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With
ecclesiastical approval.
In
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom
come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail
Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
I
believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin
Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and
was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose
again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of
the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the
communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of
the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
We
believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord,
Jesus Christ, the only Son of God eternally begotten of the
Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through Him all
things were made. For us men and for our salvation He came down
from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the
Virgin Mary and became man. For our sake He was crucified under
Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third
day He rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; He ascended
into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He
will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and
His kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the
Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the
Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy
Catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the
forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The
Glory Be
Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it
was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without
end.
Hail,
holy Queen, Mother of mercy; hail our life, our sweetness, and
our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To
thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley
of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thy eyes of mercy
toward us. And after this our exile show unto us the blessed
fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin
Mary.
V.
The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R.
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail
Mary, etc.
V.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
R.
Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail
Mary, etc.
V.
And the Word was made flesh,
R.
And dwelt among us.
Hail
Mary, etc.
V.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R.
That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let
us pray.
Pour
forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that
we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son, was made known by
the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought
to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our
Lord. Amen.
To
be said standing during Eastertide instead of the Angelus
Queen
of heaven, rejoice; alleluia.
For
He whom you did merit to bear; alleluia,
Has
risen, as He said; alleluia.
Pray
for us to God; alleluia.
V.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary; alleluia.
R.
For the Lord has risen indeed; alleluia.
Let
us pray.
O
God, who gave joy to the world through the Resurrection of Thy
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; grant that we may obtain, through His
Virgin Mother, Mary, the joys of everlasting life. Through the
same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Remember,
O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone
who fled to your protection, implored your aid or sought your
intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I
fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to you I come, before
you I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petition, but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Angel
of God, my guardian dear,
To
whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever
this day be at my side,
To
light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
I
wish Lord, to receive You with the purity, humility and devotion
with which Your most holy Mother received You; with the spirit
and fervor of the saints.
The
Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays)
1.
The Annunciation
2.
The Visitation
3.
The Nativity
4.
The Presentation
5.
The Finding in the Temple
The
Luminous Mysteries (Thursdays)
1.
The Baptism of Christ
2.
The Wedding Feast at Cana
3.
The Proclamation of God’s Kingdom and the Call to Conversion
4.
The Transfiguration
5.
The Institution of the Eucharist
The
Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays)
1.
The Agony in the Garden
2.
The Scourging at the Pillar
3.
The Crowning with Thorns
4.
The Carrying of the Cross
5.
The Crucifixion
The
Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.
The Resurrection
2.
The Ascension
3.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
5.
The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven
In
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and
kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Most
holy and adorable Trinity, one God in three Persons, I believe
that Thou art here present; I adore Thee with the deepest
humility, and render to Thee, with my whole heart, the homage
which is due to Thy sovereign majesty.
O
my God, I most humbly thank Thee for all the favors Thou hast
bestowed upon me up to the present moment. I give Thee thanks
from the bottom of my heart that Thou hast created me after Thine
own image and likeness, that Thou hast redeemed me by the
precious blood of Thy dear Son, and that Thou hast preserved me
and brought me safe to the beginning of another day. I offer to
Thee, O Lord, my whole being, and in particular all my thoughts,
words, actions, and sufferings of this day. I consecrate
them all to the glory of Thy name, beseeching Thee that through
the infinite merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour they may all find
acceptance in Thy sight. May Thy divine love animate them, and
may they all tend to Thy greater glory.
Adorable
Jesus, my Saviour and Master, model of all perfection, I resolve
and will endeavor this day to imitate Thy example, to be, like
Thee, mild, humble, chaste, zealous, charitable, and resigned. I
will redouble my efforts that I may not fall this day into any of
those sins which I have heretofore committed (here you may name
any besetting sin), and which I sincerely desire to forsake.
O
my God, Thou knowest my poverty and weakness, and that I am
unable to do anything good without Thee; deny me not, O God, the
help of Thy grace; proportion it to my necessities; give me
strength to avoid everything evil which Thou forbiddest, and to
practice the good which Thou hast commanded; and enable me to
bear patiently all the trials which it may please Thee to send
me.
O
my God! I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine
Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; I believe that
Thy Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that He
will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and
all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because
Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be
deceived.
O
my God! Relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to
obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life
everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and
Redeemer.
O
my God! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and
soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my
neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have
injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
O
my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I
detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the
pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God,
who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve,
with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance, and
to amend my life. Amen.
O
Holy Virgin, Mother of God, my Mother and Patroness, I place
myself under thy protection, I throw myself with confidence into
the arms of thy compassion. Be to me, O Mother of mercy, my
refuge in distress, my consolation under suffering, my advocate
with thy adorable Son, now and at the hour of my death. Amen.
O
faithful Guardian and Father of virgins, blessed Joseph, to whom
was confided the care of Jesus, and of Mary the Queen of Virgins,
I most humbly supplicate thee, by the love thou dost bear Jesus
and Mary, to obtain for me that, being preserved from every stain
during my whole life, I may be ever able to serve them with
unspotted purity of mind and body. Amen.
May
the power of the Father govern and protect me! May the wisdom of
the Son teach and enlighten me! May the influence of the Holy
Spirit renew and quicken me! May the blessing of the All-holy
Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with me,
now and for evermore. Amen.
Bless
us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive
from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We
give Thee thanks, O Almighty God, for all Thy mercies. Who livest
and reignest world without end. Amen.
In
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and
kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
O
my God, I present myself before Thee at the end of another day,
to offer Thee anew the homage of my heart. I humbly adore Thee,
my Creator, my Redeemer, and my Judge! I believe in Thee, because
Thou art Truth itself; I hope in Thee, because Thou art faithful
to Thy promises; I love Thee with my whole heart, because Thou
art infinitely worthy of being loved; and for Thy sake I love my
neighbor as myself.
Enable
me, O my God, to return Thee thanks as I ought for all Thine
inestimable blessings and favors. Thou hast thought of me, and
loved me from all eternity; Thou hast formed me out of nothing;
Thou hast delivered up Thy beloved Son to the ignominious death
of the Cross for my redemption; Thou hast made me a member of Thy
holy Church; Thou hast preserved me from falling into the abyss
of eternal misery, when my sins had provoked Thee to punish me;
and Thou hast graciously continued to spare me, even though I
have not ceased to offend Thee. What return, O my God, can I make
for Thine innumerable blessings, and particularly for the favors
of this day? O all ye Angels and Saints, unite with me in
praising the God of mercies, who is so bountiful to so unworthy a
creature.
Ask
of God to discover the sins committed this day.
O
my God, sovereign Judge of men, who desirest not the death of a
sinner, but that he should be converted and saved, enlighten my
mind, that I may know the sins which I have this day committed in
thought, word, or deed, and give me the grace of true contrition.
Here
examine your conscience, then say:
O
my God, I heartily repent, and I am grieved that I have offended
Thee, because Thou art infinitely good, and sin is infinitely
displeasing to Thee. I humbly ask of Thee mercy and pardon,
through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ. I resolve, by the
assistance of Thy grace, to do penance for my sins, and I will
endeavor never more to offend Thee.
O
God, hear my prayers on behalf of our Holy Father Pope N., our
Bishop N., our clergy, and for all that are in authority over us.
Bless, I beseech Thee, the whole Catholic Church, and convert all
heretics and unbelievers. Pour down Thy blessings, O Lord, upon
all my friends, relations, and acquaintances, and upon my
enemies, if I have any. Help the poor and the sick, and those who
are in their last agony. O God of mercy and goodness, have
compassion on the souls of the faithful in purgatory; put an end
to their sufferings, and grant to them eternal light, rest, and
happiness. Amen.
O
Almighty and Eternal God, who savest all, and willest not that
any should perish, look, we beseech Thee, upon the souls that are
led astray by the deceits of the devil; that, rejecting all
errors, the hearts of those who err may be converted, and return
to the unity of Thy truth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bless,
O Lord, the repose I am about to take, that, my bodily strength
being renewed, I may better be the better enabled to serve Thee.
Amen.
O
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of mercy, pray for me, that I may be
preserved this night from all evil, whether of body or soul.
Blessed St. Joseph, and all ye Angels and Saints, especially my
guardian angel and my chosen patron, watch over me. I commend
myself to your protection now and always. Amen.
Holy,
Holy, Holy, Lord, God of hosts: the earth is full of Thy glory.
Glory be to the Father, glory be to the Son, glory be to the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Imploration
of Divine Assistance in Order to Make a Good Confession
O
Almighty and most merciful God, who hast made me out of nothing,
and redeeemed me by the Precious Blood of Thine Only Son; who
hast with so much patience borne with me to this day,
notwithstanding all my sins and ingratitude; ever calling after
me to return to Thee from the ways of vanity and iniquity, in
which I have been quite wearied out in the pursuit of empty toys
and mere shadows; seeking in vain to satisfy my thirst in unclean
waters, and my hunger with husks of swine: behold, O most
gracious Lord, I now sincerely desire to leave all these my evil
ways, to forsake the region of death where I have so long lost
myself, and to return to Thee, the Fountain of Life. I desire,
like the prodigal son, to enter seriously into myself, and with
the like resolution to arise without delay, and to go home to my
Father – though I am most unworthy to be called His child
– in hopes of meeting with the like reception from His most
tender mercy. But, O my God, though I can go astray from Thee of
myself, yet I cannot make one step towards returning to Thee,
unless Thy divine grace move and assist me. This grace,
therefore, I most humbly implore, prostrate in spirit before the
throne of Thy mercy; I beg it for the sake of Jesus Christ, Thy
Son, who died upon the Cross for my sins; I know that Thou
desirest not the death of a sinner, but that he may be converted
and live; I know Thy mercies are above all Thy works; and I most
confidently hope that as in Thy mercy Thou hast spared me so
long, and hast now given me this desire of returning to Thee, so
Thou wilt finish the work which Thou hast begun, and bring me to
a perfect reconciliation with Thee.
I
desire now to comply with Thy holy institution of the Sacrament
of Penance; I desire to confess my sins with all sincerity to
Thee and to Thy minister; and therefore I desire to know myself,
and to call myself to an account by a diligent examination of my
conscience. But, O my God, how miserably shall I deceive myself
if Thou assist me not in this great work by Thy heavenly light. O
then remove every veil that hides any of my sins from me, that I
may see them all in their true colors, and may sincerely detest
them. O let me no longer be imposed upon by the Enemy of souls,
or by my own self-love, so as to mistake vice for virtue, to hide
myself from myself, or in any way to make excuses in sins.
But,
O my good God, what will it avail me to know my sins, if Thou
dost not also give me a hearty sorrow and repentance for them?
Without this my sins will be all upon me still, and I shall be
still Thine enemy and a child of hell. Thou dost require that
contrite heart, without which there can be no reconciliation with
Thee; and this heart none but Thyself can give. O then, dear
Lord, grant it unto me at this time. Give me a lively faith, and
a steadfast hope, in the Passion of my Redeemer; teach me to fear
Thee and to love Thee. Give me, for Thy mercy’s sake, a
hearty sorrow for having offended so good a God. Teach me to
detest my evil ways; to abhor all my past ingratitude; to hate
myself now with a perfect hatred for my many treasons against
Thee. O give me a full and a firm resolution to lead henceforward
a new life; and unite me unto Thee with an eternal band of love
which nothing in life or death may ever break.
Grant
me also the grace to make an entire and sincere confession of all
my sins, and to accept the confusion of it as a penance justly
due to my transgressions. Let not the Enemy prevail upon me to
pass over anything through fear or shame; rather let me die than
consent to so great an evil. Let no self-love deceive me, as I
fear it has done too often. O grant that this confession may be
good; and for the sake of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who died for me
and for all sinners, assist me in every part of my preparation
for it; that I may perform it with the same care and diligence as
I should be glad to do at the hour of my death; that so, being
perfectly reconciled to Thee, I may never offend Thee more. Amen.
O
Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, King of kings, and Lord
of lords, who hast made me out of nothing in Thine image and
likeness, and hast redeemed me with Thine own Blood; whom I a
sinner am not worthy to name, or call upon, or think of: I humbly
pray Thee, I earnestly beseech Thee, to look mercifully on me,
Thy wicked servant. Thou who hadst mercy on the woman of Chanaan
and Mary Magdalen; Thou who didst spare the publican and the
thief upon the cross, have mercy upon me. Thou art my hope and my
trust; my guide and my succor; my comfort and my strength; my
defense and my deliverance; my life, my health, and my
resurrection; my light and my longing; my help and my protection.
I pray and entreat Thee, help me and I shall be safe; direct me
and defend me; strengthen me and comfort me; confirm me and
gladden me; enlighten me and come unto me. Raise me from the
dead; I am Thy creature, and the work of Thy hands. Despise me
not, O Lord, nor regard my iniquities; but according to the
multitude of Thy tender mercies have mercy upon me, the chief of
sinners, and be gracious unto me. Turn Thou unto me, O Lord, and
be not angry with me. I implore Thee, most compassionate Father,
I pray Thee meekly, of Thy great mercy, to bring me to a holy
death, and to true penance, to a perfect confession, and to
worthy satisfaction for all my sins. Amen.
O
Lord God, who enlightenest every man who cometh into this world,
enlighten my heart, I pray Thee, with the light of Thy grace,
that I may fully know my sins, shortcomings, and negligences, and
may confess them with that true sorrow and contrition of heart
which I so much need. I desire to make full amends for all my
sins and to avoid them for the future to Thy honor and glory, and
to the salvation of my soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I
believe in Thee, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, my Creator,
my Redeemer, and Sanctifier; I believe that Thou art all-holy,
just, and merciful. I believe that Thou art willing to pardon and
to save me, if I repent and forsake my sins.
O
my God, strengthen and increase my faith, and grant me the grace
of a true repentance, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
I
hope in Thee, O my God, because Thou art almighty, faithful, and
long-suffering. I humbly trust that Thou wilt pardon my sins for
the sake of Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for
me upon the Cross; and that Thou wilt cleanse my sinful soul in
His precious Blood, and make me holy, and bring me to everlasting
life.
O
Lord, in Thee have I hoped, let me never be confounded. Amen.
I
love Thee, O my God, above all things, because Thou hast been so
good, so patient, so loving to me, notwithstanding all the sins
by which I have so grievously offended Thee. I love Thee, O
Blessed Jesus, my Saviour, because Thou didst suffer so much for
love of me, an ungrateful sinner, and didst die on the Cross for
my salvation.
O
make me love Thee more and more, and show my love to Thee by
faithfully keeping Thy Commandments all the days of my life.
Amen.
O
Mary Immaculate, Mother of Fair Love: obtain for me that love of
God, which is so necessary for true contrition. Amen.
O
my God, I cry unto Thee with the prodigal: Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before Thee ; I am no longer worthy to be
called Thy Son.
I
have gone astray like a sheep that is lost. O seek Thy servant,
for I have not forgotten Thy commandments.
Enter
not into judgment with Thy servant, O Lord. O spare me for Thy
mercy’s sake.
Prove
me, O God, and know my heart ; examine me, and know my
paths.
Thou
whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, O meet me in
pity, embrace me in love, and forgive me all my sin.
I
confess my sins unto Thee, O Christ, Healer of our souls, O Lord
of Life. Heal me, heal me of my spiritual sickness, Thou who art
long-suffering and of tender mercy ; heal me, O Lord Christ.
Accept
my supplication, O Thou Holy Spirit, unto whom every heart is
open, every desire known, and from whom no secret is hid, and who
givest life to our souls ; hear and answer, O Spirit of God.
O
Heavenly Father, who willest not that any sinner should perish,
give me true repentance for this my sin, that I perish not !
To
what misery am I come by my own fault ! O merciful God, pity
and forgive me for Jesus’ sake.
Thine
eyes, O God, are as a flame of fire searching my inmost heart. O
pardon my sin, for it is great !
Thou,
God, seest me in all the foulness of my sins ! Blessed
Jesus, speak for me, plead for me, come between my soul and my
offended God, that I perish not. Amen.
O
Lord, reprove me not in your anger, nor chastise me in your
wrath.
Have
pity on me, O Lord, for I am languishing ; heal me, O Lord,
for my body is in terror ;
My
soul, too, is utterly terrified ; but you, O Lord, how long?
Return,
O Lord, save my life ; rescue me because of your kindness,
For
among the dead no one remembers you ; in the nether world
who gives you thanks?
I
am wearied with sighing ; every night I flood my bed with
weeping ; I drench my couch with my tears.
My
eyes are dimed with sorrow ; they have aged because of all
my foes.
Depart
from me, all evildoers, for the Lord has heard the sound of my
weeping ;
The
Lord has heard my plea ; the Lord has accepted my prayer.
All
my enemies shall be put to shame in utter terror ; they
shall fall back in sudden shame.
Happy
is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered.
Happy
is the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit
there is no guile.
As
long as I would not speak, my bones wasted away with my groaning
all the day,
For
day and night your hand was heavy upon me ; my strength was
dried up as by the heat of summer.
Then
I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not.
I
said, “I confess my faults to the Lord,” and you took
away the guilt of my sin.
For
this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress.
Though
deep waters overflow, they shall not reach him.
You
are my shelter ; from distress you will preserve me ;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
I
will instruct you and show you the way you should walk ; I
will counsel you, keeping my eye on you.
Be
not senseless like horses or mules: with bit and bridle their
temper must be curbed, else they will not come near you.
Many
are the sorrows of the wicked, but kindness surrounds him who
trusts in the Lord.
Be
glad in the Lord and rejoice, you just ; exult, all you
upright of heart.
O
Lord, in your anger punish me not, in your wrath chastise me
not ;
For
your arrows have sunk deep in me, and your hand has come down
upon me.
There
is no health in my flesh because of your indignation ; there
is no wholeness in my bones because of my sin,
For
my iniquities have overwhelmed me ; they are like a heavy
burden, beyond my strength.
Noisome
and festering are my sores because of my folly,
I
am stooped and bowed down profoundly ; all the day I go in
mourning,
For
my loins are filled with burning pains ; there is no health
in my flesh.
I
am numbed and severely crushed ; I roar with anguish of
heart.
O
Lord, all my desire is before you ; from you my groaning is
not hid.
My
heart throbs ; my strength forsakes me ; the very light
of my eyes has failed me.
My
friends and my companions stand back because of my
affliction ; my neighbors stand afar off.
Men
lay snares for me seeking my life ; they look to my
misfortune, they speak of ruin, treachery they talk of all the
day.
But
I am like a deaf man, hearing not, like a dumb man who opens not
his mouth.
I
am become like a man who neither hears nor has in his mouth a
retort.
Because
for you, O Lord, I wait ; you, O Lord my God, will answer
When
I say, “Let them not be glad on my account who, when my foot
slips, glory over me.”
For
I am very near to falling, and my grief is with me always.
Indeed,
I acknowledge my guilt ; I grieve over my sin.
But
my undeserved enemies are strong ; many are my foes without
cause.
Those
who repay evil for good harass me for pursuing good.
Forsake
me not, O Lord ; my God, be not far from me!
Make
haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
Psalm
50 (The Miserere)
Have
mercy on me, O God, in your goodness ; in the greatness of
your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly
wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
For
I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always:
“Against
you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight”
–
That
you may be justified in your sentence, vindicated when you
condemn.
Indeed,
in guilt was I born, and in sin my mother conceived me ;
Behold,
you are pleased with sincerity of heart, and in my inmost being
you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse
me with hyssop, that I may be purified ; wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.
Let
me hear the sounds of joy and gladness ; the bones you have
crushed shall rejoice.
Turn
away your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt.
A
clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew
within me.
Cast
me not out from your presence, and your holy spirit take not from
me.
Give
me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain
in me.
I
will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall return to
you.
Free
me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God ; then my tongue
shall revel in your justice.
O
Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
For
you are not pleased with sacrifices ; should I offer a
holocaust, you would not accept it.
My
sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit ; a heart contrite
and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Be
bountiful, O Lord, to Sion in your kindness by rebuilding the
walls of Jerusalem ;
Then
shall you be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and
holocausts ; then shall they offer up bullocks on your
altar.
O
Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Hide
not your face from me in the day of my distress.
Incline
your ear to me ; in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
For
my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like fire.
Withered
and died up like grass is my heart ; I forget to eat my
bread.
Because
of my insistent sighing I am reduced to skin and bone.
I
am like a desert owl ; I have become like an owl among the
ruins.
I
am sleepless, and I moan ; I am like a sparrow alone on the
housetop.
All
the day my enemies revile me ; in their rage against me they
make a curse of me.
For
I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drink with tears,
Because
of your fury and your wrath ; for you lifted me up only to
cast me down.
My
days are like a lengthening shadow, and I whither like grass.
But
you, O Lord, abide forever, and your name through all
generations.
You
will arise and have mercy on Sion, for it is time to pity her,
for the appointed time has come.
For
her stones are dear to your servants, and her dust moves them to
pity.
And
the nations shall revere your name, O Lord, and all the kings of
the earth your glory,
When
the Lord has rebuilt Sion and appeared in his glory ;
When
he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised
their prayer.
