Catholic
Family
The
National Association of Catholic Families
Prayers

The Grande Chartreuse
Prayers
during the Day
The
Pope's Prayer for Families
The
Athanasian Creed
Hymn
for Our Lady
The
Rosary
Psalms
for the Family
For
the Dead - Dies Irae
A
Letter from Jesus Christ
The
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The
Pope's prayer for families
Lord God, from you every family in
Heaven and on earth takes its name
Father,
you are love and life.
Through
your Son, Jesus Christ, born of woman,
and through the Holy Spirit, fountain
of Divine Charity, grant that each
family on earth may become for each
successive generation a true shrine
of life and love.
Grant
that your grace may guide the thoughts
and actions of husbands and wives
for the good of their families and
of all the families in the world.
Grant
that the young may find in the family
solid support for their human dignity
and for their growth in truth and
love.
Grant
that love, strengthened by the grace
of the sacrament of marriage, may
prove mightier than all the weaknesses
and trials through which our families
sometimes pass.
Through
the intercession of the Holy Family
of Nazareth, grant that the Church
may fruitfully carry out her worldwide
mission in the family and through
the family.
Through
Christ our Lord who is the Way, the
Truth and the Life for ever and ever.
Amen
Top
The
Athanasian Creed
WHOEVER
wishes to he saved must before all
else adhere to the Catholic faith.
He
must preserve this faith whole and
untarnished; otherwise he shall most
certainly perish forever.
Now
this is the Catholic faith: that we
worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity
in unity; Neither confusing the persons
nor distinguishing the nature.
The
person of the Father is distinct;
the person of the Son is distinct;
the person of the Holy Spirit is distinct.
Yet
the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit possess one Godhead, equal
glory; and coeternal majesty.
As
the Father is, so is the Son, so also
is the Holy Spirit.
The
Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated,
the Holy Spirit is uncreated.
The
Father is infinte, the Son is infinite,
the Holy Spirit is infinite.
The
Father is eternal, the Son is eternal,
the Holy Spirit is eternal.
Nevertheless,
they are not three eternals but one
Eternal
Even
as they are not three uncreateds,
or three infinites, but one Uncreated
and one Infinite. So likewise the
Father is almighty, the Son is almighty,
the Holy Spirit is almighty.
And
yet they are not three almighties,
but one Almighty.
So
also the Father is God, the Son is
God, the Holy Spirit is God,
And
yet they are not three Gods, but only
one God, so too the Father is Lord,
the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is
Lord.
And
still there are not three Lords, but
only one Lord.
For
just as we arc compelled by Christian
truth to profess that each Person
is individually God and Lord, so also
are we forbidden by the Catholic religion
to hold that there are three Gods
or three Lords.
The
Father was made by no one, being neither
created nor begotten.
The
Son is from the Father alone, though
not created or made, but begotten.
The
Holy Spirit is from the Father and
the Son, though neither made nor created
nor begotten, but proceeding,
Consequently
there is one Father, not three Fathers;
there is one Son, not three Sons;
there is one Holy Spirit, not three
Holy Spirits.
Furthermore,
in this Trinity there is no "before"
or "after", no "greater"
or "less": for all three
Persons are co-eternal and coequal.
In
every respect, therefore, as has already
been stated, unity must be worshipped
in Trinity, and Trinity in unity.
This
is what everyone who wishes to be
saved must hold regarding the Blessed
Trinity. But, for his eternal salvation,
he must also believe according to
the true faith in the Incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now
the true faith requires us to believe
and acknowledge that our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, is both God
and Man.
He
is God, begotten of the substance
of the Father before the world began;
He is Man, born in the world of the
substance of His Mother.
Perfect
God, perfect Man, a substance composed
of a rational soul and a human body.
Equal to the Father in divinity, less
than the Father with respect to His
humanity.
And,
although He is God and Man, still
He is only one Christ, not two.
One,
not by any turning of the divinity
into flesh, but by the taking up of
humanity into God.
One
only, not by any confusion of substance,
but by the unity of His person.
For,
just as the rational soul and the
body form one man, so God and Man
form one Christ. He suffered for our
salvation, descended into hell, rose
from the dead on the third day. Ascended
into heaven and sits at the right
hand of God the Father all-powerful,
whence He shall come to judge the
living and the dead.
At
His coming, all men must rise with
their bodies and must give an account
of their own deeds.
