Deliver Us From Evil

DELIVER US FROM EVIL PR AYERS AND SUPPLICATIONS WHICH MAY BE USED IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST THE POWERS OF DARKNESS

Published on behalf of the Bishops’ Conferences of England and Wales, and Scotland by THE CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY 42-46 Harleyford Road, London, SE11 5AY First Published 2024 CTS Code: DO968 ISBN 978 1 78469 769 3 Concordat cum originali: ✠ George Stack, Chairman, Department for Christian Life and Worship, CBCEW after review by Martin Foster, Director, Liturgy Office (England and Wales) Concordat cum originali: ✠ Hugh Gilbert, President, Scottish National Liturgical Commission, BCOS, after review by Stephen McGrattan, Secretary, Scottish National Liturgical Commission Typographical design and layout © 2024 Catholic Truth Society.

Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the monks of Conception Abbey © 2008, 2010 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation, (ICEL); excerpts from Exorcisms and Related Supplications, © 2014, ICEL. All rights reserved.

Deliver us from Evil has been prepared and approved by the Department for Christian Life and Worship of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. It is based on Appendix II: Supplications which may be used by the Faithful privately in their struggle against the powers of darkness from Exorcism and Related Supplications. It includes all the material from the Appendix together with additional prayers from the tradition of the Church.

Cover image: St Michael the Archangel © Bogdan Vasilescu/Shutterstock.com

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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 PRAYERS OF PROTECTION: IMMEDIATE . . . . . . . . . 13 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 INVOCATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Invocations to the Most Holy Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Sign of the Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Invocations to Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Invocation to Saint Michael the Archangel . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Litany Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Phrases from Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Psalm 70 (69) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 PRAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Lord’s Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Praying with Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Ave Maria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Intercession of Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Praying with the Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Prayer to the Guardian Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Prayers from the Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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PRAYERS OF PROTECTION: GENERAL . . . . . . . . . 29 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 INVOCATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Invocations to the Most Holy Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Invocations to Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Invocations to the Holy Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Veni Sancte Spiritus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Phrases from Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Psalm 91 (90) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 PRAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Prayer to the Most Holy Redeemer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Prayers from the Roman Missal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 The Most Holy Name of Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Praying with the Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 The Guardian Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 The Holy Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Prayer for the Household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Praying with the Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Prayer to St Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 A Prayer of St John Henry Newman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Prayers from the Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 INVOCATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Invocations to the Most Holy Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Contents

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PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Phrases from Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Psalm 30 (29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 PRAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

PRAYERS OF FAITH AND CONFIDENCE . . . . . . . . 55 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 INVOCATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Invocations to the Most Holy Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Invocations to Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Litany of the Sacred Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Phrases from Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Psalm 27 (26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 PRAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Profession of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Apostles’ Creed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Praying with Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Salve Regina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Alma Redemptoris Mater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Praying with St Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Prayer for Peacemakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Prayers from the Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Prayers from the Roman Missal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

INTRODUCTION This booklet contains a selection of prayers and scripture passages which are supplications, thanksgivings and other prayerful words of defence against evil. The collection is based on Appendix 2 of the Church’s Rite of Exorcism. Formal Exorcism is restricted to bishops and priests whom they choose and delegate with the authority to carry out a formal exorcism in their diocese. This booklet is not intended for them, but is, rather, intended to be of universal help to all who are challenged by evil and those who have pastoral care for them.

Jesus, when tempted in the wilderness (Mt 4:111), used powerful words of scripture against the devil’s temptation, and when teaching his friends he gave them the ‘Our Father’, containing the petition 7

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‘deliver us from evil’, as a norm for defence against evil. Since the early days of the Church such prayers, litanies and scripture passages against evil have been used to great effect.

UNDERSTANDING THE POWERS OF DARKNESS IN THE CONTEXT OF GOD’S CREATIVE LOVE God loves all creation into being and that creation is thereby sustained through his creative love. This love embraces every human person and is not lost even a person sins no matter how grievously.

