Commitment to Daily Prayer

Given that many of our lives have been turned upside down by shutdowns around the world while the virus makes its way through, I think many can agree we really need constant prayer to be part of our new routine. Some of us already live this way, and that is fantastic, however it's not a common practice. I created some printouts of formal prayers for my family for consistency and aid in our prayer life. This is especially helpful to ages 6-young adult who are still being formed, and in your discipleship of inviting others to join you in prayer. 

I am sharing them all here for free. Please share them with your family and friends, and remember our Lenten mission: PRAY - FAST - GIVE ALMS

I created several printouts that I hang on our corkboard, have framed around the house, and in our bathroom (in a clear sleeve) for prayer and memorization. May these bless your home and family as well.

 

 

 

These Daily Prayer Bookmarks can be printed back to back from these images, or through the Google Docs PDF {Pg1} {Pg2}. Then you can cut, doodle, color, decorate, laminate, etc. They include our favorite Morning Offering, Act of Spiritual Communion, Divine Mercy Prayers, and the Act of Contrition. If these are not the versions of these prayers you pray, comment below and I encourage you to create your own.

If you're looking for Rosary Prayers, I have a How to Pray the Rosary printout available on my blog post: Praying the Rosary

If you're looking for daily faith formation during the season of Lent, I have a free Lesson Plan on my post: Lent Journey for Families

Our family wrote this prayer, and use it when we need to refocus our homeschool day. Here are the two versions we've used. I had it printed onto their homeschool planner.

 

If you're new to taking on the roll of home educating (aka homeschooling) your children, you will quickly realize that you need prayer to sustain you. Here are some prayers I have found helpful.

LET US UNITE IN DAILY PRAYER

Morning Offering

Most Holy and adorable Trinity, one God in three Persons, I praise you and give you thanks for all the favors you have bestowed on me. Your goodness has preserved me until now.

I offer you my whole being and in particular all my thoughts, words, and deeds, together with all the trials I may undergo this day. Give them your blessing. May your divine love animate them and may they serve your greater glory.

I make this morning offering  in union with the divine intentions of Jesus Christ who offers himself daily in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and in union with Mary,  his Virgin Mother and our Mother, who was always the faithful handmaid of the Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Communion

I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.  Amen.

Prayers for Divine Mercy

(pray using your rosary)

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth  from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You! (3x)

[Pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles Creed]

[Our Father Beads] Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. 

[Hail Mary Beads] For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, Have  mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Final Prayer] Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (3x)

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

Jesus I Trust in You (3x)

  

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.

Praying the Rosary

The Rosary has been part of a daily routine for most of my life. The past 3 years we've made grand efforts with having the whole family come together for evening rosary, including setting alarms and not allowing any television until it's been said. We've also made a routine of praying the 3pm Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It has become a new habit, where the alarm rings and everyone comes, usually without complaint, and desires it as a part of our routine and a part of our faith life.

**Let's normalize family prayer!**

I set my alarm for 7pm family rosary. They joined me without argument. 

We stopped what we were doing for 17 minutes. We are all called, not just the grownups. 

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." ~Proverbs 22:6

While this is not a mandatory obligation for Catholics, it is of common opinion of the faithful that it should be a part of the life of every Christian. I whole-heartedly agree through my own experience of it, that there is value in every effort to pray the rosary. If you're new to it, start small with one decade. If you're familiar, get more familiar and increase its frequency. 

But don't be discouraged if you find yourself wrangling littles, glaring at your teen, and wondering what bead you should be on. Some days it won't go so smoothly. Remember, simply the effort is an offering to God.

About a year ago, Our Lady inspired me to begin a once a month gathering in my home of friends and their children to pray the rosary. So we began Pray N Play on the first Monday of the month. I was overjoyed at the response. Wanting everyone to feel comfortable and realizing there are people who don't know how to pray the rosary, I created a little prayer card to guide them. 

I am most certain the Rosary is a prayer that can change the world and save souls. So with a great urging in my heart, I share this Rosary Prayer Card with you to print and share with others. Have it in your purse, the room you pray in, tucked in your Bible and Adoration bag, in your rosary basket, on your home altar. 

Click on to open the image, right click to save the file. Or print from the PDF File on Google Docs {here} Print on cardstock, back to back. I will include the whole text at the bottom of this post.

 

"One day, through the rosary and the scapular, she will save the world." ~St. Dominic

Recently I watched a video and read a book that inspired my family to attempt to pray THE WHOLE ROSARY. Being informed that just praying one Mystery (5 decades) is a "Children's Rosary," which is perfect for busy families. However, there is much grace in the traditional full rosary being prayed throughout the day. If you #makethetime for it, you may find your experience of grace and time is increased. I also have found throughout scripture and in writings of the saints, that we are to remember to pray SINCERELY, as that we do not become a mumbling crowd unconnected to the Spirit.

