Devotion to Our Lady |
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LITANY OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us. God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father, Save us. Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, Save us. Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, Save us. Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony, Save us. Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, Save us. Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, Save us. Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, Save us. Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, Save us. Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness. Save us. Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, Save us. Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, Save us. Blood of Christ, victor over demons, Save us. Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, Save us. Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, Save us. Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, Save us. Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, Save us. Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, Save us. Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, Save us. Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, Save us. Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, Save us. Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, Save us. Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, Save us. Blood of Christ, freeing souls from Purgatory, Save us. Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, Save us. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world. Spare us O Lord Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us O Lord Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood. R. And made us a kingdom for our God Let us pray: Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thy only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation, and through Its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life, so that we may rejoice in Its fruits forever in Heaven. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. |
DAILY PRAYERS TO THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS
(Saturday, July 31st) Prayer for the Preservation of Faith
(Based on Prayer No. 58 from the Raccolta) O my Redeemer, will that terrible moment ever come, when but few Christians will be found animated with a spirit of Faith? That frightening moment when, provoked to indignation, Thou wilt remove from us Thy paternal protection? The vices, the evil habits of our children, have perhaps irrevocably moved Thy justice this very day to vengeance! O Thou who art the Author and Goal of our Faith, by the power of Thy Precious Blood, we implore Thee, in the bitterness of our hearts, humbled and contrite, not to permit the beautiful light of Faith to be extinguished in us. Be mindful of Thy mercies of old; cast a compassionate regard upon that vine which Thou hast planted with Thy right hand—which was bedewed with the sweat of the Apostles; watered with the precious blood of thousands upon thousands of martyrs and the tears of so many generous penitents; and made fruitful by the prayers of so many confessors and innocent virgins. O divine Mediator, by the power of Thy Precious Blood, have regard for those zealous souls who incessantly raise their hearts to Thee and pray for the maintenance of that most precious treasure, the true Faith. Suspend, O most just God, the decree of our reprobation; turn away Thine eyes from our sins, and fix them on the adorable Blood, shed upon the Cross as the price of salvation, and daily pleading for it, on our behalf, upon our altars. O, preserve us in the true Catholic Roman Faith. Infirmities afflict us, annoyances wear us down, misfortunes oppress us: but maintain for us Thy Holy Faith; for, endowed with this precious gift, we shall willingly bear every sorrow, and nothing can affect our happiness. On the other hand, without this supreme treasure of the Faith, our misfortunes will be unspeakable and immense. O good Jesus, Author of our Faith, by the power of Thy Precious Blood, keep it pure; keep us safe within the bark of Peter, faithful and obedient to his successor, Thy Vicar here on earth, that so the unity of Holy Church may be preserved, holiness fostered, the Holy See kept free and protected, and the universal Church extended, to the advantage of souls. O Jesus, Author of our Faith, by the power of Thy Precious Blood, humble and convert the enemies of Thy Church; bestow on all Kings and Christian Princes, and on all the faithful, peace and true unity; strengthen and maintain all in Thy holy service, to the end that we may live by Thee and die in Thee. Ah, my Jesus, Author of our Faith, in Thee I wish to live, and in Thee I wish to die. Amen. THE PRECIOUS BLOOD by Fr. Frederick Faber PART 31 We have thought of the world without the Precious Blood; let us think of it now with only partial or intermitting access to its saving fountains. Man fell, and God’s justice was blameless in his fall. God’s mercy strove to hinder man from falling, and yet he fell. God did everything for man, short of destroying his liberty. The very act of creation was a