PRAYERS BEFORE MASS
PRAYERS BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION
PRAYERS AFTER HOLY COMMUNION
& THANKSGIVING AFTER MASS
PRAYERS BEFORE MASS
A DECLARATION OF INTENTION
Eternal Father, I unite myself with the intentions and
affections of our Lady of Sorrows on Calvary, and I offer to
you the sacrifice that your beloved Son Jesus made of
himself upon the cross, and now renews upon this holy altar:
To adore you and give you the honour that is due to you,
confessing your supreme dominion over all things, and the
absolute dependence of everything upon you, who are our sole
and our last end.
To thank you for the countless benefits that I have
received.
To appease your justice, aroused against us by so many sins,
and to make satisfaction for them.
To implore grace for myself, for N., for all
afflicted and sorrowing, for poor sinners, for all the
world, and for the holy souls in purgatory. Amen.
- Acta Sanctae Sedis (St Pius X, 8 July 1904)
PRAYERS TO THE HOLY GHOST
Incline, O most gracious Lord, your ears of mercy to our
prayers, and enlighten our hearts by the grace of the Holy
Ghost, so that we may worthily celebrate your mysteries and
love you with an everlasting love.
O God, before
whom every heart lies open and to whom every desire speaks
and from whom no secret lies hid, cleanse the thoughts of
our hearts by the pouring forth of your Holy Ghost, so that
we may be worthy to love you perfectly and worthily to
praise you.
Inflame, O
Lord, our reins and our hearts with the fire of your Holy
Ghost, so that we may serve you with a chaste mind and
please you with a clean heart.
We beseech
you, O Lord, that the Comforter, who proceeds from you, may
enlighten our minds, and lead us, as your Son has promised,
unto all truth.
May the power
of your Holy Ghost, we beseech you, O Lord, be present unto
us, mercifully to cleanse our hearts and to defend them from
all harm.
O God, who
taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of your Holy
Ghost, grant that in the same spirit we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in his consolation.
Cleanse, we
beseech you, O Lord, our consciences by your visitation, so
that when our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, shall come he may
find in us a dwelling prepared for him; who lives and rules
with you in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without
end. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
O
God, loose, remit, and forgive my sins against you. Whether
in word, or in deed, or in thought, willingly or
unwillingly, knowingly or unknowingly committed, forgive
them all; for you are good and love mankind. And through
the prayers of your most holy Mother, of your heavenly
servants and holy powers, and of all the saints who have
found favour in your sight, enable me to receive without
condemnation your holy and immaculate body and your precious
blood, to the healing of my soul and body, and to the
driving away of all evil imaginations; for yours is the
kingdom, the power, and the glory, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, now and forever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
O
Mother of love and of mercy, most blessed Virgin Mary, I,
who am a wretched and unworthy sinner, fly unto you with all
my heart and will. And I beseech your mercy that, even as
you stood close to your most sweet Son as He hung upon the
cross, so may you graciously be near to me and to all
priests who offer Mass today, here and throughout all our
holy Church; so that, aided by your grace, we may offer a
worthy and acceptable sacrifice in the sight of the most
high and undivided Trinity. Amen.
PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH
Happy and blessed are you, O Joseph, to whom it has been
given not only to see and to hear, but also to bear in your
arms, to embrace, to clothe, and to watch over God himself,
whom many kings have desired to see but have not seen, and
to hear but have not heard.
V. Pray for us, O blessed Joseph.
R. That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
PRAYER OF ST AMBROSE
Who can worthily be present at this sacrifice, unless you, O
God, make him worthy? I know, O Lord, truly do I know, and
I humbly do confess this to your loving kindness, that I am
unworthy to approach so great a mystery, by reason of my
numberless sins and negligences; but I know, and truly with
my own heart do I believe, and with my tongue confess, that
you can make me worthy, you who alone can make that clean
which proceeds from that which is unclean, and sinners to be
just and holy. By this your almighty power I pray you, O my
God, to grant that I, a sinner, may assist at this sacrifice
with fear and trembling, with purity of heart and plenteous
tears, with spiritual gladness and heavenly joy. May my
mind feel the sweetness of your most blessed presence, and
the love of your holy angels, keeping watch around me.
