to stop and give advice and encouragement / to His friends. / "If in the green wood they do these things /--what shall be done in the dry?" / If from You, the sinless one, "the green wood," / God demands such suffering, / what will be exacted of us sinners, "the dry wood?" / It is the lesson of penance, / of sorrow for our sins, / and of making reparation for them. / It is the same lesson that You taught us again, / dear Lord, / when You appeared to Saint Margaret Mary / and showed her Your Sacred Heart. / It is the same lesson, dear Mary, / that you taught us at Lourdes and at Fatima. / "Do penance, / make reparation, / make sacrifices for sins." / O Mother Mary, / help us to learn this lesson well.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Ninth Station JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME BENEATH THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Walking with Mary, / beginning to go up the little hill of Calvary now, / we stop suddenly as we see Christ stumble again, and fall. / We hear the sound of the cross beams as they strike the stones, / we see how they fall upon our Lord, / and strike His back and His crown of thorns. / He lies for a moment as though dead, / but with a supreme effort rises slowly again, / and continues on His way. / Lord Jesus, / help me to realize that no matter how often I fall, / I must rise again, / even though I fall as low as mortal sin. / How often I fall is not as important / as how often and how soon I rise again. / O give me the grace always to begin over again, / and to help others to begin again, / no mat ter how low or how often they have fallen. /Mary, / all graces come through you, / obtain this one for me too, / always to rise again, / in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, / our Redeemer.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Tenth Station JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
We have arrived at Calvary with Mary, / following Christ. / At once the soldiers, hardened to their heartless task, / take Jesus and roughly strip Him of His seamless robe. / Mary knows that robe. / And she knows that Body. / We see it now, / with all the wounds of the scourges opened again / for love of us. / O Jesus, my King, / stripped so painfully for me here on Calvary, / help me to learn / that if there is anything at all that is keeping me from You, / I must strip myself of it, / no matter how painful that sacrifice may be. / Help me, Mary, / to understand that here our Lord / is paying especially for our sins of immodesty and impurity. / O Virgin most pure / obtain for me the grace never to offend Him in this way again.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace R. Amen.
The Eleventh Station JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
We take our place with Mary / in the circle that is formed / about the cross lying on the hard ground./ We see the nails and the hammer, / we hear the sound of their piercing the flesh / and being driven into the wood. / We see the blood flow, / and we know Christ's gentle thoughts: / "Father, forgive them, / for they know not what they do." / O Mary, / here is an echo of the prayer / that He taught us to say: / "Forgive us our trespssses / as we forgive those who trespass against us." / Mary, Refuge of Sinners, / help me to forgive all / who may in any way have offended me, / so that I also may merit / to have my own many sins forgiven / by the merciful Heart of Christ.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Twelfth Station JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS
V We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
With our blessed Mother Mary, / we stand at the foot of the cross. / We hear the last words of Jesus / as He slowly, agonizingly dies for love of us. / Here we see how, on the cross, / He is giving everything for us, / even the last drop of His most precious Blood. / O Mother Mary, Mother of Christ, / help us to realize that today, and every day, / Christ is offering Himself for us again and again / in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Help us to realize / that even if we cannot attend Holy Mass, / still, every moment of the day, / He is offering that Sacrifice again for us. / No matter what sacrifice He may ask of us, / great or small, day or night, / at the same moment that He asks us, / He Himself is giving us, not some thing, / but Himself, whole and entire, / offering Himself again to the Father for us. / Can we then refuse Him anything He asks of us? / O Mary, teach us your great generosity / in the service of Christ.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Thirteenth Station JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
We stand aside now, / and look upon Mary with the dead Christ in her arms. / Does she think of Christmas night, / when she held Him in her arms for the first time? / What a difference now! / How she looks at all the wounds / of nail, and scourge, and thorn, and spear! / O Mary, Queen of Martyrs, / obtain for me the grace / to realize how much our Lord suffered for me. / Then from the depth of the riches of His Sacred Heart / I can also obtain the courage of that Heart / to be able to do bravely whatever He asks of me, / and to live my love for Him / as He wants me to do.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
The Fourteenth Station JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, R. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
With Mary now we make the sad little procession / to where our Lord's Body is laid to rest / in another man's tomb. / We remember His own words: / "Unless the grain of wheat die, / itself remains alone...." / He has died for us, / and is laid away to rest. / But He will rise again, / glorious and resplendent on Easter, / as the wheat rises / after its seeming death in the moist earth, / to live, / a field of golden, life-giving grain. O Mother Mary, / help me to look forward with great hope / to my own resurrection, / and make me realize / that if I die to myself and to sin, / I shall live with you and your Son / for all eternity in heaven.
V. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we implore, R. That we may ever love You more and more. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER MAKING THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Lord Jesus Christ, / Redeemer of the world, / I want to thank You for helping me / to make this way of the cross. / I am indeed sorry for all my sins, / since they have caused You / such terrible grief and pain and suffering. / I am resolved not to sin again. / Thank You for the lessons You have taught me again / in this way of the cross. / In the generosity of Your most Sacred Heart, / and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, / help me, I pray You, / to live my love of You / by always doing Your will. Amen.
NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST. ISIDORE, PATRON OF RURAL PEOPLE Arranged for Parish, Group, and Family Use
FOREWORD
Life of St. Isidore and S. Maria de la Cabeza
St. Isidore, the Farmer, was born in Madrid, Spain, about the year 1110. He came from a poor and humble family. From childhood he worked as a farm hand on the De Vargas estate. He was very prayerful and particularly devoted to the Mass and the Holy Eucharist. He loved the good earth, he was honest in his work, and careful in his farming practices. It is said that domestic beasts and birds showed their attachment to him because he was gentle and kind to them. Master De Vargas watched Isidore at plowing and he saw two angels as his helpers. Hence, the saying arose, "St. Isidore plowing with angels does the work of three farmers."
Isidore married a sweet and pious maidservant by the name of Maria. They had only one son who died in youth. Both were most charitable and ever willing to help neighbors in distress and the poor in the city slums.
St. Isidore died on May 15,1170 (the Spanish feast day), his saintly wife, a little later. He was canonized on March 22, 1622 (the American feast day). The earthly remains of the holy couple are found over the main altar of the cathedral in Madrid, Spain. S. Maria was not officially canonized, but is honored as a saint throughout Spanish countries. Her head (cabeza) is carried in solemn processions during times of drought. By a special decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated February 22, 1947, St. Isidore was constituted as the special protector of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and American farmers.
How beautiful and appropriate for the Catholic farm family to be devoted to this simple and saintly couple, who like farmers everywhere are "partners with God," in furnishing to the world food, fiber, and shelter.
Appropriate Times for the Three Yearly Novenas
March 14-22--to end on the feast of St Isidore. It is suggested that seeds be blessed on the feast day or nearest Sunday in the parish church.
August 7-15--to end on the feast of the Assumption (called also the feast of our Lady of the Fields). It is an immemorial custom in the Church to bless herbs and flowers in that day.
In November, the eight days preceding Thanksgiving Day--As Americans we join the nation in a day of thanks to God for all benefits received. This for Catholics can be the Harvest Novena.
National Headquarters
The National Headquarters of St. Isidore is located in the chapel of the Headquarters of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, 3801 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa. The relics of St. Isidore and S. Maria de la Cabeza are found there. Three solemn novenas in honor of St. Isidore are held yearly in the chapel. Here also is located the National Headquarters of the Company of St. Isidore.
Directions for the Novena
The Novena is intended for parish and home use. In the church the leader should be the priest or someone designated by him. In the home, father, mother, or child can take the lead. The daily novena prayers, readings, and reflections have been arranged for maximum group participation.
The leader will start the hymn, antiphons, psalms, prayer, and will recite the first few words up to the asterisk; then all join, alternating as customary. The diagonal indicates a pause. Each day after the Reflections and the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father, three times for the intention of the Holy Father the leader chooses a prayer or the litany. If no Benediction or other church function follows, it is suggested to recite or sing "Holy God We Praise Your Name".
FIRST DAY
PARTNERSHIP WITH GOD
Hymn
O Lord, as You have made the earth, To man and beast have given birth, Have given sun and rain that thence The soil might give them sustenance:
We beg You make us willing to Perform the law we get from You That work of ours and grace of Yours May bring the increase that endures.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your son, Whom with the Spirit we adore One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. How manifold are your works, O Lord! * In wisdom you have wrought them all; / the earth is full of your creatures.
(Psalm 8)
All: O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! * You have exalted your name above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings you have fashioned praise because of your foes, / to silence the hostile and the vengeful.
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, / the moon and the stars which you set in place:
What is man that you should be mindful of him, / or the son of man that you should care for him?
You have made him little less than the angels, / and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands, / putting all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen, / yes, and the beasts of the field. The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, / and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, / how glorious is your name over all the earth!
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.
Antiphon
All: How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all; / the earth is full of your creatures.
P. (Chapter--Genesis 1:25 and 2:15)
God made all kinds of wild beasts, every kind of cattle, and every kind of creature crawling on the ground. And God saw that it was good. The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and to keep it.
R. Thanks be to God. V. You raise grass for the cattle and vegetation for men's use. R. Producing bread from the earth, and wine to gladden men's hearts. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. Grant, we beg of You, O Merciful Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Isidore, farmer and confessor, we may forego the pride of worldly wisdom, and that, through his merits and exemplary life, we may, with all humility, ever perform works pleasing to You, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
The farmer's is a sacred calling because he is a collaborator with God in the work of His creation. In partnership with God he becomes to men a provider of the food, fiber, and shelter they need. Let the farmer, then, no longer belittle himself in his own eyes. The farmer's calling is among the noblest in all the world. The Lord considered it so, and the farmer must think of it in the same terms. With God he lives and works in the vast realms of His bountiful and beautiful nature. He is not one of the millions who in thick formations swarm through factory gates. He is a free man as he strides through his fields guiding a plow, sowing the seed, or harvesting the crop. The farmer's calling is one that must command great respect. Much knowledge and skill are required to manage well the farmstead with its land and fences, barns and granaries, tools and machinery. Farming is among the greatest of human arts. The farmer must be an artisan and a craftsman, a capitalist, financier, manager, worker; a producer and a seller. He must know soil and seed, poultry and cattle; he must know when to till the soil, cultivate his fields, and harvest his crops. In the presence of his Lord the farmer should recall all this, not in a spirit of vainglory or pride, but in grateful appreciation of the calling that God gave him as a tiller of the soil. Praise and thanksgiving should rise in his heart as he reflects on the high regard the Lord has showered upon him and his work. (From "Partnership with God," by the Most Reverend Aloisius J. Muench.)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by the prayer of your choice for special needs.
SECOND DAY FAMILY LIFE IN CHRIST
Lord, who to share creative life Created mankind man and wife, To be with You creators of The objects of Your endless love;
As Jesus loves the Church His bride, Let our love be intensified, Let love of one another be Our pledge of love eternally.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. Happy they * who dwell in your house! / Continually they praise you.
(Psalm 127)
All: Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; / happy shall you be, and favored.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine / in the recesses of your home.
Your children like olive plants / around your table.
Behold, thus is the man blessed / who fears the Lord.
The Lord bless you from Sion; / may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life;
May you see your children's children. / Peace be upon Israel!
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.
Antiphon
All: Happy they who dwell in your house! / Continually they praise you.
P. (Chapter--Psalm 26:4-5) One thing I ask of the Lord: this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple. For he will hide me in his abode in the day of trouble; he will conceal me in the shelter of his tent; he will set me high upon a rock.
R. Thanks be to God. V. I will make all your children to be taught of the Lord. R. And an abundance of peace to your children. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
V. We offer You the sacrifice of praise, O Lord, and humbly pray that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, and of Saint Joseph, You may establish our families in peace and grace, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
Christian marriage is a union in Christ between man and woman. It is a vocation of mutual love and fidelity in which each partner helps the other to draw closer to God, and the grace received by the husband and wife in the sacrament of matrimony strengthens them toward the achievement of this end. Since the rural familv is the very foundation of the vocation of farming, it is providential that God should have raised up a holy family, St. Isidore and his wife, S. Maria de la Cabeza, to be the patrons of rural people. He wanted to teach us that the combination of the work of farming with the cares and obligations of family life can be a sure road to sanctity. St. Isidore and S. Maria de la Cabeza exemplified the Christian ideal of land-home-family-work-worship in every aspect of their daily lives.
