Preparation For Holy Communion

[Chamomile]

It seems some people don't spend much time in preparation before Mass and Holy Communion. But this time of preparation is so important! We receive grace in the order that we are disposed to receive it...

So, in the hopes of encouraging more people to spend time praying and meditating before Mass - instead of perhaps reading the bulletin or chatting [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif[/img] - I'm just interested to see what prayers others pray before Mass and Holy Communion - both formal, written prayers and those that are from your heart. And also what things you might meditate on.

So I'll go first since I made this thread!

Depending on what books I have with me, my formal prayers may change. The simplest one - the only one I actually know from memory - is from the Baltimore Catechism, followed by a Hail Mary:


[quote]Lord, I am only a child. Please help me to be attentive and to pray with all my heart during this most Holy Mass.[/quote]

I also love this one from a wonderful, small prayer book from ~1930 I found in the free basket at the Adoration Chapel:


[quote]
Mother Mary, you who prepared the first resting-place for God on earth, who prepared the manger for Him on Christmas night and your own pure heart again and again to receive Him in Holy Communion, prepare mine for Him now. Make haste, dear Mother, for the time is short.

Would that I had the heart and love with which though didst communicate. Give me this morning thy Jesus, as thou didst give Him to the shepherds and the kings.

I receive Him from thy most pure hands. Tell Him I want to be your child and to serve you, thus He will look upon me with a more Loving Eye, and when He comes He will press me more closely to His Sacred Heart. Amen.[/quote]



If I have the larger Missal with me, I usually pray these:



[quote]
[b]Prayers to the Holy Ghost Before Mass[/b]

Most gracious God, in Thy loving kindness incline Thy ears to our prayers, and enlighten our hearts with the grace of thy Holy Spirit; that we may worthily celebrate Thy mysteries and deserve to love Thee with an everlasting charity.

O God, to Whom every heart is open, to Whom every wish sounds like a word, and from Whom no secret is hidden; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the infusion of Thy Holy Spirit; that we may perfectly love Thee and worthily offer praise to Thee.

Burn our desires and our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and with a clean heart be pleasing to Thee.

Grant, O Lord, that the Advocate Who proceeds from Thee, may enlighten our minds; and may He lead us into all truth, as was promised by Thy Son.

May the power of the Holy Spirit be near us, O Lord, mercifully to cleanse our hearts and defend us from all harm.

O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, in the same Spirit, we may relish what is right and always rejoice in His consolation.

O Lord, visit our minds and cleanse our thoughts, we beseech Thee; that our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, at His coming may find in us a home prepared for Him: Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.[/quote]


This one by the Angelic Doctor is so beautiful and has an indulgence attached.


[quote]
[b]Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas[/b]

Almighty and eternal God, I approach to the Sacrament of Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As a sick man I approach the physician of life; as a man unclean, I come to the fountain of mercy; blind, to the light of eternal brightness; poor and needy, to the Lord of heaven and earth. I beseech Thee, therefore, in Thy boundless mercy, that Thou wouldst deign to heal my sickness, to wash away my defilements, to englighten 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 faith, such purpose and intention, as may help the salvation of my soul.

Grant, I beseech Thee, that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord, but also the whole grace and virtue of the Sacrament. O most indulgent God, grant me so to receive the Body of Thy 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.

O most loving Father, grant that I may one day forever contemplate Him unveiled and face to face, Whom, on my pilgrimage, I receive under a veil, Thy beloved Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen[/quote]


And then I ask my Mother for help:


[quote]
[b]Prayer to the Blessed Virgin[/b][b]
[/b]
O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, most loving and most merciful Mother, I, a wretched and unworthy sinner, come before thee, with the heartfelt prayer, that in they goodness thou wouldst deign graciously to be near me and all who throughout the whole Church are to receive the body and Blood of thy Son this day, even as thou didst stand by thy most dear Son as He hung on the Cross, that, aided by thy gracious help, we may worthily offer up a pure and acceptable sacrifice in the sight of the most high and undivided Trinity. Amen.[/quote]


And then I ask my friends, the Saints and Angels and every heavenly power:


[quote]
[b]Prayer to St. Joseph[/b]

O Blessed Joseph, happy man, to whom it was given not only to see and to hear that God Whom many kings longed to see, and saw not, to hear, and heard not; but also to carry Him in thy arms, to embrace Him, to clothe Him, and to guard and defend Him.

