Prayers, Devotions and Instructions for the Sick and Dying

[Dawn Marie]

Act of Resignation to the Will of God

" My Father, if if be possible, let this chalice pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt " (Matt. xxvi. 39). "For what have I in heaven? and besides Thee, what do I desire upon earth? . . . Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever" (Ps. lxxii. 25, 26). As the Lord willeth, so be it. "I will take the chalice of salvation and I will call upon the name of the Lord" (Ps. cxv. 13). "My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready" (Ps. cvii. 2). Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Illness, pains and death do I accept from Thy hand, O God, willing as I am to suffer for the love of Thee. "Cut, burn, in this life, O Lord, only spare me in the next" (St . Augustine). If Thou wilt, O my God, that I should continue to live longer, let me live only for Thee; if Thou wilt that I die, let me die in Thy peace. O Jesus, to Thee I resign myself; into Thy hands do I commend myself, as Thou didst commend Thyself to Thy heavenly Father. I give myself up to Thee, and all that is mine; dispose of it as Thou pleasest. I am ready to suffer as much and as long as Thy divine wisdom has decreed. My only wish, O Jesus, is that Thy divine will be accomplished; I will live and die according to this will. Amen.

________________________________________________




Prayer for Speedy Recovery

O My God, Whom every creature obeys, at Whose command every kind of infirmity or illness is removed, hear my prayer; hold out to me the hand of Thy mercy and cure me of every disorder of body and soul. Send me Thy Holy Spirit, that He may at all times protect, enlighten, visit me, and preserve me from evil of body and soul. Place Thy holy angel at my side, that he may heal me as he healed Tobias of old. May God the Father, Who created me, bless and heal me; may God the Son, Who suffered for me, bless and heal me; may God the Holy Ghost, Who sanctified me in Baptism, bless and heal me! Let the cross of Christ bless me; the cross of Christ heal me; the cross of Christ preserve me, that I may obtain life everlasting. Amen.

________________________________________________


Litany of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor

Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us,
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.

Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin, conceived without sin, pray for us.
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, pray for us.
We sinners call to thee, pray for us.
O Mary, ever help us,
O Mary, ever help us. *

That we may love God with our whole hearts, *
That we may be conformable in all things to thy Divine Son Jesus, *
That we may have a tender and heartfelt devotion to thee, most holy Virgin, *
That we may hate with all our strength, sin, the only evil, *
That we may frequently remember our last end, *
That we may often and worthily receive the most Holy Sacrament, *
That we may avoid with all our strength, proximate occasions of sin, *
That we may not neglect prayer a single day of our lives, *
That we may have recourse to prayer in the hour of temptation, *
That we may generously forgive our enemies, and wish well to all men,*
That we may not defer our conversion from day to day, *
That we may zealously labour to overcome our bad habits, *
That we may live and die in the grace of God, *
In all concerns of soul and body, *
In sickness and pain, *
In persecution and dereliction,*
In sorrow and affliction of all kinds, *
In time of unholy war, and infectious diseases, *
In struggles against the inclinations of corrupt nature, *
In assaults of evil spirits, *
In temptations against the holy virtue of purity, *
In all danger of sinning, *
When we have reached the end of our earthly course, *
When lying on our death-bed, *
When the thought of our approaching dissolution shall fill us with fear and horror, *
When in the hour of final separation from all, evil spirits shall try to drive us to despair, *
When the priest of the Lord shall have given us the last absolution and blessing. *
When our relations and friends surround our bed, weeping and praying for us, *
When our eyes have grown dim, and our hearts have ceased to beat, *
When we have breathed forth our spirits into the hands of our Creator, *
When our poor souls appear before our Divine Judge, *
When the terrible judgment is about to be passed, *
When suffering in the flames of purgatory, and pining for the vision of God, *


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:
Have mercy on us.


