Monthly Prayers & Prayer Request December

Please Submit Your Prayer Request The Saint Michael Center will receive your prayer request. Please be assured that your intentions have been presented in confidence into the hands of a Holy Priest and that they will be directly offered in Holy Mass, the highest and most sublime of all prayers, united with our prayers for you at the Saint Michael Center. May The LORD bless thee, and keep thee safe and healthy May The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The LORD lift up His Countenance upon thee, and grant thee His peace prayer request The Miracle PrayerLord Jesus, l come before You, just as I am. I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me In Your name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works. l give You my entire self. Lord Jesus, now and forever, I invite You into my life Jesus, I accept You as my Lord, God and Saviour. Heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul and spirit. Come Lord Jesus cover me with Your precious blood, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit, I love You Lord Jesus. I praise You Jesus. I thank You Jesus. I shall follow You every day of my life. Amen. SAY “THE MIRACLE PRAYER” ! BELIEVE IN MIRACLES. GOD LOVES YOU !

December Month Prayers

December 1^st

Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Charles was raised by his grandfather in Strasbourg, France, after his parents died. He was baptized but never really believed in the Christian life. He became an officer in the French army. De Foucauld resigned from the military at age 23 and set off on a dangerous exploration of Morocco. Contact with strong Muslim believers there and he began to repeat to himself: “My God, if you exist, let me come to know you.” He returned to France and, with the guidance of a priest, came back to his Catholic faith in 1886 at age 28. De Foucauld realized a vocation to “follow Jesus in his life at Nazareth” during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was a Trappist monk in France and Syria for seven years. He also lived as a hermit for a period near a convent of Poor Clares in Nazareth. He was ordained a priest in 1901 at age 43 and left for northern Africa to serve among the Tuareg people, a nomadic ethnic group, saying he wanted to live among “the furthest removed, the most abandoned.” He wanted all who drew close to him to find in him a brother, “a universal brother.” He dreamed of establishing two religious orders—the Little Brothers and the Little Sisters who would live their lives imitating Christ. All during his years away from the army, Charles had remained friends with some of the soldiers. He allowed them to store their weapons in his hermitage. Some people suspected Charles of being a spy and the Rebel forces killed Father Charles in 1916. Father Charles de Foucauld was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.

Blessed Charles de Foucauld’s Prayer of Abandonment

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you
with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.
Amen

Prayer to obtain a Favour through the intercession of Brother Charles

-Father de Foucauld
God Our Father, you called your servant Charles de Foucauld to discover the infinite greatness of your love by contemplating the life of Jesus of Nazareth, your Son, who became flesh, who humbled himself to the point of death, who was raised to life, and who sent the Holy Spirit as his first gift to those who believe.
May we find, as we lovingly read the Gospel, and as we adore the Eucharist, a fountain of inexhaustible life in Christ, and a missionary courage and energy which will bind us in a spirit of universal fraternity. Thus we can work together to bring about your plan for the salvation of all people. We ask you in particular to grant, by the intercession of your servant Charles de Foucauld, if this is in conformity with your will, this grace…. for… whom we commend to your fatherly heart.
We ask you this through Jesus, your beloved Son, Our Lord.
Amen

Prayer

God our Father, You have called Blessed Charles to live through your love in intimacy with your Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Grant that we may find in the Gospel the foundation of a more and more luminous Christian life and in the Eucharist, the source of universal kinship. Through Jesus Christ… [ our Brother and Lord…]

The prayer of Blessed Charles de Foucauld for Advent

Twenty days to go! The time is near…

Although that awaited Day will be Happy, how sweet today already is!
You are there, my God, at Mary’s bosom, you are there in that little house, adored by Her and by Joseph and the angels.
Take me to them, my Lord.
My Lord and my God, when I am in your Sanctuary, at the foot of the Tabernacle, are you not as close to me as you were to St. Joseph during Advent?
When You give Yourself to me in Holy Communion, are You not as close to me, as in me, as You were in the Holy Virgin?
My God, how happy I am, how happy I am.
But Lord, I beg You, convert me,
may I be at the foot of the Tabernacle, may I be in the Holy Communion,
may I be what I should be; may I no longer be indifferent, asleep before your Altar, so that I no longer receive your divine Body without reflection.
Convert me, convert me, my Lord, I pray in your Name!
Remind me that You promised to grant all that we ask
in Your Name and to give the good spirit to those who ask.
My God, give me the good spirit, Your Spirit, and make me spend this Advent
and all the days of my life in a way that glorifies You as much as I can;
As much as I can, as much as You will me to be, not nearly as much as the Blessed Virgin or St. Joseph, but as much as You will me to be, as much as I can with the Graces You give me;
Let me join Your Holy Family so lovingly, humbly, overwhelmed in admiration, in contemplation, in love, at Your feet, during this Advent, and always.
And what I ask of You for me,
I ask of You for all people,
and above all for those I must especially pray for,
in You, through You and for You.
Amen.

Collect Prayer

Loving God, help us to know you wherever we find you and seek to serve you in all people, that with your servant Charles de Foucauld, we may be faithful even unto death; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

December 3^rd

Saint Francis Xavier

The great missionary St. Francis Xavier was from a Basque noble family, like his beloved mentor St. Ignatius Loyola. When Francis met Ignatius in Paris he was a proud, autocratic, ambitious man wanting to accomplish great deeds in the world. Ignatius patiently encouraged Francis to look at his life differently. Ignatius asked Francis, “What profits a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Francis joined Peter Faber as the first of Ignatius’s companions. Francis then made the spiritual exercises under the direction of Ignatius, and in 1534, joined his little community, the infant Society of Jesus. Together at Montmartre they vowed poverty, chastity, obedience, and apostolic service according to the directions of the pope. He was ordained a priest in 1537. In 1541, Ignatius sent Francis Xavier for the mission in India. Arriving at the city of Goa in 1542, the missionary Francis Xavier traveled from Goa to Cape Comorin in south India, then to the East Indies, Malacca, and the Moluccas, and onward to Japan. It was Francis Xavier’s great ambition to get permission to enter China as a missionary. Before reaching the mainland, he died in 1552.St. Francis Xavier’s great ambition was to bring the world to Jesus Christ. He preached the Gospel to the poor and sick, spending most of his time ministering to their needs. His nights were taken up in prayer. He barely ate enough to stay alive. Xavier was beatified by Pope Paul V on Oct. 25, 1619, and canonized by Gregory XV on March 12, 1622 at the same ceremony as Ignatius of Loyola.

My Lord Jesus (By St Francis Xavier)

O my Lord Jesus! 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 ask for rest; to labour, seeking no reward, save that of knowing that I do Thy will.
Amen

My God

O God I Love you,
not simply to be saved,
and not because those who fail in love to you
will be punished with eternal fire.
You, you, my Jesus, have all-embraced me on the cross.
You have borne the nails, the lance, much ignominy,
numberless griefs, sweating and anguish, and death,
and these on account of me and for me, a sinner.
Why, therefore, should I not love you,
O, most loving Jesus,
Not that in heaven you shall save me,
nor lest for eternity you shall condemn me;
not with the hope of any reward,
but as you have loved me, so also will I love you,
only because you are my King,
and because you are my God.
Amen.

Prayer of Saint Francis Xavier for conversion of unbelievers

Eternal God, Creator of all things, remember that You alone have created the souls of unbelievers, which You have made according to Your Image and Likeness. Behold, O Lord, how to Your dishonor many of them are falling into Hell. Remember, O Lord, Your Son Jesus Christ, Who so generously shed His Blood and suffered for them. Do not permit that Your Son, Our Lord, remain unknown by unbelievers, but, with the help of Your Saints and the Church, the Bride of Your Son, remember Your mercy, forget their idolatry and infidelity, and make them know Him, Who You have sent, Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who is our salvation, our life, and our resurrection, through Whom we have been saved and redeemed, and to Whom is due glory forever.
Amen.

Prayer to St.Francis Xavier

O devoted Servant of God, Saint Francis Xavier, your heart was burning with love for Jesus. Impelled by his love, you went from country to country and spent yourself unto death to proclaim the name of Jesus and the good news of salvation. That is why the Father filled you with glory in heaven and preserved your body from corruption here on Earth. Filled with joy for these unique gifts, we join you in praising the Father.
And Now we ask your intercession for ourselves.
( Each one makes ones’s intention silently )
We ask you to obtain for us the fulfilment of these desires if they are pleasing to the Father. And for everything together with you we praise the Father, through Jesus in the Spirit.
Amen.

Powerful Intercessory Prayer to St. Francis Xavier

“Great Saint Francis,
well beloved and full of charity,
in union with you I reverently
adore the Divine Majesty.
I give thanks to God
for the singular gifts of grace
bestowed on you in life and
of glory after death,
and I beg of you,
with all the affection of my heart,
by your powerful intercession,
obtain for me the grace to live
a holy life and die a holy death.
I beg you to obtain for me …
(mention your petition).
But if what I ask is not for
the glory of God and for my
well-being, obtain for me,
I beseech you,
what will more certainly
attain these ends.”
Amen.

Novena To St. Francis Xavier

Most amiable and most loving St. Francis Xavier, in union with thee I reverently adore the Divine Majesty. The remembrance of the favours with which God blessed thee during life, and of thy glory after death, fills me with joy. I implore thee to obtain for me, through thy powerful intercession, the inestimable blessing of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beseech thee to obtain the special favour I ask of this Novena.
(Make your request here…)
PriestPray for us, St. Francis Xavier
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray

O God, Who didst vouchsafe, by the preaching and miracles of Saint Francis Xavier, to join unto Thy Church the nations of the Indies, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who reverence his glorious merits may also imitate his example, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

Pray three times…
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be To The Father…

December 4^th

Saint John Damascene

John spent most of his life in the Monastery of Saint Sabas near Jerusalem, and all of his life under Muslim rule, indeed protected by it. He was born in Damascus, received a classical and theological education, and followed his father in a government position under the Arabs. After a few years, he resigned and went to the Monastery of Saint Sabas. He is famous in three areas: First, he is known for his writings against the iconoclasts, who opposed the veneration of images. Paradoxically, it was the Eastern Christian emperor Leo who forbade the practice, and it was because John lived in Muslim territory that his enemies could not silence him. Second, he is famous for his treatise, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, a summary of the Greek Fathers, of which he became the last. It is said that this book is for Eastern schools what the Summa of Aquinas became for the West. Third, he is known as a poet, one of the two greatest of the Eastern Church, the other being Romanus the Melodist. His devotion to the Blessed Mother and his sermons on her feasts are well known.