magnificence of mercy. But the creation of man, not in a state of nature, but in a state of grace, was a glorious love, which could proceed only from a grandeur as inexhaustible as that of God. Man fell, and God was justified. Adam’s descendants might have found themselves hanging over the dread abyss of eternal woe. They might have felt in themselves a violent propension to evil which only just stopped short of an actual necessity. The prospect before them would have been terrible, and yet they would not have one intelligent word to say against it. If their minds were not darkened, they would have seen that not the justice only, but even the love of God stood unblemished in the matter. Nevertheless, how unbearable the prospect! Earth would be almost worse than Hell, because it would be Hell without the miserable peace of its irrevocable certainty. It would be worse, in the same way that a hopeless struggle is worse than the death which follows. Truly there might still be Hope, but then it would be such a hopeless Hope! Now let us suppose that God in the immensity of His compassion should tell men, in this extremity of wretchedness, that He would assume their nature, die for them upon the cross, and purchase for them, by His Precious Blood, the inestimable grace of Baptism. They should have another trial given to them. They, who had blamed Adam, should have a chance of their own. They should be regenerated, spiritually born again by the most stupendous of miracles. They should be justified, and sanctified in their justification. The guilt of Original Sin should be altogether remitted to them. Not a shadow of it should remain. Even their liability to temporal punishment for that sin in Purgatory should be remitted. God’s justice should be satisfied in full. But the grace of Baptism is far more than this. It restores us to a supernatural standing. It makes us God’s adopted children. It does not merely rescue us from Hell, and leave us to spend an eternity of mere natural blessedness by the streams and among the fruit trees of some terrestrial paradise. It entitles us to possess and enjoy God forever. Moreover, this Sacrament stores our souls with most mysterious graces. It infuses celestial habits into us, and endows us with those unfathomable wonders, the gifts of the Holy Ghost. No miracle can be more complete, or more instantaneous, or more gratuitous, than the grace of Baptism. This, then, should be the work of the Blood of God; and no more than this. Yet would it not seem to men to be an outpouring of the most super-abounding love? Would it not open to the wisest of men new depths in the character of God, and be a new revelation of unsuspected goodness in him? The most ardent and expansive of the angelic intelligences might have contemplated God for ages and ages, and yet their unassisted science would never have dreamed of such a mystery as the Incarnation, of such a redemption as the price of the Precious Blood. Yet does it not make us tremble to think of no more grace after Baptism? Munificent as is that justifying grace, an invention only possible to a goodness which is simply infinite, what, with our experience of ourselves and our knowledge of others, would be our dismay if that one glorious access to the Precious Blood were the only one allowed to us! Surely a more frequent access to it, while it is on God’s side a marvelous extension of a gratuitous indulgence, is on our side nothing less than an imperious necessity. Blessed be the inexhaustible compassions of the Most High, we have incessant access to the Precious Blood. Our seeking of our own interest is made to be the glory of God. Our eager supply of our own needs is counted as an act of sweetest love to Him, the more sweet the more eager it shall be. Yet it is difficult to bring this gracious truth home to ourselves, unless we put imaginary cases of a more restricted use of the Precious Blood. It would be a great thing to be forgiven once more after Baptism; whereas we are being endlessly forgiven, and with as much facility the thousandth time as we were the first. No greater amount of attrition is needed to make our thousandth absolution valid than was required for our first. It would be a huge mercy if almost all sins were capable of absolution, but some few were reserved as unpardonable alter Baptism. Even this would seem to the angels a wonderful stretch of the divine forbearance. What then must it be to have no sins, and no reiteration of sins, exempted from the jurisdiction of that dear ransom of our souls? At first sight it looks as if such an inveterate compassion lowered the character of God and impaired the luster of His exceeding sanctity. The Precious Blood and the Sacred Wounds #1 (Prayer No. 130 from the Raccolta) Praise and glory be to Thee, most loving Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in thy Side, and by that adorable wound, and by thy infinite mercy, which Thou didst make known in the opening of thy Breast to the soldier Longinus, and so to us all, I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus, that having- redeemed me by baptism from original sin, so now by thy Precious Blood, which is offered and received throughout the world, deliver me from all evils, past, present and to come. And by thy most bitter death give me a lively faith, a firm hope, and a perfect charity, so that I may love Thee with all my heart, and all my soul, and all my strength; make me firm and steadfast in good works, and grant me perseverance in thy service, so that I may be able to please Thee always. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary |
Prayer for Help to the Precious Blood
(Prayer No. 49 from the Raccolta) O most compassionate Jesus! Thou alone art our salvation, our life, and our resurrection. We implore Thee, therefore, do not forsake us in our needs and afflictions, but by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thy Immaculate Mother, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy most Precious Blood. Prayer Begging the Mercy of the Precious Blood (Based on Prayer No. 50 from the Raccolta) O Precious Blood of Jesus, drawn from the Most Pure Blood of Mary, Ever-Virgin, full of mercy and kindness, look with pity and compassion upon the prayer of this pitiful sinner! O Precious Blood of Jesus, shed for our salvation, have pity on me! O most merciful Jesus, I beg Thee, by that Precious Blood of Thine, which Thou didst will to pour forth for sinners, to wash away all my iniquities, and to look upon me, poor and unworthy though I am, humbly asking pardon of Thee, and invoking this Precious Blood of Thine. Suffer me not to be lost—me, whom Thou didst create out of nothing! O good Jesus, let not my iniquity destroy what Thy almighty goodness made. O sweet Jesus, recognize what is Thine own, and wipe away from me, by Thy Blood, what is not of Thee! O most kind Jesus, have pity on me while it is still the time of pity, and condemn me not when it is the time of judgment. The dead shall not praise Thee, Lord Jesus; nor all those who go down into Hell. O most merciful and compassionate Jesus, remember again the Blood Thou didst shed for sinners, and let me partake of that mercy and allow me to enter into the number of Thine elect. O Jesus, salvation of those who believe in Thee; O Jesus, consolation of those who fly to Thee—hear my prayer! Jesus, Son of Mary the Virgin, by the merits and power of Thy Precious Blood, pour into me grace, wisdom, charity, chastity, and humility; engrave on my heart true sorrow and compunction for my sins with a firm desire to amend my life, so that I may be able to love Thee perfectly, to praise Thee profoundly, to enjoy Thee immensely, to serve Thee eternally, and make my boast in Thee gratefully, together with all those who invoke Thy Name and adore Thy Precious Blood, the sweet price of our redemption and salvation. Amen. Prayer to the Precious Blood for the Conversion of Our Country (Based on Prayer No. 54 from the Raccolta) O good Jesus, prostrate at Thy feet, we humbly implore Thee, by Thy most sacred wounds and by the Precious Blood, which Thou didst shed for the salvation of the whole world, that Thou wouldst deign to cast a look of pity on the people of this country, starved or seduced from the Faith for so many centuries, and plunged in the darkness of heresy, separated from Thy Church, deprived of the participation of the adorable Sacrament of Thy Body and Blood, and of the other Sacraments instituted by Thee, as the refuge of souls in life and in death. Remember, O Redeemer of the world, that for these souls too Thou didst suffer bitter death, with the loss of all Thy Precious Blood. Bring back, O good Shepherd, these wandering sheep of Thine to the one fold and to the healthy pastures of Thy Church, so that they may form with us one flock, tended by Thee, and by Thy Vicar on earth, the supreme Pontiff, whom, in the person of the Apostle St. Peter, Thou didst commission to feed Thy sheep and Thy lambs. Graciously hear, O good Jesus, the prayers which we offer Thee with the most lively trust in the love of Thy Sacred Heart and the power of Thy Precious Blood. May praise, glory, and honor be given to Thy most Holy Name and Thy Precious Blood, world without end. Amen. Prayer for the Preservation of Faith (Based on Prayer No. 58 from the Raccolta) O my Redeemer, will that terrible moment ever come, when but few Christians will be found animated with a spirit of Faith? That frightening moment when, provoked to indignation, Thou wilt remove from us Thy paternal protection? The vices, the evil habits of our children, have perhaps irrevocably moved Thy justice this very day to vengeance! O Thou who art the Author and Goal of our Faith, by the power of Thy Precious Blood, we implore Thee, in the bitterness of our hearts, humbled and contrite, not to permit the beautiful light of Faith to be extinguished in us. Be mindful of Thy mercies of old; cast a compassionate regard upon that vine which Thou hast planted with Thy right hand—which was bedewed with the sweat of the Apostles; watered with the precious blood of thousands upon thousands of martyrs and the tears of so many generous penitents; and made fruitful by the prayers of so many confessors and innocent virgins. O divine Mediator, by the power of Thy Precious Blood, have regard for those zealous souls who incessantly raise their hearts to Thee and pray for the maintenance of that most precious treasure, the true Faith. Suspend, O most just God, the decree of our reprobation; turn away Thine eyes from our