Prayers before Holy Communion
PREPARATION
FOR COMMUNION
O Lord, prepare my soul to receive You.
You have said “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me and I live in him: as I Myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats Me will draw life from Me.”
I come to You now that I may draw life from You. Let me join You in adoring and thanking our Heavenly Father, in making reparation for sin and begging for the graces, I need to serve Him worthily and glorify Him daily more and more.
O GOD, YOU KNOW our every thought and desire; Cleanse our hearts through Your Holy Spirit of all our hidden faults so that we may love You perfectly and praise You worthily.
MY LOVING LORD, A thousand welcomes! O Son of Mary, I love You, indeed I do. Who am I at all that You should come near me?
O God of Heaven! Make a little corner for me in Your Heart, and never, let me lose my place there. Amen.”
MY JESUS, I LOVE YOU!
I know that You “loved me and delivered Yourself for me.”
I know, too, that You long for my love in return.
I want to love You as You desire;
to love You with my whole mind and with all my strength. Give me the grace to love You more generously every day
and to love, respect and help my neighbor for love of You.
MY JESUS, I DESIRE to receive You into my soul.
I know that I am not worthy, but I come to You, my Divine Physician, with humble faith like the sick people in the Gospel.
Only say the word and I shall be healed.
Through this Communion let me draw life from You and be able to love and serve You better.
MAY YOUR KINGDOM come in my heart and in all the world. Amen.
LORD, I AM TRULY SORRY
for having offended You. How often have I professed my love for You and how often I have failed miserably.
Now I ask You to wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins. Create a clean heart within me and in spite of all my weaknesses may I be able to say with St. Peter: “You know that I love You,” and want to love and please You always and in all things. Christ, Jesus Crucified, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, 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 sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.
BEFORE COMMUNION
Leader: Come, O Jesus! My poor soul calls for Thee and awaits Thee. Comfort my poor distressed soul
Response: Come and dwell within my breast.
Leader: My Savior, Jesus, come to me. With all my heart, I long for Thee.
Response: Most firmly, I believe in Thee.
Leader: Most truthfully, I hope in Thee.
Response: Most ardently, I love Thee.
Together: Then come O Jesus, come to me. Let me receive Thy BODY, so weary with suffering, so tortured to save me.
Together: Let me receive Thy BLOOD, Which agony for me pressed from Thy Brow in the Garden and Which Thou didst shed for love of me, every step of the Way of Thy Cross. Let me receive Thy SOUL, so sweet, and strong, meek and compassionate. Let It lift my soul to Thee.
Leader: Come, dear Jesus, with Thy DIVINITY.
Response: Print Thy Divine Image on my soul, and make it holy through Thy grace.
Leader: Every day I need Thy LIGHT to guide me in the way God wants me to go.
Response: Come, then, O my Host, and day by day enlighten my soul with Thy Divine Grace.
Leader: Everyday I need Thy STRENGTH to fulfill God’s reason for my creation.
Response: Come, O my Host, and give me strength to set aside every obstacle in following Thee.
Together: In the duties and obligations which every day brings, come, O my Host, and give me strength to be faithful to them.
Leader: Every day I ought to do good, to set good example to my neighbors, perhaps to console and counsel them.
Response: Come, then, O my Host, day by day, and inspire me with Thy Divine Charity.
Leader: Every day is full of temptations and I am weak,
Response: Come, O my Host, and day by day renew by powers; raise me up from my falls; purify me from my faults.
Together: O Jesus, when dawns the day which shall be my last, come to me as my Divine Friend. Come to me as my Host for the last time on earth “so that, having begun every day of my life on earth with Thee, I may also begin the day of eternity that shall never end with thee. Amen
PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION
(traditional)
Come, O blessed Saviour, and nourish my soul with heavenly Food, the Food which contains every sweetness and every delight.
Come, Bread of Angels, and satisfy the hunger of my soul.
Come, glowing Furnace of Charity, and enkindle in my heart the flame of divine love.
Come, Light of the World, and enlighten the darkness of my mind.
Come, King of Kings, and make me obedient to Your holy will.
Come, loving Saviour, and make me meek and humble.
Come, Friend of the Sick, and heal the infirmities of my body and the weakness of my soul.
Come, Good Shepherd, my God and my All, take me to Yourself.
O most holy Mother, Mary Immaculate, prepare my heart to receive my Saviour
PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION
I believe, O my Jesus, Thy divine word, that under this appearance of bread Thou Thyself art here present as Thou art in heaven sitting glorious at the right hand of Thy Father and there interceding for me.
