PRAYERS OF SELF-OBLATION
1. My Lord and my God it is my desire to give myself of my own free-will wholly to Thee for I am not mine own but bought with the price of Thy Precious Blood.
2. I am Thine by Creation, and Redemption, and by incorporation into the Holy Catholic Church, the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, by Holy Baptism.
3. I believe Thou art calling me to a life of closer union with Thee, my First Beginning and Last End.
4. I wish to please Thee in all things, and henceforward to seek first Thy Kingdom, and to do all for Thy greater Glory, and the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit shall direct me.
5. I believe that however sinful my past has been, however much I have disregarded Thy claims upon me, however often I have said, " I will not serve,' 1 however often I have chosen evil instead of good, yet at this present moment Thou hast put into my heart the desire for perfection, and that, as Thou art the Author of this desire, so I believe Thou wilt also give me grace to carry this desire into practice.
6. My Lord and my God I do believe this, help my unbelief, and accept the oblation I now make of myself to Thee.
7. I thank Thee for putting this desire of closer union with Thee into my heart. I thank Thee for the faith I have that Thou wilt enable me to correspond with Thy grace.
8. How good art Thou to those who believe in Thee ! Help me now to make again the renewal of my Baptismal vows. I do so as simply as I can.
9. My God, Thou art All, and I am nothing, and can do nothing. I have nothing whatever of my own. Most Blessed Trinity, I offer myself anew to Thee to be Thine, now and for ever — in life, and in death, and in eternity. For Thy love, and to please Thee, I renounce anew the Devil, the World, and the Flesh.
10. Take me now for Thine own, and help me, each hour of my life, to know Thee more, and love Thee more, O God, Most Blessed Trinity in Unity. It is life eternal to know Thee and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent. Thy Will be done in me, my God, in time and eternity. Amen.
I. CONSECRATION OF ONESELF TO THE SERVICE OF GOD by St. Teresa of Avila
"MY Sovereign Good! Hear my prayer! May the happy day come when I shall be able to pay Thee at least a fraction of my immense debts! Hasten the hour, O Lord, when at last it shall be given to Thy servant to render Thee some trifling service. There have been other women who have proved their love of Thee by heroic actions: and I am only good for talking. Therefore, it is, O my God, that Thou wilt not employ me in works. Thus, instead of immolating myself in Thy service, I have nothing but words and desires. Moreover, my tongue, it is not free, alas! and I may perhaps abuse its use. I beseech Thee, strengthen Thyself my soul, and begin to dispose her, O Sovereign Good, O Adorable Jesus! Let not Thy Providence delay; may It quickly furnish me with favorable opportunities of working for Thy Glory! To receive so much and give nothing in return is a martyrdom to which I succumb! Let it cost what it may, Lord, do not allow me any longer to appear before Thee with such empty hands, since Thou art to measure the reward by the works. Behold my life; behold my honor and my will; I have given Thee all, I am Thine; dispose of me according to Thy good pleasure. I feel, O my tender Master, all my weakness. Keep me near to Thee, and I shall be able to do all things; but however little thou dost depart from me, I shall immediately find myself again as formerly, on the way to hell."
II. PRAYER OF SELF-OBLATION
To give Thee back, O merciful Maker, my whole being; either to be what Thou wilt or to be nothing at all; to love Thee or not to live at all:
I offer to Thee, O Pious Redeemer, my sins to pardon, my works to perfect, my will to purify. I offer to Thee my wounds to cure, my soul to cleanse, and my spirit to comfort. I offer to Thee, O Holy Spirit, my intentions to rectify, my inclinations to sanctify, my affections to Deify. Finally, I offer all for One, I give all to One, and all I desire is to be all one with Thee, my All and only Lord and Love.
