Faith hope and love are the three theological virtues that man can only obtain through prayers of petition to God. Are you going through the motions at Mass? If you lack faith in the Real Presence of Christ, and feel dead inside during holy Communion, it’s time to learn how to ask for these virtues from Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
God is generous and will increase your faith hope and love for Him when you begin praying “The Act of Faith Hope and Love” prayers before receiving Him in holy Communion at Mass. Bookmark this page containing these beautiful holy Communion prayers and pray them before the Mass.
You want to pray all three parts of this prayer: an act of faith, an act of hope, and an act of love.
All petitions are meant to be prayed together before receiving holy Communion. This will dispose you toward grace from Our Lord during reception of holy Communion.
Why Pray Act of Faith, Hope, and Love Prayers
Why make an act of faith hope and love?
We do this in order to open our hearts and prepare ourselves for the worthy reception of holy Communion. The Bible says that we must not take holy communion unworthily:
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment; but since we are judged by [the] Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
By praying for it, God in his mercy will grant it. As mentioned, faith hope and love are known as theological virtues. This means they are revealed to us supernaturally and impossible for us to have on our own. This is why it’s so important to ask for these virtues in Mass before you take holy Communion. You won’t just ‘get’ these gifts. You have to request the grace from your heart. We must offer an act of faith hope and love to Jesus Christ, whether we do it in the Mass, or outside of the Mass, so that we can grow in these virtues.
An Act of Faith Prayer
I firmly believe, O my divine Jesus, that Thou art truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. I believe that It really and substantially contains Thy Body and Blood, Thy soul and divinity. I acknowledge these truths; I believe these wonders; I adore the power that has wrought them, the same power that said: “Let there be light,” and light was made. Verily, Thou art a hidden God, the God of Israel, the Savior.
An Act of Hope Prayer
Since Thou vouchsafe to come and dwell within me, O my Redeemer, what may I not expect from Thy bounty! I therefore present myself before Thee with that lively confidence which Thine infinite goodness inspires. Thou not only knowest all my wants, but Thou art also willing and able to relieve them. Thou hast not only invited me, but also promised me Thy gracious assistance; “Come to Me all ye that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.” Behold, then, O Lord, I accept Thy gracious invitation; I lay before Thee all my wants, my misery, and my blindness, and confidently hope, without the fear of being disappointed, that Thou wilt enable me to persevere, unto the end of my life, in Thy service. “In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped; I shall not be confounded forever.”
An Act of Love Prayer
As the heart panteth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after Thee, O God! My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God? For what have I in heaven? and besides Thee, what do I desire upon earth?
Let blind and infatuated worldlings intoxicate themselves with the false, transient, and fading happiness of this life; for my part, nothing besides Thyself can content me, either in heaven or on earth. Come then, O Thou Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world! Come, Thou Beloved of my heart! Adorable Flesh and precious Blood of my Savior! Come, to nourish, comfort, and enliven my sickly soul. O God of my heart! Let me neither love, seek, nor think on any other object but Thyself alone; for Thou alone art my consolation, my treasure, my joy, my life, my all!
“My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God. Thou art, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!”
“Who will give me wings like a dove and I will fly and be at rest!”
Lord Jesus Christ, please increase in me the virtues of faith hope and love so that I may grow in sanctity and holiness. AMEN.
If you have time before holy Communion, another wonderful prayer to pray is the Act of Humility Prayer. The greatest vice a man can have is pride, and God despises the proud. The virtue that combats pride is humility. If we truly want to grow in holiness we need to grow in the virtue of humility too.
An Act of Humility Prayer
O God of sanctity! Who am I , that Thou shouldst come to me? “The heavens are not pure in Thy sight,” and wilt Thou dwell in my heart? “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof.” The consciousness of my unworthiness would prompt me to exclaim: “Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinner.” But oh, the wonderful condescension of Thy Love! Thy pressing invitation encourages me, and dispels my fears. “Here I am, for Thou didst call me.” Come then, O Jesus, take possession of a heart that wishes to belong to Thee. “Behold, they that go far from Thee shall perish.” But, O my God, this house of my heart is too narrow for Thee: do Thou enlarge it; it is falling to ruin; do Thou repair it; it has been defiled by sin: do Thou cleanse and purify it. “Look Thou upon me, and have mercy on me. Oh, heal my soul for I have sinned against Thee! Let Thy tender mercies come unto me, and I shall live! Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word, and my soul shall be healed.”
AMEN.
Thoughts on Faith, Hope, and Love
“Faith, hope and charity go together. Hope is practiced through the virtue of patience, which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God’s mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness. ” Pope Benedict XVI