St Alphonsus for priests (Monday)

Prayer to be said by the priest after celebrating Mass (Monday)

O infinite goodness! O infinite charity! God has given his whole self to me and has become all mine! My soul, arouse all your affections and join yourself intimately to your Lord who has purposefully come to be joined to you and to be loved by you in return.

O lovable Redeemer, I embrace you, my love and my life, I join myself to you: do not despise me. How wretched I am! For a certain time of my life, I have turned you out of my soul and separated myself from you; but from now on, I wish rather to lay down my life a thousand times, than to lose you again, the Supreme Good. Forget, O Lord, all the injuries I have inflicted upon you and being merciful, forgive me; I repent of them with my whole heart and I would like to die with sorrow.

Even though I have sinned against you, you have commanded me that I should love you: You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart. Oh, my Lord, who am I that you should desire to be loved by me? Because you desire this, I wish to follow you with love. You have willed to suffer death for me and you have given your flesh as food for me. I leave all thins, I say goodbye to all things and I embrace you alone, most loving saviour. Who will separate me from the love of Christ?

O lovable Redeemer, who else do I wish to love except you who are infinite goodness and worthy of infinite love? What is there for me in heaven? And what do I wish from you on earth? O God of my heart and my portion, God for ever. Certainly, my god, and where can I find a good greater than you, whether in heaven or on earth; and who has loved me more than you? Thy kingdom come. O good Jesus, take up, I pray you, this morning, the dominion of my whole heart: I make it over wholly to you. Possess it wholly and always, and drive away from it all affections that are not towards you. For my portion and as my riches I choose you alone: God of my heart and my portion, God, for ever.Grant that I should always have the words of St Ignatius Loyola in my mouth and ask Give me only your love and your grace, and I am rich enough. Give me your love and your grace, that is, make it so that I love you and I am loved by you, and I am rich enough, nor do I desire anything further, nor do I seek anything.

However, you know my infirmity and how often I have turned out to be unfaithful to you: therefore help me by your grace, and do not permit me ever to be separated from your holy love. Do not permit me to be separated from you. This I now say to you and I always with to say: grant that I may always be able to repeat to you: Do not permit me, do not permit me, to be separated from you.

O most holy Virgin, Mary, my hope, obtain for me from God this twofold grace: holy perseverance and holy love. I ask nothing further from you.

See also St Alphonsus for Priests - introduction

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