Moreover, the Church has traditionally regarded a home on the land as the ideal place in which to develop genuine Christian family life. Pius XII gave expression to this belief in his address to farmers (November 15, 1946): "Your lives are rooted in the family--universally, deeply, and completely; consequently, they conform very closely to nature. In this fact lies your economic strength and your ability to withstand adversity in critical times. Your being so strongly rooted in the family constitutes the importance of your contribution to the correct development of the private and public order of society."
Farming is a family enterprise which tends to weld the family together. Mother and father are usually within calling distance of each other and see each other several times a day. The children can be at their parents' side to watch them and learn to work with them. There are many little tasks which children can perform that contribute to the family welfare and allow them to acquire experience and habits of responsibility. It is not without reason that the rural home has been called the "natural dwelling place for the Christian family."
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by the prayer of your choice for special needs.
THIRD DAY LOVE OF NEIGHBOR
Hymn
O God, who made man from the slime According to Your form sublime, And made Christ share our lowliness To let us share His holiness:
Be in each brother's hand a light To show the path through this dark night, Be in us each the burning fire That kindles love and kills desire.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your son, Whom with the Spirit we adore One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. Everyone shall help his neighbor * and shall say to his brother: / Be of good courage.
(Psalm 132)
All: Behold, how good it is, and how pleasant, * where brethren dwell as one!
It is as when the precious ointment upon the head runs down over the beard, the beard of Aaron, / till it runs down upon the collar of his robe.
It is a dew like that of Hermon, / which comes down upon the mountains of Sion;
For there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, / life forever.
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.
Antiphon
All: Everyone shall help his neighbor and shall say to his brother: / Be of good courage.
P. (Chapter--Romans 12:9-12) Let love be without pretense. Hate what is evil, hold to what is good. Love one another with fraternal charity, anticipating one another with honor. Be not slothful in zeal; be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, Be patient in tribulation, persevering in prayer.
R. Thanks be to God. V. You are citizens with the saints. R. And members of God's household. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. O God, You make all things work together unto good for those who love You. Give to our hearts an abiding love for You, so that the desires we conceive by Your inspiration may ever remain unchanged in spite of every temptation, through Christ Our Lord.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
To express the unity of His Mystical Body, Christ chose the striking farm symbol of the vine and the branches. And immediately thereafter, He reminded us of the hard farm reality that the barren plant must be destroyed: If anyone does not abide in me, he shall be cast outside as the branch and wither; and they shall gather them up and cast them into the fire, and they shall burn." (John 15:6) The test that our Lord applied to distinguish the good grain from the bad is love of neighbor: "This is my commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
Each profession has its own peculiar way of helping its members to manifest love for neighbor, and it is the honorable lot of the farmer to provide the basic food and fiber and shelter for man's daily needs. From the example of St. Isidore we learn that our daily life is not to be a selfish quest for profit, but an opportunity to serve. It makes us realize that we need the help of others to continue this way of life. Rural people can well apply to themselves these words of Pope Pius XI: "All the institutions for the establishment of peace and the promotion of mutual help among men, however perfect these may seem, have the principal foundation of their stability in the mutual bond of minds and hearts whereby the members are united one with another. If this bond is lacking, the best of regulations are useless. And so, then only will true cooperation be possible for a single common good, when the various parts of society deeply feel themselves members of one great family and children of the same heavenly Father; we are one body in Christ, 'but severally members one of another,' so that 'if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with it.'"
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by the prayer of your coice for special needs.
FOURTH DAY DIGNITY OF WORK
Hymn
Lord, our God, whose mighty hand Carved out the seas and built the land; Who, by the labors of our Lord, The honor Adam lost, restored:
Let us be joined to Christ, Your Son, That in His work we may be one; So we shall in our work partake Of God, whom we by sloth forsake.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. The work of the just * is unto life: / but the fruit of the wicked unto sin.
(Psalm 126)
All: Unless the Lord built the house, * they labor in vain who build it.
Unless the Lord guard the city, / in vain does the guard keep vigil.
It is vain for you to rise early, / or put off your rest,
You that eat hard-earned bread, / for he gives to his beloved in sleep.
Behold, sons are a gift from the Lord; / the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior / are the sons of one's youth.
Happy the man whose quiver is filled with them; / he shall not be put to shame when they contend with enemies at the gate.
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
Antiphon
All: The work of the just is unto life: / but the fruit of the wicked unto sin.
P. (Chapter--II Thessalonians 3:8-12) Neither did we eat any man's bread at his cost, but we worked night and day in labor and toil, so that we might not burden any of you. Not that we did not have the right to do so, but that we might make ourselves an example for you to imitate us. For, indeed when we were with you we used to charge you: if any man will not work, neither let him eat. For we have heard that some among you are living irregularly, doing no work but busy at meddling. Now such persons we charge and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.
R. Thanks be to God. V. Honor the Lord with your substance. R. And give him of the first of all your fruits. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. O Lord, let us follow the blessed farmer Isidore's example of patience and humility, and walk so faithfully in his footsteps that by his intercession in the evening of life, we can offer You a rich harvest of merits and good works, through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
St. Paul in his first epistle to the Thessalonians (4:11) says, "Strive to live peacefully, minding your own affairs, working with your own hands, as we charged you, so that you may walk becomingly towards outsiders, and may need nothing."
The nobility of physical labor is praised both in the Old and New Testaments. The humble workshop of Nazareth and the little hillside and stony field where the Holy Family worked and earned its sustenance are shining examples of the regard in which Christ Himself held physical labor. "Christ took for granted the duty of labor. His parables presuppose the law of work. They have for their protagonist, a sower, a vineyard planter, a shepherd, a fisherman, a housebuilder, an employer, a housekeeper. They allude to their work as something natural, something presupposed." ("The Attitude Towards Labor in Early Christianity and Ancient Culture," Geohegan)
Throughout the centuries the most prominent Church writers taught the nobility of labor while great saints, by their personal example, pointed the way for all of us to follow. "Manual labor is absolutely necessary for the preservation of the human race. The earth does not give up her many fruits except by the labor of men. Since man needs the fruits of the earth to sustain life, it follows that he must work to get them." ("The Philosophy of Labor According to Thomas Aquinas," Killeen.)
One of the greatest evils in the world today is the dislike for physical labor and the effort many people make to avoid it. In so doing they go counter to the teaching and example of Christ, the saints, and the repeated urgings of our great Pontiffs in Rome.
Pius XII stated most emphatically, "As an indispensable means toward gaining over the world that mastery which God wishes, for His glory, all work has an inherent dignity and at the same time a close connection with the perfection of the person; this is the noble dignity and privilege of work, which is not in any way cheapened by the fatigue and the burden, which have to be borne as the effect of original sin, in obedience and submission to the will of God."
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by the prayer of your choice for special needs.
FIFTH DAY
WALKING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Hymn
As we, if we should ride upon The golden wings (O God) of dawn, And seek the ends of earth and sky, Could not escape Your loving eye:
We beg that we by faith may see Your sweet and fierce ubiquity, And may deserve at last by grace To see You always face to face.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. O taste, and see * that the Lord is sweet: / blessed is the man who hopes in him.
(Psalm 1)
All: Happy the man who follows not * the counsel of the wicked,
Nor walks in the way of sinners, / nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the Lord / and meditates on his law day and night.
He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields fruit in due season, / and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked, not so; / they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore in judgment the wicked shall not stand, / nor shall sinners, in the assembly of the just.
For the Lord watches over the way of the just, / but the way of the wicked vanishes.
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.
Antiphon
All: O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet blessed is the man who hopes in him.
P. (Chapter--I Timothy 4:15-16) Meditate on these things, give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be manifest to all. Take heed to yourself and to your teaching, be earnest in them. For in so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
R. Thanks be to God. V. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. R. The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. Breathe into our hearts, we beg You, O Lord, a desire for heavenly glory, and grant that we may come, bearing in Our hands the sheaves of justice, to where the blessed Isidore is resplendent with You in glory, through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. V. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
"In the realm of nature, the farmer lives and works with God. He has abundant reasons to thank God for the independence and liberty granted him through the soil he calls his own. He has the right to the genuine respect of others, for without him others cannot live. And he ought to have a high sense of self-respect, based on the nobility of his work, which is so vital to humanity. Living close to nature, rural people do not find it difficult to live close to God, the Author of Nature. Moreover, they are blessed in this that they are free from so many occasions of sin and temptation which abound elsewhere. Therefore, the supernatural life should flourish best in rural surroundings. There men and women can best know, love and serve God, and save their immortal souls." (From Pastoral Letter of the Archbishops and Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Toronto and Kingston, Canada.)
However, communion with God and high esteem for their work are not enjoyed by farmers without a constant effort. Many of them seem to be unaware of the many beauties and advantages of rural living and consider their lives uninteresting and their work drudgery. It is the purpose of novenas such as this, and other prayers and rural religious customs and practices, to inspire rural people anew with the dignity of their vocation and the fruitfulness of their work, so that they can continue to be worthy of being called collaborators with God.
My farm is not where I must soil My hands in endless, dreary toil. But where, through seed and swelling pod, I've learned to walk, and talk, with God.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by the prayer of your choice for special needs.
SIXTH DAY STEWARDSHIP OF THE SOIL
Hymn
O Lord, as You by Your command For all men's use have made the land, Yet have allowed man's wise decree Rule it be cared for privately;
Let us know that what we control Is made for mankind as a whole, And we must an accounting give Of what God lends us while we live.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. And other seeds fell upon good ground, * and yielded fruit, / some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
(Psalm 64:10-14)
All: You have visited the land and watered it; * greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled; / you have prepared the grain.
Thus have you prepared the land, / drenching its furrows, / breaking up its clods.
Softening it with showers, / blessing its yield.
You have crowned the year with your bounty, / and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it, / and rejoicing clothes the hills.
The fields are garmented with flocks / and the valleys blanketed with grain. / They shout and sing for joy.
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.
Antiphon
All: And other seeds fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit, / some a hundred fold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
P. (Chapter--James 5:7-10) Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruits of the earth, being patient until it receives the early and late rain. Do you also be patient; strengthen your hearts; for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
R. Thanks be to God. V. Prepare your work outdoors, and diligently till the ground. R. That afterwards you may build your house.
Let us pray.
P. Pour down Your blessing, we beg of You, O Lord, upon Your people, and upon all the fruits of the earth, so that when collected they may be mercifully distributed to the honor and glory of Your holy name, through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
The surface of the earth is particularly within the care of the farmer. He keeps it for his own sustenance and gain, but his gain is also the gain of all the rest of us. At best, he accumulates little to himself. The successful farmer is the one who produces more than he needs for his support; and the overplus he does not keep; moreover, his own needs are easily satisfied. It is of the utmost consequence that the man next to the earth shall lead a fair and simple life; for in riotous living he might halt many good supplies that now go to his fellows.
It is a public duty so to train the farmer that he shall appreciate his guardianship. He is engaged in a quasi-public business. He really does not even own his land. He does not take his land with him, but only the personal development that he gains from it. He cannot annihilate his land, as another might destroy all his belongings. He is God's partner, the representative of society to guard and to subdue the surface of the earth. He must exercise his dominion with due regard to all these obligations. He is a trustee. The productiveness of the earth must increase from generation to generation: this also is his obligation. He must handle all his materials, remembering man and remembering God. ("The Holy Earth," by L. H. Bailey.)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by the prayer of your choice for special needs.
SEVENTH DAY RURAL WORKS OF MERCY
Hymn
0 God, as Jesus by His birth Became our fellow man on earth, And raised man, by His brotherhood, To His divine similitude:
We beg that we in men may see The form of Your divinity, What good for fellow men we do Accept as being done for You.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. Blessed are the poor in spirit, * for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Psalm 111)
All: Happy is the man who fears the Lord, * who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; / the upright generation shall be blessed.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house; / his generosity shall endure forever.
He draws through the darkness, a light for the upright; / he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends, / who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved; / the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear; / his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is steadfast; / he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes.
Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; / his horn shall be exalted in glory.
The wicked man shall see it and be vested; he shall gnash his teeth and pine away; / the desire of the wicked shall perish.
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.
Antiphon
All: Blessed are the poor in spirit, / for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
P. (Chapter--Matthew 6:19-20) Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth consume, where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth consumes, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart also will be.
