Prayers for Holy Communion
Most people want two things here: something to say in the pew before receiving, and something to say afterwards while the church is quiet. Both are below, in the words the Church has actually used, with a note on who wrote each one. There is also an Act of Spiritual Communion for anyone who cannot get to Mass, which is the prayer that matters most to people in hospital or housebound.
On this page: Before Communion After Communion Spiritual Communion Who May Receive A First Communion Bible Verses Questions
Prayers Before Communion
Lord, I am about to receive You and I am not ready, and I am coming anyway because You asked me to. Quiet me. Take my attention off everything I carried in here. Let me receive You knowing what I am doing. Amen.
When: In the pew, in the minute before the procession starts.
The Prayer of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Aquinas wrote a set of prayers for before and after Mass in the thirteenth century, and they are still printed in missals. This is the heart of the one said beforehand.
Almighty and eternal God, I come to the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the light of eternal brightness, poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Grant that I may receive not only the sacrament, but the grace and power of the sacrament. Amen.
A Short Prayer of Preparation
Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. Amen.
Worth knowing: that last line is not a devotional invention. It is the centurion’s line in Matthew 8:8, and it is said aloud by the whole congregation immediately before Communion at every Mass. If you have ever wondered where it came from, that is where.
Prayers After Communion
The minutes after receiving are the part most people waste. These are the prayers the Church put there.
Anima Christi
Fourteenth century, long misattributed to Ignatius of Loyola, who did not write it but loved it and recommended it. It is the classic prayer of thanksgiving after Communion.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. Amen.
The Prayer Before a Crucifix
Traditionally said kneeling before a crucifix after receiving.
Behold, O good and gentle Jesus, I kneel before You and beg You to fix in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, with true sorrow for my sins and a firm resolve to amend them. Amen.
In Your Own Words
Lord, You are here and I do not feel anything, and I am told that is normal. Thank You anyway. Stay with me through this afternoon, which is where it will actually matter. Amen.
An Act of Spiritual Communion
If you cannot get to Mass, because you are ill, in hospital, housebound, caring for someone who cannot be left, or simply unable to receive today, the Church has a prayer for exactly that. It is called an Act of Spiritual Communion, and the best known version is by Saint Alphonsus Liguori.
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
This is not a lesser substitute you have invented. Spiritual Communion is a recognised practice with a long history, taught by Aquinas and by Alphonsus Liguori, and it was prayed by whole congregations when churches were closed. If illness has kept you from Mass for months, this is the prayer to keep by the bed.
If you are unwell, our prayers for the sick and prayers for healing sit alongside this.
Who May Receive, and the One Hour Fast
Two practical points that most pages leave out, because people are embarrassed to ask.
Catholics are asked to receive in a state of grace, which means going to confession first if you are aware of serious sin. There is also a fast: nothing to eat or drink for one hour before receiving, with water and medicine excepted. One hour before receiving, not before Mass begins, which in practice is a shorter wait than people assume.
If you are not Catholic: you are welcome at Mass, and you are ordinarily not admitted to Communion, which is about the Church’s understanding of what Communion signifies rather than about you. Many people come forward with arms crossed over the chest to receive a blessing instead. Nobody will mind, and it is done at every Mass.
Prayers for a First Communion
Lord, today my child receives You for the first time. Let this not be the last time. Keep hold of them through everything that comes after, and give them a memory of today they can return to. Amen.
Jesus, I am receiving You for the first time. Thank You for coming to me. Help me to be good and to remember today. Amen.
Bible Verses on Communion
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luke 22:19
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.
John 6:51
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
1 Corinthians 11:26
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
Matthew 8:8
Questions About Communion Prayers
What prayer do you say before Communion?
A short one asking to be made ready. The Church’s own words are the line said aloud at every Mass: “Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Saint Thomas Aquinas also left a longer prayer of preparation, on this page.
What is the prayer after receiving Communion?
The Anima Christi is the classic one, a fourteenth century prayer beginning “Soul of Christ, sanctify me”. The Prayer Before a Crucifix is the other traditional choice. Both are short enough to say in the minutes after returning to your seat.
What is an Act of Spiritual Communion?
A prayer for when you cannot receive Communion in person, through illness, being housebound, or being unable to get to Mass. The best known version is by Saint Alphonsus Liguori and asks Jesus to come spiritually into the heart instead. It is a long-standing practice, not an improvised substitute.
How long do you have to fast before Communion?
One hour before receiving, not before Mass begins. Water and medicine do not break the fast. In practice this is a shorter wait than most people assume.
Can non-Catholics receive Communion?
Ordinarily no. It concerns what the Church understands Communion to signify rather than anything about the person. Non-Catholics are welcome at Mass and many come forward with arms crossed over the chest to receive a blessing instead, which happens at every Mass.
What is a good prayer for a child’s First Communion?
Something short the child can remember, and something for the parent about what comes after. Both are on this page. The prayer worth saying is that this is not the last time they receive.
Send Your Prayer to Jerusalem
If you would like a prayer carried to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, we can take it there for you. Write it in your own words and we will print it, place it in the church and light a candle, and email you the photographs.
