A Catholic Morning Offering to God
 

Each morning, the very first thing we should do as Catholics is to make what is called our Morning Offering: the total offering of ourselves — to God.

The Morning Offering is a prayer of your own making, a prayer in which you offer to God — well, everything ... everything that you are, everything that you possess, all that you experience and all that you will suffer this day.

The words that you choose are your own. If you are at a loss at the beginning, there are many wonderful prayers that you can find by the Saints or that are recommended to you by Holy Mother the Church.

The following prayer is offered as an example only and may be helpful to you in understanding what is involved in your Morning Offering as a Catholic, but your words will be different, because your life is different: what you suffer, what you need, those in your life whom you love, your own difficulties and aspirations — these you will hold up to God at the beginning your day:
 

In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen. (“In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. ”)
 

“Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, O, Holy Ghost, I love Thee, my Lord and my God — above all and before all — and all whom I love, I love in Thee!

I offer myself to Thee:, my God, all that I am, all that I have, and all that I suffer.

Give to me as it pleases Thee. Take from me as it pleases Thee.

I beg Thee, Lord my God, fulfill within me perfectly Thy most holy will.

Make of me what You will. Do with me what You will.

Lord my God, I hold up to Thee all those I love, my friends, and my enemies. Keep them, I beg Thee, for Thyself in Heaven forever. Protect them from the evil one and every evil!

Have mercy on me, a sinner.

In a special way I hold up to Thee [name the people most dear to you,] and those for whom you have promised your prayers, and all those poor souls in Purgatory who have no one to pray for them and who most need Thy consolation.

I hold up to Thee all those who died last night and those who will die today. Have mercy on them; in their last moments give them the grace to be converted to Thee, forgive them their sins, and bring them to everlasting life in Thy presence..

I offer all to Thee in union with Thy Son Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

       In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

JMD for the
Boston Catholic Journal

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