Prayers for Children, Schools, Families & more
Blessing of Candy Canes
Prayer to St. Nicholas as Patron Saint
Sixteen prayers for use with children gathered from a wide variety of sources.
 St Nicholas Center Collection |
God of joy and cheer,
we thank you for your servant,
the good bishop Nicholas.
In loving the poor,
he showed us your kindness;
in caring for your children,
he revealed your love.
Make us thoughtful
without need of reward
so that we, too, may be good followers of Jesus.
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St. Nicholas
O good holy Nicholas,
you who brought joy to children,
put in my heart the spirit of childhood
about which the Gospel speaks.
Teach me how to sow
happiness around me. Amen.
From Catholic Greetings, used by permission.
 St. Nicholas Church, Aurora St Nicholas Center Collection |
A Prayer for Children
God, we pray that through the
intercessions of St. Nicholas
you will guide and protect our children.
Keep them safe from all harm
and help them grow to become
loving disciples of Jesus in your sight.
Give them strength to always mature
into deeper faith in you,
and to keep alive joy in your creation.
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
—by Father David R. Engbarth, St. Nicholas Church, Aurora, Illinois
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Nicholas is a saint surrounded with stories. Most of these are about his generosity and the wonders that sprang up all around him. He is one of the mysterious gift-givers who hover around the season, a remote ancestor of Santa Claus. Often he places small gifts in shoes left just outside the door. Nicholas lived in Asia about 300 years after Jesus.
Lord, you make this day special
with the memory of the good bishop Nicholas.
He praised you in all the wonders he worked,
he thanked you in all the gifts he shared with the poor.
May we have ears like Saint Nicholas to hear when any are in need,
and hands always ready to help and share.
Blessed are you, 0 Lord, in all your saints.
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St. Nicholas Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for
the example of St Nicholas,
who fed the hungry,
brought hope to the imprisoned,
gave comfort to the lost,
and taught the truth to all.
May we strive to imitate him
by putting you first in all we do.
Give us the courage, love and strength
of St Nicholas, so that, like him,
we may serve you through loving
our brothers and sisters. Amen.
—by Amy Welborn
A Prayer
O God
of joyfulness and cheer,
Thank you for Saint Nicholas dear.
He teaches me to be my best
By helping sailors in distress.
He teaches me to look and find
Chances to be friendly and kind.
He teaches me to give with cheer
At Christmas and throughout the year.
His blessings and his loving heart
Show me the way each day should start.
So thank you, God, I do feel blessed,
I'll try each day to be my best.
Amen
 St Nicholas Center |
Blessing of Oranges or Clementines*
Loving God,
you ask us to show kindness and care to everyone.
Thank you for good Saint Nicholas
who shows us how to give gifts and care to others,
especially children.
Bless these oranges
that they may remind us of Saint Nicholas' gifts to people in need.
Help us to love and care, like Saint Nicholas, for those who need help
and children everywhere.
Amen
*Clementines are good to use as they are small, sweet, usually seedless, and peel easily.
Prayer to Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas, faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, example of Christian love, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, helper of the poor and needy, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, champion of orphans and widows, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, protector of those who sail at sea, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, defender of the true faith, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, patron of children around the world, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, secret giver of gifts, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, the great wonderworker, pray for us.
Saint Nicholas, our friend in Heaven, pray for us.
Amen.
From Santa's Secret Story by Cornelia Mary Bilinsky, 2009, Pauline Books & Media. Used by permission. A picture book for young children. Purchase from Pauline Books & Media.
A School Prayer
Dear God,
We thank you for the good things
in life and for this new day.
We thank you for our
school and for all who help
us to learn.
Give us all a love of learning,
the will to work hard and
the strength to succeed.
Help us to see the needs of others
and like St Nicholas take action to
make a difference to those in need.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
From The Academy of St Nicholas, Liverpool, England
Dear God,
Help us be sensitive to the feelings of others.
When we play or when we're at work or when we're just home together,
help us not to say or do things—even in fun—that might cause pain.
Give us compassionate hearts, hearts like that of Nicholas—
hearts that hurt when someone else is hurting.
And give us hands that reach out to help.
Amen.
Thanksgiving
Reader: For the gift of each person here.
All: We give thanks.
Reader: For the capacity to care for and to share with those in need.
All: We give thanks.
Reader: For a holiday season of joy, hope, and peace.
All: We give thanks.
From Blessings for God's People by Thomas G. Simons, p. 44, Ave Maria Press. Used by permission.
Gracious and good Lord,
we bless you on this feast of St. Nicholas, your servant,
who is an example to us of a life of charity and love.
May we see in his life an invitation to imitate his good deeds.
Make us always mindful of the needs of others
and help us rejoice in the abundance of your goodness around us.
Through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
From Blessings for God's People by Thomas G. Simons, p. 44, Ave Maria Press. Used by permission.
Nicholas, give me the spirit of giving.
Teach me that it really is
more blessed to give than to receive,
and that to whom much has been given
much will be expected.
Help me to overcome my fears
that if I give generously
I will suffer want.
