Prayer of Cáritas

God, our Father, who are all Power and Goodness, give strength to those who pass through tribulation, give light to him who seeks the truth, place in the heart of man compassion and charity.

God! Give the traveler the guiding star, the afflicted consolation, the sick repose.

Father! Give the guilty one repentance, the spirit the truth, the child the guide, the orphan the father.

Lord! May your goodness extend over all that you have created.

Mercy, Lord, for those who do not know you; hope for those who suffer.

May your goodness allow the consoling Spirits to spread everywhere peace, hope, and faith.

God! a single ray, a single spark of your love can set the Earth ablaze; let us drink at the springs of that fruitful and infinite goodness, and all tears will dry, all sorrows will be calmed.

A single heart, a single thought will rise up to you, like a cry of acknowledgment and of love.

Like Moses upon the mountain, we await you with open arms, oh! Goodness, oh! Beauty, oh! Perfection, and we wish in some measure to merit your mercy.

God! Give us the strength to aid progress so that we may rise up to you; give us pure charity, give us faith and reason; give us the simplicity that will make of our souls the mirror in which Your Image will be reflected. (YouTube)

Note from the FEB Publishing House to the 28th edition, in 1973, of the booklet PRAYER ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL: This prayer was extracted from the French work “Rayonnements de la Vie Spirituelle,” psychographed by the medium Mme. W. Krell, published in Bordeaux, in 1873, containing messages from Musset, Lamartine, E. Pöe, the Spirit of Truth, Hahnemann, Éraste, Melanchthon, and others, including various works by the same Spirit Carita (Cárita). In the fourth paragraph of the French original there is a word that was necessarily suppressed later on — aujourd’hui (today) —, since it was a direct allusion to Christmas Day, on which the prayer was dictated. Here is the paragraph alluded to “Piété, mon Dieu, pour celui qui ne vous connaît pas, espoir pour celui qui souffre! Que votre bonté permette aujourd’hui aux esprits consolateurs de répandre partout la paix, l’espérance et la foi!”

For further details, see “Reformador” of 1972, pages 37/8. [The purpose that led us to append this prayer at the end of the Gospel in the Brazilian edition was to pay homage to the Spirit Cárita, from whom we have two beautiful messages on beneficence in this Gospel: those numbered 13 and 14 of chapter 13, as well as to provide to the brethren who do not know it this lovely prayer transcribed from the booklet PRAYER ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL, published by FEB.]