Mother Teresa and the Missing Prayer Book

I met Mother Teresa on a number of occasions. I spent two years in Mexico in priestly formation with her priests, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers. On one of her visits, I was privileged to spend about 20 minutes alone with her in the chapel, talking about my family and my vocation, and praying together with Mother Teresa. On another of her visits, I was privileged to fix her rosary. It broke, apparently from too much use. 😉

I used to have my Missionaries of Charity Prayerbook (a small black hardcover prayerbook issued to members of the community) from my time with the MC Fathers, but I lost it some time ago. Probably during one of my moves. I really miss it. I used to use it every day.

Many of the prayers in the book are common prayers, not prayers developed by Mother Teresa. I don’t recall all of them. However, I do remember some of them… which I have included below.

Incidentally, if you happen to have an extra copy of the M.C. Prayer Book handy, I’d been interested in talking with you. 😉

Happy praying!

Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of the most pure Virgin Mary,
our Mother, I, poor sinner, place my weak
heart, stained with sins, in you! Receive me
forever. Hold me fast and never again release me
from your loving power, so that I may be protected
from myself and sheltered in your mercy.
I consecrate to you my whole life and death,
all of my thoughts, words and actions. I want to love
as you love, I want to sacrifice as you sacrifice, I
want to keep silence as you keep silence, I want
to forgive as you forgive. And I want to be the way
that you would have me, so that you can lead me
to my lord and God, to His loving Heart, which
is the goal and beatitude of us all.
And you too, holy and great angels, I beg you
to remember my consecration to Mary, to admonish,
warm and guide me and never let me fall again.
Holy, faithful Guardian Angel and all you
heavenly helpers and brothers, receive me like a
seed entrusted to your care and which, nurtured
by you, is to bring forth fruit for eternity. Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady

Mary, Mother of Jesus,
Give me your heart so beautiful,
So pure, so immaculate,
So full of love and humility,
That I may be able to
receive Jesus in the Bread of Life,
Love him as You loved Him
And serve Him as You served Him
In the distressing disguise
Of the poorest of the poor.
Amen.

Radiating Christ

by Blessed John Henry Newman

Dear Jesus, help us to spread Your fragrance everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with Your Spirit and Life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly,
that our lives may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through us, and be so in us, that every soul we come in contact with
may feel Your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus!
Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine, as You shine;
So to shine as to be a light to others;
the light, O Jesus, will be all from You, none of it will be ours;
it will be You shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise You in the way You love best, by shining on those around us.
Let us preach You by our words and by our example,
by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do,
the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to You. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary, cause of our joy,
Bless your own Missionaries of Charity;
Help us to do all the good we can.
Keep us in your most pure Heart,
So that we may please Jesus
Through you, in you and with you.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me a channel of Your peace,
That where there is hatred, I may bring love;
Where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;
Where there is discord, I may bring harmony;
Where there is error, I may bring truth;
Where there is doubt, I may bring faith;
Where there is despair, I may bring hope;
Where there are shadows, I may bring light;
Where there is sadness, I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I may see rather to comfort, than to be comforted;
To understand, than to be understood,
To love than to be loved,
For it is by forgetting self that one finds;
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven;
It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life. Amen.

Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola (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 Thy wounds, hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
>From the malicious enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me,
And bid me come unto Thee.
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee,
Forever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer of Bl. Charles De Foucauld

Father, I abandon myself into your hands.
Do with me what You will.
Whatever You may do, I thank You.
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only Your will be done in me,
And in all Your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into Your hands I commend my soul.
I offer it to you, with all the love of my heart
For I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself,
To surrender myself into Your hands,
Without reserve and with boundless confidence,
For You are my Father.