Prayer Before Mass.

O Mary immaculate! I come to place myself body and soul under thy special care and protection. Take me by the hand, that thy purity may hide the deformity of my soul, thy praises and thy love may supply my deficiencies. I also place in thy hands all my hopes, all my sorrows, all my cares—my life and the end thereof. As thou didst stand by the cross of thy Son, joining thy prayers to His for man's redemption, so wilt thou come to help me now. Kindle my devotion, aid me with thy mighty intercession, so that I may worthily love and praise my God, and participate in the merits of Jesus, thy divine Son. Amen.

Confiteor.

“O Father,” will I cry with the prodigal, “I have sinned against heaven and before Thee. I am not worthy to be called Thy child.” I have grievously offended Thee through my whole [pg 228] life, and therefore am unworthy to lift my eyes to heaven. O Mary, my Mother! beg of God grace for me, and He will hear thee. Obtain that I may know all my faults and devoutly make a sincere avowal of them, followed by a true repentance, so that I may obtain pardon for them through the loving mercy of my God. Amen.

Introit.

Behold me, O my God, at Thy feet; dispose of me as Thou pleasest. I devote myself entirely to Thee, and since my sins alone can render me displeasing to Thee, therefore I cry aloud to Thee for mercy and pardon. Amen.

Kyrie.

Lord be merciful to me a sinner! O Father of infinite mercy, have pity on Thy child! O Mary, powerful advocate, help of sinners, aid us by thy supplicating voice, and the just One by excellence will descend as a long-expected rain! O Fountain of love, grant this mercy to me and to all poor sinners! Amen.

Gloria.

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good-will! I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I adore Thee! Blessed angels, messengers of Our Lord, who came before our King to prepare a place in which He should descend, I beseech thee in the name of thy love for Our God, teach me to love Him. Amen.

Collect.

Glorious Virgin Mary, thou who art the true mediatrix between thy sweet Son and poor [pg 229] repentant sinners, pray for me, obtain for me the favorable attention of Our God and Saviour. And do Thou, O Jesus, enrich my soul with Thy gifts, to the full extent of Thy tender compassion. Amen.

Epistle.

O most pure Mary, who knowest so well how to penetrate and comprehend Jesus, open my soul, dilate it, so that it may be replenished with that abundance of gifts which it will receive from heaven through thy intercession. Amen.

Gospel.

Ah, to whom shall we go, O Jesus, if not to Thee, since Thou hast the words of eternal life? Thou, O Jesus, my Lord and my God, art the true light, for Whose dawn the saints of the Old Law watched with longing eyes, looking to Thee for grace and salvation. O Mary immaculate, Virgin always faithful! lead us to Jesus, help us to find Jesus, and attach us to Him forever by the bonds of perfect charity, which, uniting us to His sacrifice during time, will associate us to His glory in eternity. Amen.

Credo.

O my God, I firmly believe in one God in three divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost! I believe in Jesus Christ, the true and only Son of God, Who was born of the Virgin Mary, and died on the cross for our salvation. I also believe all the sacred truths the Catholic Church believes and teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. O sweet Jesus, [pg 230] give me knowledge and understanding that I may live and die in this faith! Amen.

Offertory.

Accept, O eternal Father, this offering which is here made to Thee by Thy minister, in the name of all here present and of Thy whole Church. It is yet only bread and wine, but by a miracle of Thy power and grace it will shortly become the body and blood of Thy divine Son. Now the august sacrifice begins, everything recalls the sorrows of our dear Jesus; His bitter agony, accompanied by a most heroic act of perfect submission when He consents to expiate every crime. O Jesus, Jesus! It is I who have bound Thee! it is I who have had the misfortune to lead Thee out to death! From this instant, O Jesus, I give myself to Thee! O Mary, my powerful protectress, purify us in the ardors of thy pure love, and do thou thyself place us on the paten with the bread, and in the chalice with the wine. Amen.

Lavabo.

Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me! Oh, wash me, dear Lord, from all the stains of sin, in the blood of the Lamb, that I may be worthy to be present at these heavenly mysteries. O Mary immaculate, may thy sorrows heal the wounds of my soul. Amen.

Preface.

Let us lift ourselves up to heaven, O my soul, and render thanks to the Lord Our God. O Mary most pure, aid us to break all the ties that still bind [pg 231] us to earth. Oh, may I, great God, unite my heart and voice with all the heavenly court, and cry with them: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts! Blessed is He Who cometh in the name of the Lord! 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!

Canon.

We conjure Thee, O Lord, to listen favorably to our humble prayers, to receive the vows and supplications we offer. We desire to adore, praise, and glorify Thee, and to give Thee thanks for Thy great glory, joining our hearts and voices with all the blessed in heaven, and with Thy whole Church upon earth. O Mary, Mother of mercy! Ask Jesus to give us the ineffable grace of appreciating, imitating, and loving Him until death—that Jesus sacrificed by love, and immolated perpetually for us upon our altars. Amen.

Consecration.

The priest has said: “This is My body; this is My blood;” and Jesus has descended into his hands. The God of heaven and earth obeys a weak creature. O mystery of love! O prodigy of annihilation! O my soul, gratitude and love ought to be thy language. Eternal Truth, in Thee I believe, strengthen Thou my faith, that I may love Thee ever more and more, and hereafter behold Thee face to face in Thy celestial kingdom—my Jesus and my all! Amen.