Actus Caritatis
The Act of Charity
An act of divine charity, loving God above all things for His own sake, and one's neighbour for the love of God.
Domine Deus, amo te super omnia,
et proximum meum propter te,
quia tu es summum, infinitum, et perfectissimum bonum,
omni dilectione dignum.
In hac caritate vivere et mori statuo.
Amen.
O Lord God, I love Thee above all things,
and my neighbour for Thy sake,
because Thou art the highest, the infinite, and most perfect Good,
worthy of all love.
In this charity I resolve to live and to die.
Amen.
Translation source: fisheaters.com/prayers.html
About this prayer
Charity is the greatest of the theological virtues, the love of God for His own sake, and of our neighbour for the love of God. Saint Paul teaches that faith and hope shall pass away when we behold God face to face, but charity never fails; and so it is charity that abides for ever, the very life of heaven begun on earth. By the Act of Charity the soul loves God above all things, because He is the highest and most perfect Good, worthy of all love.
The two commandments of charity, to love God with the whole heart and one's neighbour as oneself, contain the whole of the Law and the Prophets. An act of perfect charity, sorrowing for sin out of love of God, obtains the forgiveness of sins even before the Sacrament of Penance is received, provided it carries with it the desire to confess. For this reason above all the faithful are counselled to make an Act of Charity in danger of death.