Let
this be written for the generation to come, and let his future
creatures praise the Lord :
“The
Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the
earth,
To
hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to
die” –
That
the name of the Lord may be declared in Sion ; and his
praise, in Jerusalem,
When
the peoples gather together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
He
has broken down my strength in the way ; he has cut short my
days.
I
say: O my God,
Take
me not hence in the midst of my days ; through all
generations your years endure.
Of
old you established the earth, and the heavens are the work of
your hands.
They
shall perish, but you remain though all of them grow old like a
garment.
Like
clothing you change them, and they are changed, but you are the
same, and your years have no end.
The
children of your servants shall abide, and their posterity shall
continue in your presence.
Out
of the depths I cry to you, O Lord ; Lord, hear my voice!
Let
your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication :
If
you, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?
But
with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.
I
trust in the Lord ; my soul trusts in his word.
My
soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
More
than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord,
For
with the Lord is kindness and with him is plenteous
redemption ;
And
he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
O
Lord, hear my prayer ; hearken to my pleading in your
faithfulness ; in your justice answer me.
And
enter not into judgment with your servant, for before you no
living man is just.
For
the enemy pursues me ; he has crushed my life to the
ground ; he has left me dwelling in the dark, like those
long dead.
And
my spirit is faint within me, my heart within me is appalled.
I
remember the days of old ; I meditate on all your doings,
the works of your hands I ponder.
I
stretch out my hands to you ; my soul thirsts for you like
parched land.
Hasten
to answer me, O Lord, for my spirit fails me.
Hide
not your face from me lest I become like those who go down into
the pit.
At
dawn let me hear of your kindness, for in you I trust.
Show
me the way in which I should walk, for to you I lift up my soul.
Rescue
me from my enemies, O Lord, for in you I hope.
Teach
me to do your will, for you are my God.
May
your good spirit guide me on level ground.
For
your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve me ; in your justice
free me from distress,
And
in your kindness destroy my enemies ; bring to naught all my
foes, for I am your servant.
Accept
my confession, O my loving, most gracious Lord Jesus Christ, on
whom alone my soul trusts for salvation. Grant me, I beseech
Thee, contrition of heart, and give tears to mine eyes, that I
may sorrow deeply for all my sins with humility and sincerity of
heart.
O
good Jesus, Saviour of the world, who gavest Thyself to the death
of the Cross to save sinners, look on me, a miserable sinner who
calls upon Thy name. Spare me, Thou that art my Saviour, and pity
my sinful soul ; loose its chains, heal its sores. Lord
Jesus, I desire Thee, I seek Thee, I long for Thee ; show me
the light of Thy countenance, and I shall be saved ; send
forth Thy light and Thy truth into my soul, to show me fully all
the sins and shortcomings which I must still confess, and to aid
and teach me to lay them bare without reserve and with a contrite
heart ; O Thou who livest and reignest with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
Amen.
O
most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of Jesus Christ, my
Redeemer, intercede for me with Him. Obtain for me the full
remission of my sins, and perfect amendment of life, to the
salvation of my soul and the glory of His name. Amen.
I
implore the same grace of thee, O my Guardian Angel ; of
you, my holy Patrons, N. N. ; of you, O blessed Peter and
holy Magdalen, and of all the Saints of God. Intercede for me a
sinner, repenting of my sins, firmly resolving to confess them,
and to avoid them for the future. Amen.
Act
Before Confession (St. Alphonsus de Liguori)
O
God of infinite majesty, behold at Thy feet a traitor, who has
offended Thee over and over again, but who now humbly seeks
forgiveness. O Lord, reject me not ; Thou dost not despise a
heart that humbles itself : A contrite heart and humbled heart, O
God, Thou wilt not despise. I thank Thee that Thou hast waited
for me till now, and hast not let me die in sin, casting me into
hell, as I deserved. Since Thou hast waited for me, my God, I
hope that, by the merits of Jesus Christ, Thou wilt pardon me in
this confession for all the offences I have committed against
Thee ; I repent, and am sorry for them, because by them I
have merited hell and lost paradise. But above all, it is not so
much on account of hell which I have merited, but because I have
offended Thee, O Infinite Goodness! that I am sorry from the
bottom of my heart. I love Thee, O Sovereign Good! and because I
love Thee, I repent of all the insults I have offered Thee. I
have turned my back upon Thee ; I have not respected
Thee ; I have despised Thy grace and Thy friendship. O Lord!
I have lost Thee by my own free-will ; forgive me all my
sins for the love of Jesus Christ, now that I repent with all my
heart ; I hate, detest, and abominate them above every evil.
And I repent not only of mortal sins, but also of venial sins,
because these are also displeasing to Thee. I resolve for the
future, by Thy grace, never more wilfully to offend Thee. Yes, my
God, I will rather die than ever sin again.
PRAYERS
AFTER CONFESSION
O
most merciful God, who according to the multitude of Thy mercies
dost so put away the sins of those who truly repent that Thou
rememberest them no more: look graciously upon me, Thine unworthy
servant, and accept my confession for Thy mercy’s
sake ; receive my humble thanks, most loving Father, that of
Thy great goodness Thou hast given me pardon for all my sins. O
may Thy love and pity supply whatsoever has been wanting in the
sufficiency of my contrition, and the fulness of my confession.
And do Thou, O Lord, vouchsafe to grant me the help of Thy grace,
that I may diligently amend my life and persevere in Thy service
unto the end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bless
the Lord, O my soul ; and all my being, bless His holy name.
Bless
the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits ;
He
pardons all your iniquities, He heals all your ills.
He
redeems your life from destruction, He crowns you with kindness
and compassion,
He
fills your lifetime with good ; your youth is renewed like
the eagle’s.
The
Lord secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed.
He
has made known all His ways to Moses, and His deeds to the
children of Israel.
Merciful
and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in
kindness.
He
will not always chide, nor does He keep His wrath forever.
Not
according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does He requite
us according to our crimes.
For
as the heavens are high above the earth so surpassing is His
kindness toward those who fear Him.
As
far as the east is from the west, so far has He put our
transgressions from us.
As
a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has
compassion on those who fear Him,
For
He knows how we are formed ; he remembers that we are dust.
Man’s
days are like those of grass ; like a flower of the field he
blooms ;
The
wind sweeps over him and he is gone, and his place knows him no
more.
But
the kindness of the Lord is from eternity to eternity toward
those who fear Him,
And
His justice toward children’s children among those who keep
His covenant and remember to fulfill His precepts.
The
Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules
over all.
Bless
the Lord, all you His angels, you mighty in strength, who do His
bidding, obeying His spoken word.
Bless
the Lord, all you His hosts, His ministers, who do His will.
Bless
the Lord, all His works, everywhere in His domain.
Bless
the Lord, O my soul!
Preserve
me, O Lord, for in Thee have I put my trust: I have said to the
Lord, Thou art my God, for Thou hast no need of my goods.
To
the saints who are in His land: He hath made wonderful all my
desires in them.
Their
infirmities were multiplied: afterwards they made haste.
I
will not gather together their meetings for blood-offerings: nor
will I make mention of their names with my lips.
The
Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: Thou art He
that will restore my inheritance unto me.
The
lines are fallen unto me in goodly places: for my inheritance is
goodly unto me.
I
will bless the Lord, who hath given me understanding: moreover my
reins also have corrected me even till night.
I
set the Lord always in my sight: for He is at my right hand, that
I be not moved.
Therefore
my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my
flesh shall rest in hope.
For
Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: nor wilt Thou give Thy holy
one to see corruption.
Thou
hast made known unto me the ways of life: Thou shalt fill me with
joy with Thy countenance: at Thy right hand are delights
forevermore.
May
the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble: may the name of the God
of Jacob protect thee.
May
He send thee help from the sanctuary: and defend thee out of
Sion.
May
He be mindful of all thy sacrifices: and may thy whole
burnt-offerings be made fat.
May
He give unto thee according to thine own heart: and confirm all
thy counsels.
We
will rejoice in thy salvation: and in the name of our God we
shall be exalted.
The
Lord fulfill all thy petitions: now have I known that the Lord
hath saved His anointed.
He
will hear him from His holy heaven: the salvation of His right
hand is powerful.
Some
trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will call upon the
name of the Lord our God.
They
are entangled and have fallen: but we are risen, and stand
upright.
O
Lord, save the king: and hear us in the day that we shall call
upon Thee.
Since
I have so grievously insulted Thee, O most tender and loving God,
by my manifold sins and negligences, I am ready now to make
perfect satisfaction to Thy divine justice to the utmost of my
ability. To this end I will faithfully and most reverently
perform the penance appointed me by my confessor in Thy
name ; and would that I could perform it with so great
devotion and love as to give Thee an honor and delight greater
than the insult and outrage of my sins! And that this may be so,
I unite and blend this my penance with all the works of
satisfaction which Thy beloved Son accomplished during the
three-and-thirty years of His life on earth, and in union with
His fastings, His watchings, and His prayers, I offer Thee this
my penance and my prayer. Look down, therefore, O most loving
Father, upon me Thy most bounden debtor, now prostrate at Thy
feet, desiring to make thee adequate satisfaction and reparation
for all the insults and injuries I have done Thee ; and
grant me strength and grace to say this prayer according to Thy
most holy will. Amen.
Here
perform your sacramental Penance, and then say:
O
most holy Father, I offer Thee this my confession and my
satisfaction in union with all the acts of penance which have
ever been done to the glory of Thy holy name: beseeching Thee
that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to accept it, and to render it
availing through the merits of the Passion of Thy beloved Son,
and through the intercession of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, and
of all Thy holy Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, and Virgins.
Whatever has been lacking to me in sincere and earnest
preparation, in perfect contrition, in frank and clear
confession, I commend to the most loving heart of Thine
only-begotten Son, that Treasury of all good and of all grace,
from whose overflowing abundance all debts to Thee are fully
acquitted ; that, through it, all my negligences and defects
in the reception of this holy Sacrament may be fully and
perfectly supplied to Thine everlasting praise and glory: through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
O
Lord Jesus Christ, bless, I beseech Thee, Thy servant who has now
ministered to me in Thy name. Help me to remember his good
counsel and advice, and to perform duly what he has rightly laid
upon me. And grant him the abundance of Thy grace and favor, that
his own soul may be refreshed and strengthened for Thy perfect
service, and that he may come at last to the joy of Thy heavenly
kingdom. Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
I :
O
most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, I, an unworthy sinner, would beg
Thee to be mindful of all holy thoughts which have been Thine
from eternity until now ; above all, that one by which Thou,
O Eternal Word, didst will to become man.
Our
Father.
O
most merciful Lord, I pray Thee, from the bottom of my heart, to
pardon me all the vain, foul, and evil thoughts which, up to this
hour, I have entertained, or in any way have caused others to
entertain, against or beside Thy will.
Our
Father.
II.
O
most compassionate Lord Jesus Christ, I, a miserable sinner,
would beg Thee to be mindful of all the good and saving words
which Thou didst ever speak when on earth.
Our
Father.
I
humbly pray Thee, O good Jesus, to forgive me all the words which
up to this hour I have uttered or caused others to utter against
Thy holy will.
Our
Father.
III.
O
most sweet Jesus Christ, I, an unworthy sinner, yet redeemed by
Thy precious Blood, would beg Thee to be mindful of all the good
works which Thou wroughtest on the earth for our salvation. I
beseech Thee, most compassionate Lord, pardon me whatsoever, by
my ill deeds, I have at any time knowingly or unknowingly
committed, or have caused others to commit, against Thy law and
the glory of Thy name.
Our
Father.
And
now, O most gracious Lord, direct and order all my thoughts,
words, and works according to Thy good pleasure, and to the
praise of Thy name ; and conform them to the perfect pattern
of Thy most holy life and conversation. I am Thine, and will be
Thine, O Lord, in life and in death ; into Thy hands I
commend myself and all that I have.
Our
Father.
O
Lord Jesus Christ, Pattern of humility, who didst empty Thyself
of Thy glory, and take upon Thee the form of a servant: root out
of us all pride and conceit of heart, that, owning ourselves
miserable and guilty sinners, we may willingly bear contempt and
reproaches for Thy sake, and, glorying in nothing but Thee, may
esteem ourselves lowly in Thy sight. Not unto us, O Lord, but to
Thy name be the praise, for Thy loving mercy and for Thy
truth’s sake. Amen.
O
Lord Jesus Christ, who though Thou wast rich yet for our sakes
didst become poor, grant that all over-eagerness and covetousness
of earthly goods may die in us, and the desire of heavenly things
may live and grow in us: keep us from all idle and vain
expenditures, that we may always have to give to him that
needeth, and that giving not grudgingly nor of necessity, but
cheerfully, we may be loved of Thee, and be made through Thy
merits partakers of the riches of Thy heavenly treasure. Amen.
O
Lord Jesus Christ, Guardian of chaste souls, and lover of purity,
who wast pleased to take our nature and to be born of an
immaculate Virgin: mercifully look upon my infirmity. Create in
me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within
me ; help me to drive away all evil thoughts, to conquer
every sinful desire, and so pierce my flesh with the fear of Thee
that, this worst enemy being overcome, I may serve Thee with a
chaste body and please Thee with a pure heart. Amen.
O
most meek Jesus, Prince of Peace, who, when Thou wast reviled,
didst not revile, and on the Cross didst pray for Thy murderers:
implant in our hearts the virtues of gentleness and patience,
that, restraining the fierceness of anger, impatience, and
resentment, we may overcome evil with good, for Thy sake love our
enemies, and as children of our heavenly Father seek peace and
evermore rejoice in Thy love. Amen.
O
Lord Jesus Christ, Mirror of abstinence, who, to teach us the
virtue of abstinence, didst fast forty days and forty nights,
grant that, serving Thee and not our own appetites, we may live
soberly and piously with contentment, without greediness,
gluttony, or drunkenness, that Thy will being our meat and drink,
we may hunger and thirst after justice, and finally obtain from
Thee that food which endureth unto life eternal. Amen.
O
most loving Jesus, Pattern of charity, who makest all the
commandments of the law to consist in love towards God and
towards man, grant to us so to love Thee with all our heart, with
all our mind, and all our soul, and our neighborfor Thy sake,
that the grace of charity and brotherly love may dwell in us, and
all envy, harshness, and ill-will may die in us ; and fill
our hearts with love, kindness, and compassion, so that by
constantly rejoicing in the happiness and success of others, by
sympathizing with them in their sorrows, and putting away all
harsh judgments and envious thoughts, we may follow Thee, who art
Thyself the true and perfect love. Amen.
O
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Love, who in the garden didst pray so
long and so fervently that Thy sweat was, as it were, drops of
blood falling down to the ground: put away from us, we beseech
Thee, all sloth and inactivity both of body and mind ;
kindle within us the fire of Thy love ; strengthen our
weakness, that whatsoever our hand is able to do we may do
earnestly, and that, striving heartily to please Thee in this
life, we may have Thee hereafter as our reward exceedingly great.
Amen.
SEVEN
THANKSGIVING PRAYERS FOR THE SEVEN SHEDDINGS OF OUR LORD’S
BLOOD (AGAINST THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS)
I.
O
most humble Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man,
eternal praise and thanksgiving be to Thee, because in Thy
tenderest age, on the eighth day of Thy mortal life, Thou didst
vouchsafe to shed Thy precious and innocent Blood for us, and as
a true Son of Abraham to bear the pain of circumcision.
By
this most holy shedding of Thy Blood, I beg of Thee the grace of
humility against all pride and worldly vanity.
Our
Father.
O
Saviour of the world, who by Thy Cross and precious Blood hast
redeemed us: save us, and help us, we humbly beseech Thee, O
Lord.
II.
O
Thou whose love is like the pelican’s for her young, Jesus
Christ, true God and true Man, eternal praise and thanksgiving be
to Thee, because in the Garden, out of the exceeding anguish of
Thy Heart, Thou didst pour forth a bloody sweat, and, wholly
resigning Thyself to death, didst offer it to Thy Father.
By
this most holy shedding of Thy Blood, I ask of Thee the grace of
liberality against all covetousness and avarice.
Our
Father.
O
Saviour of the world, etc.
III.
O
most chaste Spouse, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, eternal
praise and thanksgiving be to Thee, because Thou didst suffer
Thyself to be mercilessly bound in Pilate’s judgment hall,
and Thy virginal flesh to be cruelly scourged and mangled.
By
this most holy shedding of Thy Blood, I implore of Thee the grace
of chastity against all sensuality and lust.
Our
Father.
O
Saviour of the world, etc.
IV.
O
most meek Lamb, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, eternal
praise and thanksgiving be to Thee, because Thou didst suffer Thy
sacred Head to be crowned with piercing thorns and struck with a
hard reed.
By
this most holy shedding of Thy Blood, I pray Thee for the grace
of meekness against all anger and desire of revenge.
Our
Father.
O
Saviour of the world, etc.
V.
O
most sweet Jesus Christ, Pattern of temperance and self-denial,
true God and true Man, eternal praise and thanksgiving be to
Thee, because Thou didst allow Thy garments to be torn from Thy
bleeding body both before and after the carrying of Thy Cross,
which opened Thy wounds again, and caused them to bleed afresh.
By
this most holy shedding of Thy Blood, I beseech of Thee the grace
of temperance and abstinence against all greediness and gluttony.
Our
Father.
O
Saviour of the world, etc.
VI.
O
good and faithful Samaritan, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man,
eternal praise and thanksgiving be to Thee, because out of Thy
burning love for us Thou didst suffer Thy sacred Hands and Feet
to be pierced and nailed to the Cross for our redemption.
By
this most holy shedding of Thy Blood, I beg of Thee the grace of
brotherly love against all envy and jealousy.
Our
Father.
O
Saviour of the world, etc.
VII.
O
most zealous High-Priest, true God and true Man, eternal praise
and thanksgiving be to Thee, because Thou didst suffer Thy sacred
side to be pierced, opened, and wounded with a spear.
By
this most holy shedding of Thy Blood, I earnestly pray Thee for
the grace of holy zeal and fervor against all sloth and weariness
in Thy service, and in every religious exercise.
Our
Father.
O
Saviour of the world, etc.
Act
After Confession (St. Alphonsus de Liguori)
My
dear Jesus! how much do I not owe Thee. By the merits of Thy
blood I hope that I have this day been pardoned. I thank Thee
above all things. I hope to reach heaven, where I shall praise
Thy mercies forever. My God, if I have hitherto lost Thee so
often, I now desire to lose Thee no more. From this day forward I
will change my life in earnest. Thou dost merit all my
love ; I will love Thee truly ; I will no longer see
myself separated from Thee. I have promised Thee this
already ; now I repeat my promise of being ready to die
rather than offend Thee again. I promise also to avoid all
occasions of sin, and to use such means as will prevent me from
falling again. My Jesus, Thou knowest my weakness: give me
grace to be faithful to Thee till death, and to have recourse to
Thee when I am tempted. Most holy Mary, help me! Thou art the
mother of perseverance ; I place my hope in thee.
Prayer
for Help
O
my God, help me to make a good communion. Mary, my dearest
Mother, pray to Jesus for me. My dear Guardian Angel, lead me to
the altar of God.
Act
of Faith
O
God, because Thou hast said it, I believe that I shall receive
the Sacred Body of Jesus Christ to eat, and His precious Blood to
drink. My God, I believe this with all my heart.
Act
of Humility
My
God, I confess that I am a poor sinner ; I am not worthy to
receive the Body and Blood of Jesus on account of my sins. Lord,
I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof ; say
but the word, and my soul shall be healed.
Act
of Sorrow
My
God, I detest all the sins of my life. I am sorry for them,
because they have offended Thee, my God, Who art so good. I
resolve never to commit sin anymore. My good God, pity me, have
mercy on me, forgive me. Amen.
Act
of Adoration
O
Jesus, great God, present on the Altar, I bow down before Thee, I
adore Thee.
Act
of Love and Desire
Sweet
Jesus, I love Thee, I desire with all my heart to receive Thee.
Most sweet Jesus, come into my poor soul, and give me Thy flesh
to eat and Thy blood to drink. Give me Thy whole self, Body,
Blood, Soul, and Divinity, that I may live forever with Thee.
Act
of Faith
Awake,
slumbering soul, to bless the Lord for all His mercies. Remember
that thy God became man for thee ; and remember that the
same God Who was born for thee, Who lived thirty-three years for
thee, Who died for thee, and is now in heaven on His throne, is
also really and truly present in the most Holy Sacrament, nay, is
now standing before the door of thy heart, therein to take His
abode.
Indeed
so it is, O my God ! I believe it firmly that in receiving
the sacred Host I will receive that very Jesus, Who has redeemed
the world.
Act
of Adoration
O
my soul, what art thou doing ! Yet a little while, and the
God that made heaven and earth will come to dwell within thee. O
God, what can I do, but most humbly adore Thee ! So come
then, Mary, my tender mother ; come, all ye Angels and
Saints, and help me to adore my Jesus. Obtain for me a lively
faith, and a profound veneration for the Sacrament I am about to
receive.
Act
of Hope
O
Jesus, dearest hope of my soul, I rely on Thy divine promises
with unshaken confidence. I hope in Thee with all the hope of my
soul. I hope firmly that Thou, Whom I am about to receive, will
sanctify my body and soul. So come then, my only hope ; come
and enrich me !
