K o A Prayers

Treasury of Prayers for Altar Servers

Opening Prayer

(may be used before meetings)

Enlighten our minds, and strengthen our wills so that we may

have a right understanding and good judgment in all things and that all our thoughts, words, and actions may be pleasing to God and profitable to our Salvation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary.

Closing Prayer (may be used after meetings)

Grant us, O Lord, the help of Thy grace to carry out faithfully

and successfully all those things which, through Thy inspiration we know ought to be done, always to be loyal to our society, its purposes, and its Constitutions. Amen.

Glory Be to the Father, etc.

Knights’ Pledge (Said at meetings by all Knights of the Altar)

We, the Knights of the Altar, pledge allegiance to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, to His representatives on earth, and to Mary, our Queen Immaculate, whom we will serve faithfully until we attain eternal triumph in heaven.

We pledge ourselves to form a worthy guard of honor to our

Divine Eucharistic King in whose service we willingly assume the dignity and honor of becoming Knights of the Altar; to render faithful, reverent and edifying service to God by assisting His visible representatives, the Bishops and Priests, in offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in all other liturgical and devotional functions; to enkindle in the hearts of the faithful, whom we represent at the altar, greater piety and devotion by reverently performing the duties of our holy office and by giving good example in our daily lives.

Promise of Commitment (Apprentice, Page, Squire)

I will be faithful to my training as a Knight of the Altar. I

understand my obligations and responsibilities, and promise commitment to do my best at all times.

Membership Pledge

(Knight, Chevalier, Knight Commander, Grand Knight)

I pledge my service to Almighty God and his holy Church by

observing faithfully the rules and obligations of the Knights of the Altar, and I promise to be a loyal member at all times.

(Grand Knights add) I promise as Grand Knight, to serve Christ my King as Lord of Lords with fidelity and honor. Mary, His Immaculate Mother, shall be my Queen and my Lady, and I shall be her devoted champion. I further promise to treat others with respect and justice, to live a good personal life, and to profess and defend the rights of God and His Holy Church.

Come Holy Spirit

V. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful

R. And enkindle in them the fire of thy Love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created

R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray: O God, Who dost instruct the hearts of the faithful, by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the same Holy Ghost we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer before a special event

Direct we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy

inspiration, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may begin always with Thee and through Thee be happily ended. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Prayer for a Deceased Member

Hearken, O Lord, to the prayers with which we humbly entreat

thy clemency; and do thou bring to a place of peace and of rest the soul

of Thy servant _____________, whom Thou hast called out of this

world, and command him to be admitted to the fellowship of Thy Saints.

Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

For several Deceased Members

O God, generous Bestower of pardon and lover of man’s

salvation, we beseech Thee in Thy mercy to grant, through the

intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin and of all the Saints, that the

members of our Society, who have passed out of this life, may partake of

everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Altar Server’s Prayer (Before serving Holy Mass)

Open my mouth, O Lord, to bless Thy Holy Name. Cleanse my heart from all evil and distracting thoughts.

Enlighten my understanding and inflame my will that I may

serve more worthily at Thy holy altar. O Mary, Mother of Christ the High Priest, obtain for me the most important grace of knowing my vocation in life. Grant me a true spirit of faith and humble obedience so that I may ever behold the priest as a representative of God and willingly follow him in theWay, the Truth, and the Life of Christ. Amen.

Altar Server’s Prayer of Thanksgiving

(After serving Holy Mass)

O Lord, Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, I thank Thee for the

privilege of having served at the holy altar of Thy sacrifice. Now, as I put aside the garments of that service, I ask that I may at all times think of Thee, and always act accordingly, as a privileged altar server. May I ever seek Thee and find Thee; may I always follow Thee; may Thy priestly spirit be my guide, and Thy service of love be my example. May Thy Holy Name always be on my lips, and to Thy praise and glory may every work of mine be done. Ever ready in Thy service, may I always know do Thy Holy Will in all things. May I remain pure and blameless and be found worthy to be Thy servant, and by Thy grace may I persevere to the end. Amen.

Spiritual Communion (may be said anytime throughout the day)

My Jesus, I believe that Thou art truly present in the Most

Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire Thee to come into my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart… (Pause a moment). I embrace Thee as being already there, and I unite myself wholly to Thee; do not permit me to ever become separated from Thee. Amen.

I Adore Thee

Morning: O my God, I adore Thee and I love Thee with my whole heart. I thank Thee for having created me, made me a Christian, and for having kept me this night. I offer Thee the actions of this day according to Thy holy will and for Thy greater glory. Deliver me from sin and danger.

May Thy grace be always with me and with all my beloved ones. Amen.

Evening: I adore Thee, my God, and I love Thee with my whole heart. I thank Thee for having created me, made me a Christian, and for having kept me during this day. Forgive me the evil I have done this day, and if I have done some good accept it. Take care of me while I sleep and deliver

me from danger. Thy grace be with me and with my loved ones. Amen.

