"And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard..."

Many of us, at some time in our life or other, have or will become overwhelmed by the things we need to do, and the prayers we're trying to say. Some people will give up the prayers, and just think they're simply too busy. But we should remind ourselves at times like those, that we don't need to say a whole book of prayers, or pray for a long time to say what we should say, or what we need to say. [Though we should try as soon as possible to return to our normal prayers again when we are able.]  Our Holy Mother, The Church, has provided through the years all kinds of beautiful yet very short prayers we can use, to combat the temptation to simply give up prayer altogether, when we are overwhelmed by our daily lives, and feel too tired, or seem to busy to be able to say them.

I thought I'd share a few of them.  

"May the Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen." (Indulgence: 300 days each time - Pius IX)

"O Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Light of the world, I adore Thee; for Thee I live, for Thee I die. Amen" (Ind.: 100 days, once a day - Pius X)


"O most sacred Heart of Jesus, pour down Thy blessings abundantly upon Thy Church; upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; give perseverance to the just, convert sinners, enlighten unbelievers, bless our parents, friends and benefactors, help the dying, free the holy souls in purgatory and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen." (Ind.: 300 days, once a day; plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions if recited daily throughout the month. - Pius X)

"Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. Thou hast given me all that I am and all that I possess: 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 have no more to desire." (Ind. 300 days, once a day - Leo XIII)

"Sweetest Jesus, be to me not a judge, but a Savior!" (Ind: 50 days, every time - Pius IX)

"All praise, honor and glory to the divine Heart of Jesus." (Ind.: 50 days, once a day - Pius X)

"All for Thee, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!" (Ind.: 300 days each time - Pius X)

"Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee!" (Ind.: 300 days, each time - Pius X)

"Divine Heart of Jesus, convert sinners, save the dying, set free the holy souls in Purgatory!" (Ind. 300 days, every time - Pius X)

"Eternal Father! I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in satisfaction for my sins, and for the wants of Holy Church." (Ind. : 100 days, every time - Pius X)

"My God, I offer Thee all the Masses which are being celebrated today throughout the whole world, for sinners who are in their agony, and who are to die this day. May the Precious Blood of Jesus, their Redeemer, obtain mercy for them." (Ind. : 300 days, each time - Pius X)

"O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray Thee, by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of thy Immaculate Mother, cleanse in Thine own blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony, and about to die this day. Amen. Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have pity on the dying!" (Ind.: 100 days, each time - Pius IX)

"O glorious Saint, whose name I bear,
In thy prayers I ask a share;
Obtain me the grace to do what's right,
to keep the Faith and win the fight. Amen"

"Eternal Father, we offer Thee the Blood, Passion and death of Jesus Christ, and the sorrows of the most holy Mary and St. Joseph, in payment for our sins, in suffrage for the holy souls in Purgatory, for the wants of our Holy Mother the Church, and for the conversion of sinners. Amen." (Ind.: 100 days, once a day - Pius X)

"O Mary, who didst enter the world free from stain, do thou obtain for me that I may pass out of it free from sin." (Ind.: 100 days, once a day - Pius X)


There are, of course, many, many more of these wonderful little prayers that the Holy Church has given us. These were found in Fr. Lasance's "Let us Go to Jesus" ... a wonderful little book full of such prayers and devotions, which you can get from Angelus Press, I believe. I have found it to be a great blessing to me in times when I have found it otherwise difficult to pray.

I'm thankful to God that He has given us such a Mother (the Church), that, like Him, knows what we are made of, and gives the littlest and least and weakest of us the tools to still love, adore and pray to Him, no matter how difficult our lives become, or what our condition may be.

My favorite aspiration is "My Jesus, mercy!'  

But the short prayer I use most is "Help!"