ACTS BEFORE COMMUNION

Source: THE SCHOOL OF JESUS CRUCIFIED, Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, TAN BOOKS, 
with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1895



  An Act of Faith

My MOST sweet Jesus, I believe with a firm and lively faith that in this adorable Sacrament are Thy Body and Blood, Thy Soul and Divinity. I believe that in this consecrated Host I shall receive that same Body which was formed in the pure womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which suffered so many pains and torments for love of me on a Cross, and which rose gloriously the third day from the dead. I believe that I shall receive that most holy Soul which is enriched with all the---treasures of the Divinity---that I shall receive my God Himself. I believe that I shall receive Thee, O God, my Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and Judge. Yes, I believe, O my God, but do Thou strengthen my faith, and animate it with deeper sentiments of adoration for Thy Divinity really present in the most Blessed Eucharist. Increase and enliven it not only in my heart, but also in the hearts of all the faithful, and grant that the light of faith may also illumine those who are unhappily sleeping in the darkness and shadows of death, heresy, and infidelity. My soul being thus prepared by faith, may a pious and tender remembrance of Thy Passion and Death, which Thou hast commanded me to renew whenever I approach to receive Thee in Thy most holy Sacrament, be awakened within me. Yes, my sweet Jesus, I beseech Thee, by all the love Thou didst manifest for me upon the Cross, to transform my heart into a new Calvary, sprinkled with Thy Blood, that so it may be worthy of Thy Divine presence.

Motives for an Act of Hope

What more canst thou require, my soul, now that God is coming to visit thee? And He is coming to enlighten, console, and enrich thee, to unite thy heart to His own, and to give thee a sure pledge of that glory which He has prepared for thee in Heaven. Delay not, therefore; open wide thy heart, have confidence, and know that thou shalt obtain in proportion to thy hope. Thy Jesus is all-powerful; there is nothing He cannot bestow upon thee, and it costs Him nothing to give thee whatever thou requirest. Thy Jesus is a Father who tenderly loves thee, and is desirous of giving thee everything thou canst desire. Thy Jesus is faithful, He has promised to hear thee, and has pledged His word that He will grant thy requests. Therefore, to receive all thou requirest, thou hast but to ask with earnest faith. Have confidence then, my soul, have confidence.

An Act of Hope

How many favors and mercies may I not hope to obtain from Thee, O my Jesus, hidden beneath the Sacramental veils, at the moment when Thou vouchsafest to come and dwell within me! How many favors may I not expect from Thy infinite goodness and power, now that I am about to receive Thee in the most holy Sacrament! If the mere remembrance of those Wounds with which Thy sacred Body, O my Jesus, was covered, and of that Blood which Thou didst shed for love of me, fills me with the hope of enjoying the fruits of Thy Passion and Death, what faith, what trust, what confidence must I not feel at knowing for certain that in a very short time that same most holy Flesh will be my food, and that same most precious Blood my drink! Yes, I hope, O my Jesus, that this Communion will sanctify my soul, cleanse it from every stain, deaden within it the fires of concupiscence, and fill it with all graces. I hope, O my Jesus, and on Thee do my hopes rest. I well know that I am absolutely unworthy of Thy mercies, I know that I have sinned many and many times; but I likewise know that Thou, my Crucified Jesus, art my Saviour; I know that Thou hast died on a Cross for me; I know that Thou art coming this morning to renew in the most holy Sacrament the sacrifice of Thy precious life, that my soul may live; I know that Thou art infinitely good and merciful, and in Thy infinite goodness and mercy do I place all my hopes, sure of never being confounded.

Motives for an Act of Charity

What more could a God do to gain thy love, O my soul? A God has been made Man for thy sake, has died on a Cross for love of thee, has remained in the Blessed Sacrament to be thy food, and is ever ready to come to thee. Nay, more, with what infinite love does He invite thee to receive Him, and call upon thee to come to Him, almost as though He could not exist without thee. O sweet eagerness of charity! O excess of love in a God enamored of mortal man! A God is this morning about to bestow upon me a favor never granted to the Seraphim! And thou, my soul, dost thou not burn with love for a God who so tenderly loves thee.

