Prayer Book - Regnum Christi NA

LORD,
TEACH US TO PRAY

Regnum Christi Prayer Book for Lay Members

Here is a book that will help you to look for God in every circumstance of your life, to meet Him, to open your heart, and to let Him in so that He can stay with you forever. It will serve as a guide and help you in personal and community prayer.

Introduction

Today, together with the first disciples, we address this petition to the Master: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1). Jesus answers by teaching us the Lord’s Prayer and tells us the parable of the persistent friend. He shows us what to pray for and invites us to pray insistently, in season and out of season: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened” (Lk 11:9-10). He has written in our hearts the desire to pray, to pray better, to make our life a prayer, a liturgy; to pray always (Lk 18:1-8), not in the sense of reciting prayers at every moment, but in the sense of always being attentive to the Holy Spirit, in the presence of God, so that all our activities become a response to his will, an offering to our Lord.

Praying in the school of Jesus, in the Church, is the way to meet the Lord every day, as he constantly walks and rests at our side. Jesus, the fount that quenches our thirst, awaits us by the well at the hottest and driest hour of the day to say, “Give me a drink.” He thirsts for us and we thirst for God, even if we do not know it: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never thirst, for the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:13-14).

What you have in your hands, Lord, Teach Us to Pray, is a path of initiation. It is an introduction to the life of prayer, so that the lay members of Regnum Christi may learn to pray by praying, as part of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, in the style of Regnum Christi. When we pray, we unite ourselves to the prayer of Christ, to his Person and to his Body – the Church – to address the Father in communion with the Holy Spirit. Common prayers and guidelines help us experience communion with the Church and Regnum Christi even when we pray alone, and facilitate times of community prayer.

What is a prayerful life?

Prayer is not a standalone activity disconnected from the rest of our life. By a prayerful life, we want to express the vigor that springs from our personal encounter with Christ in the Liturgy and the sacraments, having it spill over to fill our whole world with the fragrance of Christ. Strengthening our hearts through constant prayer, we listen to the Holy Spirit, who appeals to us through daily events and inspires us with the response of living daily life as Christ did.

The Liturgy is the privileged space of man’s encounter with God and with his Son, which is manifested through signs – actions and words – the expression of the dialogue and encounter of each person with God in his Church. Here you will find suggestions for living some of the sacraments and for bringing their “living water” to prayer and daily life. In particular, you will find references to the liturgical seasons, the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, and some instructions for the Encounter with Christ and the Rite of Association to Regnum Christi, so that you can continue to renew this milestone in your story of both love for God and your Regnum Christi vocation.

A prayerful life includes specific moments of prayer accompanied by external signs. These signs also help us to pray with the body, allowing prayer to reach our whole being and action, sanctifying it. The life of prayer, nourished by the sacraments, battles against our hardness of heart (Ps 95:8), so that it is no longer us, but Christ who reigns within (Gal 2:20). Here you will find many vocal prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer. Most of them are from the tradition of the Church, and some are particular to Regnum Christi.

Finally, a prayerful life prolongs the sacraments and prayer by making our lives a liturgy, expressed with certain signs which make the Kingdom of Christ present: compassion for those most in need, communion with our brothers and sisters, works of charity and mercy, witness and mission, new ways of living within marriage, family and work, a new culture.

It is this presence of the Kingdom that nourishes the spirituality of the Kingdom, through which we return to the Liturgy, the sacraments and prayer, seeking “to clothe ourselves with Christ in our hearts and in our works, so he reigns in our lives through a progressive configuration with him,” allowing ourselves “to be permeated by Christ’s love for humanity” so that “he reigns in the hearts of all people and society” (SRCF. 13). It is a virtuous circle that culminates in adoration.

How is "Lord, Teach Us to Pray" structured?

Nature and human life have a daily, weekly, and annual rhythm. The Liturgy accompanies this rhythm, teaching us to see the invisible presence of the Kingdom in the ordinary time of nature and life. There are prayers and signs that we express every day, others weekly, and others at certain times of the year. Through this, prayer becomes habit and our habits come to form a prayerful life.

A good part of Lord, Teach Us to Pray corresponds to this natural and liturgical structure: the day, the week, and the year unfold from the day on which we celebrate the historical event that transfigures all of time: the eighth day, Sunday, the Lord’s Day. But life is also marked by singular occasions, unique moments of special relevance for us. At the end, you will find prayers and suggestions for these events.