Pray for us, O Blessed Joseph.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

[i]Let us pray[/i]. O God, Who hast given unto us a royal priesthood, we beseech Thee, that as Blessed Joseph was found worthy to touch with his hands, and to bear in his arms, Thy only-begotten Son, born of the Virgin Mary, so may we be made fit, by cleanness of heart and blamelessness of life, to minister at Thy holy altar; may we, this day, with reverent devotion partake of the Sacred Body and Blood of Thy only-begotten Son, and may we in the world to come be accounted worthy of receiving an everlasting reward. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

[b]Prayer to All Angels and Saints[/b]

Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, Powers, heavenly Virtues, Cherubim and Seraphim; all Saints of God, holy men and women, and you especially my patrons: deign to intercede for me that I may be worthy to offer this Sacrifice to Almighty God, to the praise and glory of His name, for my own welfare and also that of all His Holy Church. Amen.[/quote]


I hope I haven't made any serious typos in these prayers. If I have, miserere me, Deus.

Please add whatever you think would help one to prepare to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. I'll add some meditations and other prayers later as I have time.

[Lisa]

From T[i]he Imitation of Christ[/i]- Thomas a Kempis
[quote]
Lord, all that is Heaven and on earth is Yours.

1. I wish to offer myself up to You as a voluntary sacrifice and to remain always Yours.

Lord, in the simplicity of my heart, I offer myself to You today as a perpetual servant, for a homage and sacrifice of eternal praise to You.

Receive me with this holy oblation of Your precious Body, which I offer to You this day, in the presence of Your Angels, invisible assistants, that it may be a salvation for me and for all the people.

2. Lord, I offer to You upon Your altar of propitiation all my sin and offences, which I have committed in Your presence and in that of Your holy Angels, from the first day that I was capable of sin until the present so that You may burn them and consume them all with the fire of Your charity, and cancel all the stains of my sins, and purify my conscience of every fault and restore me Your grace, which I have lost by sinning, fully pardoning me all, and mercifully receiving me in the kiss of peace.

3. What can I do with my sins except humbly confess them, and weep for them, and constantly implore Your pardon.

Mercifully hear me, I beseech You, 0 my God, while I am in Your presence.

All my sins greatly displease me, I wish never to commit them anymore; but I am sorry for them, and will repent of them for as long as I live, and am ready to do penance and to make satisfaction for them as much as I am able.

Forgive me, 0 my God, forgive me my sins for Your Holy Name; save my soul, which You have redeemed with Your precious Blood.

Behold, I consign myself to Your mercy; I abandon myself into Your hands.

Deal with Your servant according to Your goodness, not according to my sins and faults.

4. I offer also to You all the good which I have done, though it is very little and imperfect; so that it may please You to purify it and sanctify it; render it pleasing to Your eyes and worthy of being presented to You; and it may please You to perfect it ever more; and, moreover, guide me, who am a lazy and humble wretch, to a praiseworthy and blessed end.

5. I offer to You also all the pious desires of the faithful, the necessities of relative, friends, brethren, sisters, and of all my beloved ones; and of all those, who for the love of You, were benefactors to me or to others; and of those who desired and asked of me prayers and Masses for themselves and their loved ones, whether they are living or dead.

So that they may all feel the help of Your grace, the benefit of Your consolation, Your protection from dangers, and deliverance from sufferings; and so that, being freed from all evils, they may joyfully render to You their solemn thanksgiving.

6. I also offer up to You, in a special way, my prayers, this sacrifice of protection for those who in some manner have offended, grieved, or abused me, or have brought me any damage or molestation

For all those whom I have at any time grieved, troubled, injured, or scandalized with word or deed, knowingly or unknowingly; so that You may forgive us our sins and our reciprocal offences.

0 Lord, remove from our hearts all suspicion, indignation, wrath and contention, and anything else which may offend charity, and diminish fraternal love. Have mercy, 0 Lord, have mercy on those who ask Your mercy; give Your grace to those who lack it, and make us worthy to merit to enjoy Your grace and to attain to life everlasting. Amen
[/quote]

This is obviously a chapter, but could be read in the morning before Mass. This is something I know I need to work on, approaching Our Lord with greater humility and purity of heart.

