A Longing Heart

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

My heart longs for You and for the happiness of Heaven.

While I am here on earth, help me to love You faithfully and to follow Your holy will.

Teach me not to hold too tightly to the things of this world, but to keep my heart turned toward You.

Let everything I do bring me a little closer to Heaven.

And when my earthly life is finished, take me gently home, where, with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels, and all the saints, I may see You, love You, and praise You forever.

Amen.

The Power of Prayer

 
Our prayers are very precious to God.

When we speak to Him from our hearts, He listens.

The saints tell us that even the angels carry our prayers before God, almost like sweet incense rising up to Heaven.

I love thinking about that.

Even a little prayer, quietly whispered, is precious to Him. No prayer offered with love and trust is too small for God to hear.

The Bible tells us this again and again.

God says, “Call upon Me, and I will hear you.”

And Jesus tells us, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”

These are such comforting words.

Jesus wants us to come to Him. He wants us to ask for His help and to trust Him with the things that are in our hearts.

He even tells us that our Father in Heaven gives good things to those who ask Him.

That does not mean that God will always give me exactly what I ask for, or in the way I expect.

God sees things that I cannot see, and He knows what is truly best for me.

But I can always be certain of this:

God hears me.

He knows what I need.

And when I pray with faith, my prayer is never forgotten.

So when I am worried, I can pray.

When I need help, I can pray.

When someone I love needs God’s grace, I can pray for them.

And even when I do not know what to say, I can simply turn my heart toward God and ask Him to help me.

Then I can leave my prayer in His hands, trusting that my Father in Heaven has heard me.

And that is a very peaceful thing to know.

Amen.

Evening Prayer

Dear Mother Mary, as the day comes to its quiet end, I come to you softly.
You are so gentle and full of love, a shining light when everything grows dim, and a sweet comfort in the stillness of night.

When my heart feels tired, you draw me close and let me rest near you, as a child rests safely beside her mother.

You are so pure and so beautiful, living now with God in Heaven, high above the angels—and still you remember me.

Dear Mother,
please ask your Son Jesus to forgive me for anything I did wrong today, and make my heart clean and peaceful again.

Stay near me through the night. Watch over me while I sleep.
Keep me safe, and lead me always closer to Jesus.


And if I wake in the quiet darkness, help me remember that Heaven is near, and you are watching over me.

Help me to love God more tomorrow, and one day to praise Him with the angels, forever in Heaven.

Good night, dear Mother. Stay with me.


Amen.

A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

 
Dear Mother Mary,

God has given you such a beautiful place in Heaven, close to your Son, Jesus.

The saints pray for us, but your prayers are especially dear to God, because you are the Mother of Jesus.

Everything beautiful in you, dear Mother, comes from God and from your closeness to Jesus.

When I need help, when I am weak, or when I am afraid, I can come to you and ask you to pray for me.

You always lead me to Jesus. And Jesus leads me to our Father in Heaven.

Saint Bernard taught that God wants us to receive so many of His graces through your loving hands.

That makes me happy, dear Mother, because I know you will never forget me.

Please ask Jesus to give me the grace I need each day—the grace to be good, to resist temptation, to love God, and to remain close to Him.

God wants us to ask Him for His grace. He does not want us to try to make our way to Heaven all alone.

He wants us to pray, to trust Him, and to keep asking for His help.

Even when I have failed, even when I feel far away, help me never stop asking God for His grace.

So when I am discouraged, help me remember to pray.

When I have done something wrong, help me turn back to Jesus.

And when I feel that I am too weak to be good, pray for me, dear Mother.

Ask Jesus never to let me wander far from Him, and help me keep asking for His grace all the days of my life.

Dear Mother Mary, take my prayers to Jesus, and lead me safely home to Heaven.

Amen.

About This Prayer

This prayer was adapted for Kathy’s recording from The Prayer of Petition by St. Alphonsus Liguori. It is based on his teaching about the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our need to ask God faithfully for the graces necessary for salvation. The passage also draws upon the teaching of St. Bernard concerning the graces God gives us through Mary’s intercession.

 

Why We Need to Pray

 

Watch on You Tube

 

Why We Need to Pray

This reading comes from The Prayer of Petition by St. Alphonsus, a little book about how prayer helps us receive the graces we need from God.

We need prayer because we need God.

Jesus tells us, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find.”

We cannot become good and holy by our own strength alone. Everything good within us begins with the grace of God.

And God wants us to ask Him for that grace.

Not because He does not know what we need—He already knows.

But when we pray, we remember that He is our Father, and that every good thing comes from Him.

Saint Augustine taught that God greatly desires to give us His graces, but He wants us to come to Him and ask.

And Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that prayer gives us the help we need to resist temptation, to remain faithful, and to keep walking toward Heaven.

Just as the body needs food, the soul needs prayer.

