Prayers in Honor of the Saints

[Stone]

Prayers to the All Saints

"So I say to you there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance" (Luke xv. 10).

"For in the resurrection they [the saints] shall be as the angels of God in heaven" (Matt. xxii. 30).


The saints are friends of God. They are like the angels in heaven. We honor them, not as we honor God, but on account of the relation they bear to God. They are creatures of God, the work of His hands. When we honor them, we honor God; as when we praise a beautiful painting, we praise the artist.

We do not believe that the saints can help us of themselves, but we ask them to "pray for us." We believe that everything comes to us "through Our Lord Jesus Christ." With these words all our prayers end. It is useful, salutary, and reasonable to pray to the saints and ask them to pray for us. No doubt all will admit the reasonableness of this practice if the saints can hear and help us.

That they hear and help us is evident from many passages of Scripture. The patriarch Jacob would not have prayed to the angel to bless his grandchildren Manasses and Ephraim (as we learn he did from Gen. xlviii.), unless he knew the angel could do so. We are informed (Luke xv.) that the angels rejoice when one sinner does penance. We are also informed (Matt. xxii.) that the saints are like the angels--i.e., have the same happiness and knowledge. Hence the saints, as well as the angels, can hear us, can help us, and are acquainted with our actions, words, and thoughts.

It is generally conceded that it is reasonable to ask pious persons on earth to pray for us. St. Paul, in his epistles, frequently asks the Christians to pray for him. "Brethren," he says, "pray for us." It is well known that God was pleased to answer the prayer of Abraham in favor of Abimelech. "More things are wrought by prayer than this world knows of." Now, if we poor sinners here on earth do not pray in vain for one another, will the saints in heaven, the friends of God, who rejoice when a sinner does penance, pray in vain for us? No. We have hosts of friends in heaven to speak a good word for us. And as a child who has disobeyed his parents wisely asks a better brother or sister to intercede with his parents for mercy, so, too, having disobeyed our heavenly Father by sin, we have recourse to others better than ourselves, to our better brothers and sisters, the Blessed Virgin and saints, to intercede with God for us. Is not this a reasonable practice?

If your mother or sister crosses the sea she will continue to pray for you. And if she crosses the sea of death will she forget you? No. The love she bore you here will continue in heaven. She will pray for you, and the "Lord will hear the prayers of the just." Ask the saints to pray to your God and their God for you. Honor God by honoring His friends and asking their intercession. And all your friends in heaven will unite in praying to the Father of us all that one day all who love God and His friends, the saints, may be admitted with them into the company of the Saint of saints, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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Giver of life, eternal Lord,
Thy own redeemed defend;
Mother of grace, thy children save,
And help them to the end.

Ye thousand thousand Angel hosts,
Assist us in our need;
Ye Patriarchs, with the Prophet choir,
For our forgiveness plead.

Forerunner blest, and thou who still
Dost heaven's dread keys retain;
Ye glorious Apostles all,
Unloose our guilty chain.

Army of Martyrs, holy Priests,
In beautiful array;
Ye happy troops of Virgins chaste
Wash all our stains away.

All ye who high above the stars
In heavenly glory reign,
May we through your prevailing prayers
Unto your joys attain.

Praise, honor, to the Father be,
Praise to His only Son;
Praise, Holy Paraclete, to Thee,
While endless ages run.
Amen

(Roman Breviary)

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A Prayer to your Patron Saints

O Blessed Saint N--, glorious citizen of heaven, as I render most humble thanks to God for all the good He has done thee so I beseech thee, to remember me in thy prayers, and to obtain for me the entire pardon of my sins, the amendment of my life, and the imitation of thy good spirit and holy graces, that I may be reconciled to my Saviour and always please Him. But especially I recommend to thee the hour of my death that by thy holy intercession, my soul may depart from this world in the grace of God, and may immediately come to everlasting life. Amen

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Petition for the Prayers of the Saints

Oh all ye saints and angels, who see Him face to face, Whom I here receive under these humble veils, and thou, most especially, ever blessed Virgin Mary, in whose sacred womb He was conceived and borne for nine months--I most humbly beg the assistance of your prayers and intercession, that I may in such a manner receive Him here in this place of banishment, as to be brought, one day, to behold Him with you in our true country, and there to praise and bless Him for ever and ever. Amen.