An Act of Charity

My MOST loving Jesus, can there be in this world a heart so hard and insensible, as not to be touched at the sight of the immense love Thou dost manifest in the Holy Eucharist, which is a perpetual memorial of Thy Passion and Death? Can I believe that Thou dost renew in this Sacrament, through excess of love, the sacrifice of Calvary---that Thou dost give me Thy Own Flesh and Blood to be my food and drink, and my heart yet not be consumed in the flames of the most ardent love for Thee? Ah, my dear Jesus, my Love, God of my soul, my Sovereign Good, I love Thee with my whole heart. I love Thee with my whole soul, and with all my strength; I love Thee more than myself, I love Thee above all things. Oh, that I had innumerable hearts to love Thee, innumerable tongues to praise Thee, and innumerable lives to be devoted and consecrated to Thy love! Oh, that I were all love, that so I might love Thee, the sole object of my desires, my Beginning, my Last End, my God, the infinitely worthy Object of all my love, and thus make amends for those years in which I loved Thee not! Ah, my poor heart is filled with sorrow at the tender reproaches for my ingratitude and want of love, in which Thou dost address me from this consecrated Host, which contains Thy sacred Humanity, to the Wounds of which Thou dost point as proofs of Thy infinite love for me. But if I have not loved Thee, O my Jesus, during my past life, now at least do I begin to love Thee with my whole heart. I know that it is Thy Will that I should be entirely Thine, and that I should consecrate myself completely to Thy love; and, for my part, I do renounce every inordinate love in order to love Thee alone, my most amiable Jesus. Do Thou give me that burning charity and perfect love which Thou dost require of me. Draw me to Thee by the sweet chains of Thy many perfections; take possession of my poor heart, and unite it to Thy most loving Heart with the indissoluble band of everlasting I charity. Thou, Thou alone, shalt henceforward live in my heart, or rather, my heart shall live! but in Thine, and shall there die to all love that is not for Thee, my most loving Jesus.

Motives for an Act of Humility

My soul, the moment is approaching in which thou wilt receive the King of glory. Hast thou carefully reflected upon Who God Is, and who thou art? If thou wert a Seraphim burning with charity, or if thou wert possessed of the purity of the Angels, or of the holiness of all the Saints, yet wouldst thou not be worthy on that account even once to receive God. And wilt thou be worthy, being as thou art a poor wretched beggar, defiled with innumerable filthy stains, being, in short, a miserable sinner? Ah, humble thyself to the very dust, before the infinite, incomprehensible Majesty of Thy God.

An Act of Humility

AND who am I, who dare approach to receive the Immaculate Flesh of the adorable Incarnate Son of God? Who am I, in contrast with the splendor of Thine infinite sanctity, O my God? I am a vile atom, a despicable nonentity; this do I confess and declare, prostrate on the ground before Thee, O my God. I am a poor sinner, most unworthy to approach Thee, who art the Fountain of Sanctity. No, my Jesus, this heart is not worthy to receive Thee; this heart, which has been until now filled with earthly affections, guilty inclinations, evil passions, and hateful sins---this is not an abode suitable for Thee, the Holy of Holies! Thy infinite Majesty would be too far dishonored, O Lord, by dwelling in so unclean a heart as mine. Seek elsewhere a clean heart, a pure heart, a loving heart, and Thou wilt find it in many holy persons, who have ever preserved unspotted the white robe of their innocence, or have wiped away every stain by tears of true repentance. I am filled with confusion at the sight of my unworthiness, and humbly confess that I am indeed utterly unworthy that thou shouldst debase Thy infinite Majesty so far as to come to visit me. I am not worthy that Thou shouldst even bestow a passing thought upon me, a wretched creature. And yet, O indescribable perfection of the love of Jesus! Thou dost invite me, urge me, to come to Thy Table, and even threaten me with Thy anger if I refuse to approach and receive Thee as my food. But knowest Thou, O my Jesus, knowest Thou how many times I have rebelled against Thee in the most shameful manner imaginable, and expelled Thee, my only true and legitimate Master, from my soul, to give place to my most cruel enemy and Thine---the devil and sin? And yet, after having been not once, but many times, thus unworthily treated by me, dost Thou forget, as it were, all my past rebellions, and thus lovingly return to take possession anew of my heart and bestow Thy whole self upon me? Ah, my sweet Jesus, what can I do in return for so much goodness? Can I refuse to reply to Thy call, drive Thee away from me, refuse to admit Thee into my poor heart? Far from it, O Lord. If I am not worthy to receive and love Thee, Thou art, nevertheless, worthy to be received and loved! I humbly beseech Thee to vouchsafe to bestow upon' my heart the dispositions with which it is Thy Will I should receive Thee. Cleanse my soul from all its stains in Thy Precious Blood, enrich it with Thy merits, adorn it with Thy virtues. O my Jesus, say but the word, and my soul will be sanctified, cleansed, purified, and less unworthy of Thee!