Prayer keeps our hearts close to God. It gives us strength when we are weak, courage when we are afraid, and grace when we are tempted.

So we should never be afraid to ask God for help.

He is listening.

He loves us.

And He wants us to come to Him.

Dear God, teach me to pray, help me always to trust You, and give me the grace I need to stay close to You all the days of my life.

Amen. 

Prayer Before Confession

Watch on You Tube

Dear God, my loving Father,

I come before You with a humble and sorry heart.

I know that I have sinned. I have not always done what is right, and I have not always loved You as faithfully as I should.

Dear Father, I am truly sorry.

I am sorry because You have always been so good to me. You have loved me, cared for me, and given me everything I have.

And still, I have sometimes forgotten You and chosen what I wanted instead of what You wanted.

Please have mercy on me.

You know my whole heart, dear God. Nothing is hidden from You.

You know every wrong thing I have done, every unkind word I have spoken, and every good thing I should have done but did not do.

You even know the sins I have forgotten.

Please help me see myself truthfully, but do not let me be afraid.

You are my Father, and I know that You love me.

So I come back to You just as I am.

Please forgive me.

Dear Jesus,

You loved me so much that You suffered and died for me.

You shed Your Precious Blood so that my sins could be forgiven and I could belong to God forever.

Please let Your Precious Blood wash away everything in me that is sinful and make my heart clean again.

Give me true sorrow for my sins, not only because I am afraid of punishment, but because I am sorry that I have offended You, whom I love.

Help me now to make a good confession.

Give me courage to tell my sins simply, honestly, and completely.

If there is something I am ashamed to say, give me courage to say it anyway.

Do not let fear keep anything hidden in my heart.

And when I kneel before the priest, help me remember that I am really coming to You, dear Jesus.

You already know everything.

You are only waiting for me to come back.

Please receive me with mercy.

Forgive my sins, give peace to my heart, and help me begin again.

Dear Father,

I do not want to wander away from You.

When I am tempted, please stay close to me. Help me remember how much You love me and give me strength to choose what is good.

Make me kinder and more patient.

Help me to obey more willingly, forgive more quickly, speak more gently, and love You more each day.

And if I fall again, dear Father, please help me never to run away from You.

Teach me always to come home.

I place myself completely in Your loving hands.

I am sorry for my sins.

I trust in Your mercy.

I love You, dear God.

For the sake of Jesus and His Precious Blood, forgive me, make my heart clean, and keep me close to You all the days of my life.

Amen.

Morning Prayer to The Blessed Virgin mary

 

O dearest Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,

This morning I come to you with love and trust.

I place myself in your motherly care, and I give you my whole self—my body and my soul, my thoughts and my heart, and everything I will do today.

Dear Mother Mary, stay close beside me. Watch over me wherever I go.

Keep me from sin and from anything that might lead me away from your dear Son, Jesus.

Help me to be good and gentle today. Guide my thoughts, my words, and everything I do, so that my life may be pleasing to God.

When something is difficult, help me to be patient. When I am afraid, help me to trust.

And when I forget to think of God, gently lead my heart back to Him.

Blessed Mother, keep me beneath your loving protection all through this day.

And when my life on earth is finished, please lead me safely home to Jesus, where I may be with Him forever.

Amen.

This beautiful Morning Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary comes from an old handwritten German Catholic prayer book. Written in the traditional script of an earlier time, it reflects a simple and deeply trusting devotion to Our Lady.

Guardian Angel Prayer

 

Watch on YouTube

O my dear Guardian Angel,

God has given you to me to stay beside me and watch over me.

Please be with me today, wherever I go. Protect me from everything that could hurt my soul or lead me away from God.

Keep me safe from evil, and help me when I am tempted to do something wrong.

Dear Angel, guide me in everything I do. Help me to be good, to obey God, and to choose what is right.

Stay close beside me in every danger. Help me when I am afraid, and do not let me wander away from Jesus.

Please pray for me, dear Guardian Angel, and help me live each day so that I may please God.

And when my life on earth is finished, stay close to me then, too. Lead me safely home to Heaven, where I may be with God forever.

Dear God, thank You for giving me my Guardian Angel to love me, guide me, and watch over me.

Amen.

________

This Prayer to My Guardian Angel comes from an old handwritten German Catholic prayer book. Its carefully written pages contain traditional prayers to Mary, the angels, and the saints, with an inscription dated 1848. This prayer has been gently translated into simple English while preserving the tender and trusting spirit of the original.

Evening Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Watch on YouTube

Dear Mother Mary, as the day comes to its quiet end, I come to you softly.
You are so gentle and full of love, a shining light when everything grows dim, and a sweet comfort in the stillness of night.

When my heart feels tired, you draw me close and let me rest near you, as a child rests safely beside her mother.

You are so pure and so beautiful, living now with God in Heaven, high above the angels—and still you remember me.