7 Suggestions for Growing in the Prayer Life

Here are seven suggestions for growing in the life of prayer:

Place yourself in the presence of God, be aware of what you are about to do, prepare your heart. Become attentive to the fact that it is God before whom you stand. Seek interior and exterior silence. Try to give your prayer meaning and pray with all your senses. Ask the Holy Spirit for help, so that he guides your mind and fills your heart.
Go to the Word of God, Sacred Scripture, that constant dialogue between God and man. When we begin our life of prayer, it is best to learn from the one who prays best, the Lord himself. Try to pray with the same sentiments of Jesus, that it may be Christ who lives, works, and prays in you.
Contemplate the words and signs of the Liturgy, the privileged place of encounter between God and his people, in which the action of God joins the action of man in perfect synergy.
Meditate occasionally on the vocal prayers. They are an expression of faith, but they also nourish faith. Learn to savor and renew their meaning, recognizing how they relate to your life. Try to reflect on the spirit behind the words and how they speak to your heart. To remember is to return back through the heart.
Let him lead you. It is not about what we do in prayer, but what he wants to do with us. You could feel nothing, fail to find answers, and nevertheless have prayed well. Even if “we do not know how to pray as we ought” (Rom 8:26), he knows and is with us.
It may take you a while to enter into prayer. That is all right. Remain in silence and listen to his Word. You may come out of prayer unexpectedly. It is not unusual. Don’t worry about it. Try to reenter into prayer.
Before ending, try to bring your prayer to day-to-day life. Come up with a small resolution that you can practice relatively quickly. Let it be simple, realistic, and firm.

All of this is learned through personal practice, the advice of people more experienced in prayer, and prayer shared with others. Ask your spiritual director for advice, seek out teachers and prayer partners, and try to make the team Encounter with Christ a school of prayer. You will find in the fourth part of the Catechism, “On Christian Prayer,” a very simple and complete introduction to the life of prayer.

Often in the rubrics — the texts in red — you will find an invitation to take a step further, deepening in the elements we offer here. Prayer life has several stages – the later stages don’t rule out the first ones. There may be many recommendations here that you will always find helpful, but life in the Spirit continues past these pages.

“Pray as you are,” confident that you will become what you pray. We pray as we live and live as we pray. The way you pray will change as you change. Though the sounds of vocal prayers remain the same, the Spirit renews them and causes rivers of living water to flow from them. Let us ask for this gift that the Lord wants to give us.

Sunday, The Eighth Day

Introduction

Sunday is the center of the Church’s life. It is the first day of the week, the memorial of the first day of creation. It is also the eighth day, when the Sabbath finds its fulfillment and culmination in Christ’s Resurrection. Chronological time, in which death comes for all that are born, intersects with transfigured time, which participates in the eternal. Sunday marks the beginning of a new time and space: life in the Kingdom.

On Sunday, we practice how to live each day of the year in a holy way. It is a day of celebration and rest; a family, cultural, and social day; a liturgical day and a day of prayer par excellence. The Church prescribes the obligatory participation of the faithful in the Sunday Liturgy, although she also strongly encourages participation in the Eucharist more frequently, even daily, as a privileged means for Christ to be all in all.

The Eucharist

The Eucharist is the sacrament of sacraments, the source and summit of the whole Christian life. Within it are gathered together all the spiritual goods of the Church: on the one hand, Christ himself is brought to earth and by his incarnation, death, and resurrection the world is sanctified; on the other, our worship, prayer, and offerings in the Holy Spirit raise us to heaven and reach Christ and the Father. Our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions are inspired, confirmed, and strengthened by the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice and of his Body, which is the Church. The one sacrifice of Christ is renewed and made efficaciously present in every Eucharist; the sacrifice of the faithful is united to him, thus acquiring a new value of intercession for all creation. The Eucharist renews the center of salvation history through Christ’s action and the Church’s response.

The Eucharist is called by various names, which underline different aspects of its inexhaustible richness. It is worth meditating on the meaning of each of them. Some of them are: Eucharist, because it is thanksgiving and praise; the Lord’s Banquet, because it is Christ’s last supper with his disciples and a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem; the Memorial of the Lord’s passion and resurrection; Holy and Divine Liturgy, because it is the center and richest expression of the holy life; Communion, because it brings about the union between Christ and his Church; Holy Mass, because the celebration of the mystery of salvation culminates in the sending or mission of the faithful to fulfill the will of God in ordinary life.

Preparation for The Eucharist

The Eucharist is the great celebration. Like all festivities, it begins with the excitement of the preparations, continues with its rites, and lives on in us once it has been celebrated.

Before attending the Eucharist, it is good to prepare the mind and heart. Perhaps it is a good time to go to the sacrament of Reconciliation, as well as to make peace with our brothers and sisters, so that nothing will weigh down our hearts when Christ comes to meet us. We can also ask ourselves for whom or for what we are offering the Mass, and what our spiritual contribution to the Offertory will be, alongside the bread and wine, so that Christ may fill it with his life and make it holy. What do we want to ask of the Lord? What do we want to give the Lord for him to sanctify and incorporate into his Kingdom?