Motives for the Act of Contrition

Remember, O my soul, the ingratitude with which thou hast corresponded with the many graces and mercies shown thee by thy God. Remember how often thou hast trampled underfoot the Precious Blood which Jesus shed for thee in His Passion, and has so frequently applied to thy soul by means of the holy Sacraments. Remember how often thou hast outraged thy God, Who yet loved thee with all the tenderness of a Father. Oh, how bitterly shouldst thou bewail thy ingratitude and want of love! As often as thou hast committed sin, so often has thou crucified Jesus anew. Deplore thy impiety and weep for it at His feet.

Act of Contrition

O MY dear Jesus, by my sins I have mangled Thy sacred Flesh, nailed Thee to the Cross, wounded Thy side, and put Thee to a cruel death! I am not worthy to live, far less to receive Thee in this most Blessed Sacrament. I deserve the heaviest punishments Thy wrath can inflict upon me. But, O my Lord, how great is Thy goodness! Ungrateful as I have been to Thee, grievously as I have outraged Thee, Thou art yet ready to make peace with me; and provided I repent of my sins, Thou art willing to restore me to Thy grace, Thy friendship, and Thy love. Oh, infinite goodness of my God! I would willingly die of grief for having offended so good a God, so loving a Father so merciful a Redeemer. I repent, O my Sovereign Good, I repent of having displeased Thee; I detest all my sins with all the powers of my soul above every other evil, because they offend a God of infinite goodness. I will rather die than ever more offend Thee. O my Jesus, my Sovereign Lord, through Thy Precious Blood, through Thy Wounds, through Thy Death, pardon my sins! Eternal Father, I do not deserve pardon, after having committed such grievous offenses against Thee; but Thy Jesus and mine has merited it for me, and in His name do I earnestly ask and firmly hope for it.
 
Motives for an Act of Desire

Behold, O my soul, the happy moment is approaching in which thy sweet Jesus will come to thee. Beholding the King of kings, the Lord of lords, thy Father, thy Friend, and thy Spouse, thy God Himself, about to enter thy heart. He comes, His hands filled with the treasures of His grace which He is desirous of showering upon thee. Come, then, my soul, hasten to meet Him at least by holy desires, and an earnest wish to be united to Him, and to feed upon His most sacred flesh. If thou couldst receive holy Communion but once in thy life how fervently wouldst thou not approach the sacred Table? And now that this God of infinite goodness is ever ready to enter thy heart, dost thou approach Him so coldly and carelessly? Dost thou approach to receive so great a God with so little desire? My soul, my soul, endeavor to awaken within thee an earnest desire to receive Jesus Christ. Sigh after this Sovereign Good, as the thirsty stag longs for the fountains of water. Call Him, invite Him, and desire His presence.