[AudreyGrace]

There's a song that I like to listen to before Mass and sometimes have the lyrics playing in my head before Communion to keep me in the mindset. It's called "I Shall Be Healed" by Bob Rice. You should have a listen!

[BigJon16]

Before Mass I like to pray a rosary if I have time. Other than that I don't really pray any other formal prayers.

I do meditate on certain things that have been happening in my life. I ask for guidance with my discernment and for assistance whilst "walking by faith". I pray for the souls of those in my life that do not know the love of Christ, so that they may. I pray for the strength to be strong when someone "calls me out" about my Faith, and to have wisdom for use in such encounters. I pray for the souls of those that have departed from this Earth. I usually end with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, a Glory Be, and a Fatima prayer.

[BigJon16]

[quote name='AudreyGrace' timestamp='1298495660' post='2215033']
There's a song that I like to listen to before Mass and sometimes have the lyrics playing in my head before Communion to keep me in the mindset. It's called "I Shall Be Healed" by Bob Rice. You should have a listen!
[/quote]

I LOVE THAT SONG!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

[Chamomile]

Pretty song!

And Big John, to the Rosary before Mass! I love being at a parish where it's recited communally before Mass - it definitely deepens the spiritual atmosphere (that sounded strange, but I don't know how to explain what I mean...).

This is from St. Louis de Montfort's [i]True Devotion to Mary[/i], on how one can practice the devotion when receiving Holy Communion:

[font="Arial, sans-serif"][size="2"][font="serif"] [/font][quote][font="serif"][size="2"][font="inherit"][left]On the point of receiving Jesus Christ, after the Our Father, you say three times, [i]Domine non sum dignus. [/i]Say the first one to the Eternal Father, telling Him you are not worthy, because of your evil thoughts and ingratitudes towards so good a Father, to receive His only Son; but that He is to behold Mary, His handmaid,—[i]Ecce ancilla Domini,[/i]—who acts for us, and who gives us a singular confidence and hope with His Majesty: [i]Quoniam singularity in spe constituisti me.[/i][/left][/font]

[font="inherit"][left]You shall say to the Son, [i]Domine non sum dignus; [/i]telling Him that you are not worthy to receive Him, because of your idle and evil words, and your infidelity to His service; but that nevertheless you pray Him to have pity upon you, that you may introduce Him into the house .of His Own Mother, and yours, and that you will not let Him go, without His coming to lodge with her. [i]Tenui eum, nec dimittam donee introducam ilium in domum matris mece, et in cubiculum genitrieis mem [/i](Cant. iii. 4). You will pray Him to rise, and come to the place of His repose, and into the ark of His Sanctification: [i]Surge, Domine, in requiem tuam, tu et area sanctificationia tuce. [/i]Tell Him you put no con[font="inherit"]fidenee at all in your own merits, your own strength, and your own preparations, as Esau did; but that you trust only in Mary, your dear Mother, as the little Jacob did in the cares of Rebecca. Tell Him that, sinner and Esau as you are, you dare to approach His Sanctity, supported and adorned, as you are, with the virtues of His holy Mother.[/font][/left][/font]

[/size][/font][font="serif"][size="2"][font="inherit"][left]You shall say to the Holy Ghost, Domine [i]non sum dignus[/i]; telling Him that you are not worthy to receive this masterpiece of His charity, because of the lukewarmness and iniquity of your actions, and because of your resistances to His inspirations; but that all your confidence is in Mary, His faithful Spouse. You shall say with St. Bernard, [i]Hcec mea maxima Jiducia, hcec tota ratio spei mece [/i][She is my greatest safeguard, the foundation of my hope]. You can pray even Him to come Himself in Mary, His indissoluble Spouse, telling Him that her bosom is as pure, and her heart as burning as ever; and that without His descent into your soul neither Jesus nor Mary will be formed, nor yet worthily lodged.[/left][/font]

[/size][/font][/quote][font="serif"] [/font][/size][/font]

Even at the Novus Ordo Mass, I say the [i]Domine, non sum dignus[/i] three times after saying the English along with the rest of the faithful. For those who don't know, the Latin is [i]Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo sanabitur anima mea[/i]. The translation is similar to what we say now in the NO - "Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed." From what I remember, I think the new translation is going to restore this.

