# The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations/Night Prayer

Night Prayer.
IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Our Father, etc.; Hail Mary, etc.; I believe in God, etc.
Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for ever. Amen.
[ The Rosary of the B. V. page 445. ]
PRAYER.
O ETERNAL, Inﬁnite, and Almighty God, Whose glory the heaven of heavens cannot contain, look down on thy unworthy servant, prostrate at the feet of thy mercy, and humbly confessing to thee, in the sight of all thy holy angels and blessed saints, the sinfulness and vanity of my life, but especially the transgressions of this day, by which I have so grievously wounded my own soul.
GENERAL CONFESSION.
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 grievously sinned in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my exceeding great fault.
Here examine diligently what sins you may have fallen into this day, by thought, word, deed, or omission, and humbly confessing them, proceed thus:
Of these, and all my other sins, I most sincerely repent, and am heartily sorry for every thought, word, and deed by which I have displeased thy inﬁnite ​majesty, and provoked thy wrath and indignation against me, especially for my disobedience to so holy a law, and extreme ingratitude to so gracious and bountiful a God. I acknowledge, O Lord, that I have not merited the least of thy mercies, but rather deserve the severest of thy judgments; but as thou hast revealed thyself to be a God of pity and compassion, forgiving the iniquities of such as truly repent, I therefore, with a penitent and contrite heart, freely confess the guiltiness of my own conscience, and beseech the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, the blessed Michael the Archangel, the blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
May Almighty God have mercy on me, and, forgiving me my sins, bring me to everlasting life: through Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the Almighty and Merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins. Amen.
And now, O most gracious and liberal Benefactor, I praise and magnify thy holy name for thy great and innumerable beneﬁts, proceeding purely from thy bounty, and intended wholly for my good—particularly for preserving me this day in the midst of so many dangers incident to my condition, and delivering me from so many calamities and miseries as are due to my sins.
Thou art my Creator, O my God, and kind Protector; thou art the ultimate end of my being, and supreme perfection of my nature. Under the shadow of thy wings is perpetual repose, and from the light of thy countenance ﬂow eternal joy and felicity. To thee be glory and honour; to thee ​adoration and obedience: from all thy creatures for ever. Amen.
And since thou hast ordained the day to labour, and the night to rest; as I praise thee for the blessings of this day, so I implore thy protection for this night to come. Let the eyes of thy providence watch over me, and thy holy angels set their guard about me; that, being safely delivered from all dangers, and healthily refreshed with moderate sleep, I may the better be enabled to perform the employments of my calling and state of life, and faithfully persevere in the discharge of the duties of thy service; and so daily advance to new victories over my passions, and to a more perfect observance of thy commandments; till, having passed my days in thy fear, I may end them in thy favour, and rejoice with thee for ever in thy heavenly kingdom: through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour, who, with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.
AN ACT OF CONTRITION.
O DREAD Lord, and most indulgent Father of mercies, I, a wretched worm, have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy servant, much less to be accounted thy child, having repaid so much bounty with contempt, and so many beneﬁts with ingratitude. Where shall I ﬁnd punishment enough to atone for my sins, or tears enough to wash out my iniquities? Alas! I grieve not merely at those pains which I have deserved for my sins; it pierces my very heart that I have offended a God who ought to be beloved and honoured above all things. What shall I say, O Lord, in detestation of the crimes I ​have committed? What shall I do to prevent my future relapse? Father, from henceforth the face of sin shall be more hideous to me than hell, and the least shadow of it more frightful than death. Forgive, O Almighty Lord, forgive, and have not the sins of my past life in remembrance. Why should the mighty Lord of heaven and earth be in wrath against so poor, so contemptible an object? Behold me, O God, not in thine anger, but according to the tender bowels of thy inﬁnite mercy; for thou art our Father, and we are thy children; thou art our Maker, and we are as clay in thy hands; thou canst, with those waters drawn from the fountains of our blessed Saviour, cleanse our iniquities, and with the mixture of one drop of his most precious blood mould us again into vessels of honour. Of thee only, O merciful Father, I beg and hope for pardon; upon thee only do I call and depend for assistance, that I may hereafter constantly serve thee with a true and faithful obedience, and inseparably adhere to thee with a pure and perfect love for ever.
PRAYER FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED.
O GOD, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants departed full remission of all their offences, that, through the help of pious supplications, they may obtain the pardon of which they have been always desirous: who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
V. Give them, O Lord, eternal rest.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
​SAVE us, O Lord, waking; and keep us, sleeping; that we may watch with Christ, and rest in peace. Amen.
Preserve us as the apple of thine eye. and protect us under the shadow of thy wings. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
May thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, as we have put our trust in thee.
O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my supplications come unto thee.
THE PRAYER.
VISIT, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation, and repel from it all the snares of the enemy. Let thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace; and may thy blessing be upon us for ever: through Christ our Lord. Amen.