The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations/Devotions for Every Day in the Week
Devotions for every day in the Week.
[The practice of consecrating each day of the week to honour some particular mystery, or saint, is conformable to a holy and ancient usage of the faithful. It is devotion particularly calculated for assisting young persons to spend each day fervently, because their attention is better fixed,- by being confined to one object at a time; and fervour is kept alive by the variety which occurs during the week. You would do well to adopt this devotion.]
EXERCISE FOR SUNDAY.
Devotion to the Adorable Trinity.
O BLESSED Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost The source and fountain of all good! I most firmly believe in thee, I most humbly adore thee, and thank thee, with a grateful heart, for all the blessings and benefits I have received from thy infinite goodness. I most fervently consecrate and offer to thee an unreserved sacrifice of my whole being. O my God, who hast a right to every day, hour, and moment of my existence, accept as the first fruits of this week the thoughts, words, and actions of this day, which I offer thee in testimony of my sincere desire to satisfy my obligation of keeping it holy; mercifully assist me to spend it in such a manner as may draw down thy blessing on the remainder of the week. Increase in my soul the heavenly virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, which I received at Baptism, and teach me to make Faith the rule of my conduct, that thereby it may avail me to life everlasting. Eternal Father! take possession of my memory; efface from it all images of vanity, and engrave therein the recollection of thy adorable presence. Eternal Son! enlighten my understanding, and conduct me in the path of salvation by the light of Faith. Holy Spirit! sanctify my will by the most ardent love; render it submissive under the contradictions of this life, and never permit that by attachment to my own ideas or judgment, I should forfeit the blessings of peace offered to men of good-will and obedient minds. Holy, adorable, undivided Trinity, by whose power, mercy, and providence, I was created, redeemed, regenerated, and preserved to this moment, receive the oblation of my whole being, and take me out of the world rather than permit me to efface thy sacred image in my soul by mortal sin. I adore thee, O Holy Trinity, I worship thee, I most humbly give thee thanks for having revealed to man this glorious, this incomprehensible mystery, and for granting to those who persevere until death in the faithful profession of it, the reward of beholding and enjoying in heaven, what we now believe, and adore upon earth, one God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Aspiration. — Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
EXERCISE FOR MONDAY.
Devotion for the Souls in Purgatory.
O GOD of all holiness! infinitely pure and adorable Being! how great must be thy horror of the least stain of sin, since thou punishest so rigorously in the flames of purgatory the venial faults of those whom thou so tenderly lovest. Ah! mercifully enlighten my understanding, that the torments thou inflictest on the least offence in the other world, may teach me the enormity of sin, and penetrate my heart with compassion for those souls who are now enduring inexpressible pains, for such failings as perhaps I too often look on as trivial. My God, though thy justice banishes them from that kingdom where nothing defiled can enter, yet surely thy mercy has not forgotten them; no, thou art too good, too compassionate to abandon the work of thy own hands. Though the season for merit and repentance is now past for them, yet thou hast left them a resource in the prayers of thy servants on earth. Despise not then, O Lord, the supplication which I, thy unworthy child, now make for those who can no longer implore thy mercy for themselves. Remember, O infinite Goodness, that they are all the work of thy hand; redeemed by the precious blood of thy only Son; consider that they are the objects of thy infinite love, who burn with the most ardent desire to be united to thee. Have mercy on them then, O infinite mercy, and for thy own sake stretch forth to their relief those sacred hands by which they were formed; apply to them once more the merits of that adorable blood by which they were redeemed. I most humbly offer up, to implore this favour, the adorable Sacrifice of the Mass at which I shall assist this day, or to-morrow, all the Masses which will be celebrated throughout the world, together with the adorable actions, prayers, and infinite merits of Jesus Christ while on earth; to which I most humbly add all my thoughts, words, actions, prayers, and sufferings during this day. Mercifully accept this oblation, O Lord, on behalf of all who now suffer in purgatory, particularly those for whom thou desirest I should pray — those who are most dear to me — those to whose sufferings I may have been in any respect accessory — those who are most forgotten by others, and who have no one to pray for them. Give them all speedy repose and eternal rest, O merciful Father of all mankind! and give me the grace I stand in need of, spending this day in such a manner as may, through thy infinite goodness, tend to the great object I dare to have in view, which is the repose of thy dear and suffering children.
