For the Universal Church
God our Father, by the promise you
made in the life, death, and resurrection
of Christ your Son, you bring together in
your Spirit, from all the nations, a people
to be your own. Keep the Church faithful
to its mission: may it be a leaven in the
world renewing us in Christ, and trans-
forming us into your family.                                                                                                                                                                    For the Local Church
God our Father, in all the churches                                                                                                                                                scattered throughout the world you show
forth the one, holy, catholic and apostolic
Church. Through the gospel and the Eu.
charist bring your people together in the
Holy Spirit and guide us in your love.
Make us a sign of your love for all people,
and help us to show forth the living pres.
ence of Christ in the world, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever.                                                                                                                                                                            For the Pope
Lord, source of eternal life and truth,
give to your shepherd N. a spirit of cour-
age and right judgement, a spirit of
knowledge and love. By governing with
fidelity those entrusted to his care may
he, as successor to the apostle Peter and
vicar of Christ, build your Church into a
sacrament of unity, love, and peace for
all the world.                                                                                                                                                                                              For a Bishop
Lord our God, you have chosen your
servant N. to be a shepherd of your flock
the tradition of the apostles. Give him a
spirit of courage and right judgement, a
spirit of knowledge and love. By govern-
ing with fidelity those entrusted to his care
may he build your Church as a sign of
salvation for the world.                                                                                                                                                                            For Priests
Lord our God, you guide your people
by the ministry of priests. Keep them
faithful in obedient service to you that by
their life and ministry they may bring you
glory in Christ. We ask this through our
Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.                                                                                                                                                                     For Religious
Father, you inspire and bring to
fulfilment every good intention. Guide
your people in the way of salvation and                                                                                                                                                watch over those who have left all things
to give themselves entirely to you. By
following Christ and renouncing worldly
power and profit, may they serve you and
their brothers and sisters faithfully in the
spirit of poverty and humility.                                                                                                                                                                For Missionaries
Lord Jesus Christ, watch over your
missionaries-priests, religious, and lay
people-who leave everything to give tes-
timony to your Word and your love. In
difficult moments sustain their energies,
comfort their hearts, and crown their work
with spiritual achievements. Let the ador-
able image of you crucified on the Cross,
which accompanies them throughout life,
speak to them of heroism, generosity, love
and peace.                                                                                                                                                                                                  For Vocations
O dearest Jesus, Son of the eternal
Father and Mary Immaculate, grant to our
boys and girls, the generosity necessary                                                                                                                                           to follow your call, and the courage re-
quired to overcome all obstacles to their
vocation.
Give to parents that faith, love and
spirit of sacrifice which will inspire them
to offer their children to God’s service,
and cause them to rejoice exceedingly,
whenever one of their children is called to
the religious life.
Let your example, and that of your
blessed Mother and St Joseph, encour-
age both children and parents, and let
your grace sustain them.                                                                                                                                                                          For Families
Father, we look to your loving guid-
ance and order as the pattern of all family
life. By following the example of the Holy
family of your Son, in mutual love and
respect, may we come to the joy of our
home in heaven.                                                                                                                                                                                        For Relatives and Friends
Father, by the power of your Spirit
you have filled the hearts of your faithful                                                                                                                                            people with gifts of love for one another.
Hear the prayers we offer for our relatives
and friends. Give them health of mind and
body that they may do your will with per-
fect love.                                                                                                                                                                                                      For Oneself
O Jesus, wash away my sins with your
Precious Blood. O Jesus, the struggle
against temptation is not yet finished. My
Jesus, when temptation comes near me,
make me strong against it. In the mo-
ment of temptation may I always say: “My
Jesus, mercy! Mary, help!”
O Jesus, may I lead a good life; may I
die a happy death. May I receive you
before I die: May I say when I am dying:
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my
heart and my soul.”                                                                                                                                                                                  For Others
O Jesus, have mercy on your holy
Church: take care of it, O Jesus, have pity
on poor sinners, and save them from hell.                                                                                                                                          O Jesus, bless my father, my mother, my
brothers and sisters, and all ! ought to
pray for, as your Sacred Heart knows how
to bless them. O Jesus, have pity on the
poor souls in purgatory and give them
eternal rest.                                                                                                                                                                                                For the Nation
God our Father, you guide everything
in wisdom and love. Accept the prayers
we offer for our nation; by the wisdom of
our leaders and integrity of our citizens,
may harmony and justice be secured and
may there be lasting prosperity and peace.                                                                                                                                          For the Rulers
Almighty and eternal God, you know
the longings of people’s hearts and you
protect their rights. In your goodness,
watch over those in authority, so that
people everywhere may enjoy freedom,
security, and peace.                                                                                                                                                                                  For the People of God
God our Father, you send the power of
the Gospel into the world as a life-giving
leaven. Fill with the Spirit of Christ those
whom you call to live in the midst of the
world and its concerns; help them by their
work on earth to build up your eternal
kingdom.                                                                                                                                                                                                    For Workers
God our Father, you have placed all
the powers of nature under the control of
man and his work. May we bring the spirit
of Christ to all our efforts and work with
our brothers and sisters at our common
task, establishing true love and guiding
your creation to perfect fulfilment.                                                                                                                                                        For Prisoners
Father of mercy, the secrets of all
hearts are known to you alone. You know
who is just and you forgive the unjust
Hear our prayers for those in prison. Give
them patience and hope in their suffer
ings, and bring them home again soon.                                                                                                                                             For the Unity of the Church
Heavenly Father, your blessed Son
asked that his Church be one as you and
he are one, but Christians have not been
united as he prayed. We have isolated.