O most loving Jesus, Who in this Sacrament hast left me a pledge of future glory, I hope through the merits of Thy death and Passion to behold Thee face to face in heaven.
I love Thee, O Jesus Who, in Thy essence, art true God and true man, I love Thee, O Jesus, Who, for love of me hast made Thyself like unto me; kindle within me the flame of sacred love, that loving Thee, I may grow into Thy likeness.
I adore Thee, O loving Bread, descended from heaven, for my spiritual food; give me grace worthily to receive Thee in life and in death.
I adore Thee, divine food of the strong; strengthen my weakness, that I may ever be constant and faithful to Thy love.
PRAYER TO THE
DIVINE CHILD JESUS
Come within me, O Divine Saviour, and deign to enter into my heart. Grant, that following Thy example and with the help of Thy grace, I may be poor in spirit, humble of heart, as a stranger upon earth, mortified and obedient as Thou were in Thy manager.
Thou, O Divine Jesus, didst become a little Babe that I might become a perfect human. Thou didst suffer to be wrapped in swaddling clothes in order to release my soul from all bonds of sin.
Thou didst wish to lay in a stable in order to admit me to Thy altar in this life and to Thy glory in eternity. Thou didst descend unto earth to raise me up to heaven.
Thou didst wish to be rejected by the people of Bethlehem to obtain my reception in Thy kingdom. Thou didst not desire other company than that of two animals that I might deserve the company of the Saints and Angels in Paradise.
Finally Thou didst become weak to make me strong, poor to make me right, humble to exalt me, subject to all suffering to free me from all evil and procure me all good. Grant, O Lord, that such graces, may not though my fault be, for my judgment and condemnation; but rather grant that faithfully making good use of them I may safely gain possession of that glory which was the chief object, not only, of Thine Incarnation, but even of Thy whole life, passion, and death. Amen.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, cleanse and purify my soul; adorn it. I entreat Thee, with those virtues which will render me less unworthy of participating in the food of angels.
“It is no use saying that we are born two-thousand years too late to give room to Christ. Nor will those who live at the end of the world have been born too late. Christ is always with is, always asking for room in our hearts.”
Dorothy Day
Divine Saviour, we come to Your sacred table to nourish ourselves, not with bread but with Yourself, true Bread of eternal life.
Help us daily to make a good and perfect meal of this divine food. Let us be continually refreshed by the perfume of Your kindness and goodness. May the Holy Spirit fill us with His Love. Meanwhile, let us prepare a place for this holy food by emptying our hearts. Amen.
PRAYERS BEFORE COMMUNION
ALMIGHTY and Eternal God, grant that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord, but also the fruit and virtue of the Sacrament. 0 most indulgent 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 with His mystical body and numbered among His members. 0 most loving Father, grant that I may one day contemplate forever face to face Thy beloved Son, Whom now on my pilgrimage I am about to receive under a veil. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen. (St. Thomas)
(St. Thomas)
O LORD Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Who, by the will of the Father and the co-operation of the Holy Spirit, hast by Thy death given Life to the world: deliver me by this Thy most sacred Body and Blood from all my sins and from all evil; and make me always adhere to Thy commandments, and never permit me to be separated from Thee. Who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit, livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen.
LET not the partaking of Thy Body, 0 Lord Jesus Christ, which I, though unworthy, presume to receive, turn to my judgment and condemnation; but through Thy goodness may it become a safeguard and remedy, both of soul and body. Who with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.
With your EYES lowered, HANDS together, and your THOUGHTS on Christ when you receive the Sacred Host, repeat in your heart the words: "May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul unto life everlasting."
Behold, O my most loving Jesus, how far Thine exceeding love hath reached! Of Thine own Flesh and Most Precious Blood Thou hast prepared for me a Divine table in order to give Thyself wholly to me. What hath impelled Thee to such transports of love?
Nothing else surely save Thy most loving Heart.
O adorable Heart of my Jesus, burning furnace of Divine charity, receive my heart within Thy most Sacred Wound; to the end that in this school of love, I may learn to make a return of love to the God Who hath given me such wondrous proofs of His love. Amen.
FATHER IN HEAVEN, You have made us for Yourself. Our hearts are restless until they rest in You. Fulfill this longing for Jesus who alone satisfies the human heart.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, lead us to the heavenly table where we may feast on the vision of Your Glory, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen
MY GOD, I THANK YOU for Your own great glory
For being so good in Yourself. For being so good to all of us, for being so good to me.
I THANK YOU for dying for us on the Cross and for making Your sacrifice present for us in the Mass.
I THANK YOU for being so good as to come to me in Holy Communion. May every thought and act of mine be an act of thanksgiving and love.