Celebration of the Eucharist

The opening rites are part of the preparation: they transfigure space, time, and the heart, and they assemble the faithful together with Christ, the invisible head of the Church. The entrance; the priest’s reverence of the altar and greeting to the people; the sign of the cross, by which we renew our baptism and our participation in the eternal family (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); the penitential act and the singing of the Kyrie Eleison, by which we recognize ourselves judged and saved; the Gloria, in which heaven is opened and we hear the angels announcing the Incarnation; and the collect prayer, which highlights the meaning of the celebration.

The Liturgy of the Word reveals the Lord, who comes to meet us. It is the movement of love by which the Father gives us his Word to awaken our faith and asks us to accept it and bring it to life. The Reading of the Word makes us the Bride of the Lamb: by welcoming and listening to the Word, we become his body. He calls us; will we respond?

During the presentation of the gifts (the offertory), the priest, in the name of Christ, will offer the bread and wine to the Father, so that Christ may transform them into his Body and Blood. With the priest, we place our prayer, sufferings and works alongside the bread and wine, so that Christ may incorporate them into the Kingdom. He alone can bring to fulfillment all human attempts to offer sacrifices.

The Eucharistic Liturgy is the heart and summit of the celebration: the bread and wine will become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. By participating in Holy Communion, we receive Christ himself, who gave himself for the life of the world. The rite of Communion finishes with a moment of sacred silence and thanksgiving, followed by the closing prayer.

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The Mass ends with a sending forth, a mission: to bring the new life transfigured by Christ to our personal life, family, work, society, and culture. “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life!”, “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord!”

Prayers in the Presence of the Eucharist

The Liturgy of the Eucharist is full of actions, words, prayers, and songs that together express an inexhaustible richness for our intimate relationship with Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. The times of silence are also signs: expectation, penitence, listening, praise, glory, adoration, thanksgiving. Silence helps us to ponder what has already occurred and prepare ourselves for what is about to happen. Tradition speaks of the great silence or sacred silence after Holy Communion, in which the Church recommends that there be no singing, so that the Word, the Liturgy, and the inspirations we have received can echo in our interior.

We have prayers that help prepare us in the presence of the Eucharist. Others help us intensify our Eucharistic sentiment. Others help us pray during certain moments of the celebration. Keeping in mind both the richness of the sacrament and the recommendations of the Church, together with the stage and state of our spiritual life, we can discern, with the help of our spiritual director, the usefulness of praying one or more of these prayers.

Many of the faithful remain in the church once Mass has ended to spend a moment in personal, spontaneous, or vocal prayer. Some Regnum Christi communities maintain the tradition of praying for the Pope and for vocations when the Celebration of the Eucharist has finished.

A Prayerful Day

Introduction

“Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge” (Ps 19:3). God always speaks to us and invites us to converse with him and offer him everything that we undergo. This makes the day – and the night – a constant prayer.

As we begin our day, we lift our eyes with a watchful heart (cf. Ps 57:9), attentive to the Lord who comes to meet us in daily life, in every circumstance, amid the cares of this life (cf. Mt 6:34). We thank him for the gift of a new day and offer our work to the Lord.

We dedicate a few minutes of prayer to remind ourselves that every minute of the day is prayer. Meditation, the Angelus, the Rosary, visits to the Eucharist and spiritual communion are occasions to recover and prolong the prayerful life in the midst of the world.

The evening is reminiscent of the sunset of life and marks the end of the day. It is time to review the day, to give thanks to God and to place in his merciful hands everything that has happened (cf. Ps 32). To this we dedicate our evening prayers.

Sleep and wakefulness, work and leisure, friends and family… everything belongs to God, an occasion to recognize his presence, to proclaim it and to live in the Kingdom.

On Rising

Seeking God’s presence in the morning when we get up helps to set the tone of the day and the meaning of our life. To rise is to be born again, to live with a new heart and a new spirit. It is a time to lift the mind and heart to the Lord and ask him to come down into our life, to touch and awaken it.

Invocation

Christ our King!
Thy Kingdom Come!

Then we pray an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and make the following petition.

Opening prayer

O my Lord and my Father, inspire my thoughts, words, and actions, and accompany them with your grace, so that all my actions may begin and end according to your will and for love of you.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Morning Offering

Offering our works is a sign of offering our life. It is about becoming an offering ourselves. We propose here three vocal prayers to God and one to the Blessed Mother. We begin them with the sign of the cross to place ourselves in the presence of the Lord. You may find it helpful to incorporate a personal prayer. You can substitute the Lauds of the Liturgy of the Hours for the prayers of the morning offering. In any case, we encourage you to keep the Prayer to Jesus Christ, common to all members of Regnum Christi.

