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Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Pray with Us
"The living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God's initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response." — Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2567
What is Prayer?
St. Thérèse of Lisieux said for her, "prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." St. John Damascene said "prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." The catechism says "Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and of man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man." (no. 2564) | Ten Pointers on Prayer | En Español
There are as many ways to pray as there are people in the world. We all have a unique prayer language in our relationship with God. The catechism explains there are five distinct forms of prayer: blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and praise. (nos. 2626 - 2643) If not sure where to start, we offer the following Catholic prayers in English and Latin to assist you.
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Latin
In nomine Patris,
et Filii,
et Spiritus Sancti.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Latin
Pater noster, qui es in caelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris,
et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo.
Amen.
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you!.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Latin
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
Glory Be To The Father
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.
Latin
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.
Grace Before Meals
Bless us, O Lord,
and these thy gifts,
which we are about to receive
from thy bounty,
through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer to Your Guardian Angel
Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard,
to rule and guide.
Amen.
Go to What We Believe to find the Nicene Creed and Apostles' Creed.
Act of Contrition
O my God,
I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee,
and I detest all my sins,
because I dread the loss of heaven,
and the pains of hell;
but most of all because they offend Thee, my God,
Who are all good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace,
to confess my sins, to do penance,
and to amend my life.
Amen.
Latin
Deus meus,
ex toto corde poenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum,
eaque detestor, quia peccando,
non solum poenas a Te iuste
statutas promeritus sum,
sed praesertim quia offendi Te,
summum bonum,
ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris.
Ideo firmiter propono, adiuvante gratia Tua,
de cetero me non peccaturum peccandique
occasiones proximas fugiturum.
Amen.
Glory to God (Latin)
Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te.
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
Qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccáta mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
Quoniam to solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus. Tu solus Altissimus.
Iesu Christe. Cum Sancto Spiritu + in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.
Lamb of God (Latin)
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, dona nobis pacem.
Amen.
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, embolden me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Never permit me to be parted from you.
From the evil Enemy defend me.
At the hour of my death call me
and bid me come to you,
that with your Saints I may praise you
for age upon age.
Amen.
The Divine Praises
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.
Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,
and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful
by the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in his consolation.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.
Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Prayer to St. Michael
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Latin
Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in infernum detrude.
Amen.
Prayer to St. Peter
The small inverted crosses in the Diocese of Little Rock coat of arms are a reference to St. Peter, the "petra" or rock, upon whom the Church was founded by Jesus Christ. The following intercessory prayer to our patron came from MyCatholicPrayers.com.
O Holy Apostle,
because you are the Rock upon
which Almighty God has built his church;
obtain for me I pray you, lively faith,
firm hope and burning love;
complete detachment from myself,
contempt of the world, patience in adversity,
humility in prosperity, recollection in prayer,
purity of heart, a right intention in all my works,
diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life,
constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the will of God
and perseverance in the grace of God even unto death;
that so, by means of your intercession and
your glorious merits, I may be made worthy to
appear before the chief and
eternal Shepherd of souls, Jesus Christ,
Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns for ever.
Amen.
Prayer to St. Andrew
The cross in the form of an "X" in the Diocese of Little Rock coat of arms represents St. Andrew, who was crucified on a X-shaped cross. St. Andrew is the patron of our diocese's cathedral and the baptismal patron of Bishop Andrew Byrne, the first bishop of Little Rock. The following prayer came from the collect in the morning prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.
We humbly implore your majesty, O Lord,
that, just as the blessed Apostle Andrew
was for your Church a preacher and pastor,
so he may be for us a constant intercessor before you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Pope Francis’ Prayer for the Immaculate Conception
The shield in the Diocese of Little Rock coat of arms uses the Marian colors, white and blue. They honor Mary as the patroness of the United States under her title of the Immaculate Conception. The following prayer came from the website for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
O Mary, our Immaculate Mother,
On your feast day I come to you,
And I come not alone:
I bring with me all those with whom your Son entrusted to me,
In this city of Rome and in the entire world,
That you may bless them and preserve them from harm.
I bring to you, Mother, children,
Especially those who are alone, abandoned,
And for this reason are tricked and exploited.
I bring to you, Mother, families,
Who carry forward life and society
With their daily and hidden efforts;
In a special way the families who struggle the most
For their many internal and external problems.
I bring to you, Mother, all workers, both men and women,
And I entrust to you especially those who, out of need,
Are forced to work in an unworthy profession
And those who have lost work or are unable to find it.
We are in need of your immaculate gaze,
To rediscover the ability to look upon persons and things
With respect and awareness,
Without egotistical or hypocritical interests.
We are in need of your immaculate heart,
To love freely,
Without secondary aims but seeking the good of the other,
With simplicity and sincerity, renouncing masks and tricks.
We are in need of your immaculate hands,
To caress with tenderness,
To touch the flesh of Jesus
In our poor, sick, or despised brethren,
To raise up those who have fallen and support those who waver.
We are in need of your immaculate feet,
To go toward those who know not how to make the first step,
To walk on the paths of those who are lost,
To find those who feel alone.
We thank you, O Mother, because in showing yourself to us
You free us of all stain of sin;
You remind us that what comes first is the grace of God,
The love of Jesus Christ who gave his life for us,
The strength of the Holy Spirit which renews all things.
Let us not give in to discouragement,
But, trusting in your constant help,
Let us engage ourselves fully in renewal of self,
Of this city and of the entire world.
Pray for us, Holy Mother of God!
Amen.
Peace Prayer of St. Francis
The following prayer is attributed to St. Francis, though the true author is unknown. "St. Francis of Assisi did not personally write these words but they are attributed to him because they definitely reflect his spirit. And he was trying to reflect Jesus’ spirit in this world." Learn more about the origins of this prayer by reading Understanding Our Church.
Lord,
make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred,
let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving
that we receive;
it is in pardoning
that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Sub Tuum Praesidium
We fly to thy protection, O holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and Blessed Virgin. Amen.
Latin
Sub tuum praesidium confugimus Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo Gloriosa et Benedicta.
Amen.
Prayer for the Diocese of Little Rock
God our loving Father,
Pour out on us
the gifts of your Holy Spirit.
Open our ears to hear your Word.
Open our eyes to see your presence.
Open our minds to understand your Wisdom.
And open our hearts to be more available
for your mission, so that strengthened by your grace
we can truly be a sign and instrument
of your presence in our world today.
Strengthen our diocese, our parishes,
our bishop, priests, deacons, religious and laypeople.
Help us always to know your will.
Give us the courage we need to accept your will,
and the wisdom to know that we can accomplish nothing without you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Diocesan Prayer for Vocations
Heavenly Father, remind us that when we pray
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
we commit ourselves to do your will,
whatever that may be.
Free us from the temptation to do our own will
rather than your will!
Give those you call to the priesthood and religious life
the courage to embrace your will
with generosity and self-sacrificing love.
Remove their fears
and fill our hearts with gratitude
that despite our unworthiness,
you would entrust to them
a role so great and necessary
in your plan of salvation.
Amen.
Prayer for Vocations
Bishop Pohlmeier wrote this prayer when he was pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock before being appointed bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida.
Loving Father,
you speak in the hearts of all your sons and daughters.
Help us to know your voice and to respond generously.
Make us faithful witnesses to your love in the world.
Raise up for us young men and women willing to place
their lives in the service of your Church.
Bless those who today are following that call.
Give them a desire to serve you and your people.
Help families so that openness and generosity
will first be learned in the home.
Through the intercession of Mary,
whose "yes" brought your Son into the world,
give us the courage to respond always according to your will.
Amen.
