THE RURAL LIFE PRAYERBOOK Imprimi Potest Leo J. Burns, S.J. Provincial Wisconsin Province Milwaukee, Wis., 17 October 1955 Imprimatur Fr. Eduardus Caelestinus, O.P. Episcopus Desmoinen Des Moines, Iowa, 13 February, 1956 Written and Compiled by Alban J. Dachauer, S.J. In cooperation with The National Catholic Rural Life Conference Drawings by Tom Chouteau Published by The National Catholic Rural Life Conference 4625 Beaver Avenue Des Moines, IA 50310-2199 Copyright, 1956 National Catholic Rural Life Conference FOREWORD "There is something almost sacramental about the life of the rural family" said the venerable missionary Bishop Wehrle, O.S.B., of Bismarck, North Dakota, in addressing the little group of priests and laymen and laywomen who assembled in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1923 to establish the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. The call to that Conference was issued appropriately in a publication entitled "St. Isidore's Plow." The occasion was the opening of the first furrow in the American Catholic Rural Life movement. The intervening years have been a long springtime of planting and cultivating through labor and prayer. Manuals for the development of the material and social aspects of the movement have been wisely provided. It is fitting that a manual expressive of the religious foundation and spiritual aspirations of the movement should be made available in this Rural Life Prayerbook. It appropriately begins with devotions at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which is the center of Catholic worship. Here will be found prayers suitable for various times and seasons and feasts dear to the farmer and his family. It also includes significant farm blessings from the Roman Ritual and Novena prayers to St. Isidore, the patron of farmers. May the devotion to St. Isidore and his spirit of faith unite the Catholic farm families of our country in a spiritual and social movement which will enrich the Church in America with a fruitful rural apostolate. Feast of St. Isidore 1956 +EDWIN V. O'HARA, Archbishop Bishop of Kansas City Honorary President, National Rural Life Conference The texts of the Scripture are reproduced with permission of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D. C. INTRODUCTION CONTENTS THIS little manual of prayers and blessings was first suggested by Msgr. Luigi G. Ligutti in December, 1943. Since then, a great deal of work has gone into its preparation, and a great number of books have been consulted, and sources studied. To list them all would be impossible. I can only say that most of the translations from the Latin are my own, and most of the prayers are my own. There are, of course, a number of prayers given here that are common to every prayerbook, and I make no claim to them. My thanks are due to the very many friends who helped and encouraged me in countless ways in the writing and compilation of this book. They may be sure of a very special place in my Holy Mass each day. May Saint Isidore, the gentle patron of rural people, bless all who have in any way helped in the preparation of this book, and likewise all who use it for their own devotion. ALBAN J. DACHAUER, S.J. Feast of the Holy Name of Mary September 12, 1965 CONTENTS Forward Introduction PART I ORDINARY OF THE MASS PRAYERS FOR THE COUNTRY FAMILY We Choose the Country Prayer in Honor of St. Isidore A Countryman Gives Thanks ORDINARY OF THE MASS Prayers after Mass PART II OCCASIONAL PRAYERS FOR VARIOUS TIMES, FEASTS, AND SEASONS OF THE YEAR A Note about the Prayers New Year's Prayer for Church and State A Holy Name Prayer A Prayer for the Whole Family Dedication of the Rural Family to the Divine Majesty A Prayer for Church Unity A Prayer for Candlemas Day To Jesus my Friend A Prayer for the Wood-Lot A Prayer to Simon of Cyrene A Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas for Catholic Schools The Breastplate of St. Patrick A Prayer to St. Joseph A Prayer to St. Isidore, Patron of Country People A Prayer for Lent A Prayer at Easter A Prayer in Planting Time A Prayer to Christ, King of the Universe Prayer for May First A Prayer for Choosing a State of Life A Prayer to Mary for Charity A Prayer to the Holy Spirit Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus A Prayer for the Wheat A Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus A Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus A Prayer for Gardens and Orchards Prayers for Rain Canticle of the Three Young Men in the Fiery Furnace Prayer of St. Ignatius for Generosity A Prayer to St. John Vianney, the Parish Priest of Ars, for the Pastor and the Parish A Prayer on the Feast of Mary's Assumption A Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary A Prayer for the Corn A Prayer in Time of Debt St. Francis of Assisi's Prayer for Peace A Prayer to the North American Martyrs A Prayer in Autumn for Country Living A Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angels Canticle of the Sun, St. Francis of Assisi A Prayer to St. Luke for the Family Doctor A Prayer to Christ the King A Prayer to all the Saints A Prayer in a Country Cemetery A Prayer for Protection against Fires A Prayer of Thanksgiving for God's Blessings A Prayer in Advent A Prayer in Winter A Prayer at Christmas Time for Country Living Hymn of Thanksgiving (Te Deum) PART III BLESSINGS FROM THE ROMAN RITUAL A Note on the Blessings Blessings of the Country Home and the People in It Blessing of the People with Holy Water, to be given on Sundays Blessing of a Baby Blessing of a Child to Obtain for It the Mercy of God Blessing for Sick Children Blessing of a Woman before the Birth of a Child Blessing of a Woman after Childbirth Blessing of a Sick Adult Blessing of Land or House Another Blessing of a Home Blessing of a Bedroom Blessing of an Image of Our Lord Jesus Christ, or of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or of a Saint Blessing of Candles Blessing of Candles on the Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr Blessing of Fire Blessing of Water Blessings of Food and Drink Blessing of Bread Another Blessing of Bread Blessing for Bread and Cakes Blessing of a Lamb Blessing of Lard or Bacon Blessing of Cheese or Butter Blessing of Eggs Blessing of the Barn and the Stored Harvest Blessing of Grapes Blessing of Fresh Fruit Blessing of Any Food Blessing of Wine on the feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist Blessing of Wine for the Sick Blessing for Any Medicine Blessings of Farm Animals and Their Needs Blessing for All Domestic Animals Blessing for Horses or Other Animals Blessing for Animals Afflicted with a Serious Disease Second Blessing for Animals with a Serious Disease Blessing of Poultry Blessing of Bees Blessing of Salt or Feed for Animals Blessings of Fields and Crops Blessing of Crosses to be Set in Fields, Vineyards, etc., which is performed on the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, or on the next Sunday Blessing of Sprouting Seed Blessing of Seeds, Flowers, and Crops on the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Blessing of All Kinds of Fruit Trees and Vines Blessing to Ward Off Destructive Insects and Other Small Animals Blessings of Buildings, Vehicles, Etc. Blessing of a Mill Blessing of a Spring or Well Blessing of a Bridge Blessing Against Floods Blessing of a Stable Blessing of an Automobile, a Wagon, or Tractor Blessing of the Cornerstone of a New Building Blessing of a School Blessing of a Library Blessing for Any Object PART IV PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS Prayers Every Catholic Should Know by Heart The Lord's Prayer The Hail Mary The Apostles' Creed An Act of Faith An Act of Hope An Act of Love An Act of Contrition Morning Offering A Prayer to the Holy Family Evening Prayer of a Rural Family Examination of Conscience Holy Communion Soul of Christ Prayer before a Crucifix Offering of Self Litany of the Sacred Heart A Short Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart The Promises of Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Litany of the Holy Name Litany of the Blessed Virgin The Angelus Regina Coeli A Farmer's Prayer to Mary The Rosary of Our Blessed Lady Litany of St. Joseph Novena to St. Joseph Prayer for the Church Unity Octave Prayer for Elected Officials An Act of Resignation Hymns and Prayers for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament The Way of the Cross PART V LITURGICAL DEVOTIONS FOR COUNTRY LIVING Novena in Honor of St. Isidore Litany of St. Isidore Hymn for the Novena to St. Isidore Devotions for the Feast of St. Isidore Mass of St. Isidore Mass of St. Joseph the Worker Mass of St. Mark Ceremonies for the Observance of the Rogation Days Mass of the Rogation Days Mass of the Sacred Heart Harvest Prayers and Blessings for the Feast of the Assumption in honor of Our Lady of the Fields Mass of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Prayers and Blessings for the Family and Parish Observance of Thanksgiving; Mass of Thanksgiving; Prayer for Church and State; Canticle of the Three Youths; Blessing of the Harvest Prayer of Thanksgiving The Company of St. Isidore PART VI SELECTED PSALMS Psalm 103 Psalm 117 Psalm 127 Psalm 146 Psalm 148 A Meditation INDEX WE CHOOSE THE COUNTRY WE BELIEVE that: Farming is a noble Christian occupation. The farm home is a most suitable place to rear a Christian family. The good earth is the greatest material gift of God to man. WE KNOW that: In this vocation we country people work closely with God in producing the essential elements of life. By making ourselves aware of the special graces and opportunities of this way of life, and by cooperating with them, we and our families can most readily give glory to God and grow in holiness and happiness. The earth returns greatest honor to God when through our care and labor, it brings forth an abundance for our family's needs and those of society, for this generation and for those to come. WE PROCLAIM that: We will strive always to appreciate and hold fast to the spiritual values of our vocation and to prevent the materialiLsm of this age from blinding us to them. We will model our homes on that of Nazareth; by working, learning, playing, and especially praying together we will strengthen our faith in God and our mutual love and unity; we will fulfill our obligation to be good neighbors, faithful parishioners, loyal and active citizens. We will regard our land as God's land; as stewards of His bounty we will conserve and improve it so that it will increasingly continue to give glory to Him. WE PRAY that: Through God's gl ace we may have wisdom and strength to grow constantly in the virtues necessary for holy rural living: Faith, Hope firmly founded in knowledge of God's wisdom and providence, Love, Patience with the slow deliberate cycle of seasons and years, Fortitude, Temperance, Compassion, Mercy, Zeal. PRAYER IN HONOR OF SAINT ISIDORE O GOD, who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, revealed yourself the husbandman of our souls, deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. A COUNTRYMAN GIVES THANKS O GOD, source and giver of all things, who manifests Your infinite majesty, power and goodness in the earth about us, we give You honor and glory. For the sun and rain, for the manifold fruits of our fields, for the increase of our herds and flocks, we thank You. For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace, we are grateful. Supreme Lord of the harvest, graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil, in union with Christ Your Son, as atonement for our sins, for the growth of Your Church, for peace and charity in our homes, for salvation to all. Amen. THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS THE PRAYERS AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR (At the foot of the altar the priest makes the sign of the cross:) IN THE name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I will go to the altar of God. R.To God who gives joy to my youth. P. Judge me, O God, and take up my cause against the nation that is not holy. Free me from the unjust and deceitful man. R. For You, O God, are my strength, why have You cast me off? And why do I walk in sorrow, while the enemy troubles me? P. Send forth Your light and Your truth, they have led me, and brought me to Your holy hill, and to Your dwelling. R. I will go to the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth. P. To You, O God, my God, I will give praise upon the harp, why are you sad, O my soul? And why do you trouble me? R. Hope in God, for I will still praise Him, the salvation of my countenance and my God. P. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. R. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. P. I will go to the altar of God. R. To God who gives joy to my youth. P. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. P. Confiteor, etc. R. May almighty God have mercy upon you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to life everlasting. P. Amen. R. I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed (strike the breast three times as a sign of contrition); through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beg blessed Mary, ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints and you, Father, to pray to the Lord our God for me. P. May almighty God have mercy upon you, and forgive you your sins, and bring you to life everlasting. R. Amen. P. May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins. R. Amen. P. You will turn again, O God, and quicken us. R. And Your people shall rejoice in You. P. Show unto us, O Lord, Your mercy. R. And grant us Your salvation. P. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. (Priest ascending altar steps says:) Let us pray. Take from us our sins, O Lord, that we may enter with pure minds into the holy of holies. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Priest kisses the altar, where the relics of martyrs repose, saying:) WE BEG You, O Lord, by the merits of Your saints, whose relics are here, and of all the saints, that You would be so kind as to forgive me all my sins. Amen. (Priest goes to the missal on his right and reads:) THE INTROIT (Propers for Feast Day Masses are found in the sections on St. Isidore, St. Joseph, the Worker, St. Mark, Rogation Days, Assumption (Our Lady of the Fields), Sacred Heart and Thanksgiving.) THE KYRIE (Priest returns to center of altar to recite Kyrie:) P. Lord, have mercy on us. R. Lord, have mercy on us. P. Lord, have mercy on us. R. Christ, have mercy on us. P. Christ, have mercy on us. R Christ, have mercy on us. P. Lord, have mercy on us. R. Lord, have mercy on us. P. Lord, have mercy on us. THE GLORIA (The Gloria is omitted when the vestments are black or violet; and in votive Masses, other than the votive Masses of Angels, and of our Lady when said on a Saturday.) GLORY be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise You, we bless You, we adore You, we glorify You, we give You thanks for Your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, God the almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, only-begotten Son. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; You who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For You alone are the Holy One. You alone are God. You, Jesus Christ, alone are the Most High, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. (Priest kisses altar, turns to people, and says:) P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. (Priest goes to missal on right to read:) THE COLLECT THE EPISTLE (After the Epistle:) R. Thanks be to God. GRADUAL PRAYERS BEFORE THE GOSPEL (Priest returns to center of altar, and, bowing low, says:) CLEANSE my heart and my lips, O almighty God, as You cleansed the lips of the prophet Isaias with a living coal. Through Your gracious mercy, so purify me that I may worthily announce Your Good Tidings, through Christ our Lord. Amen. O Lord, give me Your blessing. May the Lord be in my heart and on my lips, that I may worthily and effectively speak forth His Good Tidings. Amen. P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. THE GOSPEL (After the Gospel:) R. Praise be to You, O Christ. (Priest kisses the Gospel, saying:) By the words of the Gospel may our sin be blotted out. THE CREDO (Priest returns to the center of altar, where he says the Credo, if there is one:) I BELIEVE in one God, the almighty Father, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages; God from God, light from light, true God from true God; begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father; through whom all things were made. He for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven (here all genuflect), and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary; and was made man. He was crucified for our sake under Pontius Pilate: suffered, and was buried And the third day He rose again according to the scriptures. And He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; and of His reign there will be no end. I believe too in the Holy Spirit, Lord and life-giver, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified; who spoke through the prophets. And I believe in one holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look forward to the resurrection of the dead (here all make the sign of the cross), and the life of the world to come. Amen. (After the Credo, the priest kisses altar, turns to people, saying:) P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. P. Let us pray. MASS OF THE FAITHFUL OFFERTORY VERSE OFFERING OF THE BREAD ACCEPT O holy Father, almighty and eternal God, this spotless sacrificial offering which I, Your unworthy servant, offer to You, my living and true God, to atone for my numberless sins, offenses, and negligences; on behalf of all here present, and likewise for all faithful Christians, living and dead, that it may profit me and them as a means of salvation unto life everlasting. Amen. (When priest pours water and wine in the chalice:) O GOD, You have established the nature of man in wondrous dignity and still more admirably restored it. Grant that through the mystery of this water and wine, we may be made partakers of His divinity, who has been so kind as to become partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen. (As the priest offers the chalice of wine:) WE OFFER to You, O Lord, the Chalice of salvation, humbly begging of Your mercy that it may arise before Your divine majesty with a pleasing fragrance, for our salvation and that of all mankind. Amen. In a spirit of humility and with a contrite heart, may we be accepted by You, O Lord, and may our sacrifice be so offered in Your sight this day as to please You, O Lord God. Come, source of holiness, almighty and eternal God, and bless this sacrifice prepared for the glory of Your holy name. (As the priest washes his fingers at the Epistle side of the altar:) (PS. 25:6-12) WASH my hands in innocence, and I go around your altar, O Lord, Giving voice to my thanks, and recounting all your wondrous deeds. O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, the tenting-place of your glory. Gather not my soul with those of sinners, nor with men of blood my life. On their hands are crimes, and their right hands are full of bribes. But I walk in integrity; redeem me, and have pity on me. My foot stands on level ground; in the assemblies I will bless the Lord. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen. (Priest returns to center of altar, bows, and says:) ACCEPT, most holy Trinity, this offering which we are making to You in remembrance of the passion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, our Lord; and in honor of the blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, of these, and of all the saints, that it may add to their honor and procure our salvation; and may they be so kind as to intercede in heaven for us who cherish their memory here on earth, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (The priest kisses the altar, turns to people, and says:) BRETHREN, pray that my sacrifice and yours may become acceptable to God the Father almighty. R. May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, unto the praise and glory of His name, for our advantage and that of all His holy Church. P. Amen. THE SECRET P. World without end. R. Amen. THE PREFACE FOR THE MOST HOLY TRINITY P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. P. Lift up your hearts. R. We have them lifted up to the Lord. P. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. R. It is right and just. It is truly right and just, proper and availing unto salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O holy Lord, Father almighty, and everlasting God. With Your only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit You are one God, one Lord; not in the oneness of a single person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For, that which we believe from Your revelation concerning Your glory, that same we believe also of Your Son, and of the Holy Spirit, without difference or distinction. So that in confessing the true and everlasting Godhead, we adore in it each several Persons, and yet a unity of essence, and equality in majesty. This the angels and archangels, the cherubim also and the seraphim do praise, ceasing not to cry out day by day as with one voice: THE SANCTUS Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! THE CANON (Commemoration of the Church.) AND NOW, most gracious Father, we humbly beg of You and entreat You, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, to accept and bless these gifts, now set apart for the holy and all-perfect sacrifice; which we offer to You especially for Your holy Catholic Church, that You would be so kind as to keep it in peace and unity, to protect and sustain it throughout the world; together with Your servant N., our Pope, and N., our Bishop, and their flocks, who cherish the Catholic and apostolic faith. (Commemoration of the Living.) BE MINDFUL, O Lord, of Your servants and handmaids (name them) and of all here present, whose faith is known to You and likewise their devotion, on whose behalf we offer to You, and who themselves offer to You, this sacrifice of praise for themselves and all who are theirs, for the good of their souls, according to their hope of salvation and deliverance from all harm, and who pay You the homage which they owe You, eternal God, living and true. (Commemoration of the Saints.) UNITED in Your only Church, we honor the memory, first of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ; then that of Your blessed apostles and martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Thaddeus; Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, and of all Your saints, by whose merits and prayers grant that we may be always favored with the help of Your protection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Offering Prayer.) WE FURTHER beg of You, O Lord, to receive in atonement this sacrifice of adoration from us and from all Your household. Provide that our days be spent in Your peace, save us from everlasting damnation, and cause us to be numbered among those whom You have chosen, through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Invocation Prayer.) BE SO kind, O God, as to bless what we offer, and make it approved, effective, worthy, and pleasing in every way, that it may become for our good, the Body and the Blood of Your dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Consecration of the Bread.) WHO, the day before He suffered, took bread into His holy and venerable hands, and, having raised His eyes to heaven to You, His almighty Father, giving thanks to You, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: Take you and eat, all of you, FOR THIS IS MY BODY. (Elevation of the Sacred Host.) (Consecration of the Wine.) IN LIKE manner, when the supper was done, taking also this goodly chalice into His holy and venerable hands, again giving thanks to You, He blessed it and gave it to His disciples, saying: Take you and drink, all of you, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL TESTAMENT: THE MYSTERY OF FAITH: WHICH SHALL BE SHED FOR YOU AND FOR MANY UNTO THE REMISSION OF SINS. (Elevation of the Chalice.) AS OFTEN as you shall do these things, in memory of Me shall you do them. (Offering Prayer.) WHEREFORE, O Lord, we Your servants, and likewise Your holy people, calling to mind not only the blessed passion of the same Christ Your Son, our Lord, but also His resurrection from the dead, and finally His glorious ascension into heaven, offer unto Your supreme majesty, of Your gifts bestowed upon us, the pure, the holy, the all perfect sacrifice of thanks for our redemption--the holy Bread of life eternal and the Chalice of unending salvation. Be so good as to regard with gracious and kindly attention and hold it acceptable, as You were kind enough to esteem the offerings of Your holy servant Abel, and the sacrifice of Abraham our patriarch, and that which Your chief priest Melchisedech offered unto You, a holy sacrifice, a victim without blemish. (The priest bows low and kisses the altar.) (Invocation Prayer.) MOST humbly, we implore You, almighty God, cause these our mystic offerings to be brought by the hands of Your holy angel unto Your altar above, before the face of Your divine majesty, so that those of us who, by this sharing in the heavenly sacrifice, shall receive the most sacred Body and Blood of Your Son, may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Commemoration of the Dead.) BE MINDFUL, O Lord, also of Your servants and handmaids who have gone before us with the sign of faith, and rest in the sleep of peace. (Name them) To these, O Lord, and to all who sleep in Christ, we beg of You to grant of Your goodness, a state of comfort, light, and peace, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Commemoration of the Saints.) TO US also, sinners, yet Your servants, trusting in the greatness of Your mercy, be so kind as to grant some share of heavenly bliss in union with Your holy apostles and martyrs; with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and all Your saints; into whose company we implore You to admit us, not weighing our merits, but freely granting us pardon, through Christ our Lord. Through whom, O Lord, You ever provide, make holy, fill with life, make fruitful of good, and bestow upon us all these Your gifts. (Praise to God.) THROUGH Him, and with Him, and in Him, is to You, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory, for ever and ever. R. Amen. THE LORD'S PRAYER LET US pray. Directed by saving precepts and prompted by divine instruction, we make bold to say: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil. P. Amen. Deliver us, O Lord, we beg of You, from all evils, past, present, and to come; and through the intercession of the blessed and glorious Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God, together with Your blessed apostles, Peter and Paul and with Andrew, and with all the saints, grant of Your goodness, peace in our days, that, aided by the riches of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all disturbance, through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. R. Amen. P. May the peace of the Lord be always with you. R. And with your spirit. MAY this mingling and hallowing of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ help us who receive it unto life everlasting. Amen. (The priest strikes his breast and says:) THE AGNUS DEI Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace. PRAYERS IN PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION O LORD Jesus Christ, You said to Your apostles: Peace I leave unto you, My peace I give to you, regard not my sins but the faith of Your Church, and be so kind as to keep it in peace and unity according to Your will, who live and are King and God for ever and ever. Amen. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, by the Father's will with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, You have given life to the world through Your own death. Deliver me by this Your most holy Body and Blood from all my sins and from every evil. Make me always obedient to Your commandments, and never permit me to be separated from You, who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and are King and God for ever and ever. Amen. Let not the partaking of Your Body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, all unworthy, am about to receive, turn to my condemnation and punishment, but, by reason of Your fatherly love, may it be to my advantage as a safeguard of both soul and body like a well taken remedy, who live and are King and God in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen. (The priest genuflects and, taking the Host says:) I WILL take the bread of heaven, and call upon the name of the Lord. DOMINE NON SUM DIGNUS (Striking his breast, he repeats three times:) Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof; say but the word and my soul shall be healed. (The priest receives the Body of Jesus Christ, saying:) MAY the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life everlasting. Amen. What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He has rendered to me? I will take the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. Praising, I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies. (The priest receives the precious blood of Our Lord, saying:) MAY the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life everlasting. Amen. THE COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE (The people say the "Confiteor" as given in prayers at foot of the altar. Turning to the people, the priest says the two prayers that follow the "Confiteor." Then, after taking the ciborium the priest faces the people, holds the Sacred Host above the ciborium and says:) Behold, the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Lord, I am not worthy, etc. (three times) (The priest then administers Holy Communion to the people, saying each time:) May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul to life everlasting. Amen. THE ABLUTIONS (While purifying the chalice the priest says:) WHAT we have taken, Lord, as bodily food, may we treasure in a pure heart; and may what is given us in time be our provision for eternity. May Your Body, O Lord, which I have eaten, and Your Blood, which I have drunk, affect me to the depths of my being. Grant that no taint of sin may be found in me. whom these pure and holy mysteries have renewed, who live and are King through all eternity. Amen. (The priest goes to the missal on his right.) THE COMMUNION (Returning to the center, turning to the people, the priest says:) P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. (The priest returns to missal on his right.) THE POSTCOMMUNION (Priest returns to middle of altar, turns to people, and says:) P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. P. Go, the Mass is ended. R. Thanks be to God. May the tribute of my worship be pleasing to You, most holy Trinity, and grant that the sacrifice which I, all unworthy, have offered in the presence of Your majesty, may be acceptable to You, and through Your mercy obtain forgiveness for me and all those for whom I have offered it, through Christ our Lord. Amen. BLESSING May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R. Amen. THE LAST GOSPEL (The priest goes to the left side of altar and says:) P. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. P. The beginning of the Holy Gospel according to St. John. R. Glory be to You, O Lord. (John 1:1-14) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was made nothing that has been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not. There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to bear witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him. He was not himself the light, but was to bear witness to the light. It was the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him He gave the power of becoming sons of God; to those who believe in His name; who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Here all kneel.) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we saw His glory--glory as of the only-begotten of the Father--full of grace and of the truth. P. Thanks be to God. PRAYERS AFTER LOW MASS (These prayers are said for the Church in Russia--Pius XI, 1934--at all low Masses, except if they have a solemn character.) "Hail Mary," three times, then the Salve Regina. Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show to us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. P. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray O God, our refuge and strength, look graciously upon Your people crying to You; and through the intercession of the glorious and Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph her spouse, of Your holy apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Your mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners and for the freedom and exaltation of holy mother Church; through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Holy Michael the archangel, defend us in the conflict; be our protection against the malice and snares of Satan. May God restrain him, we humbly pray, and do you, O prince of the heavenly host, by the divine power thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who go about in this world seeking the ruin of souls. R. Amen. P. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. R. Have mercy on us. (three times) PRAYERS FOR THE SEASONS OF THE YEAR A NOTE ABOUT THE PRAYERS THE majority of the occasional prayer were written specifically for this Rural Life Prayerbook. They will be found to follow, roughly, both the calendar and the ecclesiastical year. About a dozen of them, however, are more or less familiar prayers which fit so well into the pattern that the author did not presume to write his own and leave out the old favorites. The prayers at tempt to cover most of the important rural needs. All these prayers can well be used for common family prayer in the home. Many are also easily adapted for use in the parish church, after Holy Mass, or in connection with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, or other devotions, particularly on certain feast days, or at times when specific needs arise. The prayers will also lend themselves to meditation. Many of them, even though not so marked, can be used as novena prayers, either publicly or privately. All of them could, with great profit, be used in the family circle, for common prayer together, and, upon occasion, for family discussion. JANUARY NEW YEAR'S PRAYER FOR CHURCH AND STATE Composed by Archbishop Carroll ALMIGHTY and eternal God, You have, through Jesus Christ, revealed Your glory to all nations. We pray You to preserve the works of Your mercy, that Your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Your name. We pray You, who alone are good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life our Chief Bishop, Pope---------------, the vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of His Church; our own Archbishop and Bishop; all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry and conduct Your people into the ways of salvation. We pray You, O God of might, wisdom, and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, to assist with Your holy spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of the United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Your people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion, by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy, and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge, and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty. We pray for his Excellency, the Governor Of this state, for the members of the Assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Your powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability. We recommend likewise to Your unbounded mercy all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Your most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. Amen. A HOLY NAME PRAYER (Feast of the Holy Name, January 2) LORD JESUS, we humbly pray You to give us all a great reverence and respect for Your most holy name. Forgive us for ever having used the name of Jesus in vain, or without due respect. Help us remember how reverently and lovingly Your Mother Mary used the name of Jesus, and how humbly Saint Joseph called You and spoke to You by name. Your name, dear Jesus, is above every other name in heaven or on earth, because You are the Jesus, the Savior of all men. You have saved us, and You have told us to ask God anything in Your name, and it would be granted. We ask You, humbly and confidently, to bless us and our work, and give us the rich treasures of Your divine grace, without which we cannot even so much as pronounce the name of Jesus. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY (Feast of the Holy Family First Sunday after Epiphany) DEAR Lord, bless our family. Be so kind as to give us the unity, peace, and mutual love that You found in Your own family in the little town of Nazareth. Saint Joseph, bless the head of our family. Obtain for him the strength, the wisdom, and the prudence he needs to support and direct those under his care. Mother Mary, bless the mother of our family. Help her to be pure and kind, gentle and self-sacrificing. For the more she resembles you, the better will our family be. Lord Jesus, bless the children of our family. Help them to be obedient and devoted to their parents. Make them more and more like You. Let them grow, as You did, in wisdom and age and grace before God and man. Holy Family of Nazareth, make our family and home more and more like Yours, until we are all one family, happy and at peace in our true home with You. Amen. DEDICATION OF THE RURAL FAMILY TO THE DIVINE MAJESTY ALMIGHTY and merciful Father, whom Your only-begotten Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, has named the Husbandman, or Farmer, graciously accept our praise and adoration. All things were made by You and all that we have is Yours. Our lives and our talents, our home and furnishings, the soil and its fruits, the animals and their abode, sunshine and rain, fruit and harvest are all from You. By their use we are to come more securely to You. For all Your gifts, O God, we offer You our thanks. You have made us branches of Your Son, the true Vine, members of Your kingdom, and sheep of Him who is our Good Shepherd. In gratitude and love we promise to remain ever close to the divine Heart of Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We humbly beseech You to look with favor upon this Your family and to sanctify its members. Bless also our home, our flocks and herds, our fields and labors. Keep from us all attacks of Satan and preserve us from all evil, through Your beloved Son in the charity of the Holy Spirit. With filial affection and reverence we humbly dedicate ourselves to the Blessed Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Keep us ever in Your love, faithful and true unto death. We place this our dedication in the pure hands of the Immaculate Mother of God, the patroness of our beloved country. May the Most Holy Virgin Mary carry this offering of ourselves and all that is ours to the throne of Your divine majesty. Grant us through her intercession, we beseech You, the grace to pass through things temporal that we may not lose those which are eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER FOR CHURCH UNITY (Church Unity Octave, January 18 to 25) ALMIGHTY and eternal God, You have promised that there will someday be but one fold and one Shepherd. Hasten that day, we pray You, in Your most merciful kindness and generosity. Pour the light of Your grace into the minds of our non-Catholic friends so that they may see the truth, and fully realize that the truth is one and undivided. Give them also the strength of will needed to follow in the direction of the light You give them. Let us, their neighbors and friends, not be a hindrance to their conversion by our bad example. Rather let Your goodness be made clear to them by the virtue of our lives. Then may they finally all be brought to You, the Light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. Amen. FEBRUARY A PRAYER FOR CANDLEMAS DAY (February 2) LORD Jesus Christ, You are the true Light enlightening every soul born into this world. Today we celebrate the feast of Candlemas. Before Holy Mass, the priest blesses the candles, whose wax is the humming summer's work of countless bees. The flames of these candles will shed their light upon the altar at the Holy Sacrifice. Help us to realize, this day and every day, that our own humdrum daily work, if it is done for love of You, and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, will be a supernatural work, and will shine brightly before You for all eternity. Help us realize, too, each time we see the blessed candles at Holy Mass, or at the bedside of the sick, that they are a symbol of Yourself, the Light shining in the darkness of this world. Help us to live in that Light, to make it our own, and to kindle it in the souls of others, increasing the area Of light and lessening the darkness in the World This, dear Lord, help us do, through the merits of Your own dear mother, Mary, who did everything for love of You, from the moment she brought You into this world till the day she joined You in the realms of light at her death. Then we, too, working for You, shall be light-bearers who will help to spread Your kingdom on earth, and increase the number of those who dwell in heaven, the city of eternal light. Amen. TO JESUS MY FRIEND By Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, S.J. JESUS! You are my true Friend, my only Friend. You take a part in all my misfortunes; You take them on Yourself; You know how to change them into blessings; You listen to me with the greatest kindness when I relate my troubles to You, and You have always balm to pour on my wounds. I find You at all times; I find You everywhere, You never go away: if I have to change my dwelling, I find You there wherever I go. You are never weary of listening to me, You are never tired of doing me good. I am certain of being beloved by You, if I love You; my goods are nothing to You, and by bestowing Yours on me, You never grow poor; however miserable I may be, no one nobler or cleverer or even holier can come between You and me, and deprive me of Your friendship; and death, which tears us away from all other friends, will unite me forever to You. All the humiliations attached to old age, or to the loss of honor, will never detach You from me; on the contrary, I shall never enjoy You more fully, and You will never be closer to me than when everything seems to conspire against me to overwhelm me and to cast me down. You bear with all my faults with extreme patience, and even my want of fidelity and my ingratitude do not wound You to such a degree as to make You unwilling to receive me when I return to You. O Jesus, grant that I may die praising You, that I may die loving You, that I may die for the love of you. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE WOOD-LOT DEAR Lord Jesus, ever since You were nailed to the cross, wood has become a sacred thing. In every tree we are once more reminded of Your great love for us. Bless these trees of ours, let them grow tall and strong and reach full maturity without any injury. Keep far from them the terrible force of lightning. Let them not be torn and broken by the impact of strong winds. May they have a plentiful supply of water, and be protected from every blight and worm and insect. May they always be a reminder to us, Lord, of Your glorious passion and death. May they help us to remember always that we are Christians, and that, as such, we must follow You our leader, Jesus Christ crucified. We must be willing to take up our cross daily, and follow You. Then will we also reap the fruit of our labors, and rise to a new life with You, because we have been willing to suffer with You. Amen. A PRAYER TO SIMON OF CYRENE GOOD Saint, tradition says that you were a farmer. If so, you knew what it meant to work hard in the fields day after day. You carried your cross of labor patiently, without complaint or grumbling. You were grateful to the Lord of the harvest when He blessed your work with abundant crops. And you did not lose your trust in Him when He limited His blessings, giving you only a small return for your labors. And our good Lord blessed you, choosing you personally to help Him carry His cross to Calvary. Dear Saint, teach us to realize that we too can carry the cross of Christ. Teach us to unite our labors and sufferings with the labors and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, offering what we do in union with Him to God, the Father of us all. In this way we can gain great graces for ourselves and for the whole world. Teach us, too, good Simon, to bring up our children according to God's laws, as you did Yours Help us to be satisfied with our lot, in the assuring knowledge that the toil of the farmer is needed for the good of the nation and the world, and in itself is noble and honorable. Amen. MARCH A PRAYER TO SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS SAINT Thomas Aquinas, you are called by Holy Mother Church, the Angel of the Schools. Your wisdom, gathered through long meditation from the source of all wisdom, the most holy Trinity, has long been a shining light in the Catholic Church. Ignorance of the things of God is a darkness now enveloping the minds of many of our countrymen. In this darkness, we need an angel like you who will protect, foster, and nourish the schools we have, and guide and strengthen us in establishing and building newer and more adequate schools for the instruction of our children in the ways of Christ. Help and bless the generous sisters, brothers, and priests who labor so unselfishly in the classroom to spread the knowledge of Christ. Inspire our Catholic men and women to be most generous in the support of the schools we have. Grant to parents the wise generosity they need to give their child back to God when that child wishes to follow a priestly or religious vocation. Help us, Saint Thomas, Angel of the Schools, to understand what you taught, and to follow your example. Amen. THE BREASTPLATE OF SAINT PATRICK (Feast, March 17) I BIND to myself today The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity; I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe. I bind to myself today The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism, The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial, The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension The virtue of His coming on the Judgment Day I bind to myself today The virtue of the love of the seraphim, In the obedience of angels, In the hope of resurrection unto reward, In prayers of Patriarchs, In predictions of Prophets, In preaching of Apostles, In faith of Confessors, In purity of holy Virgins, In deeds of righteous men. I bind to myself today The power of Heaven, The light of the sun, The brightness of the moon, The splendor of fire, The flashing of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of sea, The stability of earth, The compactness of rocks. I bind to myself today God's power to guide me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to teach me, God's eye to watch over me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to give me speech, God's hand to guide me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to shelter me, God's host to secure me, Against the snares of demons, Against the seductions of vices, Against the lusts of nature, Against everyone who meditates injury to me, Whether far or near, Whether few or with many. I invoke today all these virtues Against every hostile, merciless power Which may assail my body and my soul, Against the incantations of false prophets, Against the black laws of heathenism, Against the false laws of heresy, Against the deceits of idolatry, Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man. Christ, protect me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against death-wound That I may receive abundant reward. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I bind to myself today The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity. I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe. Amen. (From "Devotions in Honor of Saint Patrick". by Abbot Richard Felix, O.S.B.) A PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH (Feast, March 19) GOOD Saint Joseph, you were the head of the Holy Family in the little house at Nazareth. You know the responsibilities, the joys and sorrows, the duties and rights of that position. Please, in your loving kindness, remembering the goods days at Nazareth, bless the head of our family. Help him in his needs. Make him kind and pure and gentle, as you were. Make him understanding and gracious, and obtain for him the kind of trust in God's loving providence that guided and supported you in Egypt. Obtain for the lady of our house, too, the same graciousness and kindliness, the same devotedness to duty and patient humility that Mary had. Help, please, the children Of this house to form themselves after the model for all children, the Holy Child of your house in Nazareth. And when we all finally come to the last moment of our earthly life, just before the beginning of our life with You and your Holy Family in heaven, stand by us, dear Joseph, and obtain for us the greatest of all graces, that of dying, as you did, a happy and holy death, in the company of Mary and Jesus. Amen. A PRAYER TO SAINT ISIDORE, PATRON OF COUNTRY PEOPLE (St. Isidore, patron saint o farmers, was himself a farm born in the city of Madrid, Spain, about the year 1110; His chief appeal is to those who, as he did, work the land. But his good qualities-whole-hearted trust in God, his enthusiasm and vigor in doing his job, his spirit of prayer and devotion to religious practice--these can profitably be admired and imitated by all laboring men, just as his wife Maria, can serve as a model for working men's wives. His feast day is celebrated through out the United States on March 22.) GOOD Saint, we are told that your devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was so great that you would rise before it was light in order to be able to attend Mass before beginning your work in the fields. Obtain for us, we pray you, some of that loving devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There it is that the fruits of our farm labor, bread and wine, are brought and offered to God by the priest. Then, in the consecration, Christ Himself, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, becomes present on our altars under the appearances of this same bread and wine. And in what was the altar bread. He comes to us to be the very food of our souls. If we deeply realize the value and beauty of Holy Mass, we will be very happy to attend as often as we possibly can. Help us to understand that in the Mass we offer ourselves to God with Christ by the hands of the priest. There we can bring to God all that we do, and offer it to Him in union with His Holy Sacrifice. The oftener we do this now, the happier we shall be hereafter. Good Saint Isidore, bless us and our labors, that we may some day reap the reward of good works with you in heaven. (Feast, March 22) Amen. APRIL A PRAYER FOR LENT DEAR Lord, we are now in the holy season of Lent. We begin to realize anew that these are the days of salvation, these are the acceptable days. We know that we are all sinners. We know that in many things we have all offended Your infinite majesty. We know that sin destroys Your life in us as a drought withers the leaves and chokes the life from the land, leaving an arid, dusty desert. Help us now, Lord, in our feeble attempts to make up for past sin. Bless our efforts with the rich blessing of Your grace. Make us realize ever more our need of penance and of mortification. Help us to see, in our ordinary difficulties and duties, in the trials and temptations of every day, the best opportunity of making up for past infidelities. Every day we are so often reminded in field and wood, in sky and stream, of Your own boundless generosity to us. Help us to realize that You are never outdone in generosity, and that the least thing we do for You will be rewarded, full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and flowing over. Then we shall see, in our own souls, how the desert can blossom, and the dry and wasted land can bring forth the rich, useful fruit that was expected of it from the beginning. Amen. TODAY, dear Lord, we celebrate Your rising from the dead. We are happy with You that You have been victor over death. We look around us at the green fields, filled with new life, and are everywhere reminded of You. The seeds we plant seem dry and dead, but with the combined wonders of rain and sun, and the powers of the earth, they rise from their death-like sleep and grow green and beautiful in our fields. The trees, too, that stood so stark and lifeless through the winter are now bright with living green. With these reminders of a resurrection all about us every day, help us remember that death is not the end of things for us, but the beginning. Help us keep in mind that we shall rise again on the last day, to live with You forever. Then there will be no weeping any more, nor any tears; no suffering, nor any pain, but joy and happiness and love with You forever. With You, then, will we celebrate the eternal Easter. It will be an everlasting spring for us, if we only realize now that there is no glory without suffering, no Easter without a Good Friday. Help us, by Your grace, to live the good lives that will merit this new life in heaven forever with You. Amen. A PRAYER IN PLANTING TIME Dear Lord, You are wonderful in everything you do. In marvelous ways You take the full, rich life of the plant and carefully fold it into tiny seeds. You form the seeds according to many different shapes and sizes and colors, so that man can know what kind of growth will come of them. When they are placed the earth they may look dry and dead, but when they are watered by the life-giving rain and nourished by the warm sun, they lose all their lifeless look and grow in an almost miraculous manner. By the power You gave them, they take the dead minerals of the earth and build up the nourishing, tasty foods that men need to sustain life. This week, dear Lord, we will plant these seeds of (wheat, corn, or whatever it may be) that You have given us. Bless them, and watch over them, and bring them to the full growth and rich harvest that You wish to bless us with. But, should You not allow them to come to full harvest, we accept Your will humbly. We trust that You will nevertheless watch over us and make the seeds of grace that You have given us grow to flower and fruit in the full Christian life that You intend for us here and hereafter. Amen. A PRAYER TO CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE O CHRIST JESUS, I acknowledge You King of the Universe. All that has been created has been made for You. Exercise upon me all Your rights. I renew my baptismal promises renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps. I promise to lead a good Christian life and to do all in my power To procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my poor actions in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your sacred royalty and that thus the reign of Your peace may be established throughout the universe. Amen . (Plenary indulgence, once daily, under the usual conditions.) MAY PRAYER FOR MAY FIRST O GOD, on this day, dedicated through long centuries to the honoring of Mary, Mother of Your divine Son, look down upon us Your children gathered here, and upon the millions of others who are also assembling in unnumbered other places throughout America, to pray for the people of Russia and for all those in countries under the influence of Communism. We pray that all these, our brothers and sisters in Christ, now dominated by the opponents of the Savior, may soon enjoy the full freedom to exercise those human rights and personal liberties that come from You and You alone. We thank You, O heavenly Father, for the guidance given to our Founding Fathers in recognizing that "all men" of all nations "are endowed by their Creator with unalienable right," and in realizing at the very birth of our nation that the chief purpose of government is to safeguard these divine rights for even the least of us. Enable us, O God, to do all in our power to share with "all men" our heritage, Your precious blessings of true freedom. We pray especially for those misguided souls who are spreading a hatred of You and of Your children throughout all nations. May we be enlightened and strengthened by the Holy Spirit never to "be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good" (Romans 12:21); that we may comprehend fully the sublime lesson of Your Incarnate Son: "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). Inspire us, O God, with a love of all men, and especially for those who suffer and are persecuted; teach us to go in Your name, as Christ-bearers, to bring love where there is hate, light of Christian principles where there is darkness of error; help us for Your honor and Glory to renew the face of the earth. Enable us never to flinch where truth and justice are assailed. May we serve You as other Christs by prayer and good works by bringing into every phase of private and public life the only truth that can make me free, the only love that embraces all mankind, the only peace that will last through the eternal ages. Be so kind as to heed our fervent prayer, almighty God, that we, Your sons and daughters, despite our many weaknesses and failures, may