God’s creating and sustaining love also includes the angels; even the fallen angels, including their leader, Satan (Lucifer). The traditional way we direct our prayers against the powers of darkness is against their malice rather than against their created being.

Our word ‘exorcism’, for instance, comes from Greek words meaning to ‘bind on oath’. Jesus in the New Testament binds the evil spirits so that their malice may not harm others. Likewise we too pray that their malice may be bound and have no effective power in our lives.

Introduction

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God alone creates everything out of nothing.

What God creates is always good. Evil is never part of God’s pure creation, but is rather the corruption of something which was originally good. No evil spirit can bring something evil out of nothing.

Their efforts aim, rather, to corrupt what is good.

One example of their success is the vice which emerges when virtue is corrupted. St Gregory the Great talks of how arrogance may derive from learning, cruelty from justice, carelessness from tenderness, anger from zeal, and laziness from gentleness. In each case the good energy of virtue has been corrupted. Sometimes it is fitting to pray with this in mind, asking that the corruption may be reversed so that human energies may be used as God intended.

WE DO NOT PR AY ‘LIKE PAGANS’ DO Pagan religions often include a belief that if particular words with particular rituals are used, their gods does not have any alternative other than to grant their request. This is a belief in incantation, always associated with a belief in a god who is not totally free. It has no place in Christianity.

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Christianity teaches that God is just. God is all-knowing (omniscient). God is all-powerful (omnipotent). God is free. God is not subject to change (is immutable). The way we pray needs to be in accord with our belief in these truths. This precept is sometimes expressed in the Latin tag ‘Lex credendi lex orandi’(the law of faith equates to the law of belief ).

Church teaching about asking God in prayer is best understood by considering our role in God’s created world. God created the world intending that we should share some of his dominion over it. God choses to share responsibility for this world with us.

Our words and actions partly enable us to bring this fruitful responsibility into effect according to the circumstances of life. Part of this is brought about through our prayers. Describing this, St Thomas Aquinas spoke about prayer in as a ‘secondary cause’ - God is the first cause of all. In his infinite love he chooses that the undertaking of human prayer should share in the bringing about of what is good.

Hence prayer is both a tremendous privilege for us and a powerful way to bring about good and restrict evil.

Introduction

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In the early Church the gift of the ‘Our Father’ was treasured as a prayer partly because in praying ‘deliver us from evil’ we share in the limiting or restricting of the power of evil. The early Church tradition of praying the ‘Our Father’ three times a day continues to be commended for these reasons.

The prayers in this booklet are additional prayers which may be used to this same great end of sharing in God’s restricting or binding of what is evil so that good may flourish.

PR AYERS OF PROTECTION: IMMEDIATE INTRODUCTION In the early Church there were devout practices which sought protection from anything that was evil. Examples are: the thrice-daily praying of the Our Father, the use of psalms and other Old Testament scriptures. In addition to prayers were the protection given by Sacraments such as Baptism and the Eucharist, the use of sacramentals such as holy water and salt, making the sign of the cross and, within a few centuries, the displaying of a cross or crucifix. Today also sacraments and sacramentals continue to be very fitting accompaniments to 13

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prayer. Other powerful aids to prayer in our tradition are fasting and almsgiving.

In addition to these general activities are more immediate prayers used on occasions of perceived danger or temptation. This section provides prayers for immediate use in those times.

Pr ayers of Protection: immediate

INVOCATIONS Invocations to the Most Holy Trinity The Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We invoke you, we praise you, we adore you, O blessed Trinity Our hope, our salvation, our glory, O blessed Trinity.

Deliver me, save me, give me life, O blessed Trinity.

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Invocations to Our Lord Jesus Christ When naming the Cross, the faithful may appropriately sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross.

Save me, O Christ the Saviour, through the power of the ✠ Cross.

In the sea you saved Peter, have mercy on me.