Aspiration. — Give them, O Lord, eternal rest; and let perpetual light shine on them.
EXERCISE FOR TUESDAY.
Devotion to your Angel Guardian.
O ANGEL of God! my blessed protector and most amiable Guardian! to whose care I have been committed by my Creator from the moment of my birth, unite with me in thanking the Almighty for having given me a friend, an instructor, an advocate and a guardian in thee. Accept, O most charitable Guide! my fervent thanksgiving for all thou hast done for me; particularly for the charity with which thou didst undertake to accompany me through life: for the joy with which thou wert filled, when I was purified in the waters of baptism; and for thy anxious solicitude in watching over the treasures of my innocence. Thou knowest the numberless graces and favours which my Creator has bestowed on me through thee, and the many dangers, both spiritual and temporal, from which thou hast preserved me. Thou knowest how often thou didst deplore my sins, animate me to repentance, and intercede with God for my pardon. Ah! why have I so little merited a continuance of the zealous efforts for my salvation? Why have I so often stained my soul by sin, and thereby rendered myself unworthy of the presence and protection of an angel, of so pure a spirit as thou art, who never sinned? Still, as my ingratitude and thoughtlessness have not lessened thy charitable interest for my salvation, they shall not diminish my confidence in thy goodness, nor prevent my abandoning myself to thy care, since God himself has intrusted thee with the charge of my soul. Penetrated with sorrow for the little progress I have made in virtue, though blessed with such a Guide, sincerely determined to correspond in future with thy exertions for my salvation, I most earnestly entreat thee, O protecting Spirit, to continue thy zealous efforts for my eternal interest; to watch over my youth, to direct my inexperience, to fortify my weakness, to shield me from the innumerable dangers of the world, and rather to obtain, by thy powerful prayers, that my life may be shortened, than that I should live to commit a mortal sin. Remember, O most happy Spirit! that it was one act of profound humility, and one transport of ardent love for thy Creator, that caused God to establish thee for ever in glory; obtain that those virtues may be early implanted in my soul, and that I may seriously endeavour to acquire the docility, obedience, gentleness, and purity of heart, which should be the favourite virtues of my present years. Conduct me safely through this world of sin and misery; watch over me at the awful hour of my death; perform for my soul the last charitable office of thy mission, by strengthening, encouraging, and supporting me in the agonies of death, and then, as the Angel Raphael conducted Tobias safely to his father, do thou, my good Angel and blessed Guide, return with me to him who sent thee, that we may mutually bless him, and publish his wonderful works for a happy eternity. Amen.
Aspiration. — O my dear Angel Guardian, preserve me from the misfortune of offending God.
EXERCISE FOR WEDNESDAY.
Devotion to St. Joseph.
O GREAT St. Joseph! reputed Father of Jesus! and spouse of the Mother of God! thou art my special Patron, and the object of my sincere devotion, respect, and confidence; I rejoice from the bottom of my heart, in the sublime favours bestowed on thee. I thank the Almighty for having honoured thee with the most glorious commission which heaven could give thee for having made thee the guardian of the life of Jesus — the protector of Him who watches over the world, the support and consoler of his most blessed Mother. O great Favourite of Heaven! if thou wert so exalted on earth, how great must thou be in heaven! If this wretched world was rendered a paradise for thee by the constant presence of Jesus, how happy must thou be, now that thou beholdest him in the splendour of his glory! I will, notwithstanding thy dignity and my unworthiness, approach thee with confidence, because I am convinced that the constant view of the eternal God become a child for our love, has filled thy heart with paternal tenderness for all those whom he honoured, and instructed by the example of his early life. O glorious model and patron of God’s greatest saints! thou dost not disdain to become the particular patron of youth, because the sacred infancy of Christ was the source of thy glory, and the object of thy tender devotion. Receive me, then, into thy venerable arms, for the love of the divine Infant who so often reposed on thy bosom. Take me as thy child, for the sake of him whose submission to thy will and dependence on thy care so exalted thee. I, on my part, most fervently offer thee my heart, and all my thoughts, words, and actions of this day, which I particularly consecrate to thee, as a small testimony of my respect and filial love. Present me, O blessed Saint, to Jesus, and obtain for me a share in the virtues and amiable dispositions of his divine childhood, that I may thereby become less unworthy to call thee my Father. Be thou, O glorious Guardian of the Word made Flesh! my special protector; not alone amidst the many dangers of my youth, but throughout my life. Implore for me a particular devotion to thy Virgin Spouse, and the grace to imitate so faithfully her virtues and thine, that at the hour of my death, I may be entitled to look up to her and to thee with an humble confidence. When that awful hour of my departure from this world arrives, obtain for me, O glorious St. Joseph! a small share in the profound peace, holy confidence, and ardent love which the actual presence of Jesus and Mary infused into thy soul at thy consoling death, and do not cease to be my dear blessed protector, until I shall have happily joined thee in the kingdom of eternal rest. Amen.