Prayer of St. John Damascene

Holy Mary, daughter of King David
and Mother of God, the universal King;
All your desires are centered
only on what merits to be sought
and is worthy of love.
You harbor anger only for sin and its author.
You will have a life superior to nature,
but not for your own sake.
For it has not been created for you
but has been entirely consecrated to God,
who has introduced you into the world
to help bring about our salvation
in fulfillment of his plan,
the Incarnation of his Son
and the Divinization of the human race.

Collect Prayer

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may be helped by the prayers of the Priest Saint John Damascene, so that the true faith, which he excelled in teaching, may always be our light and our strength. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

A Prayer St.John Of Damascus

O Lord and Master Jesus Christ our God, who alone hast power to absolve men from their sins, for Thou art good and lovest all men, forgive all my transgressions done in knowledge or in ignorance, and make me worthy without condemnation to have communion of Thy divine and glorious and pure and life-creating mysteries. Let them not be for my punishment, or for the increase of my sins. But let them be for my purification and sanctification, as a promise of the life and kingdom to come, a defense and a help and a repulsion of every evil attacker and the removal of my many transgressions. For Thou art a God of mercy and generosity and love for mankind, and to Thee we send up glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.

St. John of Damascus Novena

Confirm our minds, O Lord, in the mysteries of the true faith, set forth with power by your servant John of Damascus, that we, with him, confessing Jesus to be true God and true Man, and singing the praises of the risen Lord, may, by the power of the resurrection, attain to eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for evermore.
Amen

(Mention your request here…)
Say:1Our Father…
Say 1: Hail Mary…
Say 1: Glory Be…

Prayer of Saint John Damascene, which is to be said while pointing at thy bed

O Master, Lover of mankind, is this bed to be my coffin, or wilt Thou enlighten my wretched soul with another day?

Behold, the coffin lieth before me; behold, death confronteth me. I fear, O Lord, Thy judgment and the endless torments, yet I cease not to do evil.
My Lord God, I continually anger Thee, and Thy most pure Mother, and all the Heavenly Hosts, and my Holy Guardian Angel.

I know, O Lord, that I am unworthy of Thy love for mankind, but am worthy of every condemnation and torment.

But, O Lord, whether I will it or not, save me.

For to save a righteous man is no great thing, and to have mercy on the pure is nothing wonderful, for they are worthy of Thy mercy.

But on me a sinner, show the wonder of Thy mercy; in this reveal Thy love for mankind, lest my wickedness prevail over Thine ineffable goodness and merciful kindness; and order my life as Thou wilt.

Prayer on the Memorial of the St.Damascene

Lord,
may the prayers of Saint John Damascene help us,
and may the true faith he taught so well
always be our light and our strength.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity with the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

December 6^th

Saint Nicholas

St. Nicholas, whose feast day is celebrated on Dec. 6, is well known as possibly the real-life inspiration for the beloved Christmas character of Santa Claus. Nicholas was born at Patara, a seaside town in Licia, in southern Turkey, in the third century. He came from a good family that raised him as a Christian. His life, from his earliest days, was marked by obedience. When he was orphaned at a young age, Nicholas, remembering the rich young man in the Gospel, used his inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the poor. He was elected Bishop of Myra, and under the emperor Diocletian was exiled and imprisoned. There are many stories and legends that explain his reputation as a just and upright man, charitable gift-giver, and miracle worker. It is said that St. Nicholas died in Myra, and was buried in his cathedral. St. Nicholas became recognized as a saint long before the Roman Catholic Church began the regular canonizing procedures in the late 10th century. Therefore, he does not have a specific date of canonization. In the Low Countries, and throughout Germanic lands generally, the winter feast of Saint Nicholas and his patronage of the young, gave rise to the tradition of giving gifts on his feast day: on the Eve of his feast, children would leave socks or shoes on a chair, or next to the fireplace, and go to sleep trusting that the following morning they would be filled with gifts.

A Prayer of Impetration to Saint Nicholas

Glorious St. Nicholas, my special patron, from thy throne in glory, where thou dost enjoy the presence of God, turn thine eyes in pity upon me and obtain for me from our Lord the graces and helps that I need in my spiritual and temporal necessities
(and especially this favor [mention your request], provided that it be profitable to my salvation).
Be mindful, likewise, O glorious and saintly Bishop, of our Sovereign Pontiff, of Holy Church, and of all Christian people. Bring back to the right way of salvation all those who are living steeped in sin and blinded by the darkness of ignorance, error, and heresy. Comfort the afflicted, provide for the needy, strengthen the fearful, defend the oppressed, give health to the infirm; cause all men to experience the effects of thy powerful intercession with the supreme Giver of every good and perfect gift. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
V.pray for us, O blessed Nicholas.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray
O God, who has glorified blessed Nicholas, thine illustrious Confessor and Bishop, by means of countless signs and wonders, and who dost not cease daily so to glorify him; grant, we beseech Thee, that we, being assisted by his merits and prayers, may be delivered from the fires of hell and from all dangers. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prayer to St. Nicholas as Patron Saint

God of joy and cheer,
we thank you for your servant,
the good bishop Nicholas.
In loving the poor,
he showed us your kindness;
in caring for your children,
he revealed your love.
Make us thoughtful
without need of reward
so that we, too, may be good followers of Jesus.

A Prayer to Saint Nicholas of Myra

O good St. Nicholas,
you who are the joy of the children,
put in my heart the spirit of childhood,
which the gospel speaks, and teach me to seed happiness around me.
You, whose feast prepares us for Christmas,
open my faith to the mystery of God made man.
You good bishop and shepherd,
help me to find my place in the Church
and inspire the Church to be faithful to the Gospel.
O good Saint Nicholas, patron of children, sailors and the helpless,
watch over those who pray to Jesus, your Lord and theirs,
as well as over those who humble themselves before you.
Bring us all in reverence to the Holy Child of Bethlehem,
when true joy and peace are found.
Amen.

St. Nicholas Day Prayer

Loving God, we thank you for
the example of St Nicholas,
who fed the hungry,
brought hope to the imprisoned,
gave comfort to the lost,
and taught the truth to all.
May we strive to imitate him
by putting you first in all we do.
Give us the courage, love and strength
of St Nicholas, so that, like him,
we may serve you through loving
our brothers and sisters.
Amen.

The Spirit of Childhood

O good holy Nicholas,
you who brought joy to children,
put in my heart the spirit of childhood
about which the Gospel speaks.
Teach me how to sow
happiness around me.
Amen.

A Prayer for Children

God, we pray that through the
intercessions of St. Nicholas
you will guide and protect our children.
Keep them safe from all harm
and help them grow to become
loving disciples of Jesus in your sight.
Give them strength to always mature
into deeper faith in you,
and to keep alive joy in your creation.
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

During Advent

Good St Nicholas,
Help us prepare for the miracle of the coming of Jesus.
Help us not to be blind to the gifts of getting ready.
Help us be sincere in the greetings we send and receive, with love and prayer.
Kind St. Nicholas, protect us from shoppers’ fatigue, stress, overspending, yet help us to be kind and generous of heart to all, especially those who are alone, financially poor and fearful.
May our celebration of your feast lead others to see the true meaning of giving and receiving and to guide all people to
the greatest of all gifts, even Jesus Christ, prince of peace and child of Mary, Our Lord and only saviour.
Amen

Prayer to Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas, faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, example of Christian love, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, helper of the poor and needy, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, champion of orphans and widows, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, protector of those who sail at sea, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, defender of the true faith, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, patron of children around the world, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, secret giver of gifts, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, the great wonderworker, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, our friend in Heaven, pray for us.
Amen.

December 7^th

Saint Ambrose

Saint Ambrose, also known as Aurelius Ambrosius, is one of the four original doctors of the Church. He was the Bishop of Milan and became one of the most important theological figure of the 4th century. Ambrose was born around 340 AD to a Roman Christian family. At about age 30, Ambrose became the governor of Aemilia-Liguria and took up residence in Milan. Ambrose remained Governor until 374 when he became the Bishop of Milan. After the former Bishop of Milan died, Ambrose attended the election to prevent any uproars between the Nicene Church and the Arians. While giving an address, the assembly began calling for him to become the next bishop. Ambrose was known for his Nicene beliefs, but Arians also favored him because he had previously shown charity in theological matters. However, being neither baptized or trained in theology, Ambrose refused to become the next bishop. He ran and attempted to hide, but within a week’s time, Ambrose was baptized, ordained and duly consecrated bishop of Milan on December 7, 374. As bishop, he donated all of his land and gave his money to the poor. Ambrose played an important role in the struggle against the Arian heresy, standing against them at a synod in Aquileia and refusing to turn over a church in Milan for their use. Ambrose frequently helped the poor, secured pardons for the condemned, and denounced social injustices in his sermons. He was always happy to educate people interested in becoming baptized. St. Ambrose is the Confessor and Doctor of the Church. He is the patron saint of bee keepers, beggars, learning and Milan, and his feast day is celebrated on December 7.

Prayer of St. Ambrose (Before Mass)

Lord Jesus Christ,
I approach your banquet table in fear and trembling,
for I am a sinner,
and dare not rely on my own worth,
but only on your goodness and mercy.
I am defiled by many sins in body and soul,
and by my unguarded thoughts and words.
Gracious God of majesty and awe,
I seek your protection,
I look for your healing.
Poor troubled sinner that I am,
I appeal to you, the fountain of all mercy.
I cannot bear your judgment,
but I trust in your salvation.
Lord, I show my wounds to you and uncover my shame before you.
I know my sins are many and great,
and they fill me with fear,
but I hope in your mercies,
for they cannot be numbered.
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal king, God and man,
crucified for mankind,
look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer,
for I trust in you.
Have mercy on me,
full of sorrow and sin,
for the depth of your compassion never ends.
Praise to you, saving sacrifice,
offered on the wood of the cross for me and for all mankind.
Praise to the noble and precious blood,
flowing from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away the sins of the whole world.
Remember, Lord your creature,
whom you have redeemed with your blood;
I repent my sins,
and I long to put right what I have done. Merciful Father, take away all my offenses and sins;
purify me in body and soul,
and make me worthy to taste the holy of holies.
May your body and blood,
which I intend to receive, although I am unworthy,
be for me the remission of my sins,
the washing away of my guilt,
the end of my evil thoughts,
and the rebirth of my better instincts.
May it incite me to do the works pleasing to you and profitable to

St. Ambrose Novena

Blessed servant of God, St. Ambrose, we pray today for Learning.
Intercede for us! God blessed you with faith, understanding and the great ability to preach the sweet words of the Gospel. Please pray for the education and wisdom of:
(Mention your intentions)
Holy St. Ambrose, you are called the Honey Tongued Doctor because of your ability to help others learn the Truth of Christianity. We invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear our prayers and obtain for us the special grace of knowledge and wisdom.
Lord God, you made St. Ambrose an outstanding teacher of the faith. We are in awe of his faith and so we ask that you pray for us…
Pray for us, that we will always seek truth.
Help us, St. Ambrose, to live our lives seeking truth and wisdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer by Saint Ambrose of Milan

O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of your Holy Spirit.

Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and enjoy You, for Christ’s sake.
Amen

A Prayer Of St. Ambrose Before Communion

I beg of you, O Lord, by this most holy mystery of Your Body and Blood, with which You daily nourish us in Your Church, that we may be cleansed and sanctified and made sharers in Your divinity. Grant to me Your holy virtues, which will enable me to approach Your altar with a clean conscience, so that this heavenly Sacrament may be a means of salvation and life to me, for You Yourself have said: “I am the living bread that has come down from heaven. If anyone eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Most Sweet Bread, heal my heart, that I may taste the sweetness of Your love. Heal it from all weakness, that I may enjoy no sweetness but You. Most pure Bread, containing every delight which ever refreshes us, may my heart consume You and may my soul be filled with Your sweetness. Holy Bread, living Bread, perfect Bread, that has come down from heaven to give life to the world, come into my heart and cleanse me from every stain of body and soul. Enter into my soul; heal and cleanse me completely. Be the constant safeguard and salvation of my soul and body. Guard me from the enemies who lie in wait. May they flee from the protecting presence of Your power, so that, armed in soul and body by You, I may safely reach Your Kingdom.

There we shall see You, not as now as in mysteries, but face to face, when You will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father, and will reign as God over all. Then You, who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and reign forever, will satisfy the hunger of my soul perfectly with Yourself, so that I shall neither hunger nor thirst again.
Amen.

December 8^th

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Immaculate Conception refers to the dogma that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of Original Sin in preparation for becoming the Mother of God, the Son Jesus Christ. The title of the Immaculate Conception recognizes Mary’s privilege of coming into the world free from sin. Through the power of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, every human being can be freed from sin at Baptism. Through that same power, Mary was always free from sin, even from that very first moment of life. This unique privilege enabled her to fulfill perfectly her unique mission as the Mother of God. The Church has celebrated the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a feast since perhaps as early as the fifth century, and it was made a Holy Day of Obligation in 1708.

Prayer to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

O most Holy Virgin, immaculate in body
and spirit, look kindly on me as I implore
your powerful intercession.

O most Holy Mother, receive my prayers
as I present them to God.
(State your intentions here)

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our mother,
you intercede for us with your son.
O Mary conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Amen.

Prayer To The Immaculate Conception

Father, you prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by his death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer To The Immaculate Conception

Father, the image of the Virgin is found in the Church. Mary had a faith that your Spirit prepared and a love that never knew sin, for you kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Trace in our actions the lines of her love, in our hearts her readiness of faith. Prepare once again a world for your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Immaculate Conception Novena

O most pure Virgin Mary conceived without sin, from the very first instant, you were entirely immaculate. O glorious Mary full of grace, you are the mother of my God – the Queen of Angels and of men. I humbly venerate you as the chosen mother of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Prince of Peace and the Lord of Lords chose you for the singular grace and honor of being His beloved mother. By the power of His Cross, He preserved you from all sin. Therefore, by His power and love, I have hope and bold confidence in your prayers for my holiness and salvation.

O Mother of the King of the Universe, most perfect member of the human race, “our tainted nature’s solitary boast,” we turn to you as mother, advocate, and mediator. O Holy Mary, assist us in our present necessity. By your Immaculate Conception, O Mary conceived without sin, we humbly beseech you from the bottom of our heart to intercede for us with your Divine Son and ask that we be granted the favor for which we now plead.

(State your personal intention here.)

Closing Prayer

Prayer To The Immaculate Conception

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, you did preserve Her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession, to come unto You.

Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
Amen.

December 9^th

Saint Juan Diego

Juan Diego was born in 1474 with the name “Cuauhtlatoatzin” (“the talking eagle”) in Cuautlitlán, Mexico. When he was 50 years old he was baptized by a Franciscan priest, Fr Peter da Gand, one of the first Franciscan missionaries. On 9 December 1531, when Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, the outskirts of what is now Mexico City. She asked him to go to the Bishop and to request in her name that a shrine be built at Tepeyac, where she promised to pour out her grace upon those who invoked her. The Bishop, who did not believe Juan Diego, asked for a sign to prove that the apparition was true. On 12 December, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac. Here, the Blessed Mother told him to climb the hill and to pick the flowers that he would find in bloom. He obeyed, and although it was winter time, he found roses flowering. He gathered the flowers and took them to Our Lady who carefully placed them in his mantle and told him to take them to the Bishop as “proof”. When he opened his mantle, the flowers fell on the ground and there remained impressed, in place of the flowers, an image of the Blessed Mother, the apparition at Tepeyac. With the Bishop’s permission, Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a small hut near the chapel where the miraculous image was placed for veneration. Here he cared for the church and the first pilgrims who came to pray to the Mother of Jesus. He died in 1548 and was buried in the first chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. He was beatified on 6 May 1990 by Pope John Paul II. In the year 2000, he was declared a Saint

Prayer to St Juan Diego

O St. Juan Diego, in appearances of Our Lady of Guadalupe, you, a humble peasant, were chosen as Her messenger. Your faithfulness in this task is evident still today, in the miraculous image the Virgin left upon your tilma. Intercede for me, I pray, that I might have your childlike trust in the mother of God, and that my heart might respond to her maternal promptings. Through such simple confidence, obedience, and love, may I join you one day in sharing everlasting joy, where our heavenly Mother reigns in the glory of her Son.
Amen.

Prayer to Saint Juan Diego

Saint Juan Diego, you are our first American indigenous saint.
Please pray that God the Father would protect all migrants through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Ask the Father to pour out the love of the Holy Spirit upon all
who are isolated, alone and separated by choice or necessity from their native lands.
May those torn away from their families and forced to leave their country to find work elsewhere be reunited: husbands with wives and parents with children.
We ask especially for migrant women and children who are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of human trafficking. Give them your protection and shield them from evil.
May we as a Church receive the grace to welcome with love migrants who enter into our country, seeking a home in our parishes and communities.
We ask for your prayers and intercession for all immigrants
who are desperate, alone and in need of God’s loving support.
And we ask Our Lady, who appeared to you as your mother and Mother of all in our land, to wrap her mantle of protection around all migrant people.
We beg for her love, compassion, help and protection on all immigrants who today experience great sufferings, sorrows, necessities and misfortunes.
Amen.

Prayer to St. Juan Diego (adapted from a sermon of Pope John Paul II)

St. Juan Diego, we entrust to you our lives so that, feeling the call to holiness, we may imbue every area of social life with the spirit of the Gospel. Bless our priests, deacons, sisters, and brothers. Bless families, strengthen spouses in their marriage, help parents to give their children a Christian upbringing. Look with favor upon the pain of those who are suffering in body or in spirit, on those afflicted by poverty, loneliness, marginalization, or ignorance. May all people, civic leaders and ordinary citizens, always act in accordance with the demands of justice and with respect for the dignity of each person, so that in this way peace may be fostered. Beloved Juan Diego, show us the way that leads to the Virgin, that she may receive us in the depths of her heart, for she is the loving, compassionate Mother who guides us to the true God.
Amen.

St. Juan Diego, Pray for us.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us.

Prayer to Saint Juan Diego

Saint Juan Diego, you were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe
as an instrument to show your people and the world
that the way of the Christian is one of love, compassion, understanding, values, sacrifices, repentance of our sins, esteem and respect for the creation of God, and above all, one of humility and obedience.
You, who we know are in the Kingdom of our Lord and near our mother, be our angel and protect us, stay with us while we fight in this modern life without knowing, most of the time, where to place our priorities.
Help us to pray to God, through the Heart of our Lady of Guadalupe
towards the Heart of Jesus, to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
and to use them for the good the humanity and the Church.
Amen

Litany to Saint Juan Diego

Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us. Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God, our Heavenly Father, Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary of Guadalupe, Pray for us.
Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, Pray for us.
Virgin of Guadalupe, star of the new evangelization, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, instructed in the doctrine of Christian love, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, eager to learn from the missionaries, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, pilgrim of faith, hope and charity, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who abandoned the shadows of paganism, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who loved poverty, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who practiced humility, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who remained pure of heart, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who saw paradise at Tepeyac, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who witnessed the apparitions, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, faithful messenger of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who heard the sweet voice of Mary, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who beheld the beauty of Mary, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who felt the tenderness of Mary, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, awestruck by the heavenly joy radiating from the lips of the most Holy Virgin, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who spoke with childlike trust in Mary, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, the most beloved son of Mary, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who obeyed Mary promptly, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who respected the divine authority of the bishop, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who suffered ridicule and rejection, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who knew how to be humble, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who knew how to be patient, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who knew how to persevere, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who knew how to be peaceful, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who renounced privileges, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who took care of your uncle Juan Bernardino with loving kindness, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who climbed the hill of Tepeyac, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who picked the roses on Tepeyac hill, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who offered yourself to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who witnessed the miracle of the roses clinging to your cloak, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, in whose cloak the Virgin remains always with us, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who venerated the Virgin of Guadalupe with heartfelt devotion, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who built a humble shrine in honor of the Virgin Mary, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who cared for her until your death, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, you who loved your wife, Maria Lucia, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who helped her embrace the truth of the Gospel, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who practiced perfect chastity in your marriage, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, worthy example for your brothers and sisters, Pray for us.
Saint Juan Diego, who devoted yourself with tender love to the holy service of God, Pray for us.

Let us pray

Oh, God, Perfect Father, that in the person of Saint Juan Diego you gave us a living example of simplicity, fidelity and love, through his intercession, grant us the requests we make with piety. Through Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

December 10^th

Our Lady of Loreto

The Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Loreto on 1oth December. Loreto refers to the Holy House of Loreto, in the house in which Mary was born, and where the angel Gabriel appeared to her at the Annunciation. According to tradition, a band of angels stopped up the house from the Holy Land, transporting it first to Tersato, Dalmatia in 1291, Recanati, Italy, in 1294, and finally to Loreto, Italy, where it has remained for centuries. It is this flight that has made Our Lady of Loreto the patron of people involved in aviation. The long life of the house led to her patronage of builders and construction workers. Our Lady of Loreto is the first shrine of international renown dedicated to Mary. Popes especially have always had a special connection to the Shrine of Loreto, and it is under their direct authority and protection.

