Other Devotions Proper for Sundays and Holidays

The Hymn Te Deum E praise thee, O God: we confess thee our Lord.

Thee, the Father everlasting, all the earth doth worship. To thee the angels, to thee the heavens, and all the powers, To thee the cherubim and seraphim cry out without ceasing, Full are the heavens and the earth of the majesty of thy glory. Thee the glorious choir of the apostles, Thee the laudable number of the prophets, Thee the white-robed army of martyrs doth praise. Thee the holy church throughout the world doth confess, The Father of incomprehensible majesty, Thy venerable true and only Son, And the Holy Ghost the paraclete. Thou art the king of glory, O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. Thou being to take upon thee to deliver man, didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb. Thou having overcome the sting of death, hast opened to believers the kingdom of heaven.

IIO The Benedicite Thou sittest at the right-hand of God in the glory of the Father.

Thee we believe to be the judge to come. We therefore pray thee, help thy servants whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy saints in eternal glory.

O Lord, save thy people, and bless thy inheritance.

And govern them; and exalt them for ever. Every day we magnify thee.

And we praise thy name for ever and ever. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. } Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us; as we have hoped in thee.

In thee, O Lord, have I hoped: let me not be confounded for ever.

The Benedicite; or Canticle of the Three Children, Daniel iii.

AY you works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, praise him and magnify him for ever. You angels of the Lord, bless the Lord; bless the Lord you heavens.

All you waters that are above the heavens The Benedicite III bless the Lord;; all you powers of the Lord, bless the Lord.

Sun and moon, bless the Lord; you stars of heaven bless the Lord.

Let every shower and dew bless the Lord;; and all the spirits of God bless the Lord.

You fire and heat, bless the Lord; you winter and summer, bless the Lord.

Dews and hoary frosts, bless ye the Lord; Frost and cold, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord you ice and snow; you nights and days bless the Lord.

Light and darkness bless ye the Lord; you lightnings and clouds bless the Lord.

May the earth bless the Lord, and praise him and magnify him for ever.

You mountains and hills bless the Lord;; and all you things that spring forth upon earth bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord you fountains; you seas and rivers bless the Lord.

You whales, and all things that move in the waters, bless the Lord; all you fowls of the air, bless the Lord.

All you beasts and cattle, bless the Lord; you sons of men, bless the Lord.

Let Israel bless the Lord, and praise him and magnify him for ever.

You priests of the Lord bless the Lord;; you servants of the Lord bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord you spirits and souls of the just; you holy and humble of heart, bless ye the Lord.

O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord, praise him and magnify him for ever. Let us bless the Father and the Son with the Holy Ghost, let us praise him and magnify him for ever.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven; and worthy of praise, and glorious, and magnified for ever.

PSALMS OF ADORATION, PRAISE, AND THANKSGIVING Psalm xciv.

C OME let us praise the Lord with joy; let us joyfully sing to God our Saviour. Let us appear before his face in confession, and let us make jubilations to him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. For the Lord will not reject his people. For in his hands are all the ends of the earth, and he beholds the height of the mountains. For the sea is his, and he made it; and his hands have founded the dry land. Come let us adore and fall down before God; let us weep before the Lord that made us. For he is the Lord our God: and we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

This day, if you shall hear his voice, harden aot your hearts.

As in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness; where your fathers tempted me; they proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I offended with that generation, and I said, These men always err in their heart.

And they have not known my ways; to whom I swore in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.

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.

Psalm xcix.

S all the earth be joyful in God:: serve ye the Lord in gladness.

Come in before his presence with exceeding great joy.

Know ye that the Lord he is God: ’tis he that has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Go into his gates with praise, into his courts with hymns, and confess to him. Praise ye his name, for the Lord is sweet; his mercy endureth for ever, and his truth to all generations, Glory, tc.

Psalm cii. MY soul, bless the Lord; and let all. that is within me praise his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all that he has done for thee; Who mercifully pardoneth all thy iniquities; who healeth all thy infirmities. Who redeemeth thy life from perdition; who crowneth thee in mercy and compassion. Who filleth thy desire with good things: thy youth shall be renewed as the eagles. The Lord doth mercies; and judgment to all that suffer wrong. He has made his ways known to Moses; and his wills to the children of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful long-suffering and exceedingly merciful. He will not be angry with us always; nor will he threaten us for ever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities, For according to the height of the heaven from the earth, he has exalted his mercy upon them that fear him. As far as the east is distant from the west, he has removed our iniquities at a distance from us. As a Father has compassion upon his children; so the Lord has had compassion on them that fear him.

