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HAIL, JESUS;
OR ACTS UPON THE LIFE AND PASSION OF OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST:
Which contain in them Acts of almost all Kinds of Prayer, as
Contrition, Resignation., Love, &c.
1. Hail, Sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who for my sake hast vouchsafed to come down from Thy royal seat, and from the mellifluous bosom of Thy Divine Father, into this valley of misery, and to be incarnate and made man by the Holy Ghost in the most chaste womb of the most sacred Virgin Mary;
2. Choose, I beseech Thee, my heart for Thy dwelling-place; adorn it, replenish it with spiritual gifts, and wholly possess it.
3. O that I were able, by profound humility, to unite Thee to it, and with an ardent affection to receive Thee; and after having received Thee, to retain Thee with me!
4. O that I were so fastened unto Thee, that I might never depart or turn away my mind from Thee.
5. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who hast vouchsafed to be born of Thy Virgin Mother, poor and passible, without any pain or detriment to her virginity, in a poor stable;
6. Whom, being born, she humbly adored.
7. O that it were Thy will to be continually born in me by a new fervour of spirit,
8. And that I may be wholly burnt with the fire of Thy love!
9. O that Thou wort the only comfort, desire, and solace of my heart!
56810. O that I sought after Thee alone, thought on Thee alone, and loved Thee alone!
11. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who, being born in the depth of winter, didst not refuse to be swaddled in poor clothes, and weeping to be laid in a manger, and as a little infant to be nourished at Thy Mother’s breast;
12. I adore Thee, most dear Redeemer, King of angels.
13. Hail, Prince of Peace, Light of the Gentiles, and most desired Saviour;
14. Grant, O Lord, that I may always stand in Thy sight, truly humble and truly poor in spirit;
15. Grant that for Thy holy name’s sake I may willingly endure all kinds of mortification, and may love nothing in the world besides Thee, nor wish to possess anything but Thee.
16. Hail, sweet Jesus; whom the celestial legions of angels did honour, newly born, with joyful praises; and the shepherds, devoutly seeking and finding, adored with admiration;
17. Grant that I may joyfully, without tediousness, persevere in Thy service and praises.
18. Hail, sweet Jesus, who wouldst upon the eighth day, like other children, be circumcised, and, being yet an infant, shed Thy Precious Blood;
19. And for our singular comfort wouldst be called Jesus, which signifieth a Saviour:
20. O that it would please Thee to admit me, circumcised from all bad thoughts, words, and works, into the number of Thy children!
21. Thou, O Lord, art called Jesus, that is to say, a Saviour: be Thou therefore my Saviour, and save me.
22. Hail, sweet Jesus, whom the sages, with a devout seeking, found by the direction of a star, and having found, most humbly adored,
23. Offering unto Thee gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh;
24. Grant, O Lord, that with these blessed men I may always seek and adore Thee in spirit and truth;
56925. Grant that I may offer daily unto Thee the gold of bright shining charity, the frankincense of sweet-smelling devotion, and the myrrh of perfect mortification.
26. Hail, sweet Jesus, who for our sake wouldst be subject to the law, and, to give us an example of humility, wouldst be carried to the temple by Thy Blessed Mother, and be redeemed with an offering ordained for such as were poor;
27. Where just Simeon and Anna the Prophetess, rejoicing greatly at Thy presence, gave very glorious testimony of Thy dignity:
28. O that all pride were utterly thrown down in me!
29. O that all desire of human favour and itch of self-love were cooled and cured in me!
30. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who, staying in the temple, wert for the space of three days with great grief sought by Thy devout Mother, and at length with great joy found by her sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them and proposing questions to them:
31. Would to God Thou wouldst give and communicate Thyself in such sort unto me, that I might never be separated from Thee, nor ever be deprived of Thy comfort!
32. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, for the space of thirty years remaining unknown, hast vouchsafed to be reputed the son of Joseph the carpenter and of his wife the Blessed Virgin Mary;
33. Let Thy grace, I beseech Thee, pluck up and utterly root out of the fund of my soul all pride and ambition:
34. O that I may delight to be unknown, and to be esteemed vile and base!
35. Hail, sweet Jesus, who hast not disdained to come to the river Jordan, and entering into it to be baptised by Thy servant John the Baptist;
36. I would, through Thy merits, I might become most clean and pure, even in this life.
37. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, for our sakes abiding amongst wild beasts in the desert, and fasting forty days and forty nights, and persevering in prayer, hast permitted Thyself to be tempted by Satan;
57038. And overcoming him, hast been honoured with the ministry and service of angels;
39. Give me grace that I may chastise and subdue my flesh, with all the vicious affections thereof;
40. Give me grace that I may constantly persevere in prayer and other spiritual exercises;
41. Let no temptation, I beseech Thee, defile me, but rather let temptations purge me and unite me unto Thee.
42. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, to the end Thou mightest gather together the dispersed children of God, hast vouchsafed to preach penance, to call disciples, and out of them to choose twelve Apostles to be eminent preachers of Thy faith;
43. Draw me after Thee, and powerfully stir up my heart to love Thee;
44. Grant that I may adhere to Thee alone. Amen.
45. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who for me hast suffered many afflictions, heat, cold, hunger, thirst, labours, and miseries;
46. Grant that I may receive from Thy hand cheerfully all kinds of adversity.
47. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, thirsting for the conversion of souls, hast passed whole nights in prayer,
48. Hast been wearied with travelling, hast passed from country to country, from city to city, from town to town, from village to village;
49. Let Thy love make me quick and ready to all good things, that I be never slothful in Thy service;
50. Grant that everywhere I may have a zeal for Thy honour, and employ myself wholly in Thy service.
51. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who, conversing with men, hast vouchsafed most willingly to comfort them, and by many miracles most mercifully to cure their maladies and diseases;
52. Give me a devout heart full of affection and compassion, whereby I may pity other men’s afflictions, and may have as great feeling of their miseries as if they were my own;
53. Whereby also I may bear patiently with all men’s imperfections, 571and to the best of my ability succour them in their necessities.
54. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who hast not shunned the company of publicans and sinners, but hast afforded them Thy most loving familiarity and ready pardon of sins, to Matthew, Zacheus, Mary Magdalen, and to the woman taken in adultery, and to the rest that were repentant;
55. Grant that I may embrace all men with cheerful love and charity;
56. May readily forgive those who offend me;
57. May perfectly love those who hate me.
58. Hail, sweet Jesus, who for my soul’s sake hast suffered many injuries, many blasphemies, many reproaches, and infinite abuses from those on whom Thou hadst bestowed many benefits;
59. Give me a heart truly innocent and simple, that I may sincerely love my enemies and unfeignedly pity them;
60. And rendering good for evil may, through perfect charity and meek patience, perfectly please Thee. Amen.
61. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who, coming to Jerusalem in a meek and gentle manner, didst ride upon an ass, and amidst the praises which were sung by the people who came to meet Thee didst pour forth tears, bewailing the ruin of the city and destruction of those ungrateful souls:
62. O that I might never be delighted with the praises and favours of men;
63. But always be profitably employed in internal tears of compunction and devotion!
64. Hail, sweet Jesus, whom Judas, the treacherous disciple, sold for a little money to the Jews who persecuted Thee and conspired Thy death;
65. Root out of my heart all evil desires of transitory things;
66. Grant that I may never prefer anything before Thee.
67. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, 572O Christ, who in Jerusalem, according to the law, didst eat the Paschal lamb with Thy disciples, and giving them an example of humility and holy charity, kneeling upon the ground, didst wash their feet, and having washed them didst wipe them with a towel:
68. Would to God this example might pierce my heart, and utterly throw down in me all pride and loftiness!
69. Give me, O Lord, a most profound humility, by which I may without difficulty cast myself at all men’s feet.
70. Hail, sweet Jesus, who with an unspeakable charity hast instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and with a wonderful liberality hast in it given Thyself to us;
71. Stir up in me a desire and enkindle in the interior of my soul a vehement thirst of this most venerable Sacrament;
72. Grant that when I come to this table of life I may with a chaste affection, singular humility, and perfect purity of heart receive Thee.
