O GOD, whose never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth; We humbly beseech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Church
O Gracious Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldest be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen
Prayer, St. Catherine of Siena
You, 0 eternal Trinity,
are a deep sea into which,
the more I enter,
the more I find.
And the more I find,
the more I seek.
0 abyss, 0 eternal Godhead,
0 sea profound,
what more could you give me than yourself?
Amen.
Prayer, Ascension
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God,
that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son our Redeemer,
to have ascended this day into heaven,
may ourselves dwell in spirit amid heavenly things.
Roman Missal, 6th-8th Century
A Prayer, Ablaze with the Fire of your Spirit
O Lord, You have mercy on all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully set me ablaze
with the fire of Your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a human heart,
a heart to love and adore You,
a heart to delight in You,
to follow and enjoy You.
Amen.
A Prayer of St. Frances De Sales
O my God, I thank you and I praise
you for accomplishing your holy
and all-lovable will without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Your choice,
the cross of Your love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish that it had not come,
since You willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything that comes from Your hand;
and I shall strive to carry it without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection which Your works deserve.
Amen.
Saint Francis De Sales
A Prayer for the family
O God of goodness and mercy, to Thy fatherly guidance we commend our family, our household and all our belongings. We commit all to Thy love and keeping; do Thou fill this house with Thy blessings even as Thou didst fill the holy House of Nazareth with Thy presence.
Intercession
Blessed are you, Lord Jesus, Savior of the world, for giving your life to save us,
by your precious blood we are saved.
You promised living waters to those who seek the truth,
give us that water to quench our thirst.
You sent disciples to announce the Good News to all people,
sustain those who proclaim your word.
To those who carry your cross today in anguish,
grant patience and courage.
A Prayer for the Hearing of the Word
Grant, Almighty God, that as You shine on us by Your word, we may not be blind at midnight, nor wilfully seek darkness, and thus lull our minds asleep: but may we be roused daily by Your words, and may we stir up ourselves more and more to fear Your name and thus present ourselves and all our pursuits, as a sacrifice to You, that You may peaceably rule, and perpetually dwell in us, until You gather us to Your celestial habitation, where there is reserved for us eternal rest and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[1]
[1] A prayer from John Calvin concerning the Word of God.
Prayer of the Faithful
O God, who are great and to be praised, who have brought us from corruption to incorruption by the life-giving death of your Christ, free all our senses from the death of the passions, setting over them as a good leader the thought that comes from within. Let the eye abstain from every evil sight, the hearing give no entrance to idle words, the tongue be cleansed of unfitting speech. Purify our lips, Lord, that praise you. Make our hands keep from base actions, to perform only such things as are well-pleasing to you, making all our limbs and our mind secure by your grace. –From the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts