Handbook of the Lay Priest

By Joseph G. Pugh
 Chapter 1

Every Catholic is a Priest

If you are a practicing Catholic, then you are a priest, a baptized priest. Male or female, it

makes no difference. Saint Peter, the first pope, put it this way when writing to the first century

Catholics: “...You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy

priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ Jesus.” (1 Pe 2; 5) This

invites the question as to whether it is an authentically catholic reading of this passage to refer
to the laity as possessing a priesthood. We have nothing less than the authority of Saint Thomas

Aquinas who said, “A devout layman is united with Christ by spiritual union through faith and

charity, but not by sacramental power: consequently he has a spiritual priesthood for offering

spiritual sacrifices, of which it is said (Ps. 1:19): "A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit"; and

(Rm. 12:1): "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice." Hence, too, it is written (1 Pt. 2:5): "A holy

priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices." Summa Theologica Third Part, Question 82, “Reply

to objection 2.

Of course, there is a big difference between an ordained priest and a baptized priest. An

ordained priest, of course, has the authority to celebrate Mass, to hear confessions and remit

sins, to baptize under normal circumstances, to officiate at weddings and funerals, to

sacramentally anoint the sick. But there is also a profound similarity between the two. A priest

by baptism is also given power from above. Contrary to the beliefs of some Christians, power is

not a dirty word. Our Lord himself used it when he told the apostles: “You will receive power

when the Holy Spirit comes on you...” Acts 1; 8. The reason why we are uncomfortable with

the word power is that it is so often desired and seized upon sinfully. Powers given to us by the

Holy Spirit remain His powers, not ours. We are merely the instruments of use. The

fundamental sin involved in occultism, many New Age practices, good old-fashioned
witchcraft and too often the fantasy gaming mentality is the desire to grasp power as a

possession, not as a loaned privilege remaining under the complete control of the Giver.

This distinction is very important, because I believe that having an upright attitude toward

power and authority is a crucial starting point for intercession and exercising the gifts of the

Holy Spirit. In our fallen nature we are all drawn to the notion of power, and I believe there are

two natural roots of this desire. In the first place, we all started out in our conscious life as

infants. In our early years, we have been hurt by those with more power than ourselves.

Parents, adults, teachers, coaches, as well as peer bullies injured us physically or emotionally

and in a fallen world we perceive that we need power to protect ourselves and to fight against

injustice. Secondly, in our world it is the powerful who are accorded the most respect, and who

are generally given the highest paychecks and obtain the most wealth. It does not take us long

to perceive that if we want an abundance of good things we will need to obtain worldly power

first. Take note of the fascination most children have with superheroes! In my mind, we should

adopt a new impulse for power, one of mercy. God’s children suffer pain and temptation on

Earth, and pain and loss in Purgatory. It is right and good to desire all the power that God is

ready to give us to grant protection, healing and relief to others!

To get back to the point, as lay Catholics we are given true spiritual authority. We can baptize

in emergencies and confer the Sacrament of Matrimony upon our consenting spouse, we can
serve at the altar and minister the Word and the Eucharist subject to certain restrictions. We

can pray effectively for others as God grants. We can gain indulgences for ourselves and for

souls in Purgatory. In addition, we can pray effectively against the activities of demons and

invoke the holy angels to help us. We can pray for God's blessing upon persons, places and

things according to the will of God. We can offer up our sufferings in union with Christ to

defer God's judgment upon others and advance their salvation. We can make holy use of

sacramentals, blessed objects and holy water to procure graces for ourselves and others. We

can make use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as we receive them to bring conversion and healing

and to build up the Body of Christ, the church. This can also be very good news to men and

women who have felt a calling to the priesthood, but by reason of gender or marriage are

ineligible for priestly ordination. You already are priests, and are endowed by your baptism

with true spiritual authority and a calling to minister to the Body of Christ according to the

gifts you have received!

In addition to the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, we also can refer to the Vatican Council itself.

The Vatican Council’s Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity elaborates:

The laity derive the right and duty to the apostolate from their union with Christ the
head; incorporated into Christ's Mystical Body through Baptism and strengthened by
the power of the Holy Spirit through Confirmation, they are assigned to the
apostolate by the Lord Himself. They are consecrated for the royal priesthood and the
holy people (cf. 1 Peter 2:4-10) not only that they may offer spiritual sacrifices in
 everything they do but also that they may witness to Christ throughout the world.
The sacraments, however, especially the most holy Eucharist, communicate and
nourish that charity which is the soul of the entire apostolate. DECREE ON THE
APOSTOLATE OF THE LAITY, APOSTOLICAM ACTUOSITATEM, SOLEMNLY
PROMULGATED BY HIS HOLINESS, POPE PAUL VI ON NOVEMBER 18, 1965

So how are we to receive this calling in our lives? It seems to me, sadly, that most Catholics are

simply unaware of both the privilege and the responsibility. That having been said, it is equally

true that many who are aware feel too busy to commit themselves to it. That begs the question

as to how much time is really required to properly exercise our priesthood. As a member of the

Apostleship of Prayer, I have only been asked to sincerely pray a morning offering at the start

of each day and then live the day out according to God’s will as best I understood it. Certainly

no significant drain of time at all but the value of each day being offered to God is immense! I

have an odd analogy to draw. A tea bag can sit in a box for five minutes, or it can steep in a cup

of hot water for five minutes. The same time elapses for the tea bag either way, but the tea bag

which steeps is sharing its wealth of aroma, flavor and nutrients for the benefit of the drinker

and those present, while the tea bag in the box just sits to the present benefit of no one. In the

same way, our days as Catholics can be spent steeped in prayer and spiritual virtues as an

aroma for nearby souls both visible and invisible, or they can be spent in a sort of spiritual

coma brought on by the exclusive focus on the temporal world around us.

Furthermore, let us remember that living our priesthood as Catholics brings us to an intimate
relationship with the Eucharistic Christ. On Sunday we receive Him in Holy Communion; He

abides in our hearts through the week. It is a greater privilege to be intimate with Christ than

to have the authority to do things in His name. This cannot be said enough. Many married men

and many women have lamented the fact that the Church does not open the ordained

priesthood to them. Too often they are more attracted to spiritual authority than to intimacy.

They fail to realize that the essence of holiness is more closely tied to love than to power or

authority! Our priesthood in Christ empowers us to minister and serve, but the essence of it is a

living union with the Risen Lord!

Many are the Catholics who are unable to break with sin or a bad habit due to a certain

emptiness in their hearts which pleasure temporarily fills. Many have never experienced the

degree to which intimacy with Christ can fill that emptiness and make resistance to sin both

possible and achievable! More will be said about this in the chapter on prayer. For now let me

just say that the Church places no limit on the degree of intimacy that the lay Catholic may

experience with the Risen Lord. In fact, to my knowledge there is no certain teaching that

ordained ministry nor religious consecration automatically places the individual “closer” to the

Lord than the baptized Catholic who lives in the world can be!
 Chapter 2

Our Primary Calling

So what is the nature of the priesthood of the laity in practical terms? Primarily, our priesthood

consists of offering up our daily lives as a sacrifice to God. St. Paul writes in his letter to the

Romans: “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living

sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” Rom 12; 1 Judging

from the preceding passage, St. Paul seems to primarily be stating that since God has dealt with

us mercifully, we ought to resist sin in all sincerity as an expression of gratitude and praise to

Him.

This is certainly quite true as far as it goes. It is a grievous thing to hear some self-proclaimed

Christians assert that since all of our sins have been paid for, then the sins we commit after

becoming Christians are of no real consequence. Not only do they convey indifference to the

heart of God in the matter, but they also play games with their salvation! As Catholics we

understand that not only can persistence in serious sin endanger our relationship with Christ, it

also can exact a severe penance in Purgatory. On the other hand, the fight against sin is not
without merit. As St. Paul notes, our struggle is “holy and pleasing to God,” and the offering of

this struggle is a sacrifice which gains merit for us and grace for others.

At this point I think that some clarification is needed. A great temptation for some would be to

jump enthusiastically into a rich prayer life, intercession and a new ministry activity at church

and start neglecting one’s spouse and family. Therefore this chapter is dedicated to identifying

our primary calling and developing a view of our priesthood as primarily an exercise of fidelity

to that calling, and enriching, rather than replacing, it with an added measure of prayer and

ministry. I will do this primarily by appealing to Scripture, since as a layman I am more

familiar with Scripture than with church documents or with writings of the saints.

