A Prayer Before Mass (Sunday)

O glorious High Priest, the true Pontiff, our Lord Jesus Christ, who offered Yourself to God the Father as a pure and unblemished Victim upon the altar of the Cross for our sake, the wretched sinners, and who gave us Your Flesh to consume and Your Blood to drink, entrusting this Sacred Mystery to us through the power of Your Holy Spirit, instructing us, "Do this in remembrance of Me," I beseech You, by that same Precious Blood, which is the great cost of our redemption; I implore You, by that marvelous and incomprehensible love with which You chose to love us, despite our unworthiness, cleansing us from sin with Your own Blood: guide me, Your unworthy servant, through Your Holy Spirit, to approach this profound Mystery with the reverence and honor, devotion and awe, that is rightfully due. Grant me, by Your grace, to constantly believe and comprehend, to conceive and steadfastly hold, to think and articulate, regarding this extraordinary Mystery, in a manner that pleases You and nurtures my soul. May Your good Spirit fill my heart and there communicate silently, speaking all truth without utterance. For Your Mysteries are profound and veiled in sacred wonder. For the sake of Your great mercy, allow me to approach Your holy Mysteries with a clean heart and a pure mind. Purge my heart of all that defiles and corrupts, and rid me of all harmful and empty thoughts. Surround me with the sacred and faithful protection of Your blessed Angels, so that the enemies of all goodness may retreat in shame. By the power of this mighty Mystery and through the ministry of Your holy Angel, dispel from me and all Your servants the spirit of pride, vanity, envy, blasphemy, impurity, and doubt. Let those who persecute us be brought to nothing; let those who seek our downfall be destroyed.Amen.