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Sign of the Cross The Lord's Prayer Hail Mary
Trinity Prayer Act of Contrition Grace before Meals
Morning Offering Apostles' Creed Ten Commandments
Christian Year Rosary Examination of Conscience
Lent Seven Sacraments  

 

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed by Your name;  Your kingdom come;  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.   Give us this day our daily bread;  and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;  and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen

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Hail Mary

Hail, Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.   Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.   Amen

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Trinity Prayer

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.  Amen

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Act of Contrition

O my God, I am sorry for my sins.  In choosing to sin, and failing to do good, I have sinned against You and Your Church.   I firmly intend, with the help of Your Son, to do penance and to sin no more.

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Grace before Meals

Bless us, O Lord, and these Your gifts, which we are about to receive from Your bounty, through Christ our Lord.  Amen

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Morning Offering

God, my Father, I give You today, All that I think and do and say.  And I unite with all that was done By Jesus Christ, Your dearest Son.

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Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.  I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended to the dead.   On the third day He rose again.  He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.   I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.  Amen

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Ten Commandments

I, the Lord, am your God.  You shall not have other gods beside me.
You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

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Examination of Conscience

How did I show my love for God and others?
Did I usually say my daily prayers?
Did I always obey my parents?
Did I think of others? My parents? My Brothers and Sisters?  Was I mean to them?
My teacher and friends?  Was I kind to them?
Was I kind and fair in the way I played and worked?
Did I share my things with others?
Did I care for my things?  For the things of others?
Did I hurt others by telling lies or by stealing or by calling them names?
Did I worship God by going to Mass and taking part in the celebration?

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Rosary

How to pray to the rosary:

1.  Make the Sign of the Cross and say the "Apostles' Creed," on the crucifix
2.  Say the "Lord's Prayer," on the larger or separate beads
3.  Say "Hail Marys," on the other beads.
4.  Say the "Trinity Prayer," after each group of "Hail Marys."
5.  Begin a decade by announcing the first mystery;
     then say the "Lord's Prayer."
6.  Say ten "Hail Marys," while meditating on the mystery.
7.  Say the "Trinity Prayer;" after each "Trinity Prayer," we may add,
     "O my God, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires ofhell, lead
     souls to heaven, especially those in need of thy mercy, Amen."
8.  Announce the second mystery; then say the "Our Father."
     Repeat step 6 and step 7 and continue with third, fourth, and
     fifth mysteries in the same manner.
9.  At the end of the Rosary, we say the "Hail, Holy Queen."
10.We can then conclude with the following traditional closing prayer:
      "O God, whose only begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection,
      has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, we pray that we,
      who meditate upon these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the
      Blessed VIrgin Mary, may imitate what they contain and obtain what
      they promise through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen."

MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

JOYFUL MYSTERIES (Say on Mondays and Thursdays)

The Annunciation: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus."  (Luke 1:30-33)

The Visitation: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:42-43)

The Nativity:  May gave birth to her first-born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

The Presentation in the temple:  "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also) that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."  (Luke 2:34-35)

The Finding Jesus in the Temple:  Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these things in her heart.  And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.  (Luke 2:51-52) 

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES (Say on Tuesdays and Fridays)

The Agony in the Garden: Jesus prayed: "Abba, Father, all things are possible to You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." (Mk  14:36)

The Scourging of the Pillar:  Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. (Mk 15:15)

The Crowning of Thorns:  The soldiers clothed Him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on Him.   And they began to salute Him.  "Hail, King of the Jews!" (Mark 15:17-18)

The Carrying of the Cross:  They took Jesus, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place of the skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. (John 19:17)

The Crucifixion:  Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!"  And having said this He breathed His last. (Lk 23:46)

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES (Say on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays)

The Resurrection:  "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He has risen, as He said." (Mt 28:5-6)

The Ascension:  As the Apostles looked on, Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight..."This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9,11)

The Descent of the Holy Spirit:  Suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:2,4)

The Assumption:  Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even si, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep...and so we shall always be with the Lord.(1 Thes  4:14,17)

The Coronation, Mary Queen of Heaven:  A great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rev 12:1)

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Christian Calendar

Advent:  From the fourth Sunday before Christmas to December 24

Preparations for Christmas take place during December.  This preparation is called Advent.  The word means "coming."  The deepening darkness of Advent can remind us that one day our lives will end and so will the world.   But, Christ is coming to bring creation to a new birth.