Amen.
PRAYERS BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION
PRAYER OF ST THOMAS OF AQUINAS
Almighty and everlasting God, behold, I come to the
sacrament of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I come as one infirm to the physician of life, as one
unclean to the fountain of mercy, as one blind to the light
of everlasting brightness, as one poor and needy to the Lord
of heaven and earth. Therefore I implore the abundance of
your measureless bounty to heal my infirmity, wash my
uncleanness, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and
clothe my nakedness, that I may receive the Bread of angels,
the King of kings, the Lord of lords, with such reverence
and humility, with such sorrow and devotion, with such
purity and faith, with such purpose and intention as may be
profitable to my soul's salvation. Grant me, I pray, the
grace of receiving not only the sacrament of our Lord's body
and blood, but also the grace and power of the sacrament. O
most gracious God, grant me so to receive the body of your
only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which he took from
the Virgin Mary, as to merit to be incorporated into his
Mystical Body, and to be numbered among his members. O most
loving Father, give me grace to behold forever your beloved
Son with unveiled face, whom I now purpose to receive veiled
in the way. Amen.
ACT OF FAITH BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION
O
my God, I firmly believe that by the words of consecration
spoken during Mass, bread truly becomes the Body of Christ
and wine His most Precious Blood, and that Thy Divine Son is
offered to Thee upon the altar under appearances
representing that separation of His Body and Blood which
took place on Calvary. Therefore, do I believe with my
whole heart, that this holy Victim is the same as that of
the cross, whom I am about to receive, in order to unite my
sacrifices to His own, by immolating myself with Him for Thy
glory. Amen.
ACT OF HOPE BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION
O
my God, I place all my hope in Jesus, my loving Saviour,
truly present before me on the altar. He, who on the cross
offered to Thee the superabundant merits of His Divine
Blood, shed for our sins. Do Thou graciously accept the
offering, which I now make to Thee at the hands of Thy
priests, of the holy Victim who has reconciled us to
Thyself, and being fully appeased by Him, grant to my soul
the graces it needs in order to receive my Lord worthily and
obtain through Him all the effects of Thy Fatherly
goodness. Amen.
ACT OF LOVE BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION
O
my God, I love Thee with all my heart, with all my soul,
with all my strength and with no other desire than to be
inseparably united to Thee. It is through Thy Divine Son
that this union is about to be realised within me. In Holy
Communion I long to identify myself with Him, that it will
no longer be myself, but Him, who lives in me; and when I
have received Jesus within myself, then I shall love and be
loved by Thee in that same measure, in which I am united to
Him. Hasten then, to give me Thy Divine Son, at the hands
of Thy priest, that through Jesus, I may unite myself
forever to Thee, O God the Father, in the unity of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.
ACT OF CONTRITION BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION
O
my God, at the moment of receiving within myself the Divine
Victim of Calvary, I confess sincerely before Thy Divine
Majesty and before the whole court of heaven, that I have
offended Thee by thought, word and deed. By my sins I have
contributed to the death of Jesus on the cross; but Thou
hast forgiven me, washing my soul in the Blood of Thy Son
and clothing it with the wedding garment of Thy grace. I
come, therefore, contrite and repentant, but with a heart
overflowing with boundless gratitude, to the holy table
which Thou hast prepared for the prodigal child, who had
abandoned Thee, and whom in Thy goodness Thou wouldst
nourish with Heavenly Bread. Amen.
PRAYERS AFTER HOLY COMMUNION
& THANKSGIVING AFTER MASS
COMMUNION PRAYER
O
my God
As you have given yourself to me
Now let me give myself to Thee
I give you my body that may be chaste and pure
I give you my soul that may be free from sin
I give you my heart that may always love you
I give you every breath that I shall breathe
And especially my last
I give you myself in life and in death
That I may be Thine forever and ever
Amen.