An Act of Desire

COME, O Divine Food, come, and nourish my soul! Come, Furnace of love, and inflame my heart. Come, O Heavenly Physician, and heal me. Come, O my Father, my Spouse, my Treasure, my Life, and my Sweet Consolation. Come, O Thou the sole Object of my desires, the sole End of all my wishes, my Jesus, hidden beneath the Sacramental veils. Come, for my soul desires and sighs after Thee, and is languishing to be united to Thee. Delay not, O my Jesus, but come to break asunder any worldly fetters which may still prevent my heart from giving itself to Thee without reserve. Dispose of me as Thou dost please, for from henceforward I am entirely Thine. Come, and with Thy nails fasten my heart to Thy Cross; with the lance wound it through and through with the most perfect charity; and with the thorns of Thy crown surround it as with an impregnable wall, that so it may withstand all the assaults of its enemies. Come, and be Thou all mine, as I desire to be all Thine. Come, and feed me with Thy immaculate Flesh, and thus destroy within me all craving for earthly goods. Come, and bestow upon me a share in that ardent charity which is an essential characteristic of Thy Divine Heart. Come, O Love of Loves, my beloved Jesus, come, and do not delay---Veni Domine, noli tardare!

An Act of Oblation

To MAKE amends in some measure for my great unworthiness, I offer Thee, O my Jesus, the sanctity, love, and fervor with which those chosen souls who are the dearest to Thy Heart have ever received Thee, do receive Thee, or will receive Thee to the end of time.

I offer Thee all those perfect and fervent acts of love with which Mary, Thy most sweet and tender Mother, received Thee, not only at the moment of Thy Incarnation in her chaste womb, but also whenever she approached the sacred Table. I offer Thee her profound humility, her unspotted purity, her burning charity, and her most loving heart itself. I offer Thee that ineffable sanctity with which thou didst receive Thyself at the Last Supper; and, as a preparation for my Communion, I offer Thee all the sorrows, sufferings, and torments which Thou didst endure upon the Cross, and in virtue of which I hope that Thou wilt give me a share in those graces which Thou dost bestow upon those who worthily receive Thee. I offer Thee this Communion by the hands of the Blessed Virgin, to honor, praise, and glorify the Holy Trinity by this action, which is the most sacred I can possibly perform. I offer it to Thee in memory of, and in thanksgiving for Thy most bitter Passion and Death for my salvation. I offer it to Thee in thanksgiving for all the benefits Thou hast prepared for me from all eternity, and bestowed upon me and upon all mankind. I offer it to Thee to obtain the grace of final perseverance, and the assistance needed for the salvation of my soul and the souls of all my relations, friends, benefactors, and enemies, and of all those who have recommended themselves to my prayers. I offer it to obtain the entire pardon of all my grievous offenses, and the conversion of poor sinners; and more especially do I offer it, O my sweet Jesus, for the conversion of my country to the True Faith and unity of the Holy Catholic Church. Finally, I offer it for the relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, especially those for whom I am more particularly bound to pray, for those who have been most devout to the Blessed Sacrament, to Thy sacred Passion, and to Thy blessed Mother, and, above all, for those who are especially dear to Thee, and whom Thou most particularly dost will should be helped.

(You may also offer your Communion for other ends, and particularly for the one to which you are specially directing your intention.)

Prayer to Our Blessed Lady

O MOST sweet Mother of God, and Immaculate Virgin Mary! I have ever besought thee to be my Protectress, and to assist me in all my necessities; I now beseech thee with the utmost fervor of my soul to conduct me thyself to the heavenly banquet. Do thou thyself present my Jesus to me, as thou didst present Him to the shepherds, to the wise men, and to holy Simeon. When I behold the hand of the priest about to place the adorable Host on my lips, I will imagine I behold thy Jesus and mine borne in thy arms. And if thou, O my dear Mother, will permit it, I will imagine that I receive Him from thy pure hands, that I may thus receive Him with greater reverence, greater devotion and greater fruit. Amen.
 



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