The Anima Christi (Soul of Christ) is an anonymous 14th-century prayer asking Christ to sanctify, save, and hide us within his wounds. Pray it before Mass, after receiving the Eucharist, or when you need to draw close to the passion that saved you.
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 Anima Christi is a litany of petition, asking Christ’s body, blood, water, and wounds to act on the soul. Each line names a part of Christ’s physical sacrifice and asks it to do something: sanctify, save, wash, strengthen. The prayer assumes the Incarnation matters not just theologically but tangibly. Christ’s body is not metaphor; it is the instrument of salvation.
St. Ignatius of Loyola recommended this prayer after receiving Communion, and it became part of the spiritual exercises tradition. The most striking line is “Within thy wounds, hide me,” echoing the bridal imagery of the Song of Songs and the theology of refuge in Christ’s pierced side. Medieval mystics meditated on the wound in Christ’s side as an entry point into his Sacred Heart.
Pray it slowly before Mass begins, asking each gift in sequence. Pray it again after Communion, letting the petitions name what the Eucharist has just given you. The final petition asks Christ to call you at the hour of death, a reminder that every Mass is preparation for that last summons.
Carry it through today as a prayer of the day for union with the passion.