THANKSGIVING AFTER HOLY COMMUNION
I
give Thee thanks, O holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God,
Who, notwithstanding my lack of merit and prompted only by
Thy gracious mercy, hast condescended to replenish me, a
sinner and useless servant of Thine, with the Precious Body
and Blood of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
And I pray that this Holy Communion may not render me liable
to punishment but may rather be a means of winning
life-giving pardon. May It equip me with the armour of
faith and the shield of a good will. May It empty me of all
my vices, expel from me lust and evil desires, increase in
me charity and patience, humility and obedience and all the
other virtues; may It defend me securely against the wiles
of all my enemies, both visible and invisible; may It give
me perfect control of all my inclinations of body and soul;
may It attach me solidly to Thee, the one true God and bring
me to the perfect happiness of my last end.
I pray Thee further graciously to bring me to that
unspeakable banquet where Thou, in union with Thy Son and
the Holy Ghost, art the true light, the complete
satisfaction, the eternal joy, the all-embracing gladness
and perfect happiness of Thy saints. Through the same
Christ our Lord. Amen.
ANIMA CHRISTI
Soul of Christ, sanctify me,
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malicious enemy defend me.
In the hour of my death call me,
And bid me come to Thee,
That, with thy saints, I may praise Thee,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
PRAYERS OF ST THOMAS AQUINAS
Almighty and everlasting God, the preserver of souls and the
redeemer of the world, look favourably upon me, your
servant, prostrate before your Majesty. Graciously accept
this sacrifice at which, in honour of your name, I have been
present, for the saving health of the faithful, living as
well as departed, as also for all my sins and offences.
Take away your anger from me; grant me your grace and mercy;
open unto me the gates of Paradise; deliver me by your power
from all evils; graciously forgive whatever guilt I have of
my own sinfulness incurred; and let me so persevere in your
precepts in this world that I may be worthy to be joined to
the company of your elect; of your only gift, O my God,
whose blessed name, honour, and dominion endures forever and
ever. Amen.
I
thank you, O Lord, holy Father, everlasting God, who through
no merit of mine, but only out of your great mercy, has fed
me, a sinner, your unworthy servant, with the precious body
and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and I pray
that this Holy Communion may not be for my judgement and
condemnation, but for my pardon and salvation. Let it be
for me an armour of faith and a shield of good purpose, a
riddance of all vices, and a rooting out of all evil
desires; an increase of love and patience, of humility and
obedience, and of all virtues; a firm defence against the
wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible; a perfect
quieting of all my impulses, carnal and spiritual; a
cleaving unto you, the one true God; and a blessed
consummation of my end when you call. And I pray that you
would bring me, a sinner, to that ineffable feast where you,
with your Son and the Holy Ghost, are to your holy ones true
light, fullness of blessedness, everlasting joy, and perfect
happiness. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYERS OF ST AUGUSTINE
O
most holy, O most benign, O noble and glorious Virgin Mary,
who was worthy to bear in your sacred womb the Creator of
all and at your virginal breast to nourish Him whose true,
real, and most holy body and blood I, an unworthy sinner,
have just now dared to receive: I humbly ask you to
intercede with Him for me, a sinner; that whatsoever, by
ignorance or neglect, accident or irreverence, I have left
undone or have done amiss, in this unspeakably holy
sacrifice, may be pardoned through your prayers to the same
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who with the Father and the
Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.
Before Thy
eyes, O Lord, we bring our offences, and we compare them
with the stripes we have received.
If we consider the evil we have wrought, what we suffer is
little, what we deserve is great.
What we have committed is very grave, what we have suffered
is very slight.
We feel the punishment of sin, yet withdraw not from the
obstinacy of sinning.
Under Thy lash our inconstancy is visited, but our
sinfulness is not changed.
Our suffering soul is tormented, but our neck is not bent.
Our life groans under sorrow, yet mends not in deed.
If Thou spare us we correct not our ways: if Thou punishest
we cannot endure it.
In time of correction, we confess our wrong-doing: after
Thy visitation, we forget that we have wept.
If Thou stretchest forth Thy hand, we promise amendment;
If Thou withhold the sword, we keep not our promise.
If Thou strike, we cry out for mercy: if Thou spare, we
again provoke Thee to strike.
Here we are before Thee, O Lord, shameless criminals: we
know that unless Thou pardonest, we shall deservedly perish.
Grant then, almighty Father, without our deserving it, the
pardon we ask for; Thou who made out of nothing those who
ask Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
V.
Deal not with us, O Lord, according to our sins.
R. Neither requite us according to our iniquities.
Let us
pray. O God, Thou art offended by sin and pacified by
penance; mercifully regard the prayers of Thy suppliant
people, and turn away the scourges of Thy wrath, which we
deserve for our sins. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PETITIONS OF ST AUGUSTINE (NOVERIM ME)
O
Lord Jesus, let me know myself, let me know Thee,
And desire nothing else but only Thee.
Let me hate myself and love Thee,
And do all things for the sake of Thee.
Let me humble myself, and exalt Thee,
And think of nothing else but Thee.
Let me die to myself, and live in Thee,
And take whatever happens as coming from Thee.
Let me forsake myself and walk after Thee,
And ever
desire to follow Thee.
Let me flee from myself, and turn to Thee,
That so I may merit to be defended by Thee.
Let me fear for myself, let me fear Thee,
And be amongst those who are chosen by Thee.
Let me distrust myself, and trust in Thee,
And ever obey for the love of Thee.
Let me cleave to nothing but Thee,
And ever be poor for the sake of Thee.
Look upon me, that I may love Thee,
Call me, that I may see Thee,
And forever possess Thee. Amen.
OBSECRO TE
I
beseech Thee, my sweet Lord Jesus Christ, grant that Thy
Passion may be to me a power by which I may be strengthened,
protected and defended. May Thy wounds be to me food and
drink, by which I may be nourished, inebriated and
overjoyed. May the sprinkling of Thy Blood be to me, an
ablution for all my sins. May Thy death prove to me life
everlasting, and Thy cross be to me an eternal glory. In
these, be my refreshment, my joy, my preservation and
sweetness of heart. Who livest and reignest world without
end. Amen.
THE GOLDEN ARROW
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most
incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever
praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven, on
earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and
by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Most
Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
AN OBLATION (OF ST IGNATIUS LOYOLA)
Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my
understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and
possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O Lord, I
return it. All is Thine; dispose of it wholly according to
Thy will. Give me Thy love and Thy grace. With these I am
rich enough, and I ask for nothing more.
O JESUS LIVING IN MARY
O
Jesus living in Mary! Come and live in Thy servants, in the
spirit of Thy holiness, in the fullness of Thy might, in the
truth of Thy virtues, in the perfection of Thy ways, in the
communion of Thy mysteries. Subdue every hostile power, in
Thy spirit for the glory of the Father. Amen.
THE DIVINE PRAISES
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His holy name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the most holy sacrament of the altar.
Blessed be the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed by the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in his angels and in his saints.
PRAYER BEFORE A CRUCIFIX
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy
face I humbly kneel and with burning soul pray and beseech
Thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith,
hope, and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm
purpose of amendment; while I
contemplate with great love and tender pity Thy five most
precious wounds, pondering over them within me, while I call
to mind the words which David Thy prophet said of Thee, my
Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have
numbered all My bones."
Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary & one Glory Be
(For the intention of the Pope)
PRAYER OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER
O
God, I love you! I love you, not simply to be saved, and
not because those who fail in love to you will be punished
with eternal fire. You, you my Jesus, have all-embraced me
on the cross. You have borne the nails, the lance, much
ignominy, numberless griefs, sweatings and anguish, and
death, and these on account of me and for me, a sinner.
Why, therefore, should I not love you, O most loving Jesus?
Not that in heaven you shall save me, nor lest for eternity
you shall condemn me; not with the hope of any reward, but
as you have loved me, so also will I love you - only because
you are my King, and only because you are my God. Amen.
PRAYER TO ST PAUL
O
glorious St Paul, who from a persecutor of the Christian
name became an apostle of burning zeal, and who, in order
that Jesus Christ might be known to the furthermost bounds
of the earth, joyfully suffered imprisonment, scourging,
stoning, shipwreck, and every kind of persecution, and who
finally shed your blood to the last drop: obtain for us the
grace of accepting as divine favours the infirmities,
torments, and calamities of this life, so that we may not be
drawn from the service of God by the vicissitudes of this
our exile, but on the contrary may prove ourselves more and
more faithful and fervent. Amen.
