The Universal Prayer of Pope Clement XI is a prayer “for all things necessary to salvation” that begins “O my God, I believe in Thee; do Thou strengthen my faith.” It is attributed to Pope Clement XI and dated 1721, and for three centuries it has appeared in Catholic prayer books and among the prayers of thanksgiving after Mass. It is called “universal” because it asks for everything a Christian needs: faith, hope and love, guidance, virtues and a holy death. Below you will find the full traditional English text, its history, what each part asks for, and how to pray it.
The Universal Prayer of Pope Clement XI
The text below is the traditional English translation printed in F. X. Lasance, With God (1911).
O my God, I believe in Thee; do Thou strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee; do Thou secure them. I love Thee; teach me to love Thee daily more and more. I am sorry that I have offended Thee; do Thou increase my sorrow.
I adore Thee as my first beginning; I aspire after Thee as my last end. I give Thee thanks as my constant benefactor; I call upon Thee as my sovereign protector.
Vouchsafe, O my God! to conduct me by Thy wisdom, to restrain me by Thy justice, to comfort me by Thy mercy, to defend me by Thy power.
To Thee I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings; that henceforward I may think of Thee, speak of Thee, refer all my actions to Thy greater glory, and suffer willingly whatever Thou shalt appoint.
Lord, I desire that in all things Thy will may be done because it is Thy will, and in the manner that Thou wiliest.
I beg of Thee to enlighten my understanding, to inflame my will, to purify my body, and to sanctify my soul.
Give me strength, O my God! to expiate my offenses, to overcome my temptations, to subdue my passions, and to acquire the virtues proper for my state of life.
Fill my heart with tender affection for Thy goodness, hatred of my faults, love of my neighbor, and contempt of the world.
May Thy grace help me to be submissive to my superiors, condescending to my inferiors, faithful to my friends, and charitable to my enemies.
Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification, avarice by almsdeeds, anger by meekness, and tepidity by devotion.
O my God! make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in affliction, and humble in prosperity.
Grant that I may be ever attentive at my prayers, temperate at my meals, diligent in my employments, and constant in my resolutions.
Let my conscience be ever upright and pure, my exterior modest, my conversation edifying, and my comportment regular.
Assist me, that I may continually labor to overcome nature, to correspond with Thy grace, to keep Thy commandments, and to work out my salvation.
Make me realize, O my God! the nothingness of this world, the greatness of heaven, the shortness of time, and the length of eternity.
Grant that I may prepare for death; that I may fear Thy judgments, and in the end obtain heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
History
Giovanni Francesco Albani was elected pope as Clement XI in 1700 and reigned until 1721. Older prayer books date the prayer to 1721, the year of his death, and it spread through Europe in Latin and in translation. Its Latin title, Oratio universalis, explains the name: it gathers into one prayer everything the soul needs for salvation. Today it appears among the prayers of thanksgiving after Mass in the Roman Missal, where it is called the Universal Prayer attributed to Pope Clement XI.
The Universal Prayer of Clement XI is a personal prayer. It should not be confused with the Universal Prayer at Mass, the petitions for the Church and the world said after the Creed, also called the Prayer of the Faithful.
What the prayer asks for
- The theological virtues. It opens with acts of faith, hope, love and contrition, each followed by a request: strengthen, secure, teach, increase.
- God as beginning and end. The soul adores God as its first beginning, longs for Him as its last end, thanks Him as benefactor and calls on Him as protector.
- Guidance. It asks God to lead by His wisdom, restrain by His justice, comfort by His mercy and defend by His power.
- Self-offering. Thoughts, words, actions and sufferings are consecrated to God, and the soul asks to want what God wills, as He wills it.
- The whole person. It prays for the mind to be enlightened, the will inflamed, the body purified and the soul sanctified.
- Virtues for daily life. It asks for strength against temptation and passions, love of neighbor, patience, humility, prudence and courage.
- Daily conduct. It asks for attention in prayer, temperance at meals, diligence at work and steadiness in good resolutions.
- The last things. It closes by asking to see the world’s nothingness and heaven’s greatness, to prepare for death, and to reach heaven through Jesus Christ.
How to pray it
- After Communion: many Catholics pray it in thanksgiving after Mass, slowly, letting each line become their own.
- In the morning: it is a complete offering of the day.
- One section a day: pray the whole prayer once, then dwell on one part each day of the week.
- As an examination of conscience: at night, read it again and ask where you lived it and where you fell short.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the Universal Prayer?
It is attributed to Pope Clement XI (pope 1700–1721); older prayer books date it to 1721.
Why is it called “universal”?
Because it asks for everything necessary for salvation in a single prayer. Older prayer books title it “A Universal Prayer for All Things Necessary to Salvation”.
Is it the same as the Universal Prayer at Mass?
No. The Universal Prayer at Mass is the set of petitions after the Creed. See what is the Universal Prayer called and our prayers of intercession.
Related prayers
Sources
- F. X. Lasance, With God: A Book of Prayers and Reflections (New York: Benziger Brothers, 1911), “A Universal Prayer for All Things Necessary to Salvation (Composed by Pope Clement XI, 1721)”, via Wikisource. Public domain.