trition, and Thy purifying grace, to wash my soul, and my polluted heart, as Thou didst wash the feet of Thy disciples; to lighten my soul, to open my understanding, to make me worthy to communicate in purity, piety, and lowliness of Thy Holy Mysteries, both now and at the hour of my death; and finally that at the hour of my departure my soul may ascend with joy as Thou didst ascend, without any fear, misgiving, or hindrance, that passing away from earth I may enter into Thy heavenly glory, to praise Thee, and worship Thy holy Name for ever and ever. II. Amen. LORD JESU CHRIST, show Thy power in me, a most miserable sinner: show that Thy goodness is greater than my wickedness; make me, who have been hitherto entirely turned away from Thee and cold, now to be entirely converted to Thee, and to be inflamed with the fire of Thy love, and thereby transformed. O my God, my Creator, how long shall I not know Thee? How long wilt Thou lie hid and I not seek Thee? How long wilt Thou be with me, and I not find Thee? O most faithful lover of souls, when I was not Thou lovedst me and made me to be; Grant me, therefore, to desire Thee, to seek Thee, to run after Thee, and for love of Thee to despise all things beside Thee; Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. III. The Holy Sacrament. derful Sacrament hast left us a memorial of Thy Passion: grant us so to venerate the Holy Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may evermore feel within ourselves the fruit of Thy redemption; Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. FRIDAY. I. LORD JESU CHRIST, sweet Saviour of my soul, I confess before Thee, on this day of Thy Crucifixion, that it is I who have crucified Thee by my many sins and most shameful transgressions, for which Thou hast suffered, and for my sake, endured to die uplifted on a Cross. I implore Thee, by the honour and glory of Thy sacred Passion, by Thy wounds and death, make me partaker of those same sufferings of Thine, that I may thence receive grace, and be made worthy, if it be Thy will, to suffer for Thee Who in Thy compassion hast suffered for me. Arm me with Thy power and patience, which 'I'hou didst display when the thankless Jews crucified Thee. Strengthen me from this day forward to take up the Cross with contrition and hatred of my evil thoughts. Fix in my heart the recollection of Thy toilsome death, as Thou didst impress it upon the heart of Thy compassionate mother, Thy disciple, and the women that stood over against Thy Cross, or at Thy feet. Give me light, and enable my heart to rise to the knowledge of the sufferings of Thy death, Thou Who didst make the inanimate creation to acknowledge Thee, and to proclaim with an earthquake Thy Divine power to all the world. Help me, as Thou didst help the good thief, who prayed to Thee, and was taken with Thee to Paradise, that I may receive from Thee to-day the same grace Thou gavest then to him. Bring me also, by a sincere repentance and amendment, unto Paradise: for Thou art my Creator and my God. Save, O Christ, all Christians living or departed in the faith, as Thy holy Church daily implores. Pardon our transgressions, bring us to Paradise, that we may see the brightness of Thy face, and rejoice in Thy glory. O Crucified, what pains hast Thou endured for us! What blows what spitting! what laughter! what despite! and all for our transgressions, and to give us an example of perfect patience. Dare I, O God, henceforth avoid the Cross I have seen Thee bear; shall I be weighed down with troubles, seeing how Thou, Q Lord, hast loved them, sought after them, embraced them, and regarded them as Thy great and especial glory. I confess to my shame, Ŏ Christ, that I have murmured at the ills that men, or Satan, or the flesh, or my own evil mind, or the world, have brought upon me, whether sickness, or poverty, or These have befallen me, O God, by Thy permission, on account of my sins, or to draw me to Thee, or that I may glorify Thee when Thou chastenest me here .... for my sins, that I may rest in greater glory hereafter. If it be Thy will, O my God, increase and multiply my labours, my trials, and my sorrows, only increase my powers of endurance, my patience, my thankfulness. For I am evilly disposed unless Thou uphold me; blind unless Thou liberate me; fearful unless Thou be with me; wicked unless Thou correct me; lost unless Thou seek