The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations/Prayers after Communion
Prayers after Communion.
BEHOLD, O Lord, I have thee now, who hast all things; I possess thee, who possessest all things, and who canst do all things; take off my heart then, O my God and my all, from all other things but thee; let my heart be fixed on thee alone; let me ever repose in thee, where alone my treasure is, the sovereign truth, and true happiness, and happy eternity.
Thou art the physician of my soul, who healest all my infirmities by thy sacred blood; and I am that sick one whom thou camest from heaven to heal; O heal my soul, 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 that was lost; and yet thou vouchsafest to feed me with thy body and blood: take me now upon thy shoulders to carry me home. What canst thou deny me, who hast given me thyself! Govern me, and nothing will be wanting to me, in the place of pasture where thou has placed me, until thou bringest me to the happy pastures of eternal life.
O true Light, which enlightenest every man that cometh into this world, enlighten my eyes, that I may never sleep in death.
O Fire, ever burning and never failing, behold how tepid and cold I am! Inflame my reins and my heart, that they may be on fire with the love of thee; for thou camest to cast fire upon earth; and what dost thou desire but that it be enkindled?
O King of heaven and earth, rich in mercy, behold I am poor and needy: thou knowest what I stand most in need of; thou alone canst assist and enrich me. Help me, O God, and out of the treasures of thy bounty succour my needy soul.
O my Lord and my God, behold I am thy servant: give me understanding, and excite my affection, 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: oh, take away from me what may hurt me, and displease thee, and give me what thou knowest to be pleasing to thee, and profitable to me.
Thou art my love and my joy; thou art my God my portion, and my All; thou art he that will restore my inheritance to me.
O my God and my All, may the sweet flame of thy love consume my soul, that so I may die to the world for the love of thee, who hast vouchsafed to die upon the cross for the love of me!
ACTS OF DEVOTION, PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION.
O Lord Jesus Christ, my Creator and my Redeemer, my God and my All, whence is this to me that my Lord, and so great a Lord, whom heaven and earth cannot contain, should come unto this poor dwelling, this house of clay of my earthly habitation! Oh, that I could entertain thee as I ought! Thy loving kindness invites me to thy embraces; and I would willingly say, with the spouse in the Canticles, "I have found him whom my soul loveth; I have held him and will never let him go." But the awe of so great a majesty checks me, and the sense of my great unworthiness and innumerable sins keeps me back. Would that I could embrace thy feet! that, like Magdalen, I could wash them with my tears.
Bow down thyself, with all thy powers, O my soul, to adore the sovereign Majesty Which hath vouchsafed to come to visit thee; pay him the best homage thou art able, as to thy first beginning, and thy last end; and perfectly annihilate thyself in the presence of this eternal, immense, infinite Deity. Then pour thyself forth in his presence in praises and thanksgiving; and invite all heaven and earth to join with thee in magnifying their Lord and thine, for his mercy and bounty to thee.
What return shall I make to thee, O Lord, for all thou hast done for me? Behold, when I had no being at all, thou didst create me; and when I was gone astray, and lost in my sins, thou didst redeem me, by dying for me. All that I have, all that I am, is thy gift; and now, after all thy other favours, thou hast given me thyself: blessed be thy name for ever! Thou art great, O Lord, and exceedingly to be praised; great are thy works, and of thy wisdom there is no end; but thy tender mercies, thy bounty and goodness to me, are above all thy works: these I desire to confess and extol for ever. Bless, then, thy Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within thee praise and magnify his name. Bless thy Lord, O my soul, and see thou never forget all that he hath done for thee. O all ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and glorify him for ever. O all ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and glorify his holy name. Bless the Lord, all ye saints, and let the whole Church of heaven and earth join in praising and giving him thanks for all his mercies and graces to me; and so, in some measure, supply for what is due from me. But as all this still falls short of what I owe thee for thy infinite love, I offer to thee, O eternal Father, the same Son of thine whom thou hast given me, and his thanksgiving, which is infinite in value. Look not, then, upon my insensibility and ingratitude, but upon the face of thy Christ, and with him, and through him, receive this offering of my poor self, which I desire to make to thee.
