Prayer After Mass

After receiving Holy Communion, the Church encourages a few minutes of quiet thanksgiving, while Christ is sacramentally present within us. This traditional prayer thanks God the Father for refreshing us with the Body and Blood of His Son and asks that Communion bring not judgment but salvation and health of soul and body. It echoes St. Paul's warning to receive the Lord worthily (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).

Pray it in the pew after Communion or after the final blessing, before leaving church. Staying a few moments longer, instead of rushing out, is a simple way to deepen your love for the Eucharist. Many Catholics pair it with the Anima Christi or the Prayer Before a Crucifix, and resolve to carry the grace of the Mass into the week ahead.

The Prayer

I give Thee thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty eternal God, Who hast refreshed me with the most sacred Body and Blood of Thy Son Jesus Christ. Grant that this Holy Communion may not be to me for judgment and condemnation, but for my salvation and the health of soul and body. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Traditional prayer after Mass; classic manuals, public domain.

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