Prayer to Our Lady of Loreto for Flying

O Holy Mother of God, our Lady of Loreto, patroness of aviation and air travelers. We come to thank you for all the graces and benefits bestowed on us. Full of trust in your powerful intercession, we fly to you, begging for your maternal solicitude and care. Listen to our supplications for the success of this flight and all the flights we may undertake. Do bless the pilots, the flight attendants, the technicians, and all of us, passengers, placed under their care. As we piously believe that your house in Nazareth was borne by angels to Loreto, so may you also bring us all safely to our destination here on earth and to our final home in heaven.
Amen.

The Novena to Our Lady of Loreto

Our Lady of Loreto, I implore your Holy Name, in union with your Holy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and your Holy husband St. Joseph, to help me find a home.
May I enjoy the peace and happiness that was found in your Holy House of Loreto, where you lived happily, by the grace and blessing that the Holy Father granted you.
Our Lady of Loreto, I implore you, to help me. I promise to consecrate my future home to you.
Holy Mother of Loreto grant us health, peace and happiness and help us in our lives.
Just like your house was Holy and blessed by God, I ask that my future house be blessed and protected by you and by God.
If you help me Holy Virgin and grant me my request
(mention your intentions here)
I promise to make you known to all my friends.
Our Father…
Hail Mary….
Glory to be…

Act of Consecration to Our Lady of Loreto

O Immaculate Virgin Mary, we come to thee with confidence: welcome this day our humble prayer and our act of consecration.

O Mother, thou didst carry thy Divine Saviour in thy most Pure Womb: receive our homage of faith and filial love as we come in spirit into thy Holy House. It is, by the Presence of the Holy Family, the holy home par excellence. And it is our wish that every Christian family be inspired by it.

From Jesus, all children learn to obey and to work. From thee, O Mary, all women learn humility and the spirit of sacrifice. From Joseph, who didst live for Jesus and for thee, all men learn to believe in God, to live in the family and in society with fidelity and honesty.

O Mary, we pray for our Pope and for the Universal Church, for our country and for all the nations of the world, for the suffering souls, for all sinners. And we all wish to consecrate ourselves to thee.

Spiritually Present in the Holy House, where thou didst Conceive by the Holy Spirit, we want to repeat with lively faith the words of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee!” We want to invoke thee still, saying: “Hail Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church!”

We turn to thee O Mary. Receive our consecration to thine Immaculate Heart. Totally thine, we wish to confirm by this act of love our unlimited love for Jesus, thy Son, and our hope in thee, our Mother. And thou, O Queen and Mother of Mercy, grant to thy children an abundance of Heavenly Blessings.
Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady Of Loreto

O glorious Virgin Mary of Loreto, we confidently come to thee: Accept our humble prayer.

Humanity is threatened by serious evils from which we would like to free ourselves, but on our own initiative. We need peace, justice, truth, love, and we delude ourselves that we can find these divine realities far from thy Son. O Mother, who carried the divine Savior in thy most pure bosom and lived with Him in the Holy House that we venerate on this hill in Loreto, obtain for us the grace to seek Him and to imitate His examples that lead to salvation. With faith and filial love, we spiritually travel to thy blessed House. Thanks to the presence of thy Family, this is the Holy House par excellence that must inspire all Christian families. From Jesus, every child learns obedience and hard work; from thee, O Mary, every woman learns humility and the spirit of sacrifice; from Joseph, who lived for thee and Jesus, every man learns to believe in God and to live in family and society with fidelity and rectitude.

Many families, O Mary, are not a sanctuary where God is loved and served; That is why we beseech thee to obtain for us the grace that our family may imitate thine by recognizing and loving thy Divine Son above all things and every single day. Just as after many years of prayer and work, He came out of this Holy House to make heard His Word, which is the Light and the Life, so also may all men hear the echo of His almighty word, which illuminates and converts, and which still reverberates on the holy walls that speak to us of faith and charity.

To thee, O Mary, we pray for the Pope, the universal church, Italy and all the peoples of the earth, ecclesial and civil institutions, sinners and all those who suffer, so that all may become disciples of God. O Mary, on this day of grace, spiritually united with thy devotees to venerate the Holy House where thou were overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, with living faith we repeat to thee the words of the Archangel Gabriel: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!

Once again, we pray Hail Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church, Refuge of Sinners, Consoler of the Afflicted, Help of Christians.

Among trials and frequent temptations, in danger of losing our souls, we look to thee and repeat Hail, Gate of Heaven, Hail, Star of the Sea! May our plea, O Mary, rise to thee and express, O Mother, our desires, our love for Jesus, and our hope in thee. May our prayer return to earth with an abundance of heavenly graces.
Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady Of Loreto

Lord have mercy Christ have mercy.
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 of the Church, Pray for us.
Mother of Mercy, Pray for us.
Mother of Divine Grace, Pray for us.
Mother of Hope, 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 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 honour, 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.
Solace of migrants, Pray for us.
Comfort of the afflicted, Pray for us.
Help of Christians, Pray for us.
Queen of Angels, Pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, 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 assumed into Heaven, Pray for us.
Queen of the most Holy Rosary, Pray for us.
Queen of families, Pray for us.
Queen of peace. Pray for us.

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.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we, your servants,
may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body;
and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin,
may be delivered from present sorrow,
and obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

December 11^th

Saint Damasus I

St. Damasus I, was born in 305, in Portugal, which was then part of the Western Roman Empire. His father, a widower, had received Holy Orders there and served as parish priest in the church of St. Laurence. Damasus started as a deacon in his father’s church, and served as a priest in what later became the basilica of San Lorenzo in Rome. He served Pope Liberius and followed him into exile. When Liberius died, Damasus was elected bishop of Rome; but a minority elected and consecrated another deacon, Ursinus, as pope. The controversy between Damasus and the antipope resulted in violent battles in two basilicas, scandalizing the bishops of Italy. Though the physical fighting stopped, Damasus had to struggle with these opponents throughout his years as pope. Supporters of the antipope even managed to get Damasus accused of a grave crime—probably sexual—as late as A.D. 378. He had to clear himself before both a civil court and a Church synod. Damasus may not have won this battle directly, but he won the war by initiating works that outlasted all his opponents. Not only did he commission the Vulgate translation but he also changed the liturgical language of the Church from Greek to Latin. He worked hard to preserve and restore the catacombs, the graves of the martyrs, and relics. Damasus was a writer. He wrote many epigrams on martyrs and saints. And he wrote one about himself that shows his humility and the respect he had for the martyrs.

Novena To Saint Pope Damasus I

O Saint Damasus, Bishop of Rome
who guided the bark of Peter through difficult waters,
who kept her on the course set for her by the Lord
even as she grew in this world
from a Church of the blood of martyrs
to one entering the light of day,
of acceptance by the city of man.
You who sought so diligently to preserve the memory of the martyrs
lest it should pass away,
and the Cross of Christ with it,
pray that today, too, the Church will remember its root,
the root of Jesse and His sacrifice,
and that as she grows
our Mother on earth will be well understood
by those called into her walls.
Pray that the martyrs pray for us,
that in their blood we will always find our growth.
Amen.

Saint Damasus, instead of worrying
about the short term of life on earth,
you took God’s view and looked to the things that last.
Pray for me that I may be able to look
beyond immediate popularity and fleeting favors,
and choose to do the things that God wants me to do.
Amen.

Collect Prayer

Grant, we pray, O Lord,
that we may constantly exalt the merits of your Martyrs,
whom Pope Saint Damasus so venerated and loved.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer To St Damasus I

Father,
as Saint Damasus loved and honoured your martyrs,
so may we continue to celebrate their witness for Christ,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer

Saint Damasus, you had within you a positivity to regard the quality of a Christian life as focal, in the short term of life on earth, and you took God’s view and looked to the things that last. You were a dedicated propagator of the faith and discerned the promptings of the Holy Spirit with piety and wisdom.
Pray for us, that we may be blessed with true purpose of spreading God’s Word with love and humility and look beyond immediate popularity and fleeting favors, choosing to do the things that God has designed for us to do. Pray that we may live fruitful, Christlike lives.
Amen.

December 12^th

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Virgin of Guadalupe appears on a piece of fabric, hundreds of years old, and depict an image said to be miraculous. The Virgin of Guadalupe was declared Queen of Mexico and is Patron of the Americas. Our Lady of Guadalupe first introduced herself as the Mother of God and the mother of all humanity when she appeared on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico in 1531 to an indigenous peasant, Juan Diego. After she had identified herself to him, Our Lady asked Juan to build her a shrine in that same spot, in order for her to show and share her love and compassion with all those who believe. Afterwards, Juan Diego visited Juan de Zumárraga, who was Archbishop of the Mexico City. Zumárraga dismissed him in disbelief and asked that the future Saint provide proof of his story and proof of the Lady’s identity. Juan Diego returned to the hill and encountered Our Lady again. The Virgin told him to climb to the top of the hill and pick some flowers to present to the Archbishop. Although it was winter and nothing should have been in bloom, Juan Diego found an abundance of flowers of a type he had never seen before. The Virgin bundled the flowers into Juan’s cloak, known as a tilma. When Juan Diego presented the tilma of exotic flowers to Zumárraga, the flowers fell out and he recognised them as Castilian roses, which are not found in Mexico. That tilma had been miraculously imprinted with a colorful image of the Virgin herself. This actual tilma, preserved since that date and showing the familiar image of the Virgin Mary with her head bowed and hands together in prayer, represents the Virgin of Guadalupe. It remains perhaps the most sacred object in all of Mexico. Over 20 million people visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe each year, now situated on the very same hill on which she appeared.

Prayer to the Virgin of Guadalupe

O Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, grant to our homes the grace of loving and respecting life in its beginnings, with the same love with which you conceived in your womb the life of the Son of God. Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Fair love, protect our families so that they may always be united
and bless the upbringing of our children. Our hope, look upon us with pity, teach us to go continually to Jesus, and if we fall help us to rise again and return to him through the confession of our faults and our sins in the sacrament of penance, which gives peace to the soul.

