Lord Jesus Christ,
let not the reception of thy body and blood
which I, though unworthy, have presumed to take,
turn to my judgment and condemnation;
but through thy goodness,
may it be to me a safeguard and remedy,
both of soul and body.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.
Amen.
CATHOLIC TRADITIONAL; CURRENT FORM 16TH-17TH CENTURY AD
Prayer After Communion
Also known as Post-Communion Thanksgiving ยท Soul of Christ After Communion
About this prayer
The Prayer After Communion is a thanksgiving prayer said following the reception of the Eucharist. Catholic tradition recommends a period of silent prayer and thanksgiving after Communion, during which set prayers may be said. Multiple traditional post-Communion prayers exist. The Anima Christi is the most famous; it is listed separately on this site. The prayer given here is a complementary thanksgiving prayer from the same devotional tradition, focusing on gratitude, union with Christ, and the petition to carry the fruits of Communion into daily life. The tradition of post-Communion prayer developed alongside the theology of the Real Presence, which holds that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and that the period immediately after Communion is a time of particular intimacy with him.
When it's said
This prayer is said after receiving Communion, as part of the post-Communion thanksgiving. It is typically said kneeling, during the period of quiet after returning to the pew. It may be said privately after Mass as part of a morning prayer routine that includes Communion.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'turn to my judgment and condemnation' draws on 1 Corinthians 11:29, where Paul warns that receiving Communion unworthily brings judgment. The prayer asks that despite unworthiness, the reception be a source of healing rather than condemnation. This reflects the Catholic understanding that the sacraments act through the power of Christ, not the merit of the recipient, provided the proper disposition is present.
Source
Traditional Catholic prayer from the Roman Rite post-Communion prayers, 16th-17th century form. Text from F.X. Lasance, The Blessed Sacrament Book, 1913. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.