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

O God, who hast willed that the Mother of thy only-begotten Son should be the Perpetual Succour of Christians on earth, grant us grace to call on her with confidence in all our necessities of soul and body, so that, saved through her protection and assistance, we may be brought to the everlasting vision of thy glory in heaven: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

________________________________________________


Litany of the Sick
(For Private Devotion Only.)

Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us. *

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, *
God the Holy Ghost, *
Holy Trinity, one God, *
Jesus, Who art near to all those who invoke Thee, *
Jesus, Who through mercy helpest all who confide in Thee, *
Jesus, Who didst go to seek and cure the sick, *
Jesus, Who didst stay up the weak and suffering, *
Jesus, Who dost refresh those who labor and are heavily burdened, *
Jesus, Who didst console the stricken hearts, *
Jesus, Who didst raise the dead unto life, *
Jesus, Who didst bear all our pains, *


Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus.
Be merciful, hear us, O Jesus.
From all evil,
Deliver us, O Jesus. **

From all sin, **
From all diseases and infirmities, **
From impatience and despondency, **
From the snares of the devil, **
From a sudden and unprovided death, **
From eternal damnation, **
Through Thy toils and hardships, **
Through Thy affliction and tears, **
Through Thine agony and bloody sweat, **
Through Thy holy wounds, **
Through Thy precious blood, **
Through Thy Passion and cross, **
Through Thy bitter death, **
Through Thy glorious resurrection, **
Through Thy marvellous ascension, **
In the Day of Judgment, **


We, poor sinners, beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst spare us,
We beseech Thee, hear us. ***

That Thou wouldst pardon us, ***
That Thou wouldst bring us to true penance, ***
That Thou wouldst give us a contrite heart, ***
That Thou wouldst strengthen us in our weakness, ***
That Thou wouldst preserve us in patience, ***
That Thou wouldst relieve our pains, ***
That Thou wouldst restore us to health of body and soul, ***
That Thou wouldst grant us perseverance in good, ***
That Thou wouldst grant us a happy death, ***
That Thou wouldst receive our spirit into Thy hands, ***
That Thou wouldst preserve us from the fire of purgatory, ***
That Thou wouldst bring us to the joys of heaven, ***
Son of God, ***


Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Our Father (secretly).

V. And lead us not into temptation,
R. But deliver us from evil. Amen.
V. Save, O Lord, Thy servants.
R. Who hope in Thy mercy.
V. Lord, hear our prayer.
R. And let our cry come unto Thee.


Let us Pray:

O Heavenly Father, have mercy on Thy servant, who is sick. Confirm him [her] in faith, strengthen his [her] hope, fill him [her] with the fire of Thy love. Give him [her] enduring patience, that he [she] may victoriously go through the fight and suffer everything for Thy greater glory and the salvation of his [her] soul. Lessen his [her] pains, forgive him [her] his [her] sins, and bring him [her] to life everlasting. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

________________________________________________




Prayer of Supplication
(To be said by another for the sick or to be said by the sick person)

May the Lord bless and guard thee [me].
May the Lord turn His face to thee and be gracious to thee.
May the Lord give thee His peace.
I bless thee [myself] in the name of the Lord.
May the Lord, Who has made heaven and earth, bless thee from Sion.
May God have mercy on thee and let the light of His countenance shine upon thee and be gracious to thee.
May the angel of the Lord assist thee.
May the Lord relieve thee on thy [my] bed of suffering.
May the Lord be merciful unto thee, and not take into account thy sins, and heal thee from all thy weaknesses.
May the Lord avert everlasting death from thee, and crown thee with mercy and abundance of grace.
The Lord guard and preserve thy soul now and forever. Amen.

The Lord Jesus Christ be with thee to defend thee, within thee to refresh thee, round about thee to guard thee, before thee to guide thee, behind thee to protect thee, above thee that He may in every way shelter and bless thee.

May the Holy Ghost descend and dwell with thee.
May the Blessed Trinity fill thy heart with every good forever and ever. Amen.