In this mysterious season of waiting, with John the Baptist, we muster the strength to struggle against injustice.  With expectant Mary, we await the holy birth.

Christmastime:  From Christmas Day to the feast of the Baptism of the Lord

During the last week of December and the first weeks of January, we keep Christmas, "Christ's festival."  To announce God's epiphany--the glorious appearing of heaven on earth--we drive away the winter with lights and flowers, we gather around the shining tree of life, we give gifts, and we open our homes in love to every guest.

Advent and Christmastime--the preparation and celebration--bring us from the old year to the new.  In Christ, our years form a staircase, a Jacob's ladder, leading us out of time and ever upward into God's bright eternity.

Lent:  From Ash Wednesday morning to Holy Thursday Afternoon

Lent is the 40-day preparation for the Paschal Triduum.  The number 40 calls to mind the days of rain during the great flood, when evil drowned and the earth was washed clean.  For 40 years the Hebrew people traveled through the desert to the promised land.  For 40 days, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus fasted in the wilderness.

Lent is like Friday-- a time for prayer, fasting, and works of charity.  The word "Lent" comes from the same root as the word "lengthen."  Days grow longer during Lent.  Now is the time to give the earth and ourselves a spring cleaning.  Now is the time to turn away from wandering and to travel home to God.

The Paschal Triduum:  From Holy Thursday sundown to Easter Sunday sundown

When spring comes, daytime grows longer than night.  On the Sunday after the first full moon of spring, we Christians keep a Lord's Day with all our might.  We fast on Good Friday and Holy Saturday because we are so anxious for this day.  We are eager for Easter.  The fast and the feast together-Holy Thursday evening, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday--are the Paschal Triduum, meaning "the three days of Passover."

The Triduum is the year's heart--the three days of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord.  During these holiest of days, we celebrate our Passover in Christ, especially through the Easter Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

Eastertime:  From Easter Sunday to Pentecost

Eastertime is the 50 day celebration that flows from the Triduum.   It's the church's most ancient and most beautiful season.  Fifty days are a "week of weeks," 7 x 7, with a day added so Eastertime has eight Sundays--a mystical sign of eternity.

Each week we have the Lord's Day.  And each year we have Eastertime--50 days to sing Alleluia, 50 days to live as if God's rule of justice and peace were fully with us.  Together, the seasons of Lent, Triduum, and Easter are the "Paschal Time," the holy springtime of the church.

Ordinary Time:  Between Christmastime and Lent, and between Eastertime and Advent

There are about 32 weeks outside the five church seasons.   These weeks are called "Ordinary Time," from the word "ordinal," meaning "counted."  Each week is given a number to help us divide the scriptures into readings that are proclaimed from a book called the lectionary.

A short period of Ordinary Time falls in winter during the carnival days between Christmastime and Lent.  The long span of Ordinary Time between Eastertime and Advent lasts about half the year, through summer and autumn, the growing time and the harvest time of the church.

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Lent

Ash Wednesday

On a somber Wednesday, we gather to smudge every forehead with ashes, admonishing each other to remember that dust returns to dust and that the only way through death to life is Christ.  The ashes are made by burning palms--given to us on Passion (Palm) Sunday the year before with the invitation to "go forth in peace, praising Jesus, our Messiah, as did the crowds who welcomed him into Jerusalem."   Our baptismal life is a lifelong pilgrimage with Christ toward Jerusalem.  Yet like our best intentions, last year's palm branches now have become dried and brittle--fodder for the fire.  So our pilgrimage leads us into Lent...We are marked with ashes as a sign of our willingness to pray, fast and give alms.

Lenten Regulations

ABSTINENCE from meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years old and older on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and on all of the Fridays of Lent.

FASTING is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by all Catholics who are 18 years of age, but not yet 59.  Those who are bound by this may take only one full meal.  Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one's needs, but eating solid foods beetween meals is not permitted.

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The Seven Sacraments

Baptism:  You are freed from sin, given new life of grace, and become a member of the Church.
Confirmation:  the gift of the Holy Spirit strengthens the baptized person to live as Jesus did.
Eucharist:  Jesus is truly with you in the consecrated bread and wine.
Reconciliation:  Through a priest, God forgives sins.
Anointing of the Sick:  A priest anoints a person who is sick and offers God's healing comfort and forgiveness.
Marriage:  A man and a woman promise to live their whole lives as husband and wife.
Holy Orders:  The Church ordains deacons, priests, and bishops to teach, lead, celebrate, and care for God's family.

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Page last Updated: 03/06/99