St Thomas Aquinas Prayers: Before Study, Mass and Communion

The prayers of St Thomas Aquinas are among the most prayed in the Church: his prayer before study, said by generations of students; his prayers before Mass and after Communion, printed in the Roman Missal; the Concede mihi, a prayer for wisdom and an ordered life; and the Adoro te devote. The Angelic Doctor, who said he learned more at the foot of the crucifix than from books, put his theology on his knees, and these prayers are the result. Below are all of them in Latin and in their traditional English, with the indulgences the Raccolta attached to them, the prayer to St Thomas for students, and a short account of the saint.

St Thomas Aquinas' prayer before study (Creator ineffabilis)

This is the best known of his prayers. His early biographers say that he would say it before he began to study, write or preach; Pope Pius XI quoted it in his encyclical Studiorum Ducem (29 June 1923) and recommended it to students, and the Raccolta grants it an indulgence of seven years (no. 702). It asks for every gift a student needs, and asks them from the One who is "the fountain of light and wisdom."

Creator ineffabilis, qui de thesauris sapientiae tuae tres Angelorum hierarchias designasti et eas super caelum empyreum miro ordine collocasti, atque universi partes elegantissime distribuisti: Tu, inquam, qui verus fons luminis et sapientiae diceris ac supereminens principium, infundere digneris super intellectus mei tenebras tuae radium claritatis, duplices, in quibus natus sum, a me removens tenebras, peccatum scilicet et ignorantiam.

Tu, qui linguas infantium facis disertas, linguam meam erudias atque in labiis meis gratiam tuae benedictionis infundas. Da mihi intelligendi acumen, retinendi capacitatem, addiscendi modum et facilitatem, interpretandi subtilitatem, loquendi gratiam copiosam. Ingressum instruas, progressum dirigas, egressum compleas. Tu, qui es verus Deus et homo, qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Creator ineffable, who of the riches of Thy wisdom didst appoint three hierarchies of Angels and didst set them in wondrous order over the highest heavens, and who didst apportion the elements of the world most wisely: do Thou, who art in truth the fountain of light and wisdom, deign to shed upon the darkness of my understanding the rays of Thine infinite brightness, and remove far from me the twofold darkness in which I was born, namely, sin and ignorance.

Do Thou, who givest speech to the tongues of little children, instruct my tongue and pour into my lips the grace of Thy benediction. Give me keenness of apprehension, capacity for remembering, method and ease in learning, insight in interpretation, and copious eloquence in speech. Instruct my beginning, direct my progress, and set Thy seal upon the finished work, Thou, who art true God and true Man, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

The prayer asks for five gifts in order, which are the five stages of all learning: to grasp (intelligendi acumen), to retain (retinendi capacitatem), to learn with method (addiscendi modum), to interpret (interpretandi subtilitatem), and to express (loquendi gratiam). Then it commits the whole work to God, from its beginning to its end. It is the prayer of a student, not a charm for good marks: it supposes the study it blesses. For the short prayers to say in the minute before a test, and the saints to call on before examinations, see our page on a prayer before an exam.

St Thomas Aquinas' prayer before Mass and before Communion

The Roman Missal prints this prayer among the priest's prayers of preparation before Mass, and the faithful have always used it before Holy Communion. The Raccolta (no. 130) grants an indulgence of three years for it.

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, ecce accedo ad sacramentum unigeniti Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi: accedo tamquam infirmus ad medicum vitae, immundus ad fontem misericordiae, caecus ad lumen claritatis aeternae, pauper et egenus ad Dominum caeli et terrae.

Rogo ergo immensae largitatis tuae abundantiam, quatenus meam curare digneris infirmitatem, lavare foeditatem, illuminare caecitatem, ditare paupertatem, vestire nuditatem: ut panem Angelorum, Regem regum et Dominum dominantium, tanta suscipiam reverentia et humilitate, tanta contritione et devotione, tanta puritate et fide, tali proposito et intentione, sicut expedit saluti animae meae.

Da mihi, quaeso, dominici Corporis et Sanguinis non solum suscipere sacramentum, sed etiam rem et virtutem sacramenti. O mitissime Deus, da mihi Corpus unigeniti Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quod traxit de Virgine Maria, sic suscipere, ut corpori suo mystico merear incorporari, et inter eius membra connumerari. O amantissime Pater, concede mihi dilectum Filium tuum, quem nunc velatum in via suscipere propono, revelata tandem facie perpetuo contemplari. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, behold I come to the Sacrament of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: I come as one infirm to the physician of life, as one unclean to the fountain of mercy, as one blind to the light of everlasting brightness, as one poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth.

