Act of Charity (Act of Love)
Also known as: Act of Love Actus caritatis
English Text
O my God, I love thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because thou art all good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.
Translation tradition: Traditional English
Latin Text
Deus meus, super omnia diligo te,
ex tota anima mea et ex tota mente mea et ex tota virtute mea,
quod tu es summum bonum ac infinita perfectione dignum;
et diligo proximum meum sicut me ipsum
propter tuum amorem. Amen.
Scripture: Matthew 22:37–39; 1 Corinthians 13:13
When to pray: Morning prayer; at Mass before Communion; any moment of renewing love of God.
History & Background
Charity — the love of God above all things and of neighbor for God's sake — is the greatest of the three theological virtues (1 Cor 13:13). The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it as "the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God" (§ 1822). The formal Act of Charity as a catechetical prayer emerged after the Council of Trent and was standardized in vernacular catechisms of the 17th–19th centuries. It is included in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2005), Appendix A. The inclusion of forgiveness of enemies in the prayer reflects the Lord's teaching in Matthew 6:12 and Matthew 5:44 about the necessary connection between receiving and giving forgiveness.
Related Prayers
Source
https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html verbatim