Holy Hour

Approach

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

Kneel or sit. Put aside phone and distractions. Take one full minute in silence, aware that the Lord is really, substantially, truly present before you — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

Adoro Te Devote

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,

masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,

see, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart

lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;

how says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;

what God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;

truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.

On the cross thy Godhead made no sign to men;

here thy very manhood steals from human ken:

both are my confession, both are my belief,

and I pray the prayer of the dying thief.

I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see,

but can plainly call thee Lord and God as he;

this faith each day deeper be my holding of,

daily make me harder hope and dearer love.

O thou our reminder of Christ crucified,

living Bread the life of us for whom he died,

lend this life to me then: feed and feast my mind,

there be thou the sweetness man was meant to find.

Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican;

bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what thy bosom ran —

blood whereof a single drop has power to win

all the world forgiveness of its world of sin.

Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below,

I beseech thee send me what I thirst for so,

some day to gaze on thee face to face in light

and be blest for ever with thy glory's sight. Amen.

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas,

quae sub his figuris vere latitas;

tibi se cor meum totum subiicit,

quia te contemplans totum deficit.

Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,

sed auditu solo tuto creditur;

credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius;

nil hoc verbo Veritatis verius.

In cruce latebat sola Deitas,

at hic latet simul et humanitas;

ambo tamen credens atque confitens,

peto quod petivit latro paenitens.

Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor;

Deum tamen meum te confiteor;

fac me tibi semper magis credere,

in te spem habere, te diligere.

O memoriale mortis Domini,

panis vivus, vitam praestans homini,

praesta meae menti de te vivere,

et te illi semper dulce sapere.

Pie pellicane, Iesu Domine,

me immundum munda tuo sanguine,

cuius una stilla salvum facere

totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Iesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio,

oro fiat illud, quod tam sitio:

ut te revelata cernens facie,

visu sim beatus tuae gloriae. Amen.

Adoration

Ten minutes. Adore Him. Praise Him for who He is, not for what He has done for you. Say, repeat, and mean: "My Lord and my God." Use a Psalm of praise if words help — Psalm 8, 63, 95, 103, 116, 150 — or be silent. This is not petition time yet.

Anima Christi

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me.

Within Thy wounds hide me.

Permit me not to be separated from Thee.

From the malignant enemy defend me.

In the hour of my death call me,

and bid me come to Thee,

that with Thy saints I may praise Thee

forever and ever. Amen.

Anima Christi, sanctifica me.

Corpus Christi, salva me.

Sanguis Christi, inebria me.

Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.

Passio Christi, conforta me.

O bone Iesu, exaudi me.

Intra tua vulnera absconde me.

Ne permittas me separari a te.

Ab hoste maligno defende me.

In hora mortis meae voca me.

Et iube me venire ad te.

Ut cum sanctis tuis laudem te

in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

Lectio — Listen

Fifteen minutes with Scripture. The Gospel of the day is a classic; otherwise a short passage you have been drawn to. Read slowly. Let a word or image take hold. Stay with it. Let it ask you the questions. (If you have not yet, see the Lectio Divina chapter in this library.)

Contrition

Five minutes. Name your sins simply — what has weighed on your conscience since your last confession, or since yesterday's examen. Do not wallow; do not rush. Look at the Host. His Passion was for these.

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee,

and I detest all my sins, because of Thy just punishments,

but most of all because they offend Thee, my God,

Who art all-good and deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace,

to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

Amen.

Deus meus, ex toto corde pænitet me omnium meorum peccatorum,

æque detestor, quia peccando, non solum pœnas a Te iuste statutas promeritus sum,

sed præsertim quia offendi Te, summum bonum, ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris.

Ideo firmiter propono, adiuvante Tua gratia, de cetero me non peccaturum

peccandique occasiones proximas fugiturum.

Amen.

Intercession

Ten minutes. Now bring your petitions — your family, the sick, the dying, your work, the Church, the Pope, your enemies, the souls in purgatory, the conversion of sinners. Name them by name. Jesus intercedes eternally; join Him.

Fatima Prayer

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,

save us from the fires of hell,

lead all souls to heaven,

especially those most in need of thy mercy.

O mi Iesu, dimítte nobis débita nostra,

salva nos ab igne inférni,

perduc in cælum omnes ánimas,

præsértim eas quæ misericórdiæ tuæ máxime indígent.

Silence

Ten minutes. No more words. Just look at Him. Let Him look at you. If the mind wanders, bring it back without scolding. This is where the Hour does its deepest work. "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10).

Offering and Close

Suscipe

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,

my memory, my understanding,

and my entire will,

all I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.

To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace,

that is enough for me. Amen.

Suscipe, Domine, universam meam libertatem.

Accipe memoriam, intellectum, atque voluntatem omnem.

Quidquid habeo vel possideo mihi largitus es;

id tibi totum restituo,

ac tuae prorsus voluntati trado gubernandum.

Amorem tui solum cum gratia tua mihi dones,

et dives sum satis,

nec aliud quidquam ultra posco. Amen.

Name one concrete thing you will carry out of this Hour into the rest of the day — a resolution, a small act of charity, a temptation to resist.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Yours.

Iesu, mitis et húmilis corde, fac cor meum secúndum Cor tuum.

Sub Tuum Praesidium

We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.