Author: Jean Olson

PRAYERS & PRACTICES

Dear Parents,
A child’s prayer life is of primary
importance in developing a life-long
relationship with Jesus Christ.
We ask you to teach the prayers and
practices of our faith to your children.
Encourage them to memorize each one,
according to their ability.
Help your children appreciate the
power of prayer by praying with them,
in the morning and evening,
before meals, in times of joy
and in times of sorrow.
Attend weekend liturgy together.
How you pray today
is how they will pray tomorrow.
Thank you for being a good
role model of our Catholic Faith.

FIRST GRADERS
Should Know:

Guardian Angel Prayer
Angel of God, my Guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
Glory Prayer
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
Grace Before Meals
Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts,
which we are about to receive
from your bounty,
through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Great Commandment
You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart,
with your whole soul, and with your whole mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.

The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Mass Response
Priest:
The Lord be with you.
Response:
And with your spirit.

FIRST GRADERS
Should Know Continued:

The Lord’s Prayer
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.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary
Hail, Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with you
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Introduce the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
The Annunciation
Visitation
The Nativity
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
Finding Jesus in the Temple

SECOND GRADERS
Should Know:

Act of Contrition (Sorrow)
My God, I am sorry for all my sins with all my heart. In Choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love about all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Amen.
Introduced to the Apostles’ Creed
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 power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he arose again
from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father almighty;
from there he will 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 dead,
and life everlasting. Amen.

Theological Virtues
Faith
Hope
Love

Prayer Before Communion
Lord, I am not worthy
that you should come
under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.

SECOND GRADERS
Should Know Continued:

The Stations of the Cross
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus carries his cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets his mother
5. Simon helps Jesus carry the cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb

THIRD GRADERS
Should Know:

Mysteries of the Rosary
The Joyful Mysteries
The Annunciation
Visitation
The Nativity
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
Finding Jesus in the Temple
The Luminous Mysteries
The Baptism of Jesus
The Miracle at Cana
Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist
The Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the Garden
The Scourging of Jesus
The Crowning of Thorns
Jesus Carries His Cross
The Crucifixion
The Glorious Mysteries
Resurrection of Jesus
Ascension of Jesus
Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles
Assumption of Mary
Coronation of Mary

FOURTH GRADERS
Should Know:

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee to we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Angelus
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary,…
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary . . .
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary . . .
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

FOURTH GRADERS
Should Know:

The Ten Commandments
I am the Lord, your God
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Preparation of the Gifts
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
for the praise and glory of his name
for our good
and the good of all his holy Church.
Amen.
The Confiteor
I confess to Almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
in my thoughts and in my words
in what I have done
and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask Blessed Mary, ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters.
to pray for me to the Lord our God.

FIFTH GRADERS
Should Know:

SEVEN SACRAMENTS
1. Baptism 2. Holy Eucharist
3. Confirmation 4. Reconciliation
5. Anointing of the Sick 6. Holy Orders
7. Matrimony
Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God
Blessed are they who are persecuted
for the sake of righteousness,
to theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Clothe the naked.
Visit the Sick
Shelter the homeless
Visit the imprisoned
Bury the dead

FIFTH GRADERS
Should Know:

St. Michael Prayer
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..
Spiritual Work of Mercy
Admonish sinners. Instruct the uninformed. Counsel the doubtful. Comfort the sorrowful. Be patient with those in error. Forgive offenses. Pray for the living and the dead.

FITH GRADE
Should Know Continued

Litany of Saints
Lord, have mercy on us. R. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. R. Christ have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. R. Lord have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. R. Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, R. Have mercy on us… God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, one God,
Holy Mary, R. Pray for us… Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, All you Holy Angels and Archangels, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, All you Holy Patriarchs and Prophets,
St. Peter, R. Pray for us… St. Paul, St. Andrew, St. James, St. John, St. Thomas, St. James, St. Philip, St. Bartholomew, St. Matthew, St. Simon, St. Jude, St. Matthias,

