Anima Christi

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anima Christi ( Latin for "soul of Christ") is a prayer that has been attested to since the 14th century; The author is possibly Pope John XXII. († 1334).

Prayer is shaped by the passion piety of the late Middle Ages. It was initially used for private veneration of Christ who was present in the Eucharist . So it was spoken after the elevation and during communion. Today it can be found in the appendix to the Roman Missal as a possible prayer of thanks after the mass.

Ignatius of Loyola recommends prayer in his retreats , which is why he was sometimes accepted as the author in the past. (Only since Johannes Roothaan has the text been printed on the first page of the retreat booklet.) Bernardine von Feltre was also believed to be the author.

Before the time of Pietism and the Enlightenment , prayer, like other medieval texts (e.g. Membra Jesu nostri ), was also widespread in Lutheranism , especially in the translation by Johannes Scheffler : The soul of Christ sanctify me . It was sung by the choir or congregation during the administration of the sacrament. Anima Christi has often been set to music, for example by Jean-Baptiste Lully , Marco Frisina and, in the Lutheran area, Heinrich Schütz ( SWV 325) and Johann Theile .

The text says:

German Latin
Soul of Christ, sanctify me,
body of Christ, save me,
blood of Christ, drink me,
waters of Christ's side, purify me,
sufferings of Christ, strengthen me,
O good Jesus, answer me.
Rescue me in your wounds,
never divorce me from you,
protect me from the evil enemy.
In the hour of my death call me, come
to you bid me
praise yourself with your saints
in your kingdom for ever. Amen. 		Anima Christi, sanctifica me.
Corpus Christi, salva me.
Sanguis Christi, inebria me.
Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
Passio Christi, conforta me.
O bone Jesu, exaudi me.
Intra tua vulnera absconde me.
Ne permittas me separari a te.
From hoste maligno defende me.
In hora mortis meae voca me.
Et iube me venire ad te, 1)
Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te.
In saecula saeculorum. Amen.
1)Until the 16th century this line was: Pone me iuxta te - sit down with you .

Verse version by Johannes Scheffler

1. The soul of Christ sanctify me,
His spirit sink me into himself,
His corpse, which wounds for me, He heals
me body and soul.

2. The water that
flowed from his side at the thrust of The spear,
That be my bath, and all his blood
Refresh my heart, mind and courage.

3. The sweat from his face
do not let me come to judgment,
all his suffering, cross and pain,
that will be my strength.

4. O Jesus Christ, hear me,
take me and hide me completely in you,
lock me in your wounds,
that I can be safe from the enemy.

5. Call me in my last need,
And sit me next to you, my God,
That I and your saints may
ring out your praise forever.

literature

  • Adolf Adam : Te Deum laudamus. Great prayers of the Latin-German Church. Herder, Freiburg 1987, p. 78f.
  • Balthasar Fischer: The Trier Anima Christi. The previously unpublished oldest non-Latin text of the Anima Christi from an early 14th century manuscript in the Trier city library. In: TThZ , 60, 1951, pp. 189-196
  • Balthasar Fischer: Pone me iuxta te - Sit with you. A lost motif from the original text of the Anima Christi. In: TThZ , 94, 1985, pp. 188-196
  • Balthasar Fischer: The anima Christi as a short formula of the Christian faith. A testimony to John Henry Newman from the year he died in 1890. In: TThZ , 99, 1990, pp. 236–239

Web links