Prayers in Honor of the Blessed Sacrament
| Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love Since Christ was about to take his departure from his own in his visible form, he wanted to give us his sacramental presence; since he was about to offer himself on the cross to save us, he wanted us to have the memorial of the love with which he loved us “to the end” (John 13:1), even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us (cf. Galatians 2:20), and he remains under signs that express and communicate this love:
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Holy Mass
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The Eucharist contains and expresses all forms of prayer: it is “the pure offering” of the whole Body of Christ to the glory of God’s name (cf. Malachi 1:11) and, according to the traditions of East and West, it is the “sacrifice of praise.” |
Prayer before Mass
Roman Missal
O God, to Whom every heart is open, every wish is spoken, and from Whom no secret is hidden, purify the thoughts of our heart by the infusion of Your Holy Spirit; that we may love You perfectly and praise You worthily. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer before Mass
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Dominican Doctor of the Church
Roman Missal
Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth.
Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of angels, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, in its reality and power.Kind God, may I receive the body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so received into His mystical body, and numbered among His members.
Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, Who lives and reigns with You for ever. Amen.
Prayer before Mass
Attributed to St. Ambrose (339-397)
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Roman Missal
Lord Jesus Christ, I approach Your banquet table in fear and trembling, for I am a sinner, and dare not rely on my own worth, but only on Your goodness and mercy. I am defiled by my many sins in body and soul, and by my unguarded thoughts and words.
Gracious God of majesty and awe, I seek Your protection, I look for Your healing. Poor troubled sinner that I am, I appeal to You, the fountain of all mercy. I cannot bear Your judgment, but I trust in Your salvation. Lord, I show my wounds to You and uncover my shame before You. I know my sins are many and great, and they fill me with fear, but I hope in Your mercies, for they cannot be numbered.
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, God and man, crucified for mankind, look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer, for I trust in You. Have mercy on me, full of sorrow and sin, for the depth of Your compassion never ends.
Praise to Your saving sacrifice, offered on the wood of the cross for me and for all mankind. Praise to the noble and precious Blood, flowing from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away the sins of the whole world.
Remember, Lord, Your creature, whom You have redeemed with Your blood; I repent my sins, and I long to put right what I have done. Merciful Father, take away all my offenses and sins; purify me in body and soul, and make me worthy to taste the Holy of Holies. May Your Body and Blood, which I intend to receive, although I am unworthy, be for me the remission of my sins, the washing away of my guilt, the end of my evil thoughts, and the rebirth of my better instincts. May it incite me to do the works pleasing to You and profitable to my health in body and soul, and be a firm defense against the wiles of my enemies. Amen.
Prayer before Holy Communion
Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
O Lord, I believe and profess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the World to save sinners, of whom I am the first. Accept me as a partaker of Your mystical supper, O Son of God, for I will not reveal Your mysteries to Your enemies, nor will I give you a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief will I confess to You.
Remember me, O Lord, when You shall come into Your kingdom.
Remember me, O Master, when You shall come into Your kingdom.
Remember me, O Holy One, when You shall come into Your kingdom.
May the partaking of your holy mysteries, O Lord, be not for my judgment, or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.
O Lord, I also believe and profess that this, which I am about to receive, is truly Your most precious Body and Your life-giving Blood, which, I pray, make me worthy to receive for the remission of all my sins and for life everlasting. Amen
O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
O God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.
O Lord, forgive me for I have sinned without number.
Anima Christi
(Aspirations to the Most Holy Redeemer)
Roman Missal
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The Anima Christi is a prayer from an unknown author of the 14th century. St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) helped to make it a perennial favorite by including it in his “Spiritual Exercises.” Since the Council of Trent, it has been listed in the Roman Missal as a prayer of thanksgiving after Mass. It is still widely recited after receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. The prayer is granted a partial indulgence. |
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Translation by Ven. John Henry Cardinal Newman, c. 1854:
Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;
Body of Christ, be my salvation;
Blood of Christ, fill my veins;
Water of Christ’s side, wash out my stains;
Passion of Christ, my comfort be;
O good Jesus, listen to me;
In Thy wounds I fain would hide,
Ne’er to be parted from Thy side;
Guard me, should the foe assail me;
Call me when my life shall fail me;
Bid me come to Thee above,
With Thy saints to sing Thy love,
World without end. Amen.
