Within Your Wounds, Hide Me.
Anima Christi/The Soul of Christ Prayer (52 ways to pray)
Of all the prayer practices I have studied over the past year, none have taken my breath away like the Anima Christi.
Translated as “The Soul of Christ,” no one knows who first wrote it, but it seems to have emerged sometime in the 13th or 14th century. Saint Ignatius of Loyola made the prayer famous, weaving it into the early discipline of the Jesuits. Ignatius’ famous Spiritual Exercises opens with the holy, heavy words of this short prayer.
Today, the Anima Christi is often recited as a Eucharistic prayer, accompanying the consumption of the body and blood of Christ. That’s fitting—it is an absorbing, immersing prayer. It is both deeply incarnational and deeply experiential. As we receive Communion we are drawing Christ into ourselves. As we say the words of this prayer, we are surrendering ourselves to be drawn into Christ.
This prayer is the plea of one giving himself wholly to union with Jesus. It centers us again in our identity in Christ when we have become scattered by the anxieties of life.
Practice
As with all of the prayer practices, it is best to begin by quieting yourself, breathing deeply, and becoming present to the moment.
Then, pray these words, slowly. Each line carries a world of meaning—I encourage you to pause for a while after each one, and let it become a slow meditation in your soul.
Anima Christi / The Soul of Christ
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 your wounds, hide me.
Let me never be separated from you.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me,
And bid me come to you,
That with your saints I may praise you
Forever and ever.
Amen.
PS
I love this prayer so much, I wanted to design it into a phone wallpaper. Below are the English and Latin versions for you to download and enjoy!
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Related practices:
The Bloody Prayer
In 2004, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ debuted. It was sensational for many reasons, but what dominated the public conversation about the film was its gory and gut-wrenching depiction of Jesus’ torture and execution. For the millions who saw it, Christian and non-Christian alike, it was …
Grace and peace.
-gb
I was not familiar with Anima Christi. Thank you. It is a beautiful, moving prayer.
Greg, this felt so nourishing to practice reciting today. Thank you.