We beg you to grant us a great love of all the holy sacraments, which are, as it were, the signs that your Son left us on earth. Thus, Most Holy Mother, with the peace of God in our consciences, with our hearts free from evil and hatred, we will be able to bring to all others true joy and true peace, which come to us from your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.

A Prayer to our Lady of Guadalupe

Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness of unborn children, we implore your intercession for every child at risk of abortion. Help expectant parents to welcome from God the priceless gift of their child’s life.
Console parents who have lost that gift through abortion, and lead them to forgiveness and healing
through the Divine Mercy of your Son.
Teach us to cherish and to care for family and friends until God calls them home. Help us never to see others as burdens.
Guide our public officials to defend each and every human life through just laws. Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life, to speak for those who have no voice.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady Of Guadalupe

O our Lady of Guadalupe,
mystical rose,
make intercession for Holy Church,
protect the Sovereign Pontiff,
help all those who invoke thee in their necessities,
and since thou art the ever-Virgin Mary

and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from thy most holy Son
the grace of keeping our faith,
sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life,
burning charity and the precious gift of final perseverance.

Dearest Lady,
fruitful Mother of Holiness,
teach me Your ways of gentleness and strength.
Hear my prayer,
offered with deep felt confidence to beg this favor…

(State your prayer request here.)

O Mary,
conceived without sin,
I come to your throne of grace
to share the fervent devotion
of your faithful Mexican children
who call to Thee under the glorious title “Guadalupe” –
the Virgin who crushed the serpent.

Queen of Martyrs,
whose Immaculate Heart was pierced
by seven swords of grief,
help me to walk valiantly
amid the sharp thorns strewn across my path.
Invoke the Holy Spirit of Wisdom
to fortify my will to frequent the Sacraments so that,
thus enlightened and strengthened,
I may prefer God to all creatures
and shun every occasion of sin.

Help me,
as a living branch of the Vine
that is Jesus Christ,
to exemplify His divine charity
always seeking the good of others.
Queen of Apostles,
aid me to win souls
for the Sacred Heart of my Savior.
Keep my apostolate fearless,
dynamic, and articulate,
to proclaim the loving solitude of Our Father in Heaven
so that the wayward may heed His pleading
and obtain pardon,
through the merits of Your Merciful Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

John Paul II’s Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of the true God and Mother of the Church!, who from this place reveal your clemency and your pity to all those who ask for your protection, hear the prayer that we address to you with filial trust, and present it to your Son Jesus, our sole Redeemer.

Mother of Mercy, Teacher of hidden and silent sacrifice, to you, who come to meet us sinners, we dedicate on this day all our being and all our love. We also dedicate to you our life, our work, our joys, our infirmities and our sorrows. Grant peace, justice and prosperity to our peoples; for we entrust to your care all that we have and all that we are, our Lady and Mother. We wish to be entirely yours and to walk with you along the way of complete faithfulness to Jesus Christ in His Church; hold us always with your loving hand.

Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, we pray to you for all the Bishops, that they may lead the faithful along paths of intense Christian life, of love and humble service of God and souls. Contemplate this immense harvest, and intercede with the Lord that He may instill a hunger for holiness in the whole people of God, and grant abundant vocations of priests and religious, strong in the faith and zealous dispensers of God’s mysteries.

Grant to our homes the grace of loving and respecting life in its beginnings, with the same love with which you conceived in your womb the life of the Son of God. Blessed Virgin Mary, protect our families, so that they may always be united, and bless the upbringing of our children.

Our hope, look upon us with compassion, teach us to go continually to Jesus and, if we fall, help us to rise again, to return to Him, by means of the confession of our faults and sins in the Sacrament of Penance, which gives peace to the soul.
We beg you to grant us a great love for all the holy Sacraments, which are, as it were, the signs that your Son left us on earth. Thus, Most Holy Mother, with the peace of God in our conscience, with our hearts free from evil and hatred, we will be able to bring to all true joy and true peace, which come to us from your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Protection from Coronavirus

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
We fly to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana.

Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones,
the protection of your holy angels,
that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
health of the sick and cause of our joy.

Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
keep us in the embrace of your arms,
help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus.
Amen.

December 13^th

Saint Lucy

St. Lucy is a virgin and martyr of Syracuse in Sicily, whose feast is celebrated on December 13th. According to tradition, Saint Lucy was born to rich and noble parents in the year 283. Her father was of Roman origin, but his early death left her dependent upon her mother, who was of Greek heritage. Like so many of the early martyrs, Lucy had consecrated her virginity to God, and she hoped to devote all her worldly goods to the service of the poor. Her mother, Eutychia, arranged a marriage for her, but for three years she managed to postpone the marriage. Lucy prayed at the tomb of Saint Agatha to change her mother’s mind about her faith. As a result, her mother’s long haemorrhagic illness was cured, and she consented to Lucy’s desire to live for God. Saint Lucy’s rejected bridegroom, Paschasius, denounced Lucy as a Christian. The governor planned to force her into prostitution, but when guards went to fetch her, they could not move her even when they hitched her to a team of oxen. The governor ordered her to be killed instead. After a gruesome torture which included having her eyes torn out, she was surrounded by bundles of wood which were set afire, but the fire quickly died out. She prophesied against her persecutors, and was then executed by being stabbed to death with a dagger.

Prayer to Saint Lucy

Saint Lucy
Whose beautiful name signifies ‘LIGHT’
by the light of faith which God bestowed upon you
increase and preserve His light in my soul
so that I may avoid evil,
Be zealous in the performance of good works
and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and
the darkness of evil and sin.
Obtain for me, by your intercession with God
Perfect vision for my bodily eyes
and the grace to use them for God’s greater honour and glory
and the salvation of souls.
St. Lucy, virgin and martyr
hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.
Amen.

Prayer to Saint Lucy

O St Lucy, you preferred to let your eyes be torn out instead of denying the faith and defiling your soul; and God, through an extraordinary miracle, replaced them with another pair of sound and perfect eyes to reward your virtue and faith, appointing you as the protector against eye diseases. I come to you for you to protect my eyesight and to heal the illness in my eyes.
O St Lucy, preserve the light of my eyes so that I may see the beauties of creation, the glow of the sun, the color of the flowers and the smile of children.
Preserve also the eyes of my soul, the faith, through which I can know my God, understand His teachings, recognize His love for me and never miss the road that leads me to where you, St Lucy, can be found in the company of the angels and saints.

St Lucy, protect my eyes and preserve my faith!
St. Lucy, pray for us!!
Amen!

Prayer To Saint Lucy Of Syacuse

O God, our Creator and redeemer, mercifully hear our prayers that as we venerate Thy servant, Saint Lucy, for the light of faith thou didst bestow upon her, thou wouldst vouchsafe to increase and to preserve this same light in our souls, that we may be able to avoid evil, to do good and to abhor nothing so much as the Blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.

Relying on Thy goodness, O God, we humbly ask Thee, by the intersession of Thy servant, Saint Lucy that Thou wouldst give perfect vision to our eyes, that they may serve for Thy greater honor and glory, and for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of the unfailing light of the Lamb of God in paradise.
Saint Lucy, Virgin and martyr, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
Amen.

December 14^th

Saint John of the Cross

John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. Saint John of the Cross was born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, in Fontiveros, Avila, Spain in 1542. John became a priest in 1567 and considered joining the Carthusian Order where monks lived cloistered in individual cells. He was attracted by the simple and quiet life. However, he encountered Theresa of Avila, a charismatic Carmelite nun and vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the work of reform, and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment. He came to know the cross acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God. But as agony leads to ecstasy, so John had his Ascent to Mt. Carmel, as he named it in his prose masterpiece. As man-Christian-Carmelite, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as spiritual director, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian, he described and analyzed it in his prose writings. Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose it. John is truly “of the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short, but full. Saint John of the Cross was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675, and Canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.

Prayer of Peace (By St John of the Cross)

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in Thee. Let Thy mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O thou King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By thine own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in Thee. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like Thee.
Amen.

Saint John of the Cross Prayer

O abyss of delights! You are so much the more abundant the more Your riches are concentrated in the infinite unity and simplicity of Your unique being, where one attribute is so known and enjoyed as not to hinder the perfect knowledge and enjoyment of the other; rather, each grace and virtue within You are a light for each of Your other grandeurs. By Your purity, O divine Wisdom, many things are beheld in You through one. For You are the deposit of the Father’s treasures, the splendor of the eternal light, the unspotted mirror and image of His goodness.

Awaken and enlighten us, my Lord, that we might know and love the blessings which You ever propose to us, and that we might understand that You have moved to bestow favors on us and have remembered us.

O Lord, my God, who will seek You with simple and pure love and not find You are all he desires, for You show Yourself first and go out to meet those who desire You?

My spirit has become dry because it forgets to feed on You.

St. John of the Cross Novena

Almighty Father,
you endowed John of the Cross
with a spirit of self-denial
and a love of the Cross.
By following his example,
may we come to the eternal vision of your glory.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

(Mention your request here…)

St. John of the Cross, pray for us.

Say 1: Our Father…
Say 1: Hail Mary…
Say 1: Glory Be…

Prayers of St. John of the Cross

Let Your divinity shine on my intellect by giving it divine knowledge, and on my will by imparting to it the divine love and on my memory with the divine possession of glory.
Let us so act that by means of this loving activity we may attain to the vision of ourselves in Your beauty in eternal life. That is: That I be so transformed in Your beauty that we may be alike in beauty, and both behold ourselves in Your beauty, possessing now Your very beauty; this, in such a way that each looking at the other may see in the other his own beauty, since both are Your beauty alone, I being absorbed in Your beauty; hence, I shall see You in Your beauty, and You shall see me in Your beauty, and I shall see myself in You in Your beauty, and You will see Yourself in me in Your beauty; that I may resemble You in Your beauty, and You resemble me in Your beauty, and my beauty will be Your beauty and Your beauty my beauty; wherefore I shall be You in Your beauty, and You will be me in Your beauty, because Your very beauty will be my beauty; and therefore we shall behold each other in Your beauty.

Light And Love

“Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth. Mine are the nations, the just are mine, and mine the sinners. The angels are mine, and the Mother of God, and all things are mine; and God himself is mine and for me, because Christ is mine and all for me. What do you ask, then, and seek, my soul? Yours is all of this, and all is for you. Do not engage yourself in anything less or pay heed to the crumbs that fall from your Father’s table. Go forth and exult in your Glory! Hide yourself in it and rejoice, and you will obtain the supplications of your heart.”

