Prayer with the saints and angels

Soul of Christ, sanctify me

Body of Christ, save me

Blood of Christ, inebriate me

Water from Christ’s side, 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 malicious enemy defend me

In the hour of my death call me

And bid me come unto Thee

That I may praise Thee with Thy saints

and with Thy angels

Forever and ever, Amen.

The author of this thoughtful litany titled from its first phrase, the soul of Christ, is unknown. Some attribute it to Saint Patrick himself, as it has a similar cadence to his famous breastplate: “Christ before me; Christ behind me, etc.” Museums and libraries across Europe contain manuscripts from the 14th century with these beautiful words, so it is at least that old. I’ve been working on committing it to memory for devotional prayer after receiving Holy Communion. The petitions are bold but we can, “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).”

The soul of Christ, fully God and fully human, can set us apart and make us holy. The body of Christ saves us: This is my body, given for you (Luke 22:19). The blood of Christ inebriates and exhilarates us. Water from Christ’s side will wash us straight from his heart pierced by the lance. The passion of Christ strengthens us as we contemplate his mental, physical and spiritual suffering and remain close to him in our suffering like his blessed mother (John 19:25-27).

The good Jesus hears his children calling over and over; as in the gospels, he stops, helps and hears. It is hard to think being hidden within his terrible wounds, but “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).” Let us never be separated from our Lord; the sacraments offer real, physical and spiritual nourishment for the journey and his love is eternal. He helps us resist the malicious enemy, who “prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8).” May we be as ready for our bidding to heaven as Stephen was, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit (Acts 7:59).”

And the final line is its raison d’etre: to praise God with all the saints and angels, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And they fell down and worshiped.” (Revelation 5:11-14).

Praying words written by a brother or sister in the faith is another way to adore God and a tangible way to connect with saints already in the presence of Jesus, who himself recited the shema (“Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one...”) and table blessing daily and prayed the same words several times over in the garden of Gethsemane. Revelation also marks many places where saints and angels sing the same words over and over. And the very first Christians, “Held steadfastly to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers (Acts 2:42).” We are in good company! Of course, prayer words are not magical; prayer is the lifting of the mind and heart to God. Jesus told his followers not to pray like the pagans attempting to appease their gods with vain repetitions. The problem is the vanity like the Pharisee in Luke 18, not the repetition like the tax collector in the same passage who beat his breast saying (the progressive verb form denoting ongoing action), “Lord be merciful to me a sinner.”

And so I pray the Anima Christi as I lift my mind and heart to God. I boldly ask my Lord for these blessings for myself, my husband and my children in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the faith both on earth and in heaven. That I may praise him with the saints and angels forever, amen.