Communion prayer before and after receiving Jesus
Preparing the heart for Holy Communion and giving thanks afterward
Morning Prayer editorial team · Updated: November 2026
Receiving Holy Communion is the closest we come to Jesus on this earth, and the minutes before and after deserve more than distraction. Here is a communion prayer in two parts: one to pray on the way to the altar, and one to pray in the quiet after you return to your place.
Let us pray
Before Communion: Lord Jesus, in a few moments You will give Yourself to me, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, hidden in a piece of bread so that I will not be afraid. I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. My heart is cluttered: with the morning's irritations, with tomorrow's list, with sins I have confessed and some I am still hiding from myself. Only say the word, and make it ready for You.
I bring to this altar everyone I love and everyone I struggle with. I bring the sick, the one who has stopped coming to Mass, the dead whose faces I still see. Let them receive something of this grace through me.
After Communion: You are here. Not an idea of You, not a memory of You, but You, alive, as truly as You were in Bethlehem and on the cross. Let me be still for one minute and simply know that.
Thank You. Thank You for coming to me when I have given You so many reasons not to. Thank You for making Your home in a heart like mine. Change me from the inside, since You are now inside. Make me patient with the person I will see at the door of the church. Make me honest in my work this week. Make me brave enough to speak of You and gentle enough that people will want to listen.
Stay with me, Lord, when the Mass ends and the parking lot fills and the ordinary begins again. Let me carry You out of here, as Mary carried You to Elizabeth, and let someone, somewhere, be glad of it. Amen.
Blessing
May the Lord you have received remain with you through every hour until you meet Him at the altar again.
How to pray this prayer
- Find a quiet moment and breathe slowly.
- Read the prayer aloud or in your heart.
- Add your own intention before the Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who may receive Holy Communion?
Baptized Catholics who are in a state of grace, meaning not conscious of unconfessed mortal sin, and who have fasted from food and drink other than water and medicine for one hour. Those who cannot receive are invited to make a spiritual communion.
What should I do after receiving Communion?
Return to your place, kneel or sit, and spend a few quiet moments with Jesus truly present within you. Thank Him, speak to Him about your life, and listen. The minutes after Communion are among the most precious of the week; try not to rush them or reach for your phone.
Is this prayer suitable for a child's First Communion?
The shorter lines are. Children can be taught to say: Jesus, I believe You are here; thank You for coming to me; help me to be good. Simplicity suits the moment, and the full prayer can grow with them.
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