Let’s start with Jesus. To whom was he sent? What was his primary calling on Earth? If your

answer is “everyone,” you are in good company, although from a scriptural standpoint not

quite correct. Now he died for everyone, but his earthly mission to teach and heal was

narrower than that. If your response is “sinners,” then you’re doing slightly better, but not

much, since the word implies everyone anyway. Okay, no more suspense. In the book of

Matthew we get an answer from his lips. When asked by a gentile woman for a miracle, Jesus

replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matt 15; 24. True, the woman

eventually received her miracle, but this passage reveals that Jesus knew the focus of his calling

and, as a rule, kept to it.

Not only did Jesus restrict his own ministry to manageable boundaries, he instructed his

disciples to do the same, at least as long as He was with them. When sending them out to do

kingdom work, we read again in Matthew, “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following

instructions: ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to
the lost sheep of Israel.’” Matt 10; 5&6. Despite a natural human urge to reach out wherever a

need exists, it is more prudent (and Christ-like) to determine the scope of our calling and stay

with it.

Along a different vein, Jesus had much to say about how we prioritize our various duties. For

example, He taught that, “…if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that

your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and

be reconciled with your brother, then come and offer your gift.” Matt 5; 23 & 24. My reading

of this is that if you have hurt someone, God doesn’t even want your gift (prayer, donation)

until you make it up to that person first. This passage has broad ramifications for all priests, lay

and ordained. If you have a duty to another person, do not think that you are being pious by

praying and mortifications if you are at the same time neglecting your duties to others. This is

especially true of those married with children. Take care of your family’s needs first; have your

prayer time afterward. Love of God comes first in priority over love of neighbor, but second in

chronology. This is not meant to imply that faithfulness looks the same in all lives. Some are

called to a more intense family life than others. Part of the grace that comes with baptism is

that we have the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit. Listening carefully to Him can help keep our

lives in balance.

In addition, Jesus elaborated on this principle when he admonished the Pharisees: “…you say

that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received

from me is a gift devoted to God, he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you nullify the word

of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites!” Matt 15; 5&6. May these words place

our priestly calling in perspective! If we are to “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice,” then we
must be aware that the support of our family and others entrusted to our care is perhaps the

first and foremost portion of this offering!

This raises an even deeper issue. Many Catholics do not know how to value their true vocation.

I was raised in a devout catholic family and sent to catholic school for 12 years. I remember

there was always the light in their eyes when the nuns spoke of the priesthood and religious

life. And then, of course, there was marriage; nothing special about that. Granted, they did not

actually say that, and they gave lip service to the value and beauty of Christian marriage, but it

was very clear that they tended to see priesthood and religious life in a far superior light. They

never, of course, said anything about single life at all except to ask us to pray that single

Catholics would someday discover their vocation! Furthermore, I can still see the approval and

interest in the eyes of my mother and aunts and uncles when I said in my tender years that I

wanted to become a priest. So naturally my mind set from youth was one of facing the choice

to embrace the beauty of a spiritual celibate life or a plain old married or single life.

Of the single life I want to say something. I have not heard that the Church has officially

recognized single life as a vocation per se, but this does not mean, in my view, that the single

life cannot be as dedicated and holy as the traditional vocations. I suspect theologically, that the

Church recognizes that the priesthood, consecrated religious life and marriage (open to raising

children) by definition involve a lifetime of commitment to others via prayer, service, or both.

Single life does not, by definition, imply such a commitment, but single individuals are

certainly able to choose to make of their lives a virtual vocation by dedicating themselves to

prayer and service.

It seems to me that getting rid of any inferiority complex about being married or single (for

those of us who are), and forgiving clergy and religious who see it that way, is a necessary step

before we can experience the true fulfillment in embracing our primary calling in life.

Otherwise, we may find ourselves compulsively praying or serving at the parish level as a

means of validating ourselves. This is not the spirit of our priesthood nor do I see how this

course can lead to joy. In my own view, the laity, as we know, is the Bride of Christ, destined to

be wedded to Him in an eternal union. The job of the clergy is to prepare the Bride for the

wedding day. They exist for the sake of the Bride; the Bride does not exist for the sake of the

clergy. It is perhaps like a tutor who instructs the young crown prince. For a while the prince is

under the authority of the tutor, but it shall not be so when the prince is crowned king. Now I

do believe theologically that while the clergy may not be functioning as the Bride of Christ in

the performance of their unique ministry to the Church, that they are, ontologically, as much a

part of the Bride as you or I. Saint Augustine reportedly said to his congregation, “For you I am

a bishop, with you I am a Christian.” EPISCOPAL ORDINATION OF MONS. PAUL HINDER,

O.F.M., Cap., AUXILIARY BISHOP OF ARABIA,

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cevang/documents/rc_con_cevang_doc_20

040130_homily-abu-dhabi_en.html

As far as married persons are concerned, there is much in the literature of the Church to speak

to the immense value of your calling. Recall that our first parents were called to marriage and

much of their calling remained despite the Fall. Recall that the Lord “blessed them, saying ‘Be

fruitful and multiply, fill the Earth and subdue it, and have dominion…” This calling remains

with us. By being fruitful, we continue God’s own work of creation and bring forth new

embodiments of the Image of God upon Earth. By subduing the Earth, we make it more and
more a place of safety and stability, restoring somewhat of what was lost to Creation at the Fall.

By exercising dominion over the animals, fish and birds we are fulfilling God’s purpose for us

and establishing His order where there was once chaos. Here we touch upon our share in

Christ’s kingship more than his priesthood, and if we are to truly treasure our vocation we

must appreciate our threefold share in His mission as priest, prophet and king.

Pope John Paul I, in an address to U.S. bishops, extolled the vocation of married persons to build

family with the following words:

Let us never grow tired of proclaiming the family as a community of love: love, is…
actually a sharing in the covenant love of Christ and His Church…And then we must
encourage parents in their roles as educators of their children - the first catechists and
the best ones. What a great task and challenge they have, to teach children the love of
God, to make it something real for them. The Family, Center of Life and Love, Copyright
1981 Daughters of Saint Paul, p. 80

What great esteem the Catholic Church has for married couples! Pope John Paul II also wrote

“prolificly” in praise of the great worth of the catholic family.

I would like to share here an insight I received some years ago, by the Holy Spirit I believe,

while attending a men’s retreat. The insight pertains to the measure of authority given to

parents and its broad ramifications. Our first parents were given dominion, and, when they

sinned, they profoundly affected the lives of each of their descendants to this very day. Some

orthodox Catholics may question the historical accuracy of the first chapters of Genesis, but we

must all agree on one thing. Scripture was inspired by God, and the spiritual lessons taught

therein convey truth, regardless of the historical details. So we can see that the authority given

to humanity by God is a very real thing, with real implications for all of us. It was through their

parenting that Adam and Eve exercised their authority, and it is through ours that we exercise
so much of our authority.

A less radical, although only slighty so, example of parental authority is shown later in Genesis.

God determined to test Abraham’s obedience. He commanded Abraham to sacrifice the life of

his son, Isaac, on an altar to the Lord. This practice was lamentably too common among the

pagan societies of Abraham’s day. When Abraham bound Isaac to the altar and was about to

take the boy’s life, an angel came and stopped him. Then God spoke to Abraham and said, “I

swear by myself…that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only

son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and

as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,

and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Gen. 22; 16-18.

One act of disobedience from Adam and Eve brought a curse upon all their descendants; one

act of faithfulness on the part of Abraham brought a blessing on all his descendants, and

beyond. We have a similar capacity to bless or curse our own descendants in the economy of

grace established by our God. There is no telling this side of the grave how far-reaching the

consequences of our acts of obedience to God will be for our offspring. We truly share here in

the kingship of Christ – do not lose sight of your own importance in His plan!

To sum up, our share in the priesthood of Christ is not strictly comprised of our vocation itself,

yet fidelity to our vocation is a primary ingredient to our priesthood. In addition most of us

have been given the time and resources by our Lord to intercede for the Universal Church, the

salvation of souls, the souls in Purgatory, ordained priests, family, as well as giving alms and

providing for a host of other prayer and corporal needs! I can’t help but believe that God will

bless our prayers and sacrifices with greater efficacy to the degree that we labor to be faithful
to all He has called us. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few

things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matt

25; 21.
 Chapter 3

Prayer

Going hand in hand with the faithful exercise of our vocation in life, prayer stands also as a

necessary and integral part of our share in the priesthood of Christ. From the exultant lifting of

voices in praise and worship, to the quiet reverence of a rosary, to the deep contemplation

taught by the mystics, from the indulgenced prayers and penances offered for Holy Souls, to the

shared prayers of small groups, from the private examination of conscience to that pinnacle of

Catholic worship, the Mass, the rich heritage of prayer is a treasure no Catholic should fail to

appreciate.

