Pray with Voice of the Family as the end of the Synod approaches

23 October 2015

Tomorrow the Fathers of the Synod on the Family will vote on the Synod’s final report. It is critical that the Synod reject any clauses which would undermine the Church’s witness to life, marriage and the family. We invite you to join us in renewed prayer for Pope Francis and for the Synod Fathers. We hope you will find the prayers below to be of inspiration.

We invite you particularly to pray to St Raphael the Archangel, whose traditional feast-day is tomorrow. St Raphael guided Tobias to safety in order to marry Sarah. His name means “God has healed”. Let us pray that through his intercession God may grant true healing to the many suffering families in the world.

Litany to St Raphael the Archangel:

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, filled with the mercy of God, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, perfect adorer of the Divine Word, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, terror of demons, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, exterminator of vices, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, health of the sick, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, our refuge in all our trials, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, guide of travelers, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, consoler of prisoners, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, joy of the sorrowful, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, filled with zeal for the salvation of souls, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, whose name means God heals, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, lover of chastity, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, scourge of demons, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, in pestilence, famine and war, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, angel of peace and prosperity, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, endowed with the grace of healing, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, sure guide in the paths of virtue and sanctification, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, help of all those who implore your assistance, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, who was the guide and consolation of Tobias on his journey, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, whom the Scriptures praise: Raphael, the holy angel of the Lord, was sent to cure, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, our advocate, pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

Pray for us, Saint Raphael, to the Lord Our God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Lord, Jesus Christ, by the prayer of the Archangel Raphael, grant us the grace to avoid all sin and to persevere in every good work until we reach our heavenly destination, You Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Traditional prayer for the Pope:

Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon Thy servant, Francis, our Supreme Pontiff, and direct him, according to Thy loving-kindness, in the way of eternal salvation; that, of Thy gift, he may ever desire that which is pleasing unto thee and may accomplish it with all his might. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of St John Fisher (martyred 1535) for good bishops:

Lord, according to Your promise that the Gospel should be preached throughout the whole world, raise up men fit for such work. The Apostles were but soft and yielding clay till they were baked hard by the fire of the Holy Ghost. So, good Lord, do now in like manner again with Thy Church militant; change and make the soft and slippery earth into hard stone; set in Thy Church strong and mighty pillars that may suffer and endure great labours, watching, poverty, thirst, hunger, cold and heat; which also shall not fear the threatening of princes, persecution, neither death but always persuade and think with themselves to suffer with a good will, slanders, shame, and all kinds of torments, for the glory and laud of Thy Holy Name. By this manner, good Lord, the truth of Thy Gospel shall be preached throughout all the world. Therefore, merciful Lord, exercise Thy mercy, show it indeed upon Thy Church.

Traditional prayer to St Joseph in October after the Rosary:

To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and having implored the help of thy thrice holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength.

Most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption: mercifully assist us from heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the supreme peril of his life, so now defend God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in heaven. Amen.