Pastor’s Prayers

        The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian   

        O  Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth,
        faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.
        But give rather the spirit of
        chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. Yea, O
        Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my
        brother; For Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen
       

Adoro Te Devote

O Godhead hid, devoutly I adore Thee,
Who truly art within the forms before me;
To Thee my heart I bow with bended knee,
As failing quite in contemplating Thee.

Jesu, eternal Shepherd! hear our cry;
Increase the faith of all whose souls on Thee rely. 

Sight, touch, and taste in Thee are each deceived;
The ear alone most safely is believed:
I believe all the Son of God has spoken,
Than truth’s own word there is no truer token.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

God only on the cross lay hid from view;
But here lies hid at once the manhood too;
And I, in both professing my belief,
Make the same prayer as the repentant thief.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

Thy wounds, as Thomas saw, I do not see;
Yet Thee confess my Lord and God to be;
Make me believe Thee evermore and more;
In Thee my hope, in Thee my love to store.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

O Thou memorial of our Lord’s own dying!
O living bread, to mortals life supplying!
Make Thou my soul henceforth on Thee to live,
Ever a taste of heavenly sweetness give.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

O loving Pelican!  O Jesus Lord!
Unclean I am, but cleanse me in Thy Blood!
Of which a single drop, for sinners split,
Can purge the entire world from all its guilt.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

Jesus, whom, for the present, veil’d I see,
What I so thirst for, oh! vouchsafe to me;
That I may see Thy contenance unfolding,
And may be blest Thy glory in beholding.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

 –St. Thomas Aquinas
  
 
   
   
    

Novena to Our Lord of Transfiguration

God you have scattered the darkness with your light and have poured your light into my heart so that I might look upon the radiant face of Jesus Christ.   Nourish in me the desire to contemplate your beloved son.
O God, according to your plan, you have called me to holiness by your grace that you have revealed in Jesus Christ.  Your Gospel shows me the way so that I can share in your mission of glorious splendor of unending life.
Loving Father, you have so loved me that I have been called to be a son of God.  When Christ comes, grant that I may be like him.
O Christ, before your passion and death you revealed the resurrection to your disciple on Mount Tabor.  I pray for your church that labors amid the cares and anxieties of this world, that, in its trials, it may always be transfigured by the joy of your victory.
O Christ, you took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. We pray for our bishops and priests that they may inspire in your people the hope of being transfigured at the last day.
O Christ, you gave light to the world when the glory of the creator arose over you.  I pray for the men and women of good will that they may always walk in your light.
O Christ, upon the mountaintop you let the light of your face shine over Moses and Elijah. I ask your blessing upon your people who call on your name, who want to belong to the kingdom of light and life.
O Christ, you will reform my lowly body and make it like your glorious one.  I pray for my brothers and sisters who have died, that they may share your glory forever.
God, our Father, in the transfigured glory of Christ, your son, you strengthen my faith by confirming the witness of your prophets and by showing me the splendor of your beloved son.  Help me to become an heir to the eternal life with him, who lives and reigns with you and The Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

–Anonymous

Watch, O Lord, with those who wake,
or watch, or weep tonight,
and give Your Angels and Saints charge over those who sleep.
Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Your weary ones,
Bless Your dying ones,
Soothe Your suffering ones,
pity Your afflicted ones,
Shield Your joyous ones,
And all for Your love’s sake.

Amen.

–Evening Prayer by St. Augustine

Lord God Almighty,
I understand that I am unable to do anything without your help,
so I ask you to enable me by your grace to fulfill your will.
Give me grace to do whatever brings most glory and honor to you,
pleasure and profit to me,
and life and love to others.
Help me to number my days,
spending my time wisely,
living my life with all my might while I still have breath.
Humble me in the knowledge that I am chief of sinners;
when I hear of the sins of others,
help me to not look upon them with pride,
but to look upon myself with shame,
confessing my own sins to you.
When I go through difficulties and trials,
remind me of the pains of hell
from which you have already delivered me.
Place people in my path who need my help,
and give me a compassionate and generous spirit.
Fill my heart with such love
that I would never do anything out of a spirit of revenge,
nor lose my temper with those around me.
Hold my tongue when I am tempted to speak evil of others.
Thank you for the gospel and for the hope of glory.
Help me to live in light of these truths every day of my life,
so that when the time of my death arrives,
I will rest assuredly in you,
and you will be most glorified in me.
In Christ’s name…
– Trevin Wax (adapted from the first 21 of Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions)

God, from whom to stray is to fall,

And to whom to return is to rise up,

In whom to remain is to rest on a firm foundation.

To leave you is to die,

To return to you is to come back to life,

To dwell in you is to live.

No one loses you if he does not fall into error,

No one seeks you without being called,

No one finds you without being purified.

To go away from you is to be lost,

To seek you is to love,

To see you is to make you our own.

St. Augustine, Soliloquies, 1.3a, Murray Watts, Praying with St. Augustine (London, SPCK, 1987), 87-8.