N.B. Here also may be recited the Canticle of the Three Children, the Te Deum, and some Psalms and Hymns of Praise.
AN OBLATION AFTER COMMUNION
O Father of mercies and God of all consolation how hast thou loved us to whom thou hast given thy only begotten Son once for our ransom, and daily for the food of our souls! What can I, a wretched creature, return to thee for this infinite charity! Verily, nothing else but this same beloved Son of thine, whom thou hast given to me; and surely thou couldst give me nothing greater, or more worthy of thyself. Him then I offer to thee, O Heavenly Father, with whom thou art always well pleased; him whom thou hast lovingly delivered up to death for me, and given me in this most holy Sacrament, which we frequent for the everlasting memorial of his death. He is our high priest and victim, he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world; he is our advocate and intercessor. Look down then upon him, and for his sake look down upon me, and upon us all. Remember all his sufferings, which he endured here in this mortal life, his bitter anguish, his mortal agony and bloody sweat; all the injuries and affronts, all the blows and stripes, all the bruises and wounds that he received for us. Remember his death, which thou wast pleased should be the fountain of our life; and for the sake of his sacred passion have mercy on us. Receive, O holy Father, Almighty and everlasting God, this holy and unspotted victim, which I here offer thee in union with that love with which he offered himself to thee upon the altar of the cross; receive him for the praise and glory of thy name: in thanksgiving for all the benefits bestowed on me, and on all mankind; in satisfaction also for all my sins, and the benefit of thy whole Church, and the peace and comfort of all thy faithful, living and dead; through the same Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son.
And turning myself to thee; O my dear Lord and Saviour, who hast here given me thyself, I would gladly make some suitable return to thee for this infinite love; I would gladly make some offering m acknowledgment of this rich present thou hast made me; alas ! thou knowest my poverty, thou knowest I have nothing worthy of thy acceptance; nothing but what, upon a thousand titles, is already thine. But, O my God, such is thy goodness, thou wilt be contented with the little that I can give thee, though it be thine already; thou askest nothing but my heart, and this I here most willingly offer thee: oh ! be pleased to accept of it, and make it wholly thine for ever. I offer thee here my whole being, my body, with all its senses, and my soul, with all its powers; that as thou hast at present honoured them by thy presence, so they may be thy temple for ever. Oh ! sanctify and consecrate eternally to thyself this mansion, which thou hast this day chosen for thy abode. I give thee my memory, that it may be for ever recollected in thee; my understanding, that it may be always enlightened and directed by thy truth; and my will, that it may be ever conformable to thine, and ever burn with love of thee. O take me entirely into thy hands, with all that I have and all that I am; and let nothing henceforward, in life or death, ever separate me any more from thee. Amen.
PETITIONS AFTER COMMUNION.
O MOST merciful Saviour, behold I have presumed to receive thee this day into my house, relying on thy infinite goodness and mercy, and hoping, like Zacheus, to obtain thy benediction; but alas! with how little preparation, with how little devotion/ From my heart I beg pardon for my great unworthiness, and for my innumerable sins, which I detest for the love of thee, and I desire to detest for ever. Oh! wash them all away with thy precious blood; for thou art the Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world; and one drop of this blood, which thou hast shed for us, is more than enough to cancel the sins of ten thousand worlds. Thou seest, O Searcher of hearts, all my maladies and all the wounds of my soul; thou knowest how prone I am to evil, and how backward and sluggish to good. Thou seest this self-love that tyrannizes over my soul, which is so deeply rooted in my corrupt nature, and branches out into so many vices, so much pride and vanity, so much passion and envy, so much covetousness and worldly solicitude, so much sensuality and concupiscence. Oh! who can heal all these my evils but thou the true Physician of my soul, who givest me thy body and blood in this blessed sacrament, as a sovereign medicine for all my infirmities, and a sovereign balsam for all my wounds! Dispel, dear Jesus, the darkness of ignorance and error from my understanding, by thy heavenly light; drive away the corruption and malice of my will, by the fire of divine love and charity; restrain all the motions of concupiscence, and all the irregular sallies of passion, that they may no more prevail over me; strengthen my weakness with heavenly fortitude; destroy this hellish monster of self-love, with its many heads; or at least chain down this worst of all my enemies, that it may no longer usurp the empire of my soul, which belongs to thee, and which thou hast taken possession of this day; cut off the heads of this beast, and particularly that which annoys me most, and which is my predominant passion; stand by me henceforward in all my temptations, that I may never more be overcome; remove from me all dangerous occasions, and grant me this one favor, that I may rather die a thousand deaths than live to offend thee mortally.
