A Catholic New Year's Prayer
Catholics have long marked the turning of the year with thanksgiving and a fresh start. On December 31 the Church sings the Te Deum in thanksgiving for the year gone by, and on January 1 the Veni Creator Spiritus to ask the Holy Spirit's guidance for the year ahead; a plenary indulgence is granted, under the usual conditions, for the public recitation of each on those days. New Year's Day is also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Pray this prayer at midnight on New Year's Eve, at Mass on New Year's Day, or on the first morning of the year. It works well as a family prayer, with each person adding one thing to thank God for and one hope for the year to come.
The Prayer
Lord God, Master of time and eternity, all my days are in Your hands. Thank You for the year that has ended: for its joys and its sorrows, for every grace I noticed and the many I did not. Forgive what I did wrong and what I failed to do, and let me leave the past in Your mercy. As this new year begins, I place it in Your keeping. Give me faith to trust You, hope when the way is hard, and love that is patient and kind. Bless my family and friends; protect us from sickness and danger; give work to those who need it and peace to our world. Holy Mary, Mother of God, keep me under your mantle this year. St. Joseph, guard my home. My guardian angel, walk beside me. May everything I do this year begin with You and end in You. Amen.
New Year's Eve is also the feast of Pope St. Sylvester I, the pope who saw the Church come out of the catacombs after centuries of persecution.
See also: Te Deum, Veni Creator Spiritus, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Prayer Before Work (Actiones Nostras), Prayer Upon Rising, and Epiphany Prayer.
About this prayer: This is an original prayer written for Daily Catholic Prayers. It is not a traditional text and is not attributed to any saint. You are welcome to pray it and share it.
Comments