Prayers for our family Prayerbook

[consumedconvert]

My wife and I are fairly new Catholics, and we have a six-month old (Catholic) son.

This morning we bought a nice wood-covered journal that we will use as a “prayerbook.” Now we have all kinds of prayerbooks–well, three or four at least–but I wanted a place to put all the prayers and blessings we love best together.

So far I’ve copied some of the daily prayers from the USCCB’s “Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers” – which is an EXCELLENT resource btw–the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, the Litany of Humility, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

I also intend to include blessings.

So, in your opinion what other prayers/family blessings should I add?

CC

 

[Jennifer_J]

Guardian Angel Prayer
Angel of God, My guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here
Ever this day be at my side
To light and guard, to rule and guide

There are some more here
catholicculture.org/liturgicalyear/prayers/
(the site is having some issues, for some reason)

This one’s good, too:
wf-f.org/Pray.html (click on Favorite Prayers and Devotions)

 

[Trishie]

I just ask God to bless you enthusiastic, good-hearted people so very much. May He hear the prayers of your hearts and your needs always.

 

[Zuzuspetals]

I personally love the Memorare and the St. Michael Prayer. I would also include a nuptial or marriage blessing and a children’s blessing if I was compiling a book.

 

[Trishie]

I dont know if you’d want to add this as it’s for everyone.
On behalf of others
God, in Jesus’ name, I pray concurrently for everyone, for my family, physical and spiritual, as if each were the only one.

I pray on behalf of the unbelieving, the discouraged and of all who are ever denied ministry of their faith, so that You may unite their deprivation, misery, even torment of body, to Jesus in His Eucharist. I offer their struggles and achievements, so that, even if unaware, they share in the spiritual life of the Church.

I know that in Your great love You will accept my prayer on their behalf, in union with Jesus in whom everything attains infinite value, however unworthy the supplicant. Let it obtain pardon for their sins and let it obtain their faith, hope and charity despite materialism or injustice that confronts and embroils them.

God, through crucified and risen Jesus, I trust You to share to repletion the lowly bread of my prayer that is leavened to infinite abundance by communion in You. Give my prayer again and again through Him who endlessly gives Himself wholly to each person in the Eucharist. Please enflame me (and all Christians) with gospel authenticity that will also ignite others with faith and ministry.

Thank You God who acts in us beyond human understanding.
Thank You for the blessings You have given to our loved ones.

the earler version might be less a mouthful

**On others’ behalf **
Dear God, I pray concurrently for each person You place in my life, for each member of my family—earthly and spiritual—as if each were the only one. I commit them totally to You so that Your love becomes the source of all their thoughts and actions.

For all who cannot at this time in their lives pray or believe, I ask You to accept my prayers, my sacramental participation, and my acts of kindness to be theirs also. In Your infinite love, draw them speedily to Yourself in love and joy and peace!

I wrote this for my son Alan when he was ten year old.
For my Son

Our Father, my son, Your gift to me, I give to You
May he belong to You his whole life through.

Within his soul Your Spirit already shows,
May your power within him deepen as he grows.

Let his life be lived according to Your plan,
To follow Your will as boy as youth as man.

Show him Your way of compassion and love and peace,
Let Your goodness and power and love in him increase.

His weaknesses and faults I pray Your heart forgives,
In Your pure sight, perfect his spirit while he lives.

God bless, Trishie
They’re just a couple of my prayers, not established Catholic prayers so you may not wish to include.

 

[Gearoidin]

These are all old Irish prayers. I heard my parents and grandparents say them many times when I was a child.
Gearoidin

Parent’s prayer for their children, especially new babies:
Dearest Father in Heaven,
Bless this child and bless this day
Of new beginnings.
Smile upon this child
And surround this child, Lord,
With the soft mantle of your love.
Teach this child to follow in your footsteps,
And to live life in the ways of
Love, faith, hope and charity.

From Saint Patrick’s Breastplate

Christ be with me
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ in me
Christ beneath me
Christ above me
Christ on my right
Christ on my left
Christ where I lie
Christ where I sit
Christ where I arise
Christ in the heart of every man
who thinks of me
Christ in the mouth of every man
who speaks of me
Christ in every eye that sees me
Christ in every ear that hears me
Salvation is of the Lord.

A shorter version said as a morning offering:
Christ be with me,
be after me,
be before me,
and be at my right and left hand.
May everything I do be for Christ.

When times are hard:

May you see God’s light on the path ahead
When the road you walk is dark.
May you always hear,
Even in your hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark.
When times are hard may hardness
Never turn your heart to stone,
May you always remember
when the shadows fall—
You do not walk alone.

House Blessing 1:
Bless this house, o Lord, we pray.
Make it safe by night and day.
Bless these walls so firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out.
Bless the roof and chimney tall,
Let thy peace lie over all.
Bless the doors that they may prove
Ever open to joy and love.
Bless the windows shining bright,
Letting in God’s heavenly light.
Bless the hearth a-blazing there,
With smoke ascending like a prayer.
Bless the people here within…
Keep them pure and free from sin.
Bless us all, that one day, we
May be fit, O lord, to dwell with Thee.

House Blessing 2:
God bless the corners of this house,
And be the lintel blest,
And bless the hearth and bless the board,
And bless each place of rest,
And bless each door that opens wide
To stranger as to kin,
And bless each crystal window pane
That lets the starlight in,
And bless the rooftree overhead
And every sturdy wall.
The peace of man, the peace of God,
The peace of love on all.