Prayer Request

[Lee Chambers]

If anyone is familiar with the Catholic church, I need a prayer that someone might say if they suddenly came across a dead body and were terrified and all they could do is pray to God.

Thanks.

 

[lisa123414]

I am not Catholic, but hear my prayer. Lee, take courage in the fact that you are there. What you can do, you are doing. God will understand

 

[slyc_willie]

"Yea, though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, just as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Just off the top of my head . . . .

 

[slyc_willie]

Or, if there is reason to believe foul play . . .

From Psalm 37:

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

I am not Catholic, but hear my prayer. Lee, take courage in the fact that you are there. What you can do, you are doing. God will understand

Actually, I got the impression this thread was more research. The fact that he was looking for a response that is outside his nature, then left a smilie, gave me that impression.

Q_C

 

[lisa123414]

Yes, you are probably right. I tend to overreact, thank you.

Let me say, that a dear friend of mine, found a suicide. She called me, and would not tell me what was wrong. She just wanted to talk. It was much later, that I learned the nature of her call.

 

[slyc_willie]

If the character is someone who has a lot of doubt, or has enmity with the church for whatever reason, and thus feels depressed and crestfallen, they may think of this passage from Psalm 14:

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works. There is none that doeth good."

 

[Lee Chambers]

Yes, you are probably right. I tend to overreact, thank you.

Let me say, that a dear friend of mine, found a suicide. She called me, and would not tell me what was wrong. She just wanted to talk. It was much later, that I learned the nature of her call.

Yes this is research for a story. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. Certainly didn't mean to worry anybody.

The character in the story I'm writing comes across a dead body that has been very horribly mutilated. She is a faithful Catholic and is shocked and I want her to simply being praying because her mind kind of goes bye bye for a moment at the sight.

Thanks again for the input.

 

[BlackShanglan]

I was raised Catholic and attended both church and Sunday school regularly, so I have a fair degree of exposure to the prayers. If I'd found a dead body and was terrified and gasping out a prayer in the shock of the moment, it would not be a formal prayer that anyone taught me - probably just "Oh, dear God help me" or something like that.

There are certain set prayers that pretty much everyone learns - the "Our Father," the "Hail Mary," the Profession of Faith - but they're long things to be crying out in a moment of terror, and they don't address death or fear very directly. There are special prayers for the Last Rites, but those are administered by a priest and are not something a layman would typically be familiar with.

If you really want to make it a prayer, I think that Slyc is on the right track with the line from the 23rd Psalm. It's one of the most popularly known prayers from the Bible. Once or twice I have heard the first line of it - "The Lord is my shepherd" - murmured by someone as a sort of self-comfort or reminder of God's support.

ETA - Ah, you posted as I was typing this. I think I see now what you mean - that she's not so much crying out in the first shock as sort of retreating for a minute or two? Some of the lines or phrases of the "Hail Mary" might work - "the lord is with thee" comes to mind, or "pray for us sinners [now and at the hour of our deaths]." The last line of the "Our Father" is "deliver us from evil," which might be useful, and the 23rd Psalm has "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for You are with me."

 

[slyc_willie]

I was raised Catholic and attended both church and Sunday school regularly, so I have a fair degree of exposure to the prayers. If I'd found a dead body and was terrified and gasping out a prayer in the shock of the moment, it would not be a formal prayer that anyone taught me - probably just "Oh, dear God help me" or something like that.

There are certain set prayers that pretty much everyone learns - the "Our Father," the "Hail Mary," the Profession of Faith - but they're long things to be crying out in a moment of terror, and they don't address death or fear very directly. There are special prayers for the Last Rites, but those are administered by a priest and are not something a layman would typically be familiar with.

If you really want to make it a prayer, I think that Slyc is on the right track with the line from the 23rd Psalm. It's one of the most popularly known prayers from the Bible. Once or twice I have heard the first line of it - "The Lord is my shepherd" - murmured by someone as a sort of self-comfort or reminder of God's support.

ETA - Ah, you posted as I was typing this. I think I see now what you mean - that she's not so much crying out in the first shock as sort of retreating for a minute or two? Some of the lines or phrases of the "Hail Mary" might work - "the lord is with thee" comes to mind, or "pray for us sinners [now and at the hour of our deaths]." The last line of the "Our Father" is "deliver us from evil," which might be useful, and the 23rd Psalm has "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for You are with me."

The majority of readers will want to see prayers that they recognize, I would think. Including more obscure text might be educational and entertaining, but very few people -- including devout catholics -- read more than bits and pieces from the Bible. If you are going to include a prayer, it would probably behoove you to select the 'most popular' verses.

 

[Belegon]

as a lapsed catholic I would have to say that I would use the Hail Mary here... you say it a lot (or at least, you do if you admit to enough in confession...um, don't ask how I know this)

1) It's clearly identifiable as a catholic prayer, even to some non-catholics
2) It would be something easy to remember and automatic in a panicked moment
3) It does contain reference to death..."now and at the hour of our death..."

there are various small deviations... my memory of it is...

"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."

in Latin...

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta María, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatóribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Hail Mary is definitely what would pop to my mind. Pretty much all purpose for intercession and somebody approachable.