Prayers after communion: After receiving holy Communion Catholics spend time offering prayers of thanksgiving and reflection while kneeling at their pew. Below are two examples of prayers after communion that can be prayed at Mass. Time should also be spent offering a personal prayer of gratitude and the promise to live a life that honors God.
We Show Gratitude through our Prayers after Communion
Sometimes it is hard to know how to open our hearts and show gratitude to God for the gift of Holy Communion. If you have difficulty putting your thoughts into words, you can use these prayers after communion to help you thank Jesus for the gift of the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. These prayers will assist you in growing in love and adoration of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
"To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment.
St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.” Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of reconciliation before coming to Communion."
The following prayers after communion will move your heart to adore Jesus in the Eucharist and the great gift of His Body and Blood. When we offer the Lord gratitude for His love, especially in reception of the Holy Eucharist we open our soul to receive many graces. These prayers can be said after holy communion in the sacrifice of the Mass or in the adoration chapel immediately following the Mass.
Universal Prayer
LORD, I believe in You:
but let me believe more strongly.
I hope in You: but let me hope more securely.
I love You: but let me love You more ardently.
I sorrow, but deepen my sorrow for my sins.
I adore You as my first beginning,
I long for You as my last end,
I praise You as my constant benefactor,
I call on You as my loving protector.
Guide me by Your wisdom,
hold me with Your justice,
comfort me with Your mercy,
protect me with Your power.
I offer You, Lord, my thoughts,
my words, my actions,
and my sufferings to be fixed on You, to be according to You,
and to be endured for You.
I want to do what You will,
in the way You will for as long as You will,
because You will it.
I pray, O Lord,
enlighten my understanding,
inflame my will, purify my heart,
and sanctify my soul.
May I weep for my former iniquities,
repel future temptations,
correct my faults,
and cultivate suitable virtues.
Grant me, O God, love of You,
hatred of me, zeal for my neighbor,
contempt the world.
May I be eager to obey my superiors,
be courteous to my inferiors,
faithful to my friends,
and to forgive my enemies.
Help me to conquer sensuality with austerity,
greed with generosity,
anger with gentleness,
apathy with fervor.
Make me prudent in planning,
steadfast in danger,
patient in adversity,
and humble in prosperity.
O Lord, make me attentive in prayer,
temperate in drink,
diligent in my duties,
and firm in purpose.
May I take care to have an innocent interior,
a modest exterior,
exemplary speech,
and a well-ordered life.
May I be ever-watchful in guarding against my weaknesses,
cherishing Your grace,
keeping Your laws,
and coming to salvation.
May I learn from You the passing nature of this world,
the grandness of heaven,
the shortness of this life,
and the life to come eternal.
Grant that I may prepare for death,
fear judgment, flee from Hell,
and obtain paradise.
Grant this though Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Long Prayer after Communion by St. Thomas Aquinas
I give thanks to You, Holy Lord,
Father almighty, everlasting God.
Not Through any merit of my own,
but only through the goodness of Your mercy,
You have considered me
– sinner, a useless servant –
worthy to be nourished
with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray to You that this Holy Communion
will not condemn me to punishment
but will rather secure my forgiveness.
May it be an armor of faith
and a shield of good will.
May it remove my vices
and increase in me
charity, patience, humility, obedience,
and all virtues.
May it be a firm defense against the plots
of all my enemies, seen and unseen.
May it perfectly quiet my passions,
physical and spiritual.
May it be the firmest bond
to You, the one and true God.
May it give me final happiness.
I also pray that You bring me, a sinner,
to the ineffable banquet where You dwell
with Your Son and Holy Spirit.
You Who are for Your saints true light,
complete fulfillment, eternal joy,
consummate delight,
and perfect happiness.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen
Pray “A Prayer to Acquire the Virtues” by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Learn more about Saint Thomas Aquinas from St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary.
Learn about Jesus real presence in the Eucharist.