Stillness of Soul

O Blessed Jesus,
give me stillness of soul in You.
Let Your mighty calmness reign in me.
Rule me, O King of Gentleness,
King of Peace.

December 21^st

Saint Peter Canisius

Peter was born in Holland in 1521. When he was 19, he went on a retreat led by St. Peter Faber and decided to join the Society of Jesus—the Jesuits. He continued to study and teach and was ordained a priest in 1546. St. Ignatius of Loyola was his spiritual director. During Mass one day, Peter received a vision of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which moved him to focus his work on this perspective of divine love. Because he was a brilliant scholar and theologian, Peter provided the Church with invaluable theological counsel—he even attended a few sessions of the Council of Trent. Peter was a great resource for the Church as the Church instituted sweeping reforms across Europe, in response to Protestant reformers. Peter became known as the “Second Apostle to Germany”. Peter was offered the opportunity to become Bishop of Vienna, but he turned down that position in order to continue traveling to the communities who he felt needed him. Everywhere he went, Peter preached constantly. For his work spreading and defending the faith, St. Peter Canisius was named a doctor of the Church, a title given to thirty-six saints who are honored for elucidating the Catholic faith by their words and example. St. Peter Canisius was canonizedby Pope Pius XI in May of 1925.

Prayer For The Intercession Of St Peter Canisius

Lord,
you gave Saint Peter Canisius
wisdom and courage to defend the Catholic faith.
By the help of his prayers
may all who seek the truth rejoice in finding you,
and may all who believe in you
be loyal in professing their faith.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer To Saint Peter Canisius, Patron Of Catechism Writers

Dear Doctor and Defender of the Church,
to you the Master must have said:

“Well done, composer of books
which have taught and inspired countless persons in many lands.”

Help those who compose catechisms
to communicate the true teachings of Christ
in ways that can be understood by our contemporaries
so that they will be moved to follow Jesus.
Amen.

Prayer to St. Peter Canisius

O God you endowed Your priest, St. Peter Canisius,
with holiness and learning for the defense of the Church.
Through his intercession,
grant that those who seek the truth may joyfully find You
and that the people of believers
may ever persevere in bearing witness to You.
Amen.

The Universal Prayer of Saint Peter Canisius

Almighty, eternal God, Lord, heavenly Father, look with Your eyes of undeserved compassion on our sorrow, misery and need.

Have mercy on all the Christian faithful, for whom Your only-begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was content to give Himself into the hand of sinners and shed His precious Blood on the wood of the Holy Cross.

For the sake of the Lord Jesus, most gracious Father, avert our well-deserved punishments, present danger and future threats, harm and outrage, arms and warfare, dearth and misfortune, sickness and sorrowful, miserable times.

Enlighten and strengthen in all goodness our spiritual leaders and earthly rulers, that they may do everything to further Your honour as God, our salvation, the common peace, and the welfare of all Your people.

Grant us, O God of peace, a true unity in faith, free of all division and separation. Convert our hearts to true repentance and amendment of life. Kindle in us the fire of Your love; give us hunger and zeal for justice in all things, so that we, as obedient children through life unto death, may be pleasing to You and find favour in Your sight.

We also pray, O God, as You willed that we should pray, for our friends and enemies, for the healthy and the sick, for all Christians in sadness and distress, for the living and the dead.

To You, O Lord, be entrusted whatever we do, whatever our path, our work and our dealings, our living and dying. Let us delight in Your grace here in this world, and attain the next with all Your chosen ones, to praise, honour and extol You in unending joy and blessedness.

Grant us this, O Lord, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

December 24^th

Christmas at Greccio

What better way to prepare for the arrival of the Christ Child than to take a brief journey to Greccio, the spot in central Italy where Saint Francis of Assisi created the first Christmas crib in the year 1223. Francis, recalling a visit he had made years before to Bethlehem, resolved to create the manger he had seen there. The ideal spot was a cave in nearby Greccio. He would find a baby—we’re not sure if it was a live infant or the carved image of a baby—hay upon which to lay him, an ox and an ass to stand beside the manger. Word went out to the people of the town. At the appointed time, they arrived carrying torches and candles. One of the friars began celebrating Mass. Francis himself gave the sermon. His biographer, Thomas of Celano, recalls that Francis “stood before the manger…overcome with love and filled with a wonderful happiness…” For Francis, the simple celebration was meant to recall the hardships Jesus suffered even as an infant, a savior who chose to become poor for our sake, a truly human Jesus. Tonight, as we pray around the Christmas cribs in our homes, we welcome into our hearts that same Savior.

December 23^rd

Saint John of Kanty

John Cantius, born in 1390, grew up in Poland and became a priest and teacher at the University of Krakow. He was a serious man and a good teacher. He ate no meat, slept on the floor, and rested little. Though John was hard on himself, he was patient and kind to his students, who loved him in return. Some jealous faculty members, however, had him removed. John was sent to do parish work, but he was not acquainted with such duties. Although the people liked him for his generous and energetic spirit, John was not successful as a parish priest. John returned to the university to teach Scripture. He was known everywhere for his humility and spontaneous generosity. He gave everything to people who were poor and kept only the clothes he most needed. Four times he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, carrying his luggage on his back. When John died at age 83, people had already claimed him as a saint but he was not canonized until 1767.

Prayer On The Memorial Of St John Of Kanty

Almighty Father,
through the example of John of Kanty
may we grow in the wisdom of the saints.
As we show understanding and kindness to others,
may we receive your forgiveness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer

Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that by the example of St. John,
Thy Confessor we may make progress in the science of the Saints, and by showing mercy to others may obtain through his merits forgiveness from Thee.
Through our Lord.

Prayer to St. John of Kanty

Saint John of Kanty, you were unjustly fired from your work. Please pray for those who are jobless or in danger of losing their jobs that they may find work that is fulfilling in every way. Guide us to ways to help those looking for work.
Amen.

Collect

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that by the example of the Priest Saint John of Kanty
we may advance in knowledge of holy things
and by showing compassion to all,
may gain forgiveness in your sight.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.

Prayer to St. John of Kanty

O holy teacher of the faith
and pastor of Christ’s flock
who instructed with wisdom
and led by kindness and humility
those in your care
and all those around you –
teach us today
not only to know our faith
but to practice it by holiness of life
as you have done,
so simply,
so thoroughly as a child of the Lord.
Pray for us
and pray for our priests,
for whom you are a model of perfection.
All yourself you have given
in imitation of Jesus;
may the Lord God
be in our hearts and on our lips
just so truly
as He has been
with you,
good teacher.

December 24^th

Christmas at Greccio

December 25^th

Nativity of the Lord

The first evidence of the celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord dates back to the year 336. Soon after, in the Eastern Church, the Christmas feast of the Epiphany began to be celebrated on the 6th of January. The date was connected to the civil pagan festival of the birth of the invincible sun (Natale Solis Invicti), introduced by the Emperor Aurelian in 274 and is celebrated on 25th December. Since the fourth century, we observe the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord on December 25. The Nativity tells the story of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem. Because there was no room at any of the inns due to the census, Jesus, the savior of the world, was born in a stable. After Jesus’s birth, Angels proclaimed him as a savior for all, and shepherds went to the stable to adore him. The Nativity of Jesus celebrates the incarnation of God, which means that he came to earth to live as a man and undo the damage caused by the fall of the first man, Adam. Christmas serves as a reminder that God continues to love us, no matter what we do or who we are. It is not about acting the right way, or always doing the right thing. God’s love is constant. It is unconditional.

Prayer for Christmas

Glory to God in the highest! My precious Lord, Jesus, I adore You with profound love and rejoice in the celebration of Your birth. Your love for us is unfathomable, it is glorious, transforming, awe-inspiring, and deeply personal. You chose to come and dwell among us, being born into poverty, rejection and humility. Yet Your mother knew whom she bore, Her heart was filled with the tenderest love as she adored her Child and her God.

Help me, dear Lord, to come to love You with the heart of Your mother. Invite me to adore You with St. Joseph and the poor shepherds. Reveal to me the glorious power of Your birth and change my life on account of this perfect gift of Yourself.

I love You, dear Lord Jesus. Help me to love You with all my heart. Newborn Savior of the World, I trust in You. Mother Mary and St. Joseph, Pray for me and for all.
Amen.

Christ, Candle of Hope

God, our loving Father, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to counter all the forces of evil: sin, suffering and death, and to overcome evil with the force of good; hatred with the power of love, your great love for us in Jesus.

Help us never to curse the darkness, but to join with you in bringing Your light into this world, the light that is your Son, born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem. Help us to be instruments of your light and love by doing one special act of kindness or by being your special instrument of reconciliation this New Year.

May the Christ Candle we light symbolize our desire to bring light into a world of darkness and hope into a world of despair. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prayer to Jesus in the Manger

O divine redeemer Jesus Christ, prostrate before thy crib, I believe thou art the God of infinite majesty, even though I do see thee here as a helpless babe. I humbly adore and thank thee for having so humbled thyself for my salvation as to will to be born in a stable. I thank thee for all thou didst wish to suffer for me in Bethlehem, for thy poverty and humility, for thy nakedness, tears, cold and sufferings.
Would that I could show thee that tenderness which thy virgin mother had toward thee, and love thee as she did. Would that I could praise thee with the joy of the angels, that I could kneel before thee with the faith of St. Joseph, the simplicity of the shepherds. Uniting myself with these first adorers at the crib, I offer thee the homage of my heart, and I beg that thou wouldst be born spiritually in my soul. Make me reflect in some degree the virtues of thy admirable nativity. Fill me with that spirit of renunciation, of poverty, of humility, which prompted thee to assume the weakness of our nature, and to be born amid destitution and suffering. Grant that from this day forward, I may in all things seek thy greater glory, and may enjoy that peace promised to men of good will.

Prayers at the Nativity Scene

Begin by reading from the Gospel of Luke 2:1-8.

Prayer Before the Manger Scene

God our Heavenly Father, from the moment of creation you have never ceased showing your love for us. Even when we turned away from you, you did not abandon us to the darkness of sin and death. Indeed, it was when our need was greatest that you sent us a Redeemer—your Son, Jesus—to be born of the Virgin Mary. Bless us as we look upon this manger. May it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus and raise our minds to contemplate the awesome mystery of God-made-flesh. Let this holy season fill us with hope that we might join him in the eternal Kingdom of peace in heaven. Through Christ, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

A Prayer At Christmas

Thank You, Father, that Your times and seasons are pre-ordained and that You sent Your only begotten Son to be born of a woman, so that at the appointed hour He could be made sin for our sins, and in so doing become the propitiation for the sins of all mankind.

