THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER – For Lent (attributed to Pope Clement XI)

[Dawn Marie]

THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER – For Lent (attributed to Pope Clement XI)  

 - Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.

-I trust in you: strengthen my trust. I love you: let me love you more and more 

 - I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.  

- I worship you as my first beginning, I long for you as my last end,  

- I praise you as my constant helper, And call on you as my loving protector.  

 - Guide me by your wisdom, Correct me with your justice,  

 - Comfort me with your mercy, Protect me with your power.  

- I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you; My words: to have you for their theme;  

 - My actions: to reflect my love for you;  My sufferings:  to be endured for your greater glory.  

- I want to do what you ask of me: In the way you ask, For as long as you ask, Because you ask it.  

- Lord, enlighten my understanding, strengthen my will,  

- Purify my heart, and make me holy.  

 - Help me to repent of my past sins and to resist temptation in the future.  

 - Help me to rise above my human weaknesses And to grow stronger as a Christian.  

- Let me love you, my Lord and my God, And see myself as I really am: A pilgrim in this world, 

- A Christian called to respect and love All whose lives I touch, Those under my authority, My friends and my enemies. 

- Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,

-  Greed by generosity, 

 - Apathy by fervor. 

- Help me to forget myself And reach out toward others.  

- Make me prudent in planning, 

 - Courageous in taking risks. 

- Make me patient in suffering, 

- unassuming in prosperity.  

- Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer, 

- Temperate in food and drink, 

 - Diligent in my work, 

 - Firm in my good intentions. 

 - Let my conscience be clear, 

- My conduct without fault, 

 - My speech blameless, 

 - My life well-ordered.  

 - Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.  

 - Let me cherish your love for me,

 - And come at last to your salvation.  

 - Teach me to realize that  this world is passing,

-That my true future  is the happiness of heaven, That life on earth is short, And the life to come eternal.  

 - Help me to prepare for death With a proper fear of judgment, But a greater trust in your goodness.  

 - Lead me safely through death To the endless joy of heaven. Grant this through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

[Tania M]

Amen.

[Alley]

Always with love!