First and foremost, prayer is communion with God. Although we can easily be led to suppose

that it is more important to pray for those in need, remember that our Lord taught that the

greatest commandment is still “ …you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all

your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12; 30. This can pose a great

difficulty to those of us who are young in our faith. It can be hard to suppose that prayer that

primarily takes the form of praise to God or is contemplative, that is, resting in His presence

can be a more excellent form of prayer than interceding for the salvation of souls!
Nevertheless, this is my understanding of prayer and I will attempt to support this adequately

without taking too much space. The first argument I will appeal to is taken from Scripture.

Consider the following passage:

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose

name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside
the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving,
came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself
to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha,
Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only
one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
Luke 10; 38-42.

In his famous Summa Theologica, Saint Thomas Aquinas relates the service of Martha to the
so-called active life, the catholic vocation of service to others, and the listening posture of
Mary, that of the contemplative life. He comments:

“Further, no man should be taken away from a greater thing in order to be

occupied with lesser things: for the Apostle says (1 Corinthians 12;31): "Be
zealous for the better gifts." Now some are taken away from the state of the
contemplative life to the occupations of the active life, as in the case of those
who are transferred to the state of prelacy. Therefore it would seem that the
active life is more excellent than the contemplative.

On the contrary, Our Lord said (Luke 10:42): "Mary hath chosen the best part,
which shall not be taken away from her." Now Mary figures the contemplative
life. Therefore the contemplative life is more excellent than the active. St.
Thomas Aquinas, Summa, Second Part of the Second Part, Question 182.

Let us consider another case in Scripture. For brevity’s sake I will not print it here, so please

read Mark 14; 3-9. Here, an unnamed woman pours expensive perfume over the head of Jesus

as a token of her love for Him. There were some onlookers who pointed out, quite correctly,

that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. To our natural senses
it may appear that the “poor” were in greater need of the food that could have been provided

than Jesus was in need of perfume (Those who argue thus are unfamiliar with the climate and

bathing habits of Middle Easterners of Jesus’ day!). In any event, our Lord took exception to that

view. A sincere act of love for God has a spiritual worth greater than the real and genuine

value of service to the poor. This presupposes, of course, that the act is not a pretext for

depriving the poor of their necessities.

In like fashion, I believe that prayers offered in simple praise and love for God outshine, in a

spiritual scale, prayers for the spiritual or temporal welfare of others, however valid and

necessary such prayers are. It is also true, though, that I am inclined to reason that God will

grant a greater efficacy in intercession to those who afford Him the first place in their prayers

and heart, making it true that the best and most fruitful way of loving others is by loving God

first and foremost. That being the case, if we are to pursue our priestly calling as believers, let

us pursue a mature balance in our prayer life giving proper attention to both the “active,” e.g.

intercessory, and the “contemplative,” e.g. praise, worship and meditative forms of prayer.

Among the forms of prayer available to us as Catholics the most “priestly-seeming” form is

surely intercessory prayer. And this is proper, for the quintessential priestly role of “offering

sacrifices” is most explicitly fulfilled in the specific prayers we offer for others. Again, the first

thing we are called to offer is ourselves, which is a primary ingredient in what is known as a

“daily offering.” There are many forms of daily offering in catholic devotion, but the substance

of them is that, as we rise in the morning, we offer to God our entire day, our actions and

experiences in union with Christ, for an intention or intentions.

One of the most popular forms of daily offering, one espoused by the Apostleship of Prayer, has

an impeccable recommendation from Rome. This short description both explains and

authenticates this devotion:

The Apostleship of Prayer began in France in 1844. At that time Fr. Francis X. Gautrelet
told a group of Jesuit seminarians who were eager to work on the missions: "Be apostles
now, apostles of prayer! Offer everything you are doing each day in union with the
Heart of our Lord for what He wishes, the spread of the Kingdom for the salvation of
souls." 

On its 100th anniversary in 1944, Pope Pius XII gave thanks to God for
the Apostleship of Prayer, calling it "one of the most efficacious means
for the salvation of souls, since it concerns prayer and prayer in
common." He commended the organization for its goal: " to pray
assiduously for the needs of the Church and to try to satisfy them
through daily offering."
http://www.apostleshipofprayer.org/history.html

In addition, the value of offering Christ to the Father in prayer by the laity has been upheld
during the apparitions at Fatima. According to a website dedicated to Catholic prayer, it is
written concerning the appearances of an angel to the children at Fatima:

He later referred to himself as the Angel of Portugal and taught them the second
of our Fatima prayers covered here in his last appearance that autumn,
amazingly, while leaving a Host (the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ)
and a golden chalice both suspended in mid-air!

‘Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I adore Thee profoundly. I offer
Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in
all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and
indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His
Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the
conversion of poor sinners.’ http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/fatima-
prayers.html
Making a daily offering, usually upon rising in the morning, is very central to the exercise of

our priestly office. While there is no earthly way to measure the value of a day dedicated to

God’s will and the salvation of souls, let us recall how our Savior took the few loaves and fish

offered by a young boy and used it to feed thousands of people!

In addition to a daily offering for the salvation of souls, we have also to recall how precious

even our smallest prayers and penances are to the souls in Purgatory! In his hallmark work in

the subject, Fr. F.X. Schouppe writes that “’The Catholic Church,’ says the Council of Trent,

‘instructed by the Holy Ghost, has, from the sacred writings and the ancient traditions of the

Fathers, taught in sacred councils, and very recently in the Ecumenical Synod, that there is a

Purgatory, and that the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but

principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar.’ (Sess.25).” Fr. F.X. Schouppe, S.J. Purgatory

Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints, Translator’s Preface, p. xliv.

To the devout Catholic, there can be no doubt about the need of the holy souls for relief, nor

about our very priestly capacity to assist them. The Church has granted indulgences, that is,

partial or full remission of the temporal debt of sin to the faithful who devoutly perform

prayers or good works. This blessing is in accord with the words of Our Lord to his apostles

and their successors, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are

retained.” John 20; 23. This is to say that the Church has the authority on Earth to remit guilt

and punishment for sin, and she has deigned to share this authority with the laity. In our

hands, according to the plan of God, is the power to gain plenary and partial indulgences to

benefit ourselves and the souls of those departed in a state of grace. Because the nature and
means of obtaining indulgences are so poorly understood in this era, I will quote extensively

form the Church’s official document, the ”Enchiridion Of Indulgences,” revised in 1968.

According to the Church:

Norms On Indulgences
1. An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due
for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned. This remission the
faithful with the proper dispositions and under certain determined conditions
acquire through the intervention of the Church which, as minister of the
Redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the satisfaction
won by Christ and the Saints. 1
2. An indulgence is partial or plenary, according as it removes either part or all
of the temporal punishment due for sin. 2
3. No one, acquiring indulgences, can apply them to other living persons. 3
4. Partial as well as plenary indulgences can always be applied to the departed
by way of suffrage. 4
5. The grant of a partial indulgence is designated only with the words "partial
indulgence," without any determination of days or years. 5
6. The faithful, who at least with contrite heart perform an action to which a
partial indulgence is attached, obtain, in addition to the remission of temporal
punishment acquired by the action itself, an equal remission of punishment
through the intervention of the Church.
http://www.freecatholicebooks.com/books/indulgences.pdf, p. 6

It seems that no practicing Catholic ought to refrain from reviewing this document, so dearly

applicable to our lives and that of others, if only to note how easy the obtaining of indulgences

is, if only one has the contrite intention of gaining them. For example, a partial indulgence can

be gained by reverent reading of Scripture; there is no minimum length required. If we read

Scripture frequently, all that is needed is a moment of contrite thought beforehand with the

desire to obtain the indulgence and it is ours to keep or bequeath to a soul in Purgatory on the
spot! Granted, it may seem strange that we are empowered to so immediately benefit the souls

in Purgatory when often our prayers for loved ones on Earth can go seemingly unanswered for

years. To understand this we must keep two very important distinctions in mind. In the first

place, we often do not know what is truly for the spiritual well-being of our loved ones on

Earth. For God to answer a prayer as we wish might prove detrimental spiritually in the long

run. This may be the case when we pray for a healing, a raise or promotion, or for the person to

find a spouse. Secondly, we must keep free will in mind, as in when we pray for a loved one’s

conversion. God showers grace upon all, but those who so choose do not receive spiritual

benefit. Neither of these considerations hinders the advancement of the souls in Purgatory. The

remission of their debt in sin cannot possibly burden them spiritually. Also, their wills, as

traditionally understood by the Church, are completely conformed to the will of God. No

resistance to grace hinders the benefits we obtain for them by our prayers. These graces travel

unerringly toward the designated souls and impart their full benefit immediately. What a waste

if we neglect to obtain a few partial indulgences daily for their relief! For your reference there

are a few indulgenced prayers in the appendices at the back of this book (prayers not so noted

may still be indulgenced; simply ask the Lord for any indulgence associated with the prayers

you offer), but for now let’s move along to other jewels in the treasury of the Church’s prayer

chest.