R. Thanks be to God. V. He who trusts in his riches shall fall. R. But the just shall spring up as a green leaf. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. May the grace of the Holy Spirit, we beg You, O Lord, enlighten our hearts, and refresh them abundantly with the sweetness of perfect charity, through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
Although St. Isidore and his wife, S. Maria de la Cabeza, were very poor, they gave of what they had to those who were poorer than themselves. Every Saturday they would serve a meal to the poor whom they had met in their daily visits to the churches of Madrid. One day after all the food had been given out, a latecomer arrived, hungry and destitute. Although St. Isidore knew that his wife had already served all the food they had in the house, he asked her to look again into the kettle to see if there might not be just one more serving left. S. Maria obediently lifted up the kettle to see if there were anything remaining, and was surprised to find that it was as heavy as if nothing had been taken out of it.
Works of mercy take on different forms in different times and countries. In the frontier days in America, typical ways of helping one's neighbors were: wholehearted hospitality to strangers and travelers; quick assistance to sick and bereaved families, even to the extent of doing the plowing or harvesting for them if necessary; helping other families with greater than family-size projects like barn-raising or butchering; and special help at times of crisis like drought, hail, prairie fire, etc. Many opportunities like these still occur in rural communities, but in addition, new ways of helping one's neighbor are constantly arising. For instance, it may often be possible for older farmers to help inexperienced farmers in adopting new and better farming methods, or it may be possible to be of service to one's community as a whole by helping to organize a soil conservation district, improve the school system, or provide better roads or other means of communication. A Christian farmer will also be on the alert to help his pastor in parish projects for adult education, recreation, or in expanding parish facilities. Finally, many opportunities will arise for the modern farmer to give of his abundance to the less fortunate farmers, who comprise three-fourths of the world's population, in other lands.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by the prayer of your choice for special needs.
EIGHTH DAY TRUST IN PRAYER
Hymn
O God, as You by Your pure gift By grace our nature do uplift, And make it possible to be What You, God, are essentially.
We pray You then to hear our prayer, For it is Christ's, whose life we share; And since we share Christ's nature, we Can pray, like Christ, almightily.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. Therefore I say to you, * all things whatever you ask for in prayer, / believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you.
(Psalm 85:1-10)
All: Incline your ear, O Lord; answer me * for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you; / save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; have pity on me, O Lord, / for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant, / for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, / abounding in kindness to all who call upon You,
Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer / and attend to the sound of my pleading.
In the day of my distress I call upon you, / for you will answer me.
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, / and there are no works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come and worship you, O Lord, / and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds; / you alone are God.
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.
Antiphon
All: Therefore I say to you, all things whatever you ask for in prayer, / believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you.
P. (Chapter--Philippians 4:47) Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety, but in every prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
R. Thanks be to God. V. I will sing praise to You in the sight of the angels. R. I will worship toward Your holy temple, and I will give glory to Your name. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. O Lord Jesus Christ, You have said: Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Grant, we beg of You, to us Your supplicants, the gift of Your most divine love, so that we may love You with our whole heart and in all our words and works, and never cease praising You, who live and are King world without end.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
A farmer daily sees the handiwork of God in the world of nature about him and recognizes that he is utterly dependent upon God's bounty for the success of his harvest and deliverance from calamities. It is therefore the most obvious and natural thing for him to call upon the Lord of the harvest to obtain His blessing upon everything he undertakes. Trust in prayer was the most distinguishing trait in the life of St. Isidore. It was his custom to rise before dawn and spend the early part of the day making visits to churches in and about Madrid.. The story is told that his employer, Master de Vargas, became disturbed about the amount of time St. Isidore was taking from his work, and decided to see for himself if reports which had come to him were as bad as they sounded. One morning he hid himself in the field where the saint was supposed to be plowing. When the saint returned even later than usual from his morning pilgrimage, the other workers had finished their jobs and had left the field, while St. Isidore's work was still untouched. Master de Vargas was about to rebuke the saint, but something told him to wait and see what would happen. The saint set to work and seemed to be making a great deal of progress. As the employer watched, he saw the reason: two angels were working side by side with the saint, each guiding a plow and racing in holy rivalry to see who could get the most done. After that whenever anyone asked the Master de Vargas about St. Isidore's work, he would answer simply, "Angels are his helpers."
While rural people will follow St. Isidore's example of combining prayer with work, their religious life in general will be centered about the rural parish. The parish church is the center of life's most important moments-- baptism, confirmation, penance, marriage and, above all, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Holy Communion. The cemetery recalls the labors of the pioneers who went before, and the catechism classroom is the place of training future workers for Christ. Father of all, the rural pastor has been called "God" sacred gift to mankind sent by divine appointment on a mission whose field is not a given parish or diocese, but the world; whose end is the glory of God and the salvation of souls everywhere; whose means are the sacraments and the preaching of the Gospel; the object of whose teaching is everything knowable, from the deep things in God to all things outside of God." (Most Reverend William A. Griffin.)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.) three times, followed by the prayer of your choice for special needs.
NINTH DAY
SACRIFICE OF PRAISE
Hymn
Lord, who before Your praise was heard Were praised in silence by the Word, And whom, from all eternity Your Son has praised sufficiently:
Please deign to be our hallowing, And we in Christ Your Son will sing, Then Your poor creatures' prayers will rise Sufficient praise before Your eyes.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done, Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. Whatever you do in word or in work, * do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, / giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Psalm 22)
All: The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. * In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside restful waters he leads me; / he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths; / for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; / for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff / that give me courage.
You spread the table before me / in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil, / my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me / all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord / for years to come.
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.
Antiphon
All: Whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, / giving thanks to God the Father through him.
P (Chapter--Hebrews 10:12-14) Jesus, having offered one sacrifice for sins, has taken his seat forever at the right hand of God, waiting thenceforth until his enemies be made the footstool under his feet. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
R. Thanks be to God. V. Offer to God the sacrifice of praise. R. And pay your vows to the Most High. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray
P. Protect us, O Lord; who offer holocausts to You, and sear our hearts with the flame of Your divine charity, so that they may be ever more fervently prepared for sacrifice, through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. St. Isidore. R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, * who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God. V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
REFLECTIONS
A farmer can justly take pride in the fact that his work is a very special contribution to the Sacrifice of the Mass, and he should meditate upon this truth with humility and gratitude. "The Lord used the product of wheat and of grapes, bread and wine, for the institution of the august sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Bread and wine are the substances changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of our blessed Savior. Their sense appearances are the carriers of the most precious gifts of our Lord's love to us. In the consecrated elements of bread and wine, Jesus Christ makes Himself present to be the spiritual food of men. He is the bread that has come down from heaven, of which if men eat they shall not die. With good reason, then, has Christian tradition used the sheaf of wheat and the vine with grapes, these precious products of the toil of the farmer, as the symbols of the Holy Eucharist. Both adorn tabernacle and altar as symbols to give vivid expression to this great and loving mystery of our Catholic faith; both play their part in beautifying art and architecture; both enrich hymns and sacred songs composed to give honor to our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. As he kneels in prayer before the tabernacle the farmer indeed has reason to glory in all this and to give profound thanks to his Lord and Master for having honored his calling in so exalted a manner." (From "Partnership with God," by the Most Reverend Aloisius J. Muench.)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.) three times, followed by the prayer of you choice for special needs.
LITANY OF ST. ISIDORE
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us. St. Isidore, pray for us. St. Isidore, patron of farmers, pray for us. St. Isidore, illustrious tiller of the soil, pray for us. St. Isidore, model of laborers, pray for us. St. Isidore, devoted to duty, pray for us. St. Isidore, loaded down with the labors of the field, pray for us. St. Isidore, model of filial piety, pray for us. St. Isidore, support family life, pray for us. St. Isidore, confessor the faith, pray for us. St. Isidore, example mortification, pray for us. St. Isidore, assisted by angels, pray for us. St. Isidore, possessor of the gift of miracles, pray for us. St. Isidore, burning with lively faith, pray for us. St. Isidore, zealous in prayer, pray for us. St. Isidore, ardent lover of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us. St. Isidore, lover of God's earth, pray for us. St. Isidore, lover of poverty, pray for us. St. Isidore, lover of fellowmen, pray for us. St. Isidore, most patient, pray for us. St. Isidore, most humble, pray for us. St. Isidore, most pure, pray for us. St. Isidore, most just, pray for us. St. Isidore, most obedient, pray for us. St. Isidore, most faithful, pray for us. St. Isidore, most grateful, pray for us.
Jesus, our Lord, We beg of You, hear us. That You would protect all tillers of the soil, We beg of You, hear us. That You would bring to all a true knowledge of the stewardship of the land, We beg of You, hear us. That You would preserve and increase our fields and flocks, We beg of You, hear us. That You would give and preserve the fruits of the earth, We beg of You, hear us. That You would bless our fields, We beg of You, hear us. That You would preserve all rural pastors, We beg of You, hear us. That You would grant peace and harmony in our homes, We beg of You, hear us. That You would lift up our hearts to You, We beg of You, hear us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.
From lightning and tempest, deliver us, O Lord. From pestilence and floods, deliver us, O Lord. From winds and drought, deliver us, O Lord. From hail and storm, deliver us, O Lord. From the scourge of insects, deliver us, O Lord. From the spirit of selfishness, deliver us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
Let us pray.
Grant, O Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Isidore, the husbandman, we may follow his example of patience and humility, and so walk faithfully in his footsteps that in the evening of life we may be able to present to You an abundant harvest of merit and good works, who live and are King world without end. R. Amen.
Hymn for the Novena to St. Isidore
O Lord, as You have made the earth, To man and beast have given birth Have given sun and rain that thence The soil might give them sustenance:
We beg You make us willing to Perform the law we get from You, That work of ours and grace of Yours May bring the increase that endures.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son, Whom with the Spirit we adore, One God with You forevermore.
DEVOTIONS FOR THE FEAST OF ST. ISIDORE
Solemn Closing of Novena (whether Novena preceding the feast of St. Isidore is said at home or in the church, it is suggested that a solemn closing ceremony take place in the parish church).
(The devotion begins with the recitation of the Novena prayers for the ninth day.)
PRAYER OF THE CHRISTIAN FARMER
All: O God, source and giver of all things, / who manifests Your infinite majesty, power and goodness in the earth about us, / we give You honor and glory.
For the sun and the rain, / for the manifold fruits of our fields, / for the increase of our herds and flocks we thank You. For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace, we are grateful.
Supreme Lord of the harvest / graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil / in union with Christ Your Son, as atonement for Our sins, / for the growth of Your Church, for peace and charity in our homes, / for salvation to all. Amen.
PRAYER OF A RURAL FAMILY
All: Wise and compassionate God, accept this our prayer; Sheltered from storm and darkness, under this roof, This family kneels to adore You. For the day just past, For keeping us safely, body and soul, Now we most humbly thank You. For hilltops and verdure, For sunlight and wind and boundless space, For rain and the sky's rich color, For boughs and blossoms and cold clean snow, We are eternally grateful. For birds and beasts, For the good black earth and the seeds producing The plenteous harvest--for times without number When we have eaten of that same harvest, We thank You and bless You forever. Deliver us safely, if such be Your will, From deluge and drought, From famine and war and disaster. Give us tomorrow, as yesterday and today, All things most needed for rightful living; And move our hearts that we may have sorrow For sinning against You. God of the hearth and the harvest, Your children, here kneeling, adore You. Bless now our rest And cherish us safe till the morrow.
BLESSING OF THE SEEDS AND SOIL
(A procession of children or adults, for example officers of parish organizations, singing hymns and carrying seeds and soil in small decorated baskets to be placed at the Communion railing for blessing. The farm and city people might bring seeds and soil (soil from lawns, gardens and fields, seeds for garden and fields) and as they come to church, place same in containers at the front of the church.)
(After the procession)
P. And other seeds fell upon good ground, * and yielded fruit, / some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
PSALM 64: 10-14
All: You have visited the land and watered it; * greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled; / you have prepared the grain.
Thus have you prepared the land, / drenching its furrows, / breaking up its clods.
Softening it with showers, / blessing its yield.
You have crowned the year with your bounty, / and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it, / and rejoicing clothes the hills.
