Prayer For Extraordinary Ministers Of Holy Communion
May my behavior and the attitude of my heart reflect that holy honor as I strive to serve in a sacred way. With awe and wonder, I will hold in my hands the Body of Christ and His Sacred Blood, so that my sisters and brothers may be fed with the Food of Life. Make my heart and hands clean. Free me from anything of vanity and pride that might divorce me and the service that is mine from the heart of the Divine Mystery residing in this Holy Meal.
May I, with your constant assistance, truly wait upon You and Your people in this Holy Liturgy of Praise and Adoration. AMEN.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for calling me to serve you and your people in this
community as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. You know that I could never
be worthy of such an exalted honor. Help me to be less unworthy by remaining free
from sin. Let me nourish your people with the witness of my life as I serve them with
the Body of Christ. Grant your strength and holiness to all your Extraordinary Ministers
and make them worthy to bring Christ to others. I ask this through Christ our Lord.
My Lord and Sustainer of All Beings,
I am in your Sacred Presence
about to take the Bread of Life to those who are unable to attend the communal celebration of the Eucharist.
It will be my honor to carry Christ to them.
Bless my hands that they may be
fitting instruments of this Holy Visitation.
Bless my heart, that I may truly carry the Bread of Life to those whose spirits are in need.
May my attitude, my reverence, and
my concern for both the spiritual and material needs of those whom I shall visit, be that of Your divine heart.
I ask this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, whose Body and Blood I shall carry;
He who lives with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
The Lord Jesus, the bread of eternal life, spurs us to be mindful of the situations of extreme poverty in which a great part of humanity still lives: these are situations for which human beings bear a clear and disquieting responsibility. The food of truth demands that we denounce inhumane situations in which people starve to death because of injustice and exploitation, and it gives us renewed strength and courage to work tirelessly in the service of the civilisation of love.
Lord, you asked for my hands
That you might use them for your purposes.
I gave them for a moment; then withdrew them for the work was hard.
You asked for my mouth to speak out against injustice.
I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused.
You asked for my eyes to see the pain of poverty.
I closed them for I did not want to see.
You asked me for my life that you might work through me.
I gave you a small part that I might not get too involved
Lord, forgive me for calculated efforts to serve you
Only when it is convenient for me to do so,
Only in those places where it is safe to do so, and
Only with those who make it easy to do so.
Father, forgive me, renew me,
Send me out as a usable instrument,
That I make take seriously the meaning of your Cross
And of your call to Come follow me.
My Lord and Sustainer of All Beings,
I am in your Sacred Presence
about to take the Bread of Life to those who are unable to attend the communal celebration of the Eucharist.
It will be my honor to carry Christ to them.
Bless my hands that they may be
fitting instruments of this Holy Visitation.
Bless my heart, that I may truly carry the Bread of Life to those whose spirits are in need.
May my attitude, my reverence, and
my concern for both the spiritual and material needs of those whom I shall visit, be that of Your divine heart.
I ask this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, whose Body and Blood I shall carry;
He who lives with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Jesus, bless these hands you have chosen as your tools.
Jesus, always keep us aware and in awe of our sacred mission.
Jesus, make us worthy of this great ministry we have humbly accepted.
Jesus, send us out into the world to distribute your love.
Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I shall raise them up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live forever.'