As the school year approaches, students and teachers alike may be feeling a mixture of emotions. Returning to school brings with it many joys, sorrows, anxieties, and celebrations, as well as plenty of homework, learning, and exams for students, and discipline issues, classroom management, difficulties with parents and administrations, and plenty of grading for teachers. In an effort to help students and teachers gain strength to deal with the ups and downs of school life, we have compiled a few prayers specifically suited to some of their needs. 

Often known as the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of students and has left us with two prayers for students:

“Ineffable Creator, Who out of the treasures of Thy wisdom has appointed three hierarchies of Angels and set them in admirable order high above the heavens and has disposed the diverse portions of the universe in such marvelous array, Thou Who art called the True Source of Light and supereminent Principle of Wisdom, be pleased to cast a beam of Thy radiance upon the darkness of my mind and dispel from me the double darkness of sin and ignorance in which I have been born.
Thou Who makes eloquent the tongues of little children, fashion my words and pour upon my lips the grace of Thy benediction. Grant me penetration to understand, capacity to retain, method and facility in study, subtlety in interpretation and abundant grace of expression.
Order the beginning, direct the progress and perfect the achievement of my work, Thou Who art true God and true Man and livest and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.”

“Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom! Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance. Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever.
Amen.”

The Church has given us a prayer for students to invoke the intercession of St. Joseph of Cupertino, the patron saint of studying, which has two variations:

“O Great St. Joseph of Cupertino who while on earth did obtain from God the grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew, obtain for me a like favor in the examinations for which I am now preparing. In return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked. Through Christ our Lord. St. Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us.
Amen.”

“O St. Joseph of Cupertino, who by your prayer obtained from God to be asked at your examination the only preposition you knew. Grant that I may like you succeed in the [name of the class] examination. In return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked.
O St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for me.
O Holy Ghost, enlighten me.
Our Lady of Good Studies, pray for me.
Sacred Head of Jesus, Seat of divine wisdom, enlighten me. Amen.”

These prayers may be adapted or shortened for younger students. A simple ejaculatory prayer may also be appropriate, such as: 

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!
St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us!
St. Thomas More, pray for us!

Holy Ghost, enlighten me.

Holy Ghost, Spirit of Wisdom (or Understanding or Knowledge), enlighten my mind.
Our Lady of Good Studies, pray for me.
Sacred Head of Jesus, Seat of divine wisdom, enlighten me. 

For teachers, they can invoke the intercession St. Thomas More, who gave his life in witness to the truth of the Church’s teachings, through this prayer:

“Thomas More, counselor of law and statesman of integrity, merry martyr and most human of saints: pray that, for the glory of God and in the pursuit of His justice, I may be trustworthy with confidences, keen in study, accurate in analysis, correct in conclusion, able in argument, loyal to clients, honest with all, courteous to adversaries, ever attentive to conscience. Sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients' tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul. Pray that my family may find in me what yours found in you: friendship and courage, cheerfulness and charity, diligence in duties, counsel in adversity, patience in pain—their good servant, and God's first. Amen.”

God speaks directly to those called to teach through His Word. The Gospels and Epistles give us reminders and warnings related to the great responsibility teachers bear for forming the minds and hearts of their students. Some of these may be fruitful for teachers to bring to prayer, pondering how God might be speaking into their lives and classrooms:

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Mt 18:6).

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly, for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also” (James 3:1-2).

“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace” (James 3:13-18).

Finally, during my time as a teacher, I found it fruitful to create my own litany of saints, based on the needs I saw in my teaching and in my students. The options here are almost inexhaustible and will vary based on the teacher and his students. For any problem you or a student is having, a quick Google search will often bring up a saint who struggled with the same thing or who has become patron of it! In your litany, you can simply say the saint’s name followed by “pray for us,” or you could include a more specific petition. Here are a few saints to get you started:

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who founded her own school, could certainly be invoked for several school-related petitions, including, but not limited to, classroom management and student disciple. 

St. John Chrysostom, whose name means golden-tongued, could be invoked for help in clearly explaining lessons in class. 

St. Thomas Aquinas could be invoked for both our students’ strength of mind as well as our own.

St. Joseph Cupertino could be invoked for our students’ success in exams and our fair writing of them.

St. John Bosco, a great and playful saint who cared for and taught many boys in his oratories, could be invoked to help us treat our students with kindness and respect and to gain their trust and love. 

The saints, with Our Lord and His Mother, are cheering you on as you begin a new school year, students and teachers!