Tuesday, July 20, 2010

My Five Favourite Prayers

I hate being tagged - and have never responded to this sort of game before. Humbug and all that. Anyway, I thought I'd enter into the spirit of things and give you my five favourite prayers. (I notice I'm the only male amongst the list of tagees.)

The rules, (from Mac) which need to be posted: "Name your three most favorite prayers, and explain why they're your favorites. Then tag five bloggers - give them a link, and then go and tell them they have been tagged. Finally, tell the person who tagged you that you've completed the meme... The Liturgy and the Sacraments are off limits here. I'm more interested in people's favorite devotional prayers."

I just realised on re-reading the rules that it's only three prayers that are requested. Well, I've already put five.

Some I learnt when I was still a little child from my mother and which I still say every night:
I lay my body down to sleep.
I pray to God my soul to keep.
And if I die before I wake
I pray to God my soul to take.

O Eternal Father
I offer you the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
in atonement for my sins,
for the wants of Holy Church,
and for the souls in Purgatory.
I must die,
I do not when, or where, or how,
but if I die in mortal sin
I'm lost forever.
Lord Jesus, receive my soul.

God guide my steps
and teach me to do right.
Lord for tomorrow and its needs I do not pray.
Keep me my God from stain of sin
just for tonight(day).

A prayer composed bythe Southwark diocesan Laity Commission and which I also say every night:
Heavenly Father
grant that our priests be strengthened and healed
by the Eucharist the celebrate.
We pray that all those whom they seek to serve
may see in them the love and care of Jesus,
our Eternal High Priest,
who is Lord
for ever and ever. Amen
Mary, Mother of the Church,
Look tenderly upon your sons, our priests.

St Francis' Prayer before the Crucifix
Most High, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart
and give me true faith,
certain hope,
and perfect charity, sense and knowledge,
so that I may carry out Your holy and true command. Amen.

And I'll tag
Owl of the Remove
Fr Michael Browne
Fr Ray Blake
Fr Dwight Longenecker
Kate

7 comments:

  1. :-D What interesting prayers! ...somehow I figured yours wouldn't be the regular "go to" prayers. I am rather surprised you still say the first one. My mother didn't have me do that one as she knew I had/have an overactive imagination.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Father:

    Maybe you or your readers will know a variant of the first prayer that I learned as a child, but can now only half-remember:

    "As I lay me down to sleep
    keep me, father, keep;
    as I seek a safe repose
    Christ my eyelids close;
    ..."--SOMETHING about the Holy Spirit, the Saints and the Blessed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sadly, the Owl of the Remove is in a self-induced blog coma.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for the tag Fr., I've now done my tagging bit!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just in case you're interested in following what happened to that meme, and how it mutated, come on over and check it out!

    BTW, you get a detention for not following the rules!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Maureen D from RI29 November, 2010 20:58

    Hello Fr. John
    As I lay me down to sleep
    I pray the Lord my soul to keep
    If I should die before I wake
    I pray the Lord my soul to take

    Maureen D from RI
    Yes it's me Fr. your friend from High Halden

    ReplyDelete

Please avoid being 'anonymous' if at all possible.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...