Therefore I implore the abundance of Thy measureless bounty that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to heal my infirmity, wash my uncleanness, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty and clothe my nakedness, that I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, with such reverence and humility, with such sorrow and devotion, with such purity and faith, with such purpose and intention as may be profitable to my soul's salvation.

Grant unto me, I pray, the grace of receiving not only the Sacrament of our Lord's Body and Blood, but also the grace and power of the Sacrament. O most gracious God, grant me so to receive the Body of Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which He took from the Virgin Mary, as to merit to be incorporated into His mystical Body, and to be numbered amongst His members. O most loving Father, give me grace to behold forever Thy beloved Son with unveiled face, whom now I purpose to receive veiled in the way. Amen.

Notice the four images of the first paragraph: the sick man going to the doctor, the unclean to the fountain, the blind to the light, the beggar to the King. They are the whole doctrine of grace in one sentence. We come to Communion not because we are worthy but because we are in need.

St Thomas Aquinas' prayer after Communion (Gratias tibi ago)

This is the first of the prayers of thanksgiving after Mass in the Roman Missal, and the classic Catholic prayer after Holy Communion. The Raccolta (no. 132) grants it an indulgence of three years, and a plenary indulgence once a month for its daily recitation.

Gratias tibi ago, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus, qui me peccatorem, indignum famulum tuum, nullis meis meritis, sed sola dignatione misericordiae tuae satiare dignatus es pretioso Corpore et Sanguine Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi. Et precor, ut haec sancta communio non sit mihi reatus ad poenam, sed intercessio salutaris ad veniam.

Sit mihi armatura fidei et scutum bonae voluntatis. Sit vitiorum meorum evacuatio, concupiscentiae et libidinis exterminatio, caritatis et patientiae, humilitatis et obedientiae, omniumque virtutum augmentatio; contra insidias inimicorum omnium, tam visibilium quam invisibilium, firma defensio; motuum meorum, tam carnalium quam spiritualium, perfecta quietatio; in te uno ac vero Deo firma adhaesio; atque finis mei felix consummatio.

Et precor te, ut ad illud ineffabile convivium me peccatorem perducere digneris, ubi tu, cum Filio tuo et Spiritu Sancto, Sanctis tuis es lux vera, satietas plena, gaudium sempiternum, iucunditas consummata et felicitas perfecta. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

I give Thee thanks, holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, who hast vouchsafed to feed me, a sinner, Thine unworthy servant, for no merits of my own, but only out of the goodness of Thy great mercy, with the precious Body and Blood of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and I pray Thee, that this holy Communion may be to me, not guilt for punishment, but a saving intercession for pardon.

Let it be to me an armour of faith and a shield of good-will. Let it be to me a casting out of vices; a driving away of all evil desires and fleshly lusts; an increase of charity, patience, humility, obedience, and all virtues; a firm defence against the plots of all my enemies, both seen and unseen; a perfect quieting of all motions of sin, both in my flesh and in my spirit; a firm cleaving unto Thee, the only and true God, and a happy ending of my life.

And I pray Thee to deign to bring me, a sinner, to that ineffable Feast, where Thou with Thy Son and the Holy Ghost, art to Thy holy ones true light, full satisfaction, everlasting joy, consummate pleasure and perfect happiness. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The full order of the traditional thanksgiving, with the Anima Christi and the other prayers the Missal places beside this one, is given in our page on prayers before and after Communion.

Concede mihi: St Thomas Aquinas' prayer for wisdom and a good life

This long prayer, "Grant me, O merciful God," asks God to order the whole of one's life. It is the source of the often-quoted lines "Give me, Lord God, a watchful heart" and "Bestow upon me, O Lord my God, an understanding that knows Thee." The Raccolta (no. 666) gives it under the title "A prayer to obtain the grace of a devout life," with an indulgence of three years once a day, and a plenary indulgence when it is said daily for a month.

Concede mihi, misericors Deus, quae tibi sunt placita, ardenter concupiscere, prudenter investigare, veraciter agnoscere, et perfecte adimplere ad laudem et gloriam nominis tui.

