Daily
Evening Prayer of Thanksgiving
This anonymous evening prayer comes from the pattern of night prayers found in older English Catholic manuals and family prayer books. It begins by thanking God for preservation and grace during the day. It then leads the soul to repentance through the traditional Act of Contrition commonly taught in the Baltimore Catechism tradition. The final commendation echoes Psalm 30:6 in the Douay-Rheims numbering and the words of Christ in Luke 23:46. Catholics pray it before sleep, usually after a brief examination of conscience, to thank God, seek pardon, renew a firm purpose of amendment, and entrust themselves to his care.
O my God, I thank Thee for having preserved me this day, and for having given me so many blessings and graces.
I renew the dedication of myself to Thee, and I ask Thy pardon for all my sins.
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.
Amen.
Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
When to pray it: Pray it at bedtime, preferably after a brief examination of conscience.
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