FOR ALL THINGS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION
BY POPE CLEMENT XI
(18TH Century)
O my God, I believe in You; strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in You; secure them.
I love You with my whole heart; teach me to love You daily more and more. I am sorry that I have offended You; do
You increase my sorrow.
I adore You as the Author of my first beginning. I aspire after You as my last end.
I give You thanks as my constant Benefactor; I call on You as my Sovereign Protector.
Vouchsafe, O my God, to conduct me by Your wisdom; to restrain me by Your justice;
to comfort me by Your mercy,
to defend me by Your power.
To You I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions and sufferings; that
henceforth I may think only of You, speak of You, refer all my actions to Your greater
glory, and suffer
willingly whatever You shall appoint.
Lord, I desire that in all things Your will be done, because it is Your will, and in the
manner that You will.
I beg of You to enlighten my understanding, to inflame my heart, to purify my body,
and to sanctify my soul.
Give me strength, O my God, to expiate my offences, to overcome my temptations,
to subdue my passions, and to
acquire the virtues proper for my state.
Fill my heart with tender affection for Your goodness, hatred of my faults, love of my neighbour, and contempt of the world.
Let me always remember to be respectful to my superiors, kind and courteous to my inferiors, faithful to my friends, and charitable to my enemies.
Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification, avarice by alms-deeds, anger by meekness, and tepidity by devotion.
O my God, make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in afflictions, and humble in prosperity.
Grant that I may be ever attentive at my prayers, temperate at my meals, diligent at
my employments, and
constant in my resolutions.
let my conscience be ever upright and pure, my behaviour modest, my conversation constructive, edifying and kind, and my comportment regular.
Assist me that I may continually labour to overcome the evil inclinations of my fallen
human nature, to
cooperate with Your grace, to keep Your Commandments, and to
work out my salvation.
Discover to me, O my God, the nothingness of this world, the greatness of Heaven,
the shortness of time, and
the length of eternity.
Grant that I may prepare for death; that I may fear Your judgements, escape Hell,
and in the end obtain Heaven,
through Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.