A very beautiful form of prayer which has adorned the history of the Church is the litany.

According to Catholicexpert.com, “A litany, in Roman Catholic Prayer, is a form of prayer used

in church services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes

from the Latin litania, from the Greek lite, meaning prayer or supplication.”

http://www.catholicexpert.com/litany.html. The most famous of catholic litanies, the Litany of

the Saints, is prayed in part or in full at the Easter Vigil Mass every year. Some litanies are

indulgenced, while others promise particular blessings associated with devout recitation, but

the beauty of each litany consists more with the particular love and devotion toward the

subject of the litany itself, be it the Lord, the Blessed Mother, a saint, angel or even a virtue.

Frequent recitation of litanies can deeply enrich the prayer life of the devout. A couple of my

favorites are included at the back of this book, but most of them can easily be found on the

Internet.

Another form of prayer which is often overlooked in these modern times is the novena.

According to catholicdoors.com, “The word Novena come from the word "novem" which means

"nine." It is a prayer that is said for nine consecutive days. A Novena may be a private or public

spiritual devotion for the purpose of obtaining a special favour from heaven, be it a special

grace, imploring a favour or to make a special petition.”

http://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/novena.htm. Although praying for nine days

consecutively may seem like a daunting task to the average layperson, many novena prayers

are quite short in themselves. Some novenas are enriched by the Church with indulgences,

others have been instituted by private revelation, such as the Novena to Divine Mercy. Others

are simply of human composition that have gained popularity over time. You could even

compose your own novena and pray it! Some novenas, as well as many wrote prayers, are said

by tradition or private revelation to guarantee certain favors when prayed, but we must

acknowledge that the sincerity with which they are prayed, and the compatibility with the

Divine Will are necessary ingredients to the granting of favors from prayer. Conversely, it goes

against the grain of catholic faith, and Sacred Scripture, to dismiss as pure “superstition” the

notion that God has willed to grant favors as a result of prayers piously prayed.
Novenas, as with all devotions, properly performed, gain for our souls increased zeal and

sanctity, as well as eternal merit. In his book entitled Becoming Christ, J. B. Fernandez, S.J.

writes:

“…you need the aid of subsidiary devotions. What are these? These are pious
practices promoted and sustained by the Holy Spirit’s gift of piety. He makes us
like them. They give us devotion or fervor. The Way of the Cross, Visits to the
Blessed Sacrament, Novenas to the Miraculous Medal, to the Perpetual Succor,
etc are examples of such devotional practices.

Though not essential, they play an important part in our spiritual life. They are
like oil to wheels. They earn for the soul the sweet unction of the Holy Spirit,
which makes duty sweet and easy and that holy light which keeps the intention
pure. They sustain fervor in the obligatory exercises of piety.” Becoming Christ, J.
B. Fernandez, S.J., The Bombay St. Paul Society, 12th print, 2004, p. 184.

In addition to the above forms of prayer, there is one which is nearly unique to Catholicism and

holds a cherished place therein: Eucharistic Adoration. Entering into the presence of the Blessed

Sacrament, whether exposed or reserved, is a profound privilege no Catholic should fail to

treasure. Simply to quietly be in the presence of our Lord in this way is a distinct foretaste of

Heaven. While it is my intuited belief that the intercessory prayers we utter are generally given

greater efficacy when they are prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, A truer motive to visit Him

there is simply for the purpose of being in his presence and placing your heart before His. We

can see this when one visits a dearly loved friend. There may be much to say to one another,

but the visit usually begins simply with an embrace. Let us never be guilty of visiting our

Saviour without giving Him an embrace from the heart!

Perhaps the most popular form of Catholic prayer is the Rosary. The rosary is comprised of, in

proper order, six Our Fathers, fifty-three Hail Marys, six Glory bes, The Apostles’ Creed and
sometimes additional prayers interspersed. There is a tradition that Our Lady gave the Rosary to

Saint Dominic in the twelfth century, but the historical basis for this seems faint. However that

may be, the Rosary is a prayer of meditation on passages in the lives of Jesus and Mary and has

been granted the powerful endorsement of many saints and popes. In addition, at Fatima the

Blessed Mother herself urged the faithful to pray the Rosary often for peace and the conversion

of sinners. It is worth noting that a plenary indulgence has been granted by the Church for

pious recitation of the Rosary based on the usual conditions. Instructions on how to pray the

Rosary are listed in the appendix below.

In addition to the effectiveness of the Rosary in obtaining graces, it is also a distinctly meditative

prayer. Each decade has a mystery attached to it, contemplation of which can sanctify and

illuminate the soul. For example, when faced with an enormously difficult trial in life, I gained

great courage by praying the fourth Joyful Mystery, the presentation of the infant Jesus in the

Temple. Seeing how our Lady heard the prophecy of Simeon about her heart being pierced

with a sword, and yet not straying thereby from the path the Lord had set her on, gave me

courage to embrace the swords in my own life and persevere!

No discussion of Catholic prayer is complete without a discussion of the Divine Liturgy,

otherwise known as the Office of the Hours. This compendium of daily prayer is required for

most ordained priests and consecrated religious, and has been prayed largely unchanged

around the world and through the centuries. In its “General Instructions for the Liturgy of the

Hours, the Church teaches us that, “Public and common prayer by the people of God is rightly

considered to be among the primary duties of the Church. From the very beginning those who

were baptized "devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the community, to the

breaking of the bread, and to prayer" (Acts 2:42)….” Such prayer in common gradually took
the form of a set cycle of hours. This liturgy of the hours or divine office, enriched by readings,

is principally a prayer of praise and petition. Indeed, it is the prayer of the Church with Christ

and to Christ.” http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDWGILH.HTM#Ch I

It would be well indeed if every Catholic were to have a copy of the breviary, or book, or books,

containing the full measure of psalms, readings and prayers that comprise this treasure trove.

All of our prayers are made in the name of Jesus and in union with the Church throughout the

world and throughout time. Nothing expresses this unity, with the exception of the Mass itself,

as does the Divine Office. This office, in its fullness, establishes prayers and readings for times

set throughout the day and even late into the night. The Instructions go on to say, “By ancient

Christian tradition what distinguishes the liturgy of the hours from other liturgical services is

that it consecrates to God the whole cycle of the day and the night.” Ibid, Chapter 1; Section 10.

In fact, the Church sees in the Divine Office a veritable extension of the Mass itself, for, “To the

different hours of the day the liturgy of the hours extends [59] the praise and thanksgiving, the

memorial of the mysteries of salvation, the petitions and the foretaste of heavenly glory that are

present in the eucharistic mystery, "the center and high point in the whole life of the Christian

community." Ibid, Chapter 1; Sec. 12. In the end, whether we adopt the Divine Office or part of

it throughout the week, or we choose a combination of the rich forms of prayer available to us

courtesy of the Church, we are each called to allow the Mass to dwell in our hearts and lives

throughout the week.

Chapter 4
 The Mass

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say regarding Holy Mass:

1322 The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been
raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more
deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the
Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. “

1324 The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." 136 "The
other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the
apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in
the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church,
namely Christ himself, our Pasch."137

For this reason it seems fitting that the celebration of the Eucharist be accorded a chapter of its

own. Indeed, entire books have been devoted to the subject, and it truly deserves no less.

However, it behooves us here to afford such space as is practical without drowning our readers

in too much theological reflection. To begin with, let us quote here those scriptural passages as

obviously pertain to the Mass. Although I am not theologically equipped to interpret them, they

do paint a fairly clear picture when taken together.

Before the New Testament was written, Jesus spoke verbally to his disciples. In the gospel of

John he says: “Amen Amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his

blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal

life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true

drink.” Jn 6; 53-55

Chronologically, the next obvious reference is the narrative itself. “When the hour came, he

took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have greatly desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment

in the Kingdom of God.” …Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to the,

saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise

the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be

shed for you.” Lk 22; 14-16; 19-20. Clearly the Last Supper, and thus the Mass, is profoundly

linked and inseparable from the sacrifice of the Cross.

This last point is further alluded to in the Epistles. In his letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul

admonishes them to show proper reverence for the body and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist,

culminating in his statement that “Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you

proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.” In the Eucharist, the Body and the Blood are

separated from one another. This is not true of a human during life, only sometimes at death,

which was clearly the case with the manner of Christ’s death.

The parallels go on and on. Christ did not simply give his body and blood to his apostles on the

night before he died, he did so during the feast of Passover, the holiest feast of the Jews. As

described in the book of Exodus, the angel of the Lord judged the Egyptians with the death of

their firstborn. The Hebrews were saved only because, at God’s command, they painted the

blood of unblemished lambs on their doorposts. This event was so pivotal in both the history

and identity of the Jewish people that God commanded them that the month of this feast would

stand at the head of their calendar year (implying supremacy over their other feasts), and that

they were to observe this feast forever annually as a “perpetual institution.”

