Since many people have personally sought me out to say how much they desire more information on prayer, I wanted to begin offering some prayer suggestions that deal with specific situations and people. Last week, I presented prayers for people who find themselves in difficult situations (Stress, worry, concerns about work ..). In this “Year of the Mercy” allow me to offers some prayers dealing directly with families and family situations:

 

Prayer For A Family

God, you made us a family. We need one another

Help us to love one another, to forgive one another, to work together, to play together, to worship together, together to use God’s Word, together to love all people, together to serve our God, together to serve others, together to hope for heaven.

 

Prayer From The World Meeting Of Families

God and Father of us all, in Jesus, your Son and our Savior, you have made us your sons and daughters in the family of the Church.

May your grace and love help our families in every part of the world be united to one another in fidelity to the Gospel.

May the example of the Holy Family, with the aid of your Holy Spirit, guide all families, especially those most troubled, to be homes of communion and prayer and to always seek your truth and live in your love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us!

 

 

Prayer For A Married Couple

O God, we want to live our life together with you and always to continue it with you. Help us never to hurt and never to grieve each other. Help us to share all our works, all our hopes, all our dreams, all our successes, all our failures, all our joys and all our sorrows. Help us to have no secrets from each other so that we may be truly one. Keep us always true to each other, and grant that all the years ahead may draw us ever closer to each other.

Grant that nothing may ever come between us and nothing may ever make us ever drift apart. And as we live with each other, help us to live with you, so that our love may grow perfect in your love, for you are the God whose name is love. This we ask for your love’s sake. Amen

 

 

Prayer For A Marriage In Difficulty

Dear St. Jude, during your life you encouraged the first Christians to be loyal and true to their faith, even amidst the harshest and most difficult circumstances. Like these early followers of Christ, my spouse and I now find ourselves in need of renewed faith. Painful experiences, stressful events and the pressures of married life have weakened our relationship.

Intercede for us, St. Jude, and show us how to heal our marriage. Open our hearts, minds and spirits to be willing to rededicate ourselves to a renewed relationship, guided by the love and commitment we once knew. Help us to put aside any bitterness, angry arguments, negative thoughts and misunderstandings. Lead us to be sensitive to the burdens and problems that weigh heavy on our shoulders, accepting of each other’s limitations and forgiving of one another’s faults. Willing to embrace the compassionate love of Our Divine Savior, may our marriage advance in faith, hope and love. Amen.

These are our hopes and ideals, help us to attain them O God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Jesus, Mary and Joseph – prayer for us.

 

Parent’s Prayer for Their Children

Lord God! Thou hast called us to the holy state of matrimony and hast been pleased to make us parents. We recommend to Thee our dear children. We entrust them to Thy fatherly care. May they be a source of consolation, not only to us, but chiefly to Thee, Who are their Creator. Be watchful, O Lord; help and defend them.

Grant us the grace to guide them in the way of Thy commandments. This we will do by our own perfect observance of Thy holy law and that of our holy Mother, the Church. Make us conscious of our grave obligation to You and bless our efforts to serve You. We humbly ask this blessing from the bottom of our hearts, for ourselves and for the children whom Thou hast been pleased to give us.

We dedicate them to Thee, O Lord. Do Thou keep them as the apple of Thy eye and protect them under the shadow of Thy wings. Make us worthy to come, at last, to heaven, together with them, giving thanks unto Thee, Our Father, for the loving care Thou hast had of our entire family, and praising Thee together through endless ages. Amen.

(Source: Catholic Family Handbook, by Rev. George A. Kelly, Random House, Inc., New York, 1959)

 

Prayer For Students

Lord, our God, in your wisdom and love You surround us with the mysteries of the universe. Send your spirit upon our students and fill them with Your wisdom and blessings. Grant that they may devote themselves to their studies and draw ever closer to You, the source of all knowledge. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

 

Prayer for Deceased Son or Daughter

O God, You gave us a son/daughter, and in Your wisdom and love have called him/her home to You before us. Please listen to our humble prayer: pardon his/her sins and faults, and grant that we may be reunited safely in Your Presence. Through Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, we beg this of You. Amen

 

 

Prayer For Deceased Parents

It was You, O God, Who commanded us to honor our father and mother. In Your kindness have mercy on the souls of our parents, and forgive them their sins. Grant that we may see them again in the brightness of Your everlasting glory. We ask this through Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.