Prayer of Parents for Their Children

This prayer may be read by either a father or a mother.

Holy Father, eternal God, from whom every gift and every good thing proceeds, I earnestly pray to You for the children Your goodness has given me. You gave them being, endowed them with an immortal soul, and protected them through holy Baptism, that they might live according to Your will and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Keep them in Your grace to the end of their lives and sanctify them by Your truth, that Your name may be hallowed in them.

Help me by Your grace to bring them up to the glory of Your name and for the good of their neighbors. Give me the means, patience, and strength needed for this.

Lord, enlighten them with the light of Your wisdom, that they may love You with their whole soul and all their thoughts. Plant in their hearts fear and abhorrence of every lawless deed, that they may be blameless in their ways. Lord, adorn their souls with chastity, patience, and all integrity. Let every slander, falsehood, and flattery be hateful to them. Sprinkle them with the dew of Your grace, that they may advance in virtue and holiness and grow in Your love and in the love of godly people.

May their Guardian Angel remain with them always and preserve their youth from vain thoughts, from the deceptions and temptations of this world, and from every assault of the evil one.

And if at any time they sin before You, do not turn Your face away from them, but be merciful to them; awaken contrition in their hearts and, according to the abundance of Your compassion, cleanse their sins. Do not deprive them of Your earthly blessings, but send them everything they need in this life to attain blessed eternity. Preserve them from every illness, wrath and misfortune, calamity and sorrow, and shelter them with Your mercy all the days of their lives.

O good God, I pray to You also: give me gladness and joy in my children, and grant me to stand at Your dread Judgment and say with unashamed confidence: Behold, here I am with the children You have given me, Lord. Together with them, glorifying Your ineffable goodness and eternal love, may I exalt Your all-holy name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always and for ever and ever. Amen.