Act
of Love
O
Jesus, center of my love ! God of my heart, how worthy art
Thou of my love, and of all the pure affections of my
heart ! O God, I love Thee with all the faculties of my
soul. Thou art my Creator ; Thou art my Redeemer ; Thou
art my Sanctifier ; Thou art my only God. O Love ! O
Love ! O eternal Love ! O that I could praise and
bless, and love Thee as the Angels and Saints do in heaven !
O
God, inflame my love, that it may be worthy of Thee !
Mary,
mother of pure love, pray that I may love my God with all my
strength.
Act
of Contrition
My
loving Jesus, by my sins I have crowned Thee with a crown of
thorns ; I have fastened Thee to the cross ; I have
drenched Thy lips with vinegar and gall ; I have thrust the
spear into Thy side ; I have caused Thee to die. How could I
be worthy to receive Thee ? But my God, Thou art infinite
goodness. For an act of true penance, for a hearty tear of
contrition and love Thou forgivest all my sins, restorest me to
Thy favor, and makest me once more Thy child. Oh, in truth Thou
art my God, infinitely kind, infinitely great, faithful and
loving. Ah, how great is Thy goodness in giving Thyself to me
– a miserable sinner ! O that I had never offended
Thee ! O Jesus, purify with Thy most Precious Blood this
sin-stained soul of mine till it is made a fit tabernacle for Thy
majesty.
Act
of Humility
O
Lord, Thou art that God, before Whom heaven and earth fade into
nothingness. Oh, how unworthy then am I to appear in Thy
sight ! Yet I hasten to receive Thee, for this is Thy will
and command. Let the Seraphim, let the Saints, let the ever
blessed Mary satisfy for my defects and want of devotion. O Lord,
I am not worthy to love, and receive Thee, but Thou deservest to
be loved, and received by me.
Act
of Desire
So
come then, Thou bread of Angels, and satisfy the cravings of my
soul. Come, Thou glowing furnace of charity, and inflame my soul
with the fire of Thy divine love. Come, divine Shepherd, and
guide me. Come my hope, my life, my joy, and source of all of my
happiness. Come, Thou Comforter of the sorrowful ; Thou
solace and refreshment of the weary ! Come, and delay
not ; come, and heal my miseries ! Come, Jesus,
come !
R.
P. QUADRUPANI:
Act
of Confidence
It
is obedience, O my God ! that leads me to Thy Holy Table:
the tender words by which Thou hast invited us would not have
sufficed to draw me, for in the troubled state of my soul I
cannot be sure they are addressed to me. Misery and infirmity are
claims for admission to Thy Feast, but nothing can dispense from
the nuptial garment. Therefore when I turn my eyes on myself,
after having raised them to Thee, I doubt, I hesitate, I
tremble ; for if I go from Thee I flee from life, and if I
approach unworthily, to my other sins I add the crime of
sacrilege. But Thy merciful wisdom, O my God, whilst foreseeing
our every need, has forseen all our weaknesses and has prepared
helps for us against both presumption and distrust. For if Thou
hast not willed that, certain of Thy grace, we should ever
advance with the assurance of the Pharisee and say like him: I
come to the altar of the Lord because I know I am just in His
eyes : neither hast Thou permitted that a sacrament of love
should become for us a torture and an unavoidable snare. I
therefore obey, O my God, and in the darkness that envelops me I
wish to follow implicitly the guidance of him whom Thou hast
appointed to lead me to Thee. I shall approach the Holy Table
without wishing for any other warrant than the words spoken by my
confessor, or rather by Thee: You may receive Holy Communion. I
accept, O my God ! -- be it a well merited punishment or a
salutary trial, -- this privation of light and sensible devotion,
this coldness and distraction, which accompany me even into Thy
presence when all the faculties of my soul should be absorbed and
confounded in sentiments of adoration and of love. Faith, hope,
and charity seem to be extinct in my heart, but I know that Thou
never withdrawest these virtues when we do not voluntarily
renounce them.
Act
of Faith
Notwithstanding,
then, the doubts that cross my mind, I wish to believe, O my
God ! and I do believe all that Thy holy Church has taught
me. I have not forgotten that brilliant light of Faith which Thou
didst cause to illumine my soul in the days of mercy in order
that the precious remembrance of it should serve me as support in
the days of trial and temptation.
Act
of Hope
In
spite of these vague fears that seem to extinguish hope within my
soul, I know that although Thou art the mighty and strong God
before whom the cherubim veil themselves with their wings, the
just and all-seeing God who discovers blemishes in the purest
souls, still Thou wishest to be in the most Holy Sacrament only
the Victim whose Blood effaces the sins of the world ; the
Good Shepherd who hastens after the strayed sheep and carries it
tenderly and unreproachfully back to the fold ; the divine
Mediator who comes not to judge but to save. All this I know, O
my God ! and therefore I hope.
Act
of Love
Notwithstanding
the coldness and insensibility that benumb my soul, I know that I
love Thee, O my God ! since my will prefers Thy service to
all the joys of this world, since Thy grace is the sole good to
which I aspire, and because I suffer so much by reason of my lack
of sensible love for Thee.
Act
of Desire
No,
I am not indifferent, Thou knowest, O my God ! that I am not
indifferent to this Most Holy Sacrament which I approach unmoved
by any sensible feeling : for Thou seest that although I
find in Holy Communion neither relish nor consolation, I would
yet make any sacrifice in order to receive it.
Act
of Contrition
I
feel neither hatred nor horror of sins to which the world does
not attach shame and contempt ; I experience no sensible
sorrow for the sins I have committed, but I know, O my God !
that, with the assistance of Thy grace, my will denounces them,
for I am resolved to commit them no more. I have taken this
resolution because sin displeases Thee and because all that
swerves from eternal order is abhorrent to Thy infinite sanctity.
I believe, then, that I am contrite, O my God ! because I
believe in Thy promises, and if Thou dost not always grant us the
consolation of realizing our contrition, Thou wilt never refuse
its justifying virtue to those who humbly implore it ; and
this I do.
No,
my God, I shall not pray Thee to grant me sensible enjoyment, not
even that of Thy spiritual gifts: what I implore of Thy grace is
to keep my will ever turned towards Thee and never to permit it
to fall or wander anew on the earth. Lord ! into Thy
hands I commend my spirit.
ST.
LEONARD OF PORT MAURICE:
Prayer
Arise,
my soul ; revive thy faith, which tells thee that thy God
became man, that same Jesus Who was born in the stable of
Bethlehem, that Jesus Who rose triumphant from the grave, that
Jesus Who now sits glorious at the right hand of the Father, is
now present with thee in the Most Holy Sacrament. O Faith !
O Faith ! what greater thing can be said and believed ?
God is here, in order to enter my heart and become entirely mine
– the Almighty God !
Act
of Faith
My
Jesus, Thou Truth infallible, since it is part of Thy revelation,
I believe that Thou art present, soul, body, and divinity, in the
consecrated host. I believe that in Communion I receive the same
Jesus Who died, and Who rose again ; and that in Him I
receive the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Act
of Adoration
O
my soul, what art thou about ? What thoughts engage
thee ? In a few minutes, thy God will enter within
Thee ! O God, I profoundly humble myself, and I adore Thee.
I adore Thee, beloved Jesus, in the Sacrament. Most holy Virgin,
ye angels, saints, and souls who love God, adore with me my
Jesus ; make up for my defect of worship, beseech for me
living faith and profound veneration, now that I approach and
receive Jesus Christ.
What
can be wanting to thee, O my soul, now that the Almighty comes to
visit thee ? He comes to illuminate thee, to unite Himself
heart to heart with thee, in order to give thee a lively pledge
of that glory which He keeps prepared for thee in heaven.
Up ! arise ! enlarge thy heart, increase thy
confidence ; know that so much as thou hath promised to hear
thee, and, bound by His word, He can give thee every good
thing ; it costs Him no more than the opening of his hand.
Thy Jesus is to thee as a Father ; much He loveth thee, and
wishes to bestow on thee every sort of benefit. Thy Jesus, who is
faithful, hath promised to hear thee, and, bound by His word, He
will do thee great favors. Well, then, to grow rich in soul you
need only to seek His graces, and ardently to hope.
Act
of Hope
My
Jesus, my hope, confiding in Thy promises through the blood which
Thou hast shed for me, I hope, O Infinite Pity, I hope that in
receiving Thee, Thou wilt sanctify my soul, and enkindle within
it heavenly desires ; so that I may live and die loving only
Thee, O Infinite Good. Yes, O my dearest God, God of all my
hopes, Sanctifier of souls, sanctify me.
What
more could God do, in order to get loved by thee ? God has
made Himself man, was born in a stable, died upon a cross and
dwells in the Sacrament for love of thee. Nay, that infinite love
invites thee to receive Him, calls thee to Himself with a desire
so strong that He cannot endure thy delays. O ingenious devices
of love ! The great God of infinite beauty and majesty
wishes this morning to confer upon me such a favor as He hath
never bestowed on the seraphim. He purposes to come to dwell in
my heart ; He wishes to unite Himself to me. And thou, my
soul, dost thou not burn and flame with love toward a God Who is
all love toward thee ?
Act
of Love
O
my Jesus, my love, God of my soul, how good Thou art, how loving,
how every way dear and worthy to be loved ! My God, I love
Thee with all my soul, my life, my heart, my mind, and all my
faculties and strength. I love Thee more than myself, Thou one
object of all my desires, my beginning and my last end. O that I
had infinite tongues with which to praise and bless Thee ! O
that I could at any sacrifice carry Thy most holy name through
the world, to make Thee known and loved ! O God ! I
would willingly waste myself away in labors for the love of Thee.
I desire to burn with love, I desire to bless Thee, to thank
Thee, to love Thee, with the love that the most holy Mary bore to
Thee ; I desire to love Thee more than all created beings
united. I love Thee, my Jesus, my treasure, my Father, my life,
my hope, my heaven. Spouse of my soul, I love Thee, because Thou
deservest to be loved – because Thou art God ! Ah,
Lord ! would that I were all love, would that I did nothing
but love Thee ! My soul, created by God to love God, love
Him then, love thy God ; my heart, which can find no peace
or satisfaction out of God, drive from thee every mere earthly
attachment, and give welcome to thy God. Ah, Mary, mother of holy
love, obtain for me to love my God !
How
shouldst thou burn, my soul, to receive a God of infinite purity,
holiness, and majesty, thou art an abyss of vice, ingratitude,
and sins ! Hast thou forgotten all thou hast done against
thy God ? Ah, how often hast thou been more cruel, more
afflicting to Jesus than Calvary itself ! Jesus has been
crucified in thee, so often as thou hast mortally sinned.
Act
of Contrition
Dear
Lord Jesus, by my sins I have crowned Thee with thorns, I have
nailed Thee on the cross, I have given Thee gall to drink, I have
pierced Thy side, I have put Thee to death ! I am not worthy
to live, far less to receive Thee. I deserve that the earth
should swallow me, that heaven should hurl thunderbolts on my
head, that all created things should turn in anger upon me. But,
O my God, how good Thou art ! How often have I trodden under
foot Thy blood, insulted Thy name, dishonored Thy
authority ; yet not only dost Thou pardon me, but Thou art
the first to propose to be at peace with me ; and for an act
of penitence, for one tear of grief and affection, Thou forgivest
me all my sins, Thou replacest me in Thy favor, and Thou makest
me anew Thy friend and Thy son. And this is God – that it is
that is meant by God ! Oh, how I rejoice when I think that
Thou art God ; that is, infinite liberality, infinite
magnanimity, infinite fidelity, infinite love ; an abyss of
infinite glories, attributes, and perfections ! It suffices
to say that Thou art good and in giving Thyself to me Thou
knowest how to ordain for Thy greater glory, and for the greater
good of my soul, even my very bygone sins. Glory to Thee !
Ah, I could wish to die of grief for having offended so good a
God. I am sorry that I have offended Thee ! Forgive me, O my
Lord. I do not heed my own interest ; I only desire that
Thou, great God, shouldst be honored and glorified by me, without
ever being again offended by me. Wash, O beloved Jesus, my soul
with Thy blood, and make it become a fit abode for Thy divine
Majesty. O most holy Mary, obtain for me tears of true
contrition.
My
soul, thou art about to feed upon the blessed body of Jesus. And
hast thou well considered what thou art, and who God is ? If
thou wert a seraph of love, if thou hadst the love felt by all
the angels, the virtues of all the saints, wouldst thou even then
be worthy of even once receiving God ?
An
Act of Humility
Behold,
O my Jesus, the hour is come when Thou shalt be put into the
power of this great sinner. O have patience with me ; endure
me by the bowels of Thy compassion ! Ah, Lord, Thou art that
God before the splendor of Whose holiness heaven and earth vanish
into nothing. I confess the truth, in looking at Thy Majesty and
at my unworthiness ; I am so confounded and ashamed, that I
should wish to hide myself in the abyss of my own nothingness.
Yes, I must needs approach to receive Thee, for Thou incitest and
commandest me, and like a son, I must obey Thee, O my King. Let
the seraphim make up, let the saints make up, let Mary make up
– above all, let Thine own infinite goodness make up for all
my shortcomings in right devotion and love. O Lord, if I do not
deserve to receive Thee and to love Thee, Thou deservest to be
received and loved by me !
Dispose
of me for Thine own honor, make me worthy of so great a favor,
give me all that I am wanting in, make me altogether Thine.
The
hour is come, my soul, the blessed moment is come, when thou hast
to receive thy dearest Jesus. Behold the King of kings, behold
the Lord of lords, behold the Friend, behold the Father, behold
the Spouse, behold the Joy of paradise, behold the Delight of
heaven, behold thy God Himself, behold all the Most Holy Trinity
in the Divine Sacrament ! Ecce Sponsus venit, exite
obviam ei. “Behold the Bridegroom cometh ; go forth
to meet Him.”[1] But
how, my soul, how standest thou thus so frozen, without one
burning desire to feed upon that sacred body ? Ah, should
not the overflowing of the divine compassion all enkindle thee
with love ? And here Shepherd, guide me. Come, O my Father,
my Spouse, my Treasure, my Life, my Bliss, and my Rest. Come,
Thou one end of all my longings. Come, light of souls,
refreshment of hearts, consoler of the sorrowing. Come, Thou
expected One of all nations, sighed for by the holy patriarchs,
desire of the eternal hills, joy of angels, delight of heaven,
beatitude of the saints. Come, art thou all frozen ! If it
wert to do only once in all thy life, with what fervor wouldst
thou not do it ! But now, while the Infinite Goodness waits
ever ready at thy pleasure, thou goest up so tepid, so dull of
heart, to receive a God so great ! Enamoured souls have
burned with desire of this Communion, and have run like thirsty
stags to that fount divine. Up, up, my soul ; awake, kindle
in thyself a most ardent longing to receive Jesus ; sigh
after that Supremest Good, desire Him, call on Him with tears and
with sighs, and with a heart in flames of holy love.
An
Act of Desire
Come,
O thou divine food, and nourish my hungry soul. Come, furnace of
charity, and kindle me ; come, flaming fire of love, inflame
me by thy flames. Come, heavenly for Thou hast wounded me with
love ; come, delay not, for my heart is failing, and I feel
that life would not be life without Thee. Arise for pity, O my
Jesus, and come.
Most
holy Virgin, already I am at hand, and about to receive thine and
my Jesus. From thy hands I purpose to receive Him. Hold Him forth
to me, as thou didst to the shepherds, and the holy kings and to
holy Simeon. Prepare me to receive Him with love. Give Him to me
quickly, and pray to Him to fill me with His dearest
benediction ; and do thou accompany it with thine.
An
Act of Offering
I
protest, O my God, that I purpose to unite this my Communion with
the Communion of most holy Mary, of Thy apostles, of thy saints,
and of all the just who receive Thee this morning, or who shall
ever receive Thee in time to come. My desire and purpose is, to
make all their devout acts, all their preparations, all their
thanksgivings ; and I mean to offer the whole in union with
those virtues, that merit, that holiness, with which Thou, O my
Jesus, didst receive Thyself in the sacrament, at the Last
Supper. May the Church triumphant and militant now supply my
defects of love, and worship, and thanks.
Psalm
83
How
lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts : my soul
longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord.
My
heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God.
For
the sparrow hath found her a house : and the turtle a nest
for herself, where she may lay her young :
Even
Thine altars, O Lord of hosts : my king and my God.
Blessed
are they that dwell in Thy house, O Lord : they shall praise
Thee for ever and ever.
Blessed
is the man whose help is in Thee : in his heart he hath
disposed to ascend by steps, in the vale of tears, in the place
which he hath set.
For
the lawgiver shall give a blessing : they shall go from
strength to strength : the God of gods shall be seen in
Sion.
O
Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob.
Behold,
O God, our protector : and look upon the face of Thy Christ.
For
one day in Thy courts : is better than a thousand.
I
had rather be despised in the house of my God, than to dwell in
the tents of sinners.
For
God loveth mercy and truth : the Lord will give grace and
glory.
He
will not withhold good things from them that walk in innocence: O
Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that hopeth in Thee.
Glory
be to the Father, etc.
Psalm
84
Thou
hast blessed Thy land, O Lord: Thou hast turned away the
captivity of Jacob.
Thou
hast forgiven the iniquity of Thy people : Thou hast covered
all their sins.
Thou
hast softened all Thine anger : Thou hast turned away from
the wrath of Thine indignation.
Convert
us, O God our Saviour : and turn away Thine anger from us.
Wilt
Thou be angry with us for ever : or wilt Thou stretch out
Thy wrath from generation to generation ?
Thou
shalt turn again, O God, and quicken us : and Thy people
shall rejoice in Thee.
Show
us Thy mercy, O Lord : and grant us Thy salvation.
I
will hearken what the Lord God shall say within me : for He
will speak peace unto His people :
And
unto His saints : and unto them that are converted in heart.
Surely
His salvation is nigh unto them that fear Him : that glory
may dwell in our land.
Mercy
and truth have met together : justice and peace have kissed
each other.
Truth
is sprung out of the earth : and justice hath looked down
from heaven.
For
the Lord shall give goodness : and our earth shall yield her
fruit.
Justice
shall walk before Him : and shall set His steps in the way.
Glory
be to the Father, etc.
Psalm
85
Incline
Thine ear, O Lord, and hear me : for I am needy and poor.
Preserve
my soul, for I am holy : O my God, save Thy servant, that
trusteth in Thee.
Have
mercy upon me, O Lord : for unto Thee have I cried all the
day. Give joy to the soul of Thy servant, for unto Thee, O Lord,
have I lifted up my soul.
For
Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild ; and plenteous in mercy
unto all that call upon Thee.
Give
ear, O Lord, unto my prayer : and attend to the voice of my
petition.
I
have called upon Thee in the day of my trouble : for Thou
hast heard me.
Among
the gods there is none like unto Thee, O Lord : and there is
none that can do works like unto Thy works.
All
the nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before
Thee, O Lord : and shall glorify Thy name.
For
Thou art great, and doest wondrous things : Thou art God
alone.
Lead
me, O Lord, in Thy way, and I will walk in Thy truth : let
my heart rejoice that it may fear Thy name.
I
will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart : and I
will glorify Thy name for ever.
For
great is Thy mercy toward me : and Thou hast delivered my
soul out of the lower hell.
O
God, the wicked are risen up against me ; and the assembly
of the mighty have sought after my soul : and they have not
set Thee before their eyes.
And
Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and merciful :
long-suffering, and of much mercy, and true.
O
look upon me, and have mercy on me : give Thy strength unto
Thy servant, and save the son of Thine handmaid.
Show
me a token for good : that they who hate me may see, and be
confounded : because Thou, O Lord, hast helped me, and hast
comforted me.
Glory
be to the Father, etc.
Psalm
115
I
believed, and therefore did I speak : but I was humbled
exceedingly.
I
said in mine excess : All men are liars.
What
shall I render unto the Lord : for all the things that He
hath rendered unto me ?
I
will take the chalice of salvation ; and call upon the name
of the Lord.
I
will pay my vows unto the Lord, in the presence of all His
people : precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of
His saints.
O
Lord, I am Thy servant : I am Thy servant, and the son of
Thine handmaid.
Thou
hast broken my bonds in sunder : I will offer unto Thee the
sacrifice of praise, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
I
will pay my vows unto the Lord in the sight of all His
people : in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the
midst of thee, O Jerusalem.
Glory
be to the Father, etc.
Psalm
129
Out
of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord : Lord, hear my
voice.
O
let Thine ears consider well : the voice of my supplication.
If
Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities : Lord, who shall abide
it ?
For
with Thee there is merciful forgiveness : and because of Thy
law I have waited for Thee, O Lord.
My
soul hath waited on His word : my soul hath hoped in the
Lord.
From
the morning watch even until night : let Israel hope in the
Lord.
For
with the Lord there is mercy : amd with Him is plenteous
redemption.
And
He shall redeem Israel : from all his iniquities.
Glory
be to the Father, etc.
Ant.
Remember not, O Lord, our offences, nor those of our
parents ; nor take Thou revenge of our sins : Spare us,
good Lord, spare Thy people whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy most
Precious Blood, and be not angry with us for ever.
Lord,
have mercy.
