A Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament

Sweet Jesus! O amiable Saviour! who, by an effect of thy infinite goodness and love, hast vouchsafed to remain really present amongst us in the adorable Sacrament of the altar; I acknowledge thee for my Sovereign Lord and God; I adore thee with the most profound sentiments of humility; I give thee thanks, from the bottom of my heart, for the numberless instances of thy love and tenderness towards me, a most wretched and miserable sinner, who, for my manifold offences, have rather deserved to be cast into the infernal abyss, and there punished according to the rigour of thy severest justice. Penetrated with grief at the sight of my ingratitude, I come, O God of Majesty! to crave pardon for all the profanations, sacrileges, and impieties which ever have been committed, or may be committed against thee, in this adorable sacrament. And O that I could sufficiently express the grief which I now feel, for having so often appeared before thee with irreverence, and so often approached thee with so little fervour and devotion.

Forget, O Lord, our iniquities, and remember only thy mercies. Accept my sincere desire to honour, and see thee honoured, in this admirable sacrament of thy love. Yes, I ardently desire to bless, praise, and adore thee therein, with as much love and fervour as the saints and angels bless, praise, and adore thee, encircled with the rays of ineffable glory in thy heavenly kingdom. O amiable Jesus! I conjure thee by thy precious body and blood, before which I now prostrate myself, that I may adore thee for the future with such reverence, and receive thee so worthily, as to deserve after death to be admitted into thy divine presence, and with the choirs of celestial spirits, praise and glorify thee for ever and ever. Amen.