St. Barnabas, R. Pray for us…. St. Luke, St. Mark, All you holy Apostles and Evangelists, All you holy Disciples of the Lord, All you holy Innocents,
St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, St. Vincent, Sts. Fabian and Sebastian, Sts. John and Paul, Sts. Cosmas and Damian, All you holy Martyrs,
St. Sylvester, St. Gregory, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Martin, St. Nicholas, All you holy Bishops and Confessors, All you holy Doctors,
St. Anthony, St. Benedict, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Francis, All you holy Priests and Levites, All you holy Monks and Hermits,

Litany of Saints Continued…
St. Mary Magdalene, R. Pray for us... St. Agatha, St. Lucy, St. Agnes, St. Cecilia, St. Anastasia, St. Catherine, St. Clare, All you holy Virgins and Widows, All you holy Saints of God,
Lord, be merciful, R. Lord, save your people... From all evil, From all sin, From your wrath, From a sudden and unprovided death, From the snares of the devil, From anger, hatred, and all ill-will, From the spirit of uncleanness, From lightning and tempest, From the scourge of earthquake, From plague, famine, and war, From everlasting death,
By the mystery of your holy Incarnation, By your Coming, By your Birth, By your Baptism and holy fasting, By your Cross and Passion, By your Death and Burial, By your holy Resurrection, By your wonderful Ascension, By the coming of the Holy Spirit, On the day of judgment, Litany of Saints Continued...
Be merciful to us sinners, R. Lord, hear our prayer...
That you will spare us, That you will pardon us, That it may please you to bring us to true penance, Guide and protect your holy Church, Preserve in holy religion the Pope, and all those in holy Orders, Humble the enemies of holy Church, Give peace and unity to the whole Christian people, Bring back to the unity of the Church all those who are straying, and bring all unbelievers to the light of the Gospel, Strengthen and preserve us in your holy service, Raise our minds to desire the things of heaven, Reward all our benefactors with eternal blessings, Deliver our souls from eternal damnation, and the souls of our brethren, relatives, and benefactors, Give and preserve the fruits of the earth, Grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, That it may please You to hear and heed us, Jesus, Son of the Living God,
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, R. Have mercy on us Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, R. Spare us, O Lord Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, R. Graciously hear us, O Lord
Christ, hear us, R. Christ, graciously hear us
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. R. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer Lord, have mercy on us. R. Lord, have mercy on us Christ, have mercy on us. R. Christ, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us. R. Lord, have mercy on us

SIXTH GRADERS
Should Know:

Divine Mercy Chaplet
1. Make the Sign of the Cross
2. Opening Prayers
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You! (Repeat three times)
3. Our Father
4. Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
5. The Apostle's Creed
6. On the Our Father Beads say…
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
7. On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade...
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
8. Repeat for the remaining decades
Saying the "Eternal Father" ( see step 6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (see step 7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.
9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

SIXTH GRADERS
Should Know Continued…

10. Closing Prayer
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

Examination of Conscience
for Young Children

(Remember: accidents and mistakes are not sins.)
Did I pay attention at Mass?
Did I say my prayers every day?
Did I say mean things to my mom and dad?
Did I always say “Please” and “Thank You” to people
Am I hard to get along with (during school, at Grandma’s,
at home)?
Did I do what my mom and dad told me to do? My teacher?
Was I lazy around the house?
Did I do my chores?
Did I hurt other people’s feelings by calling them bad names?
Have I started fights with my brothers and sisters at home?
Have I blamed other people for things I do?
Did I hit people when I got mad?
Have I forgiven people, or am I holding a grudge?
Have I cheated or been unfair in games?
Did I refuse to play with someone for no good reason?
Was I lazy about my schoolwork?
Did I fail to do my homework?
Did I cheat in school?
How many times did I lie to my parents? My teachers?
My friends?
Did I take anything that didn’t belong to me?’
Did I take good care of my body?
Did I get enough exercise, rest, and healthy food?