be found worthy instruments of Your peace and messengers of Your love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (From the "Christopher" Literature.) PRAYER FOR CHOOSING A STATE OF LIFE FROM all eternity, O Lord, You planned my very existence and my destiny. You Wrapped me in Your love in baptism and gave me the Faith to lead me to an eternal life of happiness with You. You have showered me with Your graces and You have been always ready with Your mercy and forgiveness when I have fallen. Now I beg You for the light I so earnestly need that I may find the way of life in which lies the best fulfillment of Your will. Whatever state this may be, give me the grace necessary to embrace it with love of Your holy will, as devotedly as Your Blessed Mother did Your will. I offer myself to You now, trusting in Your wisdom and love to direct me in working out my salvation and in helping others to know and come close to You, so that I may find my reward in union with You for ever and ever. Amen. A PRAYER TO MARY FOR CHARITY DEAR Mother Mary, you lived for many years in the little country town of Nazareth. You had neighbors, good and bad. And you had occasion to talk about them to other people, and to listen to what others said about them. But we know, Mary, that in all your conversations with your neighbors, and about them, you never committed the least sin. Make us realize, dear Mother, that there are no people who are so bad that we cannot say something good about them. Teach us to speak of the good things people do, instead of the evil. And when we must speak of the evil deeds, let us condemn the deed, and not the doer. Your own Son died on the cross to wipe away such deeds, and to save the men that do them. Help us, when the conversation begins to become harmful to our neighbor, to turn it to other subjects with prudence and tact. Mother Mary, you were always a good neighbor. The very thought of you, when the temptation to indulge in sinful gossip comes, will be a great help to us. You, Mary, are the Mother of divine Love; teach us to practice great charity and kindness in all our dealings with our fellow human beings. Amen. A PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT MOST Holy Spirit of God, Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, there was a day (or there will be) when, by Your infinite mercy, the Most Reverend Bishop called me by name, and said, "I sign you with the sign of the cross, and I confirm you with the chrism of salvation; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen." That was the day on which I was confirmed. On that blessed day the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and fortitude, of knowledge and piety, and of wholesome, childlike fear of You, was called down upon me. On that blessed day, when the holy oil was traced in the form of a cross upon my brow, my soul was sealed with the seal of Your Spirit, and was marked with an indelible mark. I was made, body and soul, a temple of Your Holy Spirit. Dear God, let me today once more thank you for the wonderful grace of confirmation. Let me never do anything that would violate or. desecrate the temple that has been dedicated and consecrated to You. Let me never be ashamed of my badge of Christian soldiership. Let me serve You faithfully and bravely, no matter how long the fight, nor how intense or dangerous the battle may be. Help me to realize that as long as I fight bravely, and stay close to Christ, I can be absolutely certain of final victory, and so find my most perfect happiness in the complete possession of God forever in heaven. Amen. (Rogation days, the three days preceding the Ascension of our Lord, commonly occur during the month of May.) JUNE CONSECRATION OF THE FAMILY TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS SACRED Heart of Jesus, You made clear to Saint Margaret Mary Your desire of being King in Christian families. We today wish to proclaim Your most complete kingly dominion over our own family. We want to live in the future with Your life. We want to cause to flourish in our midst those virtues to which You have promised peace here below. We want to banish far from us the spirit of the world which You have cursed. You shall be King over our minds in the simplicity of our faith, and over our hearts by the wholehearted love with which they shall burn for You, the flame of which we will keep alive by the frequent reception of Your divine Eucharist. Be so kind, O divine Heart, as to preside over our assemblings, to bless our enterprises, both spiritual and temporal, to dispel our cares, to sanctify our joys, and to alleviate our sufferings. If ever one or other of us should have the misfortune to afflict You, remind him, O Heart of Jesus, that You are good and merciful to the penitent sinner. And when the hour of separation strikes, when death shall come to cast mourning into our midst, we will all, both those who go and those who stay, be submissive to Your eternal decrees. We shall console ourselves with the thought that a day will come when the entire family, reunited in heaven, can sing forever Your glories and Your mercies. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious patriarch Saint Joseph present this consecration to You, and keep it in our minds all the days of our life. All glory to the Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father! (Indulgenced May 19, 1908. Prescribed for the ceremony of Consecration, March 1, 1918. A Plenary Indulgence may be gained by the members of the family on the day of consecration, and every year on the day of renewal, under the usual conditions.) A PRAYER FOR THE WHEAT (Feast of Corpus Christi) DEAR Lord, in many broad fields of this vast country of ours, the wheat is growing now. Some is still young and green, some is headed out, and all, before very long, will be golden ripe. Most of it, dear Lord Jesus, will go to feed the hungry. In countless loaves of bread and in cereals, it will find its way to tables in city and country almost all over the world. Some of it will be used at another table. It will be ground into fine flour and used to make the hosts, the altar-breads for Holy Mass. Priests will take it into their anointed hands and pronounce over it the words of consecration, and it will cease to be ordinary bread, and will become the Bread of angels. It will look as it did before, but we know and believe that it will be the Body and Blood, the Soul and Divinity of You, Lord Jesus Christ, there really present, under the appearances of bread. O Jesus, bless the broad, rich fields of wheat in our whole land. Protect them from hail and beating rains, from blight and rust, from windstorms and drought. Let them be full and rich, so that the hungry may be fed, and may praise You and thank You as You deserve. And may all the Holy Masses that will be said with hosts made of this wheat hasten the day when at last there will be enough reapers working in Your harvest, which is ripe and ready now, waiting only to be gathered home. Amen. A NOVENA PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS SACRED Heart of Jesus, we know that there is but one thing impossible to You: to be without pity for those who are in suffering or distress. Look down on us, we beg of You and grant us the grace which we humbly and earnestly implore, through the Immaculate Heart of Your most sorrowful Mother to whom You confided us as her children, and whose prayers are all powerful with You. Amen. (From "Heart Speaks to Heart," The Sacred Heart Program.) A PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS MOST Sacred Heart of Jesus, each morning we offer to You again, all the thoughts, words, and actions of our whole day. Every single thing we do: our labor in the fields and barns, our work in the kitchen and all the house, our laughter and our play and our tears--all is consecrated to Your Sacred Heart. Thus everything we do is an act of love, and a prayer to You. Every thing except our sins. And yet, by the measureless mercy of Your Sacred Heart, even these sins of ours, once they are repented of, confessed, and forgiven in the sacrament of penance--even our sins become monuments to Your loving and generous mercy. Dear Sacred Heart, still beating now in our tabernacles with infinite love for us, we adore You. We thank You for Your unending generosity to us, so clear in all the bountiful, beautiful gifts of nature, in field and wood, by night and day. We beg of You to forgive us all our sins, and those of the whole world. We ask You to help us, in our little way, to make up to You for the love and service that is not given to You by so many men. Countless people who should serve You are Your enemies. Help us to realize that by doing our humdrum daily duties well, and offering them to God with Your merits, we can do very much to make up for our sins and those of all men. Help us, by Your grace, to bear patiently and lovingly, the little trials and sufferings of each day, happy to repay You in these little things for all the great things You have done for us. All these our efforts then, dear Heart of Christ, we offer You through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Mother, and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is at this very moment being offered to our most loving and generous God. Amen. JULY PRAYER FOR GARDENS AND ORCHARDS ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, before our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned, they lived and were very happy in the Garden of Eden. There, as we read in the Holy Book, You would walk with them "at the afternoon air," and they heard the sound of You in the garden. Later, Your own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, began His fearful passion with His sweat of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. Dear God, ever since then, a garden is a holy thing. You still walk there with men, at the afternoon air. You walk with men who can see You and Your generous and merciful providence working for them in the green things that grow and the trees that blossom and bear such rich and nourishing fruit: men who can see again the cross of Christ in every tree, and His crown of thorns in every thorn. Bless all our gardens and orchards in this broad land of ours, dear God, and give us rich and plentiful harvest. Help us, as we go about our work here, to see You in Your loving kindness, working for us and with us. Help us to do Your will at all times. Then, some day, we will walk with You and Your Son, and our dear Mother Mary, down the paths of another Garden, far better, far more beautiful than even the Garden of Eden. Amen. A PRAYER FOR RAIN ALMIGHTY God, we are in need of rain. We realize now, looking up into the clear, blue sky, what a marvel even the least drop of rain really is. To think that so much water can fall out of the sky, which now is empty and clear! We place our trust in You. We are sure that You know our needs. But You want us to ask You anyway, to show You that we know we are dependent on You. Look on our dry hills and fields, dear God, and bless them with the living blessing of soft rain. Then the land will rejoice, and the rivers will sing Your praises, and the hearts of men will be made glad. Amen. ANOTHER PRAYER FOR RAIN O GOD, in whom we live and move and have our being, grant us rain in due abundance, that being sufficiently helped with temporal gifts we may seek with more confidence those that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. CANTICLE OF THE THREE YOUNG MEN IN THE FIERY FURNACE (Dan. 3:57-88, 56) Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, you heavens, bless the Lord; All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. all you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord; Sun and moon, bless the Lord; stars of heaven, bless the Lord. Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; all You winds, bless the Lord; Fire and heat, bless the Lord; cold and chill, bless the Lord; Dew and rain, bless the Lord; frost and cold, bless the Lord; Ice and snow, bless the Lord; nights and days, bless the Lord; Light and darkness, bless the Lord; lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord. Let the earth bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord; You springs, bless the Lord; seas and rivers, bless the Lord; You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord; all you birds of the air, bless the Lord; All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. You sons of men, bless the Lord; O Israel, bless the Lord; Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; servants of the Lord, bless the Lord; Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord; holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord. Ananias, Azarias, Misael, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. (Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us praise and exalt God above all forever.) Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever! PRAYER OF SAINT IGNATIUS FOR GENEROSITY (Feast, July 31) Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve You as You deserve: to give, and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that I am doing Your will. AUGUST PRAYER TO SAINT JOHN VIANNEY, THE PARISH PRIEST OF ARS, FOR THE PASTOR AND THE PARISH (Feast, August 9) SAINT John Vianney, we pray you to bless and help our pastor so that he may love dearly in this life and be richly rewarded in the next. Obtain for him the grace always to be kind and generous, self-sacrificing and zealous. Watch over the people of our parish, and keep them free from all evils. Help them to be loyal and generous in the support of our pastor. Help us particularly always to give him the respect and honor due him as a priest. Except for him we should not have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, or Your presence among us, or the other sacraments that we so dearly love and need. From his anointed hands we receive the food of our souls, the most precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ From his lips we hear the word of God. By the power given to him our sins are forgiven, and we are given all blessings And it is he who will anoint us when we are dying, and will offer the Holy Sacrifice for us when we are dead. Help us, dear Saint, to see Christ in him, and to cooperate with him in all his work for the good of our souls. Amen. A PRAYER ON THE FEAST OF MARY'S ASSUMPTION (Feast, August 15) HOLY Mother Mary, we all rejoice with you today on the feast of your glorious Assumption into heaven. Long ago in the Garden of Eden, our first parents, Adam and Eve, were told that they would have to earn their bread in the sweat of their brow and that the earth would be cursed, bringing forth thorns and thistles. Now, after Christ our Redeemer has come, and taught us how to make use of the thorns and thistles of this life, and turn them into blessings, you, like Him, have been taken up body and soul into heaven. There, with your divine Son, you await our coming, and prepare a place for us. Mother Mary, it is a great comfort to us to realize that your precious body, the tabernacle of the infant Christ, is now in heaven with Him. Your being taken into heaven is also, like the resurrection of Christ's body, a pledge to us of the resurrection of our own bodies. It is wonderful to think that these hands, with which we earn our bread now in the sweat of our brow, will, because of the merits of Christ, one day, with our bodies, be glorified forever in heaven. O most pure Virgin Mary, help us to realize this as we go about our work from day to day. Help us to have great respect for these bodies of ours, and for those of others because we recognize in them the temple of the Holy Spirit, and because we look forward to seeing each other, body and soul, with you and your Son Jesus Christ forever in heaven. Amen. A PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY (Feast, August 22) HEART of Mary ever Virgin, you are full of grace. You are the dearest daughter of the heavenly Father, the tabernacle of the Word made Flesh, and the beloved home of the Holy Spirit. You are the wonder and delight of angels, of saints, and of men. I offer you my deepest reverence. With great love and thanksgiving I consecrate myself, body and soul, to you this day, and will never take back my word. You are the marvel of God's creation; a Virgin's heart, yet a Mother's too, with a mother's love of Jesus and of men. Dear Mother, fashion in my heart a child's true love of you. Fill me with your own bright virtues: simplicity and innocence, meekness and courage, and unfailing devotedness to Jesus Christ. Since I belong to you then, holy Mother, save me from my enemies, from the world, from Satan, from myself. Keep me always in your sinless Heart to make my poor heart more and more like your Heart and the Heart of Jesus. Dear, merciful Mother, look with a mother's love and pity on the poor, sinful, suffering children of the whole human family. Our Holy Father Pius XII has consecrated them to your Immaculate Heart. Do not turn them away. Remember the cruel pain your heart suffered for their salvation with Jesus Christ on Calvary. Save them by His precious Blood. Draw them out of the darkness and despair of their sin and misery into the light, peace, and holiness of the Church. Then with the angels and saints, may they join us in singing the everlasting Magnificat of praise, gratitude, and love to your tender and Immaculate Heart, and to the adorable and merciful Heart of Jesus. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE CORN ALMIGHTY and eternal God, You are the Lord of the harvest. All over the land now, under the August sky, stands field after field of corn. Its long leaves are drinking in the warm sun and rustling in the wind. Bless this crop of ours, Lord, and make it plentiful and rich. Millions of people will be fed with this grain now standing in the fields, and millions of animals, too. Keep it from blight and pests. Give it sufficient rain and warm sun, and do not let the killing frost come too soon. Help us in the harvesting of it, Lord, so that the hungry may be fed and the desires of the needy fulfilled. We thank You for all Your kindnesses to us. We beg You to bless our work in the fields, and give us a plentiful harvest, so that we may with gratitude and loving faithfulness always do Your will, with the help of Your grace, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King with You forever in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen. SEPTEMBER A PRAYER IN TIME OF DEBT ALMIGHTY, everlasting God, we beg of You to help us soon to pay off our debts to our fellowmen. Give us strength and courage to persevere until the last penny is paid. Give patience to those to whom we are in debt, and let them not treat us unjustly. Help us have great confidence in You and in the workings of Your providence, trusting that You will always direct things to our greatest good. Make us also fully realize that no debt to our fellowmen can begin to equal the debt that we owe You on account of our sins, to say nothing of the immense debt we owe You for the gifts of Your divine grace. These we could never pay at all but for the coming of Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. To Him be all honor and thanksgiving, now and forever. Amen. SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI'S PRAYER FOR PEACE (Feast of the Stigmata, September 17) Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. That where there is hatred I may bring love, That where there is wrong--I may bring the spirit of forgiveness, That where there is discord--I may bring harmony, That where there is error--I may bring truth, That where there is doubt--I may bring faith. That where there is despair--I may bring hope, That where there are shadows--I may bring Your light, That where there is sadness--I may bring Joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort--than to be comforted; To understand--than to be understood; To love--than to be loved: For it is by giving--that one receives; It is by self-forgetting--that one finds; It is by forgiving--that one is forgiven; It is by dying--that one awakens to eternal life. A PRAYER TO THE NORTH AMERICAN MARTYRS (Feast, September 26) DEAR Saints Isaac Jogues, John Brebeuf, Noel Chabanel, Gabriel Lalemant, Anthony Daniel, Charles Garnier, Rene Goupil and John Lalande, we beg of you, pray for the people of this vast country ours. You are the first canonized saints of the United States and Canada. We are glad to have you. We are happy to honor you. You know our country and its needs, and we know you are in heaven praying for us. There is one very special favor we wish to ask of you. Dear Saints of North America, pray God to send us another saint, or better still, a number of them. Ask Him to have soon--a man or a woman, a boy or a girl from this country of ours raised to the honors of the altar. Let it be a farmer or a laborer, a housewife or a schoolboy, born and bred in these United States. Let it be some one who lived his whole life here--a Saint Joseph of Carville County, or a Saint Mary of Middletown, or a Saint William of New York. We do not wish to displace you in our affections, but to add to your glorious number. You understand our desires in this, and we feel sure that we will obtain this great blessing for the salvation of the people of this land. Remember us now, and obtain this great blessing for us from God. Help us always to cooperate with the graces that God so richly and generously gives us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. OCTOBER A PRAYER IN AUTUMN FOR COUNTRY LIVING GOOD and generous Lord, You have once more brought the year full circle, through planting and growing and ripening to harvest time, and autumn. We thank You for the sun and the wind, the rain and the dew, the minerals of the earth and all the plants that grow and all the beasts and birds of farm and field. We marvel at Your wonderful ways of bringing food from the earth for man's good. Dear God, help us to use Your rich gifts as You want us to. Teach us to share them with our neighbor when he is in need. Make us see, in the marvelous succession of sea sons, and in the growth and ripening of our crops, the merciful, generous hand of Your divine providence. Help us to realize, too, that if we keep Your commandments and live according to the inspirations of Your grace, we shall also reap a plentiful harvest in the autumn of our lifetime: a harvest that we will be able to enjoy for ever and ever, where no rust can destroy, nor blight spoil any least part of it. Amen. A PRAYER TO THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS (Feast, October 2) DEAR Angel at my side, my good and loyal friend, you have been with me since the moment I was born. You are my own personal guardian, given me by God as my guide and protector, and you will stay with me till I die. He who created you and me gave me to you as your particular charge. You assisted in great joy at my baptism, when I became part of the Mystical Body of Christ, and was made a member of the household of God and an heir of heaven. You saw the dangers that beset my path, and, if I sinned, it was in spite of you. You envied me when Christ came to me in Holy Communion. Even though you probably were there among the angels that adored Him the night that He was born, you have not been able to receive Him as I can. O, help me to appreciate these gifts! Help me to realize, as you do, with every fiber of my being, that to serve Christ is to be a King! Help me steadfastly to avoid evil and do good and always guard my soul from sin. Protect me as well from physical evils as I go about my daily work. You will be with me all my life, and at the hour of my death. Help me to face death bravely, patiently, with great love of God, knowing that it is only through death that I can come to Him in heaven! Then, come with me to my Judge, and when the hour of my salvation comes, take me home to my Father, God. Amen. THE CANTICLE OF THE SUN Saint Francis of Assisi (Feast, October 4) Most high, all powerful, good Lord, to You be praise, glory and honor and all blessing. To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and there is no man worthy to name You. Praise be to You, my Lord, with all Your creatures. Chief of all is Sir Brother Sun, who is our day; through whom You give light. Beautiful is he, radiant, with great splendor. He is a true revealer of You, Most High. Praise be to You, my Lord, for Sister Moon and for the stars. In heaven You have formed them, bright, precious and fair. Praise be to You, my Lord, for Brother Wind, and for the air, and for the cloud, for clear sky and for all weathers, by which You give nourishment to all Your creatures. Praise be to You, my Lord, for Sister Water. She is most useful and humble, precious and pure. Praise be to You, my Lord, for Brother Fire, by whom You light up the night. Fair is he and merry, mighty and strong. Praise be to You, my Lord, for our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and keeps us. She brings forth divers fruits, the many-hued flowers and grass. O Creatures all! praise and bless my Lord, and gratefully serve Him with deep humility. Praise be to You, my Lord, for those who grant pardon for love of You, and bear weakness and buffetings. Blessed are they who live in peace, for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned. Praise be to You, my Lord, for our Sister, Bodily Death, From whom no living man can flee. Woe to them who die in mortal sin! But blessed they who shall find themselves in Your most holy will; to them the second death shall do no ill. A PRAYER TO SAINT LUKE FOR THE FAMILY DOCTOR (Feast, October 19) GOOD Saint Luke, we are told that before you met our dear Lord and became a follower of His and a writer of His Gospel, you were a doctor. We beg you this day to bless and help and protect our doctor. Obtain for him the graces he most needs to do his work well and serve God generously. Help him to be strong and gentle, prudent and charitable, understanding and self- sacrificing. Give him great skill in the care of our bodies, so that, blessed with physical strength and health, we may more faithfully perform our daily tasks. Help us all, good Saint Luke, to imitate very closely the life and virtues of our Blessed Mother Mary, about whom you wrote so beautifully, and of Him whom she bore into this world, Jesus Christ our Lord and our God, who lives and is King for ever and ever. Amen. A PRAYER TO CHRIST THE KING (Feast, Last Sunday of October) ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, after You had created heaven and earth, and all the living beings, plants and animals, then You created man. You made him king of Your whole creation. You put everything in the whole round world at his disposal. You gave to him alone, of all the creatures on this earth, the power to think and the power to will. Everything else was made to serve man. Then, when man sinned, You sent Your Son to be the King of mankind, and the Redeemer of the human race. He is now King, not only of mankind, but of the whole universe. He is the "firstborn of every creature." He is our King, and everything that we have is made and given us to serve Him. We are to use it, not in selfishness and greed, but in gratitude and generosity, realizing that we are all subjects of the great King Jesus. Help us to keep this in mind, as we plough His fields, lent to us for a time, and as we reap His crops, given to us by His generous hand. Help us to use with care the goods He here gives us, so that we may gain the eternal goods that He has won for us. Help us always and everywhere to be good, loyal subjects of Christ, our King, so that we may be with Him, our victor and King, forever in heaven. Amen. NOVEMBER A PRAYER TO ALL THE SAINTS (Feast, November 1) TODAY, dear friends in heaven, we celebrate your feast. We celebrate again the feasts of all the saints we know, and whom we honor day by day through the year. But we also honor today all the saints in heaven whom we do not know. We can not help thinking, on this day, that no one of us lacks a model to follow in one of you. We look around us at the familiar persons and things and activities that fill our every day lives, and we find that they are little different from the persons, things, and activities that filled your lives. We have the same human nature, wounded by the sin of Adam and Eve, but strengthened marvelously by grace, and fed and sanctified by the sacraments and prayer. We have exactly the same sacraments that you had, we have the same Christ, the same Blessed Mother, the same trials, sickness, pain, temptation, the same joys, pleasures, and happiness that crowded your lives. Then it must be true that, with the same means, we should be able to work out our lives in the same holiness and sanctity as yours, dear saints. Help us to do this. Help us to see the opportunities for holiness that fill our