The Soul of Christ (Latin: Anima Christi) is a 14th-century prayer asking for union with Christ through his Body, Blood, and wounds. Pray it before receiving the Eucharist, or when you need to feel hidden in the Passion.
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. Permit me not to be separated from thee. From the malicious enemy, defend me. In the hour of my death, call me, and bid me come to thee, that with thy saints I may praise thee for ever and ever. Amen.
Anonymous, 14th century
How this prayer works
The prayer moves from petition (sanctify, save, wash) to intimacy (hide me within thy wounds). It asks Christ to saturate the soul the way wine saturates the drinker. St. Ignatius of Loyola placed it at the end of his Spiritual Exercises, and it has been prayed before Communion for centuries.
The petition “within thy wounds, hide me” echoes the medieval devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Five Wounds. The prayer does not ask for escape from suffering but for proximity to Christ in his Passion. It names the “malicious enemy” plainly, a reference to Satan, and asks for defense not through personal strength but through Christ’s wounds.
Pray it slowly before Mass, letting each line settle. If you receive Communion today, pray “Body of Christ, save me” as you approach the altar. If death feels near or the day feels hostile, pray “within thy wounds, hide me” and rest there.
Carry it through this morning.