Prayer to Christ the King

O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge Thee to be the King of the

universe; all that hath been made is created for Thee. Exercise over me all Thy sovereign rights. I hereby renew the promises of my Baptism, renouncing Satan and all his works and pomp’s, and I engage myself to lead henceforth a truly Christian life. And in an especial manner do I undertake to bring about the triumph of the rights of God and Thy Church, so far as in me lies. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee my poor actions to obtain the acknowledgment by every heart of Thy sacred kingly power. In such wise may the kingdom of Thy peace be firmly established throughout the earth. Amen.

Prayer for Vocations

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst take to Thyself a Body and Soul like ours to teach us the glory of self-sacrifice and service, mercifully deign to instill in other hearts the desire to dedicate their lives to thee. Give us PRIESTS to stand before Thy Altar and to preach the word of Thy

Gospel; BROTHERS to assist the priests and to reproduce in themselves Thy humility; SISTERS to teach the young and nurse the sick, and to minister Thy charity to all; LAY PEOPLE to imitate Thee in their homes and families. Amen.

Prayer to St. Therese for Priests and Missionaries:

St. Therese of the Child Jesus, thou hast been rightly proclaimed patroness of Catholic Missions throughout the world. Remember the

burning desire which thou didst manifest here on earth to plant the Cross of Christ on every shore and to preach the gospel even to the end of time. We beseech thee, according to thy promise, to assist all priests and missionaries and the whole Church of God. Amen.

Prayer to Mary - by St. John Bosco

O Mary, powerful Virgin, thou art the mighty and glorious

protector of holy Church; thou art the marvelous help of Christians; thou art terrible as an army I battle array; thou alone hast destroyed every heresy in the whole world. In the midst of our anguish, our struggles and our distress defend us from the power of the enemy and at the hour of our death receive our souls in Paradise. Amen.

Sub Tuum Praesidium

We fly to Thy patronage, O holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions and our necessities, but ever deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Prayer to Mary – by St. Dominic Savio

O Mary, I give Thee my heart; grant me to be always Thine.

Jesus and Mary, be every my friends; and, for love of Thee, grant me to die a thousand deaths rather than to have the misfortune of committing a single mortal sin. Amen.

To Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

O Virgin Mary, our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, thou

glory of the Christian people, joy of the universal Church,

salvation of the whole world, pray for us, and awaken in all

believers a lively devotion toward the Most Holy Eucharist,

that so they may be made worthy to partake of the same daily.

To St. Joseph (for Altar Servers)

Happy and blessed art thou, O Joseph, to whom it was given not only to see and to hear that God Whom many kings desired to see, and saw not, to hear, and heard not; but also to hold Him in thine arms, to embrace Him, to clothe Him, and to guard and defend Him.

V. Pray for us, O blessed Joseph.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: O God, Who hast given unto us a royal priesthood, vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, that as Blessed Joseph was found worthy to touch with his hands, and bear within his arms, Thine Only-begotten

Son, born of the Virgin Mary, so may we be made fit, by cleanness of heart and purity of work, to serve at Thy holy Altars; that we may worthily receive the Most Sacred Body and Blood of Thy Son, now in this present world, and deserve to attain an everlasting reward in the world to come. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Church Unity

To be said during the Chair of Unity Octave, January 18 to 25

That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee; that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. (John xvii: 21.)

V. I say unto thee, that thou art Peter;

R. And upon this Rock I will build My Church.

Let us pray: LORD Jesus Christ, Who sayest unto Thine apostles, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you;” regard not our sins, but the faith of Thy Church, and grant unto her that peace and unity which are agreeable to Thy will. Who livest and reignest God forever and ever.

R. Amen.

KOA PLEDGE

Lord, Here I am, all yours, ready to serve you.

I shall strive to be faithful to my duty of serving at mass and of helping in Church. I shall strive to give good example to all, and to help my fellow Christians respect our home.

May I be your loyal knight, wit the help of Mary, My mother and model.

Our life is too short, so don't waste it, our Lord God gave us one life, so take care of it, our body, our life our soul, It is nice, if we practice our selves on how to live in heaven by continuos praying to Our God Almighty, serve one another and be a servant to all.

Jesus is our way to God. The Blessed Virgin Mary is our Model and Patron, let us follow the examples and teachings of Jesus and the obedience of Our Lord Jesus and Blessed Virgin Mother Mary.

Let's all meet in heaven after our life here on earth.

God bless us all!

Procedure for Service

Before Mass
Put on Alb and be sure to button all the buttons.
Put on cincture.
Senior puts on a Cross.
Senior lights the candles and places the sacramentary in the first kneeler.
Senior makes sure there is a small towel on the credence table for the washing of the fingers.
Senior makes sure there is fresh water in both cruets.
Participate in the prayer before Mass with the priest, Eucharistic ministers and lectors.
Senior gets the cross.
All servers proceed to the rear of the church.



