The Anima Christi is an ancient prayer of devotion to the humanity of Christ, especially in His Passion. It has been attributed to Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491 – 1556), as it appears in his Spiritual Exercises, but likely predates that famous work, composed perhaps the 14th century, maybe by the Avignon Pope, John XXII (+1334). Here is the text, in Latin, with the beautiful English translation by Saint John Henry Newman:
- Anima Christi, sanctifica me.
- Corpus Christi, salva me.
- Sanguis Christi, inebria me.
- Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
- Passio Christi, conforta me.
- O bone Jesu, 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 jube 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
- Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
- From the malignant enemy defend me
- In the hour of my death call me
- And bid me come unto Thee
- That with Thy Saints I may praise Thee
- Forever and ever.
- Amen.
For a musical rendition of this poignant prayer, here is a recent composition by the priest-musician, Father Marco Frisina (b. 1954), published in the Jubilee year 2000, which has become quite popular at all sorts of liturgies, from weddings to funerals, and which we have sung any number of times with our schola at the college, proving that beautiful music can and will still be composed, in saecula saeculorum:
