After Mass, Catholics traditionally stay a few minutes to thank God for the Mass and for Holy Communion before going out into the world. For eighty years, from 1884 until 1964, every Low Mass ended with a set of prayers said by the priest kneeling at the foot of the altar together with the people: the Leonine Prayers, which included the Prayer to St. Michael. Below are those prayers, the Church’s traditional thanksgiving after Mass, and short prayers for anyone leaving church.
A short prayer after Mass
Written for this page:
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for this Mass and for coming to me in Holy Communion.
Stay with me as I go back to my home and my work.
Help me to live what I have received,
to love the people I meet today, and to bring you to them.
Mary, my Mother, keep me faithful until we meet again at the altar. Amen.
The Leonine Prayers (prayers after Low Mass)
Pope Pius IX first ordered prayers after Low Mass in the Papal States in 1859. In 1884 Pope Leo XIII prescribed them for the whole Church, and in 1886 he gave them their final form, adding the Prayer to St. Michael. They were prayed at first for the freedom of the Church, then under Pope Pius XI from 1930 for the conversion of Russia. Pope Pius X added the threefold invocation of the Sacred Heart. The priest led them in the vernacular, kneeling at the foot of the altar, and the people answered. They were dropped from the Mass in 1964, but many parishes have brought back the St. Michael prayer after Mass.
The order of the Leonine Prayers:
- Three Hail Marys. See the Hail Mary.
- The Hail, Holy Queen, with its versicle and response:
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy! Hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope!
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us.
And after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
- The prayer for the Church:
O God, our refuge and our strength, look down in mercy on thy people who cry to thee; and through the intercession of the glorious and Immaculate Virgin Mary Mother of God, of Saint Joseph her Spouse, of thy Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the Saints, in mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of our holy Mother the Church. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
- The Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel:
Holy Michael, Archangel, defend us in the day of battle;
be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God, thrust down to hell Satan
and all wicked spirits, who roam through the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
- “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us,” said three times.
More about the Prayer to St. Michael, and why Leo XIII wrote it, is on the St. Michael prayer page.
The traditional thanksgiving after Mass
The Church has always encouraged a personal thanksgiving after Mass, especially after receiving Communion. The old Roman Missal gave priests a “Thanksgiving after Mass” that began with the Canticle of the Three Young Men and Psalm 150, followed by prayers of the saints. Lay Catholics took up the same prayers:
- The Anima Christi, “Soul of Christ, sanctify me.” See the Anima Christi.
- The prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas after Communion, “I give thee thanks, O holy Lord.” See prayers before and after Communion.
- The prayer before a crucifix, “Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus.” See the prayer before a crucifix.
- The Suscipe of St. Ignatius, “Take, Lord, and receive.” See the Suscipe prayer.
Obsecro te: a prayer after Mass
This short prayer, indulgenced by Pope Pius IX in 1846, asks that Christ’s Passion, wounds and Blood may become our strength, food and joy:
Obsecro te, dulcissime Domine Jesu Christe, ut passio tua sit mihi virtus qua muniar, protegar, atque defendar: vulnera tua sint mihi cibus potusque, quibus pascar, inebrier atque delecter: aspersio sanguinis tui sit mihi gloria sempiterna. In his sit mihi refectio, exsultatio, sanitas et dulcedo cordis mei: qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
In English (translation written for this page):
I beseech thee, most sweet Lord Jesus Christ,
that thy Passion may be my strength, to fortify, protect and defend me;
that thy wounds may be my food and drink, to nourish, gladden and delight me;
that the sprinkling of thy Blood may be my everlasting glory.
In these may I find refreshment, joy, health and sweetness of heart:
who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.
How long should I stay after Mass?
There is no rule. Spiritual writers have often recommended a thanksgiving of about a quarter of an hour after Communion, roughly while the Sacred Host remains present within us. Even a few minutes of silent thanks before leaving, or a quiet visit to the tabernacle, makes a difference. If you must leave quickly, pray a short prayer such as the one above on your way out.
Frequently asked questions
What prayer is said after Mass?
Today there is no prescribed prayer after the dismissal, but many Catholics pray a personal thanksgiving, the Anima Christi or the Prayer to St. Michael. Before 1964, the Leonine Prayers above were said after every Low Mass.
Why was the St. Michael prayer said after Mass?
Pope Leo XIII added it to the prayers after Low Mass in 1886 to ask for the protection of the Church against the powers of evil. It remained part of those prayers until 1964.
Is it disrespectful to leave right after Communion?
It is better to stay until the end of Mass and the final blessing, and if possible to spend a few minutes in thanksgiving. Leaving immediately after Communion without a serious reason misses the chance to thank Christ who has just come to you.
Can a parish pray the St. Michael prayer after Mass today?
Yes. It is a private devotion said after the dismissal, and many parishes and bishops have encouraged it again in recent years.
More Mass pages
- Patron saint of altar servers
- Prayer before Mass
- Prayers before and after Communion
- St. Michael prayer
- Order of the Mass
- Spiritual Communion prayer
- Eucharistic adoration prayers
Texts and sources
- Prayers after Low Mass: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916 daily missal), “Prayers after Mass,” public domain (archive.org); Hail, Holy Queen and the Prayer to St. Michael as printed in F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), public domain.
- Obsecro te: The Raccolta (English edition, 1910), no. 467 (Pius IX, 1846), public domain (archive.org).