And
those who have done good shall go
into eternal life, while those who
have done evil shall go into eternal
fire.
This
is the Catholic faith, and anyone
who does not believe it fully and
firmly cannot be saved. Amen
Top
Prayers
during the day
MORNING PRAYER
Lord
God, Father all-powerful, you have brought us
to the beginning of this day. By your power keep
us on the road to salvation; do not let us fall
into any sin today, nor may any danger befall
us. But grant that all our actions may tend, under
your guidance, toward the fulfilment of your law
of holiness. This we ask through Our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
AT PRIME, SEXT
& NONE
Memento,
rerum Conditor,
Nostri quod olim corporis
Sacrato ab alvo Virginis
Nascendo formam sumperis.
Maria
Mater gratiae,
Dulcis parens clementiae,
Tu nos ab hoste protégé,
Et mortius hora suscipe.
IESU,
tibi sit Gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre et almo Spiritu
In sepiterna saecula. Amen
-oOo-
Remember,
Maker
of us all,
Into our world Thou once didst come
Made manifest in human flesh,
The child of Mary's stainless womb.
O
Mary, Mother of God's grace,
Protect us from the foe's alarms;
Dear Mother, kind and pitiful,
Hold us when dying, in thine arms.
JESUS,
to Thee be glory paid
Whom once the Maiden-Mother bore:
And to the Father praise be given
And Holy Ghost for ever more. Amen
-oOo-
T E R C E
Nunc
Sancte nobis Spiritus
Unum Patri cum Filio,
Dignare promptus ingeri
Nostro refusus pectori.
Os,
lingua, mens, sensus, vigor
Confessionem personent,
Flammescat igne caritas,
Accendat ardour proximos.
Praesta,
Pater Piissime,
Patrique compare Unice,
Cum Spiritu Paraclito
Regnans per omne saeculum. Amen
-oOo-
Come,
Holy Spirit, ever One
with the Father and with the Son.
It is the hour, our souls possess
with your full flood of holiness.
Let
hands and heart and lips and mind
sound forth our witness to mankind;
and love light up our mortal frame
till others catch the living flame.
Grant
this, O Father, ever One
with Christ, your sole-begotten Son;
whom, with the Spirit, we adore,
one God, both now and evermore. Amen.
-oOo-
V E S P E R S
O
God of all the universe,
creative power and ruling mind,
the day with splendid light you clothe,
the night you bless with sweet repose.
Rest
thus given to our limbs
for tomorrow's work prepares;
with strength renewed and minds alert,
freed from all distracting cares.
For
this day's grace we give you thanks;
our evening prayer we beg you hear.
We owe you this our hymn of praise:
inspire our minds to be sincere.
To
you we sing from depth of heart.
to you we raise our melody;
for you our pure love chastely sighs,
in you we rest adoringly.
So
when the dark shades of the night
to its close this day shall bring,
make our faith steadfastly shine
to pierce the darkness with its flame.
Our
restless passions put to sleep
but let our souls keep watchful guard;
while dreamless sleep renews the mind
may chaste faith cool our ardent hearts.
Of
sensuality stripped clean
before you may we e'er abide,
lest, by our wicked foe deceived,
alarm invade our slumbertide.
To
you we pray, O Jesus Christ,
to Father and to Spirit blest:
Three Persons with one equal power,
Blest Trinity, hear our request.
Amen
-oOo-
C O M P
L I N E
Memento,
rerum Conditor,
Nostri quod olim corporis
Sacrato ab alvo Virginis
Nascendo formam sumperis.
Maria
Mater gratiae,
Dulcis parens clementiae,
Tu nos ab hoste protégé,
Et mortius hora suscipe.
IESU,
tibi sit Gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre et almo Spiritu
In sepiterna saecula. Amen
-oOo-
Remember,
Maker
of us all,
Into our world Thou once didst come
Made manifest in human flesh,
The child of Mary's stainless womb.
O
Mary, Mother of God's grace,
Protect us from the foe's alarms;
Dear Mother, kind and pitiful,
Hold us when dying, in thine arms.
JESUS,
to Thee be glory paid
Whom once the Maiden-Mother bore:
And to the Father praise be given
And Holy Ghost for ever more. Amen
-oOo-
Visita,
qaesumus, Domine, habitationem istam, et omnes insidias
inimici ab ea longe repelle: Angeli tui sancti habitent
in ea, qui nos in pace custodiant, et bendictio
tua super nos semper. Per Dominum.