III. OBLATION TO ALMIGHTY GOD
Take my will totally to Thee, O my God! Govern it absolutely, and submit it perfectly to Thine own. And because I cannot deliver it up, O my Dear Lord, as Thou desirest, take it from me by violence, cut off all impediments, break all my fetters for me; bring me forcibly and bend me absolutely to a blessed conformity to Thy Will and Pleasure. Let my whole employment in life be the practice of this point. Let me neither think of pain nor look*upon recompense, but resignedly behold Thee, because Thou art in Thyself so Good, so Great, so Glorious, so Amiable, so Admirable! I give up my will, O Divine Artist, to be plunged, purified, polished, hammered, filed, and fixed in the Furnace of Thy Love. O do with it and with me as Thou best knowest and pleasest! It is for this that I now come to prayer, and for this only, that I may be taught this happy lesson of denying my own will and of doing Thy Will.
The Same Act Condensed
Lord, I put my will and all that concerns me, inwardly, outwardly, temporally, and eternally, into Thy Holy Hands. Dispose of all as Thou pleasest, and direct me in all to do Thy Divine Will.
ACT OF SELF-SURRENDER
My Good God, I leave myself in Thy Divine Hands. Turn about this clay, turn it in this way or in that, according to Thy pleasure. Give it a form, then, if Thou pleasest, break it in pieces; it is Thine, it has nothing to say, it is enough that it answers all Thy purposes, and that nothing resists Thy Good Pleasure, for which it was created. Enjoin, demand, forbid. What wouldst Thou have me to do ? What wouldst Thou have me forbear? Whether exalted or debased, in comfort or in suffering, employed in Thy service or useless in everything, I will equally adore and praise Thee, sacrificing all self-will to Thee. I have nothing left, but with Thy Blessed Mother I desire to say from my heart — be it done to me according to Thy Word Amen.
PRAYER FOR UNION WITH GOD
Draw me, my Lord and my God, to Thee:
1. Draw me from sin and sinful habits by giving me hatred of sin and true contrition, that precious gift of pious mourning and weeping, which descendeth from Thee, O Heavenly Father, the Father of Lights, with Whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration, from Whom every best gift and every perfect gift comes down.
Draw me to Jesus, for I cannot go to Him unless Thou draw me, O Heavenly Father.
Draw me to Him, True God and True Man, Emmanuel, God with us.
In the prayer of Jesus I ask — in His words and Name — [Pater Noster]. I ask so that my joy may be full, for whatever we ask in His Name, He, Thy Coequal Word, the Truth, has told us we shall obtain. I ask for this perfect gift of being drawn by Thee, O Father, through Jesus Christ, by Thy Holy Spirit — the Spirit Who is One with Thee and with Jesus — drawn from:
(1) Sin — by true contrition and penance and pardon;
(2) Creatures — by holy indifference and detachment;
(3) Self — by hatred of myself who am nothing, and can do nothing, who have nothing, to Thee who art all.
2. Draw me to Thee through Jesus. Jesus is The Word of the Father sent to show us The Father.
Father of Jesus, draw me by the Mission and Advent of Thy Word — by the emptying of His Glory in His Incarnation, Birth, Infancy, Exile, Hidden Life, Youth, Labours, Toils, Tears. By His Home Life, His Public Ministry, His Doctrine, His Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Draw me by His Passion (a) In Soul. \b) In His Holy Body.
Draw me by what He suffered in Himself ; by what He suffered in the dolours of Mary.
Draw me by:
(1) His Agony. Spiritual Loneliness. Apprehension and Fear. Depression of Spirit. Bloody Sweat.
(2) His Betrayal. Denial by St. Peter. Condemnation to Death.
(3) His Scourging and His Shame.
(4) His Mockery and Coronation with Thorns.
(5) His Carriage of the Cross.
(6) His Crucifixion (a) Pains of Body.
(6) Interior Desolation. His Wounds. His Precious Blood dripping from Him.
(7) His Death.
Draw me to Thee, through these things which Jesus has suffered in the Flesh.
One me to Jesus, The Truth, then shall I believe rightly.
One me to Jesus, The Way, then shall I walk rightly.
