Prayer

'Prayer is the effort to live in the spirit of the whole' - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

A short prayer when all else seems to fail

'Let God be God (in all you do)' - Meister Eckhart

Exploring Personal Prayer

Our desire for a deeper personal relationship with God is a hallmark of Christian Life. Communication is absolutely essential for the continuance, growth and health of any relationship and, for the Christian, a major area in which this takes place is through prayer. But what if prayer is not working for me? What if I’m stuck or bored or both, if prayer won’t come, if I cannot even get started? With whom can I share my difficulties, concerns or consolations?

North-East Prayer Guides Network is an ecumenical group, set up in 1995, committed to working together in a shared ministry of prayer guiding and working with the encouragement of local church leaders. The Network has a core group of ordained and lay people and is part of a wider movement that offers prayer guiding throughout Britain and Ireland.

At the invitation of the local clergy and people, the Network offers to provide co-ordination and prayer guides to work in your area, preferably on an ecumenical basis, once a week for a period of seven weeks. In the first and last weeks, participants meet together as a group, but in the five intervening weeks, participants meet their guide on a one-to-one basis for up to half an hour. Guides encourage people to talk about their prayer-life, explore the way God is working in their life and develop their relationship with God.

If you would like further information please contact: Ron Bates, Tel: 01642 761664.

Prayers

Please consider reciting the Prayer to St. Michael in response to the Holy Father's request to take up this prayer again which he said during his Regina Caeli on April 24th 1994:

"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians, 'Draw strength from the Lord and from his mighty power' (Eph:6;10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (Rev:12;7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St Michael throughout the Church. "St Michael the Archangel defend us in battle, be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil." Although today this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it, and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."

This prayer can be recited in the home, church or cathedral by individuals as well as by prayer groups and rosary groups. It can also be prayed as part of the Rosary itself in which it case it is prayed immediately after the 'Salve Regina'. It can also be said during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, or the Divine Office (esp. Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer or Compline) and can also be said as a private devotion in church after the Mass has ended (i.e. after the priest has processed out) by individuals, prayer groups or the whole congregation before they go home. In the 1962 (Old Rite) Latin Mass the Prayer is said by the priest and faithful together before the priest processes from the Church.

According to the Frequently Asked Faith Questions on the website of the Catholic Channel (EWTN), the Holy Father's request in 1994 is best fulfilled when all the faithful have met together to celebrate the Mass for then this prayer, if recited after the priest has left at the end of the Mass, whether it is said by an individual, a group of individuals or by all the faithful will not be a part of the Mass but a private devotion just as praying the Rosary before Mass is a private devotion.

Prayer to St. Michael

"St. Michael the Archangel defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the power of God, thrust down into Hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen."

In Latin,

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in praelio, contra nequitias et insidias diaboli esto praesidium: Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur, tuque, Princeps militiae caelestis, satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.

Prayers which may be used to make an act of spiritual communion

"My Jesus, I believe that Thou art Present in the most Holy Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace Thee as being already there and unite myself wholly to Thee. Never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen."

"O Jesus I turn toward the holy Tabernacle where You live hidden for love of me. I love You, O my God. I cannot receive You in Holy Communion. Come nevertheless and visit me with Your grace. Come spiritually into my heart. Purify it. Sanctify it. Render it like unto Your own. Amen."

Prayers on the contemplation of our mortality

Our Lord tells us no man knows the day and hour when He will return as the King Who will judge all peoples, so neither do we know the day and hour when we will be called to stand before Our Lord's Judgement Seat, it is both for this reason and especially in the post 9/11 world that the following are included.

To consecrate the two Last Hours of Our Life to the Most Holy Virgin

"Prostrated at thy feet, and humiliated by my sins, but full of confidence in thee, O Mary! I beg thee to accept the petition my heart is going to make. It is for my last moments, Dear Mother I wish to request thy protection and maternal love, so that in the decisive instant thou wilt do all thy love cn suggest on my behalf. To thee, O Mother of my soul, I consecrate THE LAST TWO HOURS of my life, Come to my side to receive my last breath and when death has cut the thread of my days, tell Jesus, presenting to Him my soul, "I LOVE IT." That word alone will be enough to procure for me the benediction of my God and the happiness of seeing thee for all eternity. I put my trust in thee, my Mother and hope it will not be in vain. O Mary! Pray for thy child and lead him to Jesus! Amen."

Offering of Holy Communion as Viaticum

"My God! If I am to die today, or suddenly at any time, I wish to receive this Communion as my Viaticum. I desire that my last food may be the Body and Blood of my Saviour and Redeemer; my last words, Jesus, Mary and Joseph; my last affection, an act of pure love of God and of perfect contrition for my sins; my last consolation, to die in Thy holy grace and in Thy holy love. Amen."

Other prayers

"Eternal Father, we humbly offer Thee our poor presence and that of the whole of humanity from the beginning to the end of the world at all the Masses that ever have or ever will be prayed. We offer Thee all the pains, suffering, prayers, sacrifices, joys and relaxations of our lives, in union with those of our dear Lord Jesus here on earth. May the Most Precious Blood of Christ, all His blood and wounds and agony save us, through the sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen!"

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen. "

"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, Present in all the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Thy Most Beloved Son and Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and the sins of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and the whole world."

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