Clarence E. Woodman

“ R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consider how thy Jesus, after three hours' Agony on the Cross, consumed at length with anguish, abandons Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head aud dies.
O MY dying Jesus, I kiss devoutly the Cross on which Thou didst die for love of me. I have merited by my sins to die a miserable death, but Thy death is my hope. Ah, by the merits of Thy death, give me grace to die, embracing Thy feet, and burning with love to Thee. I commit my soul into Thy hands. I love Thee with my whole heart ”

“ O loving Jesus, we have sinned against heaven and before Thee. What hath Thy most Sacred Heart not suffered on our part in the course of Thy sacred life, in Thy bitter Passion, and from the moment that Thou hast dwelt amongst us in the Sacrament of Thy Love! O with how much bitterness, opprobrium, and grief have we deluged Thy divine Heart! Pardon; mercy; O adorable Heart of Jesus! mercy for me, mercy for all men, and for our land in particular! ”

“ Help the poor and sick, and those who are in their last agony. O God of mercy and goodness, have compassion on the souls of the faithful in purgatory; put an end to their sufferings, and grant to them eternal light, rest, and happiness. Amen.
O ALMIGHTY and Eternal God, who savest all, and willest not that any should perish, look, we beseech Thee, upon the souls that are led astray by the deceits of the devil; that, rejecting all errors, the hearts of those who err may be converted, and return to the unity of Thy truth. ”

“ O HEAVENLY Father, O most forgiving Father, O Lord God, have mercy upon me a wretched sinner, have mercy upon all men. In fullest reparation, expiation, and satisfaction for all my iniquities and negligences, and for the sins of the whole world, and perfectly to supply the deficiency of my works, I offer unto Thee Thy Beloved Son, Christ Jesus, in union with that sovereign charity with which Thou didst send Him to us, and didst give Him to us as our Saviour. ”

“ We desire to adore, praise, and glorify Thee, joining our hearts aud voices with all Thy Blessed in heaven, and with Thy whole Church upon earth. But acknowledging our great unworthiness and innumerable sins, for which we are heartily sorry and humbly crave Thy pardon, we dare not venture to approach Thee, save through Thy Son, our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast given us to be both our High-Priest and Sacrifice. ”

“ I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; I believe that the Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. ”

“ O HOLY Mary, Queen of Virgins, through the most high Mystery of the Incarnation of thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein our salvation was begun, obtain for us, through thy most holy intercession, light to understand the greatness of the benefit He hath bestowed upon us, in vouchsafing to become our Brother, and in giving thee, His own beloved Mother, to be our Mother also. ”

“ ALMIGHTY and most Merciful God, who didst cause a fount of living water to spring out of a rock, for Thy people in their thirst: draw forth tears of compunction from our stony hearts; that we may weep over our sins, and by Thy mercy deserve to obtain pardon for the same.
For Forgiveness of Sins.
O GOD, who rejectest none that come unto Thee, but in loving-kindness art appeased even with the greatest sinners who repent: mercifully regard our prayers in our humiliation, and enlighten our hearts, that we may be able to fulfil Thy commandments. ”

“ O LORD GOD, King of heaven and earth, vouchsafe this day to direct and to sanctify, to rule and to govern, our souls and bodies, our senses, words, and actions, in Thy law, and in the works of Thy commandments; that both now and for ever we may deserve to be saved and delivered through Thy protection, O Saviour of the world, who livest and reignest, world without end. ”

“ Of Thine infinite mercy be pleased to grant us pardon of all our sins, soundness of mind, health of body, and all the necessaries of life: grant also peace in our days, freedom from tempests, and fruitful seasons. Grant also to our prayers the unity of the Catholic Faith, the extirpation of heresies, the destruction of wicked counsels, the increase of true religion, fervor of love and piety, sincere devotion, patience and long-suffering in affliction, and joy in hope. ”

