ORATIO XXXVIII. AD CHRISTUM.
The Ascension and the Soul's Longing
The soul contemplates Christ's Ascension amid the joy of the Virgin and apostles, then begs to share in that glory and to be sheltered by divine mercy until the hour of death.
Lord Jesus Christ, sweetest, most gentle, most beautiful, most fair, most longed-for, my Lord and my God: after your resurrection, on the fortieth day, with your most devout mother the Virgin seeing and rejoicing beyond all telling, with your friends the apostles seeing and rejoicing beyond all telling over your glorification — you bless them and ascend into heaven, and sit at the right hand of the Father.✦✦1 Bless us also, and make us partakers of that great exultation which they had over the glory of your exaltation; and through these your blessings — and the innumerable others by which you recalled lost humanity to salvation — while I am detained in this life, refresh and strengthen my wretched soul, so that when it has departed from the body, nourished and revived by such devout recollections and memories, it may be able to rest under the wings of your mercy, under the feet of your holy apostles, under the feet of your most glorious witness Stephen, and of your other children who are with you in your holy resting-place — you showing mercy, you granting it, Savior of the world, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign, God forever and ever.✦✦234 Amen.
Read the original Latin
Domine Jesu Christe, dulcissime, suavissime, pulcherrime, speciosissime, desideratissime, Dominus meus et Deus meus, post resurrectionem tuam quadragesimo die vidente piissima matre tua Virgine et ineffabiliter gaudente, videntibus amicis tuis apostolis et ineffabiliter de tua glorificatione laetantibus, benedicens eis ascendis in coelum et sedes ad dexteram Patris? Benedic etiam nobis et fac nos participes tantae exsultationis, quam illi habuerunt de gloria tuae exaltationis, et per haec beneficia tua, et alia innumerabilia quibus hominem perditum ad salutem revocasti, dum in hac vita detineor, miseram animam meam refice et conforta, ut cum a corpore migraverit, tam piis recordationibus et memoriis enutritam et refocillatam sub alis misericordiae tuae, sub pedibus sanctorum apostolorum tuorum, sub pedibus gloriosissimi testis tui Stephani, et caeterorum puerorum tuorum qui tecum sunt in sancto cubili tuo, requiescere possit, te miserante, te donante, Salvator mundi, qui cum Deo Patre et Spiritu sancto vivis et regnas Deus in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Acts.1.3-Acts.1.9 — To these he also presented himself alive after his suffering, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about the kingdom of God. Acts.1.4 — And while he was meeting with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me." Acts.1.5 — For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Acts.1.6 — So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?' Acts.1.7 — But he said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority." Acts.1.8 — But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts.1.9 — And after he said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
- ↩Ps.110.1 — The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool."
- ↩Ps.91.4 — With his pinions he will cover you, and under his wings you will take refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and a buckler.
- ↩Acts.7.59-Acts.7.60 — And they were stoning Stephen, who was calling upon the name of the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts.7.60 — Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And having said this, he fell asleep.
Notes
- 1 ↩The string of superlatives (dulcissime, suavissime, pulcherrime, speciosissime, desideratissime) is rendered with 'most' for each to preserve the prayer's cumulative intensity without resorting to archaic diction.
- 2 ↩'Sub alis misericordiae tuae' (under the wings of your mercy) evokes Psalm 91:4 (Vulgate 90:4) and is rendered literally to preserve the scriptural resonance.
- 3 ↩'Puerorum tuorum' (your children/boys) is rendered as 'your other children' to capture the tender, familial sense without the potentially misleading connotation of 'boys' in modern English.
- 4 ↩'Sancto cubili tuo' (your holy resting-place) is kept as 'resting-place' rather than 'bed' or 'couch' to preserve the eschatological rest imagery.
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