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='Chamomile' timestamp='1298425558' post='2214769']
Mother Mary, you who prepared the first resting-place for God on earth, who prepared the manger for Him on Christmas night and your own pure heart again and again to receive Him in Holy Communion, prepare mine for Him now. Make haste, dear Mother, for the time is short.

Would that I had the heart and love with which though didst communicate. Give me this morning thy Jesus, as thou didst give Him to the shepherds and the kings.

I receive Him from thy most pure hands. Tell Him I want to be your child and to serve you, thus He will look upon me with a more Loving Eye, and when He comes He will press me more closely to His Sacred Heart. Amen.
[/quote]

I think I have that same prayer book somewhere! I love that prayer... I memorized the gist of it and ask Mary to help prepare me. A lot of the time, I arrive early just to kneel and pray before the Tabernacle (well, at least at the daily Masses...). Nothing prepares me better than quiet to still my mind and focus on Jesus.

At the time right before Communion, I kneel and ask for His mercy for I am not worthy to receive such a precious gift. This is usually where I remember who I want to offer the Holy Communion for and then I prepare again in quiet (although this can be hard to do with the music going) and while I am in line, I repeat to myself "Jesus" and I try to focus myself on the Real Presence before me... and when I receive I think of the "Bread come down from Heaven."

[Chamomile]

I love the image of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and so hearing the [i]Agnus Dei[/i]... is very beautiful to me. We have a few altars in the area with that image on that, and just gazing at it is good preparation.



[quote name='FutureNunJMJ' timestamp='1298605711' post='2215412']
At the time right before Communion, I kneel and ask for His mercy for I am not worthy to receive such a precious gift. This is usually where I remember who I want to offer the Holy Communion for and then I prepare again in quiet (although this can be hard to do with the music going) and while I am in line, I repeat to myself "Jesus" and I try to focus myself on the Real Presence before me... and when I receive I think of the "Bread come down from Heaven."
[/quote]



I usually repeat Jesus' name, too, and sometimes a simple phrase like, "Jesus, I love You," or "Jesus, I trust in You."

[Chamomile]

Jesus speaking, from St. Faustinia's [i]Diary:[/i]
[i]
[/i][i]
[/i]
[quote]"...consider My love in the Blessed Sacrament. Here I am, entirely yours, soul, body, and divinity, as your Bridegroom. You know what love demands: one thing only, reciprocity..."[/quote]


I've been trying to remember always, right before receiving Our Lord, to make a conscience effort to give myself to Him as best I can.

[tnavarro61]

I read Fr. Manelli's Jesus, Our Eucharistic Love before Mass. He quotes a lot of saints, and the book is very helpful to realize how tremendous the love of the Good Lord is in making Himself available to us.

Sometimes I pray the Rosary too... or some personal prayer of praise, adoration and supplication before Jesus

[Cherie]

My favorite prayer before Mass is the prayer of St. Ambrose.

[quote] Lord Jesus Christ, I approach your banquet table in fear and trembling, for I am a sinner, and dare not rely on my own worth, but only on your goodness and mercy. I am defiled by many sins in body and soul, and by my unguarded thoughts and words. Gracious God of majesty and awe, I seek your protection, I look for your healing. Poor troubled sinner that I am, I appeal to you, the fountain of all mercy. I cannot bear your judgment, but I trust in your salvation. Lord, I show my wounds to you and uncover my shame before you. I know my sins are many and great, and they fill me with fear, but I hope in your mercies, for they cannot be numbered.

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal king, God and man, crucified for mankind, look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer, for I trust in you. Have mercy on me, full of sorrow and sin, for the depth of your compassion never ends. Praise to you, saving sacrifice, offered on the wood of the cross for me and for all mankind. Praise to the noble and precious blood, flowing from the wounds of the my crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away the sins of the whole world. Remember, Lord, your creature, whom you have redeemed with your blood; I repent my sins, and I long to put right what I have done. Merciful Father, take away all my offenses and sins; purify me in body and soul, and make me worthy to taste the holy of holies.

May your body and blood, which I intend to receive, although I am unworthy, be for me the remission of my sins, the washing away of my guilt, the end of my evil thoughts, and the rebirth of my better instincts. May it incite me to do the works pleasing to you and profitable to my health in body and soul,
and be a firm defense against the wiles of my enemies. Amen. [/quote]

[OnlySunshine]

Usually, I just pray a very simple prayer, "Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary. Let my heart become a Tabernacle for You alone. Help me to receive with respect and the reverence that You deserve." Something along those lines.

