Prayers For Our Times c y Prayer to the Holy Spirit Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of they love. Send forth Thy spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let Us Pray 0 God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. "NOW, HEAR OUR SIDE!" A prominent newspaper columnist sat next to me at a civic luncheon not long ago. Turning to me he said: “Until I was twenty years old I heard a lot about Catholics, and everything was bad. In the meantime, however, I have had an opportunity to meet a great many Catho- lics. Now, my best friends are Catho- lics^ To many, the opportunity is never given to understand Catholics by close association, much less to study Catholic doctrine with an open mind. They, too, have heard only what is supposedly bad without being given a chance to correct the wrong information given to them. Just briefly, then, may I present what the Catholic Church has to say for her- self. You, too, have perhaps listened to uncomplimentary things about the Church from her enemies. “Now, hear our side.” These few pages, my dear friends, have only this one purpose—to make you DeacMetf 1 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? acquainted with Christ and His Church. They contain WHY NOT only a few very BE A essential doc- CATHOLIC? trines. But it is the fond hope of the author that being introduced to Christ and His Church will make you want to know more of Christ and more of His Church. By getting acquainted with Christ and His Church you will learn that the Catholic Church is not a thing of evil but is instead the one HOPE for the world. Do not be disturbed because there are those who hate the Church. They hated Christ also and nailed Him to a Cross. By the very fact that the Catholic Church is hated does she thereby show herself Christ-like for she is indeed Christ extended through the ages—His mystical Body on earth. Wont you, my dear reader, make an earnest effort to understand the Catho- lic Church, to thrill to her beauty of doctrine, to feel the security which she offers in the one important task—the saving of our souls? She offers the solu- tion for life’s greatest problem, our salvation. Nothing else really matters, ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 3 for “what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of. his soul?” The most fundamental doctrine of Christianity is the doctrine that Christ is God. Despite the fact that frequent- Church has defended this doctrine down through the ages. We do not believe that Christ is the Son of God in a vague sort of way, but that He is the Son of God by Nature, equal in all things with the Father. In other words — At the very first opportunity, when the Church came out of the Catacombs, she defined this doctrine at the Council of Nicaea in 325. The Church has held this doctrine ever since and ever will hold and defend it. From the fact that Christ is God there follow consequences which affect EVERY human life. If Christ is God we are His Creatures. As Creatures we owe CHRIST IS GOD ly we hear non- Catholics say: “I did not know you Catholics believed in Christ,” the Christ Is God 4 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? Him our loyalty FAR-REACHING and our service. CONSEQUENCES He has promised us an eternal re- ward, namely HIS HEAVEN if we do His will. Therefore, if we want Christ’s Heaven we must gain it on His condi- tions, not our own. He is TRUTH and truth never changes. Hence, we have no right to tamper with God’s truth. An essential for salvation is, — To accept Christ’s teachings and model our lives according to His teach- ings—"Thy Will be Done.” NOT— By picking and choosing and thus trying to make Christ’s teachings con- form to our way of thinking. 0 The Church And The Bible We find God’s will towards us His Creatures expressed in the Bible and tradition. As Catholics we have the highest regard GOD’S WILL for the Bible. If you, by chance, heard that Catholics may not read the Bible, please forget it. That’s one of the "bad things” said too often of the Church. Not only do we love and rever- ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 5 ence the Bible, believe it to be God's word from beginning to end, but had it not been for the Catholic Church we would have no Bible at all. The Catholic Church — —Preserved the old Testament. —Under Pope Damasus III gathered the various books of the New Testa- ment. —Had St. Jerome translate the var- ious books which gave the world the Vulgate Edition, the main source of all translations. —Specified which books belong to the Bible. —Had her monks make copies by hand centuries upon centuries before printing was invented. —Preserved the Bible intact against barbarian invaders and through the ages against conscienceless translators. 