O my Jesus, thou art infinitely rich, and all the treasures of divine grace are locked up in thee: these treasures thou bringest with thee when thou comest to visit us in this blessed sacrament, and thou takest an infinite pleasure in opening them to us, to enrich our poverty. This gives me confidence to present thee now with my petitions, and to beg of thee those graces and virtues which I very much stand in need of, as thou best knowest. Oh! increase and strengthen my belief of thy heavenly truths, and grant that henceforward I may ever live by faith, and be guided by the maxims of thy gospel. Teach me to be poor in spirit, and take off my heart from the love of transitory things, and fix it upon eternity: teach me by thy divine example, and by thy most efficacious grace, to be meek and humble of heart, and in my patience to possess my soul. Grant that I may ever keep my body and soul chaste and pure from the corruptions of lust, that I may ever bewail my past sins, and by a daily mortification restrain all irregular inclinations and passions for the future. Above all things, teach, me to love thee, teach me to be ever recollected in thee, and to walk always in thy presence; teach me to love my friends in thee, and my enemies for thee; grant me to persevere to the end in thy love, and so to come one day to that happy place where I may love and enjoy thee for ever.
Have mercy also on my parents, friends, and benefactors, and all those for whom I am in any way bound to pray, that we may all love thee and faithfully serve thee. Have mercy on thy whole Church, and on all the clergy and religious men and women, that all may live up to their calling, and sanctify thy name. Give thy grace and blessing to all princes and magistrates, and to all Christian people; and bring all strayed sheep back to thy fold. Particularly have mercy on N. and N. etc.
O blessed Virgin, mother of my God and Saviour, recommend all these my petitions to thy Son. O all you angels and saints, citizens of heaven, join also your prayers with mine; you ever stand before his 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 and love him for ever. Amen.
PETITIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE.
LORD Jesus, grant that I may know myself and know thee. May I desire nothing but thee. May I hate myself and love thee. May I act in everything for thee. May I humble myself and exalt thee. May I think of nothing but thee. May I die to myself and live to thee. Whatever happens may I receive it from thee. May I force myself to follow thee. May I always desire to follow thee. May I fly from myself and fly to thee; and deserve to be defended by thee. May I fear myself and fear thee. And may I be numbered among thy elect. May I distrust myself and trust thee. May I obey always for thy sake. May I be attached to nothing but thee, and be poor except for thee. Look upon me that I may love thee. Call me that I may see thee, and enjoy thee for all eternity. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST. BONAVENTURE.
O SWEETEST Lord Jesus Christ, pierce, I beseech thee, the inmost marrow of my soul with the tender and life-giving wound of thy love, with true, and calm, arid holy apostolical charity, so that my whole soul may ever languish and faint for love of thee, and for desire of thee alone. May it long for thee and pine for thee in the threshold Of thy houses may it desire to be dissolved and to be with thee. Grant that my soul may hunger for thee, thou Bread, of Angels, thou refreshment of holy souls, our daily super-substantial Bread, having all manner of sweetness and delights. May my heart ever hunger for thee and feed on thee, on whom angels long to look; and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of the taste of thee. May it ever thirst for thee, thou well of life, thou fountain of wisdom and knowledge, thou source of everlasting light, thou torrent of pleasures, thou fatness and abundance of the house of God; may it ever yearn towards thee, seek thee, find thee, tend towards thee, attain to thee, meditate ever on thee, speak of thee, and work all things to the praise and glory of thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ready care and glad affection, with perseverance even unto the end; and do thou be alone and evermore my hope, my whole trust, my riches, my delight, my gladness and my joy, my rest and my calm repose, my peace and my sweet content, my fragrance and my sweetness, my food and my refreshment, my refuge and my help, my wisdom, my portion, my own possession and my treasure, in whom my mind and my heart are fixed and rooted firmly and immovably for evermore, Amen.
