Thursday

 

Thursday's Morning Offering

Dear Jesus, my most merciful Savior,
truly present in the Holy Eucharist —
veiled beneath the forms of bread and wine,
yet truly God and truly Man —
I honor and adore You this morning.

I also honor the holy confessors, virgins, and widows of Heaven,
especially those whose memory the Church keeps today.

Thank You, dear Jesus,
for lovingly placing me in the vocation and life You chose for me.
Thank You for giving us the Blessed Sacrament
for the good of our souls.
Thank You for feeding me so often
with Your own Presence in Holy Communion,
and for surrounding my life
with so many graces, helps, and blessings.

Please grant me today
a true knowledge of You
and a humble understanding of myself.
Help me guard my senses and thoughts carefully.
Give me a deep and tender love and reverence
whenever I receive Holy Communion.
Teach me to pray faithfully
for the needs of Your Holy Church,
and in Your mercy grant eternal rest
to my parents, family,
and all those I love who have died.

And dear Jesus,
I am sorry for the times
I have been cold, careless, or distracted
in prayer or at Holy Communion.
Forgive the sins I have committed
through my senses, words, or actions,
and inwardly within my heart and soul.
Forgive every irreverence, coldness, or forgetfulness
I have shown toward Your holy Presence
in the Blessed Sacrament.

Please keep me near Your Sacred Heart today, dear Jesus,
and let my thoughts, words, and work
be offered quietly for love of You.

Amen.

This prayer comes from a very small and beautiful Catholic prayer book printed in Augsburg, Germany, in 1776, titled Auserlesenes Gebethbüchlein, meaning “A Choice Little Prayer Book.” It includes morning and evening prayers, prayers for Confession and Holy Communion, litanies, and other daily devotions. First prepared for the young nobility of Austria and later published for all Catholics, the book contains old German blackletter pages, delicate devotional engravings, and Church approval pages showing the prayers had been examined and approved in Augsburg in 1752. Nearly 250 years later, these prayers are being gently translated into clear English by Sister Mary Claire for Kathy at Camp Littlemore Farm, so they may once again be prayed slowly and reverently.