Prayers after Communion | What to Pray After Communion

Your Prayers after communion can have a noticable impact on your communion experience. For Catholics, Holy Communion is a sacred time of intimacy with God. Because the Eucharist is the gift of God Himself, it is important to spend time after receiving Communion thanking God for His love.

It can be hard to know what to pray after Communion, but there are a few prayers that can be said to show gratitude and draw closer to Christ after receiving Him.

Why Pray After Communion?

The Eucharist is the most real gift God gives to us. He loves us so much that He died for us on Calvary, and He desires for us to relive that journey with Him through the sacrifice of the Mass.

Spending the time after receiving Communion in prayer is a way to recognize what is truly happening and give God thanks for what He has done for us.

Some people pray spontaneously from their heart, but others choose to say prayers that can be memorized. Whatever you decide is best for you, use the time after receiving Jesus in the Eucharist to draw closer to Him.

What prayers after Communion to focus on. 

If you opt to pray a memorized prayer, there are plenty of good options. Here are a few common post-Communion prayers:

Prayers after Communion 1:  The Anima Christi

The Anima Christi is a popular prayer to pray after Communion. It is a prayer that contemplates Jesus and His sacrifice for us.

It goes as follows:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me

Body of Christ, save me

Blood of Christ, inebriate me

Water from Christ's side, wash me

Passion of Christ, strengthen me

O good Jesus, hear me

Within Thy wounds hide me

Suffer me not to be separated from Thee

From the malicious enemy defend me

In the hour of my death call me

And bid me come unto Thee

That I may praise Thee with Thy saints

and with Thy angels

Forever and ever

Amen.

Prayers after Communion 2: Little White Guest

Another common prayer to say after Communion is the Little White Guest. It is a beautiful prayer of invitation to bring Jesus closer into your heart.

The prayer is as follows:

You have come to my heart, dearest Jesus,

I am holding You close to my breast;

I'm telling You over and over,

You are welcome, Little White Guest.

I love You, I love You, my Jesus,

O please do not think I am bold;

Of course, You must know that I love You,

But I am sure that you like to be told.

I'll whisper, "I love You, my Jesus,"

And ask that we never may part;

I love You, O kind, loving Jesus

And press You still nearer my heart.

And when I shall meet You in Heaven,

My soul then will lean on Your breast;

And You will recall our fond meetings,

When You were my Little White Guest.

Prayers after Communion 3: The Divine Praises

The Divine Praises are exactly what the name implies: prayers of praise to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, as well as Mary and St. Joseph for their holiness. It is a prayer to express thanksgiving for the goodness and beauty of God.

Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart. Blessed be His Most Precious Blood. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy. Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception. Blessed be her Glorious Assumption. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

Prayers after Communion 4: Thomas Aquinas's Prayer After Communion

This prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas is a prayer he wrote that emphasizes the power of the Eucharist. The Eucharist cleanses us from sin, roots out evil from our hearts, and gives us strength to persevere against temptation.

Though this prayer is longer than the others, it is filled with beautiful petitions for a deeper and stronger faith.

The prayer goes as follows:

I thank You, Lord, Almighty Father, Everlasting God, for having been pleased, through no merit of mine, but of Your great mercy alone, to feed me, a sinner, and Your unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that this Holy Communion may not be for my judgment and condemnation, but for my pardon and salvation. Let this Holy Communion be to me an armor of faith and a shield of good will, a cleansing of all vices, and a rooting out of all evil desires. May it increase love and patience, humility and obedience, and all virtues. May it be a firm defense against the evil designs of all my visible and invisible enemies, a perfect quieting of all the desires of soul and body. May this Holy Communion bring about a perfect union with You, the one true God, and at last enable me to reach eternal bliss when You will call me. I pray that You bring me, a sinner, to the indescribable Feast where You, with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, are to Your saints true light, full blessedness, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

5. Other Ways to Pray

There are lots of other prayers to say after Communion, including litanies for specific virtues or graces like the Litany of Joy, the Litany of Trust, and the Litany of Humility. After Communion is a great time to ask Jesus for petitions and desires, but don’t forget to thank Him first for the gift of the Eucharist!

A great resource to use after receiving the Eucharist is the Mass journal. This is a simple way to keep track of the graces you receive during Mass, be it something from the homily or in prayer after Communion. Our Mass Journal also includes many of these prayers, so you'll have them right with you! 

Instead of just getting back to the pew after Communion and waiting for Mass to end, use that sacred time to pray!

No matter how you decide to pray after Communion, know that it is the perfect time to ask Jesus to bring you closer to Himself and tell Him the wants and needs of your heart.

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