“ With Him and through Him we desire to approach Thee this day, and by His hands to offer Thee this Sacrifice, for Thine own honor, praise, and glory; in thanksgiving for all Thy benefits; in satisfaction for all our sins; and for obtaining conversion for all unbelievers, and mercy, grace, and salvation for all Thy faithful. And with this offering of Thine Only-begotten Son we offer Thee ourselves, our souls and bodies, begging that by virtue of this Sacrifice we may be happily united to Thee, and that nothing in life or death may ever separate us from Thee. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. ”

“ O MY God, sovereign Judge of men, who desirest not the death of a sinner, but that he should be converted and saved, enlighten my mind, that I may know the sins which I have this day committed in thought, word, or deed, and give me the grace of true contrition. ”

“ O GOD, who makest all things to work together for good unto those who love Thee: give to our hearts the lasting affection of Thy love; that such desires as are inspired by Thee may never be changed by any temptation.
For those at Sea.
O GOD, who didst bring our fathers through the Red Sea, and bear them through the great waters singing praises unto Thy name: we humbly beseech Thee to vouchsafe to turn away all adversities from Thy servants at sea, and to bring them with a calm voyage unto the haven where they would be. ”

“ We may repeat with reverent mirth—
To God the Father glory be,
And to His Only Son,
And to the Spirit, One and Three,
While endless ages run. Amen.
Then follow the Psalms, which are said under one Antiphon:
Ant. for Sundays. Alleluia.
Ant. for week-days. Blessed are they that walk.
Psalm 53.
SAVE me, O God, by Thy name: and judge me in Thy strength.
Hear my prayer, O God: give ear unto the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen up against me, and the mighty have sought after my soul: and they have not set God before their eyes. ”

“ O JESUS CHRIST, we call upon Thee, Holy, Immortal God. Have mercy upon us and upon all men. Purify us by Thy holy Blood, forgive us by Thy holy Blood, save us by Thy holy Blood, now and for ever. Amen. ”

“ God to glorify, Jesus to imitate, The Angels and Saints to invoke, A soul to save, A body to mortify, Sins to expiate, Virtues to acquire, Hell to avoid, Heaven to gain, Eternity to prepare for, Time to profit by, Neighbors to edify, The world to despise, Devils to combat, Passions to subdue, Death perhaps to suffer, And Judgment to undergo. ”

“ O GOD, who, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, hast poured into the hearts of Thy faithful the gifts of charity: grant to Thy servants and handmaids, for whom we implore Thy mercy, health both of body and soul; that they may love Thee with all their strength, and cheerfully perform those things which are pleasing unto Thee.
For Enemies.
O GOD, the lover and preserver of peace and charity: grant unto all our enemies peace and true charity; give them remission of all their sins, and by Thy power deliver us from their snares. ”

“ INCOMPREHENSIBLE Creator, the true Fountain of light and only Author of all knowledge: vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to enlighten our understandings, and to remove from us all darkness of sin and ignorance. [Thou, who makest eloquent the tongues of those that want utterance, direct our tongues, and pour on our lips the grace of Thy blessing.] ”

“ O PURE Mother of God, through thy virginal and most joyful delivery, whereby thou gavest to the world thine only Son, our Saviour, obtain for us, we beseech thee, through thine intercession, the grace to lead such pure and holy lives in this world that we may become worthy to sing, without ceasing, the mercies of thy Son, and His benefits to us by thee. ”

“ We pray Thee, O God of might, wisdom, and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist, with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude, the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people, over whom he presides, by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy ”

“ Be ye angry, and sin not: the things ye say in your hearts, be sorry for upon your beds.
Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who showeth us good things?
The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: Thou hast given gladness in my heart.
By the fruit of their corn, and wine, and oil: are they multiplied.
In peace in the self-same: I will sleep, and I will rest.
For Thou, O Lord, alone: hast established me in hope.
Glory be to the Father, etc. ”

“ I MOST humbly adore Thee, O uncreated Father, and Thee, O Only-begotten Son, and Thee, O Holy Ghost the Paraclete, one Almighty, Everlasting, and Unchangeable God, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. ”