sins, and fix them on the adorable Blood, shed upon the Cross as the price of salvation, and daily pleading for it, on our behalf, upon our altars. O, preserve us in the true Catholic Roman Faith. Infirmities afflict us, annoyances wear us down, misfortunes oppress us: but maintain for us Thy Holy Faith; for, endowed with this precious gift, we shall willingly bear every sorrow, and nothing can affect our happiness. On the other hand, without this supreme treasure of the Faith, our misfortunes will be unspeakable and immense. O good Jesus, Author of our Faith, by the power of Thy Precious Blood, keep it pure; keep us safe within the bark of Peter, faithful and obedient to his successor, Thy Vicar here on earth, that so the unity of Holy Church may be preserved, holiness fostered, the Holy See kept free and protected, and the universal Church extended, to the advantage of souls. O Jesus, Author of our Faith, by the power of Thy Precious Blood, humble and convert the enemies of Thy Church; bestow on all Kings and Christian Princes, and on all the faithful, peace and true unity; strengthen and maintain all in Thy holy service, to the end that we may live by Thee and die in Thee. Ah, my Jesus, Author of our Faith, in Thee I wish to live, and in Thee I wish to die. Amen. FIVE ACTS OF ADORATION AND REPARATION ► First of Five Prayers of Reparation (Prayer No. 89 from the Raccolta) I adore Thee, my Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament; I acknowledge Thee, true God and true Man. By this my act of adoration, I intend to make Thee reparation for the coldness of so many of Thy people, who pass before Thy churches, nay, before Thy very tabernacle, where, hour after hour, Thou dost deign to dwell in loving impatience, to communicate thyself to Thy faithful, yet they do not even bow their knee before Thee, but, like the Israelites in the wilderness, seem, by their indifference, to loathe this heavenly Manna. I offer Thee Thine own most Precious Blood, which Thou didst shed from the wound in Thy Left Foot, in reparation for this hateful coldness, and, entering therein, I cry, and will never cease to cry: “Blessed and praised every moment be the most Holy and Divine Sacrament!” Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. ► Second of Five Prayers of Reparation (Prayer No. 89 from the Raccolta) I profoundly adore Thee, my Jesus; I acknowledge Thee present in the most Holy Sacrament. By this act of adoration, I would like to make amends for the forgetfulness of so many Christian people, who, when they see Thee go by in the Blessed Sacrament—to visit the poor sick, to be their strength in their great journey to eternity—cold-heartedly leave Thee unescorted, and hardly give Thee even one outward sign of homage, by bowing their head or bending their knee. I offer Thee, in reparation for this coldness, that most Precious Blood, which Thou didst shed from the wound in Thy Right Foot, and, entering therein, I cry, and will never cease to cry: “Blessed and praised every moment be the most Holy and Divine Sacrament!” Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. ► Third of Five Prayers of Reparation (Prayer No. 89 from the Raccolta) I profoundly adore Thee, my Jesus, true Bread of life eternal; and, by this my act of adoration, I would like to make Thee compensation, for all the wounds with which Thy Sacred Heart bleeds daily, to see the profanation of those churches wherein Thou abide, beneath the sacramental species, to receive the love and adoration of Thy people. I offer Thee, in reparation for all these irreverences, that most Precious Blood, which Thou didst shed from the wound in Thy Left Hand, and, entering therein, I will ever cry: “Blessed and praised every moment be the most Holy and Divine Sacrament!” Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. ► Fourth of Five Prayers of Reparation (Prayer No. 89 from the Raccolta) I profoundly adore Thee, my Jesus, Living Bread come down from Heaven; and, by this act of adoration, I would like to make amends for all the acts of irreverence which Thy people, day by day, commit whilst they assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; in which bloodless Sacrifice Thou dost renew the very Sacrifice which once Thou didst consummate, on Calvary, for our salvation. I offer Thee, in reparation for all this ingratitude, that most Precious Blood, which Thou didst shed from the wound in Thy Right Hand; and, entering therein, I unite my voice with the voices of the holy angels, who adore Thee around Thy throne: “Blessed and praised every moment be the most Holy and Divine Sacrament!” Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. ► Fifth of Five Prayers of Reparation (Prayer No. 89 from the Raccolta) I profoundly adore Thee, my Jesus, true Victim of expiation for our sins; and I offer Thee this act of adoration in compensation for the sacrilegious outrages Thou dost receive, from so many of Thy ungrateful people, who dare to draw near to Thee and receive Thee, in Holy Communion, with unconfessed and unrepented mortal sins upon their souls. In reparation for these hateful sacrileges, I offer Thee those last drops of Thy most Precious Blood, which Thou didst shed from the wound in Thy Side; and, entering therein, I approach Thee with acts of adoration, love, and thanksgiving, and, with all holy souls, who are devout to Thee in this most Holy Sacrament, I cry: “Blessed and praised every moment be the most Holy and Divine Sacrament!” Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. Prayer to Honor the Sacred Heart and Precious Blood (Prayer No. 93 from the Raccolta) Behold, my most loving Jesus, to what an excess Thy boundless love has carried Thee. Of Thine own Flesh and Precious Blood, Thou hast made ready for me a Divine Banquet in order to give me all Thyself. What was it that impelled Thee to this act of love? It was Thy Heart, thy loving Heart. O adorable Heart of my Jesus! Burning furnace of Divine Love! Within thy most Sacred Wound, receive, Thou, my soul; that in that school of charity, I may learn to return the love of that God Who has given me such wondrous proofs of His love. Amen. Prayer to Honor the Body and Blood of Jesus (Prayer No. 97 from the Raccolta) Dear Jesus, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, be for ever thanked and praised. Love, worthy of all celestial and terrestrial love! Who, out of infinite love for me, an ungrateful sinner, didst assume our human nature; didst shed thy most Precious Blood in the cruel scourging; and didst expire on a shameful Cross for our eternal welfare! Now, illumined with lively Faith, with the outpouring of my whole soul, and the fervor of my heart, I humbly beseech Thee, through the infinite merits of Thy painful sufferings, give me strength and courage to destroy every evil passion, which sways my heart; to bless Thee in my greatest afflictions; to glorify Thee by the exact fulfillment of all my duties; to supremely hate all sin, and thus to become a saint. Amen. Prayer at the Elevation at the Consecration in Holy Mass (Prayer No. 102a from the Raccolta) Hail, saving Victim, offered upon the scaffold of the Cross—for me, and for the whole human race! Hail, Precious Blood streaming from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ, washing away the sins of the whole world! Remember, O Lord, thy servant, the work of Thy hands, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. Amen. Prayer to the Precious Blood (Prayer No. 102b from the Raccolta) O God, Who, by the Precious Blood of Thy only-begotten Son, didst sanctify the standard of the Cross; grant, we beseech Thee, that all those who rejoice in the glory of the same Holy Cross, may, at all times and places, feel gladness and peace by being under Thy protection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. Prayer to the Precious Blood (Prayer No. 121 from the Raccolta) O Lord Jesus Christ, Who at the sixth hour of the day didst, for the redemption of the world, mount the scaffold of the Cross, and shed Thy Precious Blood for the remission of sins; we humbly beseech Thee, grant us that, after our death, we may joyfully enter the gates of Paradise. We beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that now, and at the hour of our death, the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, may intercede for us, through whose most holy soul the sword passed in the hour of Thy Passion. We beg this through Thee, O Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen. |
THE PRECIOUS BLOOD AND THE LAST SEVEN WORDS ON THE CROSS
(Prayer No. 122 from the Raccolta) ► FIRST WORD: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!” Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, didst hang in agony upon the Cross, there by Thy pains to pay the penalty of my sins, and didst open Thy divine mouth to obtain for me the pardon of them, from Eternal Justice! O Jesus, pity all the faithful who are now in their last agony, and pity me when I too shall be in mine. By the merits of Thy most Precious Blood, shed for our salvation, grant to us all such lively sorrow for our sins, that, at our death, we may breathe forth our souls into the bosom of Thy infinite mercy. Glory Be (three times) ► SECOND WORD: “This day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise!” Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, didst hang in agony upon the Cross, and with such readiness and bounty didst respond to the faith of the good thief, who in Thy humiliations acknowledged Thee to be the Son of God, and Thou didst assure unto him the Paradise prepared for him! O pity all the faithful who are in their last agony, and pity me when I too shall be in mine. By the merit of Thy most Precious Blood, wake up in our souls such firm and steadfast Faith, as shall never waver at any suggestion of the evil one; that so we also may obtain the prize of holy Paradise. Glory Be (three times) ► THIRD WORD: “Behold thy Mother! Behold thy Son!” Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, didst hang in agony upon the Cross, and, unmindful of Thine own sorrows, didst leave us Thy own most Holy Mother as the pledge of Thy love, that through her intercession we might seek Thee with confidence in bur greatest straits. Have pity on all the faithful who are in their last agony, and pity me when I too shall be in mine. By the inward martyrdom of thy dear Mother, quicken in our hearts a firm Hope in the infinite merits of Thine own most Precious Blood, that so we may escape the sentence of eternal death, which we have merited by our sins. Glory Be (three times) ► FOURTH WORD: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, didst hang in agony upon the Cross, and, whilst suffering after suffering was heaped upon Thee, with all Thy bodily pain, didst bear with infinite patience the most afflicting desolation of spirit, being forsaken by Thine Eternal Father. Pity all the faithful who are in their last agony, and pity me when I too shall be in mine. By the merits of Thy most Precious Blood, grant us all Thy grace, that we may suffer with patience the pain and anguish of our last agony, and so, joining our pains with Thine, be made partakers of Thy glory in Paradise. Glory Be (three times) ► FIFTH WORD: “I thirst!” Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, didst hang in agony upon the Cross, and Who, insatiable in Thy thirst for insults and sufferings, didst will yet more and more to suffer, that all men might be saved, showing, thereby, that all the torrent of Thy Passion was not enough to quench the thirst of Thy most loving Heart; pity all the faithful who are in their last agony, and pity me when I too shall be in mine. By the merits of Thy most Precious Blood, kindle in our hearts such fire of charity, as may make them burn to be made one with Thee for all eternity. Glory Be (three times) ► SIXTH WORD: “It is consummated!” Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, didst hang in agony upon the Cross, and, from this pulpit of truth, didst announce that the work of our Redemption was finished—that work, through which, from being children of wrath and perdition, we become God’s children and the heirs of Heaven. Pity all the faithful who are in their last agony, and pity me when I too shall be in mine. By the merits of Thy most Precious Blood, detach us wholly from the world and from ourselves, and, at the moment of our agony, grant us grace to offer Thee, with all our hearts, the sacrifice of our life, in expiation for our sins. Glory Be (three times) ► SEVENTH WORD: “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit!” Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, didst hang in agony upon the Cross, and Who, in accomplishment of the great Sacrifice, didst accept the will of Thine Eternal Father, commending Thy spirit into His hands, and so didst bow Thy head and die. Pity all the faithful, who are in their last agony, and pity me when I too shall be in mine. By the merits of Thy most Precious Blood, give us, in our agony, an entire conformity to thy Divine Will, that, ready to live or die as it please Thee, we may desire nothing so much as that Thine adorable Will may ever find its full accomplishment in us. Glory Be (three times) The Precious Blood and the Sacred Wounds #1 (Prayer No. 130 from the Raccolta) Praise and glory be to Thee, most loving Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in thy Side, and by that adorable wound, and by thy infinite mercy, which Thou didst make known in the opening of thy Breast to the soldier Longinus, and so to us all, I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus, that having- redeemed me by baptism from original sin, so now by thy Precious Blood, which is offered and received throughout the world, deliver me from all evils, past, present and to come. And by thy most bitter death give me a lively faith, a firm hope, and a perfect charity, so that I may love Thee with all my heart, and all my soul, and all my strength; make me firm and steadfast in good works, and grant me perseverance in thy service, so that I may be able to please Thee always. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary The Precious Blood and the Sacred Wounds #2 (Prayer No. 130 from the Raccolta) Almighty and everlasting God, Who by the five wounds of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, hast redeemed the human race, grant to Thy suppliants that we, who daily venerate those wounds, may, by the shedding of His Precious Blood, be freed from sudden and everlasting death. We ask this through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary CHAPLET OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD (Prayer No. 138 from the Raccolta) This Chaplet consists of seven Mysteries, in which we meditate upon the seven times in which Jesus Christ shed his Blood for us; at each Mystery, except the last, we say Our Father five times, and Glory Be once; and at the last mystery, we say the Our Father three times, and Glory Be once; thus making up the number of 33, by saying the Our Father thirty-three times in remembrance of the thirty-three years of Our Lord’s life. ► FIRST MYSTERY The first time our loving Savior shed His Precious Blood for us was on the eighth day after His birth, when He was circumcised in order to fulfill the law of Moses. While, then, we reflect that Jesus did this to satisfy the justice of God for our lax ways, let us rouse ourselves to sorrow for them, and promise, with the help of his all-powerful grace, to be henceforth truly chaste in body and in soul. Our Father five times; Glory Be once. We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. ► SECOND MYSTERY Next, in the Garden of Olives, Jesus shed His Blood for us in such quantity that It bathed the earth around Him. He did this