For he knows what we are made of: he remembers that we are dust.

Man’s days are like the grass: as the flower of the field so shall he flourish.

For the spirit shall pass away in him; and he shall be no longer, and shall know his place no more.

But the mercy of God is from eternity to eternity upon such as fear him.

And his justice is to children’s children, in favour of them that keep his covenant, And are mindful of his commandments to observe them. l The Lord has prepared his throne in heaven: and his kingdom shall rule over all.

Bless ye the Lord all his angels:: ye mighty in power that do his word, for the hearing of the voice of his speeches.

Bless ye the Lord all his powers, you his ministers, who do his will.

Bless ye the Lord all his works in every place of his dominion. O my soul, bless thou the Lord. Glory, &c.

Psalm cxvi.

RAISE the Lord all ye nations: praise him all ye peoples. Because his mercy is confirmed upon us: und the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever. Glory, "c.

Psalm cxxxvii.

WILL confess to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; because thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing psalms to thee in the presence of the angels: I will adore at thy holy temple, and I will give praise to thy name. By reason of thy mercy and thy truth; because thou hast magnified above all things thy holy name. In whatsoever day I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shalt multiply strength in my soul. i May all the kings of the earth confess to thee, O Lord: because they have heard all the words of thy mouth. And let them sing in the ways of the Lord, because great is the glory of the Lord. For the Lord is high, and beholdeth the things that are low; and the things that are high he knows from afar off. If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou shalt enliven me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand upon the wrath of my enemies; and thy right-hand has saved me. The Lord shall repay for me. O Lord, thy mercy is for ever; despise not the work; of thy hands. Glory, Ge.

Psalm cxlviii, Alleluia.

RAISE ye the Lord from the heavens: praise ye him in the high places. Praise ye him all his angels: praise ye him all his powers.; Praise ye him, O sun and moon:: praise ye him all you stars and light. Praise ye him, O heavens of heavens: and let all the waters that are above the heavens praise the name of the Lord. Because he spoke the word, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created. He established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he laid a command, and it shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all ye deeps. You fire, hail, snow, ice, spirits of storms, which do his word. Mountains and all hills; fruit trees and all cedars. l Beasts and all cattle; serpents and winged fowls. You kings of the earth and all peoples; you princes, and all you judges of the earth. Young men and maidens, old with the young, let them praise the name of the Lord; because his name alone is exalted. The confession of him is above heaven and earth; and he hath exalted the horn of his people.

A hymn to all his saints: to the children of Israel, a people approaching unto him.

Psalm cl.

RAISE ye the Lord in his holy places; praise ye him in the firmament of his strength.

Praise ye him in his powers; praise ye him according to the multitude of his greatness. Praise ye him with sound of trumpet; praise ye him with psalter and harp.

Praise ye him with timbrel and choir; praise ye him with strings and organs.

Praise ye him on well-sounding cymbals; praise ye him on cymbals of jubilation; let every spirit praise the Lord. Glory, &c.

The Benedictus, or Canticle of Zacharias, St. Luke 1.

LESSED be the Lord God of Israel, because he hath visited us, and wrought the redemption of his people. And hath raised up the horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant, As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who were from the beginning, Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us.

To do mercy with our fathers, and to remember his holy testament, The oath which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us. That without fear, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him, In holiness and justice before him all our days.

And thou, O child, shalt be called the prophet of the most high; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.

To give knowledge of salvation to his people unto the remission of their sins, Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the orient from on high hath visited us.

To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shade of death; to direct our feet into the way of peace. Glory, e.

An Universal Prayer, for All Things Necessary to Salvation

My God, I believe in thee, do thou strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in thee, do thou secure them. I Jove thee with my whole heart, teach me to dove thee daily more and more. I am sorry that I have offended thee, do thou increase my sorrow.

I adore thee as my first beginning. I aspire after thee as my last end. I give thee thanks as my constant benefactor. I ca// upon thee as my soveraign protector.