0 Millions were converted before the Bible was completed. Other millions were converted who had no opportunity to read a word of its Sacred text. They were converted by the Apostles and their successors who taught and preach- ed Christ. Printing came only in 1440, so that until then Bibles were scarce. Besides, few could read. Yet by that 6 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? time Europe was overwhelmingly Christian and Catholic. Tradition Tradition means the handing down of doctrines and practices of early Chris- tianity through the Church. Christ commanded the THE Apostles “to MEANING OF teach” and “to TRADITION preach” whatso- ever He had commanded. Not everything was writ- ten in the New Testament of the Bible. Through the authority of the Church these doctrines and practices were pre- served from generation to generation, and constitute what we call Tradition. In simple terms—Tradition is the teach- ing of the Church founded by Jesus Christ. Hence we must believe the Bible and the teachings of the Church. Recently a new translation of the New Testament was given to the Eng- lish-speaking world under the protec- tion of the Cath- A NEW olic Church. Al- TRANSLATION ready this part of the Bible has found its way into millions of homes. Another book: “Daily Readings from ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 7 the Gospels” by Father Stedman has been procured by several millions of Catholics in the last year alone. Hence — Catholics do read the Bible and love it. They also believe wholeheartedly in Christ's Divinity—that He is God. These two tenets of Christianity — belief in Christ's Divinity and belief in the Bible—are the very cornerstone of Christian faith. As Catholics we be- lieve them. For many these doctrines comprise the ALL THIS whole of Chris- AND MORE t i a n i t y ; for Catholics they are only the beginning. Back of these doctrines there must be a voice which speaks with authority and infallibility. For how could we be certain that Christ is God or that the Bible is the In- spired word of God, unless Christ had left an institution which would speak with an infallible voice? In a mattei which has eternal consequences and affects your soul and mine we want above all things—certainty. 0- The Catholic Church is often looked upon as a difficult Church. Perhaps she 8 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? is. But for the very same reason Christ is considered “difficult,” for He, too, said things which were considered “hard sayings.” A The Church has DIFFICULT but one object CHURCH and that is to bring us to Christ, to unite us with Him. His teach- ings are not always easy on human na- ture, and if, therefore, the Church is considered “difficult” because she in- sists on her members following Christ, then she must accept the charge of being difficult. But as a matter of fact the Church is not difficult. Her whole pur- pose is to make it easy for us to keep God’s Command- HOLY ments. For this MOTHER reason we love to CHURCH call her “Holy Mother Church,” simply because she is wholly concerned with our salvation. 0 The Catholic Church has the unique distinction of being founded by Christ Himself. He founded it upon the Apos- tles with St. Peter at the head. Simon, Son of John, had his name changed by ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 9 CHURCH FOUNDED BY CHRIST Christ to Peter, which means “Rock,” and up- on this “Rock” Christ founded His Church. “Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church. (Note. Not Churches, but My Church) And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19) . Since that day, over 1900 years ago, there have been 262 Popes. They are the direct successors of St. Peter , the first Pope, and continue in unbroken succession to Pius XII, now reigning. To every one who recognizes that Christ is God, that Christ founded a Church, two things should stand out clearly. (1) That only one of the many Christian denominations can be Christ’s Church (2) That this Church must have had 10 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? a continuous existence since the time of Christ. The first follows from the fact that Christ is God and, therefore, infinite truth. Truth never changes. Hence, His Church must be as He established it. The second follows from the fact that only if the Church has had a continuous existence can there be in the Church the powers conferred by Christ upon the Apostles. There are in the United States hun- dreds of differing Christian denomina- tions. Each denomination must claim that it is the one true church or else it has no reason HOW TO for e x i s t e n ce. DISTINGUISH But they teach BETWEEN contrary doc- CHURCHES trines, and, therefore, it must be evident that they cannot all represent Christ, for Christ is not a divided Christ. He is God and as such He is TRUTH and truth is one. Because of all the conflicting teachings we are not surprised if many give up the search for truth in Christianity simply because there are so many interpretations of Christ’s truths. The only logical solu- ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? H tion in our search for God’s truth and God’s Church is to take the standards which Christ Himself has specified. Christ specified that His Church must be — 1 — A United Church. a. Christ prayed for unity. (John 17:21). b. Christ foretold there would be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16). c. St. Paul speaks of “One Lord, one faith, one Baptism. (Eph. 4:5). 