me; enslaved unless Thou deliver me by Thy Divine power, by the grace of thy holy Cross; Who livest and reignest God, world without end. II. Amen. MOST pitiful Lord Jesu Christ, grant me to love Thee fervently. O most faithful Lord Jesu Christ, grant me to feel with how great love Thou hast loved us, and dost still love us. O most sweet Lord Jesu Christ, how gladly would I love Thee! And since Thou hast granted me to desire this, grant me also to love Thee with all my heart, for without Thee I can do nothing. O sweet Jesu, pardon my vileness and my rashness: grant what I ask, give what I beg for: make me to burn with a most holy, most fervent love of Thee, and to forget all things besides Thee. ŎThou Who hast loved me, grant me to die for the love of Thee; Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. III. The Passion of Christ. Who from the bosom of the Father didst descend from heaven to earth, and didst pour forth Thy most precious blood for the remission of our sins: we humbly beseech Thee that at the last day we may be set on Thy right hand, and hear Thee say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father;" Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. SATURDAY. I. LORD JESU CHRIST, my God and everlasting Judge, I know indeed that my sins are more than can be numbered, confessed, or understood that they are an immense multitude, surpassing the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea in number. I pray Thee, Lord, upon this day on which Thou wast laid dead in the tomb by Joseph and Nicodemus, whilst Thy Divine soul descended into Hades, and with the light of Thy Godhead scattered the darkness, and lightened with great joy our first parents, delivering them and bringing them into Paradise; upon this day, O Lord, I pray thee to mortify and bury my sins, my evil thoughts, and bad desires in the tomb of forgetfulness, that they may be emptied out of my mind, and not remain any longer alive in me, nor injure my soul. Cleanse me this day in soul and body from my hateful deeds. Shine upon the darkness of my heart, and scatter the night of sin; raise my mind and my soul unto the heavens, that I may rejoice in the vision of Thy glory. Receive my prayer, O Lord, for a sweet smelling odour, and have mercy upon all throughout the world. Have mercy upon the living and the dead. Give to sinners Thy compassion; to the poor the blessings they need; to the mourners consolation; to the sick healing; to the weak strength; to the ignorant knowledge; to those at sea Thy guidance; to the persecuted help ; to all the grace of God for their salva tion; Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. II. MOST loving Lord Jesu, grant me a love of Thee, faithful, strong, holy, and pure, which may incessantly think of Thee, praise Thee, give Thee thanks, obey Thee, honour Thee, and spend itself wholly for Thee. O Jesu, crucified for me, nail me to Thee with nails of love. Make me to please Thee, wholly, perfectly. O Jesu, when shall I see Thee face to face? Ravish my soul with Thy love; melt my cold heart; transform me, unite me to Thyself with Thy Love. Grant me not to be able to live without Thee. Let my soul hunger and thirst for Thee; let it exist in Thee, and repose in Thee alone. O merciful Jesu, fill me with the most perfect humility, that I may always love Thee most fervently, and never cease to remember my own vileness. I am a sinner, Thou art my God and my all, and into Thy hands I commend my spirit; Who livest and reignest God, world without' end. Amen. III.. The Blessed Virgin. Word made flesh, conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin by the over shadowing of the Most High; Whose Mother bore Thee and remained a virgin: mercifully enter also into our hearts, and make them only Thine, for Whom alone we make them ready, that our souls being cleansed and made wholly pleasing unto Thee, Thou inayest evermore dwell in Thy creatures, and protect us; Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. LITANIES. Jesu, Sun of Righteous ness, Jesu, Son of the Virgin Mary, Jesu, most lovely, Jesu, most wonderful, Jesu, mighty God, Jesu, Father of the world to come, Jesu, Messenger of the Covenant, Jesu, Angel of great counsel, Jesu, most mighty, Jesu, most obedient, Jesu, meek and lowly of heart, Jesu, Lover of chastity, Jesu, Exemplar of virtues, Jesu, Lover of souls, Have mercy upon us. |