Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament of Saint M. Faustina

Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament of Saint M. Faustina

I adore You, Lord and Creator, hidden in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I adore You for all the works of Your hands, for the wisdom, goodness, and mercy You reveal. O Jesus, draw my heart entirely to You, and teach me to love You more each day. Amen.

St. Faustina Kowalska, known as the "Apostle of Divine Mercy," composed several profound prayers for adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, reflecting her deep spiritual connection and understanding of God's mercy. These prayers are cherished by many for their heartfelt expression of faith and trust in Jesus' presence in the Eucharist.

One of St. Faustina's notable prayers before the Blessed Sacrament begins with an act of adoration: "I adore You, Lord and Creator, hidden in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I adore You for all the works of Your hands, that reveal to me so much wisdom, goodness and mercy, O Lord." She acknowledges the beauty spread across the earth as a faint reflection of God's incomprehensible beauty, and through faith, her soul recognizes its Creator and Highest Good, immersing her heart in adoration.

Her prayer continues by expressing the delight she finds in conversing with God, whose goodness encourages her and whose mercy bridges the chasm between Creator and creature. St. Faustina states, "In You I find everything that my heart could desire. Here You light illumines my mind, enabling it to know You more and more deeply. Here streams of graces flow down upon my heart. Here my soul draws eternal life." She emphasizes that beyond all gifts, God gives His very self and unites intimately with His "miserable creature."

A significant part of her adoration prayers focuses on glorifying God's mercy. She prays, "O Christ, let my greatest delight be to see You loved and Your praise and glory proclaimed, especially the honor of Your mercy. O Christ, let me glorify Your goodness and mercy to the last moment of my life, with every drop of my blood and every beat of my heart." Her ultimate desire is to be transformed into a hymn of adoration, with her last heartbeat on her deathbed being a loving hymn glorifying God's unfathomable mercy.

St. Faustina also composed a powerful litany to the Blessed Host, which serves as a testament to God's mercy, especially for sinners. In this litany, she addresses the Blessed Host as containing:

• The testament of God's mercy.

• The Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus as proof of infinite mercy.

• Life eternal and infinite mercy dispensed in abundance.

• The mercy of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

• The infinite price of mercy to compensate for all debts.

• The fountain of living water springing from infinite mercy.

• The fire of purest love blazing from the bosom of the Eternal Father.

• The medicine for all infirmities.

• The union between God and humanity.

• All the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus.

Throughout the litany, St. Faustina repeatedly declares the Blessed Host as "our only hope" in various life circumstances, including sufferings, adversities, darkness, storms, despair, falsehood, treason, godlessness, longing, pain, toil, monotony, ruin of hopes, and the ravages of the enemy. She expresses profound trust in the Blessed Host, particularly when faced with burdens beyond her strength, a fearful spirit, impending despair, and when everything conspires against her. Her trust extends to the moment her eyes dim to temporal things and her spirit beholds unknown worlds, and even when God's judgments resound over her, she trusts in the "sea of Your mercy."

St. Faustina's practice of adoration was central to her spiritual life, and she often offered each hour of adoration for specific intentions, such as the conversion of hardened sinners, amends for ingratitude, for families, for her spiritual director, for the Church, and for the holy souls in purgatory. She believed that adoration had significant intercessory power and that it was a time when spiritual insights and inspirations were received. Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of her adoration, telling her that her "ardent love and the compassion you have for Me were a consolation to Me in the Garden."

Even when experiencing spiritual dryness, tiredness, or an inability to pray, St. Faustina continued her adoration, understanding that simply being with Jesus was what mattered. She also practiced "spiritual adoration" when unable to physically be in a church or chapel, demonstrating that adoration can occur anywhere, anytime. Her writings highlight the value of silence in adoration, allowing for deeper listening and communion with God.

The prayers and insights of St. Faustina regarding the Blessed Sacrament serve as a guide for many seeking to deepen their own Eucharistic adoration, emphasizing trust in God's infinite mercy and the profound union available through His presence in the Eucharist.