Christ,
have mercy.
Lord,
have mercy.
Our
Father (inaudibly).
V.
And lead us not into temptation.
R.
But deliver us from evil.
V.
I said : O Lord, be Thou merciful unto me.
R.
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.
V.
Return, O Lord, for a little space.
R.
And be entreated in favor of Thy servants.
V.
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
R.
As we have hoped in Thee.
V.
Let Thy priests be clothed with justice.
R.
And let Thy saints rejoice.
V.
From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord.
R.
And from those of others spare Thy servant.
V.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
R.
And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let
us pray
O
merciful Lord, incline Thine ears to our prayers, and enlighten
our hearts by the grace of Thy Holy Spirit : that we may
worthily receive Thy holy Mysteries, and love Thee with an
everlasting love.
O
God, unto whom every heart is open, every desire known, and from
whom no secret is hid : cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love
Thee and worthily praise Thee.
Inflame,
O Lord, our reins and our hearts with the fire of the Holy
Spirit : that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and
please Thee with a pure mind.
We
pray Thee, O Lord, that the Comforter who proceedeth from Thee
may illumine our minds, and lead us, as Thy Son hath promised,
into all truth.
May
the power of Thy Holy Spirit, O Lord, be present with us to
cleanse us from all evil and defend us from all adversities.
O
God, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of
Thy Holy Spirit : grant us by the same Spirit to have a
right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in His holy
comfort.
Visit,
O Lord, we beseech Thee, and cleanse our consciences, that Thy
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, when He cometh, may find in us a
mansion prepared for Himself, who liveth and reigneth with Thee
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
Amen.
Prayer
of St. Thomas Aquinas
Almighty,
Everlasting God, lo, I draw near to the Sacrament of Thine
Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As sick, I come to the
Physician of Life ; unclean, to the Fountain of Mercy ;
blind, to the light of eternal Brightness ; poor and needy,
to the Lord of heaven and earth. I implore Thee, therefore, out
of the abundance of Thy boundless mercy, that Thou wouldst
vouchsafe to heal my sickness, to wash my defilements, to
enlighten my blindness, to enrich my poverty, and to clothe my
nakedness ; that I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King
of kings, the Lord of lords, with such reverence and humility,
such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, such purpose
and intention, as is expedient for the health of my soul. Grant,
I beseech Thee, that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the
Body and Blood of the Lord, but also the whole grace and virtue
of that Sacrament. O most merciful God, grant me so to receive
the Body of Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which
He took of the Virgin Mary, that I may be found worthy to be
incorporated into His mystical Body, and accounted among His
members. And, O most loving Father, grant that whom now I purpose
to receive under a veil I may at last behold with unveiled face,
even Thy beloved Son, who with Thee and the Holy Spirit ever
liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.
I.
O
great High-Priest, the true Pontiff, Jesus Christ, who didst
offer Thyself to God the Father a pure and spotless Victim upon
the Altar of the Cross for us miserable sinners, and didst give
us Thy Flesh to eat and Thy Blood to drink, and didst ordain this
Mystery in the power of Thy Holy Spirit, saying, Do this for the
commemoration of Me : I pray Thee, by the same Thy Blood,
the great price of our salvation ; I pray Thee, by that
wonderful and unspeakable love wherewith Thou deignedst so to
love us, miserable and unworthy, as to wash us from our sins in
Thine own Blood : teach me, Thine unworthy servant, by Thy
Holy Spirit, to approach so great a Mystery with that reverence
and honor, that devotion and fear, which is due and fitting. Make
me, through Thy grace, always so to believe and understand, to
conceive and firmly to hold, to think and to speak, of that
exceeding Mystery, as shall please Thee and be good for my soul.
Let
Thy good Spirit enter my heart, and there be heard without
utterance, and without the sound of words speak all truth. For
Thy Mysteries are exceeding deep, and covered with a sacred veil.
For Thy great mercy’s sake, grant me to approach Thy holy
Mysteries with a clean heart and a pure mind. Free my heart from
all defiling and unholy, from all vain and hurtful thoughts.
Fence me round about with the holy and faithful guard and mighty
protection of Thy blessed Angels, that the enemies of all good
may go away ashamed. By the virtue of this mighty Mystery, and by
the hand of Thy holy Angel, drive away from me and from all Thy
servants the hard spirit of pride and vainglory, of envy and
blasphemy, of impurity and uncleanness, of doubt and mistrust.
Let them be confounded that persecute us ; let them perish
who are bent upon our ruin.
II.
King
of virgins and Lover of chastity and innocence, extinguish in my
frame, by the dew of Thy heavenly blessing, the fuel of evil
concupiscence, that I may be pure both in soul and in body.
Mortify in my members the lusts of the flesh and all harmful
emotions, and give me true and persevering chastity with Thine
other gifts which please Thee in truth, so that I may with chaste
body and pure heart offer unto Thee the sacrifice of praise. For
with what contrition of heart and fountain of tears, with what
reverence and awe, with what chastity of body and purity of soul,
should not that divine and heavenly Sacrifice be celebrated,
wherein Thy Flesh is indeed eaten, where Thy Blood is indeed
drunk, wherein things lowest and highest, earthly and divine, are
united, where the holy Angels are present, and where Thou
art in a marvellous and unspeakable manner both Sacrifice and
Priest !
III.
Who
can worthily be present at this Sacrifice, unless Thou, O God,
makest him worthy ? I know, O Lord, yea, truly do I know,
and this do confess to Thy 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 mouth confess, that Thou canst make me
worthy, who alone canst make that clean which proceedeth from
that which is unclean, and sinners to be just and holy. By this
Thine Almighty power I beseech Thee, 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 Thy most
blessed Presence, and the love of Thy holy Angels, keeping watch
around me.
IV.
Mindful
then, O Lord, of Thy worshipful Passion, I approach Thine Altar,
sinner though I am, to join in offering unto Thee that Sacrifice
which Thou hast instituted and commanded to be offered in
remembrance of Thee for our well-being. Receive it, I beseech
Thee, O God most High, for Thy holy Church, and for the people
whom Thou hast purchased with Thine own Blood. Let not, through
my unworthiness, the price of their salvation be wasted, whose
saving Victim and Redemption Thou didst Thyself vouchsafe to be.
Also behold in pity, O Lord, the sorrows of Thy people, which I
bring before Thee ; the perils of Thy servants, the
sorrowful sighing of prisoners ; the miseries of widows and
orphans, and all that are desolate and bereaved ; the
necessities of strangers and travellers ; the helplessness
and sadness of the weak and sickly ; the depressions of the
languishing ; the weakness of the aged and of
children ; the trials and aspirations of young men ;
and the vows of virgins.
V.
For
Thou hast mercy upon all, O Lord, and hatest nothing that Thou
hast made. Remember how frail our nature is, and that Thou art
our Father and our God. Be not angry with us for ever, and shut
not up Thy tender mercies in displeasure. For it is not for our
just works that we present our prayers before Thy face, but for
the multitude of Thy tender mercies. Take away from us, O Lord,
our iniquities, and mercifully kindle in us the fire of Thy Holy
Spirit. Take away from us the heart of stone, and give us a heart
of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in,
to follow, and to enjoy Thee. And we entreat Thy mercy, O Lord,
that Thou wouldst look down graciously upon Thy family, as it
pays its vows to Thy most holy name ; and that the desire of
none may be in vain, and the petitions of none unfulfilled, do
Thou inspire our prayers, that they may be such as Thou
delightest to hear and answer.
VI.
We
pray Thee also, O Lord, Holy Father, for the souls of the
faithful departed : that this great Sacrament of Thy love
may be to them health and salvation, joy and refreshment. O Lord,
my God, grant them this day a great and abundant feast of Thee,
the living Bread, who camest down from heaven and givest life
unto the world ; even of Thy holy and blessed Flesh, the
Lamb without spot, who takest away the sins of the world ;
that Flesh, which was taken of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
conceived by the Holy Spirit ; and of that Fountain of mercy
which, by the soldier’s lance, flowed from Thy most sacred
Side ; that they be thereby fed and satisfied, refreshed and
comforted, and may rejoice in Thy praise and in Thy glory. I pray
Thy loving mercy, O Lord, that on the bread and wine to be
offered unto Thee may descend the fulness of Thy blessing and the
sanctification of Thy Divinity. May there descend also the
invisible and incomprehensible Majesty of Thy Holy Spirit, as it
descended of old on the sacrifices of the Fathers, which shall
make these oblations Thy Body and Blood ; and may this
offering be acceptable unto Thee, through Him who offered Himself
a sacrifice to Thee, O Father, even Jesus Christ, Thine only Son
our Lord.
VII.
I
entreat Thee also, O Lord, by this most holy mystery of Thy Body
and Blood, wherewith we are daily fed, and cleansed, and
sanctified in Thy Church, and are made partakers of the one
Supreme Divinity, grant unto me Thy holy virtues, that filled
therewith I may with a good conscience draw near unto Thy holy
Altar, so that these heavenly mysteries may be made unto me
salvation and life ; for Thou hast said with Thy holy and
blessed lips : The Bread which I will give is My Flesh, for
the life of the world. I am the living Bread which came down from
heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever. O
most sweet Bread, heal the palate of my heart, that I may taste
the sweetness of Thy love. Heal it of all infirmities, that I may
find sweetness in nothing out of Thee. O most pure Bread, having
all delight and all savor, which ever refreshest us, and never
failest, let my heart feed on Thee, and may my inmost soul be
filled with the sweetness of Thy savor. The Angels feed on Thee
fully ; let pilgrim man feed on Thee after his measure, so
that, refreshed by this nourishment, he may not faint by the way.
Holy Bread ! Living Bread ! Pure Bread ! who didst
come down from heaven, and who givest life to the world, enter
into my heart and cleanse me from all impurity of flesh and
spirit. Come into my soul ; heal and cleanse me within and
without ; be the protection and continual health of my soul
and body. Drive far from me all foes that lie in wait : let
them flee afar off at the presence of Thy power ; that,
strengthened by Thee without and within, I may by a straight way
arrive at Thy kingdom, where, not as now in mysteries, but face
to face, we shall behold Thee ; when Thou shalt have
delivered up the kingdom to God Thy Father, and shalt be God All
in all. Then shalt Thou satisfy me with Thyself by a wondrous
fulness, so that I shall never hunger nor thirst anymore for
ever. Who with the same God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, ever
livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
VIII.
O
gracious Lord Jesus Christ, I, a sinner, nothing presuming on my
own deserts, but trusting in Thy mercy and goodness, with fear
and trembling approach to the Table of Thy most sweet Feast. For
my heart and body are stained with many sins ; my thoughts
and lips not diligently guarded. Wherefore, O gracious God, O
awful majesty, in my extremity I turn to Thee, the Fount of
Mercy ; to Thee I hasten to be healed, and take refuge under
Thy protection ; and Thee, before whom as my Judge I cannot
stand, I long for as my Saviour. To Thee, O Lord, I show my
wounds, to Thee I lay bare my shame. I know my sins are many and
great, for which I am afraid. My trust is in Thy mercies, of
which there is no end. Look therefore upon me with the eyes of
Thy mercy, O Lord Jesus Christ, God and Man, crucified for
man ; hearken unto me, whose trust is in Thee ; have
mercy upon me, who am full of sin and misery, O Thou fount of
mercy, that wilt never cease to flow. Hail, saving Victim,
offered for me and all mankind on the Cross of suffering and
shame. Hail, noble and precious Blood, flowing from the wounds of
my crucified Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and washing away the
sins of the whole world. Be mindful, O Lord, of Thy creature,
whom Thou hast redeemed with Thine own Blood. I repent that I
have sinned ; I desire to amend what I have done. Take
therefore away from me, O most merciful Father, all my iniquities
and sins : that, being cleansed both in body and soul, I may
worthily taste the Holy of Holies ; and grant that this holy
feeding on Thy Body and Blood, of which, unworthy as I am, I
purpose to partake, may be for the remission of my sins, and the
perfect cleansing of all my offences, for the driving away of all
evil thoughts and the renewal of all holy desires, for the
healthful bringing forth of fruit well-pleasing unto Thee, and
the most sure protection of my soul and body against the wiles of
all my enemies. Amen.
Act
of Contrition
I
desire, O my Saviour, humbly to offer Thee the sacrifice of a
troubled spirit and a contrite heart. I grieve from my inmost
heart that I have ever offended Thee by my sins, Thee my God and
my chief good, Thee who art so gracious to me, and so oft
refreshest me in Thy Blessed Sacrament. I grieve especially for
the sins of ... which Thou knowest, Thou searcher of our hearts,
and which I, a miserable sinner, do confess in the bitterness of
my soul. Would that I had never offended Thee ! Yet a
contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise ;
Thou who for love of us didst give to us Thine Only-Begotten Son,
to wash us from our sins in His own Blood.
Resolution
of Amendment
I
desire, O Lord, earnestly longing for the help of Thy grace, to
renew all my baptismal vows to Thee, to renounce all that
displeaseth Thee, and to walk more perfectly in newness of life.
I renounce the devil and all his works and pomps, the glory of
the world with all its covetous desires, all sinful excesses in
things lawful, and whatever may lead my heart from Thee or hinder
my duty towards Thee ; also, I renounce all the sinful lusts
of the flesh, with everything in thought, word, or deed, which
displeaseth Thee, especially..., from all which let it be Thy
good pleasure to deliver me, and to turn the whole stream of my
affections to the love of Thee, that Thy will and Thy love may be
the sole rule and guide of my life, and I may love whatever Thou
lovest, and hate whatever Thou hatest.
Act
of Faith
Of
a truth I firmly believe, O Good Jesus, and with lively faith
confess, that Thou Thyself, equal to God the Father in glory and
in power, true God and Man, art verily and indeed present in this
Sacrament. For Thou, the very Truth itself, hast said, This is My
Body, This is My Blood. I believe whatever the Son of God hath
said. Nothing can be truer than this word of Him who is the
Truth. I do believe, Lord ; help my belief, increase my
faith.
Act
of Hope
O
Christ Jesus, I am sinful dust and ashes, but Thou callest to
Thee all who labor and are burdened, that Thou mayest refresh
them. Art not Thou my refuge ? To whom else shall I
go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life, Thou alone canst
comfort me in every trouble. Lord, I am weak and sick, but Thou
art my salvation. Those who are well need not a physician, but
those who are sick. Therefore I come to Thee, my physician and my
refuge, hoping that this Communion may be to me the increase of
Faith, Hope, and Charity ; a firm defense against the snares
of my enemies ; a help to the removal of the fault and
defect of ...., and to the bringing forth of works well-pleasing
unto Thee, especially...., and a pledge of future glory. This is
the hope and desire which I cherish in my heart, for Thou art
compassionate and of tender mercy, and in all Thy promises most
faithful.
Act
of Love
O
most Sweet Saviour Jesus Christ, how great was Thy love, which
drew Thee from the bosom of the Father to this vale of tears, to
take our flesh and endure infinite miseries and wrongs, yea, even
the death of the Cross, and that only for us miserable sinners
and for our salvation. O how great was Thy Love ! Thou
mightest have condemned us, and Thou didst rather choose to save
us: we were guilty, and Thou, the sinless One, didst endure our
punishment to set us free. Out of love it was that Thou camest
down to take our flesh ; and when about to depart from this
world to the Father, Thou didst leave to us this Sacrament as a
pledge of Thy love, that after a new and wondrous manner Thou
mightest abide with us for ever ; Thou whose delights
are to be with the children of men. O Lord, how worthy art Thou
of love, who dost so much for love of us ! Wherefore I will
love Thee, O Lord, my Strength, my Refuge, and my Deliverer. O
God, Thou art true Love ! He that dwelleth in love dwelleth
in Thee. I desire to receive Thee in this Sacrament, that I may
be more firmly united with Thee in the bond of love. Who shall
separate me from the love of Christ my Saviour ? O that
neither life, nor death, nor any creature may have power to do
so.
Act
of Humility
How
dare I approach Thee, O Lord ? Art Thou not, O God, my Lord,
my Creator, my Redeemer, the King of heaven and earth ? And
who am I ? A poor worm of the earth, and what is yet more
unworthy, so often a disobedient and ungrateful sinner against
Thee ! Of a truth, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst
enter under my roof ; yet remember, O Lord, that, although
Thou wast Lord of all, yet Thou didst take upon Thyself the form
of a servant, and coming unto us didst converse familiarly with
publicans and sinners ; and lastly didst humble Thyself and
become obedient unto death. Let this Thy humility move Thee, I
beseech Thee, not to despise me, vile and worthless as I am, but
graciously to come unto me, and mercifully to receive me, who
come to Thee.
Act
of Reparation
O
Lord, my God and Saviour, who, as Thou didst endure for our
salvation the outrages of those who crucified Thee, so now
deignest to bear with those who by careless or unworthy
Communions approach and touch Thee, not discerning Thee, and
endurest all irreverences rather than withhold Thy sacred
Presence from our Altars : I bewail these indignities, and
most earnestly desire to prevent, to the utmost of my power,
whatever thus still grieves Thee. I beseech Thee, accept this
sorrow and this desire as the only offering I can make in
reparation of so great dishonor. O Lord, increase my faith, and
preserve me from the least profanation of this adorable Mystery,
and kindle in me and in the hearts of all Thy people, especially
of all who celebrate or assist in its ministration, such
reverence and devotion that Thy most holy name may more and more
be honored and glorified in this Sacrament of love. Amen.
Offering
of the Holy Mass
Accept,
Most Holy Trinity, this sacrifice fulfilled at one time by the
Divine Word and now renewed on this altar by the hands of Your
priest. I unite myself to the intentions of Jesus Christ, Priest
and Victim, that I may be entirely offered for Your glory and for
the salvation of men. I intend through Jesus Christ, with Jesus
Christ and in Jesus Christ to adore Your eternal majesty, to
thank Your immense goodness, to satisfy Your offended justice,
and to beseech Your mercy for the Church, for my dear ones, and
for myself.
Acts
of Faith, Hope and Love
Act
of Faith
Jesus,
eternal Truth, I believe You are really present in the holy Host.
You are here with Your body, blood, soul, and divinity. I hear
Your invitation: “I am the living bread descended from
heaven,” “take and eat ; this is my body.” I
believe, O Lord and Master, but increase my weak faith.
Act
of Hope
Jesus,
sole Way of salvation, You invite me: “Learn from me.”
But I resemble You so little! Lord, I am not worthy to receive
You, but only say the word and I shall be healed. Jesus, You
pleased the Father; You are my Model. Draw me to Yourself, and
give me the grace to imitate You especially in the virtue I need
most.
Act
of Love
O
Jesus Master, You assure me: “I am the Life,”
“whoever eats my flesh will have eternal life.” In
Baptism and in confession You have communicated to me this life
of Yours. Now You nourish it by making Yourself my food.
Take
my heart ; detach it from the goods, pleasures, joys and
vanities of the earth. With all my heart and above all else I
love You, infinite Good and eternal happiness.
ST.
ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI:
Prayer
before Holy Communion
My
Beloved Jesus, true Son of God, who didst die for me in the cross
in a sea of sorrow and ignominy, I firmly believe that Thou art
present in the Most Holy Sacrament ; and for this faith I am
ready to give my life.
My
dear Redeemer, I hope by Thy goodness, and through the merits of
Thy blood, that when Thou dost come to me this morning, Thou wilt
inflame me with Thy holy love, and wilt give me all those graces
which I need to keep me obedient and faithful to Thee till death.
Ah,
my God ! true and only lover of my soul, what couldst Thou
do more to oblige me to love Thee ? Thou wert not satisfied,
my love, with dying for me, but Thou wouldst also institute the
Most Holy Sacrament, making Thyself my food, and giving Thyself
all to me ; thus uniting Thyself most closely to such a
miserable and ungrateful creature. Thou dost Thyself invite me to
receive Thee, and dost greatly desire that I should receive Thee.
O Infinite Love ! A God gives himself all to me ! O my
God, O Infinite love, worthy of infinite love, I love Thee above
all things ; I love Thee with all my heart ; I love
Thee more than myself, more than my life ; I love Thee
because Thou art worthy of being loved ; and I love Thee
also to please Thee, since Thou dost desire my love ! Depart
from my soul, all ye earthly affections ; to Thee alone, my
Jesus, my treasure, my all, will I give all my love. This morning
Thou dost give Thyself all to me, and I give myself all to Thee.
Permit me to love Thee ; for I desire none but Thee, and
nothing but what is pleasing to Thee. I love Thee, O my Saviour,
and I unite my poor love to the love of all the angels and
saints, and of Thy Mother Mary, and the love of Thy Eternal
Father ! Oh, that I could see Thee loved by all ! Oh,
that I could make Thee loved by all men, and loved as much as
Thou dost deserve !
Behold,
O my Jesus, I am now about to draw near to feed on Thy most
sacred Flesh ! Ah, my God, who am I ? And who art
Thou ? Thou art a Lord of infinite goodness, and I am a
loathsome worm, defiled by so many sins, and who have driven Thee
out of my soul so often.