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

Prayer to the Father

I believe in you, my God, because you are truth itself. I hope in you because you are infinite mercy. I love you above all else because you are infinitely lovable, and because I must love you alone with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength (cf. Dt 6:5). I thank you, Father, for granting me a new day to give you glory and make your Kingdom present. Amen.

Prayer to Jesus Christ

Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to follow your path.
I give you my eyes to see as you see.
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind, so that you can think in me.
I give you my spirit, so you can pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart, so in me you can love your Father and all people.
I give you my whole self so you can grow in me; till it is you, Christ, who live and work and pray in me. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, delightful guest and consoler of my soul, artisan of our transformation into Christ, enlighten my mind to know God’s will for me. Inflame my heart to love it passionately. Grant me the fortitude I need to accomplish it as perfectly as you ask of me. Lastly, Spirit of love, grant me the grace of responding faithfully to your holy inspirations. Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mother, I come before you on this new day to consecrate to you all my thoughts, words, and actions, and to ask your blessing for me, my loved ones, and all whom I encounter along my way.

Grant me the heart of an apostle of the Kingdom, and enable me to imitate the life of prayer, obedience, humility, fidelity, sacrifice and simplicity that you shared with your Son, our brother and Lord.

Mother, tell Jesus how much I want to serve him in Regnum Christi, and make his Kingdom present among all people. Amen.

Examen to prepare for the day

We take a few minutes of reflection in God’s presence to review our day’s agenda, offer him our activities, and renew our intention to live in Christ all day long.

Meditation

Meditation or “mental prayer” facilitates an intimate and personal dialogue with God. Like Jesus, we need to pray, speaking freely and listening to our Father. We do so as sons and daughters in the Son, with the Holy Spirit who comes to the aid of our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought (cf. Rom 8:26).

The Word of God must be present in our prayer, either as subject matter for meditation or as part of our conversations with the Lord. Let us recall how the disciples of Emmaus prayed and how their hearts burned within as they listened to the Lord: for Jesus led them to ponder their troubles and discover in the Scriptures the interpretive key for their life (Lk 24:13-35).

It is not enough to reflect and contemplate. Meditation is an attentive and loving dialogue with God. In order to share this intimacy, we must learn to listen to God in the silence of our soul, and to confide in him in colloquies and conversation full of faith and love. It is during these intimate conversations when, under the light and power of the Holy Spirit, our will conforms to the will of God and the decisions that guide our life emerge.

This prayer begins with the sign of the cross and an invocation to the Holy Spirit; it continues with preparatory acts to help us enter into communion with God, to share the same feelings as Jesus when he prayed. At the end of the prayer, we thank the Lord for having spent this time with him and for the fruits we have received, which are always greater than what we perceive. Finally, we ask for his grace to bring to others what he has given us.

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

Invocation of the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Preparatory Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love

These acts are made in direct dialogue with God briefly and spontaneously, without having to resort to written formulas. They introduce us to prayer because they themselves are the essential content of prayer, which consists in believing, hoping, and loving. We offer some helpful words and images from the Gospel, although each person will gradually discover their own and adapt them to the changing rhythm of their own personal relationship with God and his Word.

Faith: be aware that you are in the presence of Almighty God, talking with him.

“Our Father.”

You might recall the moment when Jesus says to doubting Thomas: “Put your finger here and see my hands and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” To which Thomas responds, in words that express his renewed faith: “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20:27-28).

Hope: trust in God as your supreme good, your Savior, the one from whom you confidently hope to receive grace and help in your weakness.

“Thy Kingdom come.”

You might recall the moment when the prodigal son returns to the house of his father, who receives him in a manner foreshadowing life in the Kingdom: “Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found” (Lk 15:22-24).

Love: be aware that God is your Father, and you are his beloved child. Address him like a child to their father and listen to him.

“Thy will be done. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

You might recall the moments of fraternal sharing between Jesus and his disciples; or at the house of Lazarus in Bethany; or the supreme moment of his total self-giving, with Mary and John, at the foot of the Cross.

Ask Christ and Mary to help you make the most of the meditation.

At the end of the meditation, give thanks to God. You can use the closing prayer.

Greetings to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary accompanies us all day long with her quiet, motherly presence. We direct our prayer to her at certain times of the day, particularly by praying the Angelus or the Regina Cæli and the Rosary.

The Angelus and Regina Cæli are like a small liturgy of the hours that the Church recommends for those who do not have time to interrupt their activities. For a few minutes, usually at noon, we remember with Mary some mysteries of Christ’s life.

The Angelus is prayed all year round, except during the Easter season.

Angelus

The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary;
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done unto me according to thy word.

Hail Mary…

And the Word was made flesh,
And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary…

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (Three times)

The Regina Cæli is prayed during the Easter Season (from Easter Sunday until noon on the Saturday following Pentecost).

Regina Caeli

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia!
For the Son you were privileged to bear, alleluia,
Is risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia!
For the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray:

O God, who gave joy to the world by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant, we beseech you, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (Three times)

In Regnum Christi, we traditionally entrust ourselves to our Guardian Angel at the end of the Angelus or Regina Caeli.

Prayer to my Guardian Angel

Angel sent by God to guide me, be my light and walk beside me; be my guardian and protect me; on the paths of life direct me. Amen.

Rosary Introduction

Reciting the Rosary is traditionally a meditative prayer. Begun by western Christianity, it corresponds in some way to the prayer of the heart or the Jesus Prayer, typical of eastern Christianity. Regnum Christi invites members to pray at least one mystery of the Rosary every day, either in a group or in private.

The Rosary is a time for Mary to step into our lives, gifting us her consolation, example, and intercession. This prayer brings peace to the soul, instills faith, and renews trust.

Intertwined among the Our Fathers, the Hail Marys and the Glory Bes run the mysteries of Christ’s life, death, passion, and resurrection as seen through the eyes of the Virgin Mary. In this way, we allow the Mother of God to be the one to form within us the very sentiments of the Heart of her Son. If while praying the Rosary we become distracted, simply return to the prayer confidently to recover our place and fervor, remembering the mysteries celebrated and the persons for whom we are praying.

Praying the Rosary in a Group

When the Rosary is prayed as a group, the guide announces each mystery and the general intention; five of the participants announce the group’s specific intention for each decade.

There are, at present, many legitimate ways of beginning the Rosary in different parts of the Church and following different customs. They should all appropriately prepare the mind for contemplation. It is common practice to recite the Apostles’ Creed.

Guide: † In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Guide: We will offer the Rosary for…

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there, he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Then, for an increase in the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, an Our Father, three Hail Marys, and a Glory Be are prayed. After each biblical passage, one of the participants says the intention for that mystery.

The Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Saturday)

Guide: Today, we will contemplate the joyful mysteries.
Guide: The first mystery: The Annunciation.
Reader: Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
Guide: The second mystery: The Visitation.
Reader: Mary entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth (Lk 1:40).
Guide: The third mystery: The Nativity.
Reader: And Mary gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn (Lk 2:7).
Guide: The fourth mystery: The Presentation in the Temple.
Reader: Mary and Joseph took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (Lk 2:22).
Guide: The fifth mystery: The Finding in the Temple.
Reader: After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions (Lk 2:46).

The Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)

Guide: Today we will contemplate the luminous mysteries.
Guide: The first mystery: The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan.
Reader: And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17).
Guide: The second mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana.
Reader: Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him (Jn 2:11).
Guide: The third mystery: Jesus’ Proclamation of the Coming of the Kingdom of God.
Reader: Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15).
Guide: The fourth mystery: The Transfiguration.
Reader: While he was praying, he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light (Lk 9:29; Mt 17:2).
Guide: The fifth mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist.
Reader: I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever (Jn 6:51).

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)

Guide: Today we will contemplate the sorrowful mysteries.
Guide: The first mystery: The Agony of in the Garden.
Reader: He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground (Lk 22:44).
Guide: The second mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar.
Reader: Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged (Jn 19:1).
Guide: The third mystery: The Crowning with Thorns.
Reader: And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak (Jn 19:2).
Guide: The fourth mystery: The Carrying of the Cross.
Reader: And carrying the cross himself, Jesus went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha (Jn 19:17).
Guide: The fifth mystery: The Crucifixion and Death.
Reader: There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle (Jn 19:18).

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday and Sunday)

Guide: Today we will contemplate the glorious mysteries.
Guide: The first mystery: The Resurrection.
Reader: Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised (Lk 24:5-6).
Guide: The second mystery: The Ascension.
Reader: As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven (Lk 24:51).
Guide: The third mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit.
Reader: Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3-4).
Guide: The fourth mystery: The Assumption.
Reader: Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled (Lk 1:45).
Guide: The fifth mystery: The Coronation of Mary.
Reader: A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (Rev 12:1).

After the fifth mystery, an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be are prayed for the intentions of the Holy Father.

After these prayers, the Hail Holy Queen and the Litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary are prayed.

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

God, our Father in heaven. Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world.
God the Holy Spirit.
Holy Trinity, one God.

