Prayers to the Saints

With love, I come to you St. Anne.
By your virtues and holiness, you merited from God the favour of giving life to her who is the Treasure of all graces, the Most Holy Virgin.
Receive me, good St. Anne, into the number of your true clients, for so I profess myself and wish to remain throughout my entire life.
Obtain for me, from God, the power to imitate those virtues with which you are so plentifully endowed. Help me to know and regret my sins bitterly. Obtain for me the grace of active love for Jesus and Mary, and resolution to fulfill the duties of my state of life with faithfulness.
Save me from every danger that confronts me in life, and help me at the hour of my death.
Amen.

1

O Eternal God, Who gave us, in the person of St. Cecilia, a powerful protectress, grant that after having faithfully passed our days, like herself, in innocence and holiness, we may one day attain the land of beatitude, where in concert with her, we may praise You and bless You forevermore in eternity.
Amen.

2

Beloved Jesus, Saint Cecilia's parents wed her to a pagan nobleman. Eager to convert her new husband, she told him about the angel that always escorted her. He wanted to see the angel, too, so he asked for his soul to be purified by baptism. The next time Saint Cecilia prayed, her husband saw the angel place a crown on both of their heads. I ask her and my guardian angel to pray for the unconverted spouses in my family and circles of friends, and for the spouses who believe in You but are slow in spiritual growth. Lord, in Your perfect timing, help them to open up to Your friendship and purification. Saint Cecilia, pray for us.
Amen.

3

St. Cecilia, glorious Virgin and Martyr of Jesus Christ, I admire the courage with which you professed your faith in the face of severe persecution, and the generous love with which you offered your life in withness to your belief in the Blessed Trinity. I thank God with you for the wonderful graces He had bestowed upon you to make your life holy and pleasing to Him even in the midst of the wealth that was yours. I thank Him for the privilege offered to you of receiving the glorious crown of martyrdom.

Saint Cecilia, I also admire the purity of love that bound you to the Savior, which was greater in your eyes than any human affection, so that you declared yourself before the enemies of the Church, "I am the bride of my Lord Jesus Christ." Pray for me that in imitation of you I may keep my body pure and my soul holy, and that I may love Jesus with all my heart.

In these times so full of pleasure seeking and so lacking in faith, teach us to profess our faith courageously and to be willing to sacrifice ourselves in practicing it, so that our good example may lead others closer to Christ and the Church He as founded.

In thanksgiving to God for the graces he bestowed on St Cecilia: Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be. St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Amen.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Patron of the Francis order
October 4

O God, who have said that there is no greater love
than that of giving one's life for the beloved person,
we thank you having given us in Blessed Gianna
a shining example of true love and respect for life.
Help us understand, to live and to spread this her message.
Revive in all wives in the world the sense of their mission
and the respect for every life which is God's gift,
at the cost of sacrifice.
Give us the grace that we await and the joy of proclaiming "Saint" Gianna who,
on the example of Jesus, has generously given her life for the life of others.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Lady of All Nations
(Apparitions by Ida Peerdeman)
The Story of Amsterdam
February 11

Heavenly Father, your glory is in your saints.
We praise your glory in the life of the admirable St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church. Her whole life was a noble sacrifice inspired by an ardent love of Jesus, your unblemished Lamb.
In troubled times she strenuously upheld the rights of His beloved spouse, The Church.
Father, honour her merits and hear her prayers for each of us, and for our whole parish family dedicated to her.
Help us to pass unscathed through the corruption of this world, and to remain unshakably faithful to the church in word, deed, and example.
Help us always to see in the Vicar of Christ an anchor in the storms of life, and a beacon of light to the harbour of your Love, in this dark night of your times and men's souls.
Grant also to each of us our special petition . . . (pause to pray for your own intentions).
We ask this through Jesus, your Son, in the bond of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Saint Maria Goretti
Martyr for Purity
July 6

Oh Saint Maria Goretti who, strengthened by God's grace,
did not hesitate even at the age of twelve to shed your blood
and sacrifice life itself to defend your virginal purity,
look graciously on the unhappy human race
which has strayed far from the path of eternal salvation.
Teach us all, and especially youth,with what courage
and promptitude we should flee for the love of Jesus a
nything that could offend Him or stain our souls with sin.
Obtain for us from our Lord victory in temptation,
comfort in the sorrows of life,
and the grace which we earnestly beg of thee (here insert intention), and may we one day enjoy with thee the imperishable glory of Heaven.
Amen.

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
Lily of the Mohawks
July 14

O Blessed Kateri,
help us to trust
as you trusted.
Help us to see light
even in our present difficulities.
Help us to know that God
has not abandoned or moved from us.
Help us to know
help us to believe
God is with us.
Amen.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Patron of the Missions
October 1

O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits;
and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.
O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity.
Amen.

Saint Clare of Assisi
Patron of Television
August 11

O wondrous blessed clarity of Clare!
In life she shone to a few;
after death she shines on the whole world!
On earth she was a clear light;
Now in heaven she is a brilliant sun.

O how great the vehemence of the
brilliance of this clarity!
On earth this light was indeed kept
within cloistered walls,
yet shed abroad its shining rays;
It was confined within a convent cell,
yet spread itself through the wide world.
Amen.