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Prayer for Greater Love of Jesus

O my Jesus, Thou knowest well that I love Thee; but I do not love Thee enough; O grant that I may love Thee more. O love that burnest ever and never failest, my God, Thou Who art charity itself, enkindle in my heart that divine fire which consumes the saints and transforms them into Thee. Amen

(An indulgence of 50 days, twice a day.--Leo XIII, Feb. 6, 1893.)

"The saints shall rejoice in glory: the high praises of God shall be in their mouths" Ps. cxlix. 5).

"The souls of the just are in the hands of God, they are in peace" (Wis iii i ).

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Te Deum, Ambrosian Hymn

TE DEUM laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.
O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.
Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee.

Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi Caeli et universae Potestates;
To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers,

Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!

Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
The glorious choir of the Apostles,

Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
The wonderful company of Prophets,

Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.

Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee:

Patrem immensae maiestatis:
The Father of infinite Majesty;

Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;

Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
And the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!

Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Thou, having taken it upon Thyself to deliver man, didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.

Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Thou overcame the sting of death and hast opened to believers the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

Iudex crederis esse venturus.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.

Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
We beseech Thee, therefore, to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.

Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance!

R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.

V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te.
V. Every day we thank Thee.

R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.
R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever.

V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.

R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.
R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.
V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.

R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.
R. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame.

(Indulgence: 5 years)

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Trent, Sess. XXV, De Invocatione, veneratione et reliquiis Sanctorum et sacris imaginibus

"The Holy Synod bids all Bishops and others whose duty it is to teach, diligently to instruct the faithful in accordance with the practice dating from the earliest ages of the Christian faith, and in harmony with the con-sentient teaching of the Holy Fathers and the Decrees of Councils, concerning the intercession and invocation of the Saints, the honor due to relics and the legitimate us of images. They are to teach that the Saints reigning with Christ offer to God prayers for us men; that it is a good and profitable thing humbly to invoke them and, in order to obtain benefits from God through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, our only Redeemer and Saviour, to appeal to them for their prayers, help and assistance. . . . . Also that the bodies of the Holy Martyrs Martyrs and others now living with Christ, bodies which were members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit and which are one day to be raised up by Him and glorified in eternal life, are to be venerated by the faithful, and that through them a many benefits are bestowed by God upon men."

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Prayer of St. Gertrude to the Saints in Heaven

I salute you through the Heart of Jesus, O all ye holy angels and saints of God; I rejoice in your glory and I give thanks to our Lord for all the benefits which He has showered upon you; I praise Him, and glorify Him, and offer you for an increase of your joy and honor, the most gentle heart of Jesus. Deign therefore, to pray for me that I may become according to the heart of God. Amen.

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Prayer to My Heavenly Patron

O heavenly patron, in whose name I glory, pray ever to God for me: strengthen me in my faith; establish me in virtue; guard me in the conflict, that I may vanquish the foe and attain to glory everlasting. Amen.

(Indulgence of 300 days)

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Quotes of the Saints

"We should honor God in His saints, and beseech Him to make us partakers of the graces He poured so abundantly upon them."--St. Vincent de Paul

"Let us read the lives of the saints; let us consider the penances which they performed, and blush to be so effeminate and so fearful of mortifying our flesh."--St. Alphonsus.

"There is more security in self-denial, mortification, and other like virtues, than in an abundance of tears."--St. Teresa

"Death is welcome to one who has always feared God and faithfully served Him.--St. Teresa

"The errors of others should serve to keep us from adding any of our own to them."--St. Ignatius

"In doing penance it is necessary to deprive oneself of as many lawful pleasures as we had the misfortune to indulge in unlawful ones.--St. Gregory the Great.

"Afflictions are the most certain proofs that God can give us of His love for us."--St. Vincent de Paul