As a part of our effort to increase and improve prayer during the Year of Faith, we will be praying a different devotion each month at the end of . Please take this prayer home with you and pray with your family!

February 2012— Anima Christi

Appearing in the 14th century, the Anima Christi is a prayer that is foundational for the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. A person going through the Exercises is invited to contemplate the mysteries of the life of Christ and to dive deeply and prayerfully into the details of the Scriptures to see what calls to the person. This prayer helps the person at prayer to do that by focusing the person of prayer to Anima Christi meditate on an image of Christ crucified, in the moment of His deepest expression of his love for us. With this aim in mind, the Anima Christi is Soul of Christ, sanctify me. one of the most Christ-centered prayers of the Church. , save me. This prayer is one that many people say in thanksgiving after having received Holy . Doing so can focus one on the power of the , inebriate me. Eucharist to strengthen the Christian as he or she perseveres in holiness. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. The prayer gets its name from the first two words of the prayer in Latin: Passion of Christ, strengthen me. Anima Christi, sanctifica me. Corpus Christi, salva me. O good Jesus, hear me. Sanguis Christi, inebria me. Within Thy wounds, hide me. Aqua lateris Christi, lava me. Passio Christi, conforta me. Separated from Thee let me never be. O bone Jesu, exaudi me. Intra tua vulnera absconde me. From the malicious enemy, defend me. Ne permittas me separari a te. Ab hoste maligno defende me. At the hour of my death, call me In hora mortis meae voca me. and bid me come unto Thee Et iube me venire ad te, Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te. that I may praise Thee with Thy saints In saecula saeculorum. Amen Forever and ever.

The English translation of the prayer is on the reverse side of this card. Amen. May it help you to deepen in prayer during the season of Lent!