Te Deum

The Te Deum is a beautiful prayer that is included in the Office of Readings on Sundays, holy days and solemnities. When saying this prayer yesterday morning, the following stanza stood out to me:

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

bought with the price of your own blood,

and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

This passage stood out to me for three reasons:

First, it is a reminder that we need the Lord's help and must ask for it always.

Second, it is a reminder of the price Jesus paid for our salvation. Interestingly, it is a reminder to the person praying the prayer, but also something we place before the Lord, humbly noting that we are his people, which he saw fit to purchase at such a great price.

Finally, it is a reminder of what is to come: glory everlasting.

I pray that we may all achieve that end.

Praise God!!

 

Beautiful Prayer

A prayer attributed to St. Pio of Pietrelcina ("Padre Pio"), which I came across in my Living with Christ prayer book yesterday. St. Pio's prayer resonated with me, and so I share it with you:

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need your strength. You are my life, and without you I am without fervor. You are my light, and without you I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love you and always be in your company. Stay with me tonight, Jesus. In life with all its dangers, I need you. Amen.

 Praise God!

End of the Day Prayer

Everyone knows that prayer is essential to a good spiritual life. Prayer is the food that nourishes the soul and strengthens one's relationship with the Lord. In particular, I think that prayer at the end of the day is crucial. Those moments at the end of the day when I am able to collect myself and place myself before God and take the time to review the day with Him are great. The problem is that, for me at least, those moments are ever so rare.

Despite my best intentions, I frequently find it difficult to engage in any substantial prayers at the end of the day. More often than not, by the time I make it upstairs for bed, I am spent and can barely utter a "thank you, God" before falling asleep! I guess we all have things to work on...

Still, even though I am a flawed end of day pray-er, I thought I would pass along a prayer that I discovered a few years ago in my parish newsletter. I have found it to be a very helpful (and succinct) end of the day prayer that allows me to place myself and my day before God even when I am totally exhausted. I have made it a practice each night to say this prayer in front of the crucifix that hangs on the bedroom wall.

I hope that some of you out there find this beautiful little prayer as helpful as I do!

Prayer for the End of the Day

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its Love, all its Sufferings and all its Merits.

First - To expiate all the sins that I have committed this day and during all my life. 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.

Second - To purify the good that I have done badly this day and during all my life. Glory be to the Father . . .

Third - To supply for the good that I ought to have done, and that I have neglected, this day and during all my life. Glory Be to the Father . . .

Amen.

Praise God!!