BASIC PRAYERS


A partial or plenary Indulgence is granted to the faithful in some prayers. To gain an indulgence, several conditions are requisite. Please see the detail description with those prayers. 

  

 

 

The basic prayers are listed below. 

 

The Our Father: (The prayer which Jesus Christ taught to His disciples.) 
                                     Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. 

   

Our Father, Who art in heaven.

Hallowed be Thy Name;

Thy kingdom come,

Thy 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.

 


The Hail Mary: (A prayer for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ.)

                         Luke 1:28-35, 42-48. 

 

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 


Glory Be:

 

    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now,
    and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.


Apostles' Creed:

 

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come 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.


Guardian Angel Prayer

While we give thanks to God for having granted to each of us a holy angel for our guardian, we ought ever to bear in mind the respect, devotion, and loving confidence we owe to this blessed spirit; and with these feelings we should often think of him, and implore his constant aid with the following well-known invocation:

  

Version 1: O Angel of God, whom God hath appointed to be my guardian, enlighten and protect, direct and govern me. Amen.

 

 

Version 2: O Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.  

 

Pope Pius VI, in order to kindle the fervour of the faithful to have frequent recourse to their holy Angel Grardian, granted, motu proprio, by a Brief of October 2, 1795: -

  • An indulgence of 100 days every time the above named short prayer is aid devoutly and with a contrite heart.
  • A plenary indulgence to those who have been accustomed to say it morning and evening throughout the year, on the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, October 2; provided that on that day, after Confession and Communion, they visit a church or public orator and pray for the Sovereign Pontiff.
  • A plenary indulgence, in articulo mortis, was added by the same Pope, in another Brief of September 2, 1796, to all who had been accustomed during life frequently to say the said prayer. In this Brief also, motu proprio, he confirmed the indulgences already granted.
    (His successor, Pius VII, afterwards, by a decree of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, of May 15, 1821, besides confirming afresh the above named indulgences, granted:
  • A plenary indulence to all the faithful who say at least once a day, for a month together, the said prayer, on any one day when, after Confession and Communion, they visit a church and pray as above.

Acts of the Theological Virtues

Pope Benedict XIV, considering how useful, or rather how indispensably necessary, it is for the eternal salvation of Christians that they should make frequent use of the acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, in order to excite them to a more frequent exercise of the said acts, whilst he confirmed the grant of indulgences already made to this effect by Pope Benedict XII, Jan 15, 1728, granted afresh by a decree of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, dated Jan 28, 1756: -

  • A plenary indulgence once a month to all those who shall every day devoutly recite the said acts, and at the same time make them with their hearts. This Indulgence may be gained on any day when, truly penitent for their sins, they shall, after Confession and Communion, pray for our holy mother the Church. He granted likewise in articulo mortis:
  • A plenary indulgence and an indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines every time they shall make these acts devoutly in their hearts, and say them with their lips. 

 

Act of Faith:

  

I most firmly believe, because God, who is the infallible Truth, hath so revealed to the Holy Catholic Church, and through the Church reveals to us, that there is one only God in three divine Persons, equal and distinct, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that the Son became man by taking to Himself flesh and a human soul through the operation of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the most pure Virgin Mary that He died for us upon the cross, rose again, ascended into Heaven, and from thence shall come again at the end of the world to judge all the living and the dead, to give Paradise for ever to the good, and hell to the wicked; moreover, upon the same motive I believe all that the same holy Church believes and teaches.


Act of Hope

 

O my God, because Thou art almighty, infinitely good and merciful, I hope that by the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ our Saviour Thou wilt grant me eternal life, which Thou, who art the most faithful, hast promised to all those who shall do the works of a good Christian, as I purpose to do by Thy holy help.


Act of Charity:

 

 

O my God, because Thou art the highest and most perfect good, I love Thee with my whole heart, and above all things; and rather than offend Thee, I am ready to lose all things else; and moreover for Thy love, I love and desire to love my neighbour as myself.


Act of Contrition (version 1)

 

 

O MY GOD,  I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.


Act of Contrition (version 2)

 

Forgive me my sins, O Lord, forgive me my sins; 

the sins of my youth, the sins of my age, the sins of my soul, 

the sins of my body; my idle sins, my serious voluntary sins; 

the sins I know, the sins I do not know; the sins I have concealed 

for so long, and which are now hidden from my memory.

I am truly sorry for every sin, mortal and venial, 

for all the sins of my childhood up to the present hour.

I know my sins have wounded Thy Tender Heart, 

O My Savior, let me be freed from the bonds of evil through 

the most bitter Passion of My Redeemer. Amen.

 

O My Jesus, forget and forgive what I have been. Amen.