Prayer & Devotion Library

Mary, Mother of Jesus, I place before your Son the knot I am carrying. Help me name it without exaggeration or denial. Obtain for me light to see what is true, humility to admit my part, and confidence that no disorder is beyond the mercy and providence of God. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

Mother of mercy, lead me to Jesus without excuses and without despair. Where sin is part of this knot, obtain for me honest contrition, willingness to confess and repair, and trust in the mercy of Christ. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

Mary, who stood beneath the Cross, intercede for me where resentment binds my heart. Help me distinguish forgiveness from denial, reconciliation from unsafe closeness, and charity from control. Give me willingness to release vengeance and entrust justice to God. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

Mother of fair love, bring my fears to Jesus. Help me do what prudence and duty require, then surrender what lies beyond my control. Obtain for me fortitude, peace, and freedom from compulsive attempts to force certainty. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

Mother of the Holy Family, intercede in the relationships tangled by hurt, pride, fear, jealousy, anger, or misunderstanding. Form in me justice, charity, patience, boundaries, truthfulness, and a willingness to repair the harm that is mine. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

Mother who always leads to Christ, place before Him every craving, compulsion, attachment, and false refuge that binds me. Obtain for me temperance, willingness to seek help, courage to tolerate discomfort, and fidelity to the next right action. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

Queen of peace, when the knot does not loosen on my timetable, keep me from grasping, despair, and magical thinking. Teach me patient endurance, ordinary duty, and confidence that God can work through time, limits, and hidden grace. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

Holy Mary, teach me your fiat. I offer this situation to Jesus and renounce the demand that it end exactly as I imagine. Let God’s will be done. Show me what belongs to my responsibility today and help me entrust the rest to Him. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

Mother of God, I thank God for every grace already given, including the grace to persevere before the outcome is visible. Help me leave this novena more truthful, more virtuous, more charitable, and more ready to do God’s will. I entrust the knot and myself to Jesus through your intercession. Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Then: pray the last two decades of the Rosary and the common closing prayer above.

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.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among 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.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee 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.

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 Thy wounds hide me. Permit me not to be separated from Thee. From the wicked foe defend me. At the hour of my death call me and bid me come to Thee, that with Thy Saints I may praise Thee for ever and ever. Amen.

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess Thou hast given me; I surrender it all to Thee to be disposed of according to Thy will. Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. Amen.

Let nothing disturb thee; let nothing affright thee. All things are passing; God never changeth. Patient endurance attaineth to all things. Whosoever possesseth God is wanting in nothing. God alone sufficeth.

We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

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 do 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. Amen.

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Call to mind that this confession may be the last of your life. Therefore, prepare yourself for it as if you were lying sick upon your death-bed, and already at the brink of the grave. Ask God to give you the grace to make a good examination of conscience, the light to see your sins clearly, and the strength to make a sincere confession and to amend your life.

Prayer

Most merciful God, Father in heaven, relying on Thy goodness and mercy I come to Thee with filial confidence to confess my sins and to implore Thy forgiveness. Thou wilt not despise a contrite and humble heart. Bless me and receive me again into Thy favor; I acknowledge that I have been most ungrateful to Thee, but I sincerely repent and detest the wrong I have done, and I desire henceforth to walk in the way of perfection in accordance with Thy holy will.

O Jesus, my Saviour, my good Shepherd, I have strayed far from the path that Thou hast marked out for me: I did not follow in Thy footsteps; I wandered into forbidden places. Repentant and sorrowful, I beg to be admitted again into the fold of Thy faithful followers. I want to confess my sins with the same sincerity as I should wish to do at the moment of my death. My Jesus, I look to Thee with confidence for the grace to examine my conscience well.

O Holy Spirit, come in Thy mercy; enlighten my mind and strengthen my will that I may know my sins, humbly confess them, and sincerely amend my life.

Mary, my Mother, immaculate Spouse of the Holy Ghost, refuge of sinners, assist me by thy intercession.

Holy angels and saints of God, pray for me. Amen.

Begin by examining yourself on your last confession: whether a grievous sin was forgotten through want of proper examination, or concealed or disguised through shame; whether you confessed without a true sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment; whether you have repaired evil done to your neighbor; whether the penance was performed without voluntary distractions; whether you neglected your confessor’s counsel and fell again into habitual sins.

Then examine yourself on the Ten Commandments; the Commandments of the Church; the Seven Capital Sins; the duties of your state of life; and your ruling passion. Calmly recall the occasions of sin which have fallen in your way or to which your state and condition in life expose you; the places you have frequented; and the persons with whom you have associated. Consider circumstances which change the gravity or nature of a sin and the ways in which one may become accessory to another’s sin.

The Ten Commandments of God

1. I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honor thy father and thy mother.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.

