ORATIO XXXIV. AD CHRISTUM. Ante perceptionem corporis et sanguinis Christi.
Adoration and Thanksgiving for the Gift of Christ's Body and Blood
The soul adores Christ, who mercifully redeemed the world through His death, and gives thanks for the gift of His holy body and blood.
Lord Jesus Christ, who, with the Father arranging and the Holy Spirit cooperating, mercifully redeemed the world from sin and eternal death through your death, by your own voluntary will — I adore and venerate you as much as I can, though with lukewarm feeling and humble devotion, giving thanks for so great a blessing: this holy body and this blood of yours, which I long to receive for cleansing and defense against sins.
Confession of Unworthiness
The penitent confesses himself an exceedingly great sinner, unworthy even to approach the sacred mysteries.
I confess, Lord, that I am an exceedingly great sinner, and unworthy to approach their touch.
Trust in Christ's Clemency and the Presumption to Receive
Trusting in Christ's mercy, by which He gave His soul for sinners, the penitent presumes to receive the eucharistic gifts for justification.
But trusting in that clemency of yours, by which you gave your soul for sinners, laying it down so that they might become righteous, and willed that a holy victim be sacrificed to the Father — I presume to receive these things, though I am a sinner, so that through them I may be justified.
Supplication That the Sacrament Bring Pardon, Not Condemnation
As a suppliant, the penitent begs that the gifts given for the destruction of sins may bring pardon and protection rather than increase his guilt.
As a suppliant, therefore, I beseech you, merciful compassione of humanity, that the things you gave for the destruction of sins may not serve to increase my sins, but to bring me pardon and protection.
Prayer for Interior Reception, Conformity to Christ, and Eternal Glory
The penitent prays to perceive the sacrament with mouth, heart, faith, and affection, so as to be planted into the likeness of Christ's death and resurrection, incorporated into His body the Church, and finally glorified in eternal joy.
Make me, Lord, to perceive them with mouth and heart, and to feel them with faith and affection, so that through their power I may deserve to be planted together into the likeness of your death and resurrection, through the mortification of the old self and the newness of a righteous life, so that I may be worthy to be incorporated into your body, which is the Church, and to be your member, and you my head, and that I may remain in you and you in me: so that in the resurrection you may reshape the body of my humility, conformed to the body of your glory, according to the promise of your Apostle, and that in you I may rejoice forever in your glory, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, etc.✦✦✦✦
Read the original Latin
Domine Jesu Christe, qui, Patre disponente, Spiritu sancto cooperante, per mortem tuam spontanea voluntate misericorditer a peccato et morte aeterna mundum redemisti, adoro, et veneror eo quo possum, quamvis tepido affectu et humili devotione, gratias agens tanto beneficio, hoc sanctum corpus, et hunc sanguinem tuum, quae ad emundationem et defensionem a peccatis, accipere desidero. Confiteor, Domine, quia nimis sum peccator, et indignus ad eorum tactum accedere. Sed confidens de illa clementia, qua pro peccatoribus, ut justi fierent, animam tuam ponens, eam dedisti, et pia hostia Patri mactari voluisti; illa praesumo, licet peccator, ut per illa justificer, accipere. Supplex ergo te, pie miserator hominum, obsecro ut quae ad delendum peccata dedisti, non mihi sint ad peccatorum augmentum, sed ad indulgentiam et tuitionem. Fac me, Domine, ita ea ore et corde percipere, atque fide et affectu sentire, ut per eorum virtutem sic merear complantari similitudini mortis et resurrectionis tuae, per veteris hominis mortificationem, et novitatem justae vitae, ut dignus sim corpori tuo, quod est Ecclesia, incorporari, et sim membrum tuum, et tu caput meum, et maneam in te, et tu in me: quatenus in resurrectione reformes corpus humilitatis meae, configuratum corpori claritatis tuae, secundum promissionem Apostoli tui, et in te in aeternum gaudeam de gloria tua, qui cum Patre et Spiritu sancto, etc.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rom.6.5 — For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection.
- ↩Phil.3.21 — who will transform the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the power that enables him to subject all things to himself.
- ↩John.15.4-John.15.5 — Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in me. John.15.5 — I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in me, and I in him, this one bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing.
- ↩Eph.1.22-Eph.1.23 — And he put all things under his feet, and gave him as head over all things to the church. Eph.1.23 — which is his body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.
Orationes sive Meditationes — Collection for Princess Adeliza of Normandy companion
There are 90 more prayers where these came from
Chosen Portion delivers the full Anselm collection — and the wider royal devotional archive — one daily prayer at a time, free.
Anselm told Adeliza to take these prayers a little at a time, and Chosen Portion does exactly that — serving the collection as paced daily portions rather than a book to skim.
- Pray through all 97 of Anselm's prayers and meditations, one portion each day
- Each prayer is broken into short sections so a 100-sentence meditation fits a 10-minute sitting
- Morning reminder at your chosen time, so the day starts with a written prayer instead of a blank