everyday lives. Obtain for us, by your prayers, the deep understanding and appreciation of spiritual things that were yours. Help us to see, too, in the beauty of the world in which we live, some slight mirroring of the eternal beauty which you now see, as you gaze on God. But let us not be deceived into thinking that this earthly beauty, this worldly pleasure, is an end in itself. Let us use it wisely and moderately, our hearts always yearning to come at last to the final beauty and joy, the possession of God Himself, with you, in heaven. Amen A PRAYER IN A COUNTRY CEMETERY (All Souls Day, November 2) DEAR Lord, here lie in their last rest, the boys and girls, the men and women that worked on the land. They knew the meaning of hard work. They knew the joy and peace that is the product of labor. Now we trust they know the peace and happiness of everlasting life with You. They watched the sun rise often, winter and summer, over these hills and fields. They worked hard by its light, and turned willingly to their rest at its setting. Now they walk in the light of a Sun that knows no setting. Lord, if they are still in the waiting room of heaven--in purgatory--bring them speedily to the light of Your peace and the happiness of Your presence. These men and women all their lives long labored to supply the food and drink necessary to sustain human life. Now, or soon, they enjoy in all its fullness the life that You, Lord, came down to earth to give men, and to give more abundantly. Dear Lord, bless us who labor now in the fields and hills where these dear dead have worked. Grant that we may remember them with charity and kindness, walking reverently in the ways that they have left behind them. Grant, too, that we may finally meet these men and women, these boys and girls, in the eternal mansions that You are even now preparing for us. Amen. A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION AGAINST FIRES ALMIGHTY and eternal God, we ask Your protection against destroying fire. Fire is so very necessary for our existence, and yet, when it gets out of control, it can be more damaging than anything else. Keep our homes and buildings and woods and fields safe from this scourge. Help us always to be most careful in our use of it. Help us especially in the winter time when need and use it most. For then, if our homes are destroyed by fire, we suffer more than ever. Give us, too, we humbly pray You, a saving fear of the fires of passion, and the help of Your grace to control them. Help us also to fear the fires of hell, that we may always keep away from serious sin, and live lives of goodness and virtue, through Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS (Last Thursday of November) LORD, I am grateful that I am a farmer. I am glad to live close to the earth that You have made. I am happy to spend so much of my time in the open air, under the bright sun, the symbol of Your own justice and light. I am grateful for the rain and for the freshness that it brings--the rain, a symbol of Your rich and undying blessings. I am happy to cooperate with You in Your work of continuous creation, by growing the food that men need to sustain life. By Your almighty power You make grow seeds I plant. You fill the earth with minerals, You send the rain and the sun, the wind and the snow--and the dry, hard seeds I plant are raised to soft, green life. You have given men great wisdom and cleverness to build machines that make the labor of the farmer much less burdensome. Dear Lord, I am in Your almighty hands. I depend upon You for everything. If I sow the seed and cultivate the young plants, and You do not see fit to give me a good harvest, I will be satisfied. You are the Lord and master and creator of all things. You know what is good for me and what would do me harm. I trust You, absolutely and without question. I thank You again for calling me to a farmer's life. I beg of You never to let me forget its great advantages of closeness to You, absolute trust and confidence in You, and the fullness and richness of my life, close to the earth that You have made and have so marvelously blessed. Lord, I am grateful that I am a farmer. Amen. DECEMBER A PRAYER IN ADVENT DEAR God, all over the world now, the children of Holy Mother Church are singing: "Send down dew from above, you heavens, and let the skies pour down upon us the rain we long for, Him, the Just One. May He, the Savior, spring from the closed womb of the earth!" We know, Lord, and we have seen, what drought does to the land. We know, too, and have seen, the ravages of frost and cold. We have walked in barren fields and up dry hills, through dead, silent woods and lifeless valleys, and along thirsty beds of once flowing streams. We have seen, clearly enacted for us upon the land, what our life would be without You. We can understand, now, how we should long for Your coming. Come, dear Lord and Savior, and do not delay! Rise up in Your power and come! Let the rain of Your grace water the parched soil of our souls. Let the warmth of Your love thaw the coldness of our indifference. Let the life of Your Body and Blood vitalize our deadened energies, and stir us up to fruitful labor in Your vineyard. O eternal Father, rouse our hearts out of the sleep of sin, so that we may clear the path of Your Son into our souls. Each year in Advent, You gladden us with the thought of our redemption. Grant us, we pray You, that, as we receive Your Son as our Redeemer now, we may, in the future, gladly and confidently meet Him as our Judge. Amen. A PRAYER IN WINTER DEAR Lord, the summer is over and gone, and the harvest is once more past. All the wealth and warmth of the summer sun is marvelously packaged now, in seed and fruit and vegetable, and stored away in bins and cribs and basements. Thank You, dear, generous God, for all Your goodness and for all Your gifts. All summer long You are working for us, storing heat and health and nourishment in the fields and woods. Now, when the air is cold, and there is no fruitfulness in the earth, we can live on what the summer and the harvest have stored up for us. Thank You for Your unnumbered kindnesses to us, dear God. Help us to make good use of the riches of the earth. Help us to be generous, even as You are, and al ways avoid selfishness and greed. Help us, too, to store up spiritual wealth in the summer of this life, while we can yet work. Otherwise life's autumn will come, death will call us, a spiritual winter will set in and we shall be found poor and unsheltered not for one season only, but for the winters of eternity. Lord, we trust in You, that, cooperating with Your many graces, we may make good use now of our rich opportunities. And may we then reap a rich spiritual harvest which we will enjoy with You and Your saints in the eternal spring and summer of heaven. Amen. A PRAYER AT CHRISTMAS TIME FOR COUNTRY LIVING LORD Jesus Christ, when, on a winter's night I look up through the clear air at the stars, I can be very close to You and to Your native Bethlehem. It was at night that You first came to this earth. It was under the same stars that now gleam in this night sky that Mary first held You in her arms. It was by the faint light of these stars still shining tonight that the shepherds found their way to the stable, and discovered You, as the angels had said they would, lying in a manger. Dear Christ, it is especially at Christmas time that I see and understand how close You are to those who live on the land. We have so many reminders of You! The stars and moon at night and the sun by day--the same stars under which You were born; the same moon that shone that night on Bethlehem; the same sun that brightened Your first days on earth. The stable, and the farm animals that shared their quarters and their warmth with You, their creator. The sheep and the shepherds that came to adore You--rough men, but good, truthful, honest, and sincere. O Jesus, Son of the everlasting God, You are so wonderfully made one of us at Christmas time! You are our God, but You are our Brother, too. You are our King, but You come as a helpless little baby, longing for our love. Help us today and always to see You in all those with whom we come in contact. Let us never forget Your own instruction, that whatever we do for the least of those around us, we do for You. Help us always to serve You in the generous, selfless spirit of this season, and we shall then be real Christians--more and more like You--other Christs. Amen. HYMN OF THANKSGIVING (Te Deum) We praise You, O God; we acknowledge You to be the Lord. All the earth worships You, the Father everlasting. To You all the angels, to You the heavens, and all the powers, To You the cherubim and seraphim cry out Without ceasing; Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts! The heavens and the earth are full of the majesty of Your glory. The glorious choir of the apostles praises You. The admirable company of the prophets praises You. The white-robed army of martyrs praises You. Holy Church through the world acknowledges You, The Father of incomprehensible majesty, Your adorable, true, and only Son, And the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. You, O Christ, are the King of glories. You are the everlasting Son of the Father. You, in order to save men, did not shun the Virgin's womb. You have overcome the sting of death, and opened to believers the kingdom of heaven. You are sitting at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. You, we believe, are the Judge to come. We beg of You, therefore, to help Your servants, whom you have re deemed with Your precious Blood. Let them be numbered with Your saints in glory everlasting. O Lord, save Your people, and bless those who are Your heirs. And govern them and exalt them forever. Each day we bless You. And we praise Your name in eternity, for ever and ever. Be so kind, O Lord, as to keep us without sin this day. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we have trusted in You. In You, O Lord, I have trusted, let me not be put to shame forever. V. Let us bless the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Spirit. R. Let us praise and exalt Him forever. O God, Your mercies are without number, and the treasure of Your goodness is infinite. We give thanks to Your most gracious majesty for the gifts You have given us. We continue to ask of Your mercy that, as You grant the petitions of those that ask You, You may never forsake them, but prepare them for the rewards to come through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. A NOTE ON THE BLESSINGS All the blessings here given have been carefully translated into modern English from the 1944 edition (Benziger) of the "Rituale Romanum." The Latin version of each can easily be found in the "Rituale." All the blessings, with one exception, can be given by any priest. The one "reserved" blessing is that on page 184, "Blessing to Ward Off Destructive In sects and Other Small Animals." For this, the priest must have delegation from his Ordinary. The Rituale Romanum says: "Blessings are in valid if the formula prescribed by the Church is not used" Blessings, especially those concerning Catholics, may also be given to catechumens Indeed, unless there is some ecclesiastical prohibition, they may also be given to non-Catholics to obtain the light of faith, or, along with it, health of body. Blessed objects are to be handled reverently and not put to any profane or improper use. This collection of blessings is in no way intended to be a Priest's Ritual. The blessings have been translated into modern English for the use of men and women and their families. The intention is to acquaint them with the riches of the Church which have long been unknown and unused, like a treasure hidden under our very door step. The translations here given can be used with great profit in the family circle, with the father or mother leading and the children taking up the responses. They are excellent topics for discussion in the family circle. And finally, these blessings will give the faithful much food for deep meditation upon the gifts of the earth with which God has so generously blessed us. BLESSING OF THE PEOPLE WITH HOLY WATER, TO BE GIVEN ON SUNDAYS (The priest who is to celebrate the Mass, wearing a copy of the color of the day's Office, approaches the altar, and having genuflected at the step, takes the aspergill from the deacon and first sprinkles the altar three times, then himself, and, standing, the servers. Then he begins the antiphon "You will sprinkle me," and the choir continues: "with hyssop, Lord, etc.," as below. Meanwhile the celebrant sprinkles the clerics and then the people, saying with his servers in a low voice the Psalm "Have Mercy on me, God.") Antiphon You will sprinkle me* with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be made clean. You will wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 50:3) Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (And the antiphon "You will sprinkle me" is repeated.) (This antiphon is said as indicated here at the sprinkling of holy water on Sundays all through the year except Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday, when the "Glory be to the Father" is omitted, and during Paschal time, or from Easter Sunday to Pentecost inclusive, when the following is sung:) I saw water* flowing from the temple, on the right hand side. Alleluia. And all to whom this water came have been saved, and will say: alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 117:1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. (The antiphon "I saw water" is repeated. On Trinity Sunday, however, the antiphon "You will sprinkle me, Lord, etc." is resumed as above. When the antiphon is finished as indicated above, the priest who sprinkled the water, having returned to the altar, and taken his stand before the step, says, with joined hands:) V. Show us Your mercy, Lord. (In Paschal time "Alleluia") R. And give us Your salvation. (In Paschal time "Alleluia") V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. Holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God, hear us, and be so kind as to send Your holy angel from heaven to guard, assist, protect, visit and defend all those gathered in this church, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. BLESSING OF A BABY V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. May our God have mercy. R. The Lord guarding the little ones. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, You were begotten before all time, and yet desired to become an infant in time. You are delighted with the innocence of tender years. You lovingly embraced the children who were brought to You, and blessed them. In the blessings of Your sweetness, go before this infant (these infants) and grant that no evil may mar its (their) intellect. Grant too that, growing in age, wisdom and grace, it (they) may ever be pleasing to You, who live and are King and God with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. R. Amen. (Then the priest sprinkles the infant (or infants) with holy water, saying:) May the peace and blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen. BLESSING OF A CHILD TO OBTAIN FOR IT THE MERCY OF GOD V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, You have said: "Let the little children come to me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Pour the power of Your blessing upon this child. Have regard for the faith and devotedness of the Church and of its parents. Grant that, growing in virtue and wisdom before God and man, it may live to a desirable old age and attain to eternal life, who live and are King for ever and ever. R. Amen. PSALM 112 Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever. From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the Lord to be praised. High above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens is his glory. Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below? He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor To place him with princes, with the princes of his people. He makes the childless mother live in a household, as the happy mother of its children. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us. Our Father (in silence until) V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil. May the blessing of almighty God, Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen A BLESSING FOR SICK CHILDREN (Sick children who have attained a sufficient use of reason to receive the sacrament of extreme unction may be helped by the exhortations and prayers given for the visitation and care of the sick in the "Rituale Romanum," according to the time available and the stage of their illness.) (For other, younger children, however, the following prayers may be used. When the priest has entered the sick child's room he first says:) V. Peace to this house. R. And to all who live in it. (Then he sprinkles the sick child, its bed and the room with holy water, but saying nothing. Then he says the Psalm "Praise, you servants of the Lord," as in the Blessing for Children with the "Glory be to the Father" at the end. Afterwards he says:) Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy us. Lord have mercy on us. Our Father (in silence until) V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil. V. May our God have mercy. R. The Lord guarding the little ones. V. Let the little ones come to me. R. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as they are. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. All things, God, grow to maturity in Your sight and when grown up are supported by You. Stretch out Your right hand over this servant of Yours, ill even at a tender age. Grant that having again received the vigor of good health, he (she) may live his (her) full life and give You grateful service faithfully and unfailingly to the end of his (her) day, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen. Let us pray. Father of mercies and God of all consolation, You are so kind as to show concern for those You have surrounded with manifold love, pouring out grace for the cure not only of man's soul, but even for his body. Do us the favor of raising this sick child from its bed of illness. Be so kind as to restore it to Your holy Church and to its parents in good health, so that, for all the days of its prolonged life, it may grow in grace and wisdom before You and men, and may serve You in justice and holiness and return proper thanks to You for Your mercy, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Let us pray. O God, You assign the tasks of angels and of men in a wonderful fashion. Kindly grant that the life of this little boy (girl) be strengthened on earth by those who are always before You in heaven, ministering to you, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. (Having finished this prayer, the priest puts his right hand on the head of the sick child and says:) "They shall lay hands upon the sick and they shall get well." May Jesus, Son of Mary, Salvation and Lord of the world, be merciful and kind to you through the merits and intercession of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and of all the saints. R. Amen. (The priest may then say the Gospel of Saint John if he thinks there is sufficient time and the parents of the sick child want it. While the priest ways "The beginning of the Gospel, etc." he makes the sign of the cross as usual on his forehead, lips and breast. Also on the sick child, if it cannot sign itself. Afterwards the priest, blessing the sick child, adds:) May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen. (Then he sprinkles the child with holy water. If there are a number of sick children in the same room or place, these prayers are said over them in the plural number.) BLESSING OF A WOMAN BEFORE THE BIRTH OF A CHILD V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. Give health to your handmaid. R. Her hope, O my God, is in You. V. Be to her, O Lord, a tower of strength. R. In the face of the enemy. V. Let the enemy have no power against her. R. And let not the son of evil draw near to harm her. V. Send help to her, O Lord, from Your holy place. R. And watch over her from Mount Sion. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, You have granted to your servants, in their profession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and to adore Its unity in the power of Its majesty. We ask that this your handmaid (insert name), by her constancy in that same faith, may ever be strengthened against all evils, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. O Lord God, creator of all things, mighty and awe-inspiring, just and merciful, You alone are kind and loving. You set Israel free from every evil, making our forefathers Your beloved people, and made them holy by the power of the Holy Spirit. You also prepared, by the co-working of the Holy Spirit, the body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mary, that it might become a worthy home for Your Son. You filled John the Baptist with the Holy Spirit, having him leap with joy in his mother's womb. Receive the sacrifice of a contrite heart, and the ardent desire of Your handmaid (insert name), who humbly begs You for the welfare of the child you have allowed her to conceive. Watch over the work which is Yours, and defend it from all the deceit and harm of our bitter enemy. Let the hand of Your mercy assist her delivery, and bring her child to the light of day without harm. May her child be preserved for the holy regeneration of baptism, serve You always in all things, and attain to everlasting life, through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. R. Amen. (Then the woman is sprinkled with holy water, and after which Psalm 66 is said.) May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us. May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. R. Amen V. Let us bless the Father, and the Son with the Holy Spirit. R. Let us praise and exalt Him forever. V. God has commanded His angels concerning you. R. That they may guard you in all your ways. V. Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. Visit, we beg of You, O Lord, this dwelling, drive far from it, and from Your handmaid (name) all the snares of the enemy. Your holy angels dwell here to keep her and her child in peace, and may Your blessing be always upon her. Save them, O almighty God and grant them Your eternal light, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and your child, and remain always. R. Amen. BLESSING OF A WOMAN AFTER CHILDBIRTH (Also known as the Churching of Women) (When a woman after childbirth desires, according to a pious and praiseworthy custom, to come to the Church to give thanks to God for her safe delivery, and when she has asked the priest's blessing, he, vested in surplice and white stole, proceeds, with an acolyte carrying the holy water sprinkler, to the door of the church. He may address the following words to the woman, who is kneeling and holding a lighted candle in her hand:) Exhortation Before Entering Into the Church According to a very laudable custom, you have come to request the blessing of the Church upon yourself and the child that has been committed to your care. While you return thanks to God for the many favors He has bestowed upon you, at the same time fervently consecrate yourself and your offspring to His holy service. Be careful, both by word and by example, to impress upon its youthful heart the principles of solid piety, that you may correspond to the views of divine providence in placing it under your charge, and may have the happiness of seeing your children attentive in their duties to God, and zealous for their own eternal welfare, You hold a lighted candle in your hand, to signify the good works by which you should express your thanks to God for the benefits which He has bestowed upon you, and the pious example by which you should lead your children, and all around you, to the love and practice of virtue. Endeavor to enter into this disposition, and to cultivate it all the days of your life, so that you may obtain and enjoy the blessings which I am now about to ask for you, in the name of Holy Church . (The kneeling woman is sprinkled with holy water, then the priest says:) V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. (Antiphon:) She shall receive. PSALM 23 The Lord's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain, nor swears deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (Antiphon:) She shall receive the blessing of the Lord, and the mercy of God her savior, for such is the generation of them that seek the Lord. (The priest offers his stole to the mother, and leads her towards the altar:) Enter into the temple of God, and worship the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary who has granted you fruitfulness of offspring. (And after the woman has come into the church, she kneels before the altar and prays, thanking God for the benefits bestowed on her. Then the priest says:) Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Our Father (in silence until) V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil. V. Save Your handmaid, O Lord. R. Who hopes in You, O my God. V. Send her help, O Lord, from Your holy temple. R. And from Sion protect her. V. May the enemy never prevail against her. R. And may the son of wickedness come not near her to harm her. V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, by the delivery of the Blessed Virgin Mary You have changed the pangs of the faithful at childbirth into joy. Look now with kindly favor on this Your handmaid, who comes joyously into Your holy temple to pay You her debt of thanks. Grant her, after the present life, through the merits and prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to obtain together with her offspring the joys of eternal happiness, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. (Then the priest again sprinkles her with holy water, saying:) May the peace and blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen. (The foregoing blessing of a woman after childbirth should be given by the pastor, if he is asked. But it may be given by any priest if, likewise, he is asked. It may be given in any church or public oratory, but the Superior of the church should be told of it.) BLESSING OF A SICK ADULT (As he enters the sick person's room, the priest says:) V. Peace to this house. R. And to all who live in it. (And immediately approaching the sick person, he adds:) V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. Lord hear my prayer. R. And let my cry reach up to You. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, may Your peace and mercy enter into this house along with my humble entrance. Let every wickedness of the devil flee from this place. May the angels of peace be here, and may every sinful discord leave this home. Show that Your name is great among us, O Lord, and bless our living together. Lord, You are holy and faithful, and You remain with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen. Let us pray. Look upon Your servant, Lord, suffering from sickness of body, and refresh the soul You have created, so that, purified by this affliction, he (she) may always remember that he (she) has been saved by Your loving pity through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Let us pray. Merciful Lord, consoler of the faithful, we beg of Your great mercy that at our humble entrance You will visit this Your servant, lying on a bed of pain, just as You visited Simon's mother-in-law. Kindly come to him (her) so that, after receiving his (her) former health he (she) may return thanks to You in Your Church, who live and are King and God for ever and ever. R. Amen. (Then, extending his right hand towards the sick person, he says:) The Lord Jesus Christ be with you to defend you. May He be within you to preserve you, before you to lead you, behind you to guard you, and above you to bless you, who lives and is King with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. R. Amen. May the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain always. R. Amen (Then he sprinkles the sick person with holy water.) BLESSING OF LAND OR HOUSE V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. Lord God almighty, bless this land (or this house). May health, chastity, conquest of sin, virtue, humility, goodness, and meekness flourish here. May the law be observed in its fullness, and thanks be given to God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing always remain on this land (or this house) and on those who live in it, now and for ever and ever. R. Amen. (And it is sprinkled with holy water.) ANOTHER BLESSING OF A HOME V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who has made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray. We humbly beg of you, God the Father almighty, to bless and sanctify this home, those who live in it and everything in it. Be so kind as to fill it