Thank You, that in the eternal council chambers of the almighty Godhead, You devised a perfect plan that would save mankind from eternal separation from You, which required that the eternal Son of the Father became flesh and was conceived and born of a virgin.

Lord, we rejoice at the Christmas story and all the wondrous glory that we see unfolded in the manger scene in the little town of Bethlehem, and in the fields, while shepherds watched their flocks by night. We glory at the good news of great joy that was proclaimed by the angel of the Lord, and we are amazed to behold a heavenly choir of angelic beings singing,”glory to God in the highest.” We praise Your name for the visit of the wise men from the east and we grieve at the satanic atrocity that was perpetrated by king Herod on innocent children.

But most of all, we humbly kneel before Your throne of grace when we understand that the baby lying in a manger must one day be crucified to the cruel cross, so that our sins could be forgiven. Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be born so that He could die for our sins. In His name we pray,
Amen.

A Prayer of Thanks At Christmas

Father, we thank You from our innermost being that You sent Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to be born into a fallen race so that by His perfect life and sacrificial death He might be lifted up on the wooden cross, in the same way that Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, so that all who looked would live.

Thank You, Father, for the wonderful plan of salvation that You in Your grace purposed would be the only way that mankind could be saved from His sin, and so You sent Your one and only begotten Son, to be born of a virgin into the human race, God becoming Man, so that man might be eternally clothed in the righteous garments of God.

Thank You that by His human life and physical death, He was able to reconcile us back to God, forgive us of our sins and break the power of death in the lives of all Who believe on His name.

Thank You that from His unpretentious beginning, where he had nowhere to lay His head, to His lifelong submission of the Father, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Thank You, Father, for the birth of My Redeemer and I rejoice in the God of my Saviour. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Prayer of Love and Peace At Christmas

Dear Lord, how we praise and thank You that Love in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ came down at Christmas, when the eternal Son of God became Jesus, the perfect Son of Man, and through Whom the promise of peace was given to men of goodwill. Peace with God to those who trust in the redeeming blood of His Son, and the peace of God, for all who are born into the family of God, positioned in Christ and accepted in the Beloved.

Thank You, for the example of a life that personifies love and thank You that the Person of Jesus Christ is the One that satisfies every need of the human heart.

Father, at this special time of the year when we remember that first Christmas day when Your dearly beloved Son was manifested in the flesh in the form of a new-born babe, we pray that His love and His peace may spread abroad into the hearts and minds of many lost and hurting people, who feel themselves unloved and who lack that vital peace with God and the incomparable peace of God within, that surpasses all comprehension.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit grant peace in the hearts of all who are searching for answers, as to emptiness in their lives, this Christmas time. We ask this in the name of Jesus,
Amen.

Prayer To Prepare Our Hearts This Christmas

Heavenly Father, at this festive season I pray that the real meaning of Christmas will not be missed, and that the precious truth that was given to the shepherds and sung by the angels, will become a reality in the hearts and lives of many people this year.

As we prepare for this lovely season of the year and all the joy that it brings with it, help us not to forget that Christ was born for a purpose. And that as we share our gifts one with the other, may we remember the wonderful gift of grace that was sent into the world 2000 years ago.

As we listen to the Scripture readings and rejoice over the good news that was proclaimed that holy night, let us not forget to thank You for Your gift of grace in the Person of Christ Jesus, knowing that He was sent to earth so that by believing on Him we could go to heaven.

Thank You, Father, that in Christ You made all the good and necessary preparation for sinners to be made righteous through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, by first sending Him at the appointed time to be born into a race of sinners.

May we seek to prepare our hearts for our future heavenly home, knowing that our citizenship is in heaven, and may we spend this Christmas period reflecting on the wonderful truth that Christ Jesus was born into the world to save sinners, like me, for which I praise Your holy name. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Christmas Day Prayer

O Lord Jesus Christ, true God from true God, you became a little child for us so the world you made would be saved. Just as a child is born to us and a Son is given to us, may we be born again through you
and always remain in the number of God’s faithful children; through your merits, O blessed Savior, with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

December 26^th

St Stephen

Stephen is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity. Stephen is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as one of seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church. He was a deacon in the early Church at Jerusalem who angered members of various synagogues by his teachings. According to Orthodox belief, he was the eldest and is therefore called “archdeacon”. Accused of blasphemy at his trial, he made a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and was then stoned to death. In 415, a priest named Lucian purportedly had a dream that revealed the location of Stephen’s remains at Beit Jimal. After that, the relics of the protomartyr were taken in procession to the Church of Hagia Sion on 26 December 415, making it the date for the feast of Saint Stephen

A Prayer by Deacon Keith Fournier

Lord Jesus, you chose Stephen as the first deacon and martyr of your One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The heroic witness of his holy life and death reveals your continued presence among us. Through following the example of his living faith, and by his intercession, empower us by your Holy Spirit to live as witnesses to the faith in this New Missionary Age. No matter what our state in life, career or vocation, help us to proclaim, in both word and in deed, the fullness of the Gospel to a world which is waiting to be born anew in Jesus Christ. Pour out upon your whole Church, the same Holy Spirit which animated St Stephen, Martyr, to be faithful to the end, which is a beginning of life eternal in the communion of the Trinity

Litany of St Stephen, protomartyr

Antiphon: And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.
V. I see the heavens opened,
R. And Jesus standing on the right hand of the power of God.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Saint Stephen, First Martyr, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, who suffered for preaching the Name of Jesus Christ, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, who so closely imitated Jesus in that great virtue of charity for thine enemies, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, who when stoned by thine enemies, didst cast forth sparks, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, not of anger, but of love, to set on fire their hearts, harder than the stones which they threw, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, having recommended thy soul to God, cried for mercy on the souls of thine enemies, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, most zealous for the glory of God, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, most patient and constant, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, pattern of chastity and purity, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, whose heavenly fortitude caused admiration in all, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, by whom so many miracles were wrought, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, who, in the love of God, was not inferior to the Apostles themselves, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, who didst convert many to the faith of Christ, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, by whom the Church has received and continues to receive such singular benefits, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, of whom it is said, that the Holy Ghost, who inhabited thy soul, shone and darted forth His rays into thy body, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, whose face shone like that of an angel, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, filled with the faith and the Holy Ghost, Pray for us.
St. Stephen, dear to the Heart of Jesus, Pray for us.
V. Obtain for us, O blessed Stephen, the virtue of holy charity: R. For which thou wast so eminent and we are so needy
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.

Let us pray

Grant to us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, so to imitate what we revere that we may learn to love even our enemies: for we celebrate him who could even plead on behalf of his persecutors with Thy Son Our Lord Jesus Christ. Who with Thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Prayer To St Stephen

Stephen, Stephen, I say:
here is a place for goodness, here is a time for mercy,
here at least is an opportunity to show charity!
For I stand continually in danger
although I do not always recognize this,
and I am the more miserable and wretched
when I forget that it is so.

For God always sees my sins,
always his severe judgment threatens
the sinfulness of my soul,
always hell gapes and its torments are ready
to snatch my wretched soul away to that place.

Thus am I placed when I wake, thus when I sleep;
I am thus when I smile, thus when I jest;
thus, when I am proud, thus when I am humiliated;
thus, when angry, thus when vindicated;
thus, thus I am when I miserably love
the delights of the flesh.
Thus am I then always and everywhere.

So, I pray you, Stephen, make haste
before I am condemned,
before the enemies of the human race
snatch me away to torment,
before the prison of hell swallows me up,
before the torments of eternal fire consume me.

Truly my need is great
when it impels me to ask for help
even of those by whom I deserve to be punished.
But you and all the saints are so full of such wealth
from the unending fount of all goodness,
that you delight rather to free by your goodness
those whom by justice you are able to condemn.
… St Stephen, Pray for Us …

Prayer to Saint Stephen, the First Martyr

O glorious St. Stephen, first Martyr for the Faith, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, with love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles.
I kneel at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special protection …

(mention here).
Vouch safe to recommend it to our Lord Jesus. Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted.

Above all, obtain for me the grace to one day meet God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the angels and saints praise Him through all eternity.
O most powerful Saint Stephen, Deacon and martyr, do not let me lose my soul, but obtain for me the grace of winning my way to heaven, forever and ever.
Amen.

December 27^th

Saint John the Apostle

St. John, the son of Zebedee and brother of St. James the Great, was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public ministry. He became the “beloved disciple” and the only one of the Twelve who did not forsake the Savior in the hour of His Passion. He stood faithfully at the cross when Christ made him the guardian of His Mother. After the Assumption of Mary, John went to Ephesus. John is known as the author of the Gospel of John and four other books in the New Testament – the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. Brought to Rome, tradition relates that he was by order of Emperor Dometian cast into a cauldron of boiling oil but came forth unhurt, and was banished to the island of Pathmos for a year. He lived to an extreme old age, surviving all his fellow apostles, and died in Ephesus about the year AD 98. St. John is called the Apostle of Charity, the patron saint of love, loyalty, friendships, and authors

Prayer to St. John the Apostle

O God, who through the blessed Apostle John have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant, we pray, that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvelously brought to our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

A Prayer to St. John the Evangelist the , for a Ardent Love to Jesus and Mary

O Glorious Saint John, you were so loved by Jesus that you merited to rest your head upon his breast, and to be left in his place as a son to Mary. Obtain for us an ardent love for Jesus and Mary. Let me be united with them now on earth and forever after in heaven.

A Prayer to St. John the Apostle , for a Burning love for Jesus

O Glorious Apostle, who, on account of your virginal purity, was most beloved by Jesus as to deserve to lay your head upon His divine breast, and to be left, in His place, as son to His most holy Mother; I beg you to inflame within me a true and ardent love towards Jesus and Mary. Obtain for me from our Lord that I, too, with a heart purified from earthly affections, may be made worthy to be ever united to Jesus as a faithful disciple, and to Mary as a devoted son, both here on earth and eternally in heaven.
Amen.

St. John, the beloved disciple of our Lord, pray for us.

Prayer for Parents to St. John

St. John, chosen and favored disciple of our Lord, selected as the son of His sorrowful Mother, how great your privilege of being allowed to repose on the bosom of Jesus at the Last Supper, and to stand beneath the cross, there to receive Mary for your spiritual Mother! O happy disciple! How did you deserve such great prerogatives and favors? The whole Christian Church knows and acknowledges that it was your carefully guarded virginal purity which made you worthy of the special love of Jesus Christ; and that it was your ardent love and filial reverence toward His Blessed Mother that strengthened your heart to persevere to the end in the way of His holy cross.