The Commandments / Precepts of the Church in Lasance’s examination

1. To hear Mass on Sundays and holy-days of obligation.
2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed.
3. To confess at least once a year.
4. To receive Holy Eucharist during the Easter-time.
5. To contribute to the support of our pastors.
6. As printed in 1908: Not to marry persons who are not Catholics, or who are related to us within the third degree of kindred, nor privately without witnesses, nor to solemnize marriage at forbidden times.

Current-discipline note: That sixth item records the book’s 1908 discipline. For present sacramental and canonical obligations, follow current Catholic law and your confessor or pastor.

The Seven Deadly Sins and Opposite Virtues

Plain-English gloss: The traditional terms from Lasance are retained in parentheses where helpful.

1. Pride / ego — Humility.
2. Greed / possessiveness (covetousness) — Generosity (liberality).
3. Lust / objectification — Sexual integrity (chastity).
4. Uncontrolled anger / retaliation (wrath) — Calm strength (meekness).
5. Overindulgence / excess (gluttony) — Self-control and moderation (temperance).
6. Envy / jealous comparison — Kindness and goodwill (brotherly love).
7. Avoidance / laziness / procrastination (sloth) — Diligence / follow-through.

The Four Sins Which Cry to Heaven for Vengeance

1. Wilful murder.
2. The sin of Sodom.
3. Oppression of the poor.
4. Defrauding the laborer of his wages.

Nine Ways of Being Accessory to Another’s Sin

By counsel; by command; by consent; by provocation; by praise or flattery; by concealment; by partaking; by silence; by defense of the ill done.

Works of Mercy

Spiritual: admonish sinners; instruct the ignorant; counsel the doubtful; comfort the sorrowful; bear wrongs patiently; forgive injuries; pray for the living and the dead.

Corporal: feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; clothe the naked; visit and aid captives; shelter the homeless; visit the sick; bury the dead.

Preliminary examination

• When was my last confession? Did I take sufficient pains to awaken contrition?
• Did I omit a mortal sin intentionally or through forgetfulness?
• Did I intentionally neglect the penance imposed, or carelessly forget it?
• Did I carry out the resolutions made at my last confession?

Examination on the Ten Commandments

I. Examine faith, hope, prayer, reverence, and trust in God: doubt in matters of faith; murmuring against Providence; despair or presumption; superstition or fortune-telling; neglect of morning or night prayer and other religious duties; human respect; irreverent treatment of priests, religious, sacred persons, places, or things; and reading deliberately hostile to the faith.

II. Examine the use of God’s holy Name and sacred things: taking the Name in vain; false or rash oaths; cursing; blasphemy; irreverence; or provoking another person into such speech.

III. Examine Sundays and holy days: failure to assist at Mass when obliged without sufficient reason; needless work contrary to one’s duty of worship or rest; wilful distraction or irreverence at Mass; and using the day for conduct contrary to its sanctification.

IV. Examine duties toward parents, lawful superiors, those entrusted to your care, and the aged: honor, obedience where rightly due, truthfulness, care, gratitude, and respect.

V. Examine charity and justice toward life and person: hatred; desire for revenge; deliberate refusal to forgive; oppression; injury; provoking language; needless refusal to speak; and causing or fostering enmity between others.

VI & IX. Examine chastity in thought, word, and deed, including deliberate consent to impure thoughts or desires and freely placing yourself or another in an avoidable occasion of sin.

VII. Examine property and honesty: theft; deceit in buying or selling; dishonest dealing concerning goods, prices, weights, or measures; wilful or negligent damage to another’s property; and restitution left undone when required.

VIII. Examine truth and reputation: false witness; lying; injurious names; rash judgment; detraction; calumny; dishonest flattery; disclosure of another’s faults without just cause; and betrayal of confidence.

X. Examine unjust coveting of another’s goods and the interior desires that foster injustice.

Examination on the Precepts of the Church

Have I fulfilled the obligation of confession and Easter Communion? Have I observed the Church’s current laws of fasting and abstinence? Have I knowingly neglected another present obligation of the Church?

Also examine the Seven Capital Sins, the nine ways of becoming accessory to another’s sin, the duties of your state in life, sins of omission, recurring habits, and your predominant fault.

Having discovered the sins of which you have been guilty, together with their number, gravity, or such circumstances as may change their nature, endeavor to excite in yourself a heartfelt sorrow for having committed them and a sincere detestation of them. This is among the most essential dispositions for a good confession. Ask God humbly, fervently, and perseveringly for true contrition.

Consider Who He is, and how good and gracious He is to you, Whom you have so often offended. God made you for Himself, to know, love, and serve Him, and to be happy with Him forever. He redeemed you by His Blood. He has borne with you, waited for you, called you, and moved you to repentance.

Consider what sin costs: the loss of grace through mortal sin, injury to peace of conscience, danger to the end for which you were created, and the punishment due to sin. Consider also how long God has waited for you in mercy.

