Catholic Prayer Book Quotes

“For Seekers of Faith (By St. Benedict)   GRACIOUS and holy Father, give us the wisdom to discover you, the intelligence to understand you, the diligence to seek after you, the patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you, and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the spirit of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.”
― Jeremiah Vallery, Catholic Prayer Book: An Anthology and Introduction to Prayer

“BLESS us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
― Jeremiah Vallery, Catholic Prayer Book: An Anthology and Introduction to Prayer

“PROTECT me and mine and all men during this night and through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, preserve us from all dangers of body and soul. Keep away from us sickness, fire, and calamities of every kind. Protect us against the assaults of the wicked and of Satan. Into your hands I commend my body and soul; let me rest in your most holy wounds. O Lord, visit this household and repel from it all the snares of the enemy; let your holy angels dwell here to preserve us in peace, and may your blessings remain with us forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
― Jeremiah Vallery, Catholic Prayer Book: An Anthology and Introduction to Prayer

“The wars of religion that followed the Protestant Reformation caused many people to view religion as nothing more than an ideology with the potential for violence and fanaticism. It is unfortunate that for many, many centuries, the history of the human race has been fraught with religious wars stemming from doctrinal and political disputes.”
― Jeremiah Vallery, Catholic Prayer Book: An Anthology and Introduction to Prayer

“A Student’s Prayer (By St. Thomas Aquinas)   CREATOR of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding.   Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and of ignorance.   Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.   Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.   Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help the completion. I ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
― Jeremiah Vallery, Catholic Prayer Book: An Anthology and Introduction to Prayer

“There are many kinds of prayer—vocal, mental, liturgical, devotional, and mystical, for instance. In general, prayer can be categorized according to its purpose, addressee, context, and position on the vocal-mental spectrum.”
― Jeremiah Vallery, Catholic Prayer Book: An Anthology and Introduction to Prayer