O Omnipotence of the Father, help my frailty, and rescue me from the depths of misery. O Wisdom of the Son, direct all my thoughts, words, and actions. O Love of the Holy Spirit, be the source of all the operations of my soul, so that they may be entirely conformed to the divine Will.
Honour the most Blessed Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, behold us prostrate in Thy divine presence. We humble ourselves profoundly, and beg of Thee pardon for our sins. We adore Thee, Omnipotent Father, and with the outpouring of our hearts we thank Thee for having given us Thy divine Son Jesus to be our Redeemer, and for having left Him with us to the consummation of the world in the most august sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, in which mystery of faith and love He reveals to us the wonders of His Sacred Heart. Glory be, etc.
O Divine Word, most adorable Jesus, we adore Thee in Thy Sacrament, and with the outpouring of our hearts we thank Thee for having taken human flesh and for having made Thyself, for our redemption, Priest and Victim in the sacrifice of the Cross, a sacrifice which, by an excess of the love of Thy adorable Heart, Thou dost renew every moment on our altars throughout the world. O supreme Priest, O divine Victim, grant that we may honour the sacrifice of the most holy Eucharist with the united homage of most holy Mary and of all Thy Church, in triumph, in suffering, and in warfare. We offer ourselves wholly to Thee, and since Thou dost deign to have victims associated with Thee, accept our offering, and, uniting it with Thine, bless us. Glory be, etc.
O Divine Spirit and Paraclete, we adore Thee, and with the outpouring of our hearts, we thank Thee for having, with so much love for us, wrought the ineffable blessing of the Incarnation of the divine Word, a benefit which is continually being extended and increased in the most holy Eucharist. By this adorable mystery of the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, grant to us and to all sinners thy grace; pour out upon us and upon all redeemed souls thy holy gifts, but in a special manner bestow them upon the holy Church, the Spouse of Jesus Christ and our Mother, upon its visible head the supreme Pontiff, upon all the Cardinals, the Bishops and pastors of souls, on all priests, and on all the other ministers of the Sanctuary. Amen. Glory be, etc.
Prepare for Mass
O Lord God Almighty, behold me prostrate before Thee in order to appease Thee, and to honour Thy Divine Majesty, in the name of all creatures. But how can I do this who am myself but a poor sinner? Nay, but I both can and will, knowing that Thou dost make it Thy boast to be called Father of mercies, and for love of us hast given Thy only-begotten Son, Who sacrificed Himself upon the Cross, and for our sake doth continually renew that sacrifice of Himself upon our altars. And therefore do I – sinner, but penitent – before Thee, and, with the love of angels and of all Thy Saints, and with the tender affection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer to Thee in the name of all creatures the Masses which are now being celebrated, together with all those which have been celebrated, and which shall be celebrated to the end of the world. Moreover, I intend to renew the offering of them every moment of this day and of all my life, that I may thereby render to Thy infinite Majesty an honour and a glory worthy of Thee, thus to appease Thy indignation, to satisty Thy justice for our many sins, to render Thee thanks in proportion to Thy benefits, and to implore Thy mercies for myself and for all sinners, for all the faithful, living and dead, for Thy whole Church, and principally for its visible Head, the Sovereign Pontiff, and lastly for all poor schismatics, heretics, and infidels, that they also may be converted and save their souls.
Eternal Father, I offer to Thee the sacrifice which Thy beloved Son Jesus made of Himself upon the Cross, and which He now renews upon this altar; I offer it to Thee in the name of all creatures, together with the Masses which have been celebrated, and which shall be celebrated in the whole world, in order to adore Thee, and to give Thee the honour which Thou dost deserve, to render to Thee due thanks for Thy innumerable benefits, to appease Thy anger, which our many sins have provoked, and to give Thee due satisfaction for them; to entreat Thee also for myself, for the Church, for the whole world, and for the blessed souls in purgatory. Amen.
A resignation to the divine Will
| Fiat, laudetur, atque in æternum superexaltetur iustissima, altissima, et amabilissima voluntas Dei in omnibus. | May the most just, most high, and most adorable Will of God be in all things done, praised and magnified for ever. |
A prayer for holy Church
| O Creator Sancte Spiritus, adesto propitius Ecclesiæ Catholicæ, eamque contra inimicorum incursus tua superna virtute robora et confirma; tua caritate, et gratia spiritum famulorum tuorum, quos unxisti, renova, ut in te clarificent Patrem Filiumque eius unigenitum Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. | O Holy Spirit, Creator, be propitious to the Catholic Church; and by Thy heavenly power make it strong and secure against the attacks of its enemies; and renew in charity and grace the spirit of Thy servants, whom Thou hast anointed, that they may glorify Thee and the Father and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. |
A prayer to the Holy Ghost
Oh Holy Spirit, divine Spirit of light and love, I consecrate to Thee my understanding, heart and will, my whole being for time and for eternity. May my understanding be all submissive to Thy heavenly inspirations, and to the teaching of the Catholic Church, of which Thou are the infallible guide; may my heart be ever inflamed with the love of God and of my neighbour; may my will be ever conformed to Thy divine will, and may my whole life be a faithful imitation of the life and virtues of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to Whom with the Father and Thee be honour and glory for ever. Amen.
A prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
Our sins, o Lord, darken our minds, and we lose the benefit of loving Thee as Thou deservest. Enlighten us with a ray of Thy bright light. Thou art Friend, Redeemer, Father of all who turn repentant to Thine heart; and we return to Thee sorrowing. Save us, o Jesus; provide out of Thy infinite bounty for our miseries. O Jesus, we hope in Thee because we know that our salvation cost Thee Thy life sacrificed upon the cross, and induced Thee to dwell continuously in the Blessed Sacrament, in order to be united with us as often as we desire. We, o Lord, to thank Thee for the great love Thou bearest us, promise with the help of Thy grace to receive Thee in the Blessed Sacrament as often as possible; to declare Thy praises in church and in every place, without human respect. Oh Lord, confiding in Thy Sacred Heart, we beseech Thee to preserve in Thy love those who love Thee, and to invite all to receive Thee daily at the altar in accordance with Thy burning desire.
| Adoro te devote, latens deitas, quæ sub his figuris vere latitas; tibi se cor meum totum subicit, quia te contemplans totum deficit. Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, sed auditu solo tuto creditur. Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius; nil hoc verbo Veritátis verius. In Cruce latebat sola Deitas, at hic latet simul et Humanitas, ambo tamen credens atque confitens, peto quod petivit latro pœnitens. Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor: Deum tamen meum te confiteor. Fac me tibi semper magis credere, in te spem habere, te diligere. O memoriale mortis Domini, Panis vivus, vitam præstans homini, præsta meæ menti de te vivere, et te illi semper dulce sapere. Pie Pelicane, Iesu Domine, me immundum munda tuo Sanguine: cuius una stilla salvum facere totum mundum quit ab omni scelere. Iesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio, oro, fiat illud quod tam sitio: ut te revelata cernens facie, visu sim beatus tuæ gloriæ. Amen. | Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore, masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, see, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art. Seeing, touching, tasting are in Thee deceived: how says trusty hearing? that shall be believed; what God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth Himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true. On the cross Thy Godhead made no sign to men, here Thy very manhood steals from human ken: both are my confession, both are my belief, and I pray the prayer of the dying thief. I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, but can plainly call Thee Lord and God as he; let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move, daily make me harder hope and dearer love. O Thou our reminder of Christ crucified, living Bread, the life of us for whom He died, lend this life to me then: feed and feast my mind, there be Thou the sweetness man was meant to find. Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican; bathe me, Iesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran blood whereof a single drop has power to win all the world forgiveness of its world of sin. Iesu, Whom I look at shrouded here below, I beseech Thee send me what I thirst for so, some day to gaze on Thee face to face in light and be blest for ever with Thy glory’s sight. Amen. |
A prayer before the Crucifix (En ego)
| EN EGO, bone et dulcissime Iesu, ante conspectum tuum genibus me provolvo, ac maximo animi ardore te oro atque obtestor ut meum in cor vividos fidei, spei, et charitatis sensus, atque veram peccatorum meorum pœnitentiam, eaque emendandi firmissimam voluntatem velis imprimere: dum magno animi affectu, et dolore tua quinque Vulnera mecum ipse considero, ac mente contemplor, illud præ oculis habens, quod iam in ore ponebat suo David propheta de te, O bone Iesu: Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos; dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea. (Ps. 21: 17-18) | O GOOD and sweetest Jesus, before thy face I humbly kneel, and with the greatest fervour of spirit I pray and beseech Thee to vouchsafe to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a most firm purpose of amendment; whilst I contemplate with great sorrow and affection thy five wounds, and ponder them over in my mind, having before my eyes the words which, long ago, David the prophet spoke in his own person concerning Thee, my JESUS: They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones. (Ps. 21: 17-18) |
A prayer for a happy death
O Jesus, while adoring Thy last breath, l pray Thee to receive mine. In the uncertainty whether I shall have the command of my senses, when I shall depart out of this world, I offer Thee from this moment my agony and all the pains of my passing away. Thou art my FATHER and my SAVIOUR, and I give back my soul into Thy hands. I desire that my last moment may be united to the moment of Thy death, and that the last beat of my heart may be an act of pure love of Thee. Amen.
A prayer to the Sacred Heart
DIVINE Heart of JESUS, grant, we beseech Thee, eternal rest to the souls in purgatory, the final grace to those who shall die today, true repentance to sinners, the light of the faith to pagans, and Thy blessing to me and mine. To Thee, O most compassionate Heart of JESUS, I commend all these souls, and I offer to Thee on their behalf all Thy merits, together with the merits of thy most holy Mother and of all the saints and angels, and all the sacrifices of the holy Mass, Communions prayers and good works, which shall be accomplished today throughout the Christian world.
Catholic Louth and Mablethorpe 