2 — A Holy Church through which holiness is conferred upon its members. It is Christ’s command that we be holy. He said: “Be you perfect, therefore, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:42) And also, “Be ye holy, be- cause I the Lord your God am holy.” (Lev. 19:2) We judge the holiness of the Church — a. By Its Founder. b. By the holiness of its doctrines and means to produce holiness. c. By its actual fruit, namely saints. 3 — A universal Church. The world wide scope of Christ’s Church was clearly stated when Christ 12 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? said : “Going, therefore, teach ye ALL NATIONS.” (Matt. 28:19). 4—An Apostolic Church. Christ conferred many special powers upon the Apostles. These must be in the Church today. Only if a Church has had an uninterrupted existence since the time of Christ can it be Apostolic. 0 In the Catholic Church you will find every mark specified by Christ to distin- guish the one true Church from all others. It is One and United. Every- where it teaches the same doctrines. Everywhere THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS ALL THESE MARKS it has the same Sacraments, the same means of producing holi- ness. Though spread throughout the world all mem- bers are united under one head, the Pope, the successor of St. Peter. It is a Holy Church . Thousands upon thousands have found sanctity in her fold. When holiness is not reached it is not the fault of the Church, but of the individual who refuses to abide by the teachings and commandments of the 6hurch. ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 13 It is an Apostolic Church . Through 1900 years the Catholic Church can trace her history. The present head is the two hundred and sixty-second succes- sor of St. Peter, the first head appoint- ed by Christ Himself. It is Catholic. This means simply that it is universal. Spread throughout the world, the membership of the Catholic Church is greater than all other de- nominations put together. She numbers now more than 400,000,000. O Christ's Life In Our Souls Christ’s plan for the salvation of mankind, for both man’s spiritual as well as temporal happiness, is to form us into one great THE CHURCH family, into one CHRIST’S body of which MYSTICAL BODY He is the Head and we the mem- bers. Christ’s life, the life of God, is the only thing that matters. In heaven there is only the Life of God. Unless God shares this life with others it is impossible to live the life of Heaven. This life God breathed into our first par- ents. They lost it when they disobeyed 14 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? God’s command and committed the first sin. To atone for man’s sin it was neces- sary that God Himself come down to earth, for the offense against God was infinite and only God could atone. But since man had sinned it was also neces- sary that man GOD AND MAN make satisfac- tion. This satis- faction was wrought by Christ, the Man- God, for He is both God and Man in the same person. By Christ’s coming, human nature was again united with a divine nature. God’s life was given to man. “I am come that they may have life and may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Because of Christ’s coming we can now share God’s life which He shared not only with the one human nature which He took from the Virgin Mary but through the Sacrament of Baptism which is a rebirth, we receive the life of God and are made one with Christ. That is why NECESSITY Baptism is so ab- OF solutely neces- BAPTISM sary. That is why Christ said; ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 15 “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” (John 3:5) Restoring God's Life God’s greatest gifts are often mis- understood, still more often ignored. Among the chief gifts of God is the Sacrament whereby sins are forgiven. How thankful we should be that Christ, besides setting us on the road to heaven by way of Baptism, gives us still an- other chance to regain heaven if we have lost it through sin! Such a sacra- tnent was insti- THE tuted by Christ, POWER TO and such power FORGIVE to forgive sin was given by Christ to the Apostles when He said: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” (John 20:21, 23) 0 “Only God can forgive sin,” we often hear it said. This is true. But this does not mean that God cannot give to man the power to forgive sin. That He did is clearly evident from Scripture. God 16 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? gave this power to the Apostles, and through them to their successors. Hence how contrary to the Scriptures is the attitude of those who would limit God’s power and refuse to seek forgiveness of sin from those to whom Christ has en- trusted this power. They do not forgive of their own ac- INSTRUMENTS cord but through OF the power of GOD God. Christ Him- self made this evident when He first breathed the Holy Ghost into the Apostles and then gave them the power to forgive sin. Human beings, though entrusted with this real and tremendous power are none the less only instruments in the hands of God. 0 : We