FAMILY PRAYERS. " FOR SUNDAY MORNING. O LORD God, fountain of life, giver of all good things, who givest to men the blessed hope of eternal life by our Lord Jesus Christ, and hast promised thy holy Spirit to them that ask him; be present with us in the dispensation of thy holy word. [*and Sacraments]. Grant that we, being preserved from all evil by thy power, and among the diversities of opinions and judgments now so prevalent, from all errors and false doctrines, and led into all truth by the conduct of thy holy Spirit, may for ever obey thy heavenly calling. Grant that we may be not only hearers of the word of life, but doers also of good works, keeping faith and a good conscience, living an unblamable life, usefully and charitably, religiously and prudently, in all godliness and honesty, before thee our God, and before all the world, that, at the end of our mortal life, we may enter into the light and life of God to sing praises, and eternal This clause is to be omitted if there be no Sacrament that day; or if the family do not receive it. B hymns, hymns, to the glory of thy name in eternal ages, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. MOST holy and eternal God, Lord and Sovereign of all created beings, we humbly present, to thy divine Majesty, ourselves, our souls and bodies, our actions and intentions, our passions and sufferings, our thoughts and our words, to be disposed by thee to thy glory, to be blessed by thy Providence, to be guided by thy counsel, to be sanctified by thy Spirit, and afterwards, that our bodies and souls may be received into glory: for nothing can perish which is under thy custody; nor can the enemy of souls devour what is thy portion, or take it out of thy hands. This day, O Lord, and all the days of our life, we dedicate to thy honor, humbly beseeching thee, that the discharge of our duty, in our several callings, may be made subservient to our improvement in Grace, that through the merits and intercession of our holy Saviour Jesus, that in him, and for him, we may be pardoned and accepted. Amen. O ETERNAL God, who dwellest not in temples made with hands, the heaven of heavens is not able to contain thee, and yet thou art pleased to manifest thy presence among the sons of men by special issues of thy favor and benediction; make our body and soul to be a temple pure and holy, prepared for the reception of the holy Jesus, and for the habitation of the holy Spirit. Lord, be pleased with thy rod of paternal discipline to cast out all impure thoughts, all worldly affections, all covetous covetous desires from our heart, that it may be a place of prayer and meditation, of pure intentions and zealous desires of pleasing thee. O God, fill every faculty of our soul with an attachment to Religion; and do thou hallow our soul, that we may be possessed with zeal and religious affections, loving thee above all things, worshipping thee with the humblest adorations, and frequent addresses; continually meditating upon thy infinite excellences, and delighted in the observance of thy righteous commandments as an anticipation of eternity, and admission to the joys of heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O ETERNAL Jesus, Lord of all creatures and Prince of the Catholic Church, whom all creatures obey in acknowlegement of thy supreme dominion, and all, according to thy will, co-operate to the advancement of thy kingdom, be pleased to order the affairs and accidents of the world, that all things, in their capacity, may do the work of the Gospel, retrench the growth of vice, and advance the interests of virtue. Make all estates, and orders of men, disciples and followers of thy blessed Son. Let princes worship thee, and defend Religion; let thy Clergy do thee honor by personal zeal and vigilance over their flocks; let all the world submit to thy sceptre, praise thy righteousness, adore thy judgments, and revere thy laws and in the multitudes of thy people within the inclosures of thy nets, let us also communicate in the offices of a strict and religious duty, that we may know thy voice, obey thy call, entertain thy holy Spirit, and improve our talents; that we may also communicate in the blessings of the Church; and when the nets shall be drawn to the shore, and the angels shall make a separation of the good from the bad, we may not be rejected, or thrown into those seas of fire, which shall afflict the enemies of thy kingdom, but be admitted into the societies of saints, and the everlasting communion of thy blessings and glories, O blessed and eternal Jesus, in whose prevailing name, and comprehensive words, we sum up all our wants, saying, OUR Father which art in heaven; hallowed be. thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done. in earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Doxology. GLORY be to the Father of mercies, the Father of men and angels, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory be to the most holy and eternal Son of God, the bleffed Saviour and Redeemer of the world, the Advocate of sinners, the Prince of peace, the Head of the Church, and the mighty Deliverer of all them that call upon him. 1 Glory |