Original Franciscan "Third Order" -- Confraternity of Penitents
Make Every Day a Path to Holiness
More CFP Prayers
Prayer for Our Confraternity Mission
The following prayer was composed on July 20, 2005, following a three day group discernment among CFP leaders regarding the Holy Spirit's Will for the future of the Confraternity of Penitents.
Lord, help us to reach out and support one another. Help us to teach others by the example of our lives. Help us to trust in the Holy Spirit to do Your Will. Make us living flames of hope for each other and the world. Oh Lord, help us to have faith in each other and faithfulness to the Confraternity and to spread and share this life. Continue to help us to trust and to surrender to Your Will. Help us to grow in holiness by this total surrender and to persevere in our journey to holiness. Help us to evangelize and to cast out nets while protecting us in our fidelity to our Lord through the Catholic Church, to living the Rule and to the original vision for our Confraternity. Amen.
Prayer for the Moral Renewal of Our Country
The Council of the Confraternity of Penitents agreed, at the annual Council meeting in July 2006, to promote daily prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, to come against the moral degradation pervading the world. Each one is asked to pray that Saint Michael, accompanied by all the hosts of heaven, will do battle against the forces of evil and will prevail over the moral degradation of their own country. Permission to distribute the Prayer for the Moral Renewal of Our Country granted by Bishop Thomas Tobin, Bishop of the Diocese of Providence, RI, December 15, 2008. Copies available from the Confraternity of Penitents Holy Angels Gift Shop.
Lord, we ask You to send Saint Michael and all the host of heaven to battle against the forces of evil in our nation. We ask specifically that the moral degradation of our country be reversed and that our nation's inhabitants will turn to you in purity, trust, selflessness, and faith. With this intention in mind, we offer this prayer:
Saint Michael the Archangel,defend us in battle.Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -by the Divine Power of God -cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Affiliates' Daily Prayer
Blessed Lord, as You made Saint Francis reflective of the image of Christ through a life of humility and penance, so, too, please help us and all of our brothers and sisters to die to the world with You, in order that our hearts may be inflamed with the fire of Your Love, and finally we may be brought to new life. Please have mercy on all those who are burdened with leadership in the Confraternity, especially the Bishop, Visitor, Minister General, Regional Ministers, Ministers, Officers, and Formators. Father of all, please renew the marks of Jesus' Passion on our souls, and bring us to perfection for the sake of Your glory. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us.
Saint Francis, pray for us.
Saint Clare, pray for us.
Saint Anthony, pray for us.
All you saints of God, pray for us.
Amen.
Monthly Meeting Prayers
AM--Penitents whose last names begin A to M
NZ--Penitents whose last names begin N to Z
When praying on the internet, one leader will be designated for the AM group and one for the NZ group. Designated leaders will type in the CAPITALIZED WORDS only on line and all others will pray the remainder of the prayer silently at their computers without typing anything. The Leader and All designations are for local Chapter or Circle meetings and should be ignored while praying on line. On line, the AM and NZ designations are to be followed throughout.
In local Chapter or Circle meetings, those in each group will pray out loud the prayers as so indicated. The instructions (such as brief pause for silent meditation) should not be said aloud at a Chapter or Circle meeting but rather should be simply followed by the group. In local meetings, a prayer leader should be designated. This leader will read the prayers marked Leader and all others respond where All is designated.
Prayers for the Beginning of the Monthly Meeting
AM (or Leader) --IN THE NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
NZ (or All)--AMEN
All -- Selected opening hymn if desired
Psalm 51
AM - HAVE MERCY on me, O God, in Your goodness
in Your great tenderness wipe away my faults;
wash me clean of my guilt,
purify me from my sin.
NZ--FOR I AM well aware of my faults,
I have my sin constantly in mind,
having sinned against none other than You,
having done what You regard as wrong.
AM--YOU ARE JUST when You pass sentence on me,
blameless when You give judgment.
You know I was born guilty,
a sinner from the moment of conception.
NZ--YET, SINCE you love sincerity of heart,
teach me the secrets of wisdom.
Purify me with hyssop until I am clean;
wash me until I am whiter than snow.
AM--INSTILL SOME joy and gladness into me,
let the bones You have crushed rejoice again.