Holy Mary. Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God.
Most honored of virgins.
Mother of Christ.
Mother of the Church.
Mother of mercy.
Mother of divine grace.
Mother of hope.
Mother most pure.
Mother of chaste love.
Mother and virgin.
Sinless Mother.
Dearest of mothers.
Model of motherhood.
Mother of good counsel.
Mother of our Creator.
Mother of our Savior.
Mother of Regnum Christi.
Virgin most wise.
Virgin rightly praised.
Virgin rightly renowned.
Virgin most powerful.
Virgin gentle in mercy.
Faithful virgin.
Mirror of justice.
Throne of wisdom.
Cause of our joy.
Shrine of the spirit.
Glory of Israel.
Vessel of selfless devotion.
Mystical Rose.
Tower of David.
Tower of ivory.
House of gold.
Ark of the covenant.
Gate of heaven.
Morning Star.
Health of the sick.
Refuge of sinners.
Comfort of migrants.
Comfort of the afflicted.
Help of Christians.
Queen of angels.
Queen of patriarchs and prophets.
Queen of apostles and martyrs.
Queen of confessors and virgins.
Queen of all saints.
Queen conceived without sin.
Queen assumed into heaven.
Queen of the Rosary.
Queen of the family.
Queen of peace.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: O God, whose Only-begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Rosary in Private

+In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.

An Our Father, three Hail Marys, and a Glory Be are prayed for an increase in the virtues of faith, hope, and charity,

We then say the name of the mystery to be contemplated, followed by a personal intention. Pray an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be at each mystery.

Full Joyful Mysteries Audio

Full Sorrowful Mysteries Audio

Full Luminous Mysteries Audio

Full Glorious Mysteries Audio

Visiting the Eucharist & Spiritual Communion

Visiting the Eucharist

It is good to accompany Christ in the Eucharist and to converse spontaneously with him. In Regnum Christi, we have the tradition of visiting the Eucharist upon arriving at a place where the Blessed Sacrament is present. When it is not possible to visit Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist, a spiritual communion can be made by reciting this or a similar formula:

Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe you are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

Night Prayers

At the day’s end, we have the opportunity to seek God’s perspective on the day, recognizing his action in us and in the circumstances and events of the day. Where have we responded generously to him? Where have we failed to collaborate with him? Just as the day is an image of life, the night is an image of our final encounter with our merciful Lord. You can use the prayers presented in this book or pray Compline, a part of the Liturgy of the Hours prayed at the end of the day.

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

Petition for Light My Lord and my God, who are all goodness and infinite mercy, I thank you with all my heart for the countless gifts you have granted me, especially for creating and redeeming me, for calling me to the Catholic faith, for choosing me to make Christ’s Kingdom present among my brothers and sisters, and for freeing me from so many dangers of soul and body. Enlighten my understanding to see where You were acting in my life today, where I drew closer to you and where I turned further away.

It is time to review the story of God’s love for us: We contemplate the good we have done, to discover with faith and gratitude God’s action. We interiorly reject the evil we have committed and embrace the Father’s will. We ask him to keep us in his heart and bring us into his Kingdom. And we invoke his help to continue our journey, confident in his grace.

Antiphon

Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.

Canticle of Simeon

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; Your word has been fulfilled: Mine own eyes have seen the salvation Which you have prepared in the sight of every people: A light to reveal you to the nations And the glory of your people, Israel.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Conclusion

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

A Prayerful Week

Introduction

The Church suggests a specific practice or devotion for every day of the week to remind us that ordinary time is already filled with the supernatural life. Sunday is the first day of the week, the day dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity. Monday is dedicated to the Holy Spirit, to implore his help as we begin the labors of the week. On Monday we also pray for the holy souls in Purgatory. Tuesday turns our attention to the angels, and especially our Guardian Angel. Wednesday is devoted to St. Joseph, a holy death, and the martyrs. Thursday is traditionally reserved for special devotion to the Eucharist, both in the Body of Christ, exalted sacramentally on the altar, and in the Holy Hour, accompanying the Lord in Gethsemane. On Friday we remember the Passion of our Lord Jesus through penance and abstinence. Finally, on Saturday we turn our gaze and our hearts to our Blessed Mother.

In Regnum Christi, we have the following traditions: coming together as a team once a week for the Encounter with Christ; praying a Holy Hour or adoration before the Blessed Sacrament on Thursday evening; practicing penance every Friday, except on feast days (the Episcopal Conference of each country will give specific guidelines); and dedicating a special moment to the Blessed Virgin on the first Saturday of each month.

These liturgical and prayerful rhythms of each day of the week allow us to transfigure our weekly activities as we look forward in hope to the Kingdom. Ordinary joys become the joys of the Kingdom; ordinary life, life in the Kingdom.

Encounter with Christ

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). In Regnum Christi, the Encounter with Christ is an activity where teams or communities prayerfully read the Word of God and discern the reality around them in order to pray together, obtain lights from the Holy Spirit, see life from the eyes of God, and respond to his call to love in a specific apostolic commitment. In this way, the team, gathered by the Lord, lives a life of communal prayer where Christ forms them and sends them out to the mission that they embrace together with God to make his Kingdom present in the hearts of all people and of society.

