A few minutes of prayer before Mass makes a great difference. Arriving early, kneeling quietly and offering a prayer of preparation helps us leave behind the noise of the day and enter into the mystery we are about to celebrate: the sacrifice of Christ made present on the altar and the gift of his Body and Blood.
Below are a traditional prayer before Mass from a nineteenth-century Catholic prayer book, short prayers for when you arrive at church, a prayer for the priest, and simple ways to prepare.
A traditional prayer before Mass
This prayer is from William Gahan’s Complete Manual of Catholic Piety. It asks the Holy Spirit to prepare the soul, joins the worshipper to the shepherds, the Magi and Mary at the cross, and offers the Mass for every intention:
O Divine Spirit, descend into my soul, purify it from the dross of its imperfections, and replenish it with the flames of thy sacred affections, that it may breathe nothing but thy love, and desire nothing but the accomplishment of thy will. O ye angels, saints, and all creatures, come help me to honour, praise, bless, and love our Lord Jesus Christ, who once offered himself a bloody sacrifice on the cross for my salvation, and now offers himself an unbloody sacrifice on the altar for the same end.
Give me grace, O sweet Jesus, to assist at this holy sacrifice with the fervour and devotion of the pious shepherds in the stable of Bethlehem; and with a lively faith, profound respect, and humility of the three wise men of the East, who came to adore thee in the manger, and to offer thee the three mystical presents of frankincense, gold, and myrrh, in testimony of thy divinity, royalty and humanity. And now, since I, who am but dust and ashes, have presumed to speak, permit me to follow thee in spirit through the different stages of thy passion, and accompany thee to Mount Calvary. Make me partaker of that charity which conducted thee to it, that I may return love for love, life for life, death for death. Give me such a feeling sense of thy sufferings, as the daughters of Sion had, when they met thee with thy cross on thy shoulders, and a thorny crown on thy head. Grant me resignation of my will to thine, like that of thy Virgin Mother at the foot of the cross. Prostrate before the throne of thy divine Majesty, I humbly implore thy pardon for all my offences, and thy grace to avoid relapse into sin. I offer up this divine sacrifice, by the hands of thy priest, to the glory of thy name; in acknowledgment of thy infinite greatness, and of my own nothingness; in thanksgiving for all thy benefits; in satisfaction for all my sins; in memory of thy dolorous passion; and to obtain of thy bounty, for myself and for thy whole church, for my superiors, spiritual and temporal, for my parents, benefactors, friends, and enemies, and all mankind, those precious graces and favours which thou knowest us to stand in most need of.
A short prayer when you arrive
Written for this page:
Lord Jesus, I am here.
Quiet my mind and open my heart.
Let me hear your word, offer myself with you to the Father,
and receive you with faith and love. Amen.
Another short traditional prayer is the invocation of the Holy Spirit: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of thy love. See Come, Holy Spirit.
A prayer for the priest
Written for this page:
Lord, bless Father (name), who will celebrate this Mass.
Give him a pure heart and a clear voice,
that he may offer the holy sacrifice worthily
and break the bread of your word for us. Amen.
Offering your intentions
Before Mass, offer the Mass for particular intentions: a sick friend, a person who has died, your family, a decision you must make. You can also ask the parish to offer a Mass for a specific intention; see Mass intentions.
How to prepare for Mass
- Arrive a few minutes early. Kneel, greet the Lord in the tabernacle and pray.
- Read the readings beforehand, at home or in the missalette.
- Keep the Eucharistic fast: no food or drink (except water and medicine) for one hour before Communion.
- Examine your conscience. If you are aware of a serious sin, go to confession before receiving Communion. See how to go to confession.
- Dress with respect for the Lord you are visiting.
- Silence your phone and your mind.
- Pray for the people around you, especially those who are struggling.
Prayers before and after Communion
For the moments around Holy Communion, see our prayers before Communion, including St. Thomas Aquinas’s prayer, and the Anima Christi for thanksgiving after Communion. If you cannot receive Communion, make a spiritual communion.
Frequently asked questions
How early should I arrive for Mass?
Five to ten minutes is a good habit: enough to settle, pray and read the readings.
Is there an official prayer before Mass?
No single prayer is required. The Roman Missal includes prayers of preparation for priests, and many traditional prayer books, like the one quoted above, have prayers for the faithful.
What should I pray during Mass?
Join in the prayers and responses of the Mass itself; they are the best prayer. See the order of the Mass.
More Mass pages
- St. Ambrose prayer before Mass
- Lector guide
- The order of the Mass
- Prayers before Communion
- The Gloria and the Confiteor
- Eucharistic adoration prayers
- Prayers of the Faithful for today
Texts and sources
- Traditional prayer before Mass: William Gahan, The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety, “A Prayer Before Mass,” public domain (Project Gutenberg); page markers removed.
- Code of Canon Law, canon 919 (Eucharistic fast).
- The short prayers were written for this page.