Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, the marrow and innards of my soul with the most pleasant and healthful wound of Thy love, with true and serene and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may swoon and melt, only and always with love and longing for Thee, that it may yearn for Thee and faint for Thy courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.

Grant that my soul may hunger for Thee, the Bread of Angels, the nourishment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of amenity. May my heart ever hunger for and feed on Thee, upon Whom the Angels long to gaze, and may mine 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 abundance of the house of God.

May it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find thee, stretch for Thee, reach Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end; and mayest Thou alone be ever my hope, my whole confidence, my riches, my delight, my cheer, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my amenity, my fragrance, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, and my treasure, in Whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firm and rooted immovably forever. Amen.

Orátio Sancti Bonaventúrae

Tránsfige, dulcíssime Dómine Iesu, medúllas et víscera ánimae meae suavíssimo ac salubérrimo amóris tui vúlnere, vera serenáque et apostólica sanctíssima caritáte, ut lángueat et liquefíat ánima mea solo semper amóre et desidério tui, te concupíscat et defíciat in átria tua, cúpiat dissólvi et esse tecum.

Da, ut ánima mea te esúriat, panem Angelórum, refectiónem animárum sanctárum, panem nostrum quotidiánum, supersubstantiálem, habéntem omnem dulcédinem et sapórem, et omne delectaméntum suavitátis. Te, in quem desíderant Ángeli prospícere, semper esúriat et cómedat cor meum, et dulcédine sapóris tui repleántur víscera ánimae meae; te semper sítiat fontem vitae, fontem sapiéntiae et sciéntiae, fontem aetérni lúminis, torréntem voluptátis, ubertátem domus Dei.

Te semper ámbiat, te quaerat, te invéniat, ad te tendat, ad te pervéniat, te meditétur, te loquátur, et ómnia operétur in laudem et glóriam nóminis tui, cum humilitáte et discretióne, cum dilectióne et delectatióne, cum facilitáte et afféctu, cum perseverántia usque in finem; et tu sis solus semper spes mea, tota fidúcia mea, divítiae meae, delectátio mea, jucúnditas mea, gáudium meum, quies et tranquíllitas mea, pax mea, suávitas mea, odor meus, dulcédo mea, cibus meus, reféctio mea, refúgium meum, auxílium meum, sapiéntia mea, pórtio mea, posséssio mea, thesáurus meus, in quo fixa et firma et immobíliter semper sit radicáta mens mea et cor meum. Amen.