ourselves from each other and failed to
listen to each other. We have misunder-
stood and ridiculed and even gone so far
as to attack each other. In so doing we
have offended against you, against all our
brothers and sisters in the Church, and
against all who have not believed in you
because of our scandalous disunity. For-
give us, Father, and make us fully one.
Blot out our sins, renew our minds, en-
kindle our hearts, and guide us by your
Holy Spirit into that oneness which is your
will.                                                                                                                                                                                                              For Ecumenism
Almighty and eternal God, keep to-
gether those you have united. Look kindly
on all who follow Jesus your Son.                                                                                                                                                          For Peace and Justice
no Lord, you guide all creation with fa-
therly care. As you have given all one
common origin, bring them together
peacefully into one family and keep them
united in love.                                                                                                                                                                                            For Rain
Tuo Lord God, in you we live and move
and have our being. Help us in our present
time of trouble, send us the rain we need,
and teach us to seek your lasting help on
the way to eternal life.                                                                                                                                                                              For Fine Weather
All-powerful and ever-living God, we
find security in your forgiveness. Give us
the fine weather we pray for so that we
may rejoice in your gifts of kindness and
use them always for your glory and our
good.                                                                                                                                                                                                            For Any Need
God our Father, our strength in adver-
sity, our health in weakness, our comfort
in sorrow, be merciful to your people. As
you have given us the punishment we
deserve, give us also new life and hope as
we rest in your kindness.                                                                                                                                                                        For the Proper Use of Media
Heavenly Father, enable us to make
proper use of the marvellous means of
communication that are constantly being
placed at our disposal so that we will ex-
perience no harm, and, like salt and light,
will give savour to the earth and brighten
the world.
May all men and women of good will
also strive to use them solely for the good
of society whose fate depends more and
more on their proper use. Grant that, as
was the case with ancient works of art.
these discoveries may serve to glorify the
Name of the Lord, in accord with the
words of the Apostle: “Jesus Christ, yes-
terday and today, and the same forever!”                                                                                                                                            For the Suffering
Merciful Lord, you have a compas-
sionate heart and so identify with those
who suffer as to take as done to you what-
ever is done to them. Give us this com-
passion. Open our eyes to the suffering
that is around us; let us be your hands to
tend the physical and moral wounds of
our brothers and sisters, and place on our
lips soothing words of consolation and
love. For you live and reign for ever and
ever.                                                                                                                                                                                                              For the Sick 
Father, your Son accepted sufferings
to teach us the virtue of patience in hu-
man illness. Hear the prayers we offer for
our sick brothers and sisters. May all who
suffer pain, illness or disease realize that
they are chosen to be saints, and know
that they are joined to Christ in his suffer-
ing for the salvation of the world, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.                                                                                                                                                        For the Dying
God of power and mercy, you have
made death itself the gateway to eternal
life. Look with love on our dying brother/
sister, and make him/her one with your
Son in his suffering and death, that, sealed
with the blood of Christ, he/she may come
before you free from sin.                                                                                                                                                                        For a Happy Death
Father, you made us in your own im-
age and your Son accepted death for our
salvation. Help us to keep watch in prayer
at all times. May we be free from sin when
we leave this world and rejoice in peace
with you for ever.                                                                                                                                                                                      For the Departed
Psalm 130: Out of the depths I cry to
you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.
If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,                                                                                                                                                  Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you.
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.
My soul is longing for the Lord
more than watchman for daybreak.
Let the watchman count on daybreak
and Israel on the Lord.
Because with the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption,
Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity. no
L: Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord.
R: And let perpetual light shine on them.
L: May they rest in peace.
R: Amen.
Let us pray
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of
all the faithful, grant to the souls of your
servants departed the remission of all their
sins, that by our devout prayers, they may
obtain the pardon for their sins, which
they have always desired.