The fields are garmented with flocks, / and the valleys blanketed with grain. / They shout and sing with joy.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit. R. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be /world without end. Amen. V. And other seeds fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit, / some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
HYMN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, And in our hearts take up Thy rest. Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid To fill the hearts which Thou hast made, To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
PRAYERS FOR BLESSING OF SEEDS
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you R. And with your spirit. V. Let us pray.
All: To you, O Lord, we cry and pray; / bless this sprouting seed, / strengthen it in the gentle movement of soft winds, / refresh it with the dew of heaven, /and let it grow to full maturity for the good of body and soul.
V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. R. Qui fecit caelum et terram. V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
OREMUS
Te rogamus, Domine, ac petimus: ut hos fructus seminum bene+dicere, placido lenis aurae afflatu fovere, rore caelesti foecundare, et incolumes propter usum animarum et corporum ad plenissimam maturitatem perducere digneris. Per, etc. (They are sprinkled with holy water.)
BLESSING OF SOIL
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. V. Send forth Your spirit and they shall be created. R. And You shall renew the face of the earth. V. For the Lord will give goodness; R. And our earth shall yield her fruit.
Let us pray.
All: We humbly beg Your clemency, O Lord, / that You would render this soil fertile with rains in due season, / that You would fill it with Your blessing, / and so grant that Your people may be ever thankful for Your gifts. Take infertility from the earth, / and fill the hungry with Your gifts, / which the fruitful earth will yield in fullness, / that the poor and needy may praise the name of Your glory for ever and ever.
V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. R. Qui fecit caelum et terram. V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. V. Emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur, R. Et renovabis faciem terrae. V. Dominus dabit benignitatem. R. Et terra nostra dabit fructum suum.
OREMUS
Pietatem tuam, omnipotens, Deus, humiliter imploramus, ut hos campos quos aeris temperamento nutrire dignatus es, tuae bene+dictionis imbre perfundere digneris, tribuens populo tuo de tuis muneribus tibi semper gratias, agere, et pulsa terrae sterlitate, esurientium animos bonis affluentibus replere, ut egeni et pauperes laudent nomen gloriae tuae in saecula saeculorum. R. Amen. (They are sprinkled with holy water.)
HYMN TO SAINT ISIDORE (See above.)
MASS OF SAINT ISIDORE
INTROIT
(Ps. 91:13-14) The just man shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow. They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. (P.T. Alleluia, alleluia)
(Ps. 91:2) It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High. 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. The just man shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow. They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. (P.T. Alleluia, alleluia)
COLLECT
Grant, we beg of You, O merciful Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Isidore the farmer, Your confessor, we may forego the pride of worldly wisdom; and that, through his merits and exemplary life, we may, with all humility, ever perform works pleasing to You, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
EPISTLE
(James 5:7-8, 11:16-18)
(A reading from the Epistle of blessed James the Apostle.) Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient until it receives the early and the late rain. Do you also be patient; strengthen your hearts; for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Behold, we call them blessed who have endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is merciful and compassionate. Confess, therefore, your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be saved. For the unceasing prayer of a just man is of great avail. Elias was a man like ourselves, subject to the same infirmities; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain upon the earth, and it did not rain for three years and six months. He prayed again, and the heavens gave rain and the earth brought forth its fruit.
GRADUAL
(Ps. 36:30-31) The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom and his tongue utters what is right. The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps do not falter.
LESSER ALLELUIA
Alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 111:1) Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commands. Alleluia.
TRACT
(Ps. 111:1-3) Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commands. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his generosity shall endure forever.
GREATER ALLELUIA
Alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 111:1) Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commands. Alleluia. (Osee 14: 6) The faithful man will flourish like the lily, will blossom in the Lord's sight forever. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
(John 15:1-7) At that time Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he will take away; and every branch that bears fruit he will cleanse, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can You unless you abide in me. I am the vine, You are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he shall be cast outside as the branch and wither; and they shall gather them up and cast them into the fire, and they shall burn. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it shall be done to you."
OFFERTORY
(Ps. 20:2-3) O Lord in your strength the king is glad; in your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart's desire. (P.T. Alleluia)
SECRET
Be favorably disposed, O Lord, towards our petitions, and graciously receive these the offerings of Your people, so that, through the intercession of the blessed Isidore, Your confessor, we may fully achieve that which we ask for with faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
PREFACE FOR LENT
It is truly right and just, proper and availing unto salvation, that at all times, and in all places we should give thanks to You, O holy Lord, Father almighty and everlasting God. By our body's fasting, You curb Our vices, elevate our minds and give virtue and its rewards through Christ our Lord Through Him the angels praise Your majesty, the dominions worship it, and the powers stand in awe. The heavens and the heavenly powers, with the blessed seraphim, join together in celebrating their joy. With these we pray You, join our voices also, while we say with humble praise:
COMMUNION
(Matt. 19:28-29) Amen I say to you, that you who have left all things and followed me, shall receive a hundredfold, and possess life everlasting. (P.T. Alleluia.)
POSTCOMMUNION
May this heavenly sacrament renew us in mind and body, Lord, making us feel, through the intercession of Your holy confessor Isidore, the power of the rite we celebrate, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
MASS OF SAINT JOSEPH, THE WORKER
INTROIT
(Wis. 10:17) Wisdom restored to innocent men the just rewards of their labors, and led them out on their miraculous journey, affording them shelter by day and starry radiance at night. (Ps. 126:1) Vain is the builder's toil, if the house is not of the Lord's building. 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. Wisdom restored to innocent men the just reward of their labors, and led them out on their miraculous journey, affording them shelter by day and starry radiance at night.
COLLECT
O God, creator of the universe, by whose decree toil has become the common lot of mankind, grant us this boon, that by the example of Saint Joseph, and under his protection, we may carry out the works which You command, and gain the rewards which You promise, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
EPISTLE
(Col. 3:11,-17; 23-4) Brethren, have charity, the bond which makes us perfect. May the peace of Christ, the very condition of your calling as members of a single body, reign in your hearts. Learn, too, to be grateful. Whatever you are about, in word and action alike, invoke always the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, offering your thanks to God the Father through him. Work at all Your tasks with a will, reminding yourselves that you are doing it for the Lord, not for men; and you may be sure that the Lord will give the portion he has allotted you in return. Be servants with Christ for your Master.
GRADUAL
(Ps. 127:1-2) Blessed you are, if you fear the Lord, and follow his paths! You shall eat what your hands have toiled to win; all good shall be yours.
Alleluia, alleluia. Lead us, Joseph, by the path of innocence, and keep us safe beneath your watchful care. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
(Matt. 13:54-58) At this time Jesus came to his own countryside, where he taught them in their synagogue, so that they said in astonishment, "How did he come by this wisdom, and these strange powers? Is not this the carpenter's son, whose mother is called Mary, and his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And do not his sisters, all of them, live near us? How is it that all this has come to him?" And they had no confidence in him. But Jesus told them, "It is only in his own country, in his own home, that a prophet goes unhonored." Nor did he do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
OFFERTORY
(Ps. 89:17) May the favor of the Lord Our God smile on us and prosper our doings, prosper our doings yet.
SECRET
Lord, we offer You sacrificial gifts, part of our handiwork. Harken to the entreaty of our advocate, Saint Joseph, and make this offering of ours a pledge of unity and peace: through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
PREFACE OF SAINT JOSEPH
Just it is indeed and fitting, right, and for our lasting good that we should always and everywhere give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, and that we should glorify, bless, and extol You with due praise on the feast of blessed Joseph: that good man whom You gave to the virgin Mother of God to be her husband; that loyal and prudent servant who was set over Your family to be the guardian and foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. Through that Son Your majesty is praised by angels, adored by dominations, feared by powers; through Him the heavens and the celestial virtues join the blessed seraphim in one glad hymn of praise. We pray You let our voices blend with theirs as we humbly praise You, singing:
COMMUNION
(Matt. 13:54, 55) How did he come by this wisdom and these strange powers? Is not this the carpenter's son, whose mother is called Mary?
POSTCOMMUNION
With blessed Joseph pleading for us, Lord, may this sacrament of which we have partaken bring to completion the work we have to do, and assure us of our recompense: through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
MASS OF ST. MARK
(The Procession of the Greater Litanies, followed by the Rogation Mass has no connection with the feast of Saint Mark as such. If Saint Mark's Day is transferred the procession still takes place on April 25, unless Easter occurs on that day, in which case the Litanies are observed on the following Tuesday.)
INTROIT
(Ps. 63:3) You have protected me, O God, from the assembly of the malignant, alleluia: from the multitude of the workers of iniquity, alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 63:2) Hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to you: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy. 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. You have protected me, O God, from the assembly of the malignant, alleluia: from the multitude of the workers of iniquity, alleluia, alleluia.
COLLECT
O God, who raised up blessed Mark, Your Evangelist, by the grace of preaching the Gospel, grant we beseech You, that we may always profit by his teaching and be defended by his prayers. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
EPISTLE
(Ezech. 1:10-14) As for the likeness of the faces of the four living creatures, there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four; and the face of an ox on the left side of all the four; and the face of an eagle over all the four. And their faces and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of everyone were joined, and two covered their bodies and everyone of them went straight forward; whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went, and they turned not when they went. And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire. And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.
GRADUAL
Alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 88:6) The heavens shall confess your wonders, O Lord: and your truth in the Church of the Saints. Alleluia. (Ps. 20: 4) You have set on his head, O Lord, a crown of precious stones. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
(Luke 10:1-9) At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and sent them forth two by two before him into every town and place where he himself was about to come. And he said to them, "The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest. Go. Behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry neither purse, nor wallet, nor sandals, and greet no one on the way. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.' And if a son of peace be there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they have; for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. And whatever town you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you, and cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
OFFERTORY
(Ps. 88:6) The heavens shall confess your truth in the Church of the Saints, alleluia, alleluia.
SECRET
We, who bring You gifts, on the solemn feast of blessed Mark, Your Evangelist, beseech You, O Lord, that, even as preaching the Gospel made him glorious, so his intercession may render us acceptable to You in word and deed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
PREFACE OF THE APOSTLES
It is fitting indeed and just, right and helpful to salvation, to entreat You humbly, O Lord, that You will not desert Your flock, O everlasting Shepherd, but, through Your blessed apostles, will keep it under Your constant protection; that it may be governed by those same rulers, whom as vicars of Your work, You set over it to be its pastors. And therefore, with angels and archangels, with thrones and dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Your glory, evermore, saying:
COMMUNION
(Ps. 63:11) The just shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him: and all the upright in heart shall be praised, alleluia, alleluia.
POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, we beseech You, may Your holy mysteries be to us a continual protection, by which, through the prayers of blessed Mark, Your Evangelist, You may ever defend us from all evils. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
CEREMONIES FOR THE OBSERVANCE OF THE ROGATION DAYS
Through Soil Stewardship Week, we try . . . to move ourselves to penance for sins against our good God; . . . to arouse our confidence and trust in God's providence; . . . to acknowledge publicly our dependence on God; . . . to ask God for a plentiful harvest; . . . to thank God publicly for His bounty to us; . . . to show publicly our faith, hope, and love of God; . . . to realize that only through living according to God's will and commandments may the individual, the family, the community, the state, the nation, the world, have a happy, contented, and peaceful existence.
On four days of the year a procession should be made while the Litanies of the Saints are sung, to beg the blessing of God on the fruits of the earth.
The twenty-fifth day of April was a day sacred, in ancient times, to the gods of pagan Rome. But the Church set this day apart as a day of special prayer to avert God's anger, and to beg His blessing on the labors of the year. The Litany of the Saints was sung in procession. St. Gregory the Great, in the year 600, obtained on this day the miraculous end of a terrible pestilence which was devastating Rome. From that time, the custom of chanting the Litany of the Saints in procession on the feast of St. Mark soon spread through the whole of Europe.
The word "rogation" comes from the Latin word "rogare" meaning "to ask." The three Rogation Days are over 1,500 years old. They began in the fifth century at Vienne, France, when, in the year 470, there had been crop failures--due to earthquakes and bad weather--with resulting great food scarcity and destitution. St. Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, ordered a triduum of prayer and penance on the three days preceding the Ascension. The clergy and the people made penitential processions calling upon God to help and asking the intercession of His saints.
Other communities took up the custom and from France it soon spread throughout the world. At the end of the eighth century, Pope St. Leo III introduced the practice into the universal Church. Thus, it has become a tradition in the Church that each year on the feast of St. Mark, April 25, and on the three days before Ascension a special Rogation Days' service is held.