Examination of Conscience
for Older Children

(Remember: accidents and mistakes are not sins.)
Love God with all your heart:
Does God take first place in my life,
or are other things more important to me?
Do I make time to go to Mass regularly?
Do I listen and participate in Mass?
Do I use God’s name without care or in anger?
Love others:
Am I difficult to get along with?
Do I say unkind things about others?
Do I respect my parents and teachers
and others who are in authority?
Do I tell the truth to my parents? At school?
Do I share my allowance with the Church? with the poor?
Love yourself:
Do I do my homework?
Do I do it the best of my ability?
Do I respect my body and take care of it?
Do I eat properly?
Do I avoid harmful things and dangerous behaviors?

WHAT 7th & 8th GRADERS
SHOULD KNOW

The Divine Praises
Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart. Blessed be His Most Precious Blood. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy. Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception. Blessed be her Glorious Assumption. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.
Anima Christi
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 your wounds hide me; separated from you, let me never be; From the evil one protect me; At the hour of my death, call me; And close to you bid me; That with your saints, I may be praising you forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to Know One’s Vocation
Lord, my God and my loving Father, you have made me to know you, to love you, to serve you, and thereby to find and to fulfill my deepest longings. I know that you are in all things, and that every path can lead me to you. But of them all, there is one especially by which you want me to come to you. Since I will do what you want of me, I pray you, send your Holy Spirit to me: into my mind, to show me what you want of me; into my heart, to give me the determination to do it, and to do it with all my love, with all my mind, and with all of my strength right to the end. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen
The EXAMEN—To be prayed at the end of the day
The examen that Ignatius outlined in the Spiritual Exercises has five points:
1) be grateful for God's blessings;
2) ask the help of the Spirit;
3) review the day, looking for times when God has been present and times when you have left him out;
4) express sorrow for sin and ask for God's forgiving love;
5) pray for the grace to be more totally available to God who loves you so totally.

How to Pray
1. Say hello! When a friend enters a room, the first thing most people do is say hello or throw up a wave or nod. In many ways, this is the beginning of prayer: an acknowledgement of God's presence. When we walk into a Church, we genuflect in front of the tabernacle to humble ourselves while we acknowledge and reverence the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist inside. As you begin to pray, whether it's just walking somewhere during the day, in a chapel or in your room, take a moment to acknowledge whose presence you are in. 'Be still, and know that I am God' (Psalms 46:11).
2. Be yourself. So many people think that holiness is unattainable, and that to pray we need to look like a statue of St. Francis with our hands folded piously. The reality is that we were created to be in communion with God, and He desires to be in a relationship with us. He doesn't want you to be a carbon copy of a past saint. He created you with your own gifts and passions, and wants to shine through you uniquely in them. Come to him as you are and let Him transform you into the saint He wants you to be!
“Teach us to pray' (Luke 11:1). Jesus' apostles asked Him these words, and that conversation resulted in what we call the 'Our Father' prayer. If his own apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, how much more should we ask him to teach us to pray! Ask God to help you and know that He listens. 'Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you' (Matthew 7:7).
3. Hit the brakes! The world we live in today blasts us with media and noise from every direction all day, from texting to music to tv and internet. These aren't bad things, but too much can be distracting from our relationship and conversation with God. “Silence is so lacking in this world which is often too noisy, which is not favorable to recollection and listening to the voice of God” (Pope Benedict XVI). Take 10 minutes every day from the time you spend on facebook or tv, and use that time to pray. Put God back at the center of your heart and mind.
4. Keep it alive. A prayer life that isn't kept up is like a pond with no water flowing in or out. It becomes stagnant. There's no oxygen coming in, and it becomes uninhabitable. All you’ll find is scum and mosquitos. Nobody likes mosquitos; don't be that person. Yet a person who cultivates their relationship with God in prayer finds a much different picture. There is fresh water flowing in and out of the pond. It is life giving! There are flowers and trees that grow along the sides. Your prayer life will affect the other areas of your life.
'Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked, Nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the LORD is their joy; God’s law they study day and night. They are like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever they do prospers' (Psalms 1:1-3).
5. Let it transform you. Practice makes perfect. The entire Christian life, including prayer, is something that we have to work on to become better at it. God can do amazing things in us through our reaching out to him in prayer!
'Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven' (St. Ephraem of Syria).