Prayer before Mass

  • Thread starter Thread starter lucusk
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

lucusk

Guest
I’m not sure why I haven’t thought about this until now, but when you pray before Mass, after entering the pew, what prayer(s) do you say? Are there customary or traditional prayers that are prescribed, or are extemporaneous prayer ok?
 
Whatever you want. Usually people will keep it simple and repetitive, like the rosary. But if you want to be spontaneous, be spontaneous.
 
Thank you for a great topic!!

I always start with a formal prayer, because that get me “tuned in” to prayer and it focuses me towards Our Lord. I like to say the Morning Offering (even if I said it earlier in the day.)

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and suffering of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sins, the reunion of all Christians;
I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

After that I am able to pray more freely, such as asking Jesus to help my listen to His Word and to worthily receive his Body and Blood and for anyone for who I want to offer the Mass (i.e. an ill family member.)

God Bless You “lucusk”
 
BillM7985 said:
Thank you for a great topic!!

I always start with a formal prayer, because that get me “tuned in” to prayer and it focuses me towards Our Lord. I like to say the Morning Offering (even if I said it earlier in the day.)

God Bless You “lucusk”
Click to expand...
Me too, although I use the Prayer Before the Crucifix.

Prayer Before the Crucifix
Behold, O kind and gentle Jesus, I kneel before you and pray that you would impress upon my heart the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment. At the same time, with sorrow I meditate on your five precious wounds, having in mind the words which David spoke in prophecy: “They have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones” (Ps 22).

However, now since I’ve memorized this prayer my wife and I had to switch parishes to one that actually has a crucifix behind the altar instead of a risen Jesus.
 
+JMJ

Sometimes I pray the Liturgy of the Hours before Mass - usually morning prayer, sometimes evening prayer, depending on where I go. It’s a wonderful way to link the prayer of the Church with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass together in your mind - because they really are intrinsically connected!

Most importantly, however, pray for the grace to worthily receive Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament… You can find them everywhere (I really like the ones at the beginning of the little red missals from the Traditional Latin Mass). But here is a good one from the Imitation of Christ:

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. O 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
PRAYER

I adore You, my Sweet Jesus, with respect as my God, with confidence as my Savior, with love as my Father, with humility and fear as my Judge. I offer the Holy Mass which I assist at and the Holy Communion, which I receive to obtain pardon for my sins, the conversion of sinners and the sanctification of all the just.
 
Whatever works for you, really.

Generally most will make acts of faith, hope, love, etc. But there is no real set form for these. You’ll find various forms in different missals. In addition I implore Our Lady’s assistance before Mass and offer my communion to her after as well.

Prayers in thanksgiving after Mass also vary. More acts of faith, etc., prayers for family and friends, etc. The Magnificat is also good here.

So just whatever works for you really.
 
I pray the prayers that are written in the front of my missal, developed by Saints. A person may pray whatever prayers with which he/she feels comfortable. One person may pray spontaneously, another simply sit in silence contemplating God’s presence.
I have worshiped in parishes, like my current parish, in which the rosary is recited before every Mass. I am blessed to belong to a parish with an Adoration chapel where I might spend time before Mass.
 
Lots of great prayers! I pray a set prayer first (very simple, something I just started saying and now do all the time) and then pray for vocations. Then I’ll pray for a family member or whoever I am offering my Mass for for.

I usually say the prayer Before a Crucifix after Mass.
 
I always say the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, then I say either St. Ambrose’s prayer before Mass, or St. Thomas Aquinas’ prayer before Mass.
 
For daily OF Mass, I pray Morning Prayers from Liturgy of the Hours (aloud & in community).
Immediately afterward, I recite Prayers at the Foot of the Altar (silently & in Latin).
 
CaptCrunch73 said:
Me too, although I use the Prayer Before the Crucifix.

Prayer Before the Crucifix
Behold, O kind and gentle Jesus, I kneel before you and pray that you would impress upon my heart the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment. At the same time, with sorrow I meditate on your five precious wounds, having in mind the words which David spoke in prophecy: “They have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones” (Ps 22).

However, now since I’ve memorized this prayer my wife and I had to switch parishes to one that actually has a crucifix behind the altar instead of a risen Jesus.
Click to expand...
Hi Captain,

This is a great prayer. I am going to start praying this before the Holy Crucifix during mass. Thanks and God Bless You!

Best,
Lorenzo
 
paul11b said:
I always say the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, then I say either St. Ambrose’s prayer before Mass, or St. Thomas Aquinas’ prayer before Mass.
Click to expand...
CatholicFireman said:
I will say a Hail Mary and if I have my missal, I’ll say the prayer of St. Ambrose:
catholic.org/clife/prayers/prayer.php?p=127
Click to expand...
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is always included as part of the rosary recited by my overseas parish.
The prayers of Sts. Thomas Aquinas and Ambrose are in the front of my missal.
 
LorenzoL said:
Hi Captain,

This is a great prayer. I am going to start praying this before the Holy Crucifix during mass. Thanks and God Bless You!

Best,
Lorenzo
Click to expand...
You’re welcome. Also be aware that this prayer has indulgences attached.

Prayer Before a Crucifix

“A plenary indulgence is granted on each Friday of Lent and Passiontide to the faithful who, after Communion, piously recite the above prayer before an image of Christ crucified; on other days of the year the indulgence is partial.” — Enchiridion of Indulgences, No. 22

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be for the Holy Father’s intentions
 
I don’t know why, but I always forget to pray after entering a church. Even in my Protestant upbringing it was something I saw people doing when they enter church. I just have to get into the habit of doing this. 🤷
 
I say the St. Ambrose before mass prayer and sometimes morning offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
 
I usually come an hr before Mass,to pray,so that I can talk to my LORD, before people come in, I usually say prays, that I read from a pamphlet, or I just sit their,and look at Jesus on the Cross.and have a heart to heart talk with Jesus, for I feel better when, it come from my heart than reading something some pamplet,or pray book.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top