O
Lord, we bessech thee, visit this house, and drive
from it all the snares of the enemy; may thy holy
angels abide therein to keep us in peace; and may
blessing be ever upon us. Through our Lord.
Prayers
for Our Lady
Ave
maris stella,
Dei Mater alma,
Atque semper Virgo,
Felix caeli porta.
Sumens
illud Ave
Gabrielis ore,
Funda nos in pace,
Mutans Hevae nomen.
Solve
vincla reis,
Profer lumen caecis,
Mala nostra pelle,
Bona cuncta posce.
Monstra
te esse Matrem,
Sumat per te preces
Qui pro nobis natus
Tulit esse tuus.
Virgo
singularis,
Inter omnes mitis,
Nos culpis solutos
Mites fac et castos,
Vitam
praesta puram,
Iter para tutum,
Ut videntes Jesum
Semper collaetemur.
Sit
laus Deo Patri,
Summo Christo decus,
Spiritui Sancto,
Tribus honor unus. Amen.
~oOo~
Bright
Mother of our Maker, hail,
Thou Virgin ever blest,
The ocean's star by which we sail
And gain the port of rest.
Whilst
we this Ave thus to. Thee
From Gabriel's mouth rehearse,
Prevail that peace our lot may be,
And Eva's name reverse.
Release
our long-entangled mind
From all the snares of ill ;
With heavenly light instruct the blind
And all our vows fulfil.
Exert
for us a mother's care
And us thy children own ;
Prevail with him to hear our prayer
Who chose to be thy Son.
O
spotless Maid, whose virtues shine
With brightest purity,
Each action of our lives refine
And make us pure like thee.
Preserve
our lives unstained with ill
In this infectious way,
That heaven alone our souls may fill
With joys that ne'er decay.
To
God the Father endless praise,
To God the Son the same,
And Holy. Ghost, whose equal rays
One equal glory claim. Amen.
~oOo~
Litany
of Our Lady of Walsingham
Our
Lady of Walsingham, pray to the for
us.
Mary, conceived without sin, pray
to the Lord for us.
Mary the Virgin, pray to the Lord
for us.
Mary, the Mother of God. pray to the
Lord for us.
Mary taken up into Heaven, pray to
the lord for us.
Mary at Bethlehem, pray for all mothers.
Mary at Nazareth, pray for all families.
Mary at Cana, pray for all married
couples.
Mary who stood by the Cross. pray
for all who suffer.
Mary in the Upper Room, pray for all
who wait.
Mary, model of Womanhood, pray for
all women.
Woman
of Faith. keep us in mind.
Woman of Hope, keep us in mind.
Woman of Charity, keep us in mind.
Woman of Suffering. keep us in mind.
Woman of Anxiety, keep us in mind.
Woman of Humility. keep us in mind.
Woman of Poverty, keep us in mind.
Woman of Purity, keep us in mind.
Woman of Obedience. keep us in mind.
Woman who wondered, remember us to
God.
Woman who listened, remember us to
God.
Woman who followed Him, remember us
to God.
Woman who longed for Him, remember
us to God,
Woman who loves Him, remember us to
God.
Mother
of God. be our Mother always.
Mother of the Church, be our Mother
always.
Mother of the World, be our Mother
always.
Mother we need, be our Mother always.
Mother who went on believing, we thank
God for you.
Mother who never lost hope, we thank
God for you.
Mother who loved to the end, we thank
God for you.
All
holy and ever living God. in giving
us Jesus Christ to he our Saviour
and brother, you gave us Mary, His
Mother, to be our Mother also; grant,
we pray you, that we may be worthy
of so great a Brother and so dear
a Mother. May we come at last to you
the Father of us all through Jesus
Christ your Son, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit for ever
and ever. Amen.
~oOo~
Top
The
Rosary
THE
JOYFUL MYSTERIES
1.
The Annunciation. Fruit of the Mystery:
Humility
2. The Visitation. Fruit of the Mystery:
Love of Neighbor
3. The Nativity. Fruit of the Mystery:
Poverty
4. The Presentation of Jesus at the
Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: Obedience
5. The Finding of the Child Jesus
in the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery:
Joy in Finding Jesus, also known as
Zeal
THE
LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
1.