Hide Your face from my sins,
wipe out all my guilt.
NZ--GOD, CREATE a clean heart in me,
put into me a new and constant spirit,
do not banish me from Your presence,
do not deprive me of Your Holy Spirit.
AM—BE MY SAVIOR again, renew my joy,
keep my spirit steady and willing;
and I shall teach transgressors the way to You,
and to You the sinners will return.
NZ--SAVE ME from death, God my savior,
and my tongue will acclaim Your righteousness;
Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will speak out Your praise.
AM--SACRIFICE gives You no pleasure,
were I to offer holocaust, You would not have it.
My sacrifice is this broken spirit,
You will not scorn this crushed and broken heart.
NZ--SHOW YOUR FAVOR graciously to Zion,
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then there will be proper sacrifice to please You
---holocaust and whole oblation--
and young bulls to be offered on Your altar.
AM--GLORY to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
NZ--AS IT WAS in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
NZ (or All)--BRIEF PAUSE FOR SILENT MEDITATION
MARIAN CONSECRATION PRAYER
AM (or Leader)--TO YOU do we turn, O Holy Mary, glorious and Ever-Virgin Mother of God, Queen of Angels and of Saints, the "Virgin made Church."
NZ (or All )--TO YOU do we cry, O Handmaid of the Lord, Mother of the Suffering Servant, who made the Lord of Majesty our brother. For through you the most exalted Son of God emptied Himself for love of our love, taking the form of a slave in your womb and dying in destitution on a cross as He gave you to us, O Refuge of Sinners.
AM(or Leader)--TO YOU do we fly, as we beg you to obtain for us the true spirit of the Gospel.
NZ (or All )--HOLY, IMMACULATE Conception, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, taking you into our home, we consecrate and entrust ourselves and our Confraternity totally and forever to your Immaculate Heart. Make us your true sons and daughters and use our Confraternity as an instrument of Christ Our King to convert sinners, to sanctify souls, and to strengthen and renew the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, that God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--may be glorified, praised, and adored by all mankind. Amen.
NZ (or All) --BRIEF PAUSE FOR SILENT MEDITATION
Invocation of the Holy Spirit
AM (or Leader)--COME, HOLY SPIRIT, fill the hearts of Your faithful
NZ (or All )--AND KINDLE in them the fire of Your love.
AM (or Leader)--SEND FORTH Your Spirit and they shall be created.
NZ (or All)--AND YOU shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.
AM (or Leader)--IN THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
NZ (or All)--AMEN.
Prayers for End of the Monthly Meeting
NZ (or Leader)--IN THE NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
AM (or All)--AMEN
Apostles' Creed
(All pray together)
NZ (or All)-- I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hell; and on the third day He arose again. He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
AM (or ALL) -- AMEN
ALL -- BRIEF PAUSE FOR SILENT MEDITATION
Spontaneous Prayer
NZ (or Leader)-- LORD, WE LIFT to you our needs in prayer and supplication. Here follows then spontaneous, oral prayer for needs of members. At an internet meeting, members type in prayer requests at will. At local Chapter and Circle meetings, prayer requests are to be prayed orally. When prayers seem to be done, then:
NZ (or Leader)--LORD, WE BRING before You these prayers, asking that Your perfect will be done in every situation here mentioned and in those still remaining in the recesses of our hearts. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Our Lord.
AM (or All)--AMEN
The Our Father
(All pray together)
NZ (or All)--OUR FATHER who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. AMEN
Closing Blessing
Blessing by Spiritual Assistant, if present. If not present, end with the following blessing followed by the sign of the Cross led by NZ (or Leader) with AM (or All) responding Amen.
NZ (or All)--MAY THE LORD bless us, protect us from evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
AM (or All)--Amen
Closing Song
(All sing together)
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest, and in our hearts take up thy rest. Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid, to fill the hearts which Thou hast made. To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
Oh, Comforter, to Thee we cry, Thou heavenly gift of God Most High, Thou font of life and fire of love and sweet anointing from above, And sweet anointing from above.
Praise be to Thee, Father and Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one, and may the Son on us bestow all gifts that from the Spirit flow, all gifts that from the Spirit flow. Amen.