Catholic Prayers

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With Christ at the center of our Catholic faith, prayer is essential to everything we do. In addition to prayer before games, CYO encourages coaches to include
prayer before and after practices, after games, and whenever else appropriate. Please use this page as a resource for prayers. The Play Like a Champion
website also has prayers for you to consider.

God our Father, You have created us to strive for the best. Grant to all athletes, coaches, and fans, strength to pursue excellence during this event, and in all
that we do. We pray for the safety of these athletes; Protect them from injury and harm. And finally, we pray for your grace, that you would provide us with the
endurance to pursue our heavenly prize: eternal life in Your Son. Amen

 Audible Scripture Rosary before and after games and practices

 One of our sponsors, School of Faith, has a Rosary meditation on their website click here for the Rosary.

Prayer to Saint Sebastian
Patron Saint of Athletes
"Dear Commander at the Roman Emperor's court, you chose to be also a soldier of Christ and dared to spread faith in the King of Kings, for which you were condemned to die. Your body, however, proved athletically strong and the executing arrows extremely weak. So another means to kill you was chosen and you gave your life to the Lord. May athletes be always as strong in their faith as their Patron Saint so clearly has been.
Amen.

A Coach's Prayer 
O gracious God, I thank you for calling me to the ministry of coaching. Help me to answer that call with a generous heart. Enable me to be a good coach, skilled, informed, fair-minded and caring. Let me see beyond the rules of sports and catch their spirit. Grant me the wisdom to see that athletics are not only about healthy bodies but healthy minds, that sports are not only about victory but enjoyment, that competition is not only about winning but building community.  Let the mind of Christ inspire and guide my coaching so that I never lose sight of the dignity and worth of each and every person whom I coach. Help me to follow the example of Christ who coached not only by instruction but by encouragement and love. Finally, dear Lord, teach me and the athletes whom I coach to be grateful for your many blessings. I make this prayer through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

Prayer to St. Michael The Archangel
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope. To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, Thine Eyes of Mercy toward us, and after this our exile show us the Blessed Fruit of thy Womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen.

A Runner's Prayer
Almighty and ever-living God, As I prepare to embark on the race ahead, be my strength for that journey. Help me to remember that each race begins with a single step. When the race becomes long and my will begins to wane, help me to recognize that you will never leave my side. May each leg of this race emblazon my desire and zeal to be a beacon of Christ’s light in a world that can seem at times to be covered in darkness.Help me to realize that my talents are not my own and all that I am belongs to you. May I never forget that the talent I have been given is to be used to accomplish your will. Allow me, Lord, to use my talents to be a sign of hope in the world.  May the road rise up to meet me, the wind be at my back, and may the sun shine warmly upon my face. Come Holy Spirit, be the force behind my stride. I pray this in Christ’s name always.
Amen.

Basketball Prayer
Almighty Father, Bless us as we take this court. We pray that we may put into action the things we have learned in practice about life, sportsmanship and skill. May you keep us safe in our endeavor and protect all who participate today from injury. We remember that our every talent on this court came from You and strive to glorify You through our actions today. Bless this game that it may lead all who participate and watch closer to You.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer for Practices Lord, We thank you for bringing us here today and ask that you bless this practice. May we who participate here grow not only in our athletic ability, but also in our relationship with you and in our love for others.  Help us to use the talents you have given us to the best of our ability. Help us to learn virtue through this endeavor, that we may grow in our understanding of this game and of life.  Keep all gathered here today safe from injury and help us to glorify you through all that we accomplish in this practice.  We ask too for the intercession of your Mother, that she may watch over us and pray for us.
Amen.

Prayer After a Game
Lord, Thank you for the opportunity to have played this game today. Thank you for our opponents, our coaches and our parents for their part in this day. Thank
you for the talents we displayed and the things we learned through this contest.  As we go forth, keep us ever mindful of your Love and your Will. Help us continue to grow in our athletic ability through hard work and perseverance in the week ahead. We ask that you bless all the participants in today’s game wherever they may go, that we may all return safely to our next game.
Amen.

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