With Christians it is the blood of our Savior that covers our souls and redeems us from death.

But the blood had to be shed first. Passover, the Lord’s Supper, the Cross of Christ, and our
doing so “in remembrance of Him” are all interwoven and inseparable. It is commonly held by

all the Main Line Denominations that Passover was a foreshadowing of the Cross; that the

Cross constitutes a greater and more eternal redemption than Passover did. Therefore, if the

Jewish people are to observe Passover for all time how much more are we to understand that

the Mass was meant by God to be a perpetual institution for those washed in His blood.

Protestant churches often take exception to the catholic reference of the Mass as a sacrifice, but

it simply cannot be separated from the Cross of Christ and this we infer consistently from every

scriptural reference to it!

Surely it is highly significant that the first Mass occurred on the night before our Lord’s death.

Nighttime is a natural time for intimacy, and one’s last night on Earth, if spent knowingly,

surely reveals what is dearest to a person’s heart. Jesus opened the Passover meal by saying that

he had greatly desired to share this event with the Twelve, his closest companions, those who

[he said], “have stood by me in my trials.” Before they reclined at table he “showed the depth of

his love.” And “he began to wash the feet of his disciples..” Jn 15 Peter’s shocked objection to

this act of Christ clearly implies that Jesus had not chosen to be quite this physically intimate

with his disciples prior to this poignant occasion. Further, knowing that he was about to die, he

asked his disciples to “do this in remembrance of me.” Far from simply being an instruction on

the institution of a theological ritual, it seems that this can only be well understood as a

profoundly human plea to his most intimate friends that they not forget him after his death.

Indeed the entire narrative of the Last Supper through the arrest of Jesus is drenched with his

humanity.
I will go so far as to assert that to celebrate Mass in any way that excludes an intimate

encounter with a profoundly human Lord and Savior is to do violence to both its scriptural and

traditional foundations. The Mass is an embrace of ultimate love with Love himself, a total self-

giving to the one who gave himself totally for and to us. Our priesthood in Christ is one of

loving self-giving – it can have no other heart and foundation. Any concept of priesthood, via

baptism or ordination, that excludes this fact, is “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (symbol?).”

Our participation in the Liturgy of the Mass, passive as it may seem to some, is by no means

passive in the eyes of the Church. The Pieta prayerbook, an instrument of common piety and

approved by Pope Pius IX, has in its present form the following promises about our devout

participation in the Mass:

Graces Derived From Assisting at Holy Mass

   1. The Mass is Calvary continued.

 2. Every Mass is worth as much as the sacrifice of Our Lord’s life,
 
sufferings and death.
   3. Holy Mass is the most powerful atonement for your sins.
 4. At the hour of death the Masses you have heard will be your
 
greatest consolation.
   5. Every Mass will go with you to judgment and plead for pardon.
 6. At Mass you can diminish more or less temporal punishment
 
due to your sins, according to your fervor.
 7. Assisting devoutly at Holy Mass you render to the sacred
 
humanity of Our Lord the greatest homage.
   8. He supplies for many of your negligences and omissions.
 9. He forgives the venial sins which you have not confessed.  The
 
power of Satan over you is diminished.
  10. You afford the souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief.
11. One Mass heard during life will be of more benefit to you than
 
manyheard for you after your death.
 12. You are preserved from dangers and misfortunes which
 
otherwise might have befallen you.  You shorten your Purgatory.
  13. Every Mass wins for you a higher degree of glory in Heaven.
14. You receive the priest’s blessing which Our Lord ratifies in
 
Heaven.
15. You kneel amidst a multitude of holy angels, who are present at
 
the adorable Sacrifice with reverential awe.
  16. You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.

In eternity, we shall fully realize that it was certainly worthwhile to have assisted at Holy Mass daily.
The Pieta Prayerbook, as printed at http://www.iipg.org/pieta.htm

If I am ever to be quoted after my death I would be very happy if it were with the following

statement. Let every Catholic participate in every Mass as if they were already in Heaven. In

fact, during Mass I often feel that I am in Heaven, most especially during the Easter Vigil Mass.

In light of the Real Presence of Jesus and of the angels as mentioned above, and that of the

Blessed Mother, who is surely present with Her Son, it may be more true to say that we are in

Heaven during Mass than not!

 Chapter 5

Using our gifts

In the book of Romans, St. Paul tells us: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given

us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him

serve; if it is teaching, let him teach, if it is encouraging, let him encourage, if it is contributing

to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it

is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Rom. 12; 6-8. This passage contains a short list of

gifts, and let no one suppose their gift must fall into one of these categories, for good mothering

is a gift from God, as is a beautiful singing voice, and artistic ability. All these things can be

placed fruitfully in the service of God and man.

In this discussion, I’m going to focus on the charismatic gifts and give some basics on their use,

since they are least understood by those who have not experienced them. I have in fact found

little in the official documents of the Church defining the gifts and instructing the faithful in

their use. However, there are many fine explanations about this in many books. Rather than

duplicate their work I will discuss them from a perspective that has not been taken before, my
own personal experience. This will of course be a very limited perspective, but one that

hopefully the reader will find clear and practical.

I was in college when the Holy Spirit first began to work through me with charismatic gifts. I

was not raised in a charismatic home and had no first-hand experience of this phenomenon. In

fact, I was decidedly skeptical. When a classmate asked me what I thought of speaking in

tongues, I responded, “Scripture tell us to judge a tree by its fruits, and quite frankly, I can’t see

any fruit to standing around going bla, bla, bla,” and my friend agreed.

Famous last words! At that time in college I was taking philosophy as a possible preparation for

seminary. I was attending a secular college and the class I was then taking was decidedly anti-

religion. I was filled with doubts at this time. Now ironically, I had been invited to the

confirmation of a young friend who looked up to me in faith. As I was driving to this event, I

was complaining to myself how bad it was to be going to witness a confirmation when I was in

such bad shape spiritually. Now I am hard-pressed to explain what happened at that point,

although I can’t actually call it a miracle. I was stopped at a red light when all of a sudden the

presence of Jesus became so real to me! I just opened my heart and, without any rational

process, He was there! It took me several seconds before I realized that my lips were moving to

a prayer that did not exist in English, and I knew then that I was praying in tongues.

I have subsequently exchanged notes with other Christians and have found that there is more

than one “way” to pray in tongues. My experience of it is like an amalgam of all the prayers I

want to say at once, including praise and a simple “I love you,” to the Lord, but pressed together

in such a way that the lips must keep moving but simply cannot reduce to words in a language

all that they are expressing at once! It is an elevating experience. Saint Paul affirmed this
subjective experience of tongues as characteristic of the divine gift when he wrote, “A man who

speaks in a tongue is talking not to men but to God. No one understands him, because he utters

mysteries in the Spirit.” 1 Cor. 14; 2.

I had an earlier experience of the power of the Holy Spirit in my life, one that was a little less

politically correct. In my sophomore year of college, I was with a friend who was discussing

with me his belief in the supernatural (he was not a Christian), when he began explaining to

me that he had some history of demonic oppression. I didn’t know what to make of that

statement! After a brief explanation, he asked to change the subject, because talking about it

only seemed to “invite the spirits closer.” Seeing in his expression that he was feeling oppressed

at that moment, something came over me. Although I had no personal experience at all with

the demonic, and knowing full well that a large percentage of those who believe themselves to

be under demonic influence are actually mentally ill, I acted almost without volition. I laid

hands on him and commanded the demon to leave in the name of Jesus. My first thought,

however, was boy, that was stupid! It won’t work and he won’t believe in Jesus thanks to me!

Instead, he took a deep breath, relaxed and said, “Thanks, that really helped.”

Now, it still seemed just as likely that he was simply mentally unbalanced and I had given him

a convenient placebo, but I received two signs afterward that confirmed the spiritual nature of

the event. That night, I was in my room feeling deeply confused, and I asked Lord to give me

some indication of what happened. I grabbed my New Testament, opened it up, and my eyes

landed on the following verse: “I want you to be wise about what is good, and simple as to what

is evil; then the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet.” Rom. 16; 19 & 20. The

other sign I received was actually a bit more dramatic, and in fact something I cannot explain
at all without resorting to a supernatural cause, but unfortunately it is not something I feel at

liberty to discuss publicly, so I will ask the reader to simply take my word for it that I have

assurance that I believe comes from the Lord about this incident.