The Baptism of Jesus. Fruit of the
Mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit
2. The Wedding at Cana. Fruit of the
Mystery: To Jesus through Mary
3. Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom
of God. Fruit of the Mystery: Repentance
and Trust in God
4. The Transfiguration. Fruit of the
Mystery: Desire for Holiness
5. The Institution of the Eucharist.
Fruit of the Mystery: Adoration
THE
SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
1.
The Agony in the Garden. Fruit of
the Mystery: Sorrow for Sin
2. The Scourging at the Pillar. Fruit
of the Mystery: Purity
3. The Crowning with Thorns. Fruit
of the Mystery: Courage
4. The Carrying of the Cross. Fruit
of the Mystery: Patience
5. The Crucifixion. Fruit of the Mystery:
Perseverance
THE
GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
1.
The Resurrection. Fruit of the Mystery:
Faith
2. The Ascension. Fruit of the Mystery:
Hope
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit.
Fruit of the Mystery: Love of God
4. The Assumption of Mary. Fruit of
the Mystery: Grace of a Happy Death
5. The Coronation of Blessed Virgin
Mary. Fruit of the Mystery: Trust
in Mary's Intercession
DAYS
OF RECITATION
*
The Joyful Mysteries are recited on
Mondays and Saturdays.
* The Luminous Mysteries are recited
on Thursdays.
* The Sorrowful Mysteries, on Tuesdays
and Fridays.
* The Glorious Mysteries, on Wednesdays
and Sundays.
APPROVED
FORM OF RECITAL
*
A sign of the cross on the Crucifix
and then the "Apostles' Creed";
* An "Our Father" on the
first large bead;
* A "Hail Mary" on each
of the three small beads with the
following intentions (the theological
virtues):
1.
For the increase of faith
2. For the increase of hope
3. For the increase of love
*
A "Glory Be to the Father"
on the next large bead;
* Announce the mystery
* An "Our Father" on the
large bead;
* A "Hail Mary" on each
of the adjacent ten small beads;
* A "Glory Be to the Father"
on the next large bead;
* Again an Our Father, ten Hail Marys,
the Glory Be to the Father, and
Fatima Prayer (below) for each of
the following decades;
* A "Hail Holy Queen" and
a sign of the cross.
The
Fatima Prayer
"Oh
me Iesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra,
libera nos ab igne inferni, conduc
in caelum omnes animas, praesertim
illas quae maxime indigent misericordia
tua. Amen."
"O
my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save
us from the fires of hell, lead all
souls to Heaven, especially those
in most need of Thy mercy. Amen."
Here
is the original Portuguese version:
"Ó
meu bom Jesus perdoai e livrai - nos
do fogo do inferno, levai as almas
todas para o céu e socorrei
as que mais precisarem de vossa infinita
misericordia."
-oOo-
The Rosary as
Family Prayer
Reflections
on the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter
Rosarium Virginis Mariae
Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo President
of the Pontifical Council for the
Family
In the recent Apostolic Letter Rosarium
Virginis Mariae, the Holy Father
John Paul II once more urged Christian
families to pray in their home by
reciting the Rosary: "We need
to return to the practice of family
prayer and prayer for families, continuing
to use the Rosary" (n. 41). Already
at the end of the Great Jubilee he
had said: "it is especially necessary
that listening to the word of God
should become a life-giving encounter,
in the ancient and ever valid tradition
of lectio divina, which draws from
the biblical text the living word
which questions, directs and shapes
our lives ... we must rekindle in
ourselves the impetus of the beginnings
and allow ourselves to be filled with
the ardour of the apostolic preaching
which followed Pentecost" [Novo
Millennio ineunte, nn. 39 and 40).
Domestic Church
It
is first of all a question of re-applying,
if not in its form, certainly in its
spirit, the living, fervent spiritual
atmosphere that marked the meetings
at home of the first Christian communities.
Indeed, the first disciples, "went
to the temple area together every
day, while in their homes they broke
bread ... praising God" (Acts
2, 46). Through this witness, "day
by day the Lord added to their number
those who were being saved" (Acts
2, 47).
This
family dimension of prayer and Christian
worship is rooted in the faith experience
of the people of the Old Covenant,
which has been inherited by the Christian
community. Indeed, it is well known
that the paschal supper was celebrated
in the home, and was a family celebration.
The
wave of secularization that has swept
through the life of our communities
in recent decades has brought a deep
crisis, even in the context of the
family, and hence in family prayer
as an expression of communion and
an indispensable source for the mission
the family is called to carry out
in the Church and in society.
