The Daily Prayer-Book/Communion
BEFORE COMMUNION.
DIRECT YOUR INTENTION.
O Lord Jesus Christ, King of everlasting glory, behold I desire to come to Thee this day, and to receive Thy body and blood in this heavenly sacrament for Thy honour and glory and the good of my soul, and [here name any special intention].
AN ACT OF FAITH.
I most firmly believe, O Jesus, that in this holy sacrament Thou art present verily and indeed; that here is Thy body and blood. Thy soul and Thy divinity. I believe that Thou, my Saviour, true God and true Man, art really here, with all Thy treasures; that here Thou communicatest Thyself to us, makest us partakers of the fruit of Thy passion, and givest us a pledge of eternal life. I believe there cannot be a greater happiness than to receive Thee worthily, nor a greater misery than to receive Thee unworthily. All this I most steadfastly believe, because it is what Thou hast taught us by Thy Church.
ACT OF CONTRITION.
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest my sins for love of Thee. I firmly resolve by Thy grace to sin no more; a contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
HUMBLY BEG GOD’S GRACE.
O my God, Thou knowest my great poverty and misery, and that of myself I can do nothing: Thou knowest how unworthy I am of this infinite favour, and that Thou alone canst make me worthy. Since Thou art so good as to invite me thus to Thyself, add this one bounty more to all the rest: to prepare me for Thyself.
Cleanse my soul from its stains; clothe it with the nuptial garment of charity; adorn it with all virtues, and make it a fit abode for Thee. Drive sin and the devil far from this dwelling, which Thou art here pleased to choose for Thyself, and make me one according to Thy own heart; that this heavenly visit, which Thou designest for my salvation, may not, by my unworthiness, be perverted to my own damnation. Never let me be guilty of Thy body and blood by an unworthy communion. For the sake of this same precious blood, which Thou hast shed for me; deliver me, O Jesus, from so great an evil.
PRAYER OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.
O Almighty and Everlasting God, behold I draw near to the Sacrament of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I draw near, as a sick man to the physician of life, as one defiled to the Fountain of mercy, as one blind to the Light of the eternal splendour, as one poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Wherefore, I implore the fulness of Thine infinite bounty, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to heal all my sickness, to wash away my defilement, to give light to my blindness, to enrich my poverty, and to clothe my nakedness, so that I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, with such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, such purpose and intention, as may avail to the welfare and salvation of my soul. Grant me, I beseech Thee, to receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of my Lord, but also the very reality and power of the Sacrament. O most gracious God, grant me so to receive the Body of Thine only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, that very Body which He took of the Virgin Mary, that I may be truly incorporated into His mystical Body, and so numbered amongst its members. O most loving Father, grant me at last to behold face to face and for evermore the same Thy beloved Son, whom I purpose to receive now in my pilgrimage beneath the veils of the Sacrament. Who liveth and reigneth, &c. Amen.
Implore the prayers of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints.
O all ye blessed Angels and Saints of God, who see Him face to face; and especially thou, Mary, ever-blessed Virgin, Mother of my God and Saviour Jeans Christ; I most humbly beg the assistance of your prayers and intercession, that I may in such manner receive Him here, in this place of banishment, as to be brought one day to enjoy Him with you in our true country, there to praise Him and love Him for ever.
Before Receiving.
God, be merciful to me a sinner.
Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
Cleanse my conscience and my thoughts, I beseech Thee, O God.
Set a watch before my mouth and guard the door of my lips.
O let not my heart be inclined to anything that is wrong.
To receive Communion, open the mouth, letting the tongue touch the inner side of the lip, and having received the Sacred Particle on the tongue, swallow it as soon as you can, to avoid all irreverent touching of the Sacred Host with the teeth or lips. Do not fix your eyes on the Priest or elsewhere, but occupy yourself with devout aspirations of the heart. Imagine that you receive the Sacred Host from the hands of Our Lady, or of Our Blessed Lord Himself.
ASPIRATIONS 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, for in them there is nothing but vanity and affliction of spirit. Let my heart be fixed on Thee alone; let me ever repose in Thee, for in Thee is my treasure, in Thee is the sovereign truth, true happiness, and a blessed eternity.
Let my soul, O Lord, feel the sweetness of Thy presence. Let me taste how sweet Thou art, O Lord! that, being allured by Thy love, I may never more run after worldly pleasures; for Thou art the joy of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Thou art the Physician of my soul, who healest all our infirmities by Thy Sacred Blood. I am that sick man, whom Thou earnest from heaven to heal: oh, heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.
O true Light, which enlightenest every man that cometh into this world, enlighten my eyes, that I may never sleep in death.
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 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: oh, take away from me whatever may hurt me and displease Thee, and give me what Thou knowest to be pleasing to Thee and profitable to myself.
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.
Stay with me O, Lord, stay with me, for the day is far spent and the evening draws near; stay with me, I beseech Thee, for I have yet a thousand woes to expose to Thee, my Adorable Saviour; to Thee, who art my Lord, and the only sincere friend of my soul.
SOUL OF CHRIST.
Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;
Body of Christ, be my salvation;
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;
Water of Christ's side, wash out my stains;
Passion of Christ, my comfort be;
O good Jesu, listen to me;
In Thy wounds I fain would hide,
Ne'er to be parted from thy side;
Guard me, should the foe assail me;
Call me when my life shall fail me;
Bid me come to Thee above,
With Thy Saints to sing Thy love.
World without end. Amen.
300 days at any time; seven years after Communion.
AVE VERUM.
Hail to Thee, true body sprung
From the Virgin Mary's womb,
The same that on the cross was hung,
And bore for man the bitter doom;
Thy whole side was pierced, and flowed
Both with water and with blood;
Suffer us to taste of Thee,
In our life's last agony.
O kind, O loving one,
O sweet Jesu, Mary's Son.
PRAYER.
To which is annexed a plenary indulgence, applicable to the souls in purgatory, which all the faithful may obtain, who, after having confessed their sins with contrition, received the Holy Communion, and prayed for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff, shall devoutly recite it before an image or representation of Christ crucified.
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 desire 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 that which David spake in prophecy: “ They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones.”
FIVE ACTS TO BE MADE BEFORE OR AFTER COMMUNION.
1. I detest and loathe all and each of my sins, and the sins of all other creatures, committed from the beginning of the world down to this hour, or that ever shall be committed; and, if I could, I would prevent them with God's grace, which I now invoke.
2. I praise and honour all good works, past or future, and I would, were I able with God's grace, which I now implore, multiply them again and again.
8. I intend to act, speak, and think to the greater glory of God, in union with all the holy intentions that the Saints have ever formed, or shall form.
4. I pardon and forgive from my heart all my enemies, all who calumniate or detract me, all who in any way injure me or wish me evil.
5. I would that I could save all men by dying for each. I would willingly do so with God's grace, which I now therefore humbly implore, and without which I can do nothing.