Ordina, Deus meus, statum meum; et quod a me requiris ut faciam, tribue ut sciam; et da exsequi sicut oportet et expedit animae meae.

Da mihi, Domine Deus meus, inter prospera et adversa non deficere, ut in illis non extollar, et in istis non deprimar. De nullo gaudeam vel doleam, nisi quod ducat ad te, vel abducat a te. Nulli placere appetam, vel displicere timeam nisi tibi.

Vilescant mihi, Domine, omnia transitoria, et cara mihi sint omnia aeterna. Taedeat me gaudii quod est sine te, nec aliud cupiam quod extra te. Delectet me, Domine, labor qui est pro te; et taediosa sit mihi omnis quies quae est sine te.

Da mihi, Deus meus, cor meum ad te dirigere, et in defectione mea cum emendationis proposito constanter dolere.

Fac me, Domine Deus meus, obedientem sine contradictione, pauperem sine deiectione, castum sine corruptione, patientem sine murmuratione, humilem sine fictione, hilarem sine dissolutione, maturum sine gravedine, agilem sine levitate, timentem te sine desperatione, veracem sine duplicitate, operantem bona sine praesumptione, proximum corripere sine elatione, ipsum aedificare verbo et exemplo sine simulatione.

Da mihi, Domine Deus, cor pervigil, quod nulla abducat a te curiosa cogitatio; da nobile, quod nulla deorsum trahat indigna affectio; da rectum, quod nulla seorsum obliquet sinistra intentio; da firmum, quod nulla frangat tribulatio; da liberum, quod nulla sibi vindicet violenta affectio.

Largire mihi, Domine Deus meus, intellectum te cognoscentem, diligentiam te quaerentem, sapientiam te invenientem, conversationem tibi placentem, perseverantiam fidenter te exspectantem, et fiduciam te finaliter amplectentem. Da tuis poenis hic affligi per paenitentiam, tuis beneficiis in via uti per gratiam, tuis gaudiis in patria perfrui per gloriam. Qui vivis et regnas Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Grant me, O merciful God, to desire eagerly, to investigate prudently, to acknowledge sincerely, and to fulfil perfectly those things that are pleasing to Thee, to the praise and glory of Thy holy Name.

Do Thou, my God, order my life; and grant that I may know what Thou wilt have me to do; and give me to fulfil it as is fitting and profitable to my soul.

Grant me, O Lord my God, the grace not to faint either in prosperity or adversity, that I be not unduly lifted up by the one, nor unduly cast down by the other. Let me neither rejoice nor grieve at anything, save what either leads to Thee or leads away from Thee. Let me not desire to please anyone, nor fear to displease anyone save only Thee.

Let all things that pass away seem vile in my eyes, and let all things that are eternal be dear to me. Let me tire of that joy which is without Thee, neither permit me to desire anything that is outside Thee. Let me find joy in the labour that is for Thee; and let all repose that is without Thee be tiresome to me.

Give me, my God, the grace to direct my heart towards Thee, and to grieve continually at my failures, together with a firm purpose of amendment.

O Lord my God, make me obedient without gainsaying, poor without despondency, chaste without stain, patient without murmuring, humble without pretence, cheerful without dissipation, serious without undue heaviness, active without instability, fearful of Thee without abjectness, truthful without double-dealing, devoted to good works without presumption, ready to correct my neighbour without arrogance, and to edify him by word and example, without hypocrisy.

Give me, Lord God, a watchful heart which shall be distracted from Thee by no vain thoughts; give me a generous heart which shall not be drawn downward by any unworthy affection; give me an upright heart which shall not be led astray by any perverse intention; give me a stout heart which shall not be crushed by any hardship; give me a free heart which shall not be claimed as its own by any unregulated affection.

Bestow upon me, O Lord my God, an understanding that knows Thee, diligence in seeking Thee, wisdom in finding Thee, a way of life that is pleasing to Thee, perseverance that faithfully waits for Thee, and confidence that I shall embrace Thee at the last. Grant that I may be chastised here by penance, that I may make good use of Thy gifts in this life by Thy grace, and that I may partake of Thy joys in the glory of heaven: Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.