This speaks to an area of authority given to Catholics to a limited degree relative to the

ordained priesthood, the authority to “cast out demons.” The Gospel of Saint Mark places this

authority in the hands of all believers, “These signs will accompany those who believe, in my

name they will drive out demons…” Mk 16; 17 However, it would not be prudent to base our

entire understanding of this matter on this one verse alone, since it goes on to say, “they will

speak new languages. They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any

deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Ibid, v. 17 & 18. There have many Christian preachers who have based their conclusion that all

Christians have the authority to drive out demons on this passage alone, but I have not heard

that any of them have drunk poison to establish their case!

The Church makes it clear, however, that at least in certain situations this authority is reserved

to the ordained, and only to certain of them. The Catechism makes this clear: “When the

Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be

protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called

exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and

office of exorcizing. In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The

solemn exorcism, called “a major exorcism,” can be performed only by a priest and with the

permission of the bishop.” CCC, section 1673, emphasis added.

This leaves open the question of whether a member of the Church may ask “privately” in the

name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected. At the very least, of course, this is

called prayer. There can be no question that we are urged rather than allowed to pray against

the operation of demons as Catholics. The famous Prayer to Saint Michael, included in an

appendix at the back of this essay, has the authorship and authority of Pope Leo X111 himself

and was at one time prayed commonly by all the faithful after Mass. In the muddy middle

between intercessory prayer and exorcism lies the action of deliverance ministry. In

deliverance ministry, ordained or lay ministers pray with individuals who suspect demonic

activity in their lives and jointly reject and command, without public ceremony, demonic

entities to depart from the individual’s life. This is, as with other charismatic ministries, an

appeal to the power and intervention of the Holy Spirit. Of course, this may all seem moot to

those of us who believe that demonic activity is extremely rare, if not nonexistent. A person

may subjectively feel “oppressed” in a persistent state of depression, resentment or tangled in

recurring temptation, but we are not at liberty to whip out “demon meters” to detect their

presence. However, we have no less authority than Saint Ignatius of Loyola who encouraged

the faithful to take quite seriously the possibility of demonic oppression in such cases and pray

accordingly.

This topic invites discussion of another gift of the Spirit enumerated in Scripture, that of the

“ability to distinguish one spirit from another.” 1Cor. 12; 10. Although other epistles teach us to

test spirits in supernatural contexts by their statements about Jesus, there is no other

description of this gift as a supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. Now I

have heard many stories about individuals who believe themselves able “see” demons, or more

credibly “feel their presence,” I have never had any basis to evaluate the truthfulness of their
experiences, with the exception noted above. However, Church tradition offers a more

practical interpretation of this gift. According to the online encyclopedia at Catholic.org,

“"Discernment of spirits " is the term given to the judgment whereby to determine from what

spirit the impulses of the soul emanate, and it is easy to understand the importance of this

judgment both for this view, and in my experience as well, one looks at spirits and/or spiritual

impulses through the lens of a person’s heart, and judges, largely through the effect on that

heart, the goodness or evil involved. I have long had the gift (or curse) of seeing more in a

person than they intend to convey, especially in the way of motives and attitudes. Since much

of this is accomplished through observation of tone of voice, posture, stray comments

thoughtlessly conveyed, etc. I cannot clearly claim this as a supernatural gift, but I have no

doubt that, when it is put to authentic pastoral use, it is a part of the entirety known as

discernment of spirits. Beyond natural observation, when one is in a pastoral relationship, it is

important to maintain a posture of attentiveness both to the “client” as well as to the Holy Spirit,

who is usually willing to prompt the pastoral figure with insights of value to the person being

ministered to. Although I have only rarely been involved in truly pastoral ministry situations, I

have on more than one occasion been asked if I am “psychic,” due to the insight I demonstrated

beyond what the person expected.

In such a situation, ethics and wisdom must prevail. I have always tried to follow these

principles when exercising this gift and truly believe them to be valid guidelines:

1) Never use this gift without the permission of the individual – What is meant here is

that unless someone is actively seeking support, unless they choose to share their concerns with

you, you have no right to confront someone when perceiving something they did not intend to
share. This rule is only partially applicable where parents, spouses and in certain cases perhaps

employers are concerned. It is rooted in respect for privacy.

2) When sharing insights with an individual, adopt the habit of phrasing your

perceptions as questions. – For example, you might say to someone, “I’m getting the impression

that you may not have forgiven this person yet, could that be right?” That may well seem

obvious to you, but this leaves the individual free to affirm, deny or qualify the validity of what

you are sensing. None of us is perfect in our uses of our gifts anyway and we could always be

misinterpreting what we sense! Furthermore, leaving the “client” in a position of control fosters

trust and can lead to a more productive and lasting pastoral relationship.

3) Keep yourself free of pride and control issues when engaging in pastoral ministry – I

feel that it is important, when preparing to pray with someone for their issues, to deliberately

humble yourself before the Lord and cleanse your heart of the impulse to be in control, to show

your gifts off, to impress. Also, be aware of any feelings you might have toward this person.

Emotions can bias what you sense and how you convey it. There is a certain frame of mind that

one enters when spiritually disposed for discernment. It involves a certain temporary

distancing from one’s appetites and stresses and involves a clear mind and open heart.

The next gift in the list is prophecy. I have heard, and given, prophetic words on many

occasions but always in two general contexts. One is in the midst of a prayer meeting, when the

faithful are gathered in worship, open to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Those intent in prayer

may feel an inner prompting to share a message, or a quote from Scripture with the Body.

Sometimes the word will be applicable to all, sometimes it may be a message for only some or

just one person. I was at a prayer meeting where 40 or more persons were present, and a
young man delivered a set of images he was seeing that would have made no sense to anyone,

anyone except me. I was involved at that time in an unhealthy pursuit of knowledge that would

have culminated in my getting into considerable trouble if I persisted. The images applied to

my particular circumstance and I was immediately convicted of the truth of the warning

implied in the message. I redirected my curiosity into healthier channels starting the next day

and saved myself considerable problems. All this was accomplished without anyone else

present knowing that the word was meant for me or what it implied. Such is the gentle and

discreet way in which the Lord calls us to wisdom!

The inexperienced prophet will often second guess his or her impulse and simply not speak out

a word if there is doubt. I would recommend two things here. In the first place, if you feel a

prompting to speak a word, ask yourself, “Is this message consistent with scripture and Church

teaching as I understand it?” If so, there is generally no harm in sharing a word even if it comes

from us rather than the Lord. Secondly, I urge all not to open a prophetic word with “Thus saith

the Lord!” My practice was always to qualify my word with “I have a sense that,” or “I feel as

though the Lord would say.” That covers us if what we are speaking comes from our

imagination.

Another temptation is to seek the overly dramatic when listening for the prophetic. We would

all love to be able to tell the future, and many would expect the Holy Spirit to fill us in on such

details as the date and location of the next earthquake. We see this dynamic when considering

Marian apparitions, for example. There are many who can recite the predictions our Lady

made regarding Russia and World War II, but most forget that her primary message was,
“Repent, and pray the Rosary.” If you wish to serve God as a prophet be prepared to remind

people of what they already know more than reveal dramatic secrets.

The same passage in 1 Corinthians also mentions those who are given gifts of expressing

wisdom and knowledge. This may refer to so-called “words of wisdom” and “words of

knowledge,” which are received and shared in the same manner and contexts as prophecies, or

they may refer to gifts of preaching and teaching, respectively. In the former case, the defining

characteristic of each utterance is its content. If one is sharing a word of general counsel and

prudence, call it a word of wisdom. A word of knowledge, on the other hand, is often practiced

and defined more clearly. If someone comes for prayer and the minister is able to identify

material or spiritual needs that the person has not revealed, it is a word of knowledge.

The remaining gift identified in this passage is that of healing. When praying with a sick or

injured person, there is no need to be shy about praying for a healing even if “that’s not my

gift.” The Lord, who “gives generously without finding fault,” (Jam 1; 5), is pleased when we ask

Him for abundance. Healing miracles are not uncommon in this generation, and thousands of

testimonies can be found online. It is better to ask God for a hundred healings and be granted

one than to never ask and be granted none.

In closing, living a life open to the action of the Holy Spirit can be very rewarding and fruitful,

but there are temptations that can come of it. We must keep in mind that the giver is more

important than the gift, and not let ourselves get caught up in which gift is more valuable. In

fact, the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is freely available to all believers! If you are not sure

what that is, I would urge you to read 1 Corinthians 12 – 14. Even among charismatic groups

today there is often immaturity and politics that serve to spoil the work of the Spirit among us.
Saint Paul addressed this also in the first chapter of the same letter – what is important is

sincerity, love and service. Let us commit ourselves to building up the Body of Christ in love.
 Appendix A

Recommended prayers

Prayers from the Office of the Hours:

Morning Prayer

Luke 1:68 – 79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Evening Prayer:

Canticle of Mary (Lk 1; 46 – 55)

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me
blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their
hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Night Prayer:

Canticle of Simeon (Lk 2; 29 - 32)

Now, Lord, you may dismiss your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have
seen your salvation which you have set before all the nations as a light of revelation to the
Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.

The Angelus

Partially indulgenced

V: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary

R: And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.

V: Hail Mary, full of grace: The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is

the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

R: Holy Mary, Mother of God: Pray for us sinners now and

at the hour of our death. Amen.

V: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord.

R: Be it done unto me according to thy word.

V: Hail Mary ...

R: Holy Mary ...

V: And the Word was made flesh

R: And dwelt among us.

V: Hail Mary ...

R: Holy Mary ...

V: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

V: Let us pray.

All: Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace unto our hearts, that we, to whom the

Incarnation of Christ, thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His

Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ, our

Lord, Amen.
 Origin of Pope Leo XIII's Prayer to St. Michael

One day, after celebrating Mass, the aged Pope Leo XIII was in conference with the Cardinals
when suddenly he sank to the floor in a deep swoon. Physicians who hastened to his side could
find no trace of his pulse and feared that he had expired. However, after a short interval the Holy
Father regained consciousness and exclaimed with great emotion: "Oh, what a horrible picture I
have been permitted to see!"

He had been shown a vision of evil spirits who had been released from Hell and their efforts to
destroy the Church. But in the midst of the horror the archangel St. Michael appeared and cast
Satan and his legions into the abyss of hell. Soon afterwards Pope Leo XIII composed a prayer to
St. Michael, imploring his protection for the Church.

Many people are not aware that the familiar version of the prayer is not the one that was
composed by Pope Leo. His original version is much longer and far more explicit about the
dangers facing the Church.

Prayer to Saint Michael (Pope Leo XIII)

Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May
God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And you, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan
and the other evil spirits who prowl the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Pope Leo XIII's Prayer to St. Michael

(Long Version)

Princeps gloriosissime caelestis militiae,

sancte Michaël Archangele, defende nos in
praelio et colluctatione, quae nobis adversus
principes et potestates, adversus mundi
rectores tenebrarum harum, contra spiritualia
nequitiae, in caelestibus. Veni in auxilium
hominum, quos Deus creavit inexterminabiles,
et ad imaginem similitudinis suae fecit, et a
O GLORIOUS Prince of the heavenly host,
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the
battle and fearful warfare that we are waging
against the principalities and powers, against
the rulers of this world of darkness, against the
evil spirits. Come thou to the assistance of
men, whom Almighty God created immortal,
tyrannide diaboli emit pretio magno.  Praeliare
hodie cum beatorum Angelorum exercitu
praelia Domini, sicut pugnasti contra ducem
superbiae luciferum, et angelos ejus
apostaticos: et non valuerunt, neque locus
inventus est eorum amplius in coelo. Sed
projectus est draco ille magnus, serpens
antiquus, qui vocatur diabolus et satanas, qui
seducit universum orbem; et projectus est in
terram, et angeli ejus cum illo missi sunt.  the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and
 
En antiquus inimicus et homicida vehementer
erectus est. Transfiguratus in angelum lucis,
cum tota malignorum spirituum caterva late
circuit et invadit terram, ut in ea deleat nomen
Dei et Christi ejus, animasque ad aeternae
gloriae coronam destinatas furetur, mactet ac
perdat in sempiternum interitum.  Virus
nequitiae suae, tamquam flumen
immundissimum, draco maleficus transfundit
in homines depravatos mente et corruptos
corde; spiritum mendacii, impietatis et
blasphemiae; halitumque mortiferum luxuriae,
vitiorum omnium et iniquitatum.  impiety and blasphemy, and the deadly breath
Ecclesiam, Agni immaculati sponsam,
faverrrimi hostes repleverunt amaritudinibus,
inebriarunt absinthio; ad omnia desiderabilia
ejus impias miserunt manus. Ubi sedes
beatissimi Petri et Cathedra veritatis ad lucem
gentium constituta est, ibi thronum posuerunt
abominationis et impietatis suae; ut percusso
Pastore, et gregem disperdere valeant.
Adesto itaque, Dux invictissime, populo Dei
making them in His own image and likeness
and redeeming them at a great price from the
tyranny of Satan. Fight this day the battle of
the Lord with thy legions of holy Angels, even
as of old thou didst fight against Lucifer, the
leader of the proud spirits and all his rebel
angels, who were powerless to stand against
thee, neither was their place found any more in
heaven. And that great dragon was cast forth,
satan, who seduces the whole world; and he
was cast forth upon Earth, and his angels were
sent with him.
But behold! the ancient enemy of mankind and
a murderer from the beginning has been
fiercely aroused. Changing himself into an
angel of light, he goes about with the whole
multitude of the wicked spirits to invade the
earth and blot out the Name of God and of His
Christ, to plunder, to slay, and to consign to
eternal damnation the souls that have been
destined for a crown of everlasting life. This
wicked serpent, like an unclean torrent, pours
into men of depraved minds and corrupt hearts
the poison of his malice, the spirit of lying,
of impurity and every form of vice and
iniquity.
Be favorable to Thy Church, the Bride of the
Lamb without spot, whose enemies have filled
to overflowing with gall and inebriated with
wormwood. They have laid profane hands
upon Her most sacred treasures. Where the See
of the most blessed Peter and the Chair of
Truth has been constituted as a light to the
nations, there they have placed a throne of
their abomination and impiety; so that with the
Pastor struck, they may prevail to disperse the
flock.
Therefore, most invincible Leader, be with the
contra irrumpentes spirituales nequitias, et fac
victoriam.  Te custodem et patronum sancta
veneratur Ecclesia; te gloriatur defensore
adversus terrestrium et infernorum nefarias
potestates; tibi tradidit Dominus animas
redemptorum in superna felicitate locandas.  the Lord hath handed over the souls of the
Deprecare Deum pacis, ut conterat satanam
sub pedibus nostris, ne ultra valeat captivos
tenere homines, et Ecclesiae nocere. Offer
nostras preces in conspectu Altissimi, ut cito
anticipent nos misericordiae Domini, et
apprehendas draconem, serpentem antiquum,
qui est diabolus et satanas, ac ligatum mittas in
abyssum, ut non seducat amplius gentes.
people of God against this spiritual wickedness
and bring about victory. Thou art venerated by
Holy Church as Her guard and patron; Thou
art glorified as our defender against the
impious powers of earth and of hell. Unto thee
redeemed to be placed in happiness above.
Entreat the God of peace, to obliterate satan
beneath our feet, lest he prevail further to hold
men captive, and to injure the Church. Offer
our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so
that the mercy of the Lord may swiftly
overtake us, and apprehend the dragon, the
ancient serpent, who is the devil and satan, and
send him bound into the abyss, so that he may
seduce the nations no more.

 
Hinc tuo confisi praesidio ac tutela, sacri Henceforth having been confided to thy escort
ministerii sacra sanctae Matris Ecclesiae and protection, we sacred ministers by the
auctoritate,  [Si fuerit clericus qui ordinem authority of the Holy Mother Church [if
exorcistatus suscepit, dicat: nostri auctoritate,] recited by a cleric of the order of exorcist or
ad infestationes diabolicae fraudis repellendas above, say instead: by our authority], do
in nomine Jesu Christi Dei et Domini nostri undertake to repel the infestations of diabolical
fidentes et securi aggredimur. deceit in the Name of Jesus Christ, Our God
and Lord.
 
V. Ecce Crucem Domini, fugite partes V. Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered
adversae.  hostile powers.
R. Vicit Leo de tribu Juda, radix David.  R. The Lion of the tribe of Juda has
V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos.  conquered, the root of David.
R. Quemadmodum speravimus in te.  V. Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.  R. As we have hoped in Thee.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.  V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
  R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
[Si fuerit saltem diaconus subjungat:] [If recited by at least a deacon add the
V. Dominus vobiscum.  following:]
R. Et cum spiritu tuo. V. The Lord be with you all.
R. And with thy spirit.
 
Oremus. Let us pray.

   
Deus, et Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, O God, and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
invocamus nomen sanctum tuum, et
clementiam tuam supplices exposcimus ut, per
intercessionem immaculatae semper Virginis
Dei Genitricis Mariae, beati Michaëlis
Archangeli, beati Joseph ejusdem beatae
Virginis Sponsi, beatorum Apostolorum Petri
et Pauli et omnium Sanctorum, adversus
satanam, omnesque alios immundos spiritus,
qui ad nocendum humano generi animasque
perdendas pervagantur in mundo, nobis
auxilium praestare digneris.  Per eumdem
Christum Dominum nostrum.  Our Lord..
we invoke Thy Holy Name, and we humbly
implore Thy clemency so that, through the
intercession of Mary, the Immaculate ever-
Virgin Mother of God, of blessed Michael the
Archangel, of blessed Joseph, the Spouse of
the same blessed Virgin, of the blessed
Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the Saints,
Thou may deign to offer us aid against satan,
and all the other unclean spirits, who wander
through the world to injure the human race and
to destroy souls. We ask this through Christ
 

 
Amen. Amen.