"Jesus in the Eucharist, we glorify You, above all, in union with Mary Immaculate, Queen of Heaven. We offer You through her, her homage of boundless love and fervent reparation. Yes, adorable Jesus, it is in union with her that we come today to praise Your infinite mercies,"
(Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey).O amiable Virgin, thou who art styled by excellence, blessed among women, show thyself now my tender mother and powerful advocate; obtain for me the grace to receive with humility, faith, purity, and fervor, thy divine Son, Jesus.
Act of Consecration to Jesus in the Eucharist
Bro. Hayden Williams, OFM Cap.
Merciful Father, You love us so much that you sent Your only Son Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Your love for us, dear Father was shown to us by Jesus when He offered Himself as a Victim on the altar of the cross for our salvation and when He instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist which is the same sacrifice of Calvary.
I believe, Lord Jesus, that You are really present and alive in the Eucharist and that You are always waiting for me in this Sacrament of love. Moved by Your love for me, I offer myself entirely to You as a response of love to Your love.
I ask You, Lord Jesus, that by the power of the Holy Spirit You inflame my heart with the fire of Your love. Draw me to You and transform me into Yourself every time I receive You in the Eucharist. Let my love be an act of reparation for the sins of all humanity.
Mary, mother of Jesus and my mother, I ask you to be with me as I live faithfully this offering so that I can respond to your Son's invitation when He told us: "remain here, and watch with me." (Mt 26:38)
"I come, O Lord, unto Thy sanctuary to see the life and food of my soul. As I hope in Thee, O Lord, inspire me with that confidence which brings me to Thy holy mountain. Permit me, Divine Jesus, to come closer to Thee, that my whole soul may do homage to the greatness of Thy majesty; that my heart, with its tenderest affections, may acknowledge Thine infinite love" (St. Clare)
(St. Clare)O Sun of light, dispel my darkness!
O Sun of grace, take away my sins!
O Sun of love, inflame me with the fire of Thy charity!
O Sun of justice, have mercy on me: make me just and innocent before
Thine eyes. Alas! Behold me in the presence of the Sun, and yet plunged in darkness!
Behold me in a furnace of love, and my heart colder than ice.
Beautiful Sun, enlighten me; beautiful Sun, warm me; beautiful Sun, gladden me, console me, enliven me." St. Augustine
St. Augustine
THE EUCHARIST IS THE PRESENCE OF MERCY
The Divine Mercy image, with its red and pale rays, presents the Eucharistic Jesus, whose Heart has been pierced and now pours forth blood and water from every consecrated Host as a fountain of mercy for us. It is the image of God’s sacrificial gift of mercy made present in every Mass.
A number of times Sister Faustina writes in her “Diary” about seeing the red and pale rays coming from the Sacred Host; and once while the priest exposed the Blessed Sacrament, she saw the rays coming from the image pierce the Host and spread out from it all over the world (441).
She also said: “All the good that is in me is due to Holy Communion… Herein lies the secret of my sanctity… one thing alone sustains me and that is Holy Communion. From it, I draw all my strength; in It is all my comfort…Jesus concealed in the Host is everything to me…
THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY
1. Make The Sign of the Cross. Say The Our Father.
Say The Hail Mary. Say The Apostles’ Creed.
2. On the first Rosary Mystery beads say the following prayer:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world 3. On the Hail Mary beads say the following prayer:
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you complete the cycle around the Rosary beads.
Ending prayer, (say three times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.Optional prayer:
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your Holy Will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.
If human love craves oneness, shall not Divine Love? If husband and wife seek to be one in the flesh, shall not the Christian and Christ pray for that oneness with one another? Every heart seeks happiness outside itself, and since perfect Love is God, then the heart of man and the Heart of Christ must in some way fuse. This aspiration of the soul for its ecstasy is fulfilled in the Eucharist."
(Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen)
"What does Jesus Christ do in the Eucharist? It is God who, as our Savior, offers Himself each day for us to His Father's justice. If you are in difficulties and sorrows, He will comfort and relieve you.
If you are sick, He will either cure you or give you strength to suffer so as to merit Heaven.
If the devil, the world, and the flesh are making war upon you, He will give you the weapons with which to fight, to resist, and to win victory.
If you are poor, He will enrich you with all sorts of riches for time and eternity. Let us open the door of His sacred and adorable Heart, and be wrapped about for an instant by the flames of His love, and we shall see what a God who loves us can do. O my God, who shall be able to comprehend?" (St. John Vianney)
(St. John Vianney)
If you wish to purchase a small book entitled "The Body and Blood of Christ" click here. It includes prayers on this page, the Home page and before Communion.
