The ANIMA CHRISTI

 

INFORMATION

The ANIMA CHRISTI is a prayer from around the 14th century. It is still widely used after receiving the BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IN HOLY COMMUNION.

"I love You, O my God and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God and I would rather die loving You than live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally....My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath."

 

Anima Christi Soul of Christ

The author of this traditional prayer from the Roman Missal is unknown. It has often been attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), for it was indeed a favorite of his and it appears at the beginning of his Spiritual Exercises. However, he could not have been its author for a copy of the prayer appears in a document from 1334, a good century and a half before St. Ignatius was born. Others have attributed it to Blessed Bernadine of Feltre (1439-1494), but again the prayer was around for at least a century before his time as well. The prayer is also known as the Prayer of St. Patrick and some scholars formerly placed the prayer's composition in seventh century Ireland. This too seems unlikely, since no copy that early is known to exist. The prayer carries a partial indulgence.

 

ANIMA Christi, sanctifica me. Corpus Christi, salva me. Sanguis Christi, inebria me. Aqua lateris Christi, lava me. Passio Christi, conforta me. O bone Iesu, exaudi me. Intra tua vulnera absconde me. Ne permittas me separari a te. Ab hoste maligno defende me. In hora mortis meae voca me. Et iube me venire ad te, Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

SOUL of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds, hide me. Separated from Thee let me never be. From the malignant enemy, defend me. At the hour of death, call me. To come to Thee, bid me, That I may praise Thee in the company Of Thy Saints, for all eternity. Amen.