Omnipotent and merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in Your most wise judgment in addition to the ministry of the Church and the rule of government, You instituted the household estate. I praise You and beg You with my whole heart that You guard this holy nursery of Church and Republic. Grant to virgins, widows, and those married, true holiness of soul and pure chastity of body. May virgins depend completely upon You [1 Cor. 7:34]. May widows continue in prayers day and night [1 Tim. 5:5]. May husband and wife highly esteem one another with sincere love [Eph. 5:25]. May all serve You in righteousness and holiness with their whole heart. May the marriage bed be undefiled [Heb. 13:4] and every soul unstained. May they be violets of humility and lilies of chastity. May they be roses of charity and balms of sanctity.
Bind together the hearts of the pious who are married, with the bond of a chaste love, so that they embrace each other willingly and continue in Your holy service. Guard them from the plots of Asmodeus [Tobit 3:8], lest they burn with hatred, one for the other. May the wife be a helper for the man and supply comfort in adversity [Gen. 2:18]. May the indissoluble bond of marriage be for us all a holy mystery of the love between Christ and the Church [Eph. 5:32]. The closer the fellowship of husband and wife, still more fervent may their zeal in prayer be. The more they are subject to greater perils and misfortunes, with souls more closely joined, the more may they be engaged in piety and prayers. (Continued on Sexagesima) (from The Daily Exercise of Piety by Johann Gerhard, Repristination Press, p.85-87)