Morning and Evening Prayers for All Days of the Week Part 6

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, And let Thy gifts to us be blest.

Amen.

Gracious Father, who feedest and nourishest every living creature, feed and nourish our souls and bodies that we may not abuse Thy gifts, but that we be rather quickened by the same unto the glory of Thy Name, unto all honest toil and every good work, to live and move before Thee in righteousness and innocence. Amen.

1562.

Be present at our table Lord; Be here and everywhere adored.

Thy people bless, and grant that we, May dwell in paradise with Thee.

Amen.

Heavenly Father, bless this food, To Thy glory and our good.

Amen.

Jesus, bless what Thou hast given, Feed our souls with bread from Heaven; Guide and lead us all the way, In all that we may do and say.

Amen.

Grace After Meat.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. He giveth food to all flesh; He giveth to the beast his food; and to the young ravens which cry. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy. Amen.

We thank Thee, Lord G.o.d, Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for all Thy benefits; who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

Dearest G.o.d, for meat and drink Accept our praise. Thy Name be blessed.

Amen.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Amen.

We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food, We thank Thee more for Jesus' blood, Let manna to our souls be given, The bread of life sent down from heaven.

Amen.

Praise G.o.d from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Amen.

For Hearth and Home

Prayer of a Housefather.

Gracious and Eternal G.o.d! Who Thyself in Paradise hast ordained holy matrimony, vouchsafe unto me Thy grace and help in my married life, that I may ever maintain the true Christian love and fidelity toward my spouse. Grant, that I may dwell with her, as with the weaker vessel, in kindness and harmony according to knowledge, giving honor unto her, as being heirs together of the grace of life, and guide her together with my children and servants to the true knowledge of Thy divine glory, and to modesty and honesty. Grant to them also, O Lord, that they follow Thee, and suffer themselves to be guided. Preserve us, O Thou G.o.d of Peace, from strife and dissensions, and the calumnies of the enemy, from undue suspicion, which the devil sows as a seed of perdition, and for the destruction of conjugal love and faith. Grant, that as Thy children we may suffer and forgive each other in love and charity. Give us faithful servants and keep them in good health. Bless our labor and all that contributes to the wants of the body. Enable us to bear our cross with patience, and grant that we be together again in the after-life. Amen.

Prayer of a Housemother.

O G.o.d Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Thou giver of all blessing and consolation, behold me, whom Thou hast placed in the estate of holy wedlock and made me the mother of this family, with the eyes of Thy mercy. Vouchsafe unto Thy handmaiden Thy grace, that I may love Thee above all things, seek Thee, and ever be diligent in Thy service. And grant that next to Thee I may honor, fear, and love my husband, and obey him with patience and kindness, in pure and modest conduct, in piety and humility well pleasing to Thee, and that the hidden life of my heart be constantly adorned with a meek and gentle disposition and every virtue, even as in former times the consecrated women, who trusted in G.o.d and continued in subjection to their husbands. Enable me to train my children and servants with meekness, to the honor and glory of Thy holy name. Give grace, that they follow me with gentleness, and grant, that I with my husband and family may satisfy the wants of this life in good health and according to Thy divine will. Protect us from harm and from enemies.

Enable us so to use this world that we be not hindered in our salvation, but in all things seek Thee, O Lord, and endeavor to be well-favored in Thy sight. May we not despise the cross neither murmur against it, but bear it in patience, and thus remain in Thy keeping unto the end. May we as servants of G.o.d bring forth abundant fruitage, live holy lives in this world, and attain to the everlasting inheritance in the world to come.

Amen.

Prayer of a Child.

Almighty and Eternal G.o.d! Thou hast commanded me to honor my parents, and in all things, which are not contrary to Thy word, to obey them. I beseech Thee, for the sake of the obedience of Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord, grant unto me, that I may duly honor my father and mother, serve them, obey, love, and esteem them, so that their blessing may dwell with me to the end of my days. Keep me from sin and evil communications, that I may not anger or grieve my dear parents with hatred, sadness, scornfulness, disobedience, or obstinacy, and thus bring upon myself on this earth already their and Thy curse, and in the after-life Thy eternal wrath. And since I have sinned many times through weakness, I beseech Thee, work in me sorrow and true repentance, through Jesus Christ, my Savior, who gave to me the example of true obedience.

Grant, that according to His example I may ever grow, and increase in wisdom, stature, and grace before Thee, O G.o.d, and all men. Amen.

Prayer of a Youth or a Maiden.

Lord, Almighty and Holy G.o.d, who lovest a pure heart, a chaste mind, and a holy life: I pray Thee, create in me also a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me, so that I may serve Thee with sincere faith and true fear, and love Thee with all my strength. And keep me from all impure communications. Subdue the evil l.u.s.ts in my heart, and extinguish the fires of fleshly desire. Preserve me from unchaste and dissolute a.s.sociations, from rioting and drunkenness, which lead to excess. May all filthiness, and foolish talking, unbecoming a Christian, be ever foreign to my life. Keep me from arrogant pomp, or idleness and lounging, from the snares and nets of the devil. Grant, that I may serve Thee with a pure soul and an undefiled body in true faith, as did pious and chaste Joseph in Egypt, and graciously take me into Thy safekeeping against all temptations and seductions of life, for the sake of Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son. Amen.

Prayer of a Servant.

Merciful G.o.d, Who through the precious suffering and death of Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, hast redeemed and made me free from eternal servitude, from the power of sin, from the dominion of darkness, from the cruel tyranny of the devil, and the mastery of death and h.e.l.l: I beseech Thee, grant me grace, so that in my present station and calling, in which Thou hast placed me on earth according to Thy good pleasure, I may not be dissatisfied, nor murmur impatiently against Thy ordinance, nor yet envy others in their more exalted stations, but help me to do such Thy will from the heart, with good will, ever thinking that I serve Thee, O G.o.d in Heaven, and not men. Help Thou, dear Father, that I serve Thee, the supreme Lord of heaven and earth, in true knowledge and upright fear, love Thee above all things, put all my hope and salvation in Thee, and continue in Thy commandments without blame. May I also be subject to my masters and mistresses according to the flesh, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward, and patiently obey them in everything that is not contrary to Thy pleasure, with fear and singleness of heart, as unto Christ my Lord, not with eye-service, as man pleaser, but from the depths of my heart and for the sake of Thy will and commandment.

Grant me grace that I may be found faithful in all things committed and entrusted to my care, not neglect nor bring them to naught, suffer no harm to come through carelessness on my part; also that I may not covet nor fraudulently appropriate to my own use the possessions of another entrusted to my care. Preserve my health, strengthen my limbs and all the powers of my body. Endow me with wisdom and understanding, that I may perform the labor of my masters and mistresses, with Thy help improve their living. May they be blessed through my industry; and all that I do and perform, may it redound to Thy divine glory and a blessed exercise of my faith. For Christ, Thy dear Son's sake, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.