“The Encounter with Christ is the center of team life. In it, the lay members, as a community of faith, by the light of God’s Word, examine their Christian life, discern what the Lord expects of them in evangelizing the reality of the world they live in, encourage each other in their following of Christ, and enkindle their apostolic zeal” (RL 15).

Opening Prayer

We begin this activity with a prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to enlighten our understanding, move our wills, and enkindle our hearts.

It is appropriate to add a Hail Mary or other prayer to invoke the Blessed Virgin, a Glory Be, and the invocations proper to Regnum Christi which seal our prayer by pointing to the goal of all our life and actions – the glory of God.

Prayerful reading of the Gospel

We seek to encounter him in the Gospel in order to place ourselves in an attitude of listening, so that faith and charity will guide our reflections, order our values, and orient our discernment.

A passage of the Gospel is chosen. It could be from the previous or next Sunday, or another passage that is appropriate to the needs of the team.

Apostolic Discernment of Reality

After we have encountered Christ through his Word, we undertake a communal discernment of what he expects of us as a team or community in the circumstances of life in which we find ourselves. Consequently, we will observe the reality in which we are immersed with the desire to discover the best way to carry out our mission of evangelization within it.

Choice of a case study

A true situation or event from real life that helps the team or community to discover the message of God for them in their current situation should be chosen.

The closer the case is to the lives of the members and the social reality in which they live, the better it will facilitate the apostolic discernment of the team.

Analysis of the Case

Done in three elements: to see, to judge, and to act.

TO SEE:

We want to see the case as God sees it, learning to observe life with objectivity and depth, with reason and faith, discovering how God is present in it.

In relation to this case, what is happening around us? What do we see? What elements – positive or negative – most grab our attention and resonate most strongly in our hearts?
How is God working in the hearts of the people involved and in their environment? Why did this happen? What are the causes?
What are the consequences of what happened?

Bridging into the time of “judging,” what signs of good and evil do we discover in this case? Are we involved in it? How? How do we react to it?

TO JUDGE:

After we have become more aware of the presence of the wheat and the weeds in the case we have chosen (see Matthew 13:24-30), we want to discern how Jesus judges or interprets our presence, participation, or attitudes before this case, and, consequently, understand what he hopes for from us.

What values or anti-values do we see in this case?
What Gospel passages does it remind us of? What do they tell us about this case? Considering the Gospel, what would Jesus do in our place? What is he asking of us?
What requirements does this case bring to light for us if we are to follow Christ as missionary disciples?

TO ACT & APOSTOLIC COMMITMENT:

This is the moment to choose what actions of conversion and apostolate we are called to in light of what we have discerned that Christ is asking of us. We seek to respond to the invitation from the Lord that we received through the Gospel judgement with our own evangelizing initiative. In this way, we aspire to transform reality with the criteria of the Gospel.

The members suggest possible actions to carry out regarding themselves, with the goal of their own conversion, and regarding the reality affected by the case, with the goal of evangelization. In response to the call experienced in the “to judge” element:

Considering our case analysis, how can we collaborate with God in his work of making the Kingdom grow?
How can we support and foster God’s action in hearts and in society, according to the changing reality of our environment?

Closing Prayer

The Encounter with Christ concludes with a prayer of thanksgiving by one or several members.

The prayer closes with the two invocations to Christ the King and the Virgin Mary proper to Regnum Christi.

Holy Hour

It is the tradition of the Church to dedicate at least one hour a week, on Thursday evenings, to a personal or communal encounter before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes the context of this Holy Hour is the request of Jesus in Gethsemane: “My soul is sorrowful to the point of death; remain here and watch with me” (Mt 26:38). At other times, Eucharistic adoration celebrates the incarnation of the Word and his living presence among us today in the Eucharist.

Regnum Christi members seek to share weekly a face-to-face encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist in a Holy Hour. The priest exposes the Blessed Sacrament in order to dedicate at least an hour of adoration to him and thus grow closer to him in silence and listening, in an intimate and prolonged dialogue, without haste and without an agenda. It is a singular occasion to know Jesus better and to love him more deeply, to atone for our sins, to thank him for his witness, to offer him our life for the sake of his Kingdom and to ask him for the needs of the Church, of our family and for our own.

We should come to meet him with an open heart, ready to adore him and receive infinite graces from him. Some attitudes help us to live this encounter better:

Recognize that we are before Jesus, body, blood, soul, and divinity.
Thank him for the blessings he has given us.
Ask him for our intentions, especially for our conversion and the salvation of all people.
Make an act of reparation for sins committed, our own and those of others.
Make acts of faith, hope, and love.

In this personal dialogue with Christ, we can combine different means of prayer:

Personal or guided meditation.
Spiritual reading.
Silent contemplation: “He looks at me and I look at him.”
The Rosary or other vocal prayers.
Take note of the lights we receive.
Songs of adoration and praise.

