TOPICS:
Morning Offering
The "Morning Offering" prayer has many variations. Its main focus is to start each day giving everything to God by renewing our promise to sanctify our lives. We do this by giving Him all the moments and events of our day. It is also a reminder to us, that we are created to love and serve God in every moment of our lives.
The origins of this prayer may go back to St. Paul who wrote: “Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)
Since the 1840s, the Jesuits have encouraged people to pray a morning offering prayer through their organization, the Apostleship of Prayer. The morning offering by the Apostleship of Prayer offers the day for the intentions of Jesus’ Sacred Heart and for the intentions of the Pope, but we are free to add our own intentions
The morning offering is not meant to be a substitute for time dedicated to prayer but is a part of the Catholic tradition of transforming all our daily tasks into prayer.
The Angel of Portugal tells the shepherd children to Pray and Sacrifice
This is how Sister Lucia narrates what the angel said to them:
"What are you doing? Pray! Pray a great deal! The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs concerning you. Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High!"
"Offer God a sacrifice of anything you can as an act of reparation for the sins with which He is offended and as a supplication for the conversion of sinners."
"Above all, accept and endure with submission whatever suffering the Lord sends you."
What Our Lady of Fatima said about Daily Prayer and Sacrifice
As told to the three shepherd children in Fatima:
"Pray the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war."
"Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say many times, especially when you make a sacrifice, 'O Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'"
"When you say the Rosary, after each mystery, pray: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.'"
"Continue to pray the Rosary every day."
"Pray, pray much, and sacrifice for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to sacrifice and pray for them."
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross… and dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior's grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. (CCC 2157)
Prayer is a vital necessity. Prayer and Christian life are inseparable. (CCC 2744-2745)
It is right to offer sacrifice to God as a sign of adoration and gratitude, supplication and communion: "Every action done so as to cling to God in communion of holiness, and thus achieve blessedness, is a true sacrifice." (CCC 2099)
From the Saints
"All that we do without offering it to God is wasted." - St. John Mary Vianney
"When you awake in the morning, let your first act be to greet My Heart, and to offer Me your own. Whoever shall breathe a sigh toward Me from the bottom of his heart when he awakes in the morning and shall ask Me to work all his works in him throughout the day, will draw Me to himself. For never does a man breathe a sigh of longing aspiration toward Me without drawing Me nearer to him than I was before." - Jesus to St. Mechtilde 1
"In order to succeed in prayer, it should be done when we first awaken, when our whole being is calm and recollected. We need to make our meditation before anything else." - St. Peter Julian Eymard
"The raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." - St. John Damascene
"Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness." - St. John Chrysostom
"Without prayer we have neither light nor strength to advance in the way which leads to God." - St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
"Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven." - St. Ephraem of Syria
"Prayer is the only channel through which God's great graces and favors may flow into the soul; and if this be once closed, I know no other way He can communicate them." - St. Teresa of Jesus
"We set forth our petitions before God, not in order to make known to Him our needs and desires, but rather so that we ourselves may realize that in these things it is necessary to turn to God for help." - St. Thomas Aquinas
"Christian perfection consists in three things: praying heroically, working heroically, and suffering heroically.' - St. Anthony Mary Claret
"It is an old custom of the saints of God to have some little prayers ready and to be frequently darting them up to heaven during the day, lifting their minds to God out of the mire of this world. He who adopts this plan will obtain great fruits with little pain." - St. Phillip Neri
Traditional Daily Offering from Apostleship of Prayer
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month. Amen
Footnote:
- 1 Saint Mechtilde was a Benedictine Nun (1241-1298) in Germany who had visions of Jesus.