I humbly implore thine ineffable mercy, O my Lord Jesus Christ, that this Sacrament of thy Body and Blood, which I unworthy have received, may be to me the cleansing of all my sins, the strengthening of what is weak within me, and my sure defence against all the perils of the world. May it bestow on me thy forgiveness and establish me in grace; may it be to me the medicine of life, the abiding memory of thy Passion, my stay in weakness, the Viaticum and sure support of my pilgrimage. May it lead me as I go, bring me back when I wander, receive me when I return, uphold me when I stumble, raise me again when I fall, strengthen me to persevere, even unto the end, and bring me to thy glory. O most high God, may the blissful presence of thy Body and Blood so change the taste of my heart, that it may find no sweetness in aught besides thee alone, may love no other beauty, seek no unpermitted love, desire no consolation, admit no other delight, care for no honour but thine, stand in fear of no enemy or suffering for thy sake, who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.
I GIVE thee thanks, Eternal Father! for having, out of thy pure mercy, without any deserts of mine, been pleased to feed my soul with the Body and Blood of thy only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I beseech thee, that this holy Communion may not be to my condemnation, but prove an effectual remission of all my sins. May it strengthen my faith; encourage me in all that is good; deliver me from my vicious customs; remove all concupiscence; perfect me in charity, patience, humility, and obedience, and in all other virtues. May it secure me again st all the snares of my enemies, both visible and invisible; perfectly moderate all my inclinations; closely finite me to thee, the true and only good, and happily settle me in unchangeable bliss. I now make it my hearty request, that thou wilt one day admit me, though an unworthy sinner, to be a guest at that divine banquet where thou, with thy Son, and the Holy Ghost, art the true Light, eternal fulness, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness of all the saints, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bless my God for me, O ye angels and saints; thank my Lord for me, and sing forth his praises to supply for my deficiency; love my Jesus for me. O Truth and Beauty, ever ancient and ever new ! Too late have I known thee, O ancient Truth; too late have I loved thee, O eternal Beauty; too long have I gone astray from thee! When shall the time come, that, disgusted with all earthly things, I shall seek my happiness in thee alone, and find rest to my soul? O heavenly manna ! O adorable sacrament! O inestimable pledge of God’s love to mankind! O standing memorial of Christ's passion and death! O inexhaustible fountain of divine grace ! O boundless mercy! O divine charity ! O sacred fire, ever burning and never decaying ! Hail, O merciful Jesus! my only happiness and delight ! the joy of my soul, and my portion for ever! May my soul be sensible of thy adorable presence, and may I taste how sovereignly sweet thou art in the sacrament of thy love. Purify my heart, O divine Lord, from the dross of all earthly affections! enable me to curb my vicious inclinations, and to withstand the dangerous attacks of my infernal enemy; deign to bestow on me those virtues that will render me pleasing in thy sight - particularly ardent charity, profound humility, heroic patience, and perfect obedience. O may I prove the extent of my gratitude by the most constant fidelity in thy service, and may I rather die than ever again offend thee by any mortal sin.
O that I could have the happiness of seeing thee loved and faithfully served by all creatures! Vouchsafe to let the light of thy countenance shine upon those who are in the darkness of infidelity, and dispel their errors, that they may embrace the truth, and faithfully practise all it requires^ Grant peace and union to all Christian princes, and preserve us from the dreadful scourges of war, famine, and pestilence. Convert all those who are in the unhappy state of mortal sin, and reconcile those who are at variance. Have mercy on my parents, confessors, instructors, friends, benefactors, and enemies, and mercifully grant them all the graces they stand in need of. Reform all abuses, and remove all scandals from thy Church. Comfort all that are tinder any affliction, sickness or violence of pain. Support those who are under temptation; protect such as are in danger, and grant the grace of a happy death to all those who are in their agony. Extend thy mercy likewise to the souls of all the faithful departed, and mercifully admit them to the enjoyment of thy eternal glory. Grant to us all relief in our respective necessities, remission of all our sins, the grace of final per severance, and life everlastings Amen.
