Collects.

Give us, O God, the grace daily to feel the advent of Our Lord upon our altars, as we expect Him to be born in our hearts at Christmas-time. Grant that we may also be prepared to meet Him, the Judge, at the end of time, and may find Him propitious; through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord. O God, Who didst leave with us, under the consecrated species, a memory of Thy sufferings, give us the grace that by our ardent faith we may adore Thee in this Holy Sacrament, and become worthy fruits of Thy holy Passion and death. Amen.

Epistle.

Accept, O God, this holy sacrifice in thanksgiving for the institution of the Blessed Sacrament. For in possessing the Blessed Sacrament we possess heaven and earth, our cares are taken away, and we have Jesus, Who cries continually to us: “Come to Me, all you who are heavily laden, and I will refresh you.” My dear Jesus, make me worthy to praise Thee with all the angels and elect in Thy kingdom. Let me serve Thee worthily here on this earth, so that I may one day share Thy glory in heaven. Amen.

Gospel.

Jesus, divine Physician of our souls! how can we sufficiently thank Thee for having become man, and for having dwelt among men? To perpetuate Thy coming, Thou hast remained on our altars in the Holy Sacrament. Thou hast preached the Gospel to us poor creatures, and hast made us acquainted [pg 531] with the secrets of heaven. Oh, that we would always listen to Thy Word, and apply it to our life, regulating all our actions on the principles of divine wisdom manifested therein! Let Thy holy Gospel and Thy holy teaching be a light to our lives in the darkness in which we walk, on account of our prejudices, passions, and evil inclinations, and when we take this light for our guide, we are sure that we will come happily to the end for which we were created. Amen.

Credo.

I believe in one God, and in three divine persons in that Godhead. I believe in one God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of light, true God of true God, begotten, not made; consubstantial with the Father by Whom all things were made, Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man! He was crucified also for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried. The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father: and He is to come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead: of His kingdom there shall be no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son: Who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified: Who spoke by the prophets. And one holy Catholic [pg 532] and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I expect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Offertory.

I adore Thee, O my God, and in union with the priest, offer Thee this sacrifice for Thy honor and glory, in thanksgiving for all the benefits conferred upon myself and upon the world; and in satisfaction for my many sins, and the sins of other men. Accept, O Lord, of this holocaust, which is no other than Thy divine Son, at once made Priest and Victim, offering and offered, and apply His saving merits to my needy soul. Be comforted, O my heart, Jesus sacrifices Himself for thee. Amen.

Lavabo.

O my Jesus, would that I could take Thee to witness of the holiness of my life and the innocence of my heart! But it is in Thy mercy only that I place all my hope; my consolation is in meditating on Thy promises to the penitent heart, and Thy faithfulness in performing them. Confounded at all that I have committed to this day, and encouraged by the favors Thou hast bestowed upon me, I can but promise to correspond better with Thy graces than I have hitherto done. I will purify myself more and more with the tears of penance; I will bless Thee as I do this day, and I will sing of the wonders of Thy power and of Thy mercy. Amen.

Orate Fratres.

The creature can offer nothing to the Creator that can be worthy of His acceptance. I [pg 533] unite myself, therefore, to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Who alone can merit anything in my behalf. I desire nothing but through Him and with Him. I have no wish beyond Him. O God of mercy, I seek nothing but Thy love! Graciously accept of the sacrifice of my heart and my whole self and may it, like the sacrifice of Jesus, be pleasing to Thee and unite us to Him. Amen.

Preface.

Lift up, O Lord, do Thou Thyself lift up my heart to Thee! Take from it all unholy thoughts, all earthly affections! Lift it wholly up to heaven, where Thou art worthily adored, and to the altar, where Thou art about to manifest Thyself to me. My life is but one continual succession of Thy mercies; let it be one continual succession of thanksgivings. And as Thou art now about to renew the greatest of all sacrifices, is it not meet that I should burst forth into expressions of heartfelt gratitude? Suffer me, then, to join my feeble voice with the voices of all the heavenly spirits, and in union with them, say, in a transport of joy and admiration: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Amen.

Consecration.

Bow down your body and soul in solemn adoration; make an act of faith in the real presence of your Saviour's body and blood, soul and divinity, [pg 534] under the sacramental veils. Offer your whole self to Him, and through Him to His Father; beg that your heart and soul may be happily changed into Him.

Elevation Of The Host.

(Here the bell is rung thrice.)

Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary, which didst truly suffer and was immolated on the cross for man, Whose side was pierced, and from which flowed water and blood; may we have a foretaste of Thee in the last agony of death. O kind, O loving One, Jesus, Son of Mary, have mercy on me! Amen.

Elevation Of The Chalice.

Saviour of the world, save us, for by Thy cross and by Thy blood Thou hast redeemed us! Help us, we beseech Thee, O Our God! Amen. Have mercy on me, dear Jesus, and grant that Thy blood may not be shed in vain for me, I humbly beseech Thee. Amen.

Pater Noster.

Our Father, Who reignest in heaven, come and reign in my soul; come and sanctify it by Thy presence; come and subject it to Thy holy will, and render it obedient to the inspirations of Thy grace. Extinguish in my heart every feeling of hatred and revenge; forgive me, as I forgive. Grant me such wisdom and such strength that I may triumph over all temptations. Deliver me from all those evils which oppress me, and under which I groan, being burdened. I come to Thee as a child [pg 535] to his father to be fed; as a subject to his prince to be protected; as one afflicted to his only succor, to be consoled and comforted. Amen.

Agnus Dei.

In saying to Thy apostles, “Peace I leave to you, My peace I give to you,” Thou hast promised, O Lord, to all Thy Church, that peace which the world cannot give—peace with Thee, and peace with ourselves. Let nothing, O Lord, ever interrupt this holy peace; let nothing separate us from Thee, to Whom we heartily desire to be united, through the Blessed Sacrament of peace and reconciliation. Let this food of angels strengthen us in every Christian duty, so that we nevermore yield under temptations, or fall into common weaknesses.

Domine, Non Sum Dignus.

God can only be worthy of receiving God; how, then, can a soul so sinful as mine merit so great a happiness! But Thou, O Lord, regardest not Thy greatness, but Thy mercy. Thou willest that I come to Thee, as one sick to a physician who can heal him; as one poor to his rich lord who can assist. O God of love, behold at Thy feet the poorest, the most infirm of Thy creatures. Unite me to Thyself, and I shall become rich and whole in Thy sight. Work, I beseech Thee, this miracle, worthy of Thy omnipotence and charity.

Act Of Spiritual Communion.

For Those Who do not Intend to Communicate.

O my most loving Saviour, since I cannot have the happiness of receiving Thee this day, [pg 536] suffer me to gather up the precious crumbs that fall from Thy table, and to unite myself to Thy divine Heart by faith, hope, and charity. I confess I do not deserve the children's bread; but I venture humbly to declare that, away from Thee, my soul is dried up with thirst, and my heart cast down with faintness. Come, then, into me, O my divine Jesus! come into my mind, to illuminate it with Thy light; come into my heart, to enkindle in it the fire of Thy love, and to unite it so intimately with Thine own, that it may be no more I that live, but Thou that livest in me and reignest in me forever.

Last Gospel.

O eternal Word, speak to my soul, which adores Thee in profound silence! Thou Who art the great Creator of all things, abandon not, I beseech Thee, Thine own creature! be Thou my life, my light, and my all! O Light eternal! enlighten me as to this present life, and in the life to come. Reign in me as in Thine own inheritance; for Thou, O Lord, hast made me; Thou hast redeemed me. May I ever be Thine!

After Mass.

Accept, O most gracious God, this, our service; whatever, by Thy grace, we may have performed with diligence, in Thy clemency regard; and what we have done with negligence, mercifully pardon, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, descend upon us now, and remain with us forever. Amen.