One me to Jesus, The Life, then shall I live. Draw me through this union with Jesus, through he veil of the Flesh, into the Holiest, through the Sacred Humanity to the Divinity.
3. Draw me by union with Jesus, the Fairest of all the Sons of men, from any attachment to creatures. Let me despise all and count all well lost if I may find Him, the Head of all Creation.
4. Draw me from myself. Let me leave myself for Thee. Teach me holy hatred and scorn of myself. Teach me to go out of myself to enter into Thee, my God, my Father, through Jesus, by prayer and Sacraments, through filling me with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit Who proceeds from Thee and Thy Co-equal Word, the Spirit of Jesus.
5. Draw me to Thy Divine Unity, O Blessed and Adorable Trinity. Let me leave all. Let me find All, And be possessed by, And possess All.
ANOTHER PRAYER FOR UNION WITH GOD
O my God, I believe that Thou Art, and that because of Thy Goodness, Power, and Charity, I (and all creatures) now live, and move, and am.
I believe that Thou Art Who Art. Thou art All and I am nothing, and I can do nothing of myself, and I have nothing, therefore my God it is, that now and always, I wish to desire nothing save Thee and that which will most securely, and speedily, and efficaciously promote my union with Thee, my First Beginning and my Last End. Give me then such a goodwill towards Thee, my God, that I may desire with my will — no matter what my feelings may be — those special trials, and crosses, and afflictions, which, in Thy Wisdom, are necessary for me and which therefore will be means of grace for me. Let me then desire desolation, and sorrow, aridity, and insensibility equally with consolation, joy, sensible fervour, and devotion, if such things are useful to me in Thy Divine Providence.
I believe that Thou art always in me by Thy Presence of Essence and Power, O Triune God. I desire always also to possess Thee by Thy Grace.
"Cast me not away from Thy Presence" -- I believe that he "who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." Send to me then anew Thy Holy Spirit, O Eternal Father, Who proceedeth from Thee and Thy Co-equal Word that I may ever be joined to Thee my Lord and my God, my God and my All.
"Cast me not away from Thy Presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me." I believe that Thou Who art Charity Itself, seeking not Thyself but us, lovest me. Because Thou dost love me, O my God, O Charity, I wish to love Thee. Help me to love Thee "in whom I believe." I hope Thou wilt help me to love Thee, for Thou art Omnipotent, able to do all that Thou wilt.
I believe that "he who hopes in the Lord is not confounded." Give me then this gift so necessary to me of holy hope, and childlike, simple, trustful confidence in Thee, my God, Supreme Goodness.
I believe that "all things work together for good for those who love God." Help me to love Thee, my God, that I may experience this truth in myself.
Because I wish to love Thee I am sorry for all my sins and infidelities, my negligences and omissions, by which I have offended Thee, O Supreme Goodness — with Thy help I hope that I shall never separate myself deliberately from Thee again, though, being what I am, so weak and frail, I must betray Thee unless Thou keep Thy Hand on me.
I know, through Thy merciful revelation, that " Thy will is my sanctification," and therefore, I hope that Thou wilt keep me from falling, and this, for Thy honour and glory, more than for my own sake — for Thou hatest sin because of the insults to Thy Majesty and the offence and ingratitude to Thy goodness.
O my Father, shew mercy to me, Thy child! O my Sanctifier, make me holy so that I may fulfil the end for which I have been created. Most Blessed Trinity, have mercy on me, and help me to know Thee, to love Thee, and to serve Thee, and to be united to Thee here by grace. Grant me this through the Incarnation and Passion, the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, for this is Thy will, O Eternal Father, which I pray may now and ever be done in me, by the power of the Holy Ghost, through the oblation of Jesus Christ and His merits applied to me, through and in the Holy Catholic Church, the Bride of Him, Who is Emmanuel, God with us. In this Holy Church I hope to live and die and so attain to Glory, where I may praise Thee most adorable Trinity, my first Beginning and last End, throughout Eternity. Amen.
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