Prayer to the Holy Spirit

By St. Antiochus (Seventh Century)

O Holy Spirit, Most Merciful Comforter: You proceed from the Father in a manner beyond our understanding.

Come, I beseech You, and take up your abode in my heart. Purify and cleanse me from all sin, and sanctify my soul.

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Cleanse it from every impurity, water its dryness, melt its coldness, and save it from sinful ways.

Make me truly humble and resigned, that I may be pleasing to You, and that You abide with me forever.

Most blessed Light, most amiable Light, enlighten me.

O rapturous Joy of Paradise, Fount of purest delight, my God, give yourself to me, and kindle in my innermost soul the fire of your love.

My Lord, instruct, direct, and defend me in all things. Give me strength against all immoderate fears and against despondency.

Bestow upon me a true faith, a firm hope, and a sincere and perfect love. Grant that I always do your most gracious will.

Amen!

Prayer Against Evil Thoughts

O God be not far from me.
O my God make haste to help me.
Great fears and imaginings of all kinds have combined to attack my soul.
How can I come through them unharmed?
How can I crush them?

  "I will go before you," says the Lord, "and will humble the great ones of earth.
   I will open the doors of the prison, and will reveal to you hidden secrets."
  O Lord, do as you say and may all my evil imaginings flee from your presence.
  My only hope and comfort is to take refuge with you in all my troubles; to trust you, to call out to you from my inmost heart and patiently wait until you send your comfort.

Amen

Thomas a Kempis, in his magnificent spiritual work,
The Imitation of Christ, offers up many
helpful prayers including this prayer.

DEMONcratic Convention

 

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I was looking at the word 'democratic' convention earlier today and the word 'demon' just popped out at me. And I thought to myself, you know, this is exactly how I view what the DEMONcrats are doing at their convention. To me it is Lucifer's very own 'reality show' with Planned Parenthood, NARAL, gay/lesbians, supporters of contraception, and all sorts of sins on their agenda that our good and Holy Lord teaches us to not participate in during this life here on earth.

With Cardinal Dolan doing the final prayer next week, maybe he should add a little exorcism to that prayer and pray it at the beginning of the convention instead. Maybe we'll see people like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid dressed up as little demons, stoking the fire under unsuspecting new democrats, to get them in to their little group and help them lose their souls, too, by lying to them about what, first of all, the Catholic Church teaches and that Obama is the best thing to ever happen to them since, um, Hitler.

To think that a group of politicians in this country can go up and stand there and say that they agree that an unborn child should be killed at any stage of pregnancy is appalling to most Christians.

To think that a group of politicians in this country can go up and stand there and say that they agree that gays should be allowed marriage rights, even though God, Himself, calls that lifestyle an abomination, is also appalling to most Christians.

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's
"St. Francis of Assisi at Prayer"
oil on canvas

There is not one thing Christian about that whole convention. Nothing. It's a mockery to God and everything God has done for mankind. It's disgusting and offensive and should be to every living soul in this country and around the world.

So I am calling all Catholics to prayer this election year. And other Christians, too, who value life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The only way our country will change, is by fasting, prayer and sacrifice. Period.

Each speaker at the republican convention ended their speech with "and may God bless the United States of America".  I am adding my amen and prayer that He will give us one last chance, because that's about all we have left. One.

Prayer For Courage

Dear God, give me courage, for perhaps I lack it more than anything else.

I need courage before men against their threats and against their seductions.

I need courage to bear unkindness, mockery, and contradiction.

I need courage to fight against the devil, against terrors and troubles, temptations, attractions, darkness and false lights, against tears, depression, and above all fear.

I need Your help, dear God.

Strengthen me with Your love and Your grace.

Console me with Your blessed Presence and grant me the courage to persevere  until I am with You forever in Heaven.

Amen.

Reprinted with Permission of AskACatholic.Com

Praying for revenge or forgivness?

How do you pray for people who have hurt you? Do you pray the best for them? Have you ever prayed to God that they "get their just desserts" say with a bunch of horrible things happening to them? And that you're there to witness it? Have you sought what you might have referred to as "justice"?
Does this song sound like you??

Yeah, the song does makes us laugh. I roared when it first came out, thought it was so darn funny and it is. But then I got to thinking... have I totally missed the point in praying for those who have hurt me? Do I seek revenge in an assortment of unfortunate events befalling the person who hurt me? Did Jesus sound anything like this song when he was nailed to the cross, bleeding and dying for those who hurt him? Those like me?

Nope. Jesus prayed to God for those who hurt him to be forgiven and he himself forgave each and everyone of them for the pain and suffering they caused him.
Jesus is our perfect example.

So the next time someone angers you check yourself during your prayers. Are you praying forgiveness or revenege?
Song: Pray for you
By: Jaron And The Long Road To Love
"Pray For You" lyrics
I haven't been to church since I don't remember when
Things were going great '˜til they fell apart again
So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do
He said you cant go hating others who have done wrong to you.
Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn.
Let the good Lord do His job and you just pray for them.

I pray your brakes go out running down a hill
I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the
head like I'd like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you're flying high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are honey, I pray for you

I'm really glad I found my way to church
'Cause I'm already feeling better and I thank God for his words.
{ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/jaron-&-the-long-road-to-love-lyrics/pray-for-you-lyrics.html }
Yeah I'm going take the high road,
And do what the preacher told me to do,
You keep messing up and I'll keep praying for you.

I pray your tire blows out at 110.
I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend and wake up with
his and her tattoos.

I pray your brakes go out running down a hill.
I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the
head like I'd like to.
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you're flying high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are, near or far, in your house or in your
car,
wherever you are honey, I pray for you.
I pray for you
---end song---