The Concede mihi is the prayer to choose when one asks for wisdom, guidance in a decision, or purity of heart: it asks to be "chaste without stain," and for a heart "drawn downward by no unworthy affection." For the wider tradition of praying for this gift, see our page on a prayer for wisdom.

Adoro te devote: St Thomas Aquinas' hymn to the hidden God

The Adoro te devote is St Thomas' most personal Eucharistic prayer, a meditation addressed to Christ hidden under the appearances of bread. The Raccolta (no. 137) grants it an indulgence of five years. Here is the Latin, with a literal English translation.

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas,
Quae sub his figuris vere latitas:
Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit,
Quia te contemplans totum deficit.

Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,
Sed auditu solo tuto creditur.
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius:
Nil hoc verbo Veritatis verius.

In cruce latebat sola Deitas,
At hic latet simul et humanitas:
Ambo tamen credens atque confitens,
Peto quod petivit latro paenitens.

Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor:
Deum tamen meum te confiteor.
Fac me tibi semper magis credere,
In te spem habere, te diligere.

O memoriale mortis Domini:
Panis vivus, vitam praestans homini:
Praesta meae menti de te vivere,
Et te illi semper dulce sapere.

Pie pellicane, Jesu Domine,
Me immundum munda tuo sanguine:
Cujus una stilla salvum facere
Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Jesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio,
Oro fiat illud quod tam sitio:
Ut te revelata cernens facie,
Visu sim beatus tuae gloriae.
Amen.

I devoutly adore Thee, hidden Deity,
who truly hidest beneath these appearances;
to Thee my whole heart submits,
for in contemplating Thee, it wholly fails.

Sight, touch, taste are deceived in Thee,
but by hearing alone one safely believes.
I believe whatever the Son of God has said;
nothing is more true than this word of Truth itself.

On the cross only the Godhead was hidden;
here the humanity also is hidden.
Yet believing and confessing both,
I ask what the penitent thief asked.

I do not see Thy wounds as Thomas did;
yet I confess Thee as my God.
Make me believe in Thee ever more,
place my hope in Thee, love Thee.

O memorial of the Lord's death,
living Bread giving life to man:
grant that my mind may live by Thee,
and that it may ever taste Thy sweetness.

Pious pelican, Lord Jesus,
cleanse me, unclean, by Thy Blood;
one drop of which can save
the whole world from every sin.

O Jesus, whom I now behold veiled,
I pray that what I so thirst for may come:
that beholding Thee with unveiled face,
I may be blessed in the sight of Thy glory.
Amen.

St Thomas also wrote the Office of Corpus Christi, with the hymns Pange lingua, Sacris solemniis and Verbum supernum, whose last verses, the Tantum ergo and the O salutaris, are sung at every Benediction; the full text and meaning of the first is in our page on the Tantum Ergo. These hymns are best prayed where they were meant to be prayed, before the Blessed Sacrament, in Eucharistic adoration.

Prayer to St Thomas Aquinas for students

The prayers above are prayers of St Thomas. This is a prayer to him, asking his intercession as patron of Catholic schools. The Raccolta (no. 480) grants it an indulgence of 300 days once a day, and a plenary indulgence once a month when it is said daily.

Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas, prince of theologians and model of philosophers, bright ornament of the Christian world, light of the Church and patron of all Catholic schools, who didst learn wisdom diligently and dost communicate it liberally, pray for us to the Son of God who is Wisdom itself, that, by the coming of the Spirit of Wisdom upon us, we may clearly understand that which thou didst teach, and, by imitating thee, may bring to completion that which thou didst do; that we may be made partakers both of thy doctrine and thy holiness, whereby thou didst shine on earth even as the sun; and finally that we may enjoy with thee in heaven for evermore the most delectable fruits of the same, praising together with thee divine Wisdom through endless ages. Amen.

The Raccolta (no. 479) also grants a plenary indulgence to those who spend some time on six successive Sundays in prayer or other works of piety in honour of St Thomas. Those who wish to ask his help over nine days will find the novena to St Thomas Aquinas, and the other saints students invoke, from St Joseph of Cupertino to St Catherine of Alexandria, are in our page on the patron saints of students.

Who was St Thomas Aquinas?