________________________________________________


Prayer for an Invalid who is in a state of Unconsciousness

Almighty and eternal God, heavenly Father, sovereign Master of life and death, mercifully look down on this sick man who is in such great need. Is he not Thy child and has he not honored and loved Thee? and if at times he has offended Thee by sin, has he not made expiation by his contrition and penance?

Unable to console and exhort him, because Thou hast deprived him of speech and hearing, we humbly beseech Thee to give him so much more interior consolation and strength against every temptation of Satan. Bountiful Father, look mercifully down upon this sick man; do not abandon him who in this hour of utter helplessness is in such need of Thy assistance.

Forgive him all the sins by which he has ever offended Thee, that they may not trouble him at his departure from this world and prevent him from seeing Thy divine face. Do not let him fall into any grievous temptation, but uphold him by Thy powerful grace that neither the pain of illness, nor the fear of death, a want of confidence on account of past sins, nor the wiles of Satan may induce him to fall away from Thee.

Make haste to deliver him from this most distressing state, and let his soul be commended into Thy hands. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

________________________________________________




Prayer for the Sick who cannot assist at Holy Mass
From the Beginning of the Mass to the Offertory

In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I wish to draw near Thy altars, O Jesus, and participate in all the holy Masses which are said this day and especially at this hour. It is by Thy will, O my Lord and God, that I should pay Thee homage, not at church, but in this my sick-room. So then I will consider in my heart. "Blessed is the man whom God correcteth; refuse not therefore the chastising of the Lord. For He woundeth and cureth. He striketh, and His hands shall heal" (Job v. 17, 18). "Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear Him: and on them that hope in His mercy. To deliver their souls from death: and feed them in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for He is our helper and protector" (Ps. xxxii. 18-20).

________________________________________________

Prayer in Illness of Long Duration

O My beloved Jesus, I most willingly accept and offer to Thee this illness, which Thy divine Heart has sent me as a token of Thy love. I do so with a love similar to Thine and through thankfulness to Thee. Into Thy most sweet Heart I lay all my sufferings and pains, imploring Thee to unite them with Thy sacred Passion and to perfect them through its infinite virtue. Being unable to praise Thee as I ought, owing to my afflicted state, I beseech Thee to praise God the Father for my suffering with the same praise as Thou didst extol Him in Thy bitterest pains while hanging on the cross. I pray Thee offer to Thy Father my interior and exterior distress in union with Thy sacred Passion and with the same love with which Thou didst offer to Him all the torments and ignominies Thou hast endured. Amen.

________________________________________________

Prayer to Obtain Assistance in the Hour of Death
by St. Mechtilde

We read in the book on spiritual graces, written by St. Mechtilde: "A person who thus recommends her faith to God, will at the end of her life obtain the grace to remain free from every temptation against the true faith."

O My sovereign, holy Mary, Mother of God, as God the Father in the greatness of His omnipotence hath exalted thee and given thee power above all creatures, be with me, I beseech thee, in the hour of my death, and drive far from me all the snares and craft of my enemies. Amen.

Hail Mary, etc.

O my sovereign, holy Mary, Mother of God, as God the Son in the excellence of His unsearchable wisdom hath endowed thee with such great knowledge, and filled thee with such great light that thou knowest the Most Holy Trinity more truly and intimately than all the saints, do thou so enlighten my soul in the hour of my death with the knowledge of the faith, that no error or ignorance may lead it astray. Amen.

Hail Mary, etc.

O my sovereign, holy Mary, Mother of God, as the Holy Spirit hath poured into thee the sweetness of His love with such abundance, that thou art after God the sweetest and most benign of beings, do thou pour into my soul at the hour of my death the sweetness of divine love, that all its bitterness may be rendered sweet to me. Amen.

Hail Mary, etc


----------------------------------------------------------

Hail Mary Paraphrased for the Sick

Hail Mary.--O Mary, Star of the sea, all the needy and oppressed look up to thee! And so do I from my bed of sickness, lifting up my imploring eyes to thee and asking thee for help. O Mary, my Mistress and my Queen, let thy power and goodness be made manifest in me. O Mary, with all the faithful, all the holy angels and all the heavenly host I salute thee, saying: Hail, Mary!

Full of Grace.--God has raised thee to the greatest dignity, and wills that through thy hands abundant graces should flow down upon mankind. O Mary, Virgin full of grace, thou who art the comforter of the afflicted, the help of Christians, the health of the sick, obtain for me, poor creature, health of body and soul.

The Lord is with Thee.--The Lord has done great things in thee! The eternal Father has chosen thee to be His Daughter; the only-begotten Son to be His Mother, and the Holy Ghost to be His Spouse. Thou art therefore all powerful with God, O Blessed Virgin; implore Him that His grace may never depart from me.

Blessed art thou among women.--Thou art most blessed among thy sex. Thou art free from the curse of original sin and as a virgin hast given birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world. O Mary, the one chosen Mother of the Redeemer, all the nations of the earth call thee blessed. Never shall thy praise die on my lips; at all times will I extol and glorify thee, in order to make myself worthy of thy help and intercession.

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.--through Whom we obtain assistance in life, consolation and strength in suffering, peace and rest in death. O Blessed Virgin, would that I were happy enough, with thee and all the saints, to praise for all eternity Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb. Help me to attain thereto.

Holy Mary, Mother of God.--Mother of God, Mother of Christ, Mother of mercy and my Mother!

Pray for us sinners.--Look upon me, thy poor helpless child, calling out to thee from this valley of tears.

Pray for me now, who am weak, sick and miserable; pray for me who in this vale of pilgrimage am surrounded by numerous foes striving to wrest from me the possession of the heavenly inheritance; obtain for me a lively faith, a firm hope, an ardent love, an invincible patience and the grace of final perseverance.

But especially pray for me at the hour of death; commend me to Jesus, thy Son; present me to Him, that I may die happily and possess Him forever. Amen.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Mary the Health of the Sick
by Alexis Henri Marie Lepicier, 1922


"And I perfumed my dwelling as storax, and galbanum, and onyx and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odor is as the purest balsam." (ecclus. xxiv, 21.)

The sin of our first parents not only deprived man of original justice and of all the gifts consequent thereon; it reduced him furthermore to a state of great weakness, so that it is impossible for us to accomplish works of supernatural value, without a special grace. Fallen man is like one sick, who has no relish for any nourishment whatever. He is deficient in vital energy, and his actions are wanting in that vigor which naturally belongs to a healthy person. He is strongly inclined to vice, and finds the practice of virtue tedious and difficult.

This natural incapacity regarding the performance of good works is further increased by actual sin, whether mortal or venial. The former, by depriving the soul of divine grace, which is the principle of spiritual life, hinders man from doing anything pleasing to God, so as to merit eternal happiness. The latter, by diminishing the fervor of charity, makes the practice of virtue laborious, since charity has for its effect precisely to facilitate the performance of what is good. Sin is therefore a great evil, because, if mortal, it saps altogether the spiritual energy of the soul, and if venial, it notably weakens it. If from individuals we pass on to nations, we perceive that sin, like a subtle poison, eats into the heart of them, weakening and preparing their ruin.

Divine bounty, which for bodily ailments, has procured us efficacious remedies, is not less industrious in providing the means to heal our spiritual maladies. With the sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ to restore our souls to grace or to augment it within us, God has also been pleased to grant us, in Mary's aid, a potent remedy for our spiritual infirmities. In fact, Mary has not only given us Jesus Christ, the Pastor and Physician of our souls, but furthermore, she watches over us as a tender mother does by the cradle of an ailing child.

Besides this, Mary's example encourages us in our conflict with the devil. For she is the Immaculate Virgin, who never was defiled by sin. Her sweet soul was always filled with the perfume of the noblest virtues.

Mary never ceases also to hearken to the voice of our supplications and to present them before the throne of God, often anticipating our requests, and obtaining for us, through her own merits and those of Jesus Christ, all the helps necessary to us in our spiritual needs.

And what Mary does for individuals, she also does for whole nations. As a pitiful Queen, she succors them in their distress; she raises them from their bed of sickness, and is for them a bulwark of defense (Cant. VIII. 10).

Mary's power and motherly care not only embrace spiritual miseries: they also extend to the ills of the body. How often do we see Mary restoring health to the sick, who have recourse to her with filial confidence!

In Mary's readiness to alleviate bodily ailments, shines forth most splendidly God's love for her. It seems as if the Most High had placed no limit to the efficacy of His Mother's intercession. While other saints are invoked only in particular cases of corporal infirmity, Mary's power, on the other hand, is exercised over every kind of malady. Hence we may say that, at her word, as once at the word of Jesus, the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear (Matt. XI, 5). The sole difference is that Jesus Christ, being God, wrought these miracles of his own personal authority, while Mary obtains for us, of the Divine Clemency, the graces she asks, by virtue of the efficacy of her intercession with God.

However, though Mary is so powerful in healing all bodily ailments, yet she does not always deliver her clients from every such trial, because God sees best to exercise them in patience, that they may thereby win the reward prepared for them in heaven. But when Mary does not restore bodily health, yet, for all that, she never ceases to act the part of a tender Mother toward us, watching over us, and obtaining for us, in place of bodily strength, resignation to the divine will and interior peace: two sovereign means of sanctification and salvation.

Example: The Recovery Of Pope Innocent VIII.

Among the wonderful pictures through which God has been pleased to show Mary's power in helping the poor children of Adam, must be mentioned that of the Santissima Annunziata at Florence. The marvelous cures and other graces obtained through Our Lady's intercession by means of this picture are numerous enough to fill many volumes. One of the most miraculous and worthy of special mention is the cure of his Holiness Pope Innocent VIII.

This Pope had been lying ill for a long time in great agony and the doctors could not in any way appease his sufferings. Already he had given up all hope and was awaiting death from hour to hour, when there came to visit him the Cardinal Protector of the Servite Order, John Micheli, who began to narrate to him the marvelous favors granted by the Santissima Annunziata at Florence to her devout servants. The Cardinal then encouraged the Pope to trust in Mary, who is truly called the "health of the sick" and to ask her to deliver him from his painful malady. When Innocent heard this, the hope of recovery revived in him and he felt in his heart a lively trust in the protection of our blessed Lady. He vowed to dedicate himself especially to her service, if she should be pleased to free him from his grievous sufferings.

How great was the amazement of the doctors and the joy of Rome when, after a short time, Innocent was found to be perfectly cured. Full of gratitude for this unexpected deliverance he ordered a skilled artist to depict the tragic scene of his mortal illness and he sent this painting to Florence in testimony of the grace granted to him. Moreover, the Pontiff, as a token of his special devotion to this miraculous picture, extended to all the principal churches of the Servite Order the privilege of celebrating with great solemnity a Mass in honor of the Mother of God on the afternoon of Holy Saturday. He also granted to these Religious the celebrated Bull, known as Mare Magnum, by which all the privileges granted previously to the other Mendicant Orders were extended to the Order of the Servants of Mary (From the Annals of the Order of the Servants of Mary).

Prayer: O Mary, Immaculate Virgin, our salvation lies in thy hands. Cleanse our souls, we beseech thee, from the leprosy of sin, and assist us in our corporal infirmities. And if it be the will of God that we must be acquainted with sickness and suffering, obtain for us, at least, perfect patience and resignation in whatsoever God may dispose. Amen.

Special Instructions for the Sick and the Dying

When any one is in danger of death the first duty is to tell them so. It is a cruelty and a crime not to let them know their danger, whatever the doctor may sometimes say to the contrary. If the danger is not immediate, get them first to settle their affairs; to arrange their family matters; to pay their debts, and to be reconciled to their enemies, if they have any. Send for a priest as soon as possible. Read or say prayers with the sick person; especially Acts of Contrition. School-children ought to be taught to do these things. When taught, they can often do them better than grown-up people. Sometimes friends and neighbors can do them better than near relations. When the priest is coming to give the last Sacraments, prepare for him as directed on the following page. When the sick person is actually dying, and the priest is not present, some one should read the Prayers for a Departing Soul.

Recommendations about the Sick

Be always patient, kind, and generous with the sick. Let nurses tend them with careful modesty. Let none but good people come near the dying. Let there be in their hearing no foolish or worldly talk. Let a Crucifix or pious picture hang before them. Take care not to catch their disease. Take care not to breathe their breath. Keep the sick room always neat and perfectly clean. Keep it warm, with a fire if need be, but open the window sometimes to let in fresh air. As to food and medicine, do exactly as the doctor orders.

The Administration of the Blessed Eucharist and Extreme Unction to the Sick and Dying

First, The sick-room ought to be clean and well ventilated, the bed provided with clean covering and the patient washed and dressed as becomes the dignity of the holy sacraments.

Second, A table ought to be placed in the sick-room near the bed in such a way that it may be seen by the patient. Let the table be covered with immaculate linen and upon it placed a crucifix between two wax candles, and a vessel of holy water with a palm branch or any convenient sprig.

Third, Let the candles be lit before the entrance of the priest into the dwelling of the sick person.

Fourth, The family should be present as far as possible during the administration of the sacraments and offer their prayers for the sick person.

Fifth, Let there be placed on the table a glass or a cup of pure water and a piece of clean linen, the latter to be under the chin of the sick person immediately before receiving holy communion.

Sixth, As soon as the priest arrives in the sick-room with the blessed sacrament, all kneel down in reverence, and let them continue in this position until the close of the sacred act, unless the sick person has not yet received the Sacrament of Penance. In this event all will leave the sick-room after the priest has blessed the patient with holy water, and return to their kneeling position after the confession.

Seventh, If time and the condition of the sick person will permit it, the preparatory prayers for Holy Communion may be recited by one of the attendants before the arrival of the priest.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Short Acts for the Sick

When the sick are no longer able to read for themselves, these acts should be read for them, slowly--voice and manner as before suggested. Read only a few of them at a time, but suggest them frequently.

My God, I accept this sickness from Thy hands, and I entirely resign myself to Thy blessed will, whether it be for life or death. Not my will, but Thine, be done. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. I submit to all the pains and uneasiness of this my illness: my sins have deserved infinitely more.

O Lord, I offer up to Thee all that I now suffer, or may have yet to suffer, to be united to the suffering of my Redeemer, and sanctified by His passion.

I adore Thee, O my God, and my all as my first beginning and last end: and I desire to pay Thee the best homage I am able, and to bow down all the powers of my soul to Thee.

I desire to praise Thee forever, in sickness as well as in health. I desire to join my heart and void with the whole church of heaven and earth in blessing Thee forever.

I give thee thanks, from the bottom of my heart, for all thy mercies and blessings, bestowed upon me and thy whole church, through Jesus Christ thy Son, and, above all, for having loved me from all eternity, redeemed me with His precious blood, called me to the true faith, and to a life of special consecration to Thee.

My God! I believe all those heavenly truths which thou hast revealed, and which thy holy Catholic Church believes and teaches. Thou art the sovereign Truth, who neither canst deceive nor be deceived. Thou hast promised the spirit of truth, to guide Thy Church in all truth. I believe in God the Father Almighty, &c. In this faith I resolve, through Thy grrace, both to live and die. O Lord! strengthen and increase this my faith. O my God! all my hopes are in Thee; and, through Jesus Christ my Redeemer, through His passion and death, I hope for mercy, grace and salvation from Thee. In thee, O Lord! I have put my trust: oh! let me never be confounded!