The purpose of the Rogation Days' service is to implore the mercy of God that He may keep us from all evils of soul and body, and give to the plants of the field an increase. In the spring, when the fields are becoming green and there is promise of a good harvest--but also the possibility of destruction through frost, hail, or rainstorms--the prayers and processions are a reminder to feeble man to turn with humility and confidence to the Giver of all good. For, it is not the earth alone which brings forth fruit, and not alone the busy hand of man on which the increase depends; but it is God who gives the increase.
All stand while the following Antiphon is sung:
Arise, O Lord, assist us, and make us free because of Your name. We have heard with our ears O God, and our fathers have announced it to us. 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. Arise, O Lord, assist us and make us free because of Your name.
(After this is sung, all kneel, and two clerics (or the celebrant himself) kneeling before the main altar begin to sing the Litany of the Saints. Each invocation is repeated by the choir, children, or laity, as designated by the pastor.)
LITANY OF THE SAINTS
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us. Holy Mother of God, pray for us. Holy Virgin of Virgins, pray for us. St. Michael, pray for us. St. Gabriel, pray for us. St. Raphael, pray for us. All holy Angels and Archangels, pray for us. All holy orders of blessed spirits, pray for us. St. John the Baptist, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. All holy Patriarchs and Prophets, pray for us. St. Peter, pray for us. St. Paul, pray for us. St. Andrew, pray for us. St. James, pray for us. St. John, pray for us. St. Thomas, pray for us. St. James, pray for us. St. Philip, pray for us. St. Bartholomew, pray for us. St. Matthew, pray for us. St. Simon, pray for us. St. Thaddeus, pray for us. St. Matthias, pray for us. St. Barnabas, pray for us. St. Luke, pray for us. St. Mark, pray for us. All holy Apostles and Evangelists, pray for us. All holy Disciples of the Lord, pray for us. All Holy Innocents, pray for us. St. Stephen, pray for us. St. Lawrence, pray for us. St. Vincent, pray for us. SS. Fabian and Sebastian, pray for us. SS. John and Paul, pray for us. SS. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us. SS. Gervase and Protase, pray for us. All holy Martyrs, pray for us. St. Sylvester, pray for us. St. Gregory, pray for us. St. Ambrose, pray for us. St. Augustine, pray for us. St. Jerome, pray for us. St. Martin, pray for us. St. Nicholas, pray for us. All holy Bishops and Confessors, pray for us. All holy Doctors, pray for us. St. Anthony, pray for us. St. Benedict, pray for us. St. Bernard, pray for us. St. Dominic, pray for us. St. Francis, pray for us. All holy Priests and Levites, pray for us. All holy Monks and Hermits, pray for us. St. Mary Magdalen, pray for us. St. Agatha, pray for us. St. Lucy, pray for us. St. Agnes, pray for us. St. Cecilia, pray for us. St. Catherine, pray for us. St. Anastasia, pray for us. All holy Virgins and Widows, pray for us. All holy Saints of God, intercede for us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord. Be merciful, hear us, O Lord.
From all evil, Spare us, O Lord. From all sin, Spare us, O Lord. From Your anger, Spare us, O Lord . From a sudden and provided death, Spare us, O Lord. From the snares of the devil, Spare us, O Lord. From anger, and hatred, and every evil will, Spare us, O Lord. From the spirit of fornication, Spare us, O Lord. From lightning and storms, Spare us, O Lord. From the scourge of earthquake, Spare us, O Lord. From plague, famine, and war, Spare us, O Lord. From everlasting death, Spare us, O Lord. Through the mystery of Your holy Incarnation, Spare us, O Lord. Through Your coming, Spare us, O Lord. Through Your Birth, Spare us, O Lord. Through Your Baptism and holy Fasting, Spare us, O Lord. Through Your Cross and Passion, Spare us, O Lord. Through Your Death and Burial, Spare us, O Lord. Through Your holy Resurrection, Spare us, O Lord. Through Your admirable Ascension, Spare us, O Lord. Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, Spare us, O Lord. In the day of Judgment, Spare us, O Lord.
We sinners, We beg of You, hear us. That You would spare us, We beg of You, hear us. That You would pardon us, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly bring us to true penance, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly govern and preserve Your holy Church, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly preserve in holy religion the Pope and all clerics in holy orders, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly humble the enemies of holy Church, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, We beg of You, hear us. That you would kindly grant peace and unity to the whole Christian world, We beg of You, hear us. That You would restore to the unity of the Church all who have strayed from the truth and lead all infidels to the light of the Gospel, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly confirm and preserve us in Your holy service, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly lift up our minds to heavenly desires, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly give eternal blessings to all our benefactors, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly deliver our souls, and the souls of our brethren, relations, and benefactors from eternal damnation, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly give and preserve the fruits of the earth, We beg of You, hear us. That You would kindly grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, We beg of You, hear us. That You would be so kind as to answer our prayers Son of God, We beg of You, hear us.
(As the end of the Litany of the Saints approaches, the celebrant returns to the foot of the altar, and all kneel, including the celebrant.)
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father (in silence until) V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil.
(Here, with the celebrant at the foot of the altar, the Litany of the Saints is terminated with the final prayers prescribed for the conclusion of the Litany. All kneel Then the cantors intone the psalm (69). After this the celebrant sings the versicles, the choir (or people) giving the responses, as below.)
PSALM 69
Deign, O God, to rescue me; O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let them be put to shame and confounded who seek my life.
Let them be turned back in disgrace who desire my ruin.
Let them retire in their shame who say to me, "Aha, aha!"
But may all who seek you exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation say ever, "God be glorified!"
But I am afflicted and poor; O God, hasten to me!
You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, hold not back!
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.
V. Save Your servants. R. Who hope in You, O my God. V. Be to us, O Lord, a tower of strength. R. Against the power of the enemy. V. Let not the enemy prevail against us. R. Nor the son of evil have power to hurt us . V. Lord, deal not with us according to our sins. R. Nor requite us according to our evil doings. V. Let us pray for our Sovereign Pontiff N. R. The Lord watch over him and give him life and happiness on earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies. V. Let us pray for our benefactors. R. Be so kind, O Lord as to give eternal life to all those who do us good for Your name's sake. Amen. V. Let us pray for the faithful departed. R. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. V. May they rest in peace. R. Amen. V. For our brethren who are not with us. R. Save Your servants who put their trust in You, my God. V. Send them help, O Lord, from Your holy place. R. And from Sion protect them. V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to you.
(Here the celebrant rises, and remains standing till the end. All the rest remain kneeling.)
V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, it is according to Your nature always to show mercy and forgiveness. Receive our petition that we and all Your servants, bound by the chains of sin, may, by Your tender mercy, be pardoned.
We beg You, O Lord, hear our prayers as we kneel before You. Pardon our sins, as we confess them to You, so that You may, in Your kindness, give us pardon as well as peace.
In your kindness show us, O Lord, Your unutterable mercy, and at one and the same time free us from all our sins, and snatch us away from the punishment which we deserve for them.
O God, You are offended by sin, and placated by penance. Look with favor upon the prayers of Your people kneeling before You. Turn away the scourges of your anger which we have deserved for our sins.
Almighty, everlasting God, have mercy on Your servant N., our Sovereign Pontiff. Direct him, according to Your mercy into the path of eternal salvation so that, by Your grace, he may both desire those things that are pleasing to You, and may perform them with all his strength.
O God, all holy desires, good counsels, and just works come from You.
Give to Your servants that peace which the world cannot give, so that, with our hearts set to obey Your commandments, and freed from the fear of the enemy, we may pass our lives in peace under Your protection.
Inflame our hearts and our desires, O Lord, with the fire of the Holy Spirit, so that we may serve You with a chaste body, and please You with a pure heart.
O God, You are the creator and redeemer of all the faithful. Grant to the souls of Your servants departed the remission of all their sins, so that by our faithful prayers they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.
We beg of You, O Lord, direct our actions by Your holy inspirations, and carry them on by Your gracious assistance, so that every prayer and work of ours may always begin with You, and, begun through You, be happily ended.
Almighty and everlasting God, You have dominion over the living and the dead. You are merciful to all who You foreknow shall be Yours by faith and good works. We humbly beg of You, that they for whom we have intended to pour out our prayers, whether this present world still detains them in the flesh, or whether the world to come has already received them out of their bodies, may, through the prayers of all Your saints, by the mercy of Your goodness obtain the remission of all their sins through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit V. May the almighty and merciful God hear and answer us. R. Amen. V. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. R. Amen.
(This done, the celebrant leaves the sanctuary and vests for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Mass will always be that of the Rogation Days, which follows:
Exsurge, Domine, adjuva nos, et libera nos propter nomen tuum. Ps. Deus, auribus nostris audivimus: patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis. Gloria Patri, et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Exsurge, Domine, adjuva nos, et libera nos propter nomen tuum.
Litaniae Sanctorum
Kyrie, Eleison. Christe, Eleison. Kyrie, Eleison. Christe, audi nos. Christe, exaudi nos. Pater de caelis, Deus, Miserere Nobis. Fili Redemptor mundi, Deus, Miserere Nobis. Spiritus Sancte, Deus, Miserere Nobis. Sancta Trinitas, unus Deus, Miserere Nobis.
(as soon as the invocation Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis has been sung all rise. As the chanting of the litany of the Saints continues the procession begins. The cross and the lighted candles are borne at the head of the procession. N.B. The procession is made according to the custom of the parish. No religious procession may go beyond the limits of the church property without the express permission of the Ordinary.)
Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis. Sancta Dei Genitrix, ora pro nobis. Sancta Virgo virginum, ora pro nobis. Sancte Michael, ora pro nobis. Sancte Gabriel, ora pro nobis. Sancte Raphael, ora pro nobis. Omnes sancti Angeli et Archangeli, orate pro nobis. Omnes sancti beatorum spirituum ordines, orate pro nobis. Sancte Joannes Baptista, ora pro nobis. Sancte Joseph, ora pro nobis. Omnes sancti Patriarchae et Prophetae, orate pro nobis. Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis. Sancte Paule, ora pro nobis. Sancte Andrea, ora pro nobis. Sancte Jacobe, ora pro nobis. Sancte Joannes, ora pro nobis. Sancte Thoma, ora pro nobis. Sancte Jacobe, ora pro nobis. Sancte Philippe, ora pro nobis. Sancte Bartholomaee, ora pro nobis. Sancte Matthaee, ora pro nobis. Sancte Simon, ora pro nobis. Sancte Thaddaee, ora pro nobis. Sancte Matthia, ora pro nobis. Sancte Barnaba, ora pro nobis. Sancte Luca, ora pro nobis. Sancte Marce, ora pro nobis. Omnes sancti Apostoli et Evangelistae, orate pro nobis.. Omnes sancti Discipuli Domini, orate pro nobis. Omnes sancti Innocentes, orate pro nobis. Sancte Stephane, ora pro nobis. Sancte Laurenti, ora pro nobis. Sancte Vincenti, ora pro nobis. Sancti Fabiane et Sebastiane, orate pro nobis. Sancti Joannes et Paule, orate pro nobis. Sancti Cosma et Damiane, orate pro nobis. Sancti Gervasi et Protasi, orate pro nobis. Omnes sancti Martyres, orate pro nobis. Sancte Silvester, ora pro nobis. Sancte Gregori, ora pro nobis. Sancte Ambrosi, ora pro nobis. Sancte Augustine, ora pro nobis. Sancte Hieronyme, ora pro nobis. Sancte Martine, ora pro nobis. Sancte Nicolae, ora pro nobis. Omnes sancti Pontifices et Confessores, orate pro nobis. Omnes sancti Doctores, orate pro nobis. Sancte Antoni, ora pro nobis. Sancte Benedicte, ora pro nobis. Sancte Bernarde, ora pro nobis. Sancte Dominice, ora pro nobis. Sancte Francisce, ora pro nobis. Omnes sancti Sacerdotes et Levitae, orate pro nobis. Omnes sancti Monachi et Eremitae, orate pro nobis. Sancta Maria Magdalena, ora pro nobis. Sancta Agatha, ora pro nobis. Sancta Lucia, ora pro nobis. Sancta Agnes, ora pro nobis. Sancta Caecilia, ora pro nobis. Sancta Catherina, ora pro nobis. Sancta Anastasia, ora pro nobis. Omnes Sanctae Virgines et Viduae, orate pro nobis. Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei, intercedite pro nobis. Propitius esto, parce nobis, Domine. Propitius esto, exaudi nos, Domine.
Ab omni malo, libera nos, Domine. Ab omni peccato, libera nos, Domine. Ab ira tua, libera nos, Domine. A subitanea et improvisa morte, libera nos, Domine. Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ab ira, et odio, et omni mala voluntate, libera nos, Domine. A spiritu fornicationis, libera nos, Domine. A fulgure et tempestate, libera nos, Domine. A flagello terraemotus, libera nos, Domine. A peste, fame, et bello, libera nos, Domine. A morte perpetua, libera nos, Domine. Per mysterium sanctae Incarnationis tuae, libera nos, Domine. Per Adventum tuum, libera nos, Domine. Per Nativitatem tuam, libera nos, Domine. Per Baptismum et sanctum Jejunium tuum, libera nos, Domine. Per Crucem et Passionem tuam, libera nos, Domine. Per Mortem et Sepulturam tuam, libera Per sanctam Resurrectionem tuam, libera nos, Domine. Per admirabilem Ascensionem tuam, libera nos, Domine. Per adventum Spiritus Sancti Paracliti, libera nos, Domine. In die judicii, libera nos, Domine.
Peccatores, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut nobis parcas, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut nobis indulgeas, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut ad veram poenitentiam nos perducere digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut ecclesiam tuam sanctam regere, et conservare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut domnum apostolicum, et omnes ecclesiasticos ordines in sancta religione conservare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae ecclesiae humiliare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut regibus et principibus christianis pacem et veram concordiam donare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut cuncto populo christiano pacem et unitatem largiri digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut omnes errantes ad unitatem ecclesiae revocare, et infideles universos ad evangelii lumen perducere digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut nosmetipsos in tuo sancto servitio confortare, et conservare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut mentes nostras ad caelestia desideria erigas, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut omnibus benefactoribus nostris sempiterna bona retribuas, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut animas nostras, fratrum, propinquorum, et benefactorum nostrorum ab aeterna damnatione eripias, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut fructus terrae dare, et conservare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut omnibus fidelibus defunctis requiem aeternam donare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut nos exaudire digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Fili Dei, te rogamus, audi nos.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, parce nobis, Domine. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, exaudi nos. Domine. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Christe, audi nos. Christe, exaudi nos. Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.
Pater noster (secreto usque ad) V. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem. R. Sed libera nos a malo.
PSALMUS 69
Deus in adjutorium meum intende: / Domine ad adjuvandum me festina.
Confundantur, et revereantur, / qui quaerunt animam meam.
Avertantur retrorsum et erubescant, / qui volunt mihi mala.
Avertantur staim erubescentes, / qui dicunt mihi: Euge, euge.
Exsultent et laetentur in te omnes qui quaerunt te, / et dicant semper: Magnificetur Dominus: qui diligunt salutare tuum.
Ego vero egenus, et pauper sum: / Deus, adjuva me.
Adjutor meus, et liberator meus est tu: Domine, ne moreris.
Gloria Patri, et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
V. Salvos fac servos tuos. R. Deus meus, sperantes in te. V. Esto nobis, Domine, turris fortitudinis. R. A facie inimici. V. Nihil proficiat inimicus in nobis. R. Et filius inquitatis non apponat nocere nobis. V. Domine, non secundum peccata nostra facias nobis. R. Neque secundum iniquitates nostras retribuas nobis. V. Oremus pro Pontifice nostro N. R. Dominus conservet eum et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum ejus. V. Oremus pro benefactoribus nostris. R. Retribuere dignare, Domine, omnibus bona facientibus propter nomen tuum vitam aeternam. Amen. V. Oremus pro fidelibus defunctis. R. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. V. Requiescant in pace. R. Amen. V. Pro fratribus nostris absentibus. R. Salvos fac servos tuos, Deus meus, sperantes in te. V. Mitte eis, Domine, auxilium de sancto. R. Et de Sion tuere eos. V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam. R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat. V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oremus
Deus, cui proprium est misereri semper et parcere suscipe deprecationem nostram, ut nos, et omnes famulos tuos, quos delictorum catena constringit, miseratio tuae pietatis clementer absolvat.
Exaudi, quaesumus, Domine, supplicum preces, et confitentium tibi parce peccatis: ut pariter nobis indulgentiam tribuas benignus, et pacem.
Ineffabilem nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam clementer ostende: ut simul nos et a peccatis omnibus exuas, et a poenis, quas pro his meremur, eripias.
Deus, qui culpa offenderis poententia placaris, preces populi tui supplicantis propitius respice: et flagella tuae iracundiae, quae pro peccatis nostris meremur averte.
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, miserere famulo tuo Pontifici N., et dirige eum secundum tuam clemen tiam in viam salutis ae ternae: ut, te donante, tibi placita cupiat, et tota virtute perficiat.
Deus, a quo sancta desideria, recta consilia, et justa sunt opera, da servis tuis illam, quam mundus dare non potest, pacem: ut et corda nostra mandatis tuis dedita, et hostium sublata formidine, tempora sint tua protectione tranquilla.
Ure igne Sancti Spiritus renes nostros, cor nostrum, Domine: ut tibi casto corpore serviamus, et mundo corde placeamus.
Fidelium, Deus, omnium conditor et redemptor, animabus famulorum, famularumque tuarum remissionem cunctorum tribue peccatorum, ut indulgentium quam semper Optaverunt, piis supplicationibus consequantur.
Actiones, nostras, quaesumus, Domine, aspirando praeveni, et adjuvando prosequere: ut cuncta nostra oratio, et operatio a te semper incipiat, et per te coepta finiatur.
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui vivorum dominaris simul et mortuorum, omniumque, misereris, quos tuos fide et opere futuros esse praenoscis: te supplices exoramus, ut pro quibus effundere preces decrevimus, quosque vel praesens saeculum adhuc in carne retinet vel futuram jam exutos corpore suscepit, intercedentibus omnibus Sanctis tuis, pietatis tuae clementia, omnium delictrum suorum veniam consequantur. Per Dominum nostrum Jesus Christum Filium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. R. Amen.
V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. V. Exaudiat nos omni potens et misericors Dominus. R. Amen. V. Et fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. R. Amen.
MASS OF ROGATION DAYS
INTROIT
(Ps. 17:7) From his temple he heard my voice, alleluia; and my cry to him reached his ears, alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 17:2-3) I love you, O Lord, my strength, O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. 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. From his temple he heard my voice, alleluia; and my cry to him reached his ears, alleluia, alleluia.
COLLECT
Grant, we beg of You, O almighty God, that we, who in our affliction confide in Your mercy, may be ever defended by Your protection against all adversity, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
EPISTLE
(James 5:16-20) Confess, therefore, your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be saved. For the unceasing prayer of a just man is of great avail. Elias was a man like ourselves, subject to the same infirmities; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain upon the earth, and it did not rain for three years and six months. He prayed again, and the heavens gave rain and the earth brought forth its fruit. My brethren, if any one of you strays from the truth and someone brings him back, he ought to know that he who causes a sinner to be brought back from his misguided way, will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia (Ps. 117:1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
GOSPEL
(Luke 11:5-13) At that time Jesus said to his disciples: "Which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him in the middle of the night and say to him. 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has just come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he from within should answer and say, 'Do not disturb me; the door is now shut, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give to you.' "I say to you, although he will not get up and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him all he needs. And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened. But if one of you asks his father for a loaf, will he hand him a stone? or for a fish, will he for a fish hand him a serpent? or if he asks for an egg, will he hand him a scorpion? Therefore, if you, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Good Spirit to those who ask him!"
OFFERTORY
(Ps. 108:30-31) I will speak my thanks earnestly to the Lord, and in the midst of the throng I will praise him, for he stood at the right hand of the poor man, to save him from those who would condemn him.
SECRET
May these offerings, O Lord, we beg of You, both free us from the bonds of our wickedness, and obtain for us the gifts of Your mercy, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
PREFACE FOR EASTER
It is truly right and just, proper and availing unto salvation, that at all times, but more especially at this season, we should extol Your glory, O Lord, when Christ our Pasch was sacrificed. For He is the true Lamb that has taken away the sins of the world. By dying He has overcome our death, and by rising again He has restored our life. And therefore with angels and archangels, with thrones and dominions, and with all the heavenly powers, we sing a hymn to Your glory, saying without ceasing:
COMMUNION
(Luke 11:9-10) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened, alleluia.
POSTCOMMUNION
Look with kindly favor upon our prayers, O Lord, so that when, in time of trial we receive Your gifts, we may be comforted and grow in love of You, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
MASS OF THE SACRED HEART
FIRST FRIDAY
INTROIT
(Ps. 32:11, 19) The plan of the Lord Stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (Ps. 32:1) Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting. 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. The plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.
COLLECT
O God, in the Heart of Your Son, wounded by our sins, You are kind enough in Your mercy to bestow on us the infinite treasures of Your love. Grant we beg of You that we may offer Him devout homage, loving service, and fitting reparation, through the same Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
EPISTLE
(Ephes. 3:8-19) A reading from the letter of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians. Brethren: To me, the very least of all saints, there was given this grace, to announce among the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all men as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been hidden from eternity in God, who created all things; in order that through the Church there be made known to the Principalities and the Powers in the heavens the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have assurance and confident access through faith in him. Therefore I pray you not to be disheartened at my tribulations for you, for they are your glory. For this reason I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth receives its name, that he may grant you from his glorious riches to be strengthened with power through his Spirit unto the progress of the inner man; and to have Christ dwelling through faith in your hearts; so that, being rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
GRADUAL
(Ps. 24:8-9) Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way.
Alleluia, alleluia. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart: and you will find rest to your souls. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
(John 19:31-37) At that time, the Jews, since it was the Preparation Day, in order that the bodies might not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a solemn day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other, who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs; but one of the soldiers opened his side with a lance, and immediately there came out blood and water. And he who saw it has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he tells the truth, that you also may believe. For these things came to pass that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall you break." And again another Scripture says, "They shall look upon him whom they have pierced."
OFFERTORY
(Ps. 68:21) Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak; I looked for sympathy, but there was none; for comforters, and I found none.
SECRET
Look, we pray You, O Lord, on the unutterable love in the Heart of Your beloved Son. Let our offerings be a gift accepted by You and an atonement for our sins, through the same Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
PREFACE FOR THE SACRED HEART
It is truly right and just, proper and availing unto salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O holy Lord, Father almighty, and everlasting God. You willed that Your only-begotten Son should be pierced with the soldier's lance as He hung upon the cross; and that from His opened Heart, as from a sanctuary of divine bounty, streams of mercy and grace might be poured out upon us; and that in His Heart, always burning with love for us, the devout might find a haven of rest, and the penitent a refuge of salvation. And therefore, with angels and archangels, with thrones and dominions, and with all the heavenly armies, we sing a hymn to Your glory, saying without ceasing:
COMMUNION
(John 19:34) One of the soldiers opened his side with a lance, and immediately there came out blood and water.
POSTCOMMUNION
May Your holy sacrament, O Lord Jesus, produce in us a divine fervor making us able to perceive the sweetness of Your loving Heart, so that we may learn to despise the things of earth and love those of heaven, who live and are King and God in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
HARVEST PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION
Arise! the cold blasts from earth have receded, And in the fields are lovely flowers smiling, For thee O gracious Mother, bearer of Life. Arise, O Mary!
Beautiful Lily blooming 'mid the brambles, Death's haughty author thou alone didst conquer, Plucking the life-giving tree of fruits the fathers By sin did not taste . . .
Thou handmaid, faithful to the Ruler of hearts, Thy flesh cruel decay could never even touch, Thy soul of Spirit partaking without end, has winged to the stars.
Leaning on thy beloved, arise, go heav'nward! Accept the crown with stars for thee bedecked, List to the hymn thy children sing on this day, Calling thee blessed.
Praise to the Triune Godhead everlasting. Who hath caused thee, O Virgin, to be crowned, And providently willed our queen thou shouldst be Also our Mother. Amen. --Hymn at Matins, Feast of the Assumption.
INTRODUCTION
"When this great feast of the Mother of God is celebrated, nature is still arrayed in her summer glories, although the harvest has already begun. At this time the Church blesses the finest grain, fruits, herbs, vegetables, and flowers.
"If by God's goodness there has been a rich harvest, we should remember that this temporal prosperity should prepare the way for eternal happiness."
God has richly blessed our nation. We have an abundance of food, sufficient clothing, and fine homes. However, thousands of young and old in other countries go hungry daily, have the poorest clothing, and hardly any shelter. The liturgy of the Church on this feast day offers us an opportunity to give thanks to our heavenly Father, for His beneficent blessings.
City and country people will surely join in these prayers, and present themselves and their finest grain, fruits, herbs, vegetables, and flowers for blessing.
As we utter a prayer of thanksgiving and beg continued blessings, may we also ask our Blessed Mother to help us overcome the problems that oft times prevent our sharing these good blessings with other peoples.
(Immediately preceding the Mass, the priest stands before the altar and faces the people, who present the sheaves of new grain, the finest fruits of the orchards, garden vegetables, flowers, and new herbs. The following prayers are said and the produce is blessed.)
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth.
Psalm 64
To you we owe our hymn of praise, O God, in Sion;
To you must vows be fulfilled, you who hear prayers.
To you all flesh must come because of wicked deeds.
We are overcome by our sins; it is you who pardon them.
Happy the man you choose, and bring to dwell in your courts.
May we be filled with the good things of your house, the holy things of your temple!
With awe-inspiring deeds of justice you answer us, O God our savior,
The hope of all the ends of the earth and of the distant seas.
You set the mountains in place by your power, you who are girt with might;
You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves and the tumult of the peoples.
And the dwellers at the earth's ends are in fear at your marvels; the farthest east and west you make resound with joy.
You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain.
Thus have you prepared the land; drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods.
Softening it with showers, blessing its yield.
You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it, and rejoicing clothes the hills.
The fields are garmented with flocks and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
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.
V. The Lord will deal kindly. R. And our land will bring forth its fruit. V. You water the mountains from Your palace. R. The earth will be filled with the fruit of Your works. V. Raising grass for the cattle. R. And vegetation for men's use. V. So that You may produce bread from the earth. R. And wine to gladden men's hearts. V. So that his face may gleam with oil. R. And bread may fortify the hearts of men. V. He has sent His Word, and healed them. R. And drawn them out from all their troubles. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, by Your Word You have created out of nothing heaven and earth, the sea and things visible and invisible. You have also directed that the earth bring forth herbs and trees for the use of men and animals, and that each plant should have fruit according to the seed that was planted. You have also been so very kind as to grant that herbs should be not only food for the healthy, but also medicine for the sick. With mind and lips we humbly beg You in Your mercy to bless these herbs and fruits. Over and above the natural powers with which You have endowed them, pour upon them the grace of Your new blessing, so that, applied in Your name to the uses of man and beast, they may become a protection against all sicknesses and misfortune, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
O God, You commanded the sons of Israel, through Your servant Moses, to bring bundles of new fruits to the priests to be blessed, and to bring the fruit of the finest tree, and to be happy before You, their Lord and God. Kindly hear our prayers, and pour the richness of Your blessing upon these bundles of fresh fruit, fresh herbs, and newly-gathered produce, which we offer to You with thanks. On this feast day we bless them in Your name. Grant that they may be a remedy for men, herds, flocks, and beasts of burden against all ills, plagues, sores, evils, curses, poisonous serpents, and the bite of other poisonous animals and beasts, and against every poison. Grant also that, in whatever place they may be put or carried, or where any part of them be kept, they may bring aid against all deceits, and tricks, and frauds of the devil. Grant, by the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Assumption we celebrate, that we may, with our sheaves of good works, deserve to be received into that place to which she was taken, through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of God the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen.
Let us pray.
O God, on this day You took the Rod of Jesse, the Mother of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to the very summit of heaven, so that You might, by her prayers and patronage, give the fruit of her womb, Your Son, to mortal men. We humbly pray You that by the power of Your Son and by His Mother's glorious patronage, we may by the help of these fruits of the earth, work out our eternal salvation by means of our temporal well-being, through the same Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. R. Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon these things that He has made, and remain always. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water, and incensed.)
THE MASS OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
INTROIT
(Apoc. 12:1) A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. (Ps. 97:1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds. 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. A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, You took up into heavenly glory, in body and soul, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of Your Son. Grant, we beg of You, that, ever intent on heavenly things, we may be worthy to share in her glory, through the same Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
EPISTLE
(Judith 13:22-25) The Lord has blessed You by his power, because by you he has brought our enemies to naught. Blessed are You, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth. Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who has directed you to the cutting off the head Of the prince of our enemies, because he has so magnified your name this day, that your praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord forever; for that you have not spared your life, by reason of the distress and tribulation of your people, but have prevented our ruin in the presence of our God. You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you are the honor of our people.
GRADUAL
(Ps. 44:11, 12, 14) Hear, O daughter and see; turn your ear, so shall the king desire your beauty. All glorious is the king's daughter as she enters; her raiment is threaded with spun gold.
Alleluia, alleluia. Mary is taken up into heaven: the host of angels rejoice. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
(Luke 1:41-50) At that time, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice saying, "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb! And how have I deserved that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, the moment that the sound of the greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who has believed, because the things promised her by the Lord shall be accomplished." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; and his mercy is from generation to generation to those who fear him."
OFFERTORY
(Gen. 3:15) I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed.
SECRET
May the offering of our devotions ascend to You, O Lord, and through the intercession of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, taken up into heaven, may our hearts, fired by the flame of charity, incessantly long for You, through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
COMMUNION
(Luke 1:48-49) All generations shall call me blessed, because he who is mighty has done great things for me.
POSTCOMMUNION
Having received Your salutary sacraments, grant, we beg You, O Lord, that through the merits and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was taken up into heaven, we may be brought to the glory of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS FOR THE FAMILY AND PARISH OBSERVANCE OF THANKSGIVING DAY
The custom of proclaiming one day in the year as a National Day of Thanksgiving has taken deep root in America. Rural and urban families should acknowledge their dependency on God, their creator.
God has richly blessed our nation. We have an abundance of food, sufficient clothing, and fine homes. However, many young and old in other countries go hungry daily, have the poorest of clothing, and hardly any shelter. Thanksgiving Day offers us an opportunity to give thanks to God for His beneficent blessings. The following prayers are traditional, scriptural, and rich in content. They are prayers of thanksgiving. May they be said in many homes and parishes throughout this land.
(The National Catholic Rural Life Conference suggests this program for Thanksgiving Day:)
Family participation at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and reception of Holy Communion.
During Mass the people recite (privately) the three prayers from the Mass of Thanksgiving.
After Mass, the prayer for the church and state by Archbishop Carroll.
Recitation of the Canticle of the Three Youths, in procession (if desired), with presentation of selected grains and fruits of the harvest.
Liturgical Harvest Blessing.
Private or public recitation (at home or in the church) of Psalm 64 and A Farmer's Prayer of Thanksgiving.
Closing of Solemn Novena to St. Isidore.
PRAYERS FROM THE VOTIVE MASS OF THANKSGIVING COLLECT
O God, whose mercies are beyond number, and of whose goodness there is an infinite treasure, we give thanks to Your sovereign majesty for the gifts You have bestowed on us, and beg for Your continued clemency, that, as You grant the petitions of those who ask You, You will never forsake them, but will prepare them for the reward to come. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
SECRET
Accept, O Lord, this fragrant sacrifice, together with the thanks which we render to You; evermore keep from harm those whom You have deigned graciously to hear and to preserve; and grant that they may serve You and love You more and more. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
POSTCOMMUNION
O God, who allows that none who hope in You should be afflicted beyond endurance, but listens kindly to our prayers; we thank You for having heard our requests and granted our desires, and devoutly entreat You that what we have received may make us worthy to be delivered from all adversities. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
PSALM 64:10-14
You have visited the land and watered it; / greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled; / you have prepared the grain.
Thus have you prepared the land, / drenching its furrows, / breaking up its clods.
Softening it with showers, / blessing its yield.
You have crowned the year with your bounty, / and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it, / and rejoicing clothes the hills.
The fields are garmented with flocks / and the valleys blanketed with grain. /They shout and sing for joy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.
PRAYER FOR CHURCH AND STATE By Archbishop Carroll
O almighty and eternal God, / You have, through Jesus Christ, revealed Your glory to all nations. / We pray you to preserve the works of Your mercy, / that Your Church, being spread through the whole world, / may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Your name.
We pray You, who alone are good and holy, / to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life / our Chief Bishop, the vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ, / in the government of His Church; /our own Archbishop and Bishop; / all other bishops, prelates and pastors of the Church; / and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry / and conduct Your people into the ways of salvation.
We pray You, O God of might, wisdom, and justice, / through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, / to assist with Your holy spirit of counsel and fortitude / the President of the United States, / that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Your people over whom he presides; / by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion, / by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy, / and by restraining vice and immorality. / Let the light of Your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, / and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, / so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, / the promotion of national happiness, / the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; / and may perpetuate to us the blessings of equal liberty.
We pray for his Excellency, the Governor of this state, / for the members of the Assembly, / for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, / that they may be enabled, by Your powerful protection, / to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.
We recommend likewise to Your unbounded mercy / all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, / that they may be blessed in the knowledge / and sanctified in the observance of Your most holy law; / that they may be preserved in union, / and in that peace which the world cannot give; / and after enjoying the blessings of this life, / be admitted to those which are eternal. Amen.
(In some parishes after the Mass, the people present selected samples of the harvested grain, fruit and other products of the fields and garden, for the liturgical blessing of the harvest. This presentation might be made in procession while reciting the Canticle of the Three Youths. If the procession does not take place, the articles can he held while the Canticle is recited and blessing given.)
CANTICLE OF THE THREE YOUTHS
Daniel 3:57-88, 56
(Priest and people alternate)
V. Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord; R. Praise and exalt him above all forever. V. Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord; R. You heavens, bless the Lord; V. All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. R. All you hosts of the Lord; bless the Lord. V. Sun and moon, bless the Lord; R. Stars of heaven, bless the Lord. V. Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; R. All you winds, bless the Lord. V. Fire and heat, bless the Lord; R. Cold and chill, bless the Lord. V. Dew and rain, bless the Lord; R. Frost and cold, bless the Lord. V. Ice and snow, bless the Lord; R. Nights and days, bless the Lord. V. Light and darkness bless the Lord; R. Lightning and clouds, bless the Lord. V. Let the earth bless the Lord; R. Praise and exalt him above all forever. V. Mountains and hills, bless the Lord R. Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord. V. You springs, bless the Lord; R. Seas and rivers, bless the Lord. V. You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord; R. All you birds of the air, bless the Lord. V. All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; R. Praise and exalt him above all forever. V. You sons of men, bless the Lord; R. O Israel, bless the Lord. V. Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; R. Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord. V. Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord; R. Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord. V. Ananias, Azarias, Misael, bless the Lord; R. Praise and exalt him above all forever. V. Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; R. Let us praise and exalt God above all forever. V. Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven; R. Praiseworthy and glorious forever.
BLESSING OF THE HARVEST
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty Lord God, You keep on giving abundance to men in the dew of heaven, and food out of the richness of the soil. We give thanks to Your most gracious majesty for the fruits of the field which we have gathered. We beg of You, in Your mercy, to bless our harvest, which we have received from Your generosity. Preserve it, and keep it from all harm. Grant, too, that all those whose desires You have filled with these good things may be happy in Your protection. May they praise Your mercies forever, and make use of the good things that do not last in such a way that they may not lose those goods that are everlasting, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
(And they are sprinkled with holy water.)
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Lord, I am grateful that I live in the country. I am glad to live close to the earth that You have made. I am happy to spend so much of my time in the open air, under the bright sun, the symbol of Your own justice and light. I am grateful for the rain and for the freshness that it brings--the rain, a symbol of Your rich and undying blessings.
I am happy to cooperate with You in Your work of continuous creation, by growing the food that men need to sustain life. By Your almighty power You make grow the seeds I plant. You fill the earth with minerals, You send the rain and the sun, the wind and the snow--and the dry, hard seeds I plant are raised to soft, green life. You have given men great wisdom and cleverness to build machines that make the labor of the farmer much less burdensome.