St Thomas was born about 1225 in the castle of Roccasecca, near Aquino in southern Italy, the youngest son of the knight Landulf. As a child he was placed at the abbey of Monte Cassino; as a young man at Naples he joined the Order of Preachers, against the fierce opposition of his family, who held him captive for two years. It was during that captivity, Butler records, that he drove a woman sent to tempt him out of his room with a burning brand, and was afterwards girded by angels with a cord of chastity, which is why he is invoked for purity.

He studied under St Albert the Great at Cologne, where his silence earned him the nickname "the dumb Sicilian ox." "We call Brother Thomas 'the dumb ox'," said Albert, "but I tell you that he will yet make his lowing heard to the uttermost parts of the earth." He taught at Paris, at the papal court and at Naples, and wrote the Summa contra Gentiles and the Summa theologiae, "the fullest exposition of theological teaching ever given to the world," which lay beside the Bible on the table of the Council of Trent. In December 1273, after an experience at Mass, he stopped writing: "All that I have written appears to be as so much straw after the things that have been revealed to me."

Summoned to the Council of Lyons, he fell ill on the road and died at the Cistercian abbey of Fossanova on 7 March 1274, at about fifty. Receiving Viaticum, he said: "I am receiving thee, Price of my soul's redemption: all my studies, my vigils and my labours have been for love of thee." He was canonized in 1323, declared a Doctor of the Church by St Pius V, and in 1880 Pope Leo XIII declared him patron of all Catholic universities, colleges and schools. His feast in the 1962 calendar is 7 March. His life and teaching are told at length in our page on St Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor.

What makes his prayers so sure is that they come from the same mind as his theology. Brother Reginald, his companion, said that "his marvellous science was far less due to his genius than to the efficacy of his prayers. He prayed with tears to obtain from God the understanding of His mysteries."

St Thomas Aquinas prayer card and PDF

We do not offer a PDF. Every prayer on this page is complete, in Latin and English, and prints as it is; the prayer before study fits on a card to keep in a textbook. Better still, keep them in the Iter Fidei app, where the prayers before and after Communion and the prayers of the saints are always to hand, in Latin and English, offline. Join early access here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is St Thomas Aquinas' prayer before study?

It is the Creator ineffabilis, "Creator ineffable, who of the riches of Thy wisdom...", in which he asks God to dispel "the twofold darkness of sin and ignorance" and to grant "keenness of apprehension, capacity for remembering, method and ease in learning." The full Latin and English is given above.

Is there a St Thomas Aquinas prayer before an exam?

His prayer before study is the one students traditionally say before an examination, since it asks for understanding, memory and clear expression. It is meant to crown study, not to replace it.

What is the St Thomas Aquinas prayer after Communion?

The Gratias tibi ago: "I give Thee thanks, holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, who hast vouchsafed to feed me, a sinner..." It stands first among the prayers of thanksgiving in the Roman Missal.

What is the St Thomas Aquinas prayer before Mass?

The Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, ecce accedo: "Almighty and everlasting God, behold I come to the Sacrament of Thine only-begotten Son..." The Missal places it among the priest's preparatory prayers, and the faithful say it before Communion.

What is the "Grant me, O Lord" prayer of St Thomas Aquinas?

It is the Concede mihi, "Grant me, O merciful God, to desire eagerly, to investigate prudently, to acknowledge sincerely, and to fulfil perfectly those things that are pleasing to Thee," a prayer for wisdom and a well-ordered life. Its best-known lines ask for "a watchful heart" and "an understanding that knows Thee."

Why is St Thomas Aquinas the patron of students?

Because of his learning, his humility in study and his prayer: he is the model of the Christian scholar. In 1880 Pope Leo XIII declared him patron of all Catholic universities, colleges and schools.

When is the feast of St Thomas Aquinas?

On 7 March in the traditional calendar of 1962, the day of his death in 1274.

The Iter Fidei app carries the prayers of St Thomas Aquinas, the Missal and the Breviary of 1962, in Latin and English. Join early access here.

Sources. Missale Romanum, Praeparatio ad Missam (Oratio S. Thomae Aquinatis) and Gratiarum actio post Missam. The Raccolta, ed. J. P. Christopher and C. E. Spence (Benziger, 1943), nos. 130, 132, 137, 479, 480, 666, 702. Pius XI, encyclical Studiorum Ducem (29 June 1923). Leo XIII, brief Cum hoc sit (4 August 1880). Butler's Lives of the Saints, St Thomas Aquinas, 7 March.