O glorious Virgin Mary, look upon me, who have now become a worthy object in thine' eyes. Speak good things for me to thy dearest Son, who has sweetly consoled me with his Body and Blood, and offer to him thy merits to supply my insufficiency. Give him thanks for me, and obtain that his sacramental presence may not depart without leaving the greatest blessings for my soul and body. I commend myself to thee, most kind and excellent Virgin Mary, Queen of heaven and earth, who, by the Operation of the Holy Ghost, worthily didst give birth to the Lord and Creator of all things whom I have now received; and I beg of thee, most holy Mother of God, to intercede for me with thy Son, arid obtain for me pardon for whatever defects I may have committed in the reception of this sacrament, and for my negligence and unworthiness in approaching. Thou though always holy, pure and innocent, didst; become still more chaste, pure, and holy after the birth of thy Son, the grace of God not being void in thee. Oh! that I might obtain from this Sacrament, such holiness, that henceforward I may preserve my heart and body pure from every deadly stain of sin. Thou having conceived thy Son by the Holy Ghost, didst chant magnificent praises, and wonderfully exult in God thy Saviour, obtain through thy merits and prayer, O Virgin mother, that I may receive in this holy Communion a new and ardent spirit, which will ever pour itself forth in pious thanksgiving, that I may never prove myself ungrateful to my Redeemer and my Guest, but may be faithful to him in every service and ministry. Amen.
ACT OF FAITH.
BEHOLD ! already my God has. come to visit me, already my Saviour is come to dwell in my soul, already my Jesus is within me; he is come to be one with me, and to make me one with him, so that Jesus pow belongs to me, and I belong to Jesus. Yes ! Jesus is all mine, and I am all his. O infinite goodness! O infinite mercy! O infinite love ! a God has united himself with me, a God who desires to be wholly mine! O my soul, now, that thou art so closely united to Jesus, now that thou art one with him, what art thou doing? Hast thou nothing to say to him? Wilt thou not speak to thy God who is present within thee? Awaken then thy faith anew, remember that the Angels are around about thee adoring their God, who now dwells in thy heart. Adore thy Lord with them ! Keep recollected, and banish every other thought; call together all thy affections, and lay them before thy God, and say to him:
ACT OF WELCOME.
O MY Jesus! my love, my infinite good, my all, I welcome thee; be always welcome to this home which I keep for thee in my poor heart. Ah! Lord, where art thou, whither hast thou come? Into my heart, worse than the stable where thou wast born; into my heart, full of attachments, of self-love, and of disorderly appetites. How couldst thou choose such a dwelling as this? Well might I say to thee with St. Peter: “ Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinner I am too unworthy to have a God of infinite goodness for my guest. Go, rather repose in those pure souls, who serve thee with so much love. But no, my Redeemer, what do I say! Do not depart from me, for if thou leave me I am lost. I embrace thee, O my life, I attach myself inseparably to thee. I have been only too foolish in separating myself from thee for love of creatures; ungrateful wretch that I am, I have driven thee away from my heart. But now I will never separate myself from thee any more. I am resolved to live and die united to thee.
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Seraphs, souls who love God with a pure love, lend me your affections, that I may entertain my dear Lord as I ought!
ACT OF THANKSGIVING.
I THANK thee, O my Lord and my God, for the grace which thou hast shown to me this morning by coming to dwell in my soul. Would that I could thank thee in a manner worthy of thee and of the signal favour which I have received! But what do I say? What worthy thanks could I render thee, miserable creature that I am?
