Prayers and Graces
Act of Contrition - a Catholic prayer expressing sorrow for sins. There are different approved forms in which the prayer may be made and the individual can choose which form to use. When Jamie was with the French army one of his sergeants taught him to prepare himself for battle by saying a good Act of Contrition the night before. Because of this Jamie always says the prayer in French (DIA, chapter 36) Jamie tells Ian that if you can't go to confession after killing a man, you should say a good Act of Contrition. Not because you are at fault, but because you greatly regret the necessity that caused you to take another's life (V, chapter 27)
Angelus - a Catholic devotion which involves the reciting of three biblical verses alternating with the Hail Mary prayer. This is usually accompanied by the ringing of the Angelus bell to call followers to prayer. Claire hears the Angelus bells ringing in Le Havre (DIA, chapter 6)
Ave Maria - also know as the Hail Mary. The Ave Maria is a traditional Catholic prayer that asks the Virgin Mary to intercede and help the petitioner. Brother Roger was saying the Ave Maria prayer at Jamie's bedside when he was seriously ill with fever at the Abbey of Ste. Anne de Beaupre (Outlander, chapter 39)
Crofter's Grace - Jamie tells Claire they say this grace in the Crofts. First line is: "Hurley, hurley, round the table" (Outlander, chapter 6)
Eternal Rest - a Roman Catholic prayer that asks God to hasten the souls of those in Purgatory onward to Heaven. According to Catholic doctrine, imperfect souls cannot go straight to Heaven, but must spend some time in Purgatory first to achieve the level of holiness that will enable them to enter Heaven. The first line of the prayer is - 'Eternal rest, grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him'. After the Battle of Prestonpans, the priest says this prayer for the dead, but he uses uses the word 'Perpetual rest' instead of 'eternal rest' at the beginning of the prayer (DIA, chapter 36)
Hail Mary - refer to Ave Maria
Kyrie Eleison - a ritual prayer sung in rites and Masses. Jamie explains to Mother Hildegarde that his inability to distinguish musical tunes means the would not know the difference between the Kyrie Eleison and 'La dame fait bien' except by the words (DIA, chapter 15)
"Lord that she may be safe. She and the child" - Jamie prays this many times for Claire after he sends her back through the stones. The first time we are aware of is when he wakes on Culloden Moor thinking he is dead and in purgatory (V, chapter 1)
"O Lord, I commend to Your mercy the soul of Your servant James" - this is the prayer Claire recites when she observes the ritual of Perpetual Adoration at St Finbar's church in Boston (V, chapter 3)
"O Lord, into thy hands I commend the soul of your servant James" - this is the prayer Claire uses at the Abbey of Ste. Anne de Beaupre when she is seeking spiritual guidance to save Jamie from his despair after Wentworth (Outlander, chapter 39)
Rosary - the Rosary is a set of prayers in the Catholic church named after the rosary beads which are used to keep count of the prayer components. A Rosary essentially consists of one Lord's Prayer followed by ten Hail Marys, followed by one Glory Be prayer. Each set is called a decade, and five decades is the usual number recited in one session. When Young Ian and Jamie both go to confession after Ian kills the man in the printshop, Ian is given five decades of Hail Marys to say for his penance, but it is so long since Jamie has been to confession that he is given eighty-five decades! (V, chapter 29)
Selkirk Grace - the grace that Hamish MacKenzie says when Claire first eats in the dining hall at Castle Leoch. First line is: "Some hae meat that canna eat" (Outlander, chapter 6)
Soul Peace - Jamie advises Ian to say this prayer after killing a man in battle or self-defence, so that the soul of the man will find peace and not haunt him (V, chapter 27). The Soul Peace prayer is a traditional Gaelic prayer recorded on page 21 of the Carmina Gadelica, volume 1.
Soul Leading - Jamie advises Ian to say this prayer after killing a man in battle or self-defence when there isn't time to say the Soul Peace (V, chapter 27). The Soul Leading is a traditional Gaelic prayer recorded on page 117 of the Carmina Gadelica, volume 1.
Angelus - a Catholic devotion which involves the reciting of three biblical verses alternating with the Hail Mary prayer. This is usually accompanied by the ringing of the Angelus bell to call followers to prayer. Claire hears the Angelus bells ringing in Le Havre (DIA, chapter 6)
Ave Maria - also know as the Hail Mary. The Ave Maria is a traditional Catholic prayer that asks the Virgin Mary to intercede and help the petitioner. Brother Roger was saying the Ave Maria prayer at Jamie's bedside when he was seriously ill with fever at the Abbey of Ste. Anne de Beaupre (Outlander, chapter 39)
Crofter's Grace - Jamie tells Claire they say this grace in the Crofts. First line is: "Hurley, hurley, round the table" (Outlander, chapter 6)
Eternal Rest - a Roman Catholic prayer that asks God to hasten the souls of those in Purgatory onward to Heaven. According to Catholic doctrine, imperfect souls cannot go straight to Heaven, but must spend some time in Purgatory first to achieve the level of holiness that will enable them to enter Heaven. The first line of the prayer is - 'Eternal rest, grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him'. After the Battle of Prestonpans, the priest says this prayer for the dead, but he uses uses the word 'Perpetual rest' instead of 'eternal rest' at the beginning of the prayer (DIA, chapter 36)
Hail Mary - refer to Ave Maria
Kyrie Eleison - a ritual prayer sung in rites and Masses. Jamie explains to Mother Hildegarde that his inability to distinguish musical tunes means the would not know the difference between the Kyrie Eleison and 'La dame fait bien' except by the words (DIA, chapter 15)
"Lord that she may be safe. She and the child" - Jamie prays this many times for Claire after he sends her back through the stones. The first time we are aware of is when he wakes on Culloden Moor thinking he is dead and in purgatory (V, chapter 1)
"O Lord, I commend to Your mercy the soul of Your servant James" - this is the prayer Claire recites when she observes the ritual of Perpetual Adoration at St Finbar's church in Boston (V, chapter 3)
"O Lord, into thy hands I commend the soul of your servant James" - this is the prayer Claire uses at the Abbey of Ste. Anne de Beaupre when she is seeking spiritual guidance to save Jamie from his despair after Wentworth (Outlander, chapter 39)
Rosary - the Rosary is a set of prayers in the Catholic church named after the rosary beads which are used to keep count of the prayer components. A Rosary essentially consists of one Lord's Prayer followed by ten Hail Marys, followed by one Glory Be prayer. Each set is called a decade, and five decades is the usual number recited in one session. When Young Ian and Jamie both go to confession after Ian kills the man in the printshop, Ian is given five decades of Hail Marys to say for his penance, but it is so long since Jamie has been to confession that he is given eighty-five decades! (V, chapter 29)
Selkirk Grace - the grace that Hamish MacKenzie says when Claire first eats in the dining hall at Castle Leoch. First line is: "Some hae meat that canna eat" (Outlander, chapter 6)
Soul Peace - Jamie advises Ian to say this prayer after killing a man in battle or self-defence, so that the soul of the man will find peace and not haunt him (V, chapter 27). The Soul Peace prayer is a traditional Gaelic prayer recorded on page 21 of the Carmina Gadelica, volume 1.
Soul Leading - Jamie advises Ian to say this prayer after killing a man in battle or self-defence when there isn't time to say the Soul Peace (V, chapter 27). The Soul Leading is a traditional Gaelic prayer recorded on page 117 of the Carmina Gadelica, volume 1.