Dear Lord, I am in Your almighty hands. I depend upon You for everything. If I sow the seed and cultivate the young plants, and You do not see fit to give me a good harvest, I will be satisfied. You are the Lord and Master and creator of all things. You know what is good for me and what would do me harm. I trust You, absolutely without question.
I thank You again for choosing me to be a farmer. I beg of You never to let me forget its great advantages of closeness to You, absolute trust and confidence in You, and the fullness and richness of my life, close to the earth that You have made and have so marvelously blessed.
Lord, I am grateful that I am a farmer. Amen.
THE COMPANY OF SAINT ISIDORE
ST. ISIDORE and S. Maria, his wife, lived in the twelfth century. They were a very holy couple who had a deep love for the soil and found closeness to God in the sacred vocation of farming. They had only one child who died in youth. Their love of God, charity to neighbor, and faithfulness to work, gained for them the esteem of all who knew them.
Soon after their death they were honored as saints by public acclaim, and rich and poor have since paid special homage to them. On March 22, 1622, St. Isidore was canonized and declared the special protector of the city of Madrid and of all Spain. S. Maria was never officially canonized, but has been venerated as a saint by the Spanish people. Pope Innocent XII, on October 11, 1697, permitted her to be considered a saint by the universal Church.
The devout people of Spain organized the Archconfraternity of St. Isidore and gained for it ecclesiastical approval, enriched by many indulgences. St. Isidore was declared the patron of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and American farmers, on February 22, 1947, by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, and his feast day set each year for March 22.
In order to increase devotion to St. Isidore, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference organized in the United States the Company of St. Isidore. By special arrangement and permission, it has adopted the same requirements for membership as the Confraternity of St. Isidore in Madrid. The active members of the Company of St. Isidore are enrolled as members of the Archconfraternity of St. Isidore in Spain. Thus, they are able to participate in all the great spiritual benefits and indulgences of the original Confraternity of St. Isidore. At the same time, they also share in the special spiritual and material benefits and services that are extended to the members of the Company of St. Isidore in the United States.
PURPOSE
To develop a greater devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of the Fields, St. Isidore, and S. Maria, the patrons of working people, especially tillers of the soil.
To encourage the making of frequent visits to churches as was the custom of St. Isidore and his faithful wife.
To pray before, during, and after work.
To develop a sense of love and pride in physical labor, realizing especially the partnership with God which exists in caring for God's good earth.
To foster a sense of greater loyalty to the family unit, neighborhood, and parish.
To enlarge that feeling of love of neighbor so as to include one's fellow laborers all over the world.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP
1. Only baptized Catholics are eligible to membership. They must be practical Catholics, regular in Mass attendance and reception of the Sacraments.
2. Submit an application for membership and be accepted.
3. Be recommended by their pastor.
4. Recite the prayer of St. Isidore each day.
5. Give some special homage to St. Isidore and to Mary, Our Lady of the Fields.
6. Practice the virtues of justice and charity in their daily lives.
SERVICES TO MEMBERS
1. Membership card and medal of St. Isidore and S. Maria.
2. Quarterly publication, "The Harvest of St. Isidore."
3. Prayer leaflets and devotional material.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
1. Affiliation with Archconfraternity in Spain.
2. Indulgences resulting from this affiliation.
3. Solemn High Mass said at Cathedral in Madrid at the Altar of St. Isidore every week.
4. Remembrance in the Masses and Novenas at the Chapel of St. Isidore in the National Headquarters.
5. Remembrance in Masses said by the Diocesan Rural Life Directors.
6. To especially deserving members, the special title Knight of St. Isidore will be conferred. The privilege of wearing the cordon and coined medal on the feast of St. Isidore each year, March 22, and upon death to be buried wearing such cordon and medal.
INDULGENCES ATTAINABLE
A. A plenary indulgence can be gained in keeping with the usual conditions:
1. By each member on the day of reception. 2. By all members on the following:
a. Feast Days: Christmas, Circumcision, Ascension, Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, Immaculate Conception (December 8), Nativity of Our Lady (September 8), Annunciation (March 25), Purification (February 2), Assumption (August 15), All Saints (November 1), Feast of the Titular Saint of the Confraternity. b. Holy Thursday c. Once a month, when attending the Confraternity Mass and receiving Holy Communion.
B. Partial Indulgences can be gained by reciting the Act of Contrition:
1. Seven Years:
a. When exhorting a sick person in danger of death to receive the Sacraments and urging the relatives to make that possible. b. Each time a member urges his employees to fulfill the Easter duty. c. Each time a member assists at the solemn funeral services of another member. d. Each time a member is present for the procession in honor of the patron saint.
2. Three Years, for being present at the sacred functions and participating in the official meeting of the Confraternity.
3. 300 days:
a. For wearing the Confraternity medal at the assemblies of the Confraternity. b. For reciting the prayer in honor of St. Isidore or in honor of the Blessed Trinity. c. Each time that a pious work is performed in keeping with the aims of the Confraternity.
C. The indult of the privileged altar for all the Masses offered for any member who died in the state of grace.
NOTE: (In order to gain the plenary indulgence on the appointed days, it is necessary to receive Holy Communion and recite one Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, etc., for the intention of the Holy Father.)
Indulgences granted by The Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary November 22, 1955.
SELECTED PSALMS
In addition to the Psalms given here, twelve other Psalms are given in full in the text of the prayerbook.
PSALM 103
Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tentcloth; you have constructed your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot; you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers, and flaming fire your ministers.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it; above the mountains the waters stood.
At your rebuke they fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
As the mountains rose, they went down the valleys to the place you had fixed for them.
You set a limit they may not pass, nor shall they cover the earth again.
You send forth springs into the watercourses that wind among the mountains,
And give drink to every beast of the field, till the wild asses quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell; from among the branches they send forth their song.
You water the mountains from your palace; the earth is replete with the fruit of your works.
You raise grass for the cattle, and vegetation for men's use,
Producing bread from the earth, and wine to gladden men's hearts,
So that their faces gleam with oil, and bread fortifies the hearts of men.
Well watered are the trees of the Lord, the cedars of Lebanon, which he planted;
In them the birds build their nests; fir trees are the home of the stork.
The high mountains are for wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for rock- badgers.
You make the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows the hour of its setting.
You bring darkness, and it is night; then all the beasts of the forest roam about;
Young lions roar for the prey and seek their food from God.
When the sun rises, they withdraw and couch in their dens.
Man goes forth to his work and to his tillage till the evening.
How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all-- the earth is full of your creatures;
The sea also, great and wide, in which are schools without number of living things both small and great,
And where ships move about with Leviathan, which you formed to make sport of it.
They all look to you to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
If you hide your face, they are dismayed; if you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord be glad in his works!
He who looks upon the earth, and it trembles; who touches the mountains, and they smoke!
I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.
Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners cease from the earth, and may the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul! Alleluia.
PSALM 117
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron say, "His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the Lord say, "His mercy endures forever."
In my straits I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is with me; I fear not; what can man do against me?
The Lord is with me to help me, and I shall look down upon my foes.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
All the nations encompassed me; in the name of the Lord I crushed them.
They encompassed me on every side; in the name of the Lord I crushed them.
They encompassed me like bees, they flared up like fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I crushed them.
I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped me.
My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just:
"The right hand of the Lord has struck with power; the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
Though the Lord has indeed chastised me, yet he has not delivered me to death.
Open to me the gates of justice; I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord.
This gate is the Lord's; the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made; Let us be glad and rejoice in it.
O Lord, grant salvation! O Lord, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, and he has given us light.
Join in procession with leafy boughs up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I give thanks to you; O my God, I extol you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his kindness endures forever.
PSALM 127
Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; happy shall you be, and favored.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants around your table.
Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.
The Lord bless you from Sion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life;
May you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!
PSALM 146
Praise the Lord, for he is good; sing praise to our God, for he is gracious; it is fitting to praise him.
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars; he calls each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; to his wisdom there is no limit.
The Lord sustains the lowly; the wicked he casts to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise with the harp to our God,
Who covers the heavens with clouds, who provides rain for the earth;
Who makes grass sprout on the mountains and herbs for the service of men;
Who gives food to the cattle, and to the young ravens when they cry to him.
In the strength of the steed he delights not, nor is he pleased with the fleetness of men.
The Lord is pleased with those who fear him, with those who hope for his kindness.
PSALM 148
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights;
Praise him all you his angels, praise him, all you his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created;
He established them for ever and ever; he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all depths;
Fire and hail, snow and mist, storm winds that fulfill his word;
You mountains and all you hills, you fruit trees and all you cedars;
You wild beasts and all tame animals, you creeping things and you winged fowl.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples, the princes and all the judges of earth,
Young men too, and maidens, old men and boys,
Praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven, and he has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones, from the children of Israel, the people close to him. Alleluia.
A MEDITATION
The country is my life. Here in the Mass I see the meaning of that life. Throughout the world others kneel at Mass with me--other members of the Mystical Body--the factory workers who produced the machines on my farm and in my home, the harvester at Moline, the radio at Cincinnati, the car at Detroit, the tires at Akron, the furniture at Grand Rapids.
With me in this Mass, the perfect gift of love offered by our Lord to our Father in heaven, are the actor in New York, the printer in Chicago, the street cleaner in Brooklyn, the radio engineer at the Junction, the charwoman in the Empire State building, the truck driver on Route 34, and the union organizer in the smoke-filled room.
I offer . . . I adore . . . I thank. They too offer, adore, and thank, the same God!
I have done my chores early. Many of my fellow workers have worked all night. They may have gone to the five o'clock Mass or will attend the noon- day Mass. I am here kneeling at the early morning Mass, in our little rural church.
My prayer is but one note in that great chorus of prayer directed to God's heavenly throne. It reaches there as a unit from the Mystical Body of Christ on earth . . . "My Sacrifice and Yours". . .
How dare I think evil or be suspicious of my brother . . . fail to know him . . . fail to understand his problems . . . fail to cooperate . . . fail to help him in need . . . fail to love him?
Farming is my vocation. Here at Mass I am one with all the farmers of the world. Near and far from me they kneel, my fellow farmers: the beet worker in Montana, the hop picker in Washington, the vegetable gardener in New Jersey, the wheat harvester in North Dakota, the corn picker in Iowa, the fruit grower in California.
How can I look upon them as my competitors in a cruel world, in a fight for the survival of the fittest?
They are my brother plowmen and our common Father is a divine husbandman. The Mexican thinning beets, the colored man picking cotton, the Italian gardener, the Japanese, the migrant, are members of the same Mystical Body. Even closer to me than other workers throughout the world.
We fellow workers in the field have much in common: the heat, the sweat, the sunrise and the bright sunset, the breezes, the storms, the dancing clouds, the waning light of evening.
With the Three Young Men in the Fiery Furnace I, too, may proclaim:
"O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord; Praise and exalt him above all forever."
This land is my portion. Here at Mass with me in Christ are all whose portion it was before me, and all who shall come after me to have it for inheritance. My family kneels beside me. We worship together as we work together. Where we work, there do we live and worship.
My grandparents settled here many years ago. Their names are on one of the parish church windows. I hope my children's children will be here at Mass generations from now. The little white tombstones mark the resting place of my ancestors in the evergreen grove just beyond the sanctuary. There among the ashes of my fathers, I, too, will rest some day. In somno pacis! In the sleep of peace.
I must be proud of my family, of the very soil in which my children have their roots.
To my parish I owe loyalty; to my parish church, love; to my school, devotion. They have been to my family and me the heart, the core, the wellspring of all our growth.
In this little church in a country parish the lawyer, the doctor, the banker, and the storekeeper kneel beside me. They are my friends, members of my community. I am their brother.
I am a farmer. I am at Mass. My work in the field is but the prelude to the Offertory of the Mass. Each season brings the wheat and the grapes closer to the sacrificial altar. I am a simple but proud partner in God's ever new creation. How can I, a farmer, forget how noble is my calling? Can I consider my work not dignified? It is not merely clods of inert soil I work with, but millions of God's invisible creatures. It is not just a wheat stalk or a kernel I behold, but God's rain, sunshine, blue sky, captured therein and held prisoner, that on the altar it may again become a prisoner of love, a Sacrificial Victim. Ite Missa Est! --Rt. Rev. Msgr. L. Ligutti
THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC RURAL LIFE CONFERENCE 4625 Beaver Avenue Des Moines, IA 50310-2199