Father Segneri says that the most suitable affection for a soul after communion, is the wonder which gives rise to this thought: a God is mine! a God is mine ! “ What shall I render to the Lord for all that he hath rendered to me? ” So said David: and I, what shall I render to thee, O my Jesus, to thee, who, after so many favours, hast given me thyself this morning? Therefore, 0s my soul, bless thy God, and thank him with all thy power. And thou, Mary my mother, and you, my patron Saints, my Guardian Angel, and all ye souls who burn with divine love, “ come and I will tell you what good things the Lord hath done to my soul.” Come, bless and thank my God for me, and admire the wondrous grace which I have received.
ACT OF SELF-OFFERING.
“MY Beloved to me, and I to him.” (Cant. ii. 16.) If a king were to come and visit a poor shepherd in his hut, what could the shepherd offer him but his hut, such as it is? Since then, O my divine King, Jesus, thou art come to visit this poor house of my soul, I offer thee my house, and my whole self, with my liberty and my will. “My Beloved to me, and I to him.” Thou hast given thyself all to me, I give myself all to thee. No more, my Jesus, will I be my own; henceforth I wish to belong to thee, entirely to thee, and that all my senses may be so entirely thine, that they may serve only to please thee. And, indeed, what greater pleasure can one have, said St. Peter of Alcantara, than to please thee, a God most amiable, most loving, and most bountiful? I give up to thee all the powers of my soul, that they may be all and altogether thine. Let my memory serve only to recall thy benefits and thy love; my mind to think of thee alone, who thinkest always of my welfare; my heart to love only thee, my God, my all, and to will only that which thou wiliest.
To thee, then, O my dearest Saviour, I consecrate and immolate all I have, all I am, my senses, my thoughts, my affections, my desires, my tastes, my inclinations, my liberty: in a word, I give up my body and soul into thy hands. Receive, O infinite Majesty, this sacrifice made to thee here, by the most ungrateful sinner that ever existed on earth, who now, however, offers and gives himself all to thee. O Lord, do with me and dispose of me according to thy pleasure.
Come, O burning fire, O love divine, and consume in me all there is of me which is not pleasing to thy pure eyes, so that hereafter I may be all to thee, may live only to accomplish thy commandments and thy counsels, thy holy desires and thy good pleasure in all things. Amen.
O most holy Mary! do thou present with thine own hands this my offering to the most Holy Trinity; obtain for me the acceptance of it, and that I may have the grace to be faithful until death. Amen, Amen, Amen.
ACT OF PETITION.
O MY soul, what art thou doing now? Thou must not lose a moment of time, for this time is precious, for thou now canst very easily obtain all the graces thou wilt ask.
Seest thou not how lovingly the Eternal Father looks upon thee, now that he beholds in thy heart his beloved Son, the object of his most tender lore? Banish then every other thought, awaken thy faith* open thy heart, and ask whatever thou wilt. Dost thou not hear how Jesus himself says to thee; “What wilt thou have me do for thee? Speak, beloved soul, what doth thou desire of me? I have come in order to make thee rich and happy; ask with confidence, and thou shalt receive everything thou desirest.”
Ah I my dearest Saviour, since thou art come to me to fill me with graces, and desirest me to ask them of thee, I ask for no earthly goods, nor riches^nor honours, nor pleasures. Give me, I beseech thee, a great sorrow for all the displeasure which thou hast received from me* Give me a great light to show me the vanity of the world, and how much thou art worthy of being loved. Change my heart, detach it from all earthly affections, and give me a heart perfectly conformed to thy holy will, which seeks after thy good pleasure alone, and aspires to nothing else than to thy holy love.
I do not deserve all this, O my Jesus, but thou deservest it, thou who hast come to dwell in my soul. I ask it through thy merits, through the merits of thy holy Mother, and by the love thou bearest to thy eternal Father.
Here pause for a time, and ask of Jesus some special grace for yourself or your neighbour. Do not forget poor sinners and the souls in purgatory.
Eternal Father! Jesus Christ himself has said to us: “ Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it you.” (John xvi. 23.) For love of this thy divine Son, who now dwells in my heart, hear me, and grant me what I now ask.
Objects of my dearest love, Jesus and Mary! let me suffer for you, let me die for you; grant that I may belong wholly to you, and never, to myself any more.
Praised and blessed for ever be the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, and blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most holy Virgin Mary.