A Prayerful Life

Introduction

The rhythms of the day and week gradually forge a prayerful life. The year repeats this cycle, with greater breadth and depth. Every year nature is reborn in the spring and reaches maturity in summer, but, like fallen nature, declines in autumn and dies in the winter. These are also the stages of human life on earth: birth and youth, maturity, old age, and death.

Every liturgical cycle contains these same steps. The birth to new life is announced by Advent and Christmas; the weight of sin and death by Lent. The liturgical cycle breaks the chains of evil in the Paschal Triduum, which celebrates the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, who breaks the chains of sin and death and introduces us to a new life. Between these two intense periods of celebration are the two moments of Ordinary Time. The liturgical year concludes with the Solemnity of Christ the King, which announces the definitive coming of Christ and his final victory over evil, sin, and death. When he comes, God will be all in all (cf. 1 Cor 15:25-28).

The living of the liturgical year allows us to mature in our encounter with the living Christ who walked among us. With him, year after year, we rediscover and relive Salvation history once again, step by step.

Advent and Christmas

The Year of the Lord begins in Advent, the preparation for the triple coming of Jesus, for he has already come, born of Mary; he comes today, in the life of the Church; and he will come with glory at the end of history. This season combines penitential waiting and vigil with hope and joy for the coming of the Messiah. It has four Sundays, the third of which is known as Gaudete (Rejoice): “Rejoice in the Lord always; I tell you again, rejoice. And let everyone know your mercy. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil 4:4-6).

In Advent, there are different Christian traditions, depending on the country: posadas, the Advent wreath, the preparation of the manger and Christmas tree. They are a very good opportunity to live the faith as a family.

Midnight Mass, in many countries, is of special solemnity and tradition. Meditating on the readings of the Christmas vigil during these days helps us to live this powerful moment of the Spirit better. Christmas extends and joins with the feast of the Epiphany. The birth in Bethlehem and the adoration of the Magi are expressions of the manifestation of the Lord and of the participation in his grace, to all men of good will.

The Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord begins Ordinary Time, an invitation to live the new life in Christ in the ordinary circumstances of life. This time is interrupted by Lent and resumes after Pentecost to close the liturgical year with Saturday after the Solemnity of Christ the King.

Lent, Holy Week and Easter

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent: forty days in which we join the Lord in his desert, in his ascent to Jerusalem to complete his self-giving for us. It is a propitious time for conversion: to turn our gaze and our steps towards the Father who comes to meet us with his mercy. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving, in imitation of Jesus, help our hearts to become freer from the temptations of the world and to surrender to God. Fridays in Lent are traditionally penitential: the Church asks us to abstain from meat. A prayer particularly suitable for these days is the recitation of the Way of the Cross, which recalls the last steps of Jesus on Good Friday.

The Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday) is the most intense time of the liturgical year. Thursday is centered on the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and the Church recommends a time of adoration in the evening to accompany Christ in the Eucharist. On Friday, we celebrate the Passion of the Lord which will give way, after the silence of Saturday, to the alleluia of the Resurrection, in the Easter Vigil, which lasts for fifty days until the Solemnity of Pentecost.

Every country has deeply rooted traditions that help us to live as a community the new life in Christ: processions, special preaching, a meditative reading of the Gospels of the Passion, etc. It is also an occasion to follow the preaching of the Holy Father closely and to receive his Urbi et Orbi blessing on Easter Day.

Easter is the time when the Risen Christ comes to meet us and strengthens our faith, as he did with the disciples. It is a time to remember that God is still at work in his Church, making all things new. Ascension and Pentecost are solemnities in which the Lord consoles us, for he continues to make himself present through the work of his Spirit, who dwells in us.

Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross, or Via Crucis, mark 14 moments of Jesus’ road to Calvary. It is usually walked in groups, especially on Good Friday and on the other Fridays of Lent, although it can be done throughout the year. Meditating on it allows us to recreate in space and time, in our minds and hearts, the supreme moments of Christ’s self-giving for our redemption, fostering intimate and cordial attitudes of heartfelt compunction, trust, gratitude, generosity and identification with Christ.

There are different prayers that can help us meditate on each one of these moments. Here we offer a biblical Stations of the Cross, proposed by John Paul II on Good Friday, 1991, but you can look for other popular ones by different saints and popes.

Opening Prayer

Guide: God of power and mercy, in love you sent your Son that we might be cleansed of sin and live with you forever. Bless us as we gather to reflect on his suffering and death that we may learn from his example the way we should go.

We ask this through that same Christ, our Lord.

Participant: Amen.

The First Station: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Guide: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

Participant: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and distressed. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.” He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass by him; he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” When he returned, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing. Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him. He returned a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners (Mk 14:32-41).