I love thee, O my God! with my whole heart and soul, above all things: at least I desire so to love thee. Oh! come now, take full possession of my soul, and teach me to love Thee forever. I wish to love my neighbor with perfect charity, for the love of Thee. I forgive, from my heart, all who have in any way offended or injured me; and I ask pardon of all whom I have in any way offended or injured. Have mercy on me, O God! according to Thy great mercy, and, according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquities.

Oh! who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, that, night and day, I may bewail my sins! Oh! that I had never offended so good a God! Oh! that I had never sinned! Too late have I known thee, O eternal Truth! Too late have I loved thee, O Beauty, always ancient, and ever new!

O God! be merciful to me, a sinner. Jesus, Son of the living God! have mercy on me. Jesus, infinite goodness! have mercy on me.

I renounce, from this moment and for all eternity, the devil and all his works, and I abhor all his suggestions and temptations. Suffer not this mortal enemy, O Lord of my soul! to have any power over me, either now or at my last hour. Let thy holy Angels defend me from all the powers of darkness.

My whole confidence, either of living or dying well, is grounded on the infinite merits of my Redeemer's death and passion. Receive, O eternal Father! His precious merits, in satisfaction for all my sins.

Thou hast, in Thy justice, decreed that I should die: I most humbly submit to and readily accept the sentence of death in the spirit of penance; I desire to honor Thee by the sacrifice of my life, and to give a proof of loving obedience to Thy just decrees.

I desire that the destruction of my mortal existence should honor Thy immortality. I wish to die, to expiate by my sufferings and death all the sins which I have ever committed. I wish to die, that I may no longer offend thee--that I may love Thee, possess Thee, praise Thee, bless Thee, and glorify Thee forever in heaven.

I wish to die for Thy glory, and to testify that I love Thee better than myself. Heaven is my true home, and death is the path that leads to it. O heavenly Jerusalem! O beautiful city of God, my happy home! When shall I arrive at thy sacred tabernacles!

Take courage, my soul: thy hour approaches; thy miseries and sorrows will soon have an end. Thou art going to the nuptials of the Lamb: thou art going to the land of the living.

My divine Redeemer, I depend on Thy merits, and take shelter in Thy bleeding wounds. I trust that Thou wilt not suffer me to be forever miserable, because Thou art infinitely good and merciful. Since I have Thy blood to plead in my behalf, why should I fear? Why should I tremble at the thought of death, when I consider that Thou hast satisfied for my sins, and paid down Thy life for my salvation?

I am not afraid of hell, though I have deserved it; because my dear Jesus has purchased heaven for me. I hope in His mercy; and all the artifices of the enemy shall never induce me to relinquish my hope.

In spite of them all, I will sing eternal praises to Thee, O blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost! I will adore Thy mercies, and possess and love Thee forever. I will now say what, perhaps, I shall not be able to say at my dying moments. O Father of mercies, and God of all consolation! into Thy most merciful hands I commend my soul, both for time and eternity.

Now, instead of then, (when, perhaps, I may be deprived of the use of speech or reason,) I offer Thee, O Lord! my heart, my life, my agony, pains, anguish and distress, and my death, to be united to the bloody sweat, agony and death of my dear Saviour Jesus Christ: I now declare my abhorrence of whatever evil thoughts the enemy shall then suggest to me.

O God of my heart, my portion and my inheritance forever! I desire to love Thee with my whole heart, mind and strength. Oh! how good hast Thou been to me! and how ungrateful have I been to Thee! I grieve, from the bottom of my heart, that I have ever offended Thee. How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord God of hosts! I love the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth. The eye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what good things God hath prepared for those who love him.