O happy child of our dear Lady, how greatly I desire that my children and I may resemble you in purity of heart, in love for Jesus, and in devotion towards His Virgin Mother! In you do we place our trust. You will obtain for us this threefold grace. By your intercession you will dispose the Divine Mercy to pour out these graces into our hearts also. You are so highly favored by our Divine Master, He can refuse you nothing, least of all the graces He has so lavishly bestowed upon you. We confidently hope for these graces through your intercession, O chaste disciple of Jesus and devoted son of Mary! When you have obtained them for us, you must likewise watch over them, that we may never again lose them during our whole life. O pure St. John, obtain our request for the honor of Jesus and Mary and your own eternal praise!
Amen.

Nonena To Saint John

My most loving Saint, St. John the Apostle,
behold me kneeling at thy feet,
beseeching thee with all the affection of my heart
to grant me thy special protection,
particularly when in danger of offending God.
O my dear and holy advocate,
remember me before the throne of the most holy Trinity,
and obtain for me from the infinite goodness of God,
the virtues of humility, purity, obedience,
and the grace to fulfill exactly the duties of my state.

Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory Be…

O my dear Saint, St. John the Apostle,
I renew to the Lord, through thee,
the holy resolutions which I have frequently made
of intending to love and serve Him faithfully.
I am resolved to detach myself from every earthly thing,
and I desire ardently to unite myself to Him,
as my first beginning, last end, and sovereign good.
My dear Saint, I beseech thee to offer to the most holy Trinity
the sacrifice of my whole being,
particularly of my judgment and will,
in order to conform fully to God most holy,
because I desire nothing else besides His grace
and His holy love.

Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory Be…

My sweet and holy Protector, St. John the Apostle,
behold me again full of love for thee and full of confidence,
beseeching thee to cast thyself on thy knees
before the throne of the most holy Trinity,
and entreat most ardently that God,
through His infinite goodness,
may grant me the grace to fly sin,
and the gift of final perseverance.
Thou knowest, O my dear St. John the Apostle,
how great are the temptations to which man is subject,
and how continual are the perils I run of being lost;
do thou assist me with thy efficacious prayers.

Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory Be…

Saint John the Apostle, Pray for us.
Saint John the Apostle, Pray for us.
Saint John the Apostle, Pray for us.

Prayer to St. John as your Patron Saint

Saint John, whom I have chosen as my special patron, pray for me that I, too, may one day glorify the Blessed Trinity in heaven. Obtain for me your lively faith, that I may consider all persons, things, and events in the light of almighty God. Pray, that I may be generous in making sacrifices of temporal things to promote my eternal interests, as you so wisely did.

Set me on fire with a love for Jesus, that I may thirst for His sacraments and burn with zeal for the spread of His kingdom. By your powerful intercession, help me in the performance of my duties to God, myself and all the world.

Win for me the virtue of purity and a great confidence in the Blessed Virgin. Protect me this day, and every day of my life. Keep me from mortal sin. Obtain for me the grace of a happy death.
Amen.

December 28^th

Holy Innocents

The feast of the Holy Innocents has been remembered by the Church since the fifth century. Feast of the Holy Innocents, also called Childermas or Innocents’ Day is a Christian feast in remembrance of the massacre of young children in Bethlehem by King Herod the Great in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus. These children are venerated as martyrs of sorts—they died not only for Christ but actually instead of Christ. St. Augustine called them buds killed by the frost of persecution the moment they showed themselves. In Rome it was a day of fasting and mourning. The Holy Innocents are honored as patrons of babies, and some of the relics in the Basilica reliquary chapel indicate that they come from these children

Holy Innocents Novena

Dear Jesus, we thank You for Your blessed martyrs, the Holy Innocents. We praise You for the holy sacrifice they made by dying in place of You, and we ask You to hear their prayers on our behalf.
Holy Innocents, you were the victim of evil King Herod’s cruel jealousy. Fearing that his power would be usurped, he ordered your deaths. You gave up your lives in place of Christ. Please bring my prayers before the throne of Jesus for Whom you died!
You were cruelly killed at a young age by Herod’s soldiers. You died innocent victims, and we venerate you as martyrs because you were killed in place of the Infant Jesus. Pray for us, that we may always be willing to lay down our lives for Christ. Pray that we may grow in devotion to God each day.
Please also pray for :
(Mention your intentions here).
Holy Innocents, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Innocents for courage and strength

The innocent and sinless are not to be without their penance in this world, upon which falls the deep shadow of sin. I see it is Thy holy will, who wiliest all things well. I, then, will at least deny myself some little pleasure each day for love of Thee. I will not always seek and choose the easy and the flowery path. Teach me to give up daily my own will with gladness for Thy dear sake. Ye holy Innocents, blest Babes, earliest martyrs of Jesus Christ, the King of martyrs, how bright a life was won by that sharp death! Beautiful little martyrs of the holy Child, your eyes soon closed upon the dull mists of earth, to open upon untold glories. Bitter and short the passage, but Oh, Low passing sweet the end! How sweet to have died for Him who came to give His life for you! Pray for me, ye stainless ones, before the Throne, that I too, unworthy and wayward as I am, may come to be with those who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. Most Holy Child Jesus, save Thy children.

Feast Of The Holy Innocents

Holy children of God, you suffered death before you enjoyed the fullness of life, yet now you rest and reign with Christ in glory. Look down from heaven on our poor earth where children like you still suffer and die at the hands of those blinded by this world. Surround and protect the innocent and when our own poor efforts fail, comfort and console the parents whose loss we can hardly comprehend or imagine. We commend to your joyful company in heaven the souls of all dear children who have died. Help us to become like you, simple, pure and true! Teach us to accept love and blessings like you! Fill us with the joy and laughter of life to remind us that to such babes as you, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs.
Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Innocents

Holy Innocents, you died before you were old enough to know what life means, pray for all children who die young that God may gather them into His loving arms.

Holy Innocents, you were killed because one man was filled with hatred, pray for those who hate that God may touch their hearts and fill them with love.

Holy Innocents, you experienced a violent death, pray for all who are affected by violence that they may find peace and love.

Holy Innocents, your parents grieved for you with deep and lasting sorrow, pray for all parents who have lost young children that God may wrap a warm blanket of comfort around them.

Holy Innocents, those around you certainly felt helpless to prevent your deaths, pray for all who feel helpless in their circumstances that they may cling to God for courage and hope.

Holy Innocents, you who are now in Heaven, pray for all of us, that one day we may join you there to bask in God’s love forever.
Amen.

Prayer for Holy Innocents

We remember today, O God,
the slaughter of the holy innocents
of Bethlehem by King Herod.
Receive, we pray,
into the arms of your mercy
all innocent victims;
and by your great might
frustrate the designs of evil tyrants
and establish your rule of justice, love and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the union of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Blessing of Children on Holy Innocents

O Lord Jesus Christ, once You embraced and placed Your hands upon the little children who came to You, and said: “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and their angels always see the face of my Father!” Look now with fatherly eyes on the innocence of these children and their parents’ devotion, and bless them this day through our ministry.

(The father signs the forehead of each child with the sign of the cross.)

In Your grace and goodness let them advance continually, longing for You, loving You, fearing You, keeping Your commandments. Then they will surely come to their destined home, through You, Savior of the world. Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.

MONTHLY PRAYERS:

January https://saintmichaelusa.org/01prayers

February https://saintmichaelusa.org/02prayers

March https://saintmichaelusa.org/03prayers

April https://saintmichaelusa.org/04prayers

May https://saintmichaelusa.org/05prayers

June https://saintmichaelusa.org/06prayers

July https://saintmichaelusa.org/07prayers

August https://saintmichaelusa.org/08prayers

September https://saintmichaelusa.org/09prayers

October https://saintmichaelusa.org/10prayers

November https://saintmichaelusa.org/11prayers

December https://saintmichaelusa.org/12prayers

Monthly Prayers & Prayer Request December

December Month Prayers

December 1st

Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Blessed Charles de Foucauld’s Prayer of Abandonment

Prayer to obtain a Favour through the intercession of Brother Charles

Prayer

The prayer of Blessed Charles de Foucauld for Advent

Collect Prayer

December 3rd

Saint Francis Xavier

My Lord Jesus (By St Francis Xavier)

My God

Prayer of Saint Francis Xavier for conversion of unbelievers

Prayer to St.Francis Xavier

Powerful Intercessory Prayer to St. Francis Xavier

Novena To St. Francis Xavier

Let Us Pray

December 4th

Saint John Damascene

Prayer of St. John Damascene

Collect Prayer

A Prayer St.John Of Damascus

St. John of Damascus Novena

Prayer of Saint John Damascene, which is to be said while pointing at thy bed

Prayer on the Memorial of the St.Damascene

December 6th

Saint Nicholas

A Prayer of Impetration to Saint Nicholas

Prayer to St. Nicholas as Patron Saint

A Prayer to Saint Nicholas of Myra

St. Nicholas Day Prayer

The Spirit of Childhood

A Prayer for Children

During Advent

Prayer to Saint Nicholas

December 7th

Saint Ambrose

Prayer of St. Ambrose (Before Mass)

St. Ambrose Novena

Prayer by Saint Ambrose of Milan

A Prayer Of St. Ambrose Before Communion

December 8th

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Prayer To The Immaculate Conception

Prayer To The Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Conception Novena

Novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary, The Immaculate Conception

Introductory prayer for all nine days of the novena

Closing Prayer for all nine days of the novena

Day One

Introductory prayer

Day Two

Introductory prayer

Day Three

Introductory prayer

Day Four

Introductory prayer

Day Five

Introductory prayer

Day Six

Introductory prayer

Day Seven

Introductory prayer

Day Eight

Introductory prayer

Day Nine

Introductory prayer

Prayer To The Immaculate Conception

December 9th

Saint Juan Diego

Prayer to St Juan Diego

Prayer to Saint Juan Diego

Prayer to St. Juan Diego (adapted from a sermon of Pope John Paul II)

Prayer to Saint Juan Diego

Litany to Saint Juan Diego

Let us pray

December 10th

Our Lady of Loreto

December 1^st

December 3^rd

December 4^th

December 6^th

December 7^th

December 8^th

December 9^th

December 10^th

December 11^th

December 12^th

December 13^th

December 14^th

December 21^st

December 24^th

December 23^rd

December 24^th

December 25^th

December 26^th