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Patron Saint for Girls
November 17

Almighty God,
by whose grace your servant Elizabeth of Hungary recognized
and honored Jesus in the poor of this world:
Grant that we, following her example,
may with love and gladness serve those in any need or trouble,
in the name and for the sake of through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska
Apostle of Divine Mercy
October 5

Dear Saint Mary Faustina, I have come to know you as a friend. I ask you to plead to the Lord for me the prayer I ask of you. In times of doubt, dear friend, implore the Lord's Mercy as you did so often here on earth, that I may remember who I am, and to what His mercy has called me.
In times of fear, implore His Mercy that I may ever remember to trust, and trust again, in joy, and in the knowledge that God is preparing me for a beautiful mission.
Please pray dear Saint Mary Faustina, that I may never forget that the abyss between my Lord and I has been bridged by His tender mercy. He will continue to be faithful and heal me of anything which stands in the way of His Will. My life is in His Hands.
Thank you dear friend. Pray with me the prayer Our Lord taught you to spread throughout the world; Jesus, I trust in You! Remind all pilgrims of life that if our trust is great, there is no limit to Jesus' generosity.
Amen.

Saint Joan of Arc
(Virgin of Orleans)
Patron of Soldiers and of France
May 30

St. Joan you are a timeless model for all men and women to follow.
The impatience and frustration you showed with your generals and king shows your humanness
that we can relate to in our own life and struggles. .
Help us in our daily life.
You lived this statement to the fullest that "Christianity can be preached only by living it."
Help us do the same.
I ask you for this special favor .....................................Thank you.
Amen.

Saint Edith Stein
(Teresa Benedict of the Cross)
Patron saint of Europe
August 9

Lord, God of our fathers,
you brought Saint Teresa Benedicta
to the fullness of the science of the cross
at the hour of her martyrdom.
Fill us with that same knowledge;
and, through her intercession,
allow us always to seek after you, the supreme truth,
and to remain faithful until death to the covenant of love ratified in the blood of your Son
for the salvation of all men and women.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Saint Joseph
(Husband of Our Blessed Mother)
Patron of the Catholic Church
March 19

Gracious St. Joseph, protect me and my family from all evil as you did the Holy Family. Kindly keep us ever united in the love of Christ, ever fervent in the imitation of the virtue of our Blessed Lady, your sinless spouse, and always faithful in devotion to you.
Amen.

Prayers for Students

Father Joseph, you taught Jesus how to work and play,
help us to realise that we can only gain knowledge by listening and learning.
With you to help and guide us we pray,
O Saint Joseph, that we will choose the right path
and will remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus.
Amen.

Saint Teresa of Avila
Patron Saint of lacemakers, those in religious orders,
headaches and sickness, and Spain
October 15

Dear wonderful Saint,
model of fidelity to vows,
you gladly carried a heavy cross
following in the steps of Christ
who chose to be crucified for us.
You realized that God, like a merciful Father,
chastises those whom he loves
which to worldlings seems silly indeed.
Grant to {name of sufferer} relief from grant pains,
if this is in line with God's plans.
Amen.

Saint Mary Magdalene
(First Witness of the Resurrection)
Patron Saint of several old Parishes and many Chapels
July 22

Saint Mary Magdalene,
woman of many sins, who by conversion
became the beloved of Jesus, thank you for your witness that Jesus forgives through the miracle of love.
You, who already possess eternal happiness
in His glorious presence, please intercede for me, so that some day I may share in the same everlasting joy.
Amen.

Saint John Bosco (Don Bosco)
Patron Saint of Boys, Editors, Students, Youth
January 31

In need of special help, I appeal with confidence to you, O Saint Don Bosco, for I require not only spiritual graces, but also temporal ones, and particularly... (add your own personal intentions here)
May you, who on earth had such great devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary Help of Christians, and who always had compassion for those who were suffering, obtain from Jesus and His Heavenly Mother the grace I now request, and also a sincere resignation to the Will of God.
Amen.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Patron Saint of Wales
August 20

O God, by whose grace thy servant Bernard of Clairvaux, enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)
Capuchin priest from San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
September 23

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You.
You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and alway be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes, death, judgment and eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strenth, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.
Amen.

(Padre Pio's Prayer After Holy Communion)

Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdamez
Archbishop and Martyr of San Salvador
September 15

It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own
Amen.

(A prayer by Archbishop Oscar Romero)

Our Lady of Walsingham
The Virgin by the Sea
September 24

O blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Walsingham, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon us, our parish, our country, our homes, and our families, and upon all who greatly hope and trust in your prayers, (especially...) By you it was that Jesus, our Savior and hope, was given to the world; and he has given you to us that we may hope still more. Plead for us your children, whom you did receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of your Son. Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we all may be made worthy to see and praise God, together with you in our heavenly home.
Amen.

J

Mother of Perpetual Help,
you have been blessed and favored by God.
You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer
but the Mother of the redeemed as well.
We come to you today as your loving children.
Watch over us and take care of us.
As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms.
Be a mother ready at every moment to help us.
For God who is mighty has done great things for you,
and His mercy is from age to age on those who love Him.
Our greatest fear is that in time of temptation,
we may fail to call out to you, and become lost children.
Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help.
Amen.

Saint Juan Diego (Cuauhtlatoatzin)
Messenger of Guadalupe
December 9