Prayer after Holy Communion
St. Pio of Pietrelcino (Padre Pio, 1887-1968)
Capuchin priest
Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes, death, judgment and eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen.
Thanksgiving after Holy Communion
Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
We give thanks to You, O Master, Lover of mankind, Benefactor of our souls, that even this day You have deemed us worthy of Your heavenly and immortal mysteries. Make straight our path, confirm us in our fear of You, guard our life, make firm our steps, through the prayers and intercessions of the glorious Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, and of all Your saints. For You are our sanctification, and we render glory to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.
Thanksgiving after Mass
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Dominican Doctor of the Church
Roman Missal
Lord, Father all-powerful and ever-living God, I thank You, for even though I am a sinner, Your unprofitable servant, not because of my worth but in the kindness of Your mercy, You have fed me with the Precious Body and Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that this Holy Communion may not bring me condemnation and punishment but forgiveness and salvation. May it be a helmet of faith and a shield of good will. May it purify me from evil ways and put an end to my evil passions. May it bring me charity and patience, humility and obedience, and growth in the power to do good. May it be my strong defense against all my enemies, visible and invisible, and the perfect calming of all my evil impulses, bodily and spiritual. May it unite me more closely to You, the One true God, and lead me safely through death to everlasting happiness with You.
And I pray that You will lead me, a sinner, to the banquet where You, with Your Son and holy Spirit, are true and perfect light, total fulfillment, everlasting joy, gladness without end, and perfect happiness to Your saints. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thanksgiving after Mass
St. Bonaventure (1218-1274)
Franciscan Doctor of the Church
Roman Missal
Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Your love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for You, that it may yearn for You and faint for Your courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with You.
Grant that my soul may hunger after You, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon You, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Your savor; may it ever thirst after You, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God.
May it ever compass You, seek You, find You, run to You, attain You, meditate upon You, speak of You, and do all things to the praise and glory of Your name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end; may You alone be ever my hope, my entire assurance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firmly rooted immovably henceforth and for ever. Amen.
Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ Crucified
(En ego, o bone et dulcissime Iesu)
Roman Missal
A plenary indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, on
any Friday of Lent, piously recite this prayer before an image of
Christ crucified after Communion; on other days of the year the
indulgence is partial (see
1986
Enchiridion of Indulgences, n. 22).
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before Your face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech You 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 Your five wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to mind the words which David, Your prophet, said of You, my good Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones" (Ps 21, 17-18).
Prayer for Self-Dedication to Jesus Christ
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)
Founder of the Jesuits
Roman Missal
(also Spiritual Exercises, n. 234)
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my entire will—all that I am and possess. You have given all this to me. I now return it all to You. It is Yours now. Use these gifts according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace. That is enough for me, and all that I desire.
Prayer of Abandonment
Ven. Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)
Priest, religious, missionary
Father, I abandon myself into Your hands; do with me what You will. Whatever You may do, I thank You.
I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me, and in all Your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into Your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to You with all the love of my heart, for I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into Your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for You are my Father.
Aspirations before the Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Jeanne Jugan (1792-1879)
Foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor
My Jesus, I have only Thee.
My God, I love Thee. How can it be! Thou so immense, Thou deignest to bless a poor sinner like me!
Act of Spiritual Communion
St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Founder of the Redemptorists and Doctor of the Church
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The Eucharist thus appears as the culmination of all the sacraments in perfecting our communion with God the Father by identification with His only-begotten Son through the working of the Holy Spirit.... Precisely for this reason it is good to cultivate in our hearts a constant desire for the sacrament of the Eucharist. This was the origin of the practice of “spiritual communion,” which has happily been established in the Church for centuries and recommended by saints who were masters of the spiritual life. Saint Teresa of Jesus wrote: “When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you.” —Pope John Paul II, Encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia on the Eucharist in Its relationship to the Church, n. 34 |
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
O Sacrament of Love
St. Th́er̀ese
of Lisieux (1873-97)
Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church
Come into my heart, O Sacrament that I love. Come into my heart; for my soul hungers for You alone. O living Bread, Bread of heaven, divine Eucharist! O touching mystery that divine love has instituted! Come dwell in my heart. Amen.
Prayer for the grace to desire the sacraments
St. Thomas More (1478-1535)
Lay lawyer, statesman, and martyr
Give me the grace to long for Your holy sacraments, and especially to rejoice in the presence of Your body, sweet Savior Christ, in the holy sacrament of the altar. Amen.
A Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
in the
Blessed Sacrament of the Altar
Manual of Prayers, Third Plenary Council of Baltimore
How boundless, O Jesus, is Thy Love! Thou hast prepared for me, of Thy most precious Body and Blood, a divine Banquet, wherein Thou dost give Thyself to me without reserve. What hath urged Thee to this excess of love? Nothing but Thine own most Loving Heart. O adorable Heart of Jesus, Furnace of divine Love, receive my soul into the wounds of Thy most sacred Passion, that in this school of charity I may learn to make a return of love to that God Who hath given me such wonderful proofs of His Love. Amen.
Prayer to Jesus Christ
Saint Bonaventure (c.1217-74)
Priest and Franciscan Doctor of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ, pierce my soul with Your love so that I may always long for You alone, who are the Bread of angels and the fulfillment of the soul’s deepest desires. May my heart always hunger for You, so that soul may be filled with the sweetness of Your presence.
An Act of Love
St. John Vianney (The Curé d’Ars, 1786-1859)
Parish priest
Secondary patron of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
I love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally. . . . My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath. Amen.
An Act of Love
Venerable Raphael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)
Bishop, Secretary of State for Pope St. Pius X
O my soul, love the Love that loves thee from eternity.
Prayer to the Sacred Heart
St. Francis De Sales (1567-1622)
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
May Thy Heart dwell always in our hearts! May Thy Blood ever flow in the veins of our souls! O sun of our hearts, Thou givest life to all things by the rays of Thy goodness! I will not go until Thy Heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus! May the Heart of Jesus be the King of my heart! Blessed be God. Amen.
Morning Prayer
St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-97)
Carmelite Doctor of the Church (The Little Flower)
O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.
O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity. Amen.
A Prayer of Offering
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)
Visitandine foundress of devotion to the Sacred Heart
My God, I offer Thee Thy well-beloved Son, in thanksgiving for all the benefits I have received from Thee. I offer Him as my adoration, my petition, my oblation, and my resolutions; I offer Him as my love and my all. Receive, O Eternal Father, this offering for whatever Thou will of me, since I have nothing to offer which is not unworthy of Thee, except Jesus, my Savior, Whom Thou have given me with so much love. Amen.
Prayer to the God of my heart
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
O sweet Jesus, may every good feeling that is fitted for Your praise, love You, delight in You, adore You! God of my heart, and my Portion, Christ Jesus, may my heart faint away in spirit, and may You be my Life within me! May the live coal of Your Love grow hot within my spirit and break forth into a perfect fire; may it burn incessantly on the altar of my heart; may it glow in my innermost being; may it blaze in hidden recesses of my soul; and in the days of my consummation may I be found consummated with You! Amen.
Fatima angel’s prayer
With the Blessed Sacrament suspended in the air, the Angel of
Peace prostrated himself and recited this prayer during the third
apparition to the three children (Bl. Francisco, Bl. Jacinta, and
Lucia) in Fatima, Portugal, in 1916.
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is offended, and, by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners. Amen.
Aspirations (short prayers to use throughout the day)
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Make my heart like unto Thine!
O sweetest Heart of Jesus, I implore
That I may ever love Thee more and more!
O Heart of Jesus, burning with love of me, inflame my heart with the love of Thee!
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.