Purchase this fine anthology with a short biography, prayer, and practice for more than 200 saints from amazon.com, amazon.ca or amazon.uk.
O Saint of love,
be a guide for us
in our lives, we pray,
that we may
create joy for each other,
as you have done for so many.
From St. Nikola an der Donau, Austria
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God our Father, we pray
that through the intercession of St. Nicholas,
you will protect our children.
Keep them safe from harm
and help them grow
and become worthy in your sight.
Give them strength
to keep their faith in you;
and keep alive their joy
in your creation.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We call upon your mercy, O Lord.
Through the intercession of St. Nicholas,
keep us safe amid all dangers
so that we may go forward without hindrance
on the road of salvation. Amen.
God,
Who didst grace the Blessed Nicholas
as protector of imperiled innocence whilst he lived,
and after his death by countless miracles,
grant that by his merits
we may be freed from perversion of justice while alive
and from the fires of Gehenna after death. Amen.
Let your continual mercy, O Lord,
enkindle in your church the never failing gift of charity,
that, following your example of your servant Nicholas of Myra
and aided by his prayers,
we may have grace to deal in generosity and love with children
and all who are poor and distressed,
and to uphold the cause of those who have no help;
for the sake of him who gave his life for us,
your son our Savior Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever. Amen.
From Domestic Church
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St. Nicholas, holy patron of children,
saintly and generous bishop,
inspire us to give gifts
of ourselves and our time.
Give us your blessing
so that we might fill with sincerity
each greeting we speak and send.Smiling saint of sweets and toys,
help us stay youthful and mirthful,
playful and joyful
so that we can celebrate
every day as Christmas.
Patron saint of generosity,
arouse us to an evergreen extravagance
in loving and in giving gifts
to those we love and to the poor.
Patron of the unthanked,
who always slips away
before you can be thanked,
incite us to be like you.
Copyright © Forest of Peace Publishing. Used by permission.
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Saint Nicholas,
you were a kind and generous man
and a special friend of children.
I pray that I may always show my gratitude
to people who are good to me.
May I return their kindness with love
and may I never hesitate
to share their care with others.
Purchase from Catholic Book Publishing. The book has sixteen simple prayers with a bit about each saint.
St. Nicholas,
holy patron of children, Bishop of the East,
we invite you to come among us
and to grant us your holy blessing.
Help us in this busy, busy season not to miss
the miracle of the coming of Emmanuel
in the days of preparation
as well as on the feast itself.
Help us not to be blind
to the gifts of getting ready.
Protect us from insincerity.
May every greeting we send
be signed with love, friendship and prayer.
May our greetings, so written,
be fun to open and treasures to keep.
Save us all from the anxiety over what to give
so we may concentrate on how to give.
But most of all, jolly saint of toys and sweets,
help us stay youthful,
humorous, playful and dream-filled
as we prepare together
for the coming of the Christ.
Dear God,
thank you for Saint Nicholas.
Let us always give the gift of kindness
to others, as he did.
Thank you for the gifts of love we receive
from our families and friends.
Amen.
Prayer to St. Nicholas
O good St. Nicholas,
you who are the joy of the children,
put in my heart the spirit of childhood,
which the gospel speaks,
and teach me to seed happiness around me.
You, whose feast prepares us for Christmas,
open my faith to the mystery
of God made man.You, good bishop and shepherd,
help me to find my place in the Church
and inspire the Church to be faithful to the gospel.O good Saint Nicholas,
patron of children, sailors and the helpless,
watch over those who pray to Jesus,
your Lord and theirs,
as well as over those who humble themselves before you.
Bring us all in reverence to the Holy Child of Bethlehem,
when true joy and peace are found.
Amen.
Source unknown
St. Nicholas Prayer
St. Nicholas,
so kind and good,
please pray for us today,
that we may always
live for God
in all we do and say.
Please pray that we
may care for those
whom others might ignore,
and show God’s love
to everyone,
especially the poor.
Prayer poem © by Sarah M. Menkin
Used by permission
Prayer to Saint Nicholas
O good Saint Nicholas,
who brings joy to children,
put in my heart the spirit of childhood,
of which the Gospel speaks
and teach me to sow happiness around me.
You, whose feast prepares us for Christmas,
open my faith to the mystery of God made man.
You, bishop and pastor,
help me to find my place in the Church.
O good Saint Nicholas,
patron of this parish,
watch over all who come to this church
to pray to Jesus,
your Lord and theirs, and also,
on those whom I humbly entrust to you today.
Amen.
From an unknown French parish
Prayer to Saint Nicholas
for a Sick Child
loved children so tenderly and gave generously to those in need,
listen to us who plead for this sick child
who is so dear to our hearts.
We thank God for the great gift of __________________
and we pray that he relieve this child of pain
and free him/her from suffering.
Obtain strength when he/she is weary,
hope when discouraged,
and joy when downhearted.
May the Lord, thorough your intercession,
restore perfect health if such be his divine will.
These favors, we beg of you through your love for all children. Amen.
St. Nicholas Day Blessing of Candy Canes
Prayer to St. Nicholas as your Patron Saint
Link
3-Minute St Nicholas Retreat from Loyola Press