Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Suscipe — Take, Lord, receive

Spiritual Exercises, 234

LatinEnglish

Sume et suscipe, Domine, universam meam libertatem. Accipe memoriam, intellectum atque voluntatem omnem. Quidquid habeo vel possideo, mihi largitus es: id tibi totum restituo, ac tuae prorsus voluntati trado gubernandum. Amorem tui solum cum gratia tua mihi dones, et dives sum satis, nec aliud quidquam ultra posco.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will — all that I have and possess. You have given it all to me; to You, Lord, I return it. It is all Yours; dispose of it wholly according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace, for that is enough for me.

Amen.

SourceSaint Ignatius of Loyola · Spiritual Exercises, 234

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The history of this prayer

St Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), a Basque soldier wounded at Pamplona and converted during his convalescence, founded the Society of Jesus in 1540. His Spiritual Exercises, approved by Paul III in 1548, end with the Contemplation to Attain Love, and that is where the Suscipe is found (no. 234).

Having considered all it has received from God, the soul answers by giving everything back: liberty, memory, understanding and will. It asks only one thing in return: God's love and grace. St Ignatius' feast is on 31 July.

Frequently asked questions

What does “Suscipe” mean?

It is Latin for “receive”. In the classic Latin version of the Exercises the prayer opens “Suscipe, Domine”, “Receive, Lord”; many prayer books have “Sume et suscipe”, “Take and receive”.

Where is the Suscipe in the Spiritual Exercises?

At number 234, in the Contemplation to Attain Love at the end of the Fourth Week.

Did St Ignatius write it in Latin?

No. He wrote the Exercises in Spanish. The Latin versions were approved by Paul III in 1548, and the one called the Vulgate became the classic text.

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