St Bonaventure’s Beautiful Prayer After Communion

Today is St Bonaventure's Feast Day. This prayer was printed as part of the 'Prayers After Mass' in the Missal before the Pauline 'Reforms'. You may read the original Latin here.

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

This popular prayer is very poetic and expresses the passionate love he had for Jesus.

Similar to St. Francis, St. Bonaventure had a deep devotion to the Eucharist and truly believed that Jesus was present under the appearances of bread and wine.

This led him to compose a beautiful prayer, very poetic that expresses the passionate love he had for Jesus.

Many use this prayer for after communion, as it speaks directly to Jesus, the "Bread of Angels."

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the
most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true,
calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever
languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee,
may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be
dissolved and to be with Thee.

Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee,
the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of
holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having
all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.

May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee,
Whom the angels desire to look upon,
and may my inmost soul be filled with
the sweetness of Thy savor;

may it ever thirst for Thee,
the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge,
the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the
fulness of the house of God;

may it ever compass Thee, seek
Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on
Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of
Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and
delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the
end;

and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence,
my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and
tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my
refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my
possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart
be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.