O holy Mary, Mother of God, who didst assist at the death of Thy beloved Son Jesus, obtain for me the grace of a happy death. Hail Mary, &c.

Glorious St. Michael, prince of the heavenly host, intercede for me at the hour of my death.

O holy Guardian Angel, to whose care God, in His mercy, has committed me, stand by me at the dreadful hour; protect me against all the powers of darkness; defend me from all my enemies, and conduct my soul to the mansions of bliss.

O all ye blessed Angels and Saints of God, assist me by your intercession in this last and dreadful passage.

O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, be Thou then to me a powerful Redeemer and Advocate with the Father.

O sweet Jesus! receive me into Thy arms in that day of my distress: hide me in Thy wounds: bathe my soul in Thy precious blood.

Let Thy passion and death stand between my soul and Thy justice.

O sweet comforter of desolate and distressed souls! let me then experience the multitude of Thy tender mercies, when my soul shall be in conflict with the pangs of death.

Be mindful of Thy poor creature, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Remember Thou hast bought my soul at a dear rate: oh! let not Thy precious blood be shed for me in vain!

Thou hast promised to save all who invoke Thy name with faith and confidence: I now invoke Thy sacred name, O Jesus! with my whole heart; and with all possible respect and devotion, I supplicate Thee to have mercy on my soul at the moment of its departure from this world, and admit it to life everlasting.

O my divine Jesus! grant me grace to unite my sufferings with Thine; may my agony and death be sanctified by Thine; and may I participate in the sacred dispositions of Thy holy soul, in Thy last moments: to these dispositions I now unite myself with my whole heart, to supply what will be wanting in me. I abandon myself entirely to Thee, O my Jesus! Thy will, not mine, be done: Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Lord Jesus, I beseech Thee by Thy sufferings on the cross, especially at the hour when Thy blessed soul left Thy sacred body, to have mercy on my soul at the time of its departure. Call me to Thyself, and receive me into the number of Thy elect, that I may praise Thee eternally. Our Father, &c.

I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Sweet Jesus! receive my soul. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, &c.

________________________________________________

The Sufferings of this Life

It is related that when St. Peter was leaving Rome in the time of persecution, he met our Lord Jesus Christ, who was carrying a heavy cross upon his shoulders. St. Peter asked his Lord whither He was going in that sad condition, and our Lord answered him: I am going to Rome to deliver myself up to be crucified for you, because you refuse to suffer for Me. St. Peter, ashamed of his weakness, and penetrated by a lively sorrow, returned to Rome, where, with great courage and joy, he suffered martyrdom for the name and honor of his Divine Master.

We have imitated St. Peter in his weakness; when shall we imitate him in his generosity? Alas, how often might our Lord Jesus Christ say to us: I am going to give myself up again to death for you, because you refuse to bear my cross! We would like to have nothing to suffer; we complain and murmur at the least trouble. Only the sound of the word sufferings, nay, even the thought of it, makes us tremble. Is this to be a Christian, is this to be a disciple of a God who died for us on the cross? O suffering Savior, teach us to suffer! help us to suffer! sanctify us through our sufferings, united with Thine, and receiving all their merit from them! Let us then be a little more considerate, and instead of bewailing our sufferings, let us praise God who gives us the means to atone for our sins.

A soul that cannot suffer cannot love. True love only shows itself in suffering. Jesus Christ has planted the cross in order to show us the way to heaven; He holds it before the soul to guide him there.

Many Saints would have been lost without suffering, and many lost souls would have been great saints through suffering. It is better to weep than to sin. Weep now with the penitent, that by and by you may rejoice with the elect.

[Kate Jackson]

Thanks Dawn

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Thanks for sharing.

[Judy Muller]

Thank you for sharing these prayers.

[Dawn Marie]

:)

[Gloria]

Thank you for sharing these prayers.