Hear us, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God; and graciously send Your holy angel from Heaven to watch over, to cherish, to protect, to abide with, and to defend all who dwell in this house. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Visit, we beg You, O Lord, this dwelling, and drive from it all snares of the enemy; let Your holy Angels dwell herein, to keep us in peace; and let Your blessing be always upon us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Evening has come after a long day. Maybe it’s been a great day, and you just sit back and say “Wow! I accomplished a lot, and things went so well today.” Or maybe you can’t wait for the day to end, because you’ve dealt with one mini-crisis (or full-blown crisis) after another. Either way, before you go to bed, it’s important to spend some time, even just a few minutes, with our dear Lord, who has blessed you with another day of life. Catholic evening prayers can help you end the day with gratitude and trust.
During your prayer time you can thank God for all the good things that happened–and for all the not-so-good things, too! God has a plan for your life, and He works even through the hardships and the unpleasant things that happen.
Spending time with God before you go to sleep gives you a chance to offer your sleep as a prayer to God for your own good and the good of others (see the prayer below by St. Alphonsus).
Your bedtime prayers can be in your own words, or you can use Catholic evening prayers and traditional Catholic evening prayers as you praise God and pray for a restful, peaceful, good night.
Before you go to sleep, you should ask God for forgiveness for the sins committed during the day; you can do this in your own words or with the traditional Act of Contrition. Also, ask for the protection of your guardian angel. The Glory Be, praising the Holy Trinity–the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit–is another wonderful bedtime prayer. (You can find these and more prayers, including prayers for protection and help, on our prayer downloads page.) Another great Catholic Night Prayer is the Magnificat, Our Lady’s song of praise.
It’s also a beautiful practice to pray a quick prayer when you wake up; it can be something as simple as “Jesus, I love You!” or “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
Below are a few evening prayers which you can make use of before you turn in for the night!
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was a North African who was converted from a sinful life through the prayers of his holy mother St. Monica. He became a great bishop, theologian, and preacher. The wall of his room bore the words “Here we do not speak evil of anyone.” His feast day is August 28, and he is the patron of theologians.
Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give Your angels and saints charge over those who sleep.
Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Your weary ones.
Bless Your dying ones.
Soothe Your suffering ones.
Pity Your afflicted ones.
Shield Your joyous ones, and all for Your love’s sake. Amen.
St. Alphonsus (1696-1787) founded the Redemptorist order of priests and was a great teacher of moral theology. He was the bishop of Saint Agatha, Italy, and zealously reformed his diocese. A prolific writer, he penned about sixty books. He made a vow never to waste time and worked tirelessly for the good of the Church. He died in his 91st year.
My Lord and God Jesus Christ! I adore Thee and give Thee thanks for all the graces which Thou hast granted me today. I offer up to Thee my rest and every moment of this night, and implore Thee to preserve me from all sin. Therefore I place myself into the wound of Thy sacred side and beneath the protecting mantle of my Mother Mary. May Thy holy angels assist me and watch over my peace, and may Thy holy blessing remain with me.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.
Catholic night prayers are the prayers we say at the end of the day, before going to sleep. In them we thank God for the day, ask pardon for our sins, and place ourselves, our families and the whole world in His care through the night. They can be as short as a single heartfelt sentence or as full as the Church’s own Night Prayer.
A simple pattern many Catholics follow:
Night Prayer, also called Compline, is the last of the daily prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours. The Church calls it “the last prayer of the day, said before retiring, even if that is after midnight.”
It begins with “God, come to my assistance” and the Glory Be. The Church recommends an examination of conscience next. Then come a hymn, psalms of trust in God (such as Psalm 4, Psalm 91 and Psalm 134), and a short reading. The responsory follows: “Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.” The high point is the Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29–32), the old man’s prayer of peace after holding the infant Jesus. Night Prayer closes with a prayer, a blessing, and an antiphon to the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the Easter season that antiphon is always the Regina Caeli.
Source: General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, nos. 84–92 (EWTN).
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