Domine,
non sum dignus. Lord, I am not worthy to remain in Thy
presence ; I ought to be in hell forever, far away, and
abandoned by Thee. But out of Thy goodness Thou callest me to
receive Thee : behold, I come, I come humbled and in
confusion for the great displeasure I have given Thee, but
trusting entirely to Thy mercy and to the love Thou hast for me.
I am exceedingly sorry, O my loving Redeemer, for having so often
offended Thee in time past ! Thou didst even give Thy life
for me ; and I have so often despised Thy grace and Thy
love, and have exchanged Thee for nothing. I repent, and I am
sorry with all my heart for every offence which I have offered
Thee, whether grievous or light, because it was an offence
against Thee, who art infinite goodness. I hope Thou hast already
pardoned me ; but if Thou hast not yet forgiven me, pardon
me, my Jesus, before I receive Thee. Ah, receive me quickly into
Thy grace, since it is Thy will soon to come and dwell within me.
Come,
then, my Jesus, come into my soul, that sighs after Thee. My only
and infinite good, my life, my love, my all, I would desire to
receive Thee this morning with the same love with which those
souls who love Thee most have received Thee, and with the same
fervor with which Thy Most Holy Mother received Thee ; to
her Communions I wish to unite this one of mine. O Blessed
Virgin, and my Mother Mary, give me thy Son ; I intend to
receive him from thy hands ! Tell him that I am thy servant,
and thus will he press me more lovingly to his heart now that he
is coming to me.
An
Act of Faith
Behold,
He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills.[2]
Ah, my most amiable Saviour, over how many, what rough and
craggy mountains, hast Thou had to pass in order to come and
unite Thyself to me by means of this most holy sacrament !
Thou, from being God, hadst to become man ; from being
immense, to become a babe ; from being Lord, to become a
servant. Thou hadst to pass from the bosom of Thy Eternal Father
to the womb of a Virgin ; from heaven into a stable ;
from a throne of glory to the gibbet of a criminal. And on this
very morning Thou wilt come from Thy seat in heaven to dwell in
my bosom.
Behold,
He standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking
through the lattices.[3]
Behold, O my soul, thy loving Jesus, burning with the same love
with which he loved thee when dying for thee on the Cross, is now
concealed in the Most Blessed Sacrament under the sacred
species ; and what is he doing ? Looking through the
lattices. As an ardent lover, desirous to see you correspond
to his love, from the Host, as from within closed lattices,
whence he sees without being seen, he is looking at you, who are
this morning about to feed upon his divine flesh ; he
observes your thoughts, what is it that you love, what you
desire, what you seek for, and what offerings you are about to
make to him.
Awake,
then, my soul, and prepare to receive thy Jesus ; and, in
the first place, by faith, say to him : So, then, my beloved
Redeemer, in a few moments Thou art coming to me ? O hidden
God, unknown to the greater part of men, I believe, I confess, I
adore Thee in the Most Holy Sacrament as my Lord and
Saviour ! And in acknowledgement of this truth I would
willingly lay down my life. Thou comest to enrich me with Thy
graces and to unite Thyself entirely to me ; how great,
then, should be my confidence in this Thy so loving visit !
An
Act of Confidence
My
soul, expand thy heart. Thy Jesus can do Thee every good, and,
indeed, loves thee. Hope thou for great things from this thy
Lord, who, urged by love, comes all love to thee.
Yes,
my dear Jesus, my hope, I trust in Thy goodness, that, in giving
Thyself to me this morning, Thou wilt enkindle in my poor heart
the beautiful flame of Thy pure love, and a real desire to please
Thee ; so that, from this day forward, I may never will
anything but what Thou willest.
An
Act of Love
Ah,
my God, my God, true and only love of my soul, and what more
couldst Thou have done to be loved by me ? To die for me was
not enough for Thee, my Lord ; Thou wast pleased to
institute this great sacrament in order to give Thyself all to
me, and thus bind and unite Thyself heart to heart with so
loathesome and ungrateful a creature as I am. And what is more,
Thou Thyself invitest me to receive Thee, and desirest so much
that I should do so ! O boundless love !
incomprehensible love ! infinite love ! a God would
give himself all to me ! -- My soul, believest thou
this ? And what doest thou ? what sayest thou ? O
God, O God, O infinite amiability, only worthy object of all
love, I love Thee with my whole heart, I love Thee above all
things, I love Thee more than myself, more than my life !
Oh, could I but see Thee loved by all ! Oh, could I but
cause Thee to be loved by all hearts as much as Thou
deservest ! I love Thee, O most amiable God, and I unite my
miserable heart in loving Thee to the hearts of the Seraphim, to
the heart of the most blessed Virgin Mary, to the Heart of Jesus,
thy most loving and beloved Son. So that, O Infinite Good, I love
Thee with the love with which the saints, with which Mary, with
which Jesus love Thee. And I love Thee only because Thou art
worthy of it, and to give Thee pleasure. Depart, all earthly
affections, that are not for God, depart from my heart. Mother of
fair love, most holy Virgin Mary, help me to love that God whom
Thou dost so ardently desire to see loved !
An
Act of Humility
Then,
my soul, thou art even now about to feed on the most sacred flesh
of Jesus ! And art thou worthy ? My God, and who am
I, and who art Thou ? I indeed know and confess who
Thou art that givest Thyself to me ; but dost Thou know what
I am who am about to receive Thee ? And is it possible, O my
Jesus, that Thou who art infinite purity desirest to come and
reside in this soul of mine, which has been so many times the
dwelling of Thy enemy, and soiled with so many sins ? I
know, O my Lord, Thy great Majesty and my misery ; I am
ashamed to appear before Thee. Reverence would induce me to keep
at a distance from Thee ; but if I depart from Thee, O my
life, whither shall I go ? to whom shall I have
recourse ? and what will become of me ? No, never will
I depart from Thee ; nay, even I will ever draw nearer and
nearer to Thee. Thou art satisfied that I should receive Thee as
food, Thou even invitest me to this. I come then, O my amiable
Saviour, I come to receive Thee this morning, all humbled and
confused at the sight of my defects ; but full of confidence
in Thy tender mercy, and in the love which Thou bearest me.
An
Act of Contrition
I
am indeed grieved, O God of my soul, for not having loved Thee
during the time past ; what is still worse, so far from
loving Thee, and to gratify my own inclinations, I have greatly
offended and outraged Thy infinite goodness : I have turned
my back upon Thee, I have despised Thy grace and
friendship ; in a word, O my God, I was deliberate in my
will to lose Thee. Lord, I am sorry, and grieve for it with my
whole heart. I detest the sins which I have committed, be they
great or small, as the greatest of all my misfortunes, because I
have thereby offended Thee, O Infinite Goodness. I trust that
Thou hast already forgiven me ; but if Thou hast not yet
pardoned me, oh, do so before I receive Thee: wash with Thy blood
this soul of mine, in which Thou art so soon about to dwell.
An
Act of Desire
And
now, my soul, the blessed hour has arrived in which Jesus will
come and take up his dwelling in thy poor heart. Behold the King
of Heaven, behold thy Redeemer and God, who is even now
coming ; prepare thyself to receive him with love, invite
him with the ardor of thy desire.
Come,
O my Jesus, come to my soul, which desires Thee. Before Thou
givest Thyself to me, I desire to give Thee, and I now give Thee,
my miserable heart ; do Thou accept it, and come quickly to
take possession of it. Come, my God ! hasten ; delay no
longer. My only and Infinite Good, my treasure, my life, my
Paradise, my love, my all, my wish is to receive Thee with the
love with which the most holy and loving souls have received
Thee ; with that with which the most blessed Virgin Mary
received Thee ; to their Communions I unite this Communion
of mine.
Most
holy Virgin and my Mother Mary, behold, I already approach to
receive thy Son. Would that I had the heart and love with which
thou didst communicate ! Give me this morning thy Jesus, as
thou didst give him to the shepherds and to the kings. I intend
to receive him from thy most pure hands. Tell him that I am thy
servant and thy client ; for he will thus look upon me with
a more loving eye, and now that he is coming, will press me more
closely to himself.
Affections
and Prayers
O
my Jesus ! what has induced Thee to give Thyself entirely to
us for our food ? After this gift, what more remains for
Thee to give us in order to oblige us to love Thee ? Ah,
Lord ! give us light, make us understand the excess of Thy
love in becoming food in order to unite Thyself to poor
sinners ! But, if Thou givest Thyself entirely to us, it is
just that we too give our whole being to Thee. O my
Redeemer ! how have I been able to offend Thee, who hast
loved me so tenderly, and who hast done so much to gain my
love ? Thou hast become man for my sake, Thou hast died for
me, Thou hast become my food ; tell me, what more couldst
Thou have done ? I love Thee, O infinite Goodness ! I
love Thee, O infinite Love ! Lord, come often to my
soul ; inflame my whole heart with Thy holy love ;
grant that I may forget all things in order to think only of
Thee, and to love nothing but Thee. Most Holy Mary, pray for me,
and, by thy intercession, make me worthy to receive thy Son
frequently in the Holy Sacrament.
Affections
and Prayers
O
infinite love of Jesus, worthy of infinite love ! Ah !
my Jesus, when shall I love Thee as Thou hast loved me ?
Thou couldst do nothing more to make me love Thee ; and I
have forsaken Thee, O infinite Good ! for the sake of vile
and miserable goods ! Ah ! enlighten me, O my
God ! discover to me always more and more the greatness of
Thy goodness, that my whole soul may be enamoured of Thee, and
that I may labor to please Thee. I love Thee, O my Jesus !
my love, my all ; and I wish to unite myself frequently to
Thee in this sacrament, in order to detach myself from all
things, and to love Thee alone, who art my life. Through the
merits of Thy Passion, assist me, O my Redeemer ! O Mother
of Jesus, and my Mother ! do thou, too, assist me ; beg
of him to inflame my whole heart with his holy love.
Affections
and Prayers
O
enamoured of souls, O my Jesus ! it is not in Thy power to
give us greater proofs of love in order to show us that Thou
lovest us. And what more couldst Thou invent to induce us to love
Thee ? Ah ! grant, O infinite Goodness ! that I
may love Thee tenderly and with all my strength ! And who is
there that has greater claims on the affections of my heart, than
Thou, my Redeemer, who, after having given Thy life for my
salvation, hast given me Thyself entirely in this
sacrament ? Ah ! Lord, that I always remembered Thy
love in order to forget all things, and to love Thee alone
without interruption and without reserve ! I love Thee, O my
Jesus, above all things, and I wish to love Thee alone. Banish
from my heart, I entreat Thee, all affections which are not for
Thee. I thank Thee for giving me time to love Thee and to weep
over the offences I have offered to Thee. My Jesus, I desire that
Thou mayest be the only object of my affections. Assist me, save
me, and let my salvation consist in loving Thee with my whole
heart, and in loving Thee always in this life and in the next.
Mary, my Mother, obtain for me the grace to love Jesus
Christ ; pray to him for me.
Affections
and Prayers
O
Jesus, my Redeemer, O love of my soul ! how much has it cost
Thee to remain with us in the sacrament ? To be able to
remain on our altars, Thou hadst first to suffer death ;
afterward, in order to aid us by Thy presence, Thou hadst to
submit to so many grievous insults in this sacrament. And, after
all this, we are so slothful and negligent in visiting Thee,
though we know that Thou so ardently desirest our visits for the
purpose of enriching us with Thy graces when Thou seest us in Thy
presence. Lord, pardon me ; for I too have been one of these
ungrateful souls. From this day forward, O my Jesus ! I wish
to visit Thee often, and to remain as long as I can in Thy
presence, to thank Thee, to love Thee, and to ask Thy
graces ; for it is for this purpose that Thou remainest on
earth shut up in our tabernacles, and made our prisoner of love.
I love Thee, O infinite Goodness ! I love Thee, O God of
love ! I love Thee, O sovereign Good ! amiable above
every good. Grant that I may forget myself and all things, in
order to remember only Thy love and to spend the remainder of my
life wholly occupied in pleasing Thee. Grant that from this day
forward I may relish no pleasure more than that of remaining at
Thy feet. Inflame my whole soul with Thy holy love. Mary, my
mother, obtain for me a great love for the Most Holy
Sacrament ; and whenever Thou seest that I am negligent,
remind me of the promise I now make of going every day to visit
the Holy Sacrament.
Affections
and Prayers
Since
then, my beloved Jesus, Thou remainest on our altars to hear the
supplications of the miserable who have recourse to Thee, hear
the prayer which I, a miserable sinner, present to Thee. O Lamb
of God ! sacrificed and lifeless on the cross, I am a soul
redeemed by Thy blood ; pardon me all the offences I have
offered to Thee, and assist me by Thy grace, that I may never
lose Thee again. Impart to me, O my Jesus ! a portion of the
sorrow which Thou didst feel in the garden of Gethsemane for my
sins. O my God ! that I had never offended Thee ! My
dear Lord, had I died in sin, I could never more love Thee ;
but Thou hast waited for me that I might love Thee. I thank Thee
for the time which Thou givest me : and since I can now love
Thee, I wish to love Thee. Give me the grace of Thy holy love,
but of a love which will make me forget all things, to think only
of pleasing Thy most loving heart. Ah, my Jesus ! Thou hast
spent Thy whole life for me : grant that I may spend at
least the remainder of my life for Thee. Draw me entirely to Thy
love ; make me all Thine before I die. I hope for all graces
through the merits of Thy Passion. I also hope in thy
intercession, O Mary ! Thou knowest that I love thee :
have pity on me.
Affections
and Prayers
Ah,
my Jesus ! make Thyself known, make Thyself loved.
Thou art so amiable, Thou canst do nothing more to induce men to
love Thee ; how then does it happen that so few among them
love Thee ? Alas ! I have been among these
ungrateful wretches. I have been sufficiently grateful to
creatures, who have bestowed no gift or favor upon me : to
Thee only, who hast given me Thyself, have I been ungrateful, so
as often to offend Thee grievously, and insult Thee by my sins.
But I see that, instead of abandoning me, Thou continuest to seek
after me, and to ask my love. I feel that Thou continuest to
propose to me this loving precept – “Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with thy whole heart.” Since, then,
Thou didst wish to be loved even by me after my ingratitude, I
desire to love Thee. Thou wishest for my love, and at present
through Thy grace, I desire only to love Thee. I love Thee, my
love, my all. Through that blood which Thou hast shed for me,
help me to love Thee. My beloved Redeemer ! I place all my
hopes in this blood, and also in the intercession of Thy most
holy Mother, whom Thou wishest to assist me by her prayers in the
work of my salvation. O Mary, my Mother ! pray to Jesus for
me. Thou inflamest all thy lovers with the divine love ; I
love thee tenderly ; procure it also for me.
Loving
Aspirations to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
Before
Holy Communion
I.
Egredimini
et videte, filiae Sion, regem Salomonem in diademate, quo
coronavit illum mater sua in die desponsationis illius[4]
-- “Go forth, ye daughters of Sion, and see king Solomon
in the diadem wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his
espousals.”
O
daughters of grace, O ye souls who love God quit the darkness of
the earth, and behold Jesus, your king, crowned with a crown of
thorns ; the crown of contempt and suffering with which the
impious synagogue, his mother crowned him on the day of his
espousals, -- that is to say, on the day of his death, by means
of which he espoused himself on the Cross to our souls. Go forth
again, and behold him all full of compassion and love, now that
he comes to unite himself to thee in this sacrament of love.
Has
it indeed, then, cost Thee so much, my beloved Jesus, before Thou
couldst come and unite Thyself to souls in this most sweet
Sacrament ? Wert Thou indeed obliged to suffer so bitter and
ignominious a death ? Oh, come, then, without delay, and
unite Thyself to my soul also. It was at one time Thy enemy by
sin ; but now Thou desirest to espouse it by Thy grace.
Come, O Jesus, my spouse, for never more will I betray
Thee ; I am determined to be ever faithful to Thee. As a
loving spouse, my whole thought shall be to find out Thy
pleasure. I am determined to love Thee without reserve ; I
desire to be all Thine, my Jesus, -- all, all, all.
II.
Fasciculus
myrrhae Dilectus meus mihi, inter ubera mea commorabitur[5]
-- “A bundle of myrrh is my Beloved to me ; he
shall abide between my breasts.”
The
myrrh plant, when pricked, sends forth tears, and a healthful
liquor from the wounds. Before his Passion, our Jesus determined
to pour forth his divine blood from his wounds in so painful a
way to give it afterwards all to us for our salvation in this
bread of life.
Come
then, O my beloved bundle of myrrh, O my enamored Jesus ;
Thou art indeed a subject of grief and pity to me when I consider
Thee all wounded for me on the Cross : but then, when I
receive Thee in this most sweet Sacrament, Thou becomest indeed
to me more sweet and delicious than a bunch of the choicest
grapes can be to one who is parched with thirst : A
cluster of cypress my Love is to me, in the vineyards of Engadai.[6]
Come, then, to my soul, and revive and satiate me with Thy holy
love. Ah, what sweetness do I feel in my soul at the thought,
that I have to receive within myself that same Saviour of mine
who for my salvation was pleased to be drained of all his blood,
and sacrificed on a cross ! He shall abide between my
breasts. No, my Jesus, never more will I drive Thee
hence ; and Thou shalt never more have to leave me. I am
determined ever to love Thee, and to be always united and closely
bound up with Thee. I will always belong to Jesus, and Jesus will
be always mine : forever, forever, forever He shall abide
between my breasts.
III.
Dum
esset Rex in accubitu suo, nardus mea dedit odorem suum[7]
-- “While the King was at His repose my spikenard sent
forth the odor thereof.”
When
Jesus comes to dwell in a soul in the Holy Communion, oh, how
clearly does she see and know her own nothingness by the bright
light which the king of heaven brings with him ! As the
spikenard is the most lowly among plants, so does the soul
confess itself the most vile of all creatures ; and when
thus humbled, oh, how sweet is the odor which she breathes forth
to her beloved king ! and for this reason he invites her to
unite herself to him in closer and closer bonds.
If,
then, my soul, thou desirest that thy Jesus should repose in
thee, consider thy own nothingness. Who art thou ?
what dost thou deserve ? Humble thyself as thou shouldst do,
by casting away from thyself all self-esteem which may keep Jesus
at a distance from thee, or prevent him from coming to repose in
thee.
Come
to me, my dear Redeemer, come ; and by thy divine light make
me to see my own lowliness, my misery, my nothingness, that Thou
mayest be enabled to repose in me with satisfaction to Thyself,
to separate Thyself no more from me.
IV.
Sentite
de Domino in bonitate[8]
-- “Think of the Lord in goodness.”
My
soul, why art thou so timid and fearful at the sight of the
goodness and infinite love of thy Lord ? why such
distrust ? Now that thou art made worthy to receive within
thee Jesus Christ, let thy sentiments correspond to this grace,
by confiding in that goodness of God, who gives thee all himself.
Truly his judgments are terrible but they are terrible only to
the proud and to the obstinate ; but to the humble and
penitent, who desire to love and please him, his judgments are
all mercy and love, emanating from a heart full of compassion and
kindness. So that David, considering these judgments of God,
superabounds with hope : I have more than hoped in Thy
judgments. These judgments made him happy and consoled
him : Thy judgments are delightful ; I remembered
Thy judgments, and was comforted.[9]
Ah ! our great God is only too loving and generous to those
who seek him with love : The Lord is good to the soul
that seeketh Him.[10] How
good is God to those who seek to unite their will to the divine
will : How good is God to Israel, to those that are of a
right heart.[11]
My
God, my love, my hope, my all, I desire Thee, and Thee alone, --
to love Thee, to please Thee, and to do Thy will in all things.
Let me always find Thee ; make me agreeable to Thee ;
and never let me leave Thee again. So be it. Amen, amen.
V.
Vox
Dilecti mei pulsantis : Aperi mihi, soror mea, amica mea,
columba mea, immaculata mea[12]
-- “The voice of my Beloved knocking: Open to Me, My
sister, My love, My dove, My undefiled.”
Such
are the words which Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament speaks to
those who love and desire him. Open to me, he says, O soul, thy
heart, and there I will come to unite myself to thee ; so
that, being one with me, thou mayest become my sister by
resemblance, my friend by participation in my riches, my dove by
the gift of simplicity, my undefiled by the gift of purity, which
I shall communicate to thee. And then he goes on to say, Open
to me, for my head is full of dew and my locks of the drops of
the night. As if he said: Consider, my beloved, that I
have waited for thee all the night of the bad life thou hast led
in the midst of darkness and error. Behold, now, instead of
bringing scourges to chastise thee, I come in the Blessed
Sacrament, with my hair full of heavenly dew, to extinguish in
thee all impure desires towards creatures, and to kindle in Thee
the happy fire of my love. Come, then, O my beloved Jesus, and
work in me what Thou wilt. I renounce the love of all things, in
order to be all Thine, and that Thou mayest make me as Thou
wouldst have me, entirely united to Thy will.
VI.
Veniat
Dilectus meus in hortum suum, et comedat fructum pomorum suorum.[13]
“Let my beloved come into His garden, and eat the fruit of
His apple-trees.”
