Act of Desire

My soul, the happy hour is arrived;
Jesus comes to dwell in my poor heart.
Behold the King of heaven,
thy Redeemer and thy God,
coming to thee;

prepare thyself to receive Him with love;
say to Him with the most ardent desire:
Come, O my Jesus,
come to me:
I desire to receive Thee,
before Thou dost give Thyself to me,
I desire to give Thee my miserable heart;
accept it,

come and take full possession of it.
Come, my God, make haste;
do not delay.

I would wish to receive Thee
with that love with which the most holy and loving souls,
with which Immaculate Mary received Thee.
With their Communion I unite this Communion of mine.
Most holy Virgin, my Mother, Mary,
behold I am going to receive Thy Son.

I would wish to have thy heart,
and the love with which thou didst communicate:
give me this morning thy Jesus,
as thou gavest Him
to the shepherds and to the Magi.

I wish to receive Him from thy most pure hands;
tell Him that I am thy servant,
and that I am devoted to thee;
and when He comes to me,
He will look on me with a more loving eye,
and will unite Himself more closely to me.

Amen.

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The story of Act of Desire

The Act of Desire is a prayer in the Catholic tradition that expresses a longing for God’s love and a desire to be united with Him. It is a prayer that reflects the idea of God’s grace and the deep yearning of the human soul for communion with Him. The prayer is not as well-known as some other Catholic prayers, but it has a long history of use.

The Act of Desire has been used by Catholics for many years and can be traced back to the writings of St. Augustine. In his Confessions, Augustine describes his journey of faith and the longing for God that led him to conversion. The prayer is also found in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, which is a manual used for spiritual development.

The prayer acknowledges the human heart’s desire for God and the need for His grace and mercy. It expresses the belief that only through God’s love can the human soul find true satisfaction and joy. The Act of Desire is often used as a way to express one’s love for God and to ask for the grace needed to live a holy and righteous life.

Today, the Act of Desire remains an important prayer for Catholics. It is a way to express the longing of the human heart for God’s love and to ask for His grace and mercy. The prayer reminds us that we were created for a purpose, which is to love and serve God, and that true happiness can only be found in Him.