Behold Christ fastened to the cross for love of you, pouring forth His Precious Blood as a fountain to cleanse you. Hear His thirst for your salvation; see His arms stretched out to receive the returning sinner. Let the love of Him Who has loved you so much awaken true contrition.

Say an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be to obtain true contrition.

Invocations

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Holy Virgin, Mary immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother, speak thou for us to the Heart of Jesus, Who is thy Son and our brother!

Lasance says to recite very attentively one of the following acts.

I

Eternal Father! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they displease Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.

II

O my God, I am truly sorry that I have sinned, because Thou art infinitely good and sin displeases Thee. I promise not to offend Thee again. I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, and I will endeavor to please Thee in everything.

III

O God! infinitely worthy of all love, my Creator, my Saviour, my Benefactor, why did I ever offend Thee? Lord, have mercy on me. How ungrateful I have been to Thee, Who art infinitely good! Father, forgive me. I love Thee, my God, with my whole heart and above all things; I hate sin because it is offensive to Thy goodness. I am truly sorry for having offended Thee, and with Thy help I will shun the occasions of sin and seek to please Thee in all things.

IV

Heavenly Father! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest my sins above every other evil, because they displease Thee, my God, Who for Thy infinite goodness art so deserving of all my love; and I firmly resolve, with the aid of Thy holy grace, never more to offend Thee, and to amend my life.

V

O my God! confessing my guilt and with a contrite heart I kneel before Thee and implore Thee to look upon me according to the multitude of Thy mercies. I detest and am heartily sorry for all my sins, not only because I dread the loss of heaven and the pain of hell, but also and principally because by them I have offended Thee, Who art infinitely good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins and to amend my life.

I acknowledge Thee, O God, to be the Supreme Good, and I love Thee with all my heart. Be merciful to me, a poor sinner. I beseech Thee, by the passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, to forgive me my sins. Amen.

Approach the confessional with recollection and reverence, remembering that the priest acts as Christ’s minister in the sacrament.

When you kneel down, say: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.” Then begin the Confiteor as follows:

Confiteor — opening

I confess to Almighty God, to Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.

Then state when you made your last confession and confess your sins sincerely, in kind and number where required, with relevant circumstances that change their nature.

Conclude the avowal: “For these and all the sins of my past life, especially my sins of [name any sins you wish particularly to include], I am heartily sorry, beg pardon of God, and absolution of you, my Father.”

Confiteor — conclusion

Therefore, I beseech the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

Listen humbly to the confessor’s counsel. Accept the penance imposed; if you foresee a real obstacle to completing it, say so respectfully. During absolution renew your contrition and receive the sacrament with faith and gratitude. If absolution is deferred, do not despair or argue; follow the priest’s direction and continue repentance and amendment.

Eternal Father! I thank Thee, I bless Thee, for Thy goodness and mercy. Thou hast had compassion on me, although in my folly I had wandered far away from Thee and offended Thee most grievously. With fatherly love Thou hast received me anew after so many relapses into sin and forgiven me my offenses through the holy sacrament of Penance. Blessed forever, O my God, be Thy loving-kindness, Thy infinite mercy! Never again will I grieve Thee by ingratitude, by disobedience to Thy holy will. All that I am, all that I have, all that I do shall be consecrated to Thy service and Thy glory.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee.

Jesus, my God, I love Thee above all things.

O Divine Spirit! penetrate my soul with true horror and loathing of sin. Grant that I may be more exact in the fulfilment of all my duties, and strengthen me by Thy grace, that I may not again yield to temptation.

Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Mary, our hope, have pity on us!

Verses of thanksgiving and confidence

“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”

“Blessed are the undefiled in the way; who walk in the law of the Lord.”

“I cried with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord: I will seek Thy justifications.”

“I cried unto Thee, save me: that I may keep Thy commandments.”

“I will praise Thee, because Thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.”

“O praise the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endureth forever.”

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man can do unto me.”

“I will please the Lord in the land of the living.”

“The perils of hell have found me; O Lord, deliver my soul.”

“I have acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity I have not concealed.”

“I said, I will confess against myself mine iniquity with the Lord, and Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.”

“Thou art my refuge from the trouble which hath encompassed me, my joy. Deliver me from them that surround me.”

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all He hath done for thee.”

“Who forgiveth all thy iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases.”

“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion.”

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful; long-suffering and plenteous in mercy.”

“He will not always be angry; nor will He threaten forever.”

“He hath not dealt with us according to our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our iniquities from us.”

“As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.”

“Bless the Lord, all ye His angels; bless the Lord all ye His hosts. Bless the Lord all His works; in every place of His dominion, O my soul, bless thou the Lord.”

Complete the penance assigned in confession as soon as reasonably possible, and put any concrete resolution or restitution into practice.