Raising of Mind & Heart
Prayer is a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. It takes many forms, but, through the “raising of the mind and the heart” to our Creator, we remain in communion with him.
God unceasingly calls us to this encounter with him, and the prayer of mankind has risen to heaven throughout the history of salvation.
Abraham prayed, Jacob “wrestled with God”, Moses implored on behalf of the people, King David prayed, lamenting his sins and in praise of the Lord. The prophets prayed, “zealously seeking the face of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2595), the people of God prayed. In the Old Testament, the Psalms are the masterpiece of all. They are suitable for people of all times and places.
In the New Testament, the prayer of Christ is the model of all prayer. In a loving adherence to his Father’s will, Christ teaches us how to have an attitude of great trust in how we pray. He also answers all prayers addressed to himself.
The prayers of the Virgin Mary are characterised by her loving obedience in the Fiat and the offering of her whole being in faith in the great hymn of the Magnificat.
Ancient Antiphon to Our Lady (Sub Tuum Praesidium) recommended by Pope Francis at this time:
We fly to your protection,
O Holy Mother of God.
Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers,
O ever glorious and blessed Virgin Mary. Amen.
Prayer to St. Ann
Dear Saint Ann, I praise God and honour you for having been given the grace to be the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Beloved of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, mother of the Queen of Heaven, take me under your special care. Obtain for me the virtues you instilled in the heart of her who was destined to become Mother of God, and the graces with which you were endowed.
Vouchsafe to commend me to Jesus and Mary so that, at your request, I may be granted remission of my sins, perseverance, the love of God and charity for all mankind.
I beg you to help me in all spiritual and temporal dangers; to guide me in the true path of Christian perfection, and finally to obtain for me the grace of a happy death, so that I may see my God face to face and, with you and Mary and all the saints, praise and bless him for all eternity.
Amen
MORNING PRAYER
Morning Offering
Saint Paul told the first Christians “Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31)
It has been the practice of the Church to make a Morning Offering accepting the gift of each day and consciously uniting the offering of our prayer, work, joy and suffering with the heart of Jesus in the Sacrifice of the Mass for the glory of God and the salvation of the world. This is another way in which we can share in the offering of the Mass every day.
This prayer might take a minute, yet it charges our whole day with great purpose. There are many beautiful forms of it, some written by Saints, but more important than the words we use, is the intention to offer each new day to the Lord:
A traditional form of the Morning Offering
O Jesus, through the most pure heart of Mary,
I offer you the prayer,
the work, the suffering and the joy of this day
in union with your Divine Heart
in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The Angelus
It is easy to forget to say this prayer at 12 noon or 6 pm but you can get an app for your phone which will alert you to pray so you’ll never forget.
Let us pray the Angelus daily and benefit from the immense graces that Jesus bestows through His Immaculate Mother to all those who honour the Incarnation of the Word of God, the greatest intervention of God in history as reflected in the beautiful verses of
the Angelus:
V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary……….
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to your word. Hail Mary……...
V. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary………...
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom
the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an angel, may,
by his Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.
through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
Hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve:
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.
Guardian Angel Prayer
Angel of God, my guardian dear
To whom God's love commits me here
Ever this day (night) be at my side.
To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen
Prayers to St. Joseph Joseph
A Guide to the Rosary Rosary Guide
Prayer for Vocations Vocations
Novena to St. Ann
PRAYER TO SAINT ANN
O glorious Saint Ann,
you are filled with compassion
for those who invoke you,
and with love for those suffer.
Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles,
I cast myself at your feet
and humbly beg of you to take the present intention,
which I recommend to you in your special care.
Please recommend it to your daughter,
the Blessed Virgin Mary,
and place it before the throne of Jesus,
so that he may bring it to a happy issue.
Continue to intercede for me
until my request is granted.
But above all obtain for me the grace one day
to see my God face to face,
and with you and Mary and all the saints
to praise and bless him for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory be.
Saint Ann, help me now and at the hour of my death!
Good Saint Ann, intercede for me!
FIRST DAY
Dear Saint Ann, I appeal to you and place myself under your great motherly care as I begin this novena in your honour. Please listen to my prayers and requests.
Help me, also, to begin this time of prayer with a heart open to the loving grace of God. Give me the strength to begin a new life that will last forever.
Finally, blessed Saint Ann, I ask you to recommend me to your daughter, the most holy virgin Mary. Through her, may I receive the spirit of prayer, humility, and the love of God.
(Recite the Prayer to Saint Ann above, followed by the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, and the invocation to Saint Ann after each day’s reflection)
SECOND DAY
From the depths of my heart, good Saint Ann, I offer you my homage and I ask you to shelter me under the mantle of your motherly care. Help me to purify my thoughts and desires.
Aid my decisions that all that I do may be done in love.
THIRD DAY
Good Saint Ann, you were the first to respond to the needs of Mary, the mother of our Saviour. You watched over her in her infancy, presented her at the temple, and consecrated her to the service of God.
By the great power God has given you, show yourself to be my mother and consoler. Help me dedicate myself to God and to my neighbours.
Console me in my trials and strengthen me in my struggles.
FOURTH DAY
Good Saint Ann, you offered your daughter in the temple with faith, piety, and love. With the happiness which then filled your heart, help me to present myself to God and to the world as a committed disciple of Jesus.
Take me under your protection. Strengthen me in my temptations. Show yourself to be a mother and help me to live a life of holiness and love.
FIFTH DAY
Good Saint Ann, by God’s special favour, grant consolation to us who invoke you. Help us to grow in spiritual wealth for the life to come, and guide us in our temporal affairs as well.
Grant us the gift of continuous conversion and renewal of heart. Help us to accept the Gospel of Jesus over and over again so that we may be ready to be true disciples in whatever situations we may experience during our lives.
SIXTH DAY
Good Saint Ann, free my heart of pride, vanity, and self-love. Help me to know myself as I really am, and to learn meekness and simplicity of heart.
I realise God’s great love for me. Help me to reflect this love through works of mercy and charity toward my neighbour.
SEVENTH DAY
Good Saint Ann, by the power and grace God has placed in you, extend to me your helping hand. Renew my mind and heart.
I have unbounded confidence in your prayers. Direct my actions according to your goodness and wisdom. I place myself under your motherly care.
Pray that I may receive the grace to lead a devout life on earth, and that I may obtain the everlasting reward of heaven.
EIGHTH DAY
Saint Ann, you gave birth to Mary, whose divine Son brought forth salvation to our world by conquering death and restoring hope to all people. Help me to pray to him who, for love of us, clothed himself with human flesh.
May I be guided from anything that is displeasing in the sight of God. Pray that the Spirit of Jesus may enlighten and direct me in all I do.
Good Saint Ann, keep a watchful eye on me.
Help me bear all my crosses, and sustain me with courage.
NINTH DAY
Good Saint Ann, I have come to the end of this novena in your honour.
Do not let your kind ear grow weary of my prayers, though I repeat them so often.
Implore for me from God’s providence all the help I need to get through life. May your generous hand bestow on me the material means to satisfy my needs, and to alleviate the plight of the poor.
Good Saint Ann, pray that I may praise and thank the Holy Trinity for all eternity.
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