Following are some suggested prayers to enable the beginner to prepare for meditation and also to make his thanksgiving and resolution afterwards. When a person is accustomed to the practice of meditation, these can be replaced by prayers said extemporaneously from the heart, but the general format of a) preparation, b) action, and c) conclusion should always remain.

I. Acts of Preparation

Invocation of the Holy Ghost

Come, Holy Ghost, have compassion on my poverty, in order that, illuminated, moved, and guided by Thee, I may make my prayer well. Come, enlighten my intellect, inflame my heart, and convert my will, that my prayer may contribute to Thy glory and to my own spiritual advancement.

Invocation of the Blessed Virgin

O Mary, my good and tender Mother, thou who didst continually ponder in thy heart the words of Jesus, thou whose life was uninterrupted prayer, assist me in acquitting myself of this holy exercise in conformity with thy desire and with that of thy Divine Son.

Invocation of the Guardian Angel

Angel Guardian, thou who beholdest unceasingly the countenance of the Lord, thou who always standest in His holy presence, faith teaches me that thou art given to me as my light, my guide, and my helper; assist me, therefore, in the interview that I am about to have with my God.

Act of Faith in the Presence of God

O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art here present. Thou dost penetrate my whole being. I am before Thee as if I were alone in this world. Thou dost see me, hear me, and know my most secret thoughts.

(If the meditation is made before the Blessed Sacrament, the following act is to be added.)

O my God, I believe that Thou art really present in the Most Holy Sacrament, and that Thou dost actually direct toward me from Thy tabernacle the same regard of tenderness which Thou didst so mercifully cast upon Thy Disciples, and even upon sinners, during Thy mortal life.

Act of Adoration

Prostrate before Thy Infinite Majesty, I adore Thee, O my God, as my Creator and the sovereign Lord of all things. I acknowledge with delight Thy supreme dominion over me and all creatures. Glory, honor, love, and submission be to Thee, the King of Heaven, at all times and in all places! During this audience, I unite my adoration and homage with those of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin, of the whole heavenly court, of the souls in Purgatory, of all the faithful upon earth, and in particular with those of the persons here present.

(If the meditation is made before the Blessed Sacrament, the following act is to be added.)

I adore Thee, O Jesus, present in the Holy Eucharist. I acknowledge Thee as my Savior and sovereign Lord. In union with the Angels and Saints surrounding Thy throne of mercy, I exclaim: "Praise and adoration be forever to Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament!"

Act of Humility

But who am I, O my God, that I dare to appear before Thee? Thou art All and I am but nothingness and weakness. I have nothing of my own but my infidelities. Without Thee I cannot so much as conceive a good thought.

Act of Contrition

O Jesus, my Savior, who didst die on the cross to atone for my sins, I deplore my waywardness in the bitterness of my soul. Have mercy on me and pardon my ingratitude; deign to apply to my soul the merits of Thy holy Passion; grant that I may resolve, in this meditation, never more to relapse into sin, in order that I may obtain mercy on the day of judgment.

Act of Thanksgiving

I thank Thee, O my God, for all the graces and benefits Thou hast bestowed on me to this day. I thank Thee particularly for my vocation, and for the singular favor Thou dost presently grant me in admitting me to this celestial audience.

Act of Confidence

O my God, Thou didst command me to call Thee by the sweet name of Father; I come, therefore, O Father, to ask of Thee, with the most childlike confidence, whatever is necessary to converse worthily with Thee during this meditation. Captivate my attention, enlighten my understanding, inflame my heart, direct and strengthen my will, that I may lose none of the fruits Thou dost intend to bestow upon me during this holy exercise.

Act of Union with Our Lord

O my Savior, I wish to perform this holy exercise with the intentions and dispositions Thou didst have when praying to Thy heavenly Father during Thy mortal life, and which Thou hast now while praying in our tabernacles. Thou art our spiritual Head, and I am a member of Thy Mystical Body. Meditate, I beseech Thee, through this member, however unworthy it be; ask of Thy heavenly Father, through me and for me, whatever is at this moment most necessary and useful for my soul. Amen.

II. Acts of Conclusion

Act of Thanksgiving

O my God, I thank Thee for the audience with which Thou hast honored me. I thank Thee for all the inspirations and good sentiments Thou hast imparted to me, and for all the good resolutions Thou hast suggested to me.

Act of Regret

O my God, I ask Thy pardon for all the negligences of which I have made myself guilty during this holy exercise. I profoundly humble myself for them. Have mercy on me, O my God, and do not permit that my carelessness may deprive me of the graces Thy goodness had prepared for me.

Renewal of the Resolution

O my God, I renew with more determination than ever the resolution to . . . and in order to be faithful to it, I will adopt the following means . . .

Spiritual Bouquet

For my spiritual bouquet I shall take these words . . . I will often repeat them during the day and especially on this or that occasion . . .

Colloquy

O my God, bless again this resolution before I withdraw, that I may always remain faithful to it. Dearest Virgin Mary, my good and tender Mother, into thy hands I deposit the fruits of this meditation, as also all my other spiritual goods. Preserve and increase them, that thy child may become less unworthy of thee. St. N ..., obtain for me the grace to be faithful to my resolution. Dear Guardian Angel, remove far from me every cause of dissipation, which would expose me to lose the fruits of my meditation.

Vocal Prayer

(Here one should conclude the exercise of mental prayer with vocal prayers of his own choice, recommending further to God, to Mary, and to his other heavenly protectors the resolutions and fruits of this exercise.)