Family
prayer, use the Rosary
Confronted
by this disturbing situation, pastors
in recent centuries have not ceased
to recommend the devout practice of
the Rosary, which Pope Pius XII described
as "the compendium of the entire
Gospel", to implore the Lord,
giver of all good things, through
the intercession of the Blessed Virgin,
Queen of the Rosary, for the gifts
of faith and peace in families and
among nations.
We
know well how deeply rooted Marian
devotion is in the heart of Peter's
Successor. He placed his ministry
under her protection, "Totus
tuus", and we know that the Rosary
has a special place in his devotions.
We are used to seeing him with the
Rosary beads between his fingers.
His desire is for the Rosary to become
popular again, especially in families.
The Rosary takes us to the heart
of the faith
The
Rosary, in its simplicity and depth,
goes to the heart of Christian experience
in the dialogue of faith expressed
in prayer. It has a strong evangelizing
impact. The members of the family
can contemplate the central events
at the heart of the faith through
the mysteries. Now, we have the mysteries
of light, in which we are invited
to reflect on the wedding of Cana
and on the beginning of a new family.
We could say that in the Our Father
and Hail Mary, we find a synthesis
in which a dynamic, effective transmission
of the faith passes through it that
fortifies the experience of the family
community in a special union that
is a powerful aid because it is also
stable and solid before the Lord of
the Covenant.
With
this Letter on the Rosary the Holy
Father has touched the hearts of the
faithful. Indeed, the recitation of
the Rosary does not only "go
to the very heart of Christian life,
offering a familiar yet fruitful spiritual
and educational opportunity for personal
contemplation" (cf. n. 3), but
also enables people to recover "the
ability to look one another in the
eye, to communicate, to show solidarity,
to forgive one another and to see
their covenant of love renewed in
the spirit of God" (cf. n. 41).
Captures spiritual atmosphere
The
recitation of the Rosary in the family
captures something of the spiritual
atmosphere of the household at Nazareth,
"because its members place Jesus
at the centre, they share his joys
and sorrows, they place their needs
and their plans in his hands, they
draw from him the hope and the strength
to go on" (n. 41). There, in
fact, as Paul VI said on his pilgrimage
to Nazareth, one learns "to be
resolute in good thoughts, focused
on the interior life and ready to
understand clearly the secret inspirations
of God and the exhortations of the
true teachers" (Insegnamenti
di Paolo VI, II, 1964, p. 24). Serves
to neutralize widespread harmful trends
This
prayer also serves to neutralize the
most varied and disorienting messages
and unpredictable experiences that
are rapidly making their way into
children's' lives. These experiences
are a source of anxiety to parents
because young people are exposed to
dangers while they are growing up.
Praying the Rosary is certainly a
spiritual aid in finding the solution
to many problems, and is a protection
against many temptations and difficulties.
As this Pontifical Council for the
Family said in the Final Statement
of the 15th Plenary Assembly, today
we are living in a situation marked
by "the fear of commitment, the
practice of cohabitation, the trivialisation
of sex", as John Paul II has
described it. "Life styles, women's
fashions, films, TV sitcoms make people
question the value of marriage and
go so far as to spread the idea that
the reciprocal gift of spouses until
death would be unrealistic. They weaken
the family institution and even manage
to discredit it, to the advantage
of other pseudo-family 'models'"
(ORE, 20 November 2002, p.
9, II). Indeed, the same document
deplores the "invasion of many
areas of human activity by a radical
individualism: economic life, excessive
competition, competition in all fields
of human activity, disregard of the
marginalized, etc." (ibid.).
In the face of these problems, prayer
is a fundamental, indispensable response,
the living witness of parents. As
the Holy Father says in Familiaris
consortio: "only by praying together
with their children can a father and
mother - exercising their royal priesthood
- penetrate the innermost depths of
their children's hearts and leave
an impression that the future events
in their lives will not be able to
efface" (n. 60).
Family education
As
everyone knows, an important purpose
of the prayer of the domestic church
is to serve as the natural introduction
for children to the liturgical prayer
of the whole Church, both in the sense
of preparing for it and of extending
it into family and social life (cf.
Familiaris consortio, n. 61).
Thus family prayer is not an escape
from social commitment, but a strong
incentive to the Christian family
to assume fully all its responsibilities
as the primary and basic cell of human
society.
Reinforces stability, solidity
of family
In
this way prayer reinforces the spiritual
soundness and solidity of the family,
helping to ensure that it shares in
the strength of God. Indeed all the
power of the Rosary lies in its Gospel
character and in its distinctly Christological
orientation, for it makes us think
specifically and in our own way of
the most important events of salvation
that were brought about in Christ,
seen through the heart of Mary, who
was closest to the Lord Jesus. Indeed,
the main feature of the Rosary is
contemplation, without which it would
be like a body without a soul; the
typical features are constituted by
the petition of the Our Father, the
praise in the litany-like succession
of Hail Mary's, the adoration of the
doxology, Glory [be] to the Father.
It is also characterized by the simplicity
that favours the tranquil rhythm and
a lingering in thought which fosters
meditation. As John Paul II has said,
"fruitful nourishment of personal
piety, the Rosary is in a certain
sense the typical prayer of the Christian
family.... In reciting the Rosary,
the domestic church savours its own
unity, enjoys the sharing of affections,
is elevated to the contemplation of
the divine, places its own needs,
concerns and the conquests of daily
living in this higher dimension"
(Address to youth, Reggio Calabria,
7 October 1984, n. 7; ORE,
5 November 1984, p. 11).
From
this fervent Gospel spirit, from the
contemplation of the mysteries of
our redemption in this Year of the
Rosary (October 2002 - October 2003),
a renewed commitment is expected,
so that the preparation of engaged
couples for marriage will include
a witness of greater fidelity to the
definitive commitments that they are
about to make before God and men.
May educators, spiritual directors
and Christian couples help young people
to discover in themselves an authentic
love, with all that it involves, feeling,
attachment and passion itself and
also the use of reason. May the Church's
message on responsible parenthood
be understood and better received,
and may the special attention that
must be paid to children who come
from broken homes be given to them
with loving tenderness.
In
this way the pastoral care towards
the family will be able to offer couples
during their married life possibilities
and opportunities to reflect on their
celebration of the sacrament, especially
in moments of recollection, such as
in the recitation of the Rosary. Besides,
it will ensure that the feast of the
Holy Family and other celebrations
when couples gather wishing to renew
their matrimonial commitments in the
Church, may have a significance that
has an impact on their spiritual journey.
In this light, in possible moments
of crisis, all the aids that the Holy
Father has recalled in this Apostolic
Letter can contribute to solving the
tensions and will enable spouses to
return to the sources of their first
love. From the sacrament of Marriage
they will be able to draw the energy
to reawaken the great ideals that
must direct their relations and overcome
their difficulties.
Revival
of Rosary in family will evangelize
society
In
this regard, Bl. Bartolo Longo said
that "whoever spreads the Rosary
is saved" (n. 8). John Paul II
echoes him when he says: "the
revival of the Rosary in Christian
families, within the context of a
broader pastoral care of the family,
will be an effective aid to countering
the devastating effects of this crisis
typical of our age" (n. 6).
One writer said that in the evangelized
nations in every family, at nightfall,
the recitation of the Rosary rose
like a symphony. Why should we not
strive to restore this witness, imbuing
the domestic church with the Word
that all may savour, sharing it with
children like bread, in an attitude
that will evangelize a society that
is in danger of growing cold and falling
away from God?
"As
a mother who teaches her children
to speak and so to understand and
communicate, the Church our Mother
teaches us the language of faith in
order to introduce us to the understanding
and life of faith" (Catechism
of the Catholic Church, n. 171).
This is also what praying the Rosary
does.
Top
Psalms
for the Family
Psalm
126 ~ The Sanctity of the Family
Blessedness
of the God-fearing man in his
home
Beati
omnes qui timent D6minum, qui ambulant in viis ejus.
Labores manuum tuarum quia manducabis beatus es, et
bene tibi erit.
Uxor tua sicut yitiis abundans, in lateribus domus
tuae.
Filii tui sicut novellae olivarum, in circuitu mensae
tuae. Ecce
sic benedicetur homo, qui timet Dominum.
Benedicat tibi Dominus ex Sion : et videas bona Jerusalem
omnibus diebus vitae tuae. Et videas filios filiorum
tuarum. Pacem super Israel.
Blessed
are all they that fear the Lord, that walk in his
ways.
For thou shalt eat the labours of thine hands ; thou
shalt be blessed, and it shall be well with thee.
Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine in the secret
places of thine house ; thy children like olive branches
round about thy table.
