Traditional Catholic Prayers: Prayers of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Family
Jesu, the Ransomer of man,
Who, ere created light began,
Didst from the sovereign Father spring,
His power and glory equaling.
The Father's Light and Splendour thou,
Their endless Hope to thee that bow:
Accept the prayers and praise today
That through the world thy servants pay.
Salvation's Author, call to mind
How, taking form of humankind,
Born of a Virgin undefiled
Thou in man's flesh becam'st a Child.
Thus testifies the present day
Through every year in long array,
That thou, salvation's source alone,
Proceedest from the Father's Throne.
Whence sky, and stars, and sea's abyss,
And earth, and all that therein is,
Shall still, with laud and carol meet,
The Author of thine Advent greet.
And we who, by thy precious Blood
From sin redeemed, are marked for God,
On this, the day that saw thy Birth,
Sing the new song of ransomed earth.
All honour, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-Born, to thee;
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore. Amen.
Eternal King of Saints, whose Word
Called forth creation from its rest,
Before the ages thou art Lord,
In thine eternal Father's breast.
Thou, when earth's dawning sun began
To chase the chaos shades away,
In thine own Image madest man,
And didst inspire the senseless clay.
But Satan's craft and Satan's wile
Could mar that workso very good:
And Eden's wood must man beguile,
That God may reign from off the Wood.
O born of Mary's virgin womb,
First-fruits of Death's dark womb to be,
Thou bidst us waken from the tomb,
And rise to light and life with thee.
Eternal Shepherd of the sheep,
The stones lie heavy on the well;
The clear baptismal spring lies deep,
Come thou and feed thine Israel!
Redeemer of the sons of men
Thou hungest dying on the Rood,
That thou mightst pay the price again
Of our salvation in thy Blood.
Grant, Lord,in thee each faithful mind
Unceasing Paschal joy may find;
And from the death of sin set free
Souls newly born to life by thee.
All praise be thine, O risen Lord,
From death to endless life restored;
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore. Amen.
Eternal Monarch, King most high,
Whose blood hath brought redemption nigh,
By whom the death of Death was wrought,
And conquering grace to man was brought:
Ascending to the throne of might,
And seated at the Father's right,
All power, O Jesu, is thine own
That here thy Manhood had not known.
To thee the whole creation now
Doth in its three-fold order bow,
Of things on earth, and things on high,
And things that underneath do lie.
With awe the Angels contemplate
The wondrous change of man's estate;
Though flesh hath sinned, Flesh purged the stain,
And in that Flesh our God doth reign.
Be thou our joy, O mighty Lord,
As thou wilt be our great reward;
Earth's joys to thee are nothing worth,
Thou joy and crown of heaven and earth.
We therefore beg, dear Lord, of thee
To pardon our iniquity;
Yea, of thine own supernal grace
Uplift our hearts to seek thy face:
That when in clouds, O Judge of doom,
Thy glory shall thisearth illume,
Thou mayst remit our debt of pain,
And grant our long-lost crowns again.
All praise from every heart and tongue
To thee, ascended Lord, be sung;
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore. Amen.
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
Vouchsafe within our souls to rest;
Come with thy grace and heavenly aid,
And fill the hearts which thou hast made.
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
Vouchsafe within our souls to rest;
Come with thy grace and heavenly aid,
And fill the hearts which thou hast made.
To thee, the Paraclete, we cry,
To thee, the Gift of God most high,
The Fount of life, theFire of love,
The soul's Anointing from above.
The sevenfold gifts of grace are thine,
O Finger of the Hand Divine;
True Promise of the Father thou,
Who dost the tongue with speech endow.
Thy light to every sense impart,
And shed thy love in every heart;
Thine own unfailing might supply
To strengthen our infirmity.
Drive far away our ghostly foe,
And thine abiding peace bestow;
If thou be our preventing Guide,
No evil can our steps betide.
Make thou to us the Father known,
Teach us the eternal Son to own,
Be this our neverchanging creed, That thou dost from the Father through the Son proceed.
All praise be thine, O risen Lord,
From death to endless life restored;
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore. Amen.
O God of mercy passing thought,
Who hast the world contrived and wrought;
In might, essential Unity,
In Persons, blessed Trinity:
Uplift us with thine arm of might,
And let our hearts rise pure and bright,
And, ardent in God's praises, pay
The thanks we owe him every day.
Glory to thee, O Father, Lord,
And to thy Sole-begotten Word,
Both with the Holy Spirit One
While everlasting ages run. Amen.