Entrance Procession
When the opening hymn begins the senior server leads the procession, holding the cross, walking slowly and reverently, down the center aisle.
The junior servers follow with hands folded together in prayerful manner.
When the priest reaches the altar he will either bow or genuflect.
The senior holding the cross does not genuflect.
The juniors always genuflect if the priest genuflects.
As the priest proceeds to the altar the senior places the cross in its stand and all servers go to the kneelers in the sanctuary behind the priest. The senior kneeler is the one nearest the priest's chair. At this point all servers are standing in front of their kneelers with hands folded.


Opening Prayer
When the priest says, "Let us pray," the senior brings the sacramentary, opened to the proper page, to the priest so he can read the opening prayer. When the priest is finished, the senior closes the book and returns to the kneeler.

Preparation of the AltarWhen everyone sits for the collection the servers do not sit.
If the deacon is present at the Mass:
The senior places the sacramentary on the altar.
The senior then gets the cross and proceeds slowly and reverently to the rear of the church.
The juniors follow the senior with hands folded.
The servers wait in the rear of the church until the collection is over.
If the deacon is not present at Mass:
The senior places the sacramentary on the altar and remains in the center of the altar.
The juniors proceed to the credence table when the senior brings the sacramentary to the altar.
One junior gets the corporal and purificator, the other junior gets the chalice and paten if present on the chalice.
Both juniors proceed to the center of the altar where the senior is waiting.
The junior carrying the corporal hands it to the senior and the senior unfolds it, and places it in the center of the altar. The junior then hands the purificator to the senior who places it on the right side of the corporal.
The junior carrying the chalice and paten hands it to the senior who places it in the center of the corporal.
The senior then gets the cross and proceeds slowly and reverently to the rear of the church.
The juniors follow the senior with hands folded.
The servers wait in the rear of the church until the collection is over.


Presentation of the Gifts
After the collection is finished, the senior leads the procession holding the cross, just like the in the entrance procession, to the center of the altar where the priest is waiting.
The juniors follow the senior with hands folded.
As you reach the altar, move to the right and stand in front of the first pew.
As the priest returns to the altar with the gifts, the senior server returns the cross to the stand and the juniors go to the credence table.
The senior server gets the water cruet and goes to the altar. The priest will take the cruet, mixes water with the wine, and returns it to the senior.
While the senior is at the altar, the newest junior gets the chalice. The other junior gets the towel, cruet and bowl. All approach the altar - the chalice is presented to the priest, the junior with the water, towel and bowl stands by.
The priest will place his fingers over the bowl. The junior will pour the water over the priest's fingers, takes the towel and dries his hand.
When the priest is finished, all will bow together (servers to priest).
The juniors return to the credence table. The juniors put the bowl, pitcher, and towel on the table and all servers return to their kneelers to participate in the Mass. The newest junior takes the bell from the credence table back to the kneeler.




Eucharistic Prayer
The newest junior will ring the bell when the priest:
Holds his hands over the chalice (happens very quickly after kneeling - be prepared).
Shows the consecrated host to the people (wait until the priest finishes talking).
Shows the chalice to the people (wait until the priest finishes talking).The bell is rung only once for each event.



Communion
The priest will give communion to the servers as he gives it to the Eucharist ministers. Servers will stand as they receive the host.
After receiving communion, the servers can sit for a minute, and reflect on the sacrament just received.

Altar Clearing
All servers go to the altar.
The senior gives the chalice to one of the juniors.
The senior folds the corporal and gives the corporal and purificator to the other junior.
The senior gets the sacramentary.
All three go to the credence table where the juniors place the chalice, corporal and purificator.
All three return to their kneelers.
Closing Prayer
When the priest says, "Let us pray", the senior brings the sacramentary, opened to the proper page, to the priest so he can read the closing prayer. When the priest is finished, the senior closes the book and returns to the kneeler.
End of Mass
When the priest leaves the chair and goes to kiss the altar, the senior gets the cross and all servers go down from the sanctuary and stand in front of the first pew.
When the priest turns to leave the senior leads the procession slowly and reverently to the rear of the church.
The juniors follow the senior with folded hands.

After Mass
The senior extinguishes the candles.
Hang the albs and cinctures neatly in the closet.

Notes:
Arrive 15 minutes before Mass.
If you cannot make a Mass it is your responsibility to get a substitute.
Altar servers should participate fully in the Mass reciting responses and prayers and singing hymns.
When preparing for Mass, always genuflect if passing in front of the tabernacle.
Always be reverent and respectful. This will add to the prayerful experience of the congregation.
If an altar server is not carrying anything, hands should be folded in a prayerful manner.