Lo,
thus shall the man be blessed who feareth the Lord.
The Lord bless thee out of Sion : mayest thou see
the good things of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
Mayest thou see thy children's children.
Peace upon Israel.
Psalm
126 ~ The Security of the Family
The
family is the gift of God; its numbers
are its security
Nisi
Dominos aedificaverit domum,
in vanum laboraverunt qui ae dificant earn.
Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat
qui custodit eam.
Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere : surgite postquam
sederitis, qui manducatis panem doloris.
Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum : ecce haereditas
Domini filii : mer ces fructus ventris.
Sicut sagittae in manu potentis :
ita filii excussorum.
Beatus vir, qui implcvit desiderium suum ex ipsis
non confundetur cum loquetur inimicis suis in porta.
Except
the Lord build the house, their labour is but lost
that build it.
Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh
but in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early ; rise up after
ye have taken your rest, ye that eat the bread of
sorrow, For God hath given his beloved sleep.
Children also are a heritage of the Lord ; the fruit
of the womb is a gift of the Lord ;
Like arrows in the hand of the mighty, such are
sons born in youth.
Blessed is the man that hash his quiver full of
them ;
he shall not be confounded when he speaketh unto
his foes in the gate.
Dies
Irae
Dies
iræ! dies illa
Solvet sæclum in favilla
Teste David cum Sibylla!
Quantus
tremor est futurus,
quando judex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus!
Tuba
mirum spargens sonum
per sepulchra regionum,
coget omnes ante thronum.
Mors
stupebit et natura,
cum resurget creatura,
judicanti responsura.
Liber
scriptus proferetur,
in quo totum continetur,
unde mundus judicetur.
Judex
ergo cum sedebit,
quidquid latet apparebit:
nil inultum remanebit.
Quid
sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus,
cum vix justus sit securus?
Rex
tremendæ majestatis,
qui salvandos salvas gratis,
salva me, fons pietatis.
Recordare,
Jesu pie,
quod sum causa tuæ viæ:
ne me perdas illa die.
Quærens
me, sedisti lassus:
redemisti Crucem passus:
tantus labor non sit cassus.
Juste
judex ultionis,
donum fac remissionis
ante diem rationis.
Ingemisco,
tamquam reus:
culpa rubet vultus meus:
supplicanti parce, Deus.
Qui
Mariam absolvisti,
et latronem exaudisti,
mihi quoque spem dedisti.
Preces
meæ non sunt dignæ:
sed tu bonus fac benigne,
ne perenni cremer igne.
Inter
oves locum præsta,
et ab hædis me sequestra,
statuens in parte dextra.
Confutatis
maledictis,
flammis acribus addictis:
voca me cum benedictis.
Oro
supplex et acclinis,
cor contritum quasi cinis:
gere curam mei finis.
Lacrimosa
dies illa,
Qua resurget ex favila
Judicandus homo reus.
Huic ergo parce, Deus
Pie Iesu Domine,
Dona eis requiem. Amen
-oOo-
Day
of wrath and terror looming!
Heaven and earth to ash consuming,
David's word and Sibyl's truth foredooming!
What
horror must invade the mind,
when the approaching judge shall find,
and sift the deeds of all mankind.
The
trumpet casts a wondrous sound,
through the tombs of all around,
making them the throne surround.
Death
is struck and nature quaking,
all creation is awaking,
to its judge an answer making.
The
written book shall be outspread,
And all that it contains be read,
To try the living and the dead.
Then
shall the judge his throne attain,
And every secret sin arraign,
Till nothing unavenged remain.
What
shall my guilty conscience plead,
And who for me will intercede,
When even saints forgiveness need
?
King
of tremendous majesty!
Who savest, whom thou sayest, free,
-
Thou fount of pity, save thou me.
Remember,
Jesus Lord, I pray,
For me thou walked'st on life's way,
Confound me not on that last day.
'Twas
me thy weary footsteps sought,
My ransom on thy cross was bought,
Let not such labour come to naught.
Just
judge of recompense, I pray
Cancel my debt, too great to pay,
Before the last accounting day.
My
groans a culprit's heart declare,
My cheeks shame's burning livery wear,
Spare me, O God, thy suppliant spare!
As
thou didst Mary's sin efface,
And take the thief to thine embrace,
So dlost thou give me hope of grace.
Though all unworthy be my cry,
Give grace, | |