HYMN OF THANKSGIVING
TE DEUM
We praise you, O
God; we acknowledge you to be the Lord.
All the earth worships you, the everlasting Father.
To you all the angels, the heavens, and all the Powers,
The Cherubim and Seraphim cry out without ceasing:
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts!
The majesty of your glory fills the heavens and the earth,
The glorious choir of apostles,
The admirable company of the prophets,
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Through the world the holy church testifies to you:
The Father, whose glory is beyond our comprehension,
Your adorable, true, and only Son,
And the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete.
You, O Christ, are the king of glory.
You are the eternal Son of the Father.
You did not disdain a virgin's womb to redeem man.
You overcame death, and opened the kingdom of heaven for the
faithful.
Now you are seated at the right hand of God, in the glory of
the Father.
We believe that you will come again as judge.
Help your servants, whom you have redeemed with your
precious blood.
Number them among your saints in everlasting glory.
Save your people, O Lord, and bless your inheritance.
And govern them, and keep them safe forever.
Through each day we bless you.
And praise your name, forever; indeed, forever and ever.
Grant, O Lord, to keep us without sin this day.
Have mercy on us, O Lord; have mercy on us.
Let your mercy be upon us, O Lord, as we have trusted in
you.
In your mercy, O Lord, I have trusted; let me not be put to
shame forever.
V.
Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
R. Let us praise and exalt him forever.
V. Blessed are you, O Lord, in the firmament of
heaven.
R. Worthy to be praised, glorified, and exalted
above all forever.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my plea be heard.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, there is no limit to your mercy and no boundaries to
the treasury of your goodness. We thank your gracious
majesty for the gifts you have bestowed upon us and, because
you have answered the prayers of those who petition you, we
implore your clemency to forsake them not, but to prepare
them for the rewards to come. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
EJACULATORY PRAYERS / INDULGENCED ASPIRATIONS
Jesus meek
and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
Heart of
Jesus burning with love for us, inflame our hearts with love
of Thee.
Sweet Heart
of Jesus, be my love.
Sweet Heart
of Mary, be my salvation.
May the Heart
of Jesus be everywhere loved.
Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Sweetest
Jesus, be not my Judge but my Saviour.
Jesus, my
God, I love Thee above all things.
Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me.
My Lord and
my God!
My God and my
All!
All praise,
honour, and glory to the Divine Heart of Jesus.
From sudden
and unprovided death, O Lord, deliver us.
Jesus, Mary,
and Joseph, bless us now and at the hour of our death.
Jesus, Mary,
and Joseph, to you I commend my soul.
My God, unite
all minds in the truth and all hearts in charity.
O Holy Ghost,
Spirit of Truth, come into our hearts; shed the brightness
of Thy light on all nations, so that they may be one in
faith and pleasing to Thee.
O Blessed
Servants of God, obtain for us the virtues necessary for our
daily life, fidelity to our resolutions, and perseverance
through labours and sufferings unto death. Amen.
O Sacrament
most Holy, O Sacrament divine! All praise and all
thanksgiving, be every moment Thine!
May the Heart
of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored,
and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all
the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time.
Amen.
O Heart of
Love, I put my trust in Thee, for I fear all things from my
own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
(St Margaret Mary Alacoque.)
"Lord, what
wilt Thou have me do?" (Acts 9:6)
Divine Heart
of Jesus, convert sinners, save the dying, set free the holy
souls in purgatory.
We adore
Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee; because by Thy Holy Cross
Thou hast redeemed the world.
Mother of
mercy, pray for us.
Mary, our
hope, have pity on us.
Queen of the
most Holy Rosary, pray for us.
Mother of
Perpetual Help, pray for us.
O God, be
merciful to me a sinner.
O God, Thou
art all-powerful; make me holy.
Through the
sign of the Cross deliver us from our enemies, our God. |