Vouchsafe, O my God, to conduct me by thy wisdom, to restrain me by thy justice, to comfort me by thy mercy, to defend me by thy power.

To thee I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings; that henceforward I may think of thee, speak of thee, and willingly refer all my actions to thy greater glory; and suffer willingly whatever thou shalt appoint.

Lord, I desire that in all things thy wi/ may be done, because it is thy w//, and in the manner that thou willest.

I beg of thee to enlighten my understanding, to enflame my will, to purify my body, and - to sanctify my soul.

Give me strength, O my God, to expiate my offences, to overcome my temptations, to subdue my passions, and to acquire the virtues proper for my state.

Fill my heart with tender affection for thy goodness, a hatred for my faults, a /ove for my neighbour, and a contempt of the world. Let me always remember to be submissive to my superiors, condescending to my inferiors, faithful to my friends, and charitable to my enemies.

Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification, avarice by alms-deeds, anger by meekness, and tepidity by devotion.

O my God, make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in afflictions, and humble in prosperity.

Grant, that I may be ever attentive at my prayers, temperate at my meals, diligent in my employments, and constant in my resolutions. Let my conscience be ever upright and pure, my exterior modest, my conversation edifying, and my comportment regular.

Assist me, that I may continually labour to overcome nature, to correspond with thy grace, to keep thy commandments, and to work out my salvation.

Discover to me, O my God, the nothingness of this world, the greatness of heaven, the shortness of time, and the length of eternity. Grant, that I may prepare for death, that I may fear thy judgments, that I may escape hell, and in the end obtain heaven, thro’

A Paraphrase upon the Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven ALMIGHTY Lord, and maker of heaven and earth, infinite in majesty, is it possible that thy love and goodness for us should be so great as to suffer such poor worms as we are to call thee Father! O make us ever dutiful children to such a parent! O my soul, ever remember this dignity to which thou art raised, of being a child of God; and see thou never degenerate, by making thyself a slave to sin and the devil. O most holy Father, who dwellest in heaven, and heavenly souls, raise my heart to thee, and teach me, by thy interior grace, to pray to thee this day with due attention, devotion, humility, and faith.

Hallowed be thy name HE first thing I beg of thee, O heavenly Father, is the greater honour and glory of thy name. I rejoice with all my soul, that in thyself thou art infinitely happy, and infinitely glorious, and that thou art eternally adored, praised, and glorified, by all thy angels and saints. But alas! O Lord, how little art thou known in this miserable world, how little art thou loved here, how little art thou served! How is thy name blasphemed all the day, even by those that call themselves Christians! How many millions of souls in all parts of the world, tho? made to thy own image and likeness, and redeem’d by the precious blood of thy only Son, live and die in infidelity, error and vice, to the great dishonour of thy holy name! O when shall so great an evil be remedied! O that I could do any thing to remedy it! O that I could worthily promote the honour and glory of thy name O that I could make it known to all nations! O that like the blessed in heaven we were all happily united in praising, blessing, and loving thee! But this must be the work of thy grace, O Lord: and this grace I beg of thee this day, that so both I and all the world may ever adore, praise, and love thee; and not only in words, but much more in our lives, show forth the glory of thy name.

Thy kingdom come EAVEN is the seat of thy eternal kingdom, O Lord; there thou livest and reignest for ever. But whilst we are here in this mortal life, thy kingdom is within us, as often as thou reignest within our souls by thy grace, and by thy love. I earnestly beg both for myself and for all others a share in thy eternal kingdom, that we may there be witnesses of thy glory, and see, love, praise, and enjoy thee for ever. In the mean time I beg, that the kingdom of thy grace and of thy love may come into our souls; that thou may’st ever reign in us without control, and make us all according to thy own heart, that nothing in us may any more presume to rebell against thee, the true king of hearts; but that we may be ever faithful servants and subjects of thy love.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven HE blessed in heaven have no other will, O Lord, but thine: this will of thine they ever adore; this they eternally embrace and love; this they readily and chearfully obey. O that we, poor banish’d children of Adam here upon earth, did in like manner adore, embrace, and love thy will! O that we obey’d it in like manner! Lord, ’tis my sincere desire, and hearty prayer, that from henceforward thy holy will may be done by us all, in all things. O grant, that from this moment thy will may be the rule of all our actions; and that in all our deliberations, like the convert St. Pau/, we may ever cry out to thee, Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do? O grant, that in all our sufferings we may ever have a perfect conformity to thy holy will.

Give us this day our daily bread HE bread of our souls, which is to support us during this day of our mortality, and to feed and nourish us to life everlasting, is no other, O Lord, than thy only Son, who has said, I am the living bread that came down from heaven, he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. ‘This bread of life we earnestly beg of thee: this we desire often to receive sacramentally; this we desire daily to receive spiritually, for the nourishing of our souls with thy heavenly grace, from this fountain of grace. O come, dear Jesus, into our poor famish’d souls, satisfy our hunger here this day with this heavenly bread, till we come to the more happy day of eternity, where all veils being withdrawn, we shall for ever feed upon thy divinity. In the mean time, as to the necessaries of this life, grant us what in thy wisdom thou seest best for us, and most conducing to thy honour, and our eternal welfare.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us UR sins, O Lord, are innumerable; the debt that we owe thee is infinite; and we are poor and miserable, unable of ourselves to discharge the least part of this debt, or to make satisfaction for the least of these sins. But prostrate in spirit before thee, we humbly implore thy mercy. We desire to offer thee the sacrifice of a contrite and humble heart. We offer thee the death and Passion of thy only Son, which he has made over to us for the discharge of our debts. And as he has promis’d forgiveness to those that forgive; we here from our hearts forgive all that have offended us; and — hope through him to find forgiveness from i thee.

Lead us not into temptation LAS! O Lord, man’s life upon earth is a continual temptation. We are encompassed on all sides with mortal enemies; the world, the flesh, and the devil, are ever attacking us with united forces. Our only hope in all these dangers and conflicts is in thy strength and protection. O stand thou for us, and we care not who is against us. We believe that thou art faithful, and will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength. O never suffer us to forsake thee; and we know thou wilt never forsake us. Let not the devil circumvent us by his frauds and deceits; nor ever glory that he has prevail’d over us: arm us both against the terrors and flatteries of the world, and all the dangers of our passions and concupiscences. And whatever trials thou art pleased to send us, let thy supporting grace ever carry us through them with advantage to our souls: that by thy favour and mercy we may be faithful unto death, and so receive the crown of life.

But deliver us from evil. Amen.

SOVERAIGN good, the fountain of all our good, deliver us from all our evils; from our sins, and the punishments we deserve for them; from wars, plagues, famines, and such like scourges, which we have too much reason to apprehend hanging over our heads from thy justice, and our impenitence. From heresy and schism, and all that blindness of soul which self-conceit and pride expose us to; in fine, from a harden’d heart, from final impenitence, and everlasting damnation. From all these evils, for thy own goodness sake, O Lord, deliver us, thro’ Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

The Symbol or Creed of St. Athanasius

Whosoever will be saved, before all things, it is necessary that he hold the Catholick faith. Which faith, except every one do keep entire, and unviolated, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. Now the Catholick faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity. ) Neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. For one is the person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.: The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Ghost uncreated.

The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.

The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.

And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.

As also they are not three uncreated, nor three incomprehensible; but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

In like manner the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty, And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.

And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Ghost is Lord.

And yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord. For as we are compelled by the Christia truth, to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord:

So are we forbidden by the Catholick religion, to say there are three Gods, or three Lords.

The Father is made of no one, neither created, nor begotten.

The Son is from the Father alone, not made nor created, but begotten.

The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son; not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after; nothing greater or lesser: but the whole three persons are co-eternal to one another, and co-equal.

So that in all things, as has been already said above, the unity is to be worshipped in Trinity, and the Trinity in unity.

He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation, that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and man.

He is God of the substance of his Father, begotten before the worlds; and he is man of the substance of his mother, born in the world.

Perfect God and perfect man; of a rational soul, and human flesh subsisting.

Equal to the Father according to his Godhead; and lesser than the Father according to his manhood.

Who although he be both God and man; yet he is not two, but one Christ.

One, not by the conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by the taking of the manhood unto God.

One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

For as the rational soul and the flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ.

Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead.

He ascended into heaven;; he sitteth at the right-hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies: and shall give an account of their own works.

And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.

This is the Catholick faith, which except a man believe faithfully and steadfastly, he cannot be saved.