Through the sign of the ✠ Cross, free us from our enemies, O Lord our God. Save us through your ✠ Cross, O Christ the Redeemer, who by dying destroyed our death, and by rising restored our life.

Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary We fly to your protection, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.

Help of Christians, pray for us.

Pr ayers of Protection: immediate

Grant that I may praise you, holy Virgin; give me power against your enemies.

Most loving Virgin Mary, hasten to my aid in all trials, in my troubles and in my needs, and beg for me from your beloved Son deliverance from every evil and from all danger to soul and body.

Invocation to Saint Michael the Archangel Holy Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle.

Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast down into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

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Litany Prayers Kyrie, eleison.

Christe, eleison.

Kyrie, eleison.

Kyrie, eleison.

Christe, eleison.

Kyrie, eleison.

Or:

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, Holy Guardian Angels, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John, All holy Apostles, Saint Mary Magdalene,

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me). pray for us (me).

(The names of other Saints and Blesseds may be added.)

Pr ayers of Protection: immediate

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From all evil, Lord, we pray, deliver us (me).

From every sin, Lord, we pray, deliver us (me).

From the snares of the devil, Lord, we pray, deliver us (me).

From everlasting death, Lord, we pray, deliver us (me).

Christ, hear us (me).

Christ, hear us (me).

Christ, graciously hear us (me).

Christ, graciously hear us (me).

PR AYING WITH SCRIPTURE Phrases from Scripture O Lord, come to my rescue, Lord, come to my aid. (Ps 39:14) Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. (Jer 17:14) Lord, save me (Matt 14:30) God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13) Amen, Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:20)

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Psalm 70 (69) O God, make haste to my rescue, Lord, come to my aid!

Let there be shame and confusion on those who seek my life.

O let them turn back in confusion, who delight in my harm, let them retreat, covered with shame, who jeer at my lot.

Let there be rejoicing and gladness for all who seek you.

Let them say for ever: “God is great,” who love your saving help.

As for me, wretched and poor, come to me, O God, You are my rescuer, my help, O Lord, do not delay.

Pr ayers of Protection: immediate

Gospel

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Matthew 8:14-17

When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

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PR AYERS The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

The prayer may be concluded with the acclamation.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.

Pr ayers of Protection: immediate

Praying with Mary Ave Maria Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Memorare Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.

Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.

To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me.

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The Intercession of Mary May the venerable intercession of Blessed Mary ever-Virgin come to our aid, we pray, O Lord, and free us from every danger, so that we may rejoice in your peace.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

(Roman Missal)

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that your faithful, who rejoice under the patronage of the most holy Virgin Mary, may be freed by her motherly intercession from all evils on earth and merit the attainment of eternal joys in heaven.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

(Roman Missal)

Pr ayers of Protection: immediate

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Praying with the Angels From Compline

Visit this house, we pray you, Lord: drive far away from it all the snares of the enemy.

May you holy angels stay here and guard us in peace, and let you blessing be always upon us.

Through Christ our Lord.

Prayer to the Guardian Angel Angel sent by God to guide me, be my light and walk beside me; be my guardian and protect me; on the paths of life direct me.

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.

Amen.

The prayer is based on one by Reginald of Canterbury in the early 12th century.

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Prayers from the Tradition Have mercy, Lord God, on me your servant, who have become like a vessel that is lost because of the host that besieges me.

Deliver me from the hands of my enemies and draw near to me, that you may seek what is lost, restore to yourself what is found, and not abandon what is restored; so that in all things I may be pleasing to you, by whom I know I have been powerfully redeemed.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Pr ayers of Protection: immediate

Almighty God, who give the desolate a home to dwell in and lead prisoners into prosperity, look upon my affliction and arise in my defence.

Strike down that most wicked foe, so that, after the enemy is driven away, freedom may bring me peace.

And so, restored to tranquil devotion, may I confess how wondrous you are, who have given strength to your people.

Though Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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