Source: http://catholocity.net/prayers/St._Michael_long.htm

Litany of the Most Holy Trinity

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

Blessed Trinity,
hear us.

Adorable Unity,
graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven,

have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit,

have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God,

have mercy on us.

Father, from whom are all things,

have mercy on us.

Son, through whom are all things,

have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit, in whom are all things.

have mercy on us.

Holy and undivided Trinity,

have mercy on us.

Father everlasting,
have mercy on us.

Only-begotten Son of the Father,

have mercy on us.

Spirit, Who proceed from the Father and the Son,

have mercy on us.

Coeternal Majesty of Three Divine Persons,

have mercy on us.

Father the Creator,

have mercy on us.

Son the Redeemer,

have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit the Comforter,

have mercy on us.
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts,
have mercy on us.

Who are, who were, and who are to come,

have mercy on us.

God, Most High who inhabit eternity,

have mercy on us.

To whom alone are due all honour and glory,

have mercy on us.

Who alone do great wonders,

have mercy on us.

Power infinite,
have mercy on us.

Wisdom incomprehensible,
have mercy on us.

Love unspeakable,
Be Merciful,

Spare us, O Holy Trinity.

Be merciful,

Graciously hear us,

O Holy Trinity.

From all evil,

deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From all sin,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From all pride,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From all love of riches,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From all uncleanness,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From all sloth,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From all inordinate affection,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From all envy and malice,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From all anger and impatience,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From every thought, word, and deed, contrary to your holy law,
Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

From your everlasting malediction,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

Through your almighty power,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

Through your plenteous loving-kindness,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

Through the exceeding treasures of your goodness and love,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

Through the depths of your wisdom and knowledge,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

Through all your ineffable perfections,

Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

We sinners,
we beseech you, hear us.

That we may ever serve you alone,

We beseech you, hear us.

That we may worship you in spirit and in truth,

We beseech you, hear us.

That we may love you with all our heart,

with all our soul,
and with all our strength,
We beseech you, hear us.

That, for your sake,

we may love our neighbour as ourselves,
We beseech you, hear us.

That we may faithfully keep your holy commandments,

We beseech you, hear us.

That we may never defile our bodies

and our souls with sin,
We beseech you, hear us.

That we may go from grace to grace,

and from virtue to virtue,
We beseech you, hear us.

That we may finally enjoy

the sight of you in glory,
We beseech you, hear us.
That you would hear us,
We beseech you, hear us.

O blessed Trinity,
we beseech you, deliver us.

O blessed Trinity,
have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

V. Blessed are you, O Lord in the firmanent of heaven.

R. And worthy to be praised, and glorious,
and highly exalted forever.

Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God,
you have given us your servants
grace by the profession of the true Faith
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity
and in the power of your Divine Majesty
to worship the Unity.
We beg you to grant that,
by our fidelity in this same Faith,
we may always be defended from all dangers.

Amen

Chaplet to the Child Jesus

This chaplet consists of three Our Fathers in honor of the Holy Family, and twelve Hail Marys in memory
of the twelve childhood years of Jesus Christ. To this chaplet of fifteen beads is attached a medal of the
Infant Jesus.

The chaplet can be recited in the following way:

Begin on the medal with the words: Holy Infant Jesus, bless and protect us! or with the following
invocation: Divine Infant Jesus, I adore Your Cross,and I accept all the crosses you will be pleased to send
me. Adorable Trinity, I offer you for the glory of the Holy Name of God all the adorations of the Sacred
Hear of the Holy Infant Jesus.
You may kiss the medal.

Say three times And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and the prayer Our Father.

Then twelve times And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and the prayer Hail Mary. During
each Hail Mary it is recommended that you meditate on one of the twelve mysteries of Jesus' childhood:

1. The Incarnation of the Son of God

2. The life in the womb of the Virgin Mary
3. The birth in Bethlehem
4. The adoration by the shepherds
5. The circumcision of the Lord
6. The adoration by the three magi
7. The presentation in the Temple
8. The flight to Egypt
9. The stay in Egypt
10. The return to Nazareth
11. The hidden life in Nazareth
12. The twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple

At the end, you may add (once or thrice): Glory be to the Father… and Holy Infant Jesus, bless and
protect us!

Venerable Margaret of the Most Holy Sacrament

Jesus himself taught the Venerable Margaret of the Most Holy Sacrament, a French Discalced Carmelite
(died 26 May 1648 in the Carmel in Beaune) to pray this short rosary. He asked her to make it known
among the faithful and promised special graces, above all purity of heart and innocence, to all who
carried the chaplet on their person and recited it in honor of the mysteries of his holy childhood.

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

V/ Lord, have mercy.

R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Christ, have mercy.

R/ Christ, have mercy.

V/ Lord, have mercy.

R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Jesus, hear us.

R/ Jesus, graciously hear us.
V/ God, the Father of Heaven,
R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Holy Spirit,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ Holy Trinity, One God, 

R/ have mercy on us.

  R/ for ff: save us.

Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father,

Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God,
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world.

R/ spare us, O Lord

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,

R/ graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
R/ have mercy on us.

You have redeemed us, O Lord, in your Blood.

R/ And made us, for our God, a kingdom.

  Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, you have appointed your only-begotten Son the
Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by his Blood. Grant we beg of you, that we
may worthily adore this price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the
evils of the present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same
Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

V/ Lord, have mercy.

R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Christ, have mercy.

R/ Christ, have mercy.

V/ Lord, have mercy.

R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Jesus, hear us.

R/ Jesus, graciously hear us.

V/ God, the Father of Heaven,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Holy Spirit,

R/ have mercy on us.

V/ Holy Trinity, One God,

R/ have mercy on us.

R/ for ff: pray for us.

Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Heath of the Sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of Peace,
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
R/ spare us, O Lord,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,

R/ graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world.

R/ have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

  Let us pray. Grant, we beg you, O Lord God, that we your servants, may enjoy lasting health of
mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered
from present sorrow and enter into the joy of eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord. R/
Amen.

Saint Joseph Litanies: Litany 1

The Litany of Saint Joseph

 For public or private use.

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 on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us .
 Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Illustrious son of David, etc.
Light of the patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster-father of the Son of God,
Watchful defender of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most valiant,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of workmen ,
Glory of domestic life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the afflicted,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church,

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.

V. He made him the lord of His household,

R. And prince over all His possessions.

Let Us Pray.

O God, Who in Thine ineffable providence didst choose Blessed Joseph to be

the spouse of Thy most Holy Mother, grant that as we venerate him as our
protector on earth, we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in Heaven,
Thou Who livest and reignest forever and ever. R. Amen.

How To Pray the Rosary:

(For more details about the Rosary please visit the website
http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/rosary/how_to.htm)

While the rosary and the indulgences attached to it by the Church essentially concerns the decades and
the meditation upon the mysteries only, the following is a customary way of preparing for the rosary and
concluding it.

1. Preparation

Start by making the sign of the Cross:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Then recite the Apostle's Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ,
 His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
 born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence
He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of
sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.

Then say 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Marys (for an increase in the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity) and then 1
Glory Be:

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.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death. Amen.

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.
The Rosary is essentially the decades and their associated mysteries, and only these must be prayed to
"pray the rosary", either in satisfaction of Our Lady's requests or to gain the indulgences attached to
praying the rosary. 

The traditional Rosary is divided into three parts, each having five mysteries: Glorious, Joyful and
Sorrowful. In his apostolic letter The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, Pope John Paul II proposed a new set of
mysteries, which he called the Luminous, and which concern the period of the public life of Our Lord. For
those who wish to say all 20 decades at once during the course of a day, they may be said in the
following order: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious. 

The Mysteries of the Rosary are as Follows:

The Joyful Mysteries The Luminous Mysteries

The Annunciation to Mary The Baptism of our Lord

The Visitation to Elizabeth The Wedding at Cana

The Birth of Jesus The Proclamation of the Kingdom by our Lord

The Presentation of our Lord The Transfiguration

The Finding of the Child Jesus The Institution of the Blessed Sacrament

The Sorrowful Mysteries The Glorious Mysteries

The Agony in the Garden The Resurrection

The Scourging at the Pillar The Ascension into Heaven

The Crowning with Thorns The Descent of the Holy Spirit

The Carrying of the Cross The Assumption of Mary

The Crucifixion and Death The Coronation of Mary