A Prayer Before Mass
O Divine Spirit, descend into my soul, purify it from the dross of its imperfections, and replenish it with the flames of thy sacred affections, that it may breathe nothing but thy love, and desire nothing but the accomplishment of thy will. O ye angels, saints, and all creatures, come help me to honour, praise, bless, and love our Lord Jesus Christ, who once offered himself a bloody sacrifice on the cross for my salvation, and now offers himself an unbloody sacrifice on the altar for the same end.
Give me grace, O sweet Jesus, to assist at this holy sacrifice with the fervour and devotion of the pious shepherds in the stable of Bethlehem; and with a lively faith, profound respect, and humility of the three wise men of the East, who came to adore thee in the manger, and to offer thee the three mystical presents of frankincense, gold, and myrrh, in testimony of thy divinity, royalty and humanity. And now, since I, who am but dust and ashes, have presumed to speak, permit me to follow thee in spirit through the different stages of thy passion, and accompany thee to Mount Calvary.—Make me partaker of that charity which conducted thee to it, that I may return love for love, life for life, death for death. Give me such a feeling sense of thy sufferings, as the daughters of Sion had, when they met thee with thy cross on thy shoulders, and a thorny crown on thy head. Grant me resignation of my will to thine, like that of thy Virgin Mother at the foot of the cross. Prostrate before the throne of thy divine Majesty, I humbly implore thy pardon for all my offences, and thy grace to avoid relapse into sin. I offer up this divine sacrifice, by the hands of thy priest, to the glory of thy name; in acknowledgment of thy infinite greatness, and of my own nothingness; in thanksgiving for all thy benefits; in satisfaction for all my sins; in memory of thy dolorous passion; and to obtain of thy bounty, for myself and for thy whole church, for my superiors, spiritual and temporal, for my parents, benefactors, friends, and enemies, and all mankind, those precious graces and favours which thou knowest us to stand in most need of.