Cornelius
à Lapide says that this is precisely the invitation that a soul
desirous of the Holy Communion makes to Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament. Come, my beloved, she says, into my poor heart, which
at one unhappy time did not belong to Thee ; but which now,
by the help of Thy grace, has returned to Thee : Come and
eat the fruit of Thy apple-trees. Come and taste in me those
virtues which Thou dost bring with Thyself when Thou comest to
me. O my Lord, at least for the honor of Thy majesty, purify my
heart, adorn it, inflame it with Thy love, and make it beautiful
in Thy sight, that it may be a worthy dwelling-place for Thee.
VII.
Ad
ubera portabimini[14]
-- “You shall be carried at the breasts.”
It
is thus that Jesus from the sacred altars invites our souls.
Come, he says, and suck my divine milk, which I give you in this
Sacrament, wherein I offer you my own blood to drink. But what
shepherd, says St. John Chrysostom,[15]
ever feeds his sheep with his own blood ? Even mothers give
their children to nurses to be fed. But Thou, O divine Pastor,
art so enamoured of our souls as to wish to nourish them with
Thine own blood. St. Catharine of Sienna, then, did well in
approaching the holy Communion as if panting to suck the divine
milk, in the same way as an infant presses anxiously to suck the
milk from its mother’s breasts. And well might the Sacred
Spouse say to her Beloved, Thy breasts are better than wine,[16]
signifying that she esteemed the milk of this sacrament, as the
sacred interpreters explain it, above all the pleasures of the
world, which are transitory and vain, as are transitory and vain
also the joys and pleasures of wine.
O
my beloved Jesus, since Thou wilt feed me this morning with Thine
own blood in the Holy Communion, it is but reasonable that I
should willingly renounce all the delights and pleasures which
the world might give me. Yes, I give them all up ; I protest
that I choose rather to suffer all evils united to Thee, than to
enjoy all the goods of the world away from Thee. It is sufficient
happiness for me to please Thee, who art worthy of all that we
can do to please Thee. I will say, then, with St. Ignatius of
Loyola, give me, I pray Thee, but Thy love and Thy grace ;
that is sufficient for me, and I am contented.
VIII.
Comedite,
amici, et bibite, et inebriamini, charissimi[17]
– “Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my
dearly beloved.”
The
“friends,” that is beginners, who scarcely enjoy the
divine friendship, when they receive the Holy Communion, feed
indeed on the flesh of Jesus Christ, but they eat with
labor ; while those who are on the way to perfection eat
with less difficulty. But by the “dearly beloved” are
meant the perfect, who, inebriated with holy love, live almost
out of the world, forgeting all things, even themselves, and
think only how they may love and please their God.
My
beloved Jesus, I am not yet perfect ; but Thou canst make me
perfect. I am not dear to Thee, and it is my own fault, because I
have been ungrateful and unfaithful ; but Thou canst make me
become so, by inebriating me this morning with Thy love. Thy
kingdom come.[18]
Come, my beloved Lord, and take possession of my whole soul.
Establish Thy kingdom in me ; so that Thou alone mayest
reign in me, that Thy love alone may command me, and that Thy
love only may I obey. Inebriate me, inebriate me entirely ;
make me forget all creatures, myself, my interests, and all, that
I may love nothing but Thee, my God, my treasure, all my good, my
all ; may I sigh for Thee alone, seek Thee alone, think of
Thee alone, and please Thee alone. Do this by the merits of Thy
Passion. This only do I ask of Thee ; this I hope.
IX.
Fulcite
me floribus, stipate me malis ; quia amore langueo[19]
– “Stay me up with flowers, compass me about with
apples: because I languish with love.”
The
languor of the soul is when, forgetful of herself and her
affairs, she thinks only of seeking refreshment for her
languishing love by holy desires, which are the flowers, and by
good works, which are the fruits of divine love.
O
my God, O Blessed Sacrament, since Thou wilt have me to be all
Thine, make me what Thou wouldst have me. Make me forget
everything that does not belong to Thy love. Increase in me
always more and more the desire of pleasing Thee. Grant that
these flowers may not always remain flowers ; make them also
become fruits, by my doing and suffering something for Thee, who
hast done and suffered only too much for me. O God, O God of my
soul, make Thyself loved, but really loved, by me, -- not only in
word, but in deed, -- before death comes upon me.
X.
Dilectus
meus candidus et rubicundus, electus et millibus[20]
– “My Beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of
thousands.”
Our
beloved Jesus is all white by his purity, and all red by the
flames of his divine love.
My
spotless Lamb, all burning with love for me, when shall I make
myself like to Thee, pure as Thou art, O lily, burning with love
of Thee as Thou dost burn with love of me ? Yes, I do
renounce all other love, and choose for myself Thy sweet love, my
God, my all. Begone, ye creatures ! what do you want with
me ? Go and enjoy the love of those who seek you. I wish
only for my God ; for God alone will I keep all my hearts
and all my affections.
XI.
Benignitas
et humanitas apparuit Salvatoris nostri Dei[21]
– “The goodness and kindness of God our Saviour
appeared.”
St.
Paul says that God, by making himself man, showed the world how
far his goodness towards us went. But by giving himself in this
sacrament, he makes us know the depth of the tenderness of his
love towards our souls. “Does it not seem madness to say,
Eat my flesh, and drink my blood ?” St. Augustine says,
does it not seem a madness, Jesus Christ saying to us, as he said
in that blessed night,[22] Take
and eat, this is My body ?[23] O
men, he says, to make you understand how much I love you, I will
that you should come and feed on my very flesh. O holy
faith ! And who among us would have been able to demand so
much ? Who could have even thought of it, if Jesus had not
thought it and done it ? Some of the followers of Jesus
Christ, when they heard that from his mouth, that is, that he
wished to give them his body to eat, said that this was too hard
a thing, and that they could neither believe nor hear it : This
saying is hard, and who can hear it ?[24] And
they went so far as to leave him, because they would not believe
it: but yet it is of faith that so it is. But what else does
Jesus Christ ask of us, by all this he has done for us, but that
we should love him ? as the Lord had once before instructed
his people: And now, Israel, what does the Lord thy God
require of thee, but that thou... love Him and serve Him with all
thy heart ?[25]
O
my most loving Jesus, what dost Thou not give, what dost Thou not
promise to those that love Thee ? Thou dost promise them Thy
love : I love those that love Me.[26]
Thou dost promise them Thy caresses, even when they have already
turned their backs upon Thee : Turn ye to Me, and I will
turn to you.[27]
Thou dost promise to come with the Father and the Holy Spirit to
abide forever in their souls: He who loveth Me shall be loved
of My Father, ...and We will come to him and make our abode with
him.[28] And
what more hast Thou to promise and to give, to entice men to love
Thee ? My dearest Lord, I see how it is ; Thou dost
wish also to be loved by me : yes, I love Thee with all my
heart ; and if I do not love Thee, do Thou teach me to love
Thee ; make me to love Thee, and to love Thee above all
things : “Give what Thou commandest, and command what
Thou wilt.”[29]
XII.
Nolite
me considerare quod fusca sim, quia decoloravit me sol[30]
– “Do not consider me, that I am brown ; for the
sun has discolored me.”
The
heat of my passions, said the Sacred Spouse (and still more ought
I to say it, O my dear Jesus), has deformed and blackened me: I
am black, but beautiful.[31] But
I am black by my own works ; I am beautiful by Thy merits, O
my Redeemer. I was black at one time, when I was alone and
separated from Thee ; but now that I am united to Thee, Thy
grace, Thy beauty, Thy love has made me beautiful.
Yes,
my Jesus, so do I hope. Mayest Thou be blessed forever. Never
permit me to lose Thee again, and to return to my former
depravity. I love Thee, O infinite beauty ; I wish also that
my soul should be beautiful, always beautiful, that it may be
always pleasing in Thy divine sight, and that Thou mayest always
love it.
THOMAS
A KEMPIS:
Prayer
for Help
O
my God, help me to make a good Communion. Mary, my dearest
Mother, pray to Jesus for me. My dear Guardian Angel, lead me to
the altar of God.
Act
of Faith
O
God, because Thou hast said it, I believe that I shall receive
the Sacred Body of Jesus Christ to eat, and His precious Blood to
drink. My God, I believe this with all my heart.
Act
of Humility
My
God, I confess that I am a poor sinner ; I am not worthy to
receive the Body and Blood of Jesus on account of my sins. Lord,
I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof ; say but
the word, and my soul shall be healed.
Act
of Sorrow
My
God, I detest all the sins of my life. I am sorry for them,
because they have offended Thee, my God, Who art so good. I
resolve never to commit sin any more. My good God, pity me, have
mercy on me, forgive me. Amen.
Act
of Adoration
O
Jesus, great God, present on the altar, I bow down before Thee, I
adore Thee.
Act
of Love and Desire
Sweet
Jesus, I love Thee. I desire with all my heart to receive Thee.
Most sweet Jesus, come into my poor soul, and give me Thy Flesh
to eat and Thy Blood to drink. Give me Thy whole self, Body,
Blood, Soul, and Divinity, that I may live forever with Thee.
Act
of Faith
O
Jesus, I believe that I have received Thy Flesh to eat and Thy
Blood to drink, because Thou hast said it, and Thy word is true.
Act
of Adoration
O
Jesus, my God, my Creator, I adore Thee, because from Thy hands I
came and with Thee I am to be happy forever.
Act
of Humility
O
Jesus, I am but dust and ashes, and yet Thou hast come to me, and
my poor heart may speak to Thee.
Act
of Love
Sweet
Jesus, I love Thee ; I love Thee with all my heart. Thou
knowest that I love Thee and wish to love Thee daily more and
more.
Act
of Thanksgiving
My
good Jesus, I thank Thee with all my heart. How good, how kind
Thou art to me, sweet Jesus. Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy
Sacrament of the Altar.
Act
of Offering
Jesus,
receive my poor offering. Jesus, Thou hast given Thyself to me,
and now let me give myself to Thee :
I
give Thee my body, that it may be chaste and pure.
I
give Thee my soul, that it may be free from sin.
I
give Thee my heart, that it may always love Thee.
I
give Thee every breath that I shall breathe, and especially my
last ; I give Thee myself in life and in death, that I may
be Thine forever and ever.
O
Jesus, wash away my sins with Thy precious Blood.
O
Jesus, the struggle against temptation is not yet finished. My
Jesus, when temptation comes near me, make me strong against it.
In the moment of temptation, may I always say : “Jesus,
mercy ! Mary, help !”
O
Jesus, may I lead a good life ; may I die a happy death. May
I receive Thee before I die. May I say when I am dying:
“Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.”
Listen
now for a moment to Jesus Christ ; perhaps He has something
to say to you. There may be some promise you have made and
broken, which He wishes you to make again and keep. Answer Jesus
in your heart, and tell Him all your troubles. Then pray for
others.
O
Jesus, have mercy on Thy Holy Church ; take care of it.
O
Jesus, have pity on poor sinners, and save them from hell.
O
Jesus, bless my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters, and
all I ought to pray for, as Thy Heart knows how to bless them.
O
Jesus, have pity on the poor souls in Purgatory, and give them
eternal rest.
Sweet
Jesus, I am going away for a time, but I trust not without Thee.
Thou art with me by Thy grace. I will never leave Thee by mortal
sin. I do not fear that I shall do so, though I am weak, because
I have hope in Thee. Give me grace to persevere.
O
blessed Virgin, Mother of my God and Saviour, recommend all these
my petitions to your Son. O all ye Angels and Saints of God,
unite your prayer with mine ; be ever mindful of me, and
obtain from Him, and through Him, that with you I may bless Him
and love Him forever. Amen.
Prayer
Behold,
my cravings are appeased. Behold, all my longings are now
satisfied. My God has deigned to visit me. Now Jesus abides in my
heart. Now I can say with the apostle : I am no longer my
own, but Christ’s ; I no longer live in myself, but in
Christ, and Christ lives in me. I belong entirely to Christ, and
Christ is mine.
Welcome,
beloved Jesus, I bless Thee for having come to dwell within me.
Oh, how it grieves me to think that Thou art come to abide in a
heart that has caused Thee so much sorrow and affliction ! O
Lord, what dost Thou discover in me, but a heart devoted to the
perishable things of this world ! Wherefore, then, hast Thou
come to dwell in me ? Let me in the bitterness of
self-reproach say with St. Peter : “Depart from me, for
I am a sinful man.” Go and reside within those sinless,
loving souls, who long for Thy coming. But no, O my heavenly
Guest, depart not from me ; for if I lose Thee, I am lost. O
God, Thou art my chief hope, and I will not be separated from
Thee. I will clasp Thee to my heart ; and oh, may I live and
die in Thy tender embrace ! Mary, my holy protectress, and
all ye Angels and Saints, inspire me with love like yours, that I
may welcome my Jesus as I should.
Act
of Thanksgiving
O
adorable Trinity, one God, most worthy of my love, I thank Thee
with my whole heart for having given Jesus to me, a poor sinner.
And, O sweet Jesus, how can I ever thank Thee sufficiently for
having deigned to visit me ! O spotless Virgin ! O all
ye blessed citizens of heaven ! O all ye souls glowing with
purest love, enable me to thank my Lord incessantly for His
infinite goodness. O God, to Thee be thanksgiving, praise,
adoration, and glory from all creatures through endless ages.
Act
of Petition
My
loving Lord, since Thou hast deigned to visit me that I may be
enriched with Thy graces, and since Thou hast commanded me to ask
them of Thee, listen to me now, I implore Thee. Bestow on me, O
Jesus, an increase of faith, hope, charity, and sorrow for my
sins. Grant me humility, purity, patience, and every other
virtue ; cleanse me of all my sins. Detach my heart from the
perishable things of this world, and conform it to Thy divine
Will.
Act
of Oblation
O
Jesus, Thou hast given Thyself entirely to me ; and
gratitude requires that I should give myself wholly to Thee. Thou
hast sanctified me by dwelling in me ; henceforth I will,
with Thy divine assistance, be entirely consecrated to Thee. My
eyes, which Thou hast opened to the true light, shall be Thine.
My ears, which have heard Thy gentle invitation, shall be Thine.
And this tongue, which has been touched by Thy adorable Body and
Blood, shall be Thine forevermore. May all my senses be devoted
to Thy greater glory and honor ; may they never again rebel
against Thy holy Law. To Thee I offer all that I am and have, O
Jesus. Confirm me now in Thy holy grace ; let me never lose
it again, let me ever love and serve Thee here on earth, so as to
be happy with Thee in heaven. Amen.
Prayer
after Holy Communion
Behold,
my longings are fulfilled ! Behold, my desires are
satisfied ! Now hath my God come to visit me ! Now
Jesus dwelleth within me ! Now I am no longer my own but
Christ’s : I no longer live in myself, in Jesus, and
Jesus lives in me. I am altogether the possession of Jesus, and
Jesus is altogether mine.
O
Infinite Goodness ! A God – the God of heaven –
hath touched the tongue, and come within the breast, and sought
the heart of a human creature, and one so vile, so unworthy as I
am ! My soul, of what art thou thinking ? Behold
thyself now in possession of that for which thou hast been
sighing ; behold thyself all hallowed by the presence of
Jesus, transformed into Jesus. Thou and Jesus art one. O union
true and wonderful ! My soul, my soul, art thou thus closely
united to Jesus, and yet sayest nothing to Him, and speaketh not
with thy God Who is in thine arms, within thy breast, at thy
heart ? Up, up, arise, collect thyself, gather up all the
affections of thy spirit ; adore Him, and say to Him:
O
welcome, dearest Jesus, to the mansion of my soul. Oh, how long
have I desired this hour ! But, oh, how I pity Thee, now
that I see Thee placed in this heart, more hard and cold than the
stall where thou wast born ; a heart more full of what is
grief and anguish to Thee than Calvary was to Thy sacred
flesh ; for not once, but a hundred, and a thousand times,
have I renewed Thy death and Passion by my sins ! Lord, what
dost Thou find in me but hardness and obduracy against Thee, and
affections all given to earthly things ! Ah, my God, how is
it Thou hast come to dwell in me ? I must cry out with St.
Peter, Depart from me, depart from me, O Majesty of God ;
depart from this soul of sin, which is not worthy to harbor
God ; Exi a me, quia homo peccator sum, Domine.[32] Go,
and rest within those pure and fervent souls who welcome Thee so
tenderly. But, no, O my most precious blessing ; no, let it
never be so ; do not leave me, for if Thou art far from me,
I am lost. O God, my hope, I will not let Thee go ! O
blessing, for which I have sighed, I press Thee to my heart, and
I wish to live and die thus embracing Thee. O most holy Mary, O
angels, saints, and souls that love your God! lend me your
affections, that I may fitly welcome and cherish this presence of
my Jesus.
Act
of Thanksgiving
O
Divine Trinity, one God, most worthy to be loved, I thank Thee
from the very depth of my heart, because Thou hast given me
Jesus ; I thank Thee because Thou hast left me Jesus in the
Sacrament ; I thank Thee for having caused me to receive
Him ; I thank Thee, my Jesus, that Thou hast deigned to
visit me. O God, what return can I make for so much love !
How can I thank Thee enough, O most holy Virgin, O angels, O
saints of heaven, O all enamoured souls, help me to thank our
God, to thank and thank Him again and again, for this infinite
kindness. But, O God, how little even is all this ! The
thanksgiving of all paradise cannot attain to be thanks
sufficient to an infinite God, or recommend Him for His benefits.
What, then, shall I do ? I know not, except, O my most holy
Jesus, to offer up Thine own love itself in thanks for Thine
infinite love. May Thine infinite compassion, Thy kindness, and
all the abyss of Thine infinite attributes, render to Thee that
honor and that thank-offering which Thou deservest. O Most Holy
Trinity, one God, I thank Thee by the hands of Jesus ; and
do Thou, O Triune God, thank Jesus for me ! And now let my
heart remain full, and let Thy Majesty accept and be satisfied
with these infinite thanks. O my Blessing, to Thee alone be
praise, glory, and honor from all creatures, forever and forever.
Amen.
What
art thou doing, my soul ? Dost thou know that now thou art a
living temple in which really dwells thy Redeemer ? It is no
time now for lying slothful, and full of wandering thoughts. It
is the time for asking all the graces of which thou standest in
need, and for receiving them from the true and living God Who is
dwelling within thee.
Now
the heavens stand open, now the Most Holy Trinity, with eyes all
full of love, is above thee, looking down on the object of Its
own complacency – Jesus Christ, Who is within thy breast.
Now more than ever Mary, and angels, and saints, thy advocates,
are beseeching graces for thee from God. My soul, my soul, lose
not of these precious moments ; bend thy faculties to deal
with the great affair of thy eternal salvation. But how ?
Art thou saying nothing to thy God ? Ah, poor and miserable
as thou art, thou delightest to live on amid thy miseries, while
thou hast with Thee the God of all riches ; and thou art
silent, and thy mind begins already to wander, and thou art so
without desire of interest, so dull and so idle of heart !
Dost thou not know that if thou seekest not thou obtainest
not ? Were a king to enter thy house and invite thee to ask
favors of him, wouldst thou be long silent ? Ah, miserable
race, through our little faith ! The Kings of kings, with
His royal presence, is within thee, the Lord of the heavenly
treasures. A God – thy God – hath come to thee, Who
wishes to bestow great graces on thee and thou speakest not a
word ! This Infinite Benignity grieves and laments that His
favors are not sought ; and, unable longer to endure the
languid and indifference of men, forever longing to be kind to
them and do them good, He Himself takes to inviting them, and
beseeches them to ask. Usque modo non petistis quidquam in
nomine meo. Petite, et accipietis, ut gaudium vestrum sit plenum.[33] My
soul, thou hast within thee a Lord omnipotent, a most loving and
munificent Father, a most faithful God : and of what art
thou afraid ? Seek and confide, enlarge thy heart, revive
thy faith ; begin, ask great graces – heavenly graces,
graces worthy of God.
Act
of Petition
O
my dear Redeemer, since Thou hast come to me, in order to confer
graces upon me, and invitest me to ask them of Thee, hear me now
by the bowels of Thy compassion. Give me, O my Jesus, an increase
of living faith, hope, charity, and contrition. Give me humility,
purity, patience, and all virtues ; take from me all my
corruptions. Change this heart, so full of the world and of
myself, and give me a new heart conformed to Thy will, so that I
may always seek Thy greater glory, and that all its affections
may aspire to Thee and aim only at Thy love, without ever
deviating even in the very least. Cor mundum crea in me Deus,
et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.[34]
Grace is indeed a mighty gift, and though I merit it not, Thou
meritest it for me. From a great and glorious God great favors
may be sought ; grant me this, then, which I have asked, by
Thy Passion, by Thy death ; grant it by the love Thou
bearest to the Eternal Father ; grant it me by the virtue of
most holy Mary, by all the merits of the Church triumphant and
militant ; grant it me because Thou art Thyself infinite
goodness and mercy.
Here
apply yourself to ask with lively faith from God the graces and
favors which are needful for yourself and your neighbor.
O
Most Holy Trinity, O my omnipotent God, hear these my prayers.