Dear Mother,
please ask your Son Jesus to forgive me for anything I did wrong today, and make my heart clean and peaceful again.

Stay near me through the night. Watch over me while I sleep.
Keep me safe, and lead me always closer to Jesus.


And if I wake in the quiet darkness, help me remember that Heaven is near, and you are watching over me.

Help me to love God more tomorrow, and one day to praise Him with the angels, forever in Heaven.

Good night, dear Mother. Stay with me.


Amen.

Prayer for The Feast of the Assumption

Dear Lord,

On this beautiful feast of Our Blessed Mother’s Assumption, I think of Mary with You in Heaven, exalted above the choirs of angels and close to her dear Son.

Dear Jesus, I know that I cannot always please You as I should. Please forgive me when I fail You, and through the prayers of Your Blessed Mother, help me always stay close to You.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, keep me close to Jesus.

And someday, when my life on earth is finished, please help me come safely home to Heaven, where you are with Him forever.

Dear Mother Mary, pray for me.

Amen.

________________

About This Prayer

This little prayer for the Feast of the Assumption comes from an old German Catholic Marian prayer book, Omni die: Vollständiges Marien-Buch. On its well-worn pages is a special prayer appointed for August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

God Loved The World

God loved the world so very much that He gave us His only dear Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not be lost, but will have everlasting life with Him.

Dear Jesus, please help me believe in You and stay close to You always.

Amen.

Morning Prayer to Jesus

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the gift of a new day.

Thank You for watching over me through the night and for giving me another chance to know You, to love You, and to serve You today.

Please fill my heart with Your light. Take away my pride, my selfishness, and my fears. Help me to be gentle, honest, and kind in everything I do.

Guide my thoughts, my words, and my actions today. May everything I do bring honor to You and kindness to others.

Stay close to me throughout this day. Keep me away from sin. Give me strength when I am tempted, courage when I am afraid, and peace when my heart is troubled.

Bless my family, my friends, and everyone who needs Your love today. May those who are lonely know that You are near, and may those who are suffering find comfort in Your care.

Dear Jesus, I place this whole day into Your hands. Walk beside me, and help me remember that You are always with me.

May everything I think, say, and do draw me a little closer to Your Sacred Heart.

Amen.

Prayer to The Mother of Divine Grace by Saint Francis of Assisi

 

O my Lady, most Blessed Virgin Mary, Into your blessed faithfulness… your special protection… and the shelter of your mercy… I commend myself today, as I do every day…

But most especially… at the hour of my death… I place into your care… my body… and my soul.

Into your holy hands I place all my hope… and all my consolation…

All my sorrows… and all my afflictions…

All my labors…

My whole life…

And the end of my life.

Through your loving intercession… and through your merits…

May all my thoughts…

All my words…

And all my works…

Be guided… and ordered… according to your will…

And the holy will… of your Divine Son.

Amen.

My Greeting to Mary by Saint Gertrude

 

Dear Blessed Mother Mary,

I love you very much, and I want my heart to be pure and good like yours.

Please stay close to me and help me always choose what is right.

Take me gently by the hand and lead me closer to Jesus.

Help me never to do anything that would hurt His Sacred Heart.

And when I make a mistake, help me quickly turn back to Him and try again with all my heart.

Dear Mother Mary, keep me always under your loving care.

Amen.

The Predestination of Mary

God prepared Our Lady from all eternity to be the Mother of Jesus.

No one was ever as close to Him as Mary. He received His human life from her and lived beneath her heart.

Mary was not chosen by accident. She belonged to God’s plan of Redemption.

The prophets spoke of her, and the holy women of the Old Testament pointed toward her.

God honored Mary more than any other creature.

So we should honor her too, and ask her to help us belong faithfully to Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Amen.

Morning Hymn to Our Blessed Mother

Dear Mother Mary,

each morning I turn my thoughts to you.

Queen of Heaven,

into your loving hands I place all my cares—

everything I have,

and everything I am.

When I lift my eyes toward Heaven,

I think of you.

You are the bright Star who guides me,

the one I trust,

even when life seems dark around me.

How peaceful my heart becomes

whenever I remember you.

In every sorrow,

you bring me comfort,

and remind me of the joy of Heaven.

Whenever I come to you in prayer,

I can feel your gentle care.

Wherever I go,

wherever I stand,

I know you are watching over me

and leading me safely to your Son.

Dear Mother,

I want to remember you every day.

With all my heart,

I give myself to God.

Help me live

with love,

faithfulness,

and virtue.

Help me follow your example.

Help me always choose what is right,

do my daily duties with love,

and live each day

as you would want me to live,

until the day God calls me home.

Then,

dear Mother,

remember me before Jesus,

your beloved Son.

Through His mercy,

may He welcome me

into His everlasting Kingdom,

where I may see Him,

and you,

forever.

There,

free from every sorrow,

I will stand with joy

before His throne,

and praise Him forever.

Amen.