Prayer of Surrender
My Lord and Saviour, in your arms I am safe; keep me and I have nothing to fear; give me up and I have nothing to hope for. I pray you not to make me rich, I pray you not to make me very poor; but I leave it all to you, because you know and I do not. If you bring pain or sorrow on me, give me grace to bear it well. If you give me health and strength and success in this world, keep me ever on my guard lest these great gifts carry me away from you. Give me ever to aim at setting forth your glory to live to and for you; to set a good example to all around me; give me to die just at that time and in that way which is most for your glory, and best for my salvation.
Prayer for a Happy Death
May He support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. There in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last.
A Prayer to St. Philip
Philip, my holy advocate, who didst bear persecution and calumny, pain and sickness, with so admirable a patience, gain for me the grace of true fortitude under all the trials of this life. Alas! how I do need patience! I shrink from every small inconvenience; I sicken under every light affliction; I fire up at every trifling contradiction; I fret and am cross at every little suffering of body. Gain for me the grace to enter with hearty good-will into all such crosses as I may receive day by day from my Heavenly Father. Let me imitate thee, as thou didst imitate my Lord and Saviour, that so, as thou hast attained heaven by thy calm endurance of bodily and mental pain, I too may attain the merit of patience, and the reward of life everlasting.
When the sick person seems to be about to die
Go forth, O Christian soul, out of this world, in the name of God the Father almighty, who created you; in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who suffered for you; in the name of the Holy Spirit, who sanctified you; in the name of the holy and glorious Mary, Virgin and Mother of God; in the name of the Angels, Archangels, Thrones and Dominions, Cherubim and Seraphim; in the name of the Patriarchs and Prophets, of the holy Apostles and evangelists, of the holy Martyrs, Confessors, Monks and Hermits, of the holy Virgins and of all the Saints of God. May your place be this day in peace, through Christ our Lord.
Amen
O merciful and gracious God. O God, according to your many mercies you blot out the sins of those who repent. You graciously forgive the guilt of their past offences. Mercifully look upon this your servant (handmaid) N. Grant him (her) a full freedom from all his (her) sins. For with a sorrowful heart he (she) most earnestly begs it of you. Renew, O merciful Father, whatever has been wroughtin him (her) by human weakness, or by the frauds and deceits of the enemy. Associate him (her) as a member of redemption to the unity of the Body of the Church. Have mercy, Lord, on his (her) sighs. Have mercy on his (her) tears. Admit him (her) to the Sacrament of your forgiveness, for he (she) has no hope but in your mercy: through Christ our Lord.
Amen
I commend you, dear Brother (Sister), to the almighty God. I give you over to the care of him, whose creature you are. May you then, when you shall have paid the debt of all mankind by death, return to your Maker, for he formed you from the dust of the earth. When, therefore, your soul shall depart from your body, may the glorious armies of the Angels meet you. May the court of the Apostles receive you. May the triumphant band of glorious Martyrs come out to welcome you. May the splendid company of Confessors clad in their white robes surround you. May the choir of joyful Virgins receive you. May you meet with a blessed rest in the embrace of the Patriarchs. May St. Joseph, the most gracious Patron of the dying, comfort you with great hope. May Mary, the holy Mother of God look upon you with mercy. May Jesus Christ appear to you with a mild and joyful countenance. May he appoint you a place among those who are to stand before him forever. May you be a stranger to all that is punished with darkness, with flames, and condemned to torments. May the most wicked enemy, with all his evil spirits, be forced to give way. May he tremble at your approach in the company of Angels. May he with confusion fly away into the vast chaos of eternal night. Let God arise and his enemies be dispersed. Let them that hate him fly before his face. Let them vanish like smoke. As wax that melts before the fire, so let sinners perish in the sight of God. But may the righteous rejoice and be happy in his presence. May then all the legions of hell be confounded and put to shame. May none of the ministers of Satan dare to stop you in your way. May Christ deliver you from torments, for he was crucified for you. May he deliver you from eternal death, for he deigned to die for you. May Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, place you in the landscape of his Paradise. May he, the true Shepherd, acknowledge you for one of his flock. May he absolve you from all your sins. May he place you at his right hand in the midst of his elect. May you see your Redeemer face to face. Standing always in his presence, may you behold with happy eyes the most clear truth. May you be placed among the companies of the blessed. May you enjoy the happiness of the contemplation of your God forever.
Amen
Receive, Lord, your servant (handmaid) into the place of salvation, which he (she) hopes to obtain through your mercy. Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) from all danger of hell; and from all pain and sorrow. Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid), as you delivered Enoch and Elias from the common death of the world (Genesis 5.21-24; 4 Kings 2.1-13). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Noah from the flood (Genesis 6.6-9.17). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Abraham from the midst of the Chaldeans (Genesis 12.1-9). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Job from all his afflictions (Job 42). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Isaac from being sacrificed by his father (Genesis 22). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Lot from being destroyed in the flames of Sodom (Genesis 19). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Moses from the hands of Pharaoh, king of Egypt (Exodus 2; 5 to 15). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Daniel from the lions’ den (Daniel 6). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered the three children from the fiery furnace, and from the hands of an unmerciful king (Daniel 3). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Susanna from her false accusers (Daniel 13). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered David from the hands of Saul and Goliath (Kings 17 to 31). Amen
Deliver, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) as you delivered Peter and Paul out of prison (Acts 12.1-19 >’ 21 to 28). Amen
We commend you, Lord, the soul of your servant (handmaid) N. We pray you, Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, that as in mercy to him (her) you became man, so now you would be pleased to admit him (her) to the embrace of your Patriarchs.
Remember, Lord, he (she) is your creature, not made by strange gods, but by you, the only living and true God. For there is no other but you. None can equal your work. Let his (her) soul rejoice in your presence. Do not remember his (her) former sins and excesses, which he (she) has fallen into, through the violence of passion and the corruption of his (her) nature. For although he (she) has sinned, yet he (she) has always firmly believed in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He (she) has had a zeal for your honour. He (she) has faithfully served you as his (her) God and the Creator of all things.
Do not remember, Lord, we pray you, the sins of his (her) youth and his (her) ignorances. But according to your great mercy, be mindful of him (her) in your heavenly glory. Let the heavens be opened to him (her). Let the angels rejoice with him (her). Let the archangel St Michael conduct him (her), for you have appointed him chief of the heavenly host. Let the holy Angels come out to meet him (her). Let them bring him (her) to the city of the heavenly Jerusalem. Let blessed Peter, the Apostle, receive him (her), for to him God gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Let St Paul, the Apostle, assist him (her), for he was a vessel of election. Let St John, the beloved disciple, pray for him (her), for to him the secrets of heaven were revealed. Let all the holy Apostles pray for him (her), for they received from Jesus Christ the power of binding and loosing. Let all the Saints and Elect of God also pray for him (her), for in this world they have suffered torments in the name of Christ.
Being freed from the prison of his (her) body, may he (she) be admitted into the glory of your heavenly kingdom: through the grace and the merits of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen
Into your hands, Lord, I commit my spirit (Luke 23.4)
O Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit (Acts 7.59)
Holy Mary, Mother of grace, Mother of mercy, defend me from the enemy and receive me at the hour of death.