Now is not the time to refuse graces even to the most unworthy,
because it is not I myself alone that am seeking them, but,
together with me, Jesus Christ is supplicating. Though I do not
deserve to be heard, Jesus Christ deserves it, Who prays with me,
and in me, and for me. Eternal Father, I call up before Thee the
promises of Jesus Christ, Who hath said that whatever graces we
seek from Thee in His name, without any other means, they shall
be obtained from Thee: Amen amen, dico vobis, si quid
petieritis Patrem in nomine meo, dabit vobis.[35]
Act
of Oblation
My
Jesus, it is but justice and common gratitude that I should give
myself entirely to Thee, after Thou hast given Thyself entirely
to me. Thou hast, in coming to me, penetrated and made godlike
all my being with Thy Divinity, and so I ought henceforward to
continue Thine. May these eyes, renewed by Thee, continue
Thine ; may these ears, sanctified by Thee, continue
Thine ; this taste, sanctified by Thee, may it be Thine.
Thou hast sanctified all my senses ; may they be Thine, and
so may they never again take pleasure in opposition to Thy divine
Law. Thou hast sanctified my memory ; may it continually
remember Thee. Thou hast sanctified my will ; may it never
turn to love anything in preference to Thee. Unto Thee, then,
from the very depth of my heart, I offer, as a perpetual
holocaust, my body and my soul, my senses and my faculties, all
that I have and am, as fully as I can. Burn, O fire divine, burn
and consume, O love omnipotent, all in me which is not Thine!
Amen.
The
Benedicite (Daniel 3: 57-88 and 56)
Antiphon.
Let us sing the song of the Three Children.
All
ye Works of the Lord, bless the Lord : praise and exalt Him
above all forever.
O
ye Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O ye
Heavens.
O
all ye Waters that are above the Heavens, bless the Lord :
bless the Lord, O all ye Powers of the Lord.
O
ye Sun and Moon, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O ye Stars
of Heaven.
O
every Shower and Dew, bless ye the Lord : bless the Lord, O
all ye Spirits of God.
O
ye Fire and Heat, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O ye Cold
and Heat.
O
ye Dews and Hoarfrost, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O ye
Frost and Cold.
O
ye Ice and Snow, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O ye
Nights and Days.
O
ye Light and Darkness, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O ye
Lightnings and Clouds.
O
let the Earth bless the Lord : let it praise and exalt Him
above all forever.
O
ye Mountains and Hills, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O
all ye things that spring up in the earth.
O
ye Fountains, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O ye Seas and
Rivers.
O
ye Whales, and all that move in the Waters, bless the Lord :
bless the Lord, O all ye Fowls of the air.
O
all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O
ye Sons of men.
O
let Israel bless the Lord : let them praise and exalt Him
above all forever.
O
ye Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord : bless the Lord, O
ye Servants of the Lord.
O
ye Spirits and Souls of the Just, bless the Lord : bless the
Lord, O ye holy and humble of heart.
O
Ananiah, Azariah, and Misael, bless ye the Lord : praise and
exalt Him above all forever.
Let
us bless the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Spirit : let
us praise and exalt Hm above all forever.
Blessed
art Thou, O Lord, in the firmament of Heaven : and worthy to
be praised and glorified, and exalted above all forever.
Psalm
150
Praise
the Lord in His holy places : praise Him in the firmament of
His power.
Praise
Him in His mighty acts : praise Him according to the
multitude of His greatness.
Praise
Him with the sound of the trumpet : praise Him with psaltery
and harp.
Praise
Him with timbrel and choir : praise Him with strings and
organs.
Praise
Him upon the high-sounding cymbals : praise Him upon cymbals
of joy : let every spirit praise the Lord. Alleluia.
Glory
be to the Father, etc.
Antiphon.
Let us sing the song of the Three Children, which they sang in
the fiery furnace, blessing the Lord.
Lord,
have mercy.
Christ,
have mercy.
Lord,
have mercy.
Our
Father (inaudibly).
V.
And lead us not into temptation.
R.
But deliver us from evil.
V.
Let all Thy works, O Lord, praise Thee.
R.
And let Thy Saints bless Thee.
V.
The Saints shall rejoice in glory.
R.
They shall be joyful in their beds.
V.
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us.
R.
But unto Thy name give the glory.
V.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
R.
And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let
us pray.
O
God, who for the Three Children didst assuage the flames of
fire : mercifully grant that the flames of sin may not
consume us Thy servants.
Direct,
we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy inspiration, and
further them with Thy continual help ; that every prayer and
work of ours may always begin from Thee, and through Thee be
brought to an end.
Vouchsafe,
O Lord, to extinguish within us the flames of sin ; Thou who
didst grant to Blessed Lawrence grace to arise whole from his
fiery torments. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer
of St. Thomas Aquinas
I
render thanks to Thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Everlasting God, who
hast vouchsafed, not for any merits of mine, but of Thy great
mercy only, to feed me a great sinner, Thine unworthy servant,
with the precious Body and Blood of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ ; and I pray that this Holy Communion may not be for
my judgment and condemnation, but for my pardon and salvation.
Let it be unto me an armor 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 defense against the
wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible ; a perfect
quieting of all my impulses, fleshy and spiritual ; a
cleaving unto Thee, the one true God ; and a blessed
consummation of my end when Thou dost call. And I pray that Thou
wouldst vouchsafe to bring me a sinner to that unspeakable Feast
where Thou, with Thy Son and Thy Holy Spirit, art to Thy holy
ones true light, full blessedness, everlasting joy, and perfect
happiness Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer
of St. Bonaventure
O
most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, transfix the affections of my
inmost soul with that most joyous and healthful wound of Thy
love, with true, serene, holiest Apostolic charity, that my soul
may ever languish and melt with genuine love and longing for
Thee, that it may desire Thee, and faint for Thy courts, long to
be dissolved and to be with Thee. Grant that my soul may hunger
after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the Refreshment of holy souls,
our daily and supersubstantial Bread, who hast all sweetness and
savor, and the sweetness of every taste. Let my heart ever hunger
after and feed upon Thee, upon whom the Angels desire to look,
and my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor. May
it ever thirst for Thee, the Fountain of life, the Source of
wisdom and knowledge, the Fountain of eternal light, the Torrent
of pleasure, the Richness of the House of God. May it ever yearn
for Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, stretch towards Thee, attain to
Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the
praise and glory of Thy holy name, with humility and discretion,
with love and delight, with readiness and affection, with
perseverance even unto the end. And be Thou ever my hope and my
whole confidence ; my riches ; my delight, my pleasure,
and my joy ; my rest and tranquillity ; my peace, my
sweetness and my fragrace ; my sweet savor, my food and
refreshment ; my refuge and my help ; my wisdom ;
my portion, my possession, and my treasure, in whom my mind and
my heart may ever remain fixed and firm, and rooted immovably,
henceforth and forevermore. Amen.
Prayer
to the Blessed Virgin
O
most holy, O most benign, O noble and glorious Virgin Mary, who
wast worthy to bear in thy sacred womb the Creator of all, and at
thy virginal breast to nourish Him whose true, real, and most
holy Body and Blood I, an unworthy sinner, have just now dared to
receive: vouchsafe, I humbly beseech thee, to intercede with Him
for me, a sinner ; that whatsoever, by ignorance or neglect,
by accident or irreverence, I have left undone, or have done
amiss, in this unspeakably holy Sacrifice, may be pardoned
through thy prayers to the same our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son,
who with the Father and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth world
without end. Amen.
Aspirations
Who
art Thou, O Lord, and what am I ?
Dost
Thou come unto me, O King most High, even to the very lowest of
Thy servants ?
Behold,
O Lord, I now have Thee, who hast all things : I possess
Thee, who possessest all things and canst do all things ;
therefore, O my God and my All, do Thou wean my heart from all
other things beside Thee, for in them there is nothing but
vanity and weariness of spirit ; on Thee alone may my heart
be fixed ; in Thee be my rest, for in Thee is my treasure,
in Thee is sovereign truth, true happiness, and eternal life.
Let
my soul, O Lord, feel the sweetness of Thy presence. May it taste
how sweet Thou art, O Lord, that drawn by love of Thee, it may
seek for nothing wherein to rejoice out of Thee ; for Thou
art the joy of my heart, and my God, and my portion forever.
Thou
art the Physician of my soul, who with Thine own stripes hast
healed our sickness. I am that sick soul whom Thou camest from
heaven to heal ; heal my soul, therefore, for I have sinned
against Thee.
Thou
art the Good Shepherd, who hast laid down Thy life for Thy sheep.
Behold, I am that sheep which was lost, and yet Thou dost
vouchsafe to feed me with Thy Body and Blood ; lay me now
upon Thy shoulders. What wilt Thou refuse me, who hast given
Thyself unto me ? O be Thou my Shepherd, and I shall lack
nothing in the green pasture wherein Thou feedest me, until I am
brought to the pastures of eternal life.
O
Thou true Light, which enlightenest every man who cometh into the
world, enlighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death.
O
Fire continually burning, and never failing ! behold how
lukewarm and cold I am ; O do Thou inflame my reins and my
heart, that they may be on fire with the love of Thee. For Thou
camest to send fire on the earth, and what wilt Thou but that it
be kindled ?
O
King of Heaven and earth, rich in pity ! behold, I am poor
and needy : Thou knowest what I most require ; Thou
alone art able to enrich and help me ; help me ; O God,
and out of the treasure of Thy goodness succor Thou my needy
soul.
O
my Lord and my God ! behold, I am Thy servant : give me
understanding and kindle my affections, that I may know and do
Thy will.
Thou
art the Lamb of God, the Lamb without spot, who takest away the
sins of the world ; take away from me whatever hurteth me
and displeaseth Thee ; and give me what Thou knowest to be
pleasing to Thee and good for me.
Thou
art my love and all my joy ; Thou art my God and my
all ; Thou art the portion of my inheritance and of my
cup ; Thou art He that will restore my inheritance unto me.
O
my God and my All ! may the sweet and burning power of Thy
love, I beseech Thee, so absorb my soul, that I may die unto the
world for the love of Thee, who for the love of me hast
vouchsafed to die upon the Cross, O my God and my All.
Lord,
if I had lived innocently, I could not have deserved to receive
the crumbs that fall from Thy Table. How great is Thy mercy, who
hast feasted me with the Bread of Angels, with the Wine of
Virgins, with Manna from heaven !
O
when shall I pass from this dark glass, from this veil of the
Sacraments, to the vision of Thy eternal light ; from eating
Thy Body, to beholding Thy face in Thy eternal kingdom ?
Let
not my sins crucify the Lord of life again ; let it ever be
said of me, The hand of him who betrayeth Me is with Me on the
table.
O
that I might love Thee as well as ever any creature loved
Thee ! Let me think nothing but Thee, desire nothing but
Thee, enjoy nothing but Thee.
O
Jesus, be a Jesus unto me. Thou art all things unto me. Let
nothing ever please me but what savors of Thee and Thy
unspeakable sweetness.
Blessed
be the mercies of our Lord, who of God is made unto me
wisdom, and justice, and sanctification, and redemption. Let him
who glorieth glory in the Lord. Amen.
Act
of Adoration and Praise
O
Lord Jesus, sweetest Guest, mayest Thou have come happily to me,
Thy poor and humble servant. Mayest Thou have entered in blessing
under this mean and lowly roof. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the
highest, for that Thou hast come into my heart, Thou Day-spring
from on high. O King of peace, drive from my heart all vain and
idle thoughts, that my soul may imitate and love Thee only, the
Author of peace. For what beside Thee, O Thou peace, Thou calm
and sweetness of my heart, should my soul seek for or
desire ?
Prayer
for Grace
Grant
me Thy grace, most merciful Jesus, that it may be with me, and
work with me, and continue with me even to the end. Grant me ever
to will and desire what is most pleasing to Thee. Let Thy will be
mine, and my will ever perfectly follow Thine, that so I may
neither choose nor reject, save that Thou choosest and rejectest.
Grant
me to die to all that is in the world, and for love of Thee to be
content to be despised and unknown in this life. Grant me, above
all things, to rest in Thee, and to still my heart to perfect
peace in Thee. For Thou art the true peace of the heart, Thou art
its only rest, and out of Thee there is no rest. In this peace,
that is in Thyself alone, my chief and eternal good, may I lie
down and take my rest. Amen.
Act
of Thanksgiving
What
shall I render unto Thee, O Lord Jesus for all that Thou hast
done unto me, especially on this day ? In Thy care for me
Thou hast given me Thy Body for my food, and Thy Blood for my
drink, and both as a pledge of future glory. Would that my lips
might be opened, and my mouth filled with Thy praise, that I
might sing of Thy glory and of Thy greatness all the day long,
and tell of all Thy wondrous works. O my soul, magnify the Lord,
from whom thou hast received blessings so many and so
great ; and rejoice, my spirit, in God thy Saviour :
for He hath looked down on my lowliness ; and the Mighty One
hath done great things for me, and hath filled me, when hungry,
with good things.
Let
my words please Thee, O Lord ; my joy shall be in Thee, and
I will strive to practice Thy commandments. Hold Thou me by Thy
right hand, and guide me by Thy will, that Thou mayest afterwards
receive me into Thy glory, for Thy mercy’s sake. Amen.
Act
of Union with Christ and the Blessed Virgin
O
most merciful Father, who hast so loved me as to give me Thine
Only-begotten Son for my food and drink, and with Him all things,
look upon the Face of Thine Anointed, in whom Thou art well
pleased. This Thy Beloved Son, and with Him my heart, I offer and
present to Thee for all the blessings Thou hast this day given
me. Mayest Thou, O Father, be now well-pleased in Him, and
through Him turn away Thine indignation from me.
Behold
the One Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, my
Advocate and High-Priest, who intercedes for me. Him do I offer
and plead before Thee, who committed no sin, but bore the sin of
the world, and by whose stripes we are healed. Accept, therefore,
O Holy Father, this Unspotted Victim, to the honor and glory of
Thy name, in thanksgiving for all the blessings Thou hast ever
bestowed upon me, for the remission also of my sins, and for the
supply of all my defects and shortcomings.
O
Blessed Virgin, Mother of my God and Saviour, present my
petitions to thy Son. O all ye Angels and Saints, citizens of
heaven, join also your prayers with mine. Ye stand always before
the Throne, and see Him face to face, whom I here receive under
veils. Be ever mindful of me, and obtain from Him and through Him
that with you I may bless Him and love Him forever. Amen.
Act
of Self-Consecration
O
Lord, since I am Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaid, I
renounce the devil and all his works and pomps ; all the
vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the
flesh. Thou alone art the God of my heart ; Thou, O God, art
my portion for ever. Thou art the portion of my inheritance and
of my cup. Thou art He that will restore my inheritance unto me.
Do Thou therefore take for Thine own all the powers of my soul,
my memory, my intellect, and my will. All that I am, and all that
I have, Thou hast bestowed upon me : therefore I give back
all to Thee, and surrender it to be wholly governed by Thy
sovereign will. Grant me but grace to love Thee alone, and I am
rich enough and ask no more.
Prayer
Before a Crucifix
Behold,
O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in Thy
sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and
beseech Thee that Thou wouldst impress upon my heart, lively
sentiments of Faith, Hope, and Charity, with true repentance for
my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment, whilst with deep
affection and grief of soul I ponder within myself and mentally
contemplate Thy five most precious Wounds ; having before my
eyes the words which David in prophecy spoke concerning Thyself,
O good Jesus: “They have pierced my hands and feet ;
they have numbered all my bones.”
ST.
ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI:
Prayer
Behold,
my Jesus, Thou art come, Thou art now within me, and hast made
Thyself all mine. Be Thou welcome, my Beloved Redeemer. I adore
Thee, and cast myself at Thy feet ; I embrace Thee, I press
Thee to my heart, and thank Thee for that Thou hast deigned to
enter into my breast. O Mary, O my patron saints, O my guardian
angel, do you all thank him for me! Since then, O my Divine King!
Thou art come to visit me with so much love, I give Thee my will,
my liberty, and my whole self. Thou hast given Thyself all to me,
I will give myself all to Thee ; I will no longer belong to
myself ; from this day forward I will be Thine, and
altogether Thine. I desire that my soul, my body, my faculties,
my senses, should be all Thine, that they may be employed in
serving and pleasing Thee. To Thee I consecrate all my thoughts,
my desires, my affections, and all my life. I have offended Thee
enough, my Jesus ; I desire to spend the remainder of my
life in loving Thee, who hast loved me so much.
Accept,
O God of my soul, the sacrifice which I, a miserable sinner, make
to Thee, and who desires only to love and please Thee. Work Thou
in me, and dispose of me, and of all things belonging to me all
those affections which are displeasing to Thee, that I may be all
Thine, and may live only to please Thee!
I
ask Thee not for goods of this world, for pleasures, for
honors ; give me, I pray Thee, by the merits of Thy Passion,
O my Jesus, a constant sorrow for my sins! Enlighten me, and make
me know the vanity of worldly goods, and how much Thou dost
deserve to be loved. Separate me from all attachment to the
world, and bind me entirely to Thy love, that from henceforth my
will may neither seek nor desire anything but what Thou willest.
Give me patience and resignation in infirmities, in poverty, and
in all those things which are contrary to my self-love. Make me
gentle towards those who despise me. Give me a holy death. Give
me Thy holy love. And, above all, I pray Thee to give me
perseverance in Thy grace till death ; never permit me to
separate myself from Thee again: Jesu dulcissime, ne permittas
me separari a Te. And I also ask of Thee the grace always to
have recourse to Thee, and to invoke Thy aid, O my Jesus, in all
my temptations ; and the grace to ask Thee always for holy
perseverance.
O
Eternal Father, Thy Son Jesus Christ has promised me that Thou
wilt grant me everything that I shall ask Thee in his name: If
you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you.
In the name therefore, and by the merits of this Son, I ask for
Thy love and holy perseverance, that I may one day love Thee in
heaven with all my strength, and sing Thy mercies forever, secure
of never more being separated from Thee.
O
most holy Mary, my mother and my hope, obtain for me these graces
which I so desire ; as also a great love for thee, my Queen:
may I always recommend myself to thee in all my necessities!
An
Act of Faith
Behold,
my God is even now come to visit me ; my Saviour to dwell in
my soul. My Jesus is even now within me. He is come to make
himself mine, and at the same time to make me his. So that Jesus
is mine, and I belong to Jesus: Jesus is all mine, and I am all
his.
O
Infinite Goodness! O Infinite Mercy! O Infinite Love ! that
a God should come to unite himself to me, and to make himself all
mine ! My soul, now that thou art thus closely bound to
Jesus, that thou art thus one with him, what doest thou? Hast
thou nothing to say to him ; dost thou not converse with thy
God, who is with thee ? Ah, yes, renew thy faith ;
remember that the angels now surround thee adoring their God, who
is within thy breast, do thou also adore thy Lord within thyself.
Enter into thyself, and banish thence every other thought. Unite
all thy affections, and, clinging closely to thy God, say:
An
Act of Welcome
Ah,
my Jesus, my love, my infinite good, my all, be ever welcome in
the poor dwelling of my soul ! Ah, my Lord, where art
Thou ! to what a place art Thou come ! Thou hast
entered my heart, which is far worse than the stable in which
Thou wast born ; it is full of earthly affections, of
self-love, and of inordinate desires. And how couldst Thou come
to dwell there ? I would address Thee with St. Peter: Depart
from me, for I am a sinful man.[36]
Yes, depart from me, O Lord, for I am indeed unworthy to receive
a God of infinite goodness ; go and find repose in those
pure souls who serve Thee with so much love. But no, my
Redeemer ; what do I say ? Leave me not ; for if
Thou departest, I am lost. I embrace Thee, my life ; I cling
to Thee. Mad indeed have I been in having separated myself from
Thee for the love of creatures ; and in my ingratitude I
drove Thee from me. But now I will never more separate myself
from Thee, my treasure ; I desire to live and die ever
united to Thee. Most blessed Virgin Mary, Seraphim, and all
souls, do ye who love God with pure love lend me your affections,
that I may worthily attend on my beloved Lord.
An
Act of Thanksgiving
My
God and Lord, I thank Thee for the grace which Thou hast this
morning bestowed upon me, of coming to dwell in my soul ;
but I would wish to thank Thee in a manner worthy of Thee and of
the great favor which Thou hast done me. But what do I say ?
how can so miserable a creature as I am ever worthily thank
Thee ? Father Segneri says, that the feeling most becoming a
soul that communicates is that of wondering astonishment at the
thought, and to repeat, “A God is united to me ; a God
is mine !” David said, What shall I render to the
Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to me?[37] But
I ! what return shall I make to Thee, my Jesus, who, after
having given me so many of Thy good things, hast this morning,
moreover, given me Thyself ? My soul, bless, then, and thank
thy God as best as thou canst. And thou, my Mother Mary, my holy
advocates, my guardian angel, and all ye souls who love God, Come
and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what great
things He hath done for my soul.[38]
Come and bless and thank my God for me, admiring and praising the
indeed great graces which he has granted me.
An
Act of Oblation
My
Beloved to me, and I to Him.[39]
Should a king go to visit a poor shepherd in his hut, what can
the shepherd offer him other than his whole hut, such as it
is ? Since, then, O Jesus, my divine king, Thou hast come to
visit the poor house of my soul, I offer and give Thee this house
and my entire self, together with my liberty and will: My
Beloved to me, and I to Him. Thou hast given Thyself all to
me ; I give myself all to Thee. My Jesus, from this day
forward I will be no longer mine ; I will be Thine, and all
Thine. May my senses be Thine, that they may only serve me to
please Thee. And what greater pleasure, says Peter of Alcantara,
can be found, than that of pleasing Thee, most amiable, most
loving, most gracious God? I at the same time give Thee all the
powers of my soul, and I will that they shall be all Thine ;
my memory I will only use to recall to mind Thy benefits and Thy
love ; my understanding I will only use to think of
Thee, who always thinkest of my good ; my will I will only
use to love Thee, my God, my all, and to will only that which
Thou willest.
My
most sweet Lord, I offer, then, and consecrate to Thee this
morning all that I am and have – my senses, my thoughts, my
affections, my desires, my pleasures, my inclinations, my
liberty ; in a word, I place my whole body and soul in Thy
hands.
Accept,
O Infinite Majesty, the sacrifice of the hitherto most ungrateful
sinner Thou hast ever had on earth ; but who now offers and
gives himself all to Thee. Do with me and dispose of me, O Lord,
as Thou pleasest.
Come,
O consuming fire, O divine love! And consume in me all that is
mine, and that is displeasing in Thy most pure eyes, so that
henceforward I may be all Thine, and may live only to execute,
not Thy commands and counsels only, but also all Thy holy desires
and Thy good pleasure. Amen.
O
most holy Mary, do thou present this offering of mine to the Most
Blessed Trinity with thine own hands ; and do thou obtain
their acceptance of it, and that they may grant me the grace to
be faithful unto death. Amen, amen, amen.
An
Act of Petition
O
my soul, what art thou doing ? The present is no time to be
lost : it is a precious time, in which thou canst receive
all the graces that thou askest. Seest thou not the Eternal
Father, who is lovingly beholding thee ? for within thee he
sees his beloved Son, the dearest object of his love. Drive,
then, far from thee all other thoughts ; rekindle thy faith,
enlarge thy heart, and ask for whatever thou willest.
Hearest
thou not Jesus himself who thus addresses thee : What
wilt thou that I should do to thee?[40] O
soul, tell me, what dost thou desire of me ? I am come for
the express purpose of enriching and gratifying thee ; ask
with confidence, and thou wilt receive all.
Ah !
my most sweet Saviour, since Thou hast come into my heart in
order to grant me graces, and desirest that I should ask Thee for
them, I ask Thee not for the goods of the earth – riches,
honors, or pleasures ; but grant me, I beseech Thee, intense
sorrow for the displeasure that I have caused Thee ; impart
to me so clear a light, that I may know the vanity of this world,
and how deserving Thou art of love. Change this heart of mine,
detach it from all earthly affections ; give me a heart
conformable in all things to Thy holy will, that it may seek only
that which is more pleasing to Thee, and have no other desire
than Thy holy love: Create a clean heart in me, O God.[41]
I
deserve not this ; but Thou, my Jesus, deservest it, since
Thou art come to dwell in my soul : I ask it of Thee through
Thy merits, and those of Thy most holy Mother, and by the love
which Thou bearest to Thy Eternal Father.
Eternal
Father, Jesus Christ himself, Thy Son, has said, Amen, amen, I
say to you, If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will
give it to you.[42] For
the love, then, of this Son, whom I now hold within my breast, do
Thou graciously hear me and grant my petition.
Amores
mei dulcissimi, Jesu et Maria ! pro vobis patiar, pro vobis
moriar ; sim totus vester, sim nihil meus.[43]
“My most sweet Loves, Jesus and Mary, may I suffer for you,
may I die for you ; may I be all yours, and in nothing my
own !”
Loving
Aspirations to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
After
Holy Communion
I.
Trahe
me : post te curremus in odorem unguentorum tuorum[44]
– “Draw me : we will run after Thee to the odor of
Thy ointments.”
Since,
then, O my dear Jesus, I cannot, while in this life, ascend to
Thee, Thou hast willed to descend to me, to unite Thyself to me
in this sacrament of love. Draw me, my Lord, all to Thee. I do
not wish to draw Thee to me, that Thou shouldst do my
pleasure ; but I desire that Thou shouldst draw me so
entirely to Thee by Thy sweet attractions, that I may not be able
to desire or to do anything else but Thy most holy will. It is
just that my inclinations should yield to Thy disposition. Take
me up wholly to Thyself ; and so united, I shall be free
from earthly affections, and shall run with Thee in the path of
virtue, and be able to repose peacefully in Thy divine will both
in this life and in the next : In peace, in the self-same
I will sleep, and I will rest.[45]
II.
Introduxit
me in cellam vinariam, ordinavit in me charitatem[46]
– “The King brought me into the cellar of wine, and set
in order charity in me.”
It
is precisely by this cellar of wine that St. Bonaventure
understands the Holy Communion which introduces and then unites
the soul to its divine king, and gives it to taste that wine of
love which destroys the desire of created things ; infuses a
well-regulated love, that is just towards itself, charitable
towards its neighbor, supreme towards God, loving him above all
things, who above all things deserves to be loved.
O
Jesus, my king, only Lord of my heart, Thou hast already brought
me into the beautiful cellar of Thy love, that is, into Thyself,
uniting me to Thee by means of this sacrament of love. Yes, my
Lord, I already feel my heart changed. I feel a holy desire,
which gives me peace, and makes me loathe all impure affections,
and enkindles in me the pure love of Thee. O my Jesus, since Thou
hast given me an entrance to this beautiful cellar, let me no
more depart from it. Since Thou hast united Thyself to me, do not
leave me again. Detach me from the love of all creatures. Unite
me to Thee continually more and more on this earth, that I may
one day come to be perfectly united to Thee in heaven ;
where I shall love Thee face to face with all my strength,
without interruption and without imperfection throughout all
eternity.
III.
Dilectus
meus descendit ad hortum suum, ...ut pascatur in hortis, et lilia
colligat[47]
– “My Beloved is gone down into His garden ... to feed
in the gardens, and to gather lilies.”
My
sweet Saviour, since Thou dost descend from heaven to come into
my soul, by Thy grace do Thou make it become Thy garden, that
Thou mayest gather in it lilies and fruits which are agreeable to
Thee. Pardon me, if I have offended Thee. Receive me, if I have
left Thee, now that I return penitent to Thee. Give me that
purity which Thou dost desire to see in me. Give me strength to
do what Thou desirest. Grant me Thy true love, and then shall I
become pleasing to Thee. I sacrifice to Thee all my inclinations,
and I desire and wish for nothing but to please Thee.
IV.
Totus
desiderabilis, talis est Dilectus meus[48]
– “He is all lovely ; such is my Beloved.”
Jesus,
to those souls who love him as spouses, makes himself altogether
desirable, whether he chastises or consoles them, whether he
appears near or distant, because he does it all for love, and
that he may be loved.
Treat
me then, O my Jesus, as Thou wilt, I will always love Thee ;
whether Thou dost give me sweetnesses or tribulations, I know
that all will come to me from Thy loving heart, and that all will
be for my greater good. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is
ready.[49]
Behold, my will is ready, O Lord, to accept all that Thou shalt
ordain. I will bless the Lord at all times.[50] At
all times, whether prosperous or adverse, I will bless Thee, and
love Thee, O my Creator. I neither seek nor merit any consolation
from Thee ; for I have given Thee nothing but bitterness by
my sins: I seel only Thy good pleasure. Provided Thou art
satisfied, I shall be content with any punishment. My Jesus, my
Jesus, whether far off or near, Thou shalt always be desirable to
me, always dear ; whether Thou dost console or afflict me, I
will always love Thee, always thank Thee.
V.
Quae
est ista quae ascendit de deserto, deliciis affluens, innixa
super Dilectum suum ?[51] --
“Who is this that cometh up from the desert flowing with
delights, leaning upon her Beloved ?”
Who,
then, are those souls who, living on the earth, esteem it a
desert ? so that, detached from visible things, they live
only to God ; as if there was no one else but God, whom
alone they love and desire to please. And in this way they almost
go out of the world, and raise themselves above it ;
enjoying the delights which are experienced by those who wish for
God alone, and who place in God all their hopes. Who, then, are
these faithful souls, if not those who often and with pure love
unite themselves to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament ?
Yes,
my God, such do I also desire to be by the means of Thy grace,
detached from all things, and to be all Thine. Henceforth the
world shall be to me a desert, where, flying from all attachment
to creatures, I will think of nothing but Thee ; as if Thou
and I were the only persons there. In Thee alone will I put all
my confidence, all my love, O God, O beloved God, my hope, my
love, my all.
VI.
If
she be a wall, let us build upon it bulwarks of silver ; if
she be a door, let us join it together with boards of cedar.[52]
This
is precisely what Jesus does when he comes to a soul in the Holy
Communion. He sees that she is a wall too weak to be able to
resist the assaults of hell ; therefore, by the virtue of
the sacrament, he fortifies her with bulwarks of silver, that is,
with his divine light. He sees that she is a door inclined easily
to be corrupted, and he renews it, adjusting her with the planks
of strength and perseverance, as is signified by cedar, which is
a strong and incorruptible wood ; that is, with the gifts of
holy fear, with detachment from creatures, with the love of
prayer, with supplications, with holy desires, and still more
with the gift of divine love, which are the support of holy
perseverance: Bread strengthens man’s heart.[53]
Jesus teaches us, that as earthly bread preserves the life of the
body, so the heavenly bread of the Holy Communion preserves the
life of the soul : He that eatheth Me, the same shall
live by Me.[54] He
that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in Me and I in
him.[55]
Such are the gracious promises which Jesus makes to him who
receives him in the Blessed Sacrament.
Ah,
my Jesus ! who is weaker and more unfaithful than I ?
Thou knowest well how many times I have yielded to my enemies,
and how many times they have seized the gate, that is, my will,
by which they have entered to ruin me by causing me to lose Thy
friendship. Oh, fortify me with Thy light and strength, that I
may no more lose Thee or drive Thee from me ! My Lord and my
dear Redeemer, if I am to turn back and offend Thee again, oh,
let me die now, while I hope that I am in Thy grace and united to
Thee ! I trust not myself ; no, nor will I ever, my
dear Jesus, live without Thee. But as long as I live, I am in
danger of changing my will and betraying Thee, as I have done
before: do Thou help me. Help me also, most holy Mary ; have
pity on me : thou who art the Mother of perseverance, obtain
for me this gift from thy Jesus. Of thee I seek it, of thee I
hope it, of thee I ask it.
VII.
Inveni,
quem diligit anima mea ; tenui eum, nec dimittam![56]
“I found Him whom my soul loveth : I held Him, and I
will not let Him go.”
So
ought every soul to say who is united with Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament: Creatures, depart from me ; go out altogether
from my heart. I loved you once, because I was blind ; now I
love you not, nor can I ever love you again. I have found another
good, infinitely more delightful than you ; I have found in
myself my Jesus, who has enamoured me by his beauty ; to
this love I have given myself entirely. He has already accepted
me, so that I am no longer my own. Creatures, farewell: I am not,
nor shall I ever again be yours ; but I am and shall be
always Christ’s. He, too, is mine, and will always be mine: I
held Him, and I will not let Him go.[57] Now
I have pressed him to my heart, receiving him in the Holy
Communion ; for the future I will hold him with my love, and
will not let him leave me anymore.
Permit
me, sweet Saviour, to embrace Thee so closely, that I may never
more be separated from Thee. Behold, I press Thee to myself, my
Jesus ; I love Thee, I love Thee ; and, oh, that I
could love Thee worthily. I wish that my only happiness and
repose should be to love Thee and please Thee. Do Thou command
all creatures to leave me, and not to disturb me ; say to
them, I adjure you, do not arouse or waken My love.[58] Ah,
if I do not wish it, creatures cannot enter in to disturb and
divide me from Thee. Strengthen, then, my will, unite my
miserable heart to Thy divine heart, that it may always will what
Thou wilt. Do this, Lord, by Thy merits. Amen, amen. So do I
hope ; so may it be.
VIII.
Surge,
aquilo, et veni, auster ; perfla hortum meum, et fluant
aromata illius[59]
– “Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow
through my garden, and let the aromatical spices thereof
flow.”
Fly
from me, O north wind ! hurtful and cold wind of earthly
affections ; and come, thou soft, warm breeze of the sacred
love of the Holy Spirit, which comes from the Heart of my Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament. Do thou alone breathe through my soul,
which has been chosen by Jesus for his garden of delights.
Blow ; for by thy breath how many fresh and sweet odors of
holy virtues shalt thou draw forth from me ! My Jesus, my
Jesus, Thou canst do this ; and this do I hope from Thee.
IX.
Messui
myrrham meam cum aromatibus meis, comedi favum cum melle meo[60]
– “I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices:
I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey.”
A
soul which has received Jesus must be careful to gather myrrh,
that it may always offer the sweet odor of those virtues which
arise from mortification. I have eaten honeycomb with my honey.
In like manner, the soul that loves God alone is not satisfied
with the honey, but will also have the honeycomb ; therefore
it says to Jesus: O Lord, Thy consolations are not sufficient for
me, unless Thou givest me Thyself, who art the fountain of
consolation ; the fruits of love are not enough for me, if
Thou dost not give me also Thyself, who art the object of my
love. Truly Thou alone wilt suffice for me ; I am ready to
renounce all Thy delights, provided I possess Thee alone, my God,
and my only good. I love Thee, not to please myself, but to
please Thee ; for Thou dost desire to be loved by me, and
Thou art worthy of all our love, whether Thou dost console or try
us.
X.
Nihil
mihi deerit ; in loco pascuae ibi me collocavit[61]
– “He hath sent me in a place of pasture, and I shall
want nothing.”
Ah,
my beloved Jesus ! since Thou dost invite me in this feast
of love to feed on Thy divine flesh, what more can I ever want? The
Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?[62]
Whom shall I fear, if Thou, O God omnipotent, art my light and my
salvation ? I give myself all to Thee. Accept me, and then
do with me what Thou wilt ; chastise me, show Thine
indignation towards me when Thou wilt ; kill me, destroy me,
and I will say always, with Job: Although He should kill me, I
will trust in Him.[63]
Whilst I am Thine, and Thou lovest me, I am content to be treated
by Thee with every hardship ; to be even annihilated, if it
so pleases Thee.
XI.
In
manibus meis descripsi te ; muri tui coram oculis meis
semper[64]
– “I have graven thee in My hands ; thy walls
are always before my eyes.”
See
the loving care that God takes of a soul that he wishes to have
to himself. He carries it written in his hands, so that he may
never forget it, and says, that sooner would a mother forget her
own son that he a soul in grace: And if she should forget, yet
will I not forget thee.[65] And
thy walls are always before My eyes. His eyes are always open, to
watch over that soul, so that its enemies do it no harm : Thou
hast crowned us, as with a shield of Thy good-will.[66] Our
good God surrounds us with the protection of his good-will,
wholly solicitous for our good ; and so he delivers us from
all dangers. Ah, my God ! infinite goodness, who more than
any other lovest me and desirest my good, I abandon myself
entirely to Thee. Should every other hope fail me, Thou wilt
never fail me. I know that I also must cooperate by obeying Thy
holy will. Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?[67]
Nothing else can I say ; behold me ready and determined, my
sweet Saviour, to do what Thou pleasest: Thy will be done.[68]
Nothing else do I desire but to accomplish Thy will. But do Thou
help me, otherwise I shall do no good at all. Teach me not only
to know, but also to do, all that pleases Thee: teach me to do
Thy will.[69]
Eternal Father, grant that I may be able to say with truth, as
Thy Jesus did wilst he was on earth : I always do the
things that are pleasing to Him.[70] My
God ! this I desire, this I pray for, and this I hope,
through the merits of Thy Son and the most holy Mary.
XII.
Praebe,
fili mi, cor tuum mihi[71]
– “My son, give Me thy heart.”
O
my soul, behold this is all that thy Lord asks of thee ;
when he comes to visit thee, he would have thy heart and thy
will. He gives himself to thee without reserve ; it is but
reasonable that thou shouldst also give him all thyself without
reserve, taking care to follow his will in all things: For the
Lord will return to rejoice over thee in all good things.[72] Act
in such a manner as that Jesus, when he comes to thee again, may
find that thou hast executed all his designs. My Jesus ! I
wish to please Thee ; help Thou my desire. Give me strength,
and do with me whatsoever Thou pleasest.
XIII.
Quid
est quod debut ultra facere vineae meae, et non feci ei?[73] --
“What is there that I ought to do to my vineyard, that I
have not done to it ?”
My
soul, hear what thy God says to thee: What ought I to do more for
thee than I have done? For love of thee I became man: I am the
Word made flesh.[74]
Instead of Lord, I have become servant: taking the form of a
servant.[75] I
went so far as to be born in a stable, like a worm – for
worms are born in stables : I am a worm, and no man.[76] I
died for thee, I died upon the tree of shame : I was made
obedient to death, even the death of the Cross.[77]
What remained more for me to do, but to give my life for
thee ? Greater love than this no man hath, that he should
lay down his life for his friends.[78] But
my love has invented and done more for thee. After my death, I
have chosen to leave myself in the Most Blessed Sacrament, to
give my whole self as food. Tell me what more could I have done
to gain thy love?
It
is true, my Lord and my Redeemer ; what can I answer? I have
nothing to say. Thou hast been too good to me, and I have been
too ungrateful towards Thee. I wonder at Thy immense
goodness ; I see my own baseness, and I throw myself at Thy
feet, and say: Have pity on me, my Jesus, though I have repaid
Thy love with so much ingratitude. Avenge Thyself, therefore, I
pray Thee, avenge Thyself upon me, and chastise me ; but do
not abandon me ; chastise me and change me. Let me not live
any longer ungrateful to Thee. Grant that I may love Thee at
least out of gratitude, and that before I die I may make Thee
some recompense for Thy love.
XIV.
Pone
me ut signaculum super cor tuum[79]
– “Put Me as a seal upon thy heart.”
Yet,
my beloved Jesus, since I have consecrated to Thee my whole
heart, it is but just that I should put Thee as a seal of love
upon it, to close the entrance against any other affection ;
and thus to make known to all that my heart is Thine, and that
Thou alone possessest dominion over it. But, my Lord, what dost
Thou hope from me, if Thou dost not do the work Thyself ? I
can do nothing but give Thee my poor heart, that Thou mayest
dispose of me according to Thy pleasure. Behold, I give it all to
Thee, I consecrate it to Thee, I sacrifice it to Thee. Do Thou
possess it forever ; I will no longer have any part in it.
If Thou lovest it, mayest Thou be able to preserve it for
Thyself. Leave it no longer in my hands, lest I should again take
it from Thee. O God most gracious, O infinite love, since Thou
hast so constrained me to love Thee, I pray Thee, make Thyself
loved, make Thyself loved by me. I only wish to love Thee in
order to please Thee. Thou who dost work miracles to be able to
enter into my heart in this sacrament, work also this one, make
my heart all Thine ; but all, all, all, without division,
without reserve, so that I may say, both in this life and in
eternity, that Thou art the only Lord of my heart, and my only
treasure: God is the God of my heart, and my portion forever.[80]
Most
holy Mary, my Mother and my hope, do thou help me, and I shall
certainly be heard. Amen, amen. This I wish, this I hope. So be
it.
Adoro
Te Devote
Hidden
God, devoutly I adore you,
Truly
present underneath these veils:
All
my heart subdues itself before you,
Since
it all before you faints and fails.
Not
to sight, or taste, or touch be credit,
Hearing
only do we trust secure;
I
believe, for God the Son has said it –
Word
of Truth that ever shall endure.
On
the cross was veiled your Godhead’s splendor,
Here
your manhood lies hidden too;
Unto
both alike my faith I render,
And,
as sued the contrite thief, I sue.
Though
I look not on your wounds with Thomas,
You,
my Lord, and you, my God, I call:
Make
me more and more believe your promise,
Hope
in you, and love you over all.
O
memorial of my Saviour dying
Living
Bread, that gives life to man;
Make
my soul, its life from you supplying,
Taste
your sweetness, as on earth it can.
Deign,
O Jesus, Pelican of heaven,
Me,
a sinner, in your Blood to lave,
To
a single drop of which is given
All
the world from all its sin to save.
Contemplating,
Lord, your hidden presence,
Grant
me what I thirst for and implore,
In
the revelation of your essence
To
behold your glory evermore.
Prayer
of Self-Dedication to Jesus Christ
Lord
Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding,
and my will. All that I have and cherish you have given me. I
surrender it all to be guided by your will. Your grace and your
love are wealth enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I
ask for nothing more.
Prayer
to Jesus Christ Crucified
My
good and dear Jesus, I kneel before you, asking you most
earnestly to engrave upon my heart a deep and lively faith, hope,
and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm resolve
to make amends. As I reflect upon your five wounds, and dwell
upon them with deep compassion and grief, I recall, good Jesus,
the words the prophet David spoke long ago concerning yourself:
they have pierced my hands and my feet, they have counted all my
bones!
Anima
Christi
Soul
of Christ, sanctify me.
Body
of Christ, heal me.
Blood
of Christ, drench me.
Water
from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion
of Christ, strengthen me.
Good
Jesus, hear me.
In
your wounds shelter me.