The video by True Faith TV & GabiAfterHours. 

I highly recommend Edward Sri's book "Praying the Rosary Like Never Before." It has opened my eyes to the origins of the rosary, reaffirming Mary's promptings to pray it, scriptural and historical references, and so much to contemplate.

I urge you, through the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the Immaculata, to decide today to pray the Rosary like never before. To pray it every day, to pray the whole rosary if you can, to read about it's history, to pray sincerely, to meditate deeply on the prayers you're offering, and to contemplate the life of Jesus and His Blessed Mother Mary.

My mother gave me her house rosary for display on our entryway prayer table. This is our 2020 Lent setup, and it changes year to year. It offers the children a reminder to make our life a prayer.

This is a homemade kneeler using a garden knee pad and puff paints. Personally, my littles decided to pick at it so it didn't last long. But for a VBS craft, to teens to use at Steubenville conferences, or just a simple home craft, it is a wonderful way to promote kneeling while praying.

We've also enjoyed a delicious Rosary of Cupcakes amongst friends at a First Communion celebration.

Got 20 Minutes?

HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY

Praying the Rosary is about meditating on the Life of Jesus and Mary, and allowing it to renew and inspire your spirit. You can pray all the mysteries in a day (recommended), or 1 of 4 Mysteries on the days suggested.  Begin by sharing your prayer intentions with Mary & Jesus, such as “for the souls in purgatory,” “for healing of…,” “for an end to…”

The Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

 The Joyful Mysteries (Monday & Saturday)

1. The Annunciation: Humility  (Luke 1:26-38)

2. The Visitation: Charity  (Luke 1:40-56)

3. The Nativity: Poverty, or detachment from the world  (Luke 2:6-20)

4. The Presentation of Jesus: Purity of heart, obedience (Luke 2:21-39)

5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple: Piety (Luke 2:41-51)

The Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)

1. The Baptism in the Jordan: Openness to the Holy Spirit  (Matt 3:1-17)

2. The Wedding at Cana:  Devotion To Jesus through Mary  (John 2:1-11)

3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom: Repentance & Trust in God

(John 3:1-5, Luke 18:16-30, Mark 4:11-33, Matt. 10:7-8, and more)

4. The Transfiguration: Desire for Holiness (Matt. 17: 1-9)

5. The Institution of the Eucharist:  Adoration (Matt. 26:19-30)

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday & Friday)

1. The Agony in the Garden: Contrition for our sins  (Matt. 26:36-46)

2. The Scourging at the Pillar: Mortification of our senses  (Matt. 27:26)

3. The Crowning with Thorns: Interior mortification (Matt. 27:29)

4. The Carrying of the Cross: Patience under crosses  (John 19:17)

5. The Crucifixion: That we may die to ourselves   (Luke 23:33-46)

The Glorious Mysteries (Sunday & Wednesday)

1. The Resurrection: Conversion of heart  (Luke 24:1-12)

2. The Ascension: A desire for heaven (Luke 24:50-51)

3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit: The Gifts of the Spirit  (Acts 2:1-4)

4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven: Devotion to Mary (Rev. 12)

5. The Coronation of our Blessed Mother: Eternal happiness (Rev. 12:1)

Learn more at Catholic.com: The Rosary

Apostles’ Creed (5th Century Statement of Beliefs)

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

· I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

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 trespasses; as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary (Luke 1:28,42 ; 1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among 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.

Glory Be (7th Century Hymn)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

· as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer (Prayer taught by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917)

·  O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Hail, Holy Queen (11th Century Prayer)

· Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, 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 valley 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.

Pray for us O holy mother of God,

· that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

[End by making the Sign of the Cross using your rosary.]

Closing Prayers (Optional)

· O God, whose only-begotten Son by his life, death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

We pray for the Pope and his intentions, and for the Holy Church.

· Our Father…  Hail Mary…  Glory Be…

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us.

We ask all the angels and saints to intercede for us.

· Saint [name] , Pray for us.

· St. Michael the Archangel… (prayer)

· Angel of God, my Guardian dear… (prayer)

Got 7 minutes?

This is how we wrap up our school day, every day, with the 3pm Divine Mercy Chaplet prayers. Maybe it's something you'll consider doing with yours to end the school day or when you welcome your family home off the bus. Only 7 minutes, yes. We often use the recorded audio on the Relevant Radio app. Other times we sing the chaplet, which I think is so lovely. There are a few versions on Youtube where you can follow along.