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glinNC
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| Posted: March 06 2009 at 2:52pm | IP Logged
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All my life, when entering a Catholic church, I have knelt and prayed to Jesus present in the tabernacle. It's a habit, and I just really say what's on my mind and get recollected for Mass. I've always told my children to pray, too ... to talk to Jesus; but I think they should have more specific instructions.
I wonder, though, are there certain prayers that should be said at that time? What do YOU pray when you first enter a pew and get on your knees? What do you tell your kids to pray?
Thanks in advance,
glinNC
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Jen L.
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| Posted: March 06 2009 at 3:22pm | IP Logged
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I pray the 2 prayers (if I have time)
This is the one that my (school age) kids also pray...
The Suscipe:
Take Lord, and receive
all my liberty,
my memory,
my understanding,
and my entire will --
all that I have and call my own.
You have given it
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.
Ignatius of Loyola
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Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
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Jen L.
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| Posted: March 06 2009 at 3:25pm | IP Logged
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and St. Thomas Aquinas' prayer before Mass:(this is not the exact translation I use, but the content is the same)
Almighty and ever-living God,
I approach the sacrament
of Your only-begotten Son
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
I come sick to the doctor of life,
unclean to the fountain of mercy,
blind to the radiance of eternal light,
and poor and needy to the Lord
of heaven and earth.
Lord, in your great generosity,
heal my sickness,
wash away my defilement,
enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty,
and clothe my nakedness.
May I receive the bread of angels,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
with humble reverence,
with the purity and faith,
the repentance and love,
and the determined purpose
that will help to bring me to salvation.
May I receive the sacrament
of the Lord's Body and Blood,
and its reality and power.
Kind God,
may I receive the Body
of Your only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
born from the womb of the Virgin Mary,
and so be received into His mystical body
and numbered among His members.
Loving Father,
as on my earthly pilgrimage
I now receive Your beloved Son
under the veil of a sacrament,
may I one day see him face to face in glory,
who lives and reigns with You for ever.
Amen.
- Saint Thomas Aquinas
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Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
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DominaCaeli
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| Posted: March 06 2009 at 3:35pm | IP Logged
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glinNC wrote:
| What do YOU pray when you first enter a pew and get on your knees? |
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Well, if it's before Mass, I take a few moments to quiet my mind, and then I ask Our Lord to help me and my children to focus during Mass and thank Him for the gift of the Real Presence. I also state the intention I am offering up the Mass for.
Then (if my children still don't need my attention yet  ) I read through the Prayers Before Mass in my missal, which include prayers to Our Lady and Saint Joseph and St. Ambrose's lovely Prayer Before Communion.
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Blessings,
Celeste
Joyous Lessons
Mommy to six: three boys (8, 4, newborn) and four girls (7, 5, 2, and 1)
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Maryan
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| Posted: March 06 2009 at 3:55pm | IP Logged
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Jen - I love the St. Thomas Aquinas prayer. 
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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ctrivette
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| Posted: March 06 2009 at 4:19pm | IP Logged
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Maryan wrote:
| Jen - I love the St. Thomas Aquinas prayer. |
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Me too:)
I tell my kids to ask for help to pay atention during Mass, and just the oher day gave this one to the grade 2 PSR class:
O my God, I am only child; help me to be attentive, and to pray with al my heart during this holy Mass.
They wrote it on a card to take with them to Mass.
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: March 09 2009 at 1:03am | IP Logged
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The littles memorize the first part of the Fatima Prayer:
I believe, I adore, I trust and I love thee. And, we tell them to ask their Guardian Angel to help them think of Jesus during Mass.
Last year, when my 1st dd made her first communion, we all memorized the Anima Christi, and marked it in their missals. I love this prayer. So, the older girls say the Anima Christi, and O Sacrament most holy! O Sacrament Divine, All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment thine.
Then, we've told them to try to focus on either the Tabernacle or the Crucifix and....
1. Adore Him for a few moments by just "looking" at him.
2. Be sorry for our sins by praying, "I am sorry for my sins".
2. Thank him for creating us and everything, and for bringing us here to celebrate.
3. Offer any intention/s....which we usually talk about on the way there. Sometimes, they forget and lean over to me to ask "who/what is our Mass for again?"
I took each of these four things last year, and spent a month talking and focusing on each one. I used the ACTS acronym....Adore, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication.
I make sure they know this is only an example of a formula to help them learn and get used to preparing for Mass. If they want to do it another way or just "be", that's wonderful.....but helping them to focus, and giving them simple ideas for lifting their thoughts to Jesus and toward heaven.
I like to add a simple Act of Humility:
O divine Lord, how shall I dare to approach you, I who have so often offended you? No, Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof; but speak only the word and my soul shall be healed.
And, then my new Mother Love prayer book has a great section on Prayers for the Celebration of the Eucharist. I can't usually say anything "long" while in the pew, and these are usually said before leaving for Mass or the night before.
There are a bunch of Prayers Before Mass on this page....scroll down the M's to MASS.
I the Lord am with You Always, compiled by Christine McCarthy has tons of Eucharistic Prayers in it, and a section on Prayers for Preparation for Communion.
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: March 09 2009 at 1:07am | IP Logged
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Jen L. wrote:
This is the one that my (school age) kids also pray...
The Suscipe:
............
Ignatius of Loyola |
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I LOVE the SUSCIPE!
And his Prayer for Generosity:
Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.
********(St. Ignatius of Loyola)
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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mariB
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Yes! I LOVE the SUSCIPE too! This the prayer for our family to memorize this week! Thank you!
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marib-Mother to 22ds,21ds,18ds,15dd,11dd and wife to an amazing man for 23 years
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glinNC
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 7:41pm | IP Logged
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Thank you, ladies! You were all a GREAT help to me! 
Lent blessings to you,
glinNC
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Prayers before Mass?