at the sight of the ingratitude with which men would meet His love. Let us, then, repent sincerely that we have, until now, corresponded so badly with the countless blessings of God, and resolve to make good use of His graces and inspirations. Our Father five times; Glory Be once. We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. ► THIRD MYSTERY Next, in His cruel scourging, Jesus shed His Blood when His flesh was so torn, that streams of Blood flowed from every part of His body, all of which He offered, all the time, to His Eternal Father, in payment of our impatience and our softness. How is it, then, that we do not curb our anger, our love of self, our love of comfort and ease? Henceforth we will try our best to bear our troubles well, and, despising self, take peacefully the injuries which men may do us. Our Father five times; Glory Be once. We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. ► FOURTH MYSTERY Again, from the sacred Head of Jesus, Blood poured down, when it was crowned with thorns, in punishment of our pride and evil thoughts. Shall we, then, continue to nurture haughtiness, foster foul imaginations, and feed the wayward will within us? Henceforth let there be ever before our eyes our utter nothingness, our misery, and our weakness; and. with generous hearts, let us resist all the temptations of the devil. Our Father five times; Glory Be once. We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. ► FIFTH MYSTERY What streams of Precious Blood did not our loving Lord pour forth from His veins, when laden with the heavy Cross on that most grievous journey to Calvary! The very streets and ways of Jerusalem, through which He passed, were watered with it! This He did in satisfaction for the scandals and bad example, by which His own creatures had led others astray. Who can tell how many of us are among this unhappy number? Who knows how many he himself alone has, by his own bad example, brought down to Hell? And what have we done to remedy this evil? Henceforth let us at least do all we can to save souls by word and by example, making ourselves a pattern to all of goodness and a holy life. Our Father five times; Glory Be once. We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. ► SIXTH MYSTERY More, and still more Precious Blood did the Redeemer of mankind shed in His barbarous Crucifixion; when, His veins being rent and arteries burst, there rushed forth in a torrent, from His hands and His feet, that saving balm of life eternal, to pay for all the crimes and enormities of a lost world. Who, after this, would continue in sin, and so renew the cruel crucifixion of the Son of God? Let us weep bitterly for our bad deeds done, and detest them before the feet of the sacred minister of God; let us amend our evil ways, and henceforth begin a truly Christian life, with the remembrance, ever in our hearts, of all the Blood which our salvation cost the Savior of men. Our Father five times; Glory Be once. We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. ► SEVENTH MYSTERY Last of all, after His death, when His sacred Side was opened by the lance, and His loving Heart was wounded, Jesus shed Blood, and with it there came forth water, to show us how His Blood was all poured out, to the last drop, for our salvation. O, the great goodness of our redeeming Lord! Who will not love Thee, Savior of my soul? What heart will not consume itself away for love of Thee, Who hast done all this for our redemption? The tongue wants words to praise Thee; so let us invite all creatures upon earth, all angels and all saints in Paradise, and most of all our dear Mother Mary, to bless, praise, and celebrate thy most Precious Blood. Glory to the Blood of Jesus! Now and ever throughout all ages. Amen. Our Father three times; Glory Be once. We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. ► FINAL PRAYER Most Precious Blood of life eternal! Price and ransom of the world! Drink and cleansing-bath of the soul! Ever pleading the cause of man before the throne of Mercy! I adore Thee most profoundly; I would, if I were able, make Thee some compensation for the outrages and wrongs Thou dost ever suffer from men, and especially from those who dare, in their rashness and pride, to blaspheme Thee. Who will not bless this Blood of value infinite? Who does not feel himself on fire with the love of Jesus, Who shed It all for us? What would I be like if it were not for this Blood, which hath redeemed me? And what drew Thee, Thou Precious Blood, from the veins of my Lord, even to the last drop? It was love! O boundless love, which gave to us this saving balsam! O balsam beyond all price, streaming forth from the fount of immeasurable love! Give to all hearts, all tongues, power to praise, celebrate, and thank Thee, now and ever, and throughout all eternity. Amen. V. You have redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood. R. And made us a kingdom for our God Let us pray: Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thy only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this Price of our salvation, and through Its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life, so that we may rejoice in Its fruits forever in Heaven. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. |