The following prayers have been taken from Moments Divine: Before the Blessed Sacrament and were intended to be said before the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Prayer for Divine Love
O God, Who dost possess in incomprehensible abundance all that can ever be perfect and worthy of love, extinguish in me all culpable, sensual and disorderly love for creatures, and enkindle in my heart the most pure fire of Thy sincere, powerful and continual love, in order that I may love nothing save Thee alone, or for Thee, until, consumed by Thy most holy love, I may begin to live where I shall perfectly possess Thee, with all Thy elect, and love Thee without end. Amen.
Prayer Before the Altar
O Divine Savior ,Who dost admit me to Thy presence! Teach me to respect as I ought the sanctity of Thy house, to feel delight in it as Thy Saints did and to pray to Thee with the same fervor, so that I may be able to say, like them: “We have received Thy mercy, O Lord, in the midst of Thy temple. Oh, grant that, rendering Thee the worship of love that they rendered Thee, I too may deserve to experience Thy mercy in that eternal temple of which our churches are the figure, and where Thy presence brings sovereign happiness.” Amen. — Fenelon
Prayer Before the Tabernacle
Eternal Son of the living God, Whom I here acknowledge really present! I adore Thee with all the powers of my soul. Prostrate with the Angels in the most profound reverence, I love Thee, O my Saviour, Whom I now behold on the throne of Thy Love! O dread Majesty, O infinite Mercy! Save me, forgive me! Grant that I may never more be separated from Thee. — St. Basil
Prayer of Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament
O Sovereign Lord! What do I now behold? All Thy greatness concealed under the veil of bread! And while Thy love for us ungrateful sinners reduces Thee so low, the heavens are astonished, the Angels tremble, the Seraphim cover their faces. All the powers of the universe bow down in adoration and praise, and with a thousand voices exalt Thine infinite Majesty, which fills both Heaven and earth. Christian people, let us unite our voices with theirs and publish to the whole world this sublime and eternal canticle: Holy, holy, holy is the powerful God of armies! The heavens and the earth are filled with His glory. Let us bless Him that cometh in the name of the Lord, who is the Lord Himself. Amen. — St. Hilary
Petition for Perfect Divine Love
My God, Thou art here present. Show Thyself to me. Reveal to me Thy beauty. Let me have the happiness of embracing Thee, and of being intimately united with Thee. Grant that I may make one of those acts of love that are capable of perfectly cleansing the greatest sinners from all the stains of sin and of rendering them worthy of being admitted without delay into Heaven. Grant that I may be continually united with Thee. Amen. — St. Bonaventure
Prayer for a Happy Death
Sweet Lord, when our turn comes to die, grant that we may sleep calmly the sleep of the just. Guard us from the enemy; Purgatory, so much deserved by us, and therefore so truly welcomed by us, may be over with little delay. Give us a season of refreshments there; wrap us around with holy dreams and soothing contemplations, while we gather strength to ascend the heavens. — Cardinal Newman
Prayer for the Dying
O most merciful Jesus, Lover of souls, I pray Thee, by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, wash in Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world who are in their agony and are to die this day. Amen. — St. Francis de Sales
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This article is taken from a chapter in Moments Divine: Before the Blessed Sacrament by Fr. Frederick A. Reuter, KCBS which is available from TAN Books.