“ We must believe the Catholic or Universal Church of Christ, of which He is the perpetual Head, and His Spirit the perpetual Guide; which is founded upon a rock, and is ever victorious over all the powers of earth and hell. The Church is always One, in all its members professing one faith, in one communion, under one chief pastor, called the Pope, succeeding St. Peter, to whom Christ committed His whole flock. The Church is always Holy, in teaching a holy doctrine, in inviting all to a holy life, and in the eminent holiness of many of its children. ”

“ O GOD, who justifiest the ungodly, and willest not the death of a sinner: we humbly entreat Thy Majesty to protect Thy servants, who trust in Thy mercy, with Thy heavenly assistance, and preserve them by Thy continual protection; that they may constantly serve Thee, and by no temptation be separated from Thee. ”

“ He alone is the Fountain of Grace: He alone can appoint the channels by which that grace is conveyed to our souls. Since, therefore, as a fact, He has appointed those channels—and no others—which we call Sacraments, by those only can we ordinarily obtain that special grace. Hence it follows that no power on earth can change what was ordained by Jesus Christ in the outward forms of the Sacraments, without destroying them entirely; for if any change is made in what He ordained, it is no longer the same form to which grace is annexed, and consequently ceases to be a Sacrament. ”

“ LORD Jesus Christ, who, through the love which Thou bearest to men, dost remain with them, day and night, in this Sacrament, full of mercy and of love, expecting, inviting, and receiving all who come to visit Thee: I believe that Thou art present in the Sacrament of the Altar. From the abyss of my nothingness I adore Thee, and I thank Thee for all the graces which Thou hast bestowed upon me, particularly for having given me Thyself in this Sacrament, for having given me for my advocate Thy most holy Mother, Mary, and for having called me to visit Thee in this church. ”

“ V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.
We fly to thy patronage, O holy mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities; but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin. ”

“ Who, with Thine Only-begotten Son and the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord: not in the singleness of one only Person, but in the Trinity of one Substance. For what we believe of Thy glory, as Thou hast revealed it, that we believe of Thy Son, and that of the Holy Ghost, without any difference or inequality. That in the confession of the True and Eternal Godhead, distinction in Persons, unity in Essence, and equality in Majesty may be adored. ”

“ We should humble ourselves profoundly in the presence of God, in whose Temple we are; and represent to ourselves, by a lively Faith, the dread majesty of God, and humbly beg His mercy and grace, that we may participate in this Holy Sacrifice in a worthy and becoming manner. ”

“ We must believe that Jesus Christ will come from heaven at the last day to judge all men; that all the dead, both good and bad, shall arise from their graves, and shall be judged by Him according to their works; that the good shall go to heaven with Him, body and soul, to be happy for all eternity in the enjoyment of the Sovereign Good; and that the wicked shall be condemned, both body and soul, to the torments of hell.
II. What every Christian Must Do.
EVERY Christian, in order to attain life everlasting, must worship God as his first beginning and last end. ”

“ With Him, and through Him, we beseech Thee to exalt Thy Holy Catholic Church throughout the world; to maintain her in peace, unity, holiness, and truth; to have mercy on Thy servant, N. our Pope, N. our Bishop, N. our Pastor, [our parents, children, friends, benefactors, etc.,] on all whom we have in any way scandalized, injured, or offended, or for whom we ought to pray; on all who are dying; on all who are under temptation, or in other necessity, of either body or soul; on all our enemies; and on us all poor sinners ”

“ WE pray Thee, O Almighty and Eternal God, who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy; that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue, with unchanging faith, in the confession of Thy Name. ”

“ We communicate with the Saints in heaven, as our fellow-members under the same head, Christ Jesus; we give thanks to God for His gifts to them, and we beg a share in their prayers. We communicate with all the saints upon earth in the same Sacraments and Sacrifice, and in a holy union of faith and charity. ”