Aspiration. — O glorious St. Joseph I obtain for me the grace of a holy life and a happy death.
EXERCISE FOR THURSDAY.
Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
O MOST adorable Jesus! whom thy own infinite love induces to dwell among us, thy unworthy servants, in the adorable Sacrament of our Altars, receive I beseech thee, my profound adoration. I firmly believe that thou art really present in the Holy Eucharist, as powerful, as amiable, and as adorable as thou art in heaven; thou hast mercifully hidden the splendour of thy Majesty, lest it should deter us from approaching thy sanctuary. I believe thou dwellest on our altars, not alone to receive our adorations, but to listen to our petitions — to remedy our evils — to be the strength and nourishment of our souls, our powerful Helper, our Refuge, and our Sacrifice, I hope in that boundless mercy which detains thee among us poor weak sinners. I love that infinite goodness which induces thee to communicate thyself so liberally and so wonderfully to thy creatures. I thank thee for such a convincing proof of thy love, and ardently wish that I could worthily acknowledge all the blessings I have ever received from this fountain of grace and mercy. I sincerely regret that this precious pledge of thy love is received by so many with such coldness and indifference. Alas! I myself have had too much share, by my ungrateful conduct, in wounding thy merciful heart on this altar, and am more guilty than others, since very few have been so much favoured. Thou hast not only granted me abundantly the general blessings which this fountain of grace pours on the world, but thou hast provided me with the most favourable opportunities of loving and adoring thee in this august mystery. Thou hast placed me close to thy sanctuary, where I can recur to thee frequently, and daily behold the sacrifice on the altar. Ah! my good God. I am now convinced that thou deservest from me all the love that my heart is capable of feeling; therefore I humbly consecrate to thee all my affections, and firmly resolve from this moment to endeavour to imitate the respect, gratitude, and love, which always distinguished those among thy faithful servants, who were most peculiarly devoted to the august Sacrament of the Altar. Accept, O divine Jesus! the adorable Sacrifice of the Mass, and all the thoughts, words, and actions of this day, which I fervently offer in thanksgiving for the institution of this amiable mystery; in atonement for all the insults, irreverences, and sacrileges, which have ever been committed against it; and to implore for myself and all creatures a solid devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Mercifully give efficacy to my ardent desire of worthily honouring thee in this adorable mystery, and grant me, through thy divine Heart, a share in the purity and fervour of the angels who day and night surround thy sanctuary, and of all those who ever loved thee most in this sacred mystery, that I may serve thee with sincerity and perseverance during my life, and be so happy at length, as to enjoy thee in the splendour of thy glory for a happy eternity. Amen.
Aspiration. — O living Bread! come down from heaven: be thou my support in this life, and my viaticum to a happy eternity.
EXERCISE FOR FRIDAY.
Devotion to the Passion of our Lord .
O DIVINE and adorable Jesus! Saviour of mankind, I most humbly adore thee, and beseech thee to penetrate my soul with the most lively gratitude for that infinite love, which brought thee from heaven to suffer and die for me. O do not permit that I should ever be one of the ungrateful number who forget thy sufferings, or think of them with indifference. Ah! where should I be for all eternity, if thou hadst not loved me better than thy own life? Should not thy bitter sufferings fill my heart with compassion and sorrow, since they were occasioned by my sins? Yes, my adorable Saviour! divine Victim of my sins! I will at least think of thee, who hast never forgotten me. I will live for thee, who didst not refuse to die for me. I now most fervently offer to thee, in union with the oblation of thyself on the cross, the sacrifice of my whole being. I desire to accompany thee in spirit through all the stages of thy sufferings, and to commemorate them by the most sincere sentiments of gratitude for thy love, and sorrow for my sins and those of the world. Adorable Jesus! overwhelmed with sorrow for my sins in the Garden of Olives! give me the grace of sincere contrition and perfect conformity to thy holy will; teach me, by thy wonderful patience in the midst of the most cruel insults, the virtue of meekness; let thy profound humiliations, when thou wert crowned with thorns, and clothed with a purple garment, animate me to conquer my pride, and despise sincerely the opinion of the world; associate me to the hippy few who followed thee to Mount Calvary, and beheld thee crucified. Thou didst end thy life, O merciful Jesus! in torments and humiliations, deprived of everything this world calls pleasure or consolation; thou art my model. I know that thou art the way, the truth , and the life: that all who would be saved must walk after thee, and all who would reign with thee in heaven, must on earth take up their cross and follow thee.