Other times, when my ADD kicks in and I have trouble thinking, I just silence my mind and let my heart do the talking. I just say, "Jesus, You know my heart. I love you."

I used to pray a Communion prayer from my Catholic Prayer book, but I found that it wasn't sincere. It felt fake, so I just make my own prayer. It's better, to me, when it's from the heart. I have a difficult time making someone else's prayer my own.

The prayer, I believe, was this one, from my Catholic Prayer book:
[center][quote]
O Holy Tabernacle!
Thou dost enclose the precious Bread of heaven,
the food of angels,
the eucharistic manna of the soul.
My heart longs and signs for Thee,
O good and gentle Jesus,
Who art hidden in the Blessed Sacrament!
Thou art my Lord, my God, and my all,
and Thou wilt deign to come to me this day in holy communion.
I adore Thee profoundly,
with the angels who surround Thy altar-throne of mercy and compassion;
I bless Thee;
I thank Thee for all the graces I have received through the Holy Eucharist;
I am sorry for having offended Thee;
I love Thee now with all my heart.
I wish to offer this holy communion
in reparation for all the offences that have been committed against Thee
in the sacrament of Thy love,
and especially in atonement for my own sins and negligences.
I have also some other particular intentions and petitions
which I now recommend to Thy sacred Heart

(Mention your intentions here...),

and I shall approach the Holy table today
with the greatest confidence that thou, O Lord,
wilt grant me all my requests.

Amen.
[/quote][/center]

[OnlySunshine]

I used to go to Mass at my old parish when I would have to work Sunday morning and they would play this song that I would make as a prayer as much as I could:

[quote]Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving,
Make me a living sanctuary for You.[/quote]

They would repeat it about 3 times. I love that song. It's actually the chorus of a longer song:

[quote][center]Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is you, Lord
Who came to save
The heart and soul
Of every man
It is you Lord
who knows my weakness
Who gives me strength,
With thine own hand.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and Holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving I'll be a living
Sanctuary for you

Lead Me on Lord
From temptation
Purify me
From within
Fill my heart with
You holy spirit
Take away all my sin

Lord prepare me to be sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You [/center][/quote]

[Chamomile]

From St. Faustina:

[quote]Today, my soul is preparing for Holy Communion as for a wedding feast, wherein all the participants are resplendent with unspeakable beauty. And I, too, have been invited to this banquet, but I do not see that beauty within myself, only an abyss of misery. And, although I do not feel worthy of sitting down to table, I will however slip under the table, at the feet of Jesus, and will beg for the crumbs that fall from the table. Knowing Your mercy, I therefore approach You, Jesus, for sooner will I run out of misery than will the compassion of Your Heart exhaust itself. That is why during this day I will keep arousing trust in Your Divine Mercy.[/quote]

One section of her Diary - the last in my version, but I don't know if it's the last section in every printed copy - is titled "Preparation for Holy Communion" and has very deep and beautiful personal reflections from her about how she approaches Jesus when receiving Him in the Eucharist

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Chamomile' timestamp='1298425558' post='2214769']
It seems some people don't spend much time in preparation before Mass and Holy Communion. But this time of preparation is so important! We receive grace in the order that we are disposed to receive it...

So, in the hopes of encouraging more people to spend time praying and meditating before Mass - instead of perhaps reading the bulletin or chatting [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif[/img] - I'm just interested to see what prayers others pray before Mass and Holy Communion - both formal, written prayers and those that are from your heart. And also what things you might meditate on.
[/quote]

This is going to sound a tad cynical, but the people who are neglecting prayer before and after Mass are probably not on phatmass. Fortunately, they are showing up to Mass, and I think the one thing you can do to encourage them is by simply praying, especially after Mass. Even if it's just a couple minutes, you're bearing witness to God's Presence and some people will notice that, even though they probably won't let you know it (or maybe they make fun of you a bit, which is a safe way of letting you know they noticed).

As for any specific prayers... being a fulfilled Evangelical, there are some prayers I find helpful, especially from the St. Joseph 1962 Missal, but generally I prefer a more "open response" style where I simply adore Christ, especially while gazing upon the Crucifix, and tell Him whatever is on my heart -- or just be silent before Him. Sometimes kneeling is all the prayer that's necessary.