A Christian Prayer, Anima Christi, With A General Reflection

A listener has asked me to share this prayer, Anima Christi, on Insight Timer. The prayer itself goes back to the 14th century and is attributed to Saint Ignatius of Loyola. I have added a reflection that might be of universal use. The Anima Christi is traditionally recited after receiving holy communion.

Background Music: Celestial Light (subtle edition) from Enlightened Audio. Photo by M Ivanofski Unsplash

Transcript

Dear friends,

I have been reminded of a wonderful prayer in the Christian tradition,

The Anima Christi,

Which is traditionally recited after the reception of Holy Communion.

A listener has requested that I share this prayer here on InsideTimer,

And I have added a reflection which might be of universal use.

But first,

The prayer itself,

Which goes back to the 14th century,

And is attributed to Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

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 thee,

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.

Let's have a pause now,

A one-minute pause,

Before we move on to the reflection based on this ancient prayer.

Welcome back,

And now a reflection.

May the Spirit of Life breathe through me.

May its quiet strength fill the empty spaces of my being.

Let the same Spirit steady me in times of restlessness.

May it give me courage if ever I am afraid,

And energy whenever I run out of steam.

May love,

Understanding,

And compassion be my abiding motivation.

Let the memory of kindness,

Kindnesses given and received,

Fill me with gratitude for the past,

And hope for the future.

If ever I feel lost,

Let me pause and draw strength from moments of stillness,

Never forgetting that I am loved.

May I never lose the light of hope,

And let my light be a beacon in times of darkness.

May I never give up the exploration of the mystery that transcends all names and forms.

And inadequately referred to by words such as God.

Let me find comfort in the knowledge that I am an inseparable part of an interdependent web of all that is.

Remind me that whoever I am,

Whatever my background or beliefs,

I have a right to be here.

And with that,

The possibility of making my unique contribution to the world.

And when my day's work is done,

When the restlessness and striving ends,

May I fall gently back into that boundless love from which I came,

To be at one with all who have ever lived,

And all who ever will be.

Namaste.

Reviews

Very touched by this man who took a Christian prayer and made it accessible to all of us. His choice of words is beautiful and delivered with such gentle kindness one cannot help but be uplifted.

Beautiful, the words of the prayer remind me of the hymn Soul of My Saviour, which we would often sing after communion. Thank you Tony 🙏🏻

Beautiful ancient prayer. So enjoyed the reflection. Thank you, Namaste. 🙏🩵

Thank you so much for this beautiful prayer and reflection. Thank you for so many good tracks at no cost. I'm poor, and cannot afford to pay... I rely on content like yours. Thank you from Washington State!

I’ve been kept with all my life and I don’t recall ever hearing that prayer that was beautiful. Thank you so much, Tony. I love you and I enjoy your content. 🌟💫✨

This was wonderful. Simple and directly accessible. Thank you.🙏

I just love your voice. There is always so much passion behind what you say. It always makes me feel melancholic and appreciate life. Very ofen a tear comes to my eye.
Thank you for being on Insight Timer. Namaste.

I had never heard the prayer before. Filled me with peace and hope. I really liked the added reflection at the end to help me give it meaning in my life. Thank you!♥️

What a beautiful prayer and reflection! Thank you🙏🏻

This prayer and your meditation on it were so very moving. Thank you 🙏🏼

Wonderful🙏🏻 thank you for the prayer✝️ and the reflection, which share the foundation of love.

I enjoyed this meditation this morning it helped me to know my mother will be at peace when the time is up thankyou.

We are deeply touched by this beautiful presentation of a prayer we hold dear. With sincerest gratitude we say thank you. God's Peace to you.

Wonderful talk and bookmarked to listen 🎧 again 🙏Peace and the Lords blessings to you Tony ✝️

Namaste Tony as being an eucharistic minster in Newry cathedral this resonates with me . How eloquently said thank you Amen . Best Annette

This was my first time ever hearing of this awesome prayer! 🙏🏽 Thank you Tony for sharing this wonderful prayer, and words of support. You always know just what to speak about.

✨Namaste
🙏🏽✨🧡🧡🩶✨🩶💜♥️🩶✨⚓️🍁🧡🤎✨🩶

That was so beautiful and peaceful. It helped my hurting soul. Thank you!

Thank you so much as ever Tony. You’re such a bright comforting presence in these often gloomy times.

At times when we feel helpless and lost it is so good to listen to a prayer that consoles and supports. That’s exactly what your beautiful prayer does, dear Tony. Thank you very much. Namaste 🤓🙏🏻

This is so beautiful! Thank you dear Tony!🙏🏻✝️❤️✨