The Morning Offering is a short prayer to begin the day. In it, we give everything we will do, enjoy, and suffer that day to God, so that even ordinary moments become prayer.
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.
When to Pray It
Pray the Morning Offering as soon as you wake up, before the busyness of the day begins. Many people pray it right after the Sign of the Cross, before getting out of bed.
What It Means
The Morning Offering turns the whole day into a gift to God:
- "Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary": we place our offering in Mary's hands, trusting her to present it to her Son.
- "Prayers, works, joys, and sufferings": nothing is left out. Work, rest, happiness, and pain can all be offered.
- "In union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass": at every moment, Mass is being celebrated somewhere in the world, and our small offering joins Christ's great offering.
- "For the intentions of the Holy Father": we pray with the whole Church, for what the Pope asks us to pray for.
St. Paul wrote, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). The Morning Offering puts those words into practice.
Where It Comes From
The Morning Offering is associated with the Apostleship of Prayer, founded in France in 1844 by Fr. François-Xavier Gautrelet, a Jesuit priest. Today it is known as the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, and millions of Catholics still begin their day with this prayer.
The wording varies slightly in different prayer books. The version above is one of the most widely prayed.
After the Morning Offering
Many Catholics follow the Morning Offering with the three Acts, renewing their faith, hope, and love at the start of each day: