Prayer before Serving at Mass
Heavenly Father, as I prepare to assist You at Your altar, I declare my faith in You. At this Mass keep me from distractions. Let me remember that in assisting the priest I am assisting Jesus in offering You the merits of His passion and death.
I thank You for allowing me the opportunity to give my service to You. At this Mass I join with Your priest in offering You the Sacred Body and Blood of my Savior Jesus Christ, Your Son. May my sharing the Divine Food in Holy Communion bring me eternal salvation. Amen.
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St. John Berchmans
Patron Saint of Altar Servers
St. John Berchmans was born on March 13, 1599 in Belgium. He was the son of a shoemaker, and one of five children. He was kind, gentle, and affectionate towards his parents and others. And, what distinguished him from most of his friends was his piety. When he was not even seven years old, he was accustomed to rising very early in the morning and serving two or three Masses with great dedication and enthusiasm. He always sought to learn more about his faith, listened to Sunday sermons with great attention, and liked to pray the Rosary. He felt a distinct call to the Society of Jesus, and, thus, entered a Jesuit novitiate in 1619, deciding to become a Jesuit after reading about the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. But, he did not live to be ordained. He died on August 12, 1621. St. John Berchmans was noted for his holiness. Although he did not found religious orders or churches and did not work miracles, St. John Berchmans made kindness, courtesy, and his faith a very important part of his life. In working to live a life of holiness and love for Jesus, St. John Berchmans often said, “If I do not become a saint when I am young, then I shall never become one.”
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Prayer to St. John Berchmans
Dear St. John, although you died when you were young, you learned to live an exemplary life.
With the help of your Guardian Angel, whom you confidently invoked, you learned to be a most humble altar server at the Mass.
Help all altar servers to imitate you in their service at Eucharistic celebrations, as well as in their conduct with others. Amen.
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