I believe these truths, and conjure thee, through thy sufferings from the moment of thy birth unto thy death, to strengthen me to bear whatever cross thou mayst send me. Thou hast not yet, it is true, honoured me with a great share in thy sufferings; thou hast spared the weakness of my age and virtue; but I know that if thou lovest me, I shall not pass through this life without sufferings. I am convinced that thou knowest what is best for me, therefore I now accept from thy hand, with resignation to thy holy will, all the trials and sufferings of my future life. I unite them beforehand to thy cross, and beg pf thee to strengthen me now so powerfully by the graces thou hast purchased for me through thy death and passion, that I may never expose myself to eternal sufferings hereafter.
Aspiration. — I adore thee and bless thee, O Christ, because by thy cress thou hast redeemed the world.
EXERCISE FOR SATURDAY.
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
O EVER-GLORIOUS Virgin Mary! most perfect and amiable of all creatures! I humbly cast myself at thy feet, and beseech thee to accept the sincere protestations of respect and veneration, which I now fervently present to thee. I reverence thee, O sacred Virgin! as the Mother of my Redeemer, and I fervently offer thee all the homage which is due to thee in that august dignity. I confide in thee, I love thee, as the merciful advocate and tender Mother of all Christians; most earnestly desiring that I could collect in my heart alone, all the tender and respectful sentiments which ever animated thy most devoted servants. But to supply for my deficiencies, I offer thee the filial tenderness with which Jesus Christ loved thee, and the respect and obedience with which, as thy dear Son, he deigned to honour thee. O Mother of Mercy! who wert never known to reject any one that had recourse to thee, receive me as thy child, for the sake of Him who confided me to thy care in his agony on the cross. Permit me to choose thee for my glorious Patroness, my dear Mother, and the object next to God, of my respect, gratitude, and love. Ah! do not refuse to receive me under thy maternal care, and to grant me a place in thy amiable heart. Let me have the honour and happiness of being ranked from my youth among thy most devoted children; that by loving and serving thee, I may learn to serve and love God perfectly; and by endeavouring to imitate thee, I may imitate Jesus Christ, whose most perfect image thou art. Accept, then, the oblation I now make to thee of my heart, that thou mayst present it to Jesus Christ, in union with the early sacrifice thou didst make of thy pure heart in the Temple. O mercifully deign, most powerful Virgin, to obtain for me grace to make an early and perfect sacrifice of my heart and whole being to Him, for whose love and service alone I was created. Teach me by thy early flight from the world, to dread and despise the world, and to profit of the advantage of my present situation, that thereby I may be prepared to meet the temptations and dangers to which I may be exposed. Obtain for me an abundant share in the heavenly dispositions of thy holy heart, and beseech thy dear Son to impart to me in particular a lively horror of sin; purity of heart and mind; devotion towards thee, a love of retirement, fidelity in discharging the duties of my state, an ardent love for always distinguished thee, and marked thee out even exteriorly as the Temple of the Divinity. To obtain these great graces, and in thanksgiving for the favours bestowed on thee, my blessed model, I fervently offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and the thoughts, words, actions, and various duties of this day. I conjure thee, by the maternal tenderness with which thou didst guard the sacred infancy of thy divine Son, to watch over me this day, and every moment of my life; to be a mother, a refuge, and guide to me in all the difficulties, temptations, and dangers I may hereafter be exposed to; and when the dreadful hour of my death comes, O holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me, support me, defend me, and plead for me so powerfully with God, that I may die in the friendship of my Creator, and reap for all eternity the happy fruits of having been sincerely devoted to thee. Amen.
Aspiration. — O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary! pray for me now, and at the hour of my death.