Chair of Unity Octave

Sixth Day of the Octave

January 23

Intention of the day
The restoration of lapsed Catholics to the sacramental life of the Church

In Private Recitation shall be omitted all that is herein printed in blue

The first Verse of the following Hymn shall be sung kneeling.

Hymn: Come Holy Ghost

KNEEL

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
Vouchsafe within our souls to rest;
Come with thy grace and heavenly aid,
And fill the hearts which thou hast made.

STAND

To thee, the Paraclete, we cry;
To thee, the Gift of God most high,
The Fount of life, the Fire of love,
The soul's Anointing from above.

The sevenfold gifts of grace are thine,
O Finger of the Hand Divine;
True Promise of the Father thou,
Who dost the tongue with speech endow.

Thy light to every sense impart,
And shed thy love in every heart;
Thine own unfailing might supply
To strengthen our infirmity.

Drive far away our ghostly foe,
And thine abiding peace bestow;
If thou be our preventing Guide,
No evil can our steps betide.

Make thou to us the Father known,
Teach us the eternal Son to own,
Be this our neverchanging creed,
That thou dost from them both proceed.

Proper Doxology
All praise be thine, O risen Lord,
From death to endless life restored;
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost, for evermore.  Amen.

In the name of the Father, † and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary.

V.  O God, † make speed to save us.
R.  O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.  (Alleluia.)
(After Septuagesima instead of Alleluia shall be said: All praise be unto thee, O Lord, King of glory everlasting.)

Prayer for Lapsed Catholics

Let us Pray.
O Almighty Father, who desirest not the death of the sinner, but rather that he be converted and live, pour out upon us thy mercy and hear the prayers of thy servants. Soften the hearts of thy children who have strayed from the true paths, which thou didst establish for their salvation. They are now forgetful of their duties as Catholics, and pursue only the transitory pleasures of the world. Grant that they may speedily return to the practice of every Christian virtue, so that their lives may shine with the integrity of faith, the fervour of piety and the ardour of charity. Restore all of them to thy sacraments and to the life of thy grace, through the merits of the Most Precious Blood of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
R.  Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

O Mother of Jesus Christ and our Mother, we pray thee to obtain for us the grace of serving God faithfully in this world that we may have the happiness of loving him eternally in heaven. Hear the prayers that we address to thee, O Mother. Defend us against the enemies of our salvation, and against our own infirmities. Obtain for us pardon for our sins and perseverance in the determination never to fall away again. We implore thee to take under thy protection those who have abandoned the practice of their Catholic duties. May they be converted again and become faithful servants of thy Son. O Mother of Mercy, be for us all "the cause of our joy" and shew unto us Jesus Christ, thy Son, as thy gift to us both for time and for eternity.
R.  Amen.

V.  Our Lady of the Atonement, intercede for us.
R.  That there may be fulfilled the prayer of thy Divine Son: "That all may be one."

Prayer to St. Peter

O glorious St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles and firm foundation of the Church, obtain for us all a lively faith, which we may openly and fearlessly profess in its fullness and purity, even, if need be, to the shedding of our blood. Obtain for us also, a true love of our Holy Mother the Church, and keep us ever zealous in the fulfillment of our religious duties. We pray to thee today to intercede for those who have wandered from the Church which Christ established for their salvation. Through thine intercession, may they receive from God the grace to return speedily to their Father's house, so that on earth they may enjoy peace and tranquillity, and one day attain everlasting happiness in heaven.
R.  Amen.

V.  O ye holy Apostles Peter and Paul, pray for us.
R.  That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

A short sermon or instruction

Chair of Unity Octave hymn

That all be one O dearest Lord, we pray,
That all be drawn within Thy one true Fold,
Back to Thy Church from which the wand'rers stray,
And Thy true Faith she keeps, like saints of old.
O bring them back Good Shepherd of the sheep;
And rouse the heathen nations from their sleep.

And then for those, thy dearest and thy best,
The prodigals from thine own Fold, dear Lord,
Whom thy strong arms held closely to thy breast,
Laved with thy Jordan, feasted at thy board:
Calling, go forth to meet them, Saviour dear;
Embrace them with the grace to persevere.

Then praise we God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Holy Spirit, Three in One,
That one in Him and one together we
In unity may praise the Trinity,
Till all the ransomed fall before His Throne
And give all glory to our God alone.  Amen.

Hymn: O Salutáris Hostia

Chair of Unity Octave Prayer

Ant:   That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  (John 17. 21)

V.  I say unto thee, that thou art Peter.
R.  And upon this Rock I will build My Church.

Let us Pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst say unto thine Apostles: Peace I leave with you, my Peace I give unto you; look not upon our sins, but on the faith of thy Church, and vouchsafe to grant unto her that peace and unity which are agreeable to thy will. Who livest and reignest God for ever and ever.
R.  Amen.

An indulgence of 300 days during the Octave of Prayers for the Unity of the Church from the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter in Rome to the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.  A Plenary Indulgence on the usual conditions at the end of the devout exercise.

Let us Pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, most gracious Saviour of the world, we humbly beg of thee by thy most Sacred Heart, that all the sheep now wandering astray may be converted unto thee, the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls. Who livest and reignest from this time forth for evermore.
R.  Amen.

Prayer to our Lady, Help of Christians

O Mary, Virgin Immaculate, our Mother and Mother of our God, thou seest how the Catholick Faith is assailed by the devil and the world, that Faith in which we purpose, by the help of God, to live and to die ; do thou, O Help of Christians, renew thy victories as of old, for the salvation of thy children. To thee do we entrust our firm purpose of never joining the assemblies of the hereticks. Do thou, all Holy, offer unto thy Divine Son our resolutions, and obtain from him the graces necessary for us to keep them unto the end.  Bring consolation to the Church, support and protect the Catholick clergy and people who proclaim thee Queen. Hasten, by the power of thy prayers, the day when all nations shall be gathered together in the one true Fold.
R.  Amen.

V.  O Mary, Help of Christians.
R.  Pray for us.

V.  The Lord be with you.
R.  And with thy spirit.

Prayer for Unity

Let us Pray

GOD the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divísions. Take away all hatred, prejudice, and error, and whatsoever else may hinder us from godly union and concord: that, as there is but one Body, and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all; so we may henceforth be all of one heart, and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
R.  Amen.

V.  The Lord be with you.
R.  And with thy spirit.

V.  Bless we the Lord.
R.  Thanks be to God.

Benediction
May the Almighty God, the Father, † the Son, and the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and for evermore.
R.  Amen.

Hymn:  Faith of our Fathers