realize only too well that the necessity of confessing sins is often misunderstood and considered difficult. But why? There is only one thing which makes it hard. It is not that the Scripture is CONFESSION hard to under- IS stand in this HARD matter. It isn’t even the idea of confessing our sins to a man, for the ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 17 Scriptures are clear enough here also. It is simply this — It Hurts Our Pride Pride has caused every serious evil that ever happened. It caused angels to be cast into hell; it brought about the fall of our first parents; it has brought every one of the religious upheavals through the centuries. In the final analy- sis it is pride which is at the bottom of individual failures and the failures of nations. Would there be war today if individuals and nations humbled them- selves and obeyed God? If therefore you are opposed to con- fession, be frank and ask yourself why you are opposed. Isn't it because you are too proud to acknowledge that you have sinned? Is it worth going to hell just to have your own way? Let's al- ways remember—sin bars us from heaven. To gain heaven we must do it on God's terms, not our own. 0 The Reason For Religion Why bother about religion? Because there is a God and we are His creat- ures. God made us and our eternal des- tiny is to be united with Him forever. But God in His goodness gives us a fore- 18 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? taste of this happiness even in this life. He unites Himself with us in Baptism rament of Penance; He gives us Him- self as food for our souls in Holy Com- munion. Through religion, then, we are given a fortaste of heaven even here on earth because religion unites us with God. In Holy Communion there is an actual physical union, Christ giving us Himself as Food for the soul. Of all God’s gifts, the gift of Him- self is the greatest. How sad so many doubt God’s word in this regard. Surely CAN YOU SAY have spoken I BELIEVE? more plainly than He did at the Last Supper when He said: “Take and eat for THIS IS MY BODY ” At the Last Supper Christ actually changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood. He promised He would do so after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes when he said “I UNION WITH GOD by giving us a sharing in His life ; He restores this Life, if lost, through the Sac- The Test Of Faith he could not ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 19 am the bread which came down from heaven.” Read this promise as told in the Sixth Chapter of St. John's Gospel. Read also the words of institution as given in St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and in the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. So plain are the words that we cannot misunderstand and so tremendous their meaning that we dare not misinterpret. Because Christ is God He could perform this astounding mir- acle and also because Christ is God He could give to others the power to do the same thing. Whom then shall we be- lieve? Christ or a mere man's interpre- tation ? As for the Catholic Church she has held consistently through 1900 years that Christ meant just what He said. Hence, the Catholic has the greatest privilege that even a God could confer, namely, to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion as Food for the soul. 0 It's The Mass That Matters Have you wondered sometimes what attracts Catholics to their churches Sun- day after Sunday? Why there is the quietness and reverence in our Catholic 20 ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? Churches? The answer is simple. It is because Christ, as God and as Man, dwells within the tabernacle on the altar. During the Sacrifice of the Mass Christ actually becomes present. Even as at the Last Supper, so in each Mass, bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. And when Christ is present it is He Who then offers anew the Sacrifice of BECAUSE Calvary. That is CHRIST why the Sacri- IS GOD fice of the Mass and the Sacrifice of Calvary are one and the same sacri- fice. But because we can be united with Christ we thereby have the glor- ious privilege of sharing with Christ in the offering of the “Perfect Gift” name- ly, the offering of the Son of God to the Heavenly Father. Hence, to offer a sacrifice with Christ Himself is the reason for going to Church. It is not just a human form of worship, there- fore, but a sacrifice commanded by God from the beginning with the inestimable privilege of offering It in union with Christ Himself, the Son of God. Since Christ is the mediator between God and man, it is through the Mass, ARE YOU MISSING SOMETHING? 21 where Christ is present as God and Man, that every peti- MEDIATOR tion of ours as- BETWEEN GOD tends to the AND MAN throne of God. So also, through the Mass, every gift of God is poured out in abundance upon us. That is why we treasure the Mass! My dear friends if the reading of these pages has been of interest to you and your conscience prompts you to in- vestigate the teachings of the Catholic Church more fully, why not ask a Cath- olic friend to take you to Church, or why not attend a series of instructions which any priest will be only to glad to give you? Religion, whereby we are brought into intimate contact with God, is the most vital matter which concerns our im- mortal souls. But in seeking for the true religion do not cease your search till you have found the Church which goes back without interruption to Christ, the Church established on earth by Jesus Christ Himself. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES The Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. The Lord's Prayer 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 tres- passes as we forgive those who tres- pass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou amongst 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. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 23 The Apostles' Creed I believe in God, the Father Al- mighty, Creator of heaven and earth ; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord ; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suf- fered under Pontius Pilate, was cru- cified; died and was buried. He de- scended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He as- cended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Al- mighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. SHORT PRAYERS Act of Faith My God, I believe in Thee, because Thou art truth itself. Act of Hope My God, I hope in Thee, because Thou art good and faithful to Thy promises. 24 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES Act of Love My God, I love Thee above all things and my neighbor as myself, for love of Thee. My Jesus, mercy! Sweetest Jesus, be to me not a judge but a Savior. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Jesus, for Thee I live; Jesus, for Thee I die; Jesus, I am Thine in life and in death. Amen. O Jesus, be to me Jesus and save me. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you. Glory be to the Father, glory be to the Son, glory be to the Holy Ghost. Amen. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 25 Act of Sorrow or Contrition Forgive me my sins, 0 Lord, for- give 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 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 and up to the present hour. I know my sins have wounded Thy tender Heart, 0 my Saviour, 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. Act of Acceptance of Death 0 Lord, my God, I now, at this moment, readily and willingly accept at Thy hands whatever kind of death it may please Thee to send me, with all its pains, penalties, and sorrows. 26 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES A Prayer to Our Blessed Mother Remember, 0 most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, and sought thine intercession, was left un- aided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, 0 Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. 0 Mother of the Word Incarnate, des- pise not my petitions, but in they mercy hear and answer me. Amen. A Prayer To Saint Joseph Guardian of virgins and father, holy Joseph, to whose faithful care Christ Jesus, innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, were com- mitted; I pray and beg of thee, by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, free me from all uncleanness, and make me with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body ever most chastely to serve Jesus and Mary all the days of my life. Amen. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 27 Recommended For Family Prayer Grace Before and After Meals Before Meals Bless us, 0 Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. After Meals We give Thee thanks, 0 Almighty God, for these and for all Thy bene- fits which we have received from Thy bounty through Christ Our Lord. Amen. Prayer for The Christian Family God of bounty and of mercy, to Thy almighty protection we commend our home, our family and all we possess. Bless us all, as Thou didst bless the Holy Family at Nazareth. 0 Jesus, our most blessed Saviour, by the love with which Thou didst become man for our salvation, by thy mercy in dying for us on the Cross, bless, we beseech Thee, our home, our family, and our household; preserve 28 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES us from every evil and from the snares of men ; protect us from light- ning and hail, from fire, flood, and tempest preserve us from Thy wrath, from the hatred and the evil designs of our enemies, from pestil- ence, famine, and war. 0 Mary, mother of grace and of mercy, bless us, defend us against the evil spirit, lead us by the hand across this vale of tears, reconcile us with thy Son, and commend us to Him that we may be made worthy of His promises. 0 holy Joseph, reputed father of our Saviour, guardian of His most blessed Mother, head of the Holy Family, intercede for us, and bless and protect our habitation at all times. Bless this our home, O God the Father, Who has created us; 0 God the Son, Who hast suffered for us on the Cross; 0 God the Holy Spirit, Who hast sanctified us in baptism. May God in His three divine Persons preserve our bodies, purify our souls, guide our hearts and lead us to etern- al life. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 29 Litany of The Holy Name Litanies are a form of prayer widely used among Catholics for family or group recitation. It is recommended that the father or another member of the family read the salutation, and the other members answer with the “Have Mercy on us,” or similar response. Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us. Jesus hear us. Jesus graciously hear us. God the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Jesus, Son of the living God, Jesus, Splendor of the Father, Jesus, brightness of eternal light, Jesus, sun of justice, ^ Jesus, King of glory, ° L. >* Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, f £ Jesus, amiable, E Jesus, admirable, g Jesus, powerful God, Jesus, Father of the world to come, Jesus, Angel of the great council, Jesus, most powerful, Jesus, most patient, Jesus, most obedient, 30 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Jesus, lover of chastity, Jesus, lover of us, Jesus, God of peace, Jesus, author of life, Jesus, model of all virtues, Jesus, zealous for souls, Jesus, our God, Jesus, our refuge, Jesus, Father of the poor, Jesus, treasure of the faithful, Jesus, good shepherd, Jesus, true light, Jesus, eternal wisdom, Jesus, infinite goodness, Jesus, our way and our life, Jesus, joy of angels, Jesus, king of patriarchs, Jesus, master of apostles, Jesus, teacher of evangelists, Jesus, strength of martyrs, Jesus, light of confessors, Jesus, purity of virgins, Jesus, crown of all saints, Be merciful, spare us, 0 Jesus. Be merciful, graciously hear us, 0 From all evil, From all sin, From thy wrath, From the snares of the devil, From the spirit of fornication, Jesus, deliver us. 7* Have mercy on us. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 31 From eternal death, From neglect of thy inspirations, By the mystery of thy holy incarna- tion, By thy nativity, By thine infancy, By thy most divine life, By thy labors, By thine agony and passion, By thy cross and abandonment, By thy sufferings, By thy death and burial, By thy resurrection, By thine ascension, By thy institution of the Most Holy Eucharist, By thy joys, By thy glory, Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, 0 Jesus. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Jesus. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, 0 Jesus. Let Us Pray 0 Lord Jesus Christ, who hast said: Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: mercifully attend to our sup- co P 32 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES plications, and grant us the gift of thy divine charity, that we may ever love thee with our whole hearts, and never desist from thy praise. Give us, 0 Lord, a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name, for thou never ceas^st to direct and govern by thy grace, those whom thou dost solidly establish in thy love. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. A Family Prayer During Time of War 0 God of Mercy, you- are our Fath- er ; we are your children. We believe in you, we hope in you, we love you. We need you to protect us now because our country is at war. There are many dangers around us : dangers on land, dangers on the sea, and dan- gers in the air. Those who are dear to us are in the midst of these dangers. They are fighting for us and fighting for the country we love. We do not know for certain where they are ; but you know, you see them day and night, wherever they are and whatever they may be doing. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 33 O Lord, protect them and care for them. If they are tired, give them strength. If they are wounded and suffering, give them comfort. If they are lonely, touch them with your gentle hand and let them know that you are near to them just as you are near to us who pray for them. Help our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen. Help the doctors and nurses serving in the medical corps. Help all who are fighting for our country. Give them quick minds and bodies that are always ready to act, to dare and risk, and never afraid to die. 0 God, Our Father, be with them and in them always “to light and guard, to rule and guide.” And if it be Your will that they give their lives for their country and their homes, grant eternal peace and a holy rest to their souls. We pray, O Lord, for them all, living and dead, but we pray espe- cially for those whom we now have in mind and for whom we have prom- ised to pray. 34 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES Hasten the day, 0 God, when all your children, of all races and na- tions may be united in love and jus- tice with one another under their Father in Heaven, through Christ Our Lord. Amen. Prayer for Our Friends 0 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, 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. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer for Sinners Almighty and eternal God, Who seekest not the death but the life of sinners, Who wouldst save all and have none to perish, mercifully hear our prayers on behalf of those who are dead in sin and grant that they may repent and live again in Thy grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 35 Prayer for Our Country We pray Thee, O God of might, wisdom, and justice, through Whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment de- creed, assist with Thy holy spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of the United States, that his admin- istration may be conducted in right- eousness, 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 of justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the pro- motion of national happiness, the in- crease of industry, sobriety, and use- ful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty. We recommend likewise to Thy un- bounded mercy all our brethren and 36 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. Amen. Prayer for The Dead We pray to Thee, 0 Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy ser- vants departed who are gone before us with the sign of the faith, and repose in the sleep of peace ; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends. To these, 0 Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and ever- lasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. May the Divine Assistance be al- ways with us. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 37 My Daily Prayer I believe in one God. I believe that God rewards the good, and punishes the wicked. I believe that in God there are three Divine Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. I believe that God the Son became Man, without ceasing to be God. I be- lieve that He is my Lord and my Sav- iour, the Redeemer of the human race, that He died on the Cross for the salvation of all men, that He died also for me. I believe on God’s authority, every- thing that He has taught and re- vealed. 0 My God, give me strong faith. O my God, help me to believe with lively faith. 0 My God, Who art all-good and all-merciful, I sincerely hope to be saved. Help me to do all that is necessary for my salvation. 1 have committed many sins in my life, but now I turn away from them, 38 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES and hate them. I am sorry, truly sorry for all of them, because I have offended Thee, my God, Who art all- good, all-perfect, all-holy, all-merci- ful and kind, and Who died on the Cross for me. I love Thee, 0 my God, with all my heart. Please forgive me for having offended Thee. I promise, O God, that with Thy help I will never offend Thee again. My God, have mercy on me. A Parting Word Christ, Our Brother The Facts in the Case: The world about us has many myster- ies locked within its walls,, Many more defy the skill of human reason in spite of test-tubes, measuring rods and micro- scopes. Man himself is even a greater enigma to the mind than mother nature herself. But of all the mysteries that baffle reason, none mocks us more than that which goes by the tiny three-letter- ed word Sin. PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES 39 We realize a little what Sin is, when we see what it has done. The ravages of war, the wanton waste of a plague, the wild cries of the insane asylum, the tombs and small white crosses, row on row, in a cemetery. If Sin had never entered men’s lives, all these things and thousands more would never have been known. A Babe nestles in the arms of His mother. His little arms encircle the mother’s neck. Thirty years later, those hands are pierced by twTo rough spikes that hold Him to a cross. The hair is matted with blood, the Eyes are blood- shot, the Lips are swollen, cracked and purple. That was the price of Sin, the price that was paid with the life of a God-man. Sin is an insult to an Infinite Being. Only an Infinite Person could make full amends and gain a full pardon. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God’s Own Son, voluntarily accepted that role. He actually became our Brother. That same human nature through which man defied his Maker, would again become the instrument with which man would be restored to his heavenly heritage. He %%\('cAI 40 PRAYERS FOR OUR TIMES was born a Babe. Bone of her bone and flesh of her flesh, the Son of God, be- came, in reality, the child of the virgin- mother, Mary. Eve was the first mother of the human race. Mary, by the birth of her Son, who was the Redeemer, be- came the second and more glorious mother of the human family. The world is a better place to live in because of the life and teachings of this Elder Brother of ours. As horrible as present day life seems to be in many places today, what would it be, we must ask, if He had never come? Most of good we know and see can be traced back to the day of His coming. All the evil is due to our own contradiction of His teachings and the renunciation of our relation to Him. The same conclusion is that we must once more renew His ac- quaintance and cultivate His filial friendship. Would you like to know more about Him—this God-Man Who lives on to- day? Would you like to know what plans He has for building a better world? For further information call on or write to: Imprimatur : J* JOHN FRANCIS NOLL Bishop of Fort Wayne