73. Hail, sweet Jesus, who immediately before Thy Passion didst begin to fear, to grieve, and be sad, taking upon Thyself our weakness,
74. That by this Thy infirmity thou mayest comfort and strengthen those that tremble at the expectation of death;
75. Preserve me, I beseech Thee, as well from vicious sadness as from foolish joy;
76. Grant that all the grief I have hitherto sustained may redound to Thy glory and the remission of my sins.
77. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, falling upon the ground, prayedst unto Thy Father, and humbly offeredst up Thyself wholly unto Him, saying, ‘Father, Thy will be done;’
78. Grant that in all necessities and tribulations I may have recourse unto Thee by prayer;
79. That I may give and resign myself wholly to Thy will;
80. That I may with a quiet mind receive all things as from Thy hands.
81. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who, being in an agony, didst pray very long;
82. And being Creator of heaven and earth, the King of 573kings and Lord of angels, didst not disdain to be comforted by an angel;
83. Grant that in all adversity and desolation, in all tribulation and affliction, I may seek comfort from Thee only,
84. And that I may find help and assistance at Thy hands.
85. O that I could in all events wholly rely on Thee,
86. And leave myself wholly to Thy Fatherly care!
87. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, by reason of the greatness and vehemency of Thy grief, hadst Thy Body moistened all over with a bloody sweat:
88. O that all the parts of my interior man would sweat out holy tears of contrition!
89. Hail, sweet Jesus, who of Thine own accord offeredst Thyself to be taken by Judas the traitor, and Thine other enemies thirsting after Thy blood, and desiring Thy death;
90. Grant, for the honour of Thy name, I may not fly adversities,
91. But may cheerfully go to meet them,
92. And joyfully receive them, as precious tokens sent from Thee;
93. And humbly and constantly endure them as long as it shall please Thee.
94. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst lovingly kiss the traitor Judas coming deceitfully to Thee;
95. Showing, by the calmness of Thy countenance and sweetness of Thy words, that Thou didst love him;
96. Grant that I may show myself loving and mild to all my enemies;
97. That I may pardon them from my heart, howsoever they shall offend me;
98. And tolerate and love them as the ministers of Thy will and promoters of my salvation.
99. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst permit Thine enemies most furiously to lay their sacrilegious hands upon Thee;
100. And, being cruelly bound by them, didst not revenge but mildly endure the reproaches, blasphemies, and injuries wherewith they did most wickedly affront Thee:
574101. O that, being freed from the bonds of vice, I may be fast tied to Thee with the sweet chains of love!
102. O that Thou wouldst bestow upon me the grace of true patience! Amen.
103. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who didst restore and heal the ear of Malchus, one of Thy furious persecutors, cut off by Peter, Thy chief disciple;
104. That so, rendering good for evil, the riches of Thy mercy and mildness might shine forth to us;
105. Grant, I beseech Thee, that the desire of revenge may never have place in my heart;
106. Grant that I may bear intimate compassion and affection towards all such as offend me;
107. Strengthen my too great weakness, and make steadfast my too great inconstancy, with the most strong support of Thy grace.
108. Hail, sweet Jesus, who sufferedst Thyself to be led, bound as a malefactor and thief, by a troop of soldiers unto Annas, and to be presented before him:
109. O unspeakable mildness of my Redeemer!
110. Behold, whilst Thou art taken, whilst Thou art drawn, whilst Thou art haled, Thou dost not complain, Thou dost not murmur, Thou makest no resistance;
111. Grant, O Lord, that these examples of Thy virtues may shine in me to my good and everlasting glory.
112. Hail, sweet Jesus, King of heaven and earth, who, standing, humble, like a base and abject person, before the proud High-priest, didst with great modesty receive a cruel blow given Thee upon the Face by one of his servants;
113. Suppress, I beseech Thee, in me all motions of anger and wrath; dull all the stings of indignation, and extinguish all desire of revenge;
114. That, even provoked with injuries. I may not be troubled;
115. That I may not strive or make any tumult;
116. But, suffering all things with a meek and patient mind, 575I may render good for evil, and ever be ready to favour those who most cross and molest me.
117. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who didst suffer Thyself to be shamefully led bound to Caiphas, that Thou mightest restore us to true liberty, freeing us from the bonds of everlasting death;
118. Grant that in the very midst of derisions and contumelies I may give Thee thanks with all my heart,
119. And that by them I may be advanced in Thy love.
120. Hail, sweet Jesus, whom Peter the chief of the Apostles thrice denied; and yet Thou most mercifully lookedst upon him, and provokedst him to repentance and holy tears for his offence:
121. O that it might please Thee in like manner to look upon me with that lovely eye of Thy mercy!
122. That, with due tears of repentance, I may bewail my past sins;
123. And having bewailed them, may not hereafter any more return to them again.
124. Hail, sweet Jesus, who with a pleasing countenance and modest look, standing before the priests and the elders of the people of the Jews, didst not disdain to be falsely accused and suffer many injuries;
125. Grant that I may never utter any falsity or calumniate any man;
126. But may suffer such calumnies as are laid against me with great tranquillity of heart;
127. And, referring all difficulties to Thee, with silence I may expect Thy grace and comfort.
128. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, whilst Thou didst make profession of the truth, affirming Thyself to be Son of God, yet didst Thou not disdain to be esteemed a blasphemer;
129. Grant that in all places and before all men I may stand to the truth, and in awe of the presence of Thy Divinity and Majesty I may not fear the censures and judgments of men.
130. Hail, sweet Jesus, who by the wicked Jews wast proclaimed guilty of death, and without cause condemned;
131. That by Thy unjust condemnation Thou mightest deliver 576us from the guilt of our sins wherewith we were justly attainted;
132. Grant that I may reject all sinister and rash suspicions;
133. That I may suffer, without any bitterness of heart, all such wrongful detractions and wicked judgments as others shall devise against me;
134. And that on all occasions I may retain, by the help of Thy grace, a quiet and untroubled mind.
135. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who for my sake wast made the disgrace and scorn of men, and the outcast of the people;
136. And didst not turn away Thy sacred Face, which the angels desire to behold, from the filthy spittle of Thy adversaries;
137. Grant that I may imitate Thy meekness and patience.
138. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst vouchsafe to be most cruelly beaten and buffeted, and most unworthily reproached and reviled for my sake;
139. Grant, I beseech Thee, that I may never refuse to be despised and to be reputed base and vile,
140. And that, according to Thy permission, I may be contented to be exercised with all kinds of injuries;
141. That I may receive them, not as from men, but from Thee, and of Thy Fatherly mercy.
142. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst permit Thyself to be mocked and scoffed, and Thy lovely Face (which to behold is the chiefest happiness), for Thy greater derision, to be blindfolded;
143. Grant that, the veil of ignorance being taken away, I may be endued with the knowledge of Thy will;
144. Imprint in my heart a continual remembrance of Thee;
145. Thou knowest, O Lord, how hard a thing it is for me to suffer, though never so small a matter;
146. Out of Thy mercy, therefore, assist my frailty, that I may not cowardly fall or faint at the coming of any adversity.
147. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst permit Thyself (being mocked and bound) to be led to the profane tribunal of Pilate 577the judge, and in a disdainful manner to be presented before him, Thou Thyself being the Judge of the living and the dead;
148. Grant that I may be truly subject to my superiors and all powers over me ordained by Thee;
149. That I may obey my equals, and love and honour all men;
150. Grant that I may not fear other men’s judgments of me, but may receive them with a ready and meek mind. Amen.
151. Hail, sweet, Jesus, who, standing before Pilate, didst Humbly hold Thy peace, whilst the Jews did wrongfully accuse and calumniate Thee:
152. Grant, O Lord, that I may never be troubled at other men’s slandering me,
153. But that I may with silence overcome all injuries;
154. Give me the perfect grace of humility, by which I may neither desire to be praised nor refuse to be contemned;
155. Grant that I may imitate Thy innocency and patience;
156. That I may both live well, and, living well, be contented to be ill spoken of and despised.
157. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, with great exclamations and much noise of people, like a most heinous malefactor wast drawn from tribunal to tribunal, from Pilate to Herod, through the midst of the city;
158. Grant that I may not be dejected with any injuries of my enemies,
159. And that I be not much ashamed of contempt,
160. To the end that, by Thy gracious assistance, I may possess my soul in patience.
161. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who, by Thy silence condemning Herod’s vain desire, wouldst not, without good cause and for a good end, delight his curious eyes by working a miracle; and didst thereby give us a lesson to avoid ostentation in the presence of great men;
162. Pour into my soul Thy spirit of profound humility;
163. Mortify and extinguish in me all tickling of vain glory:
164. Grant that I may not seek to gain the praises of men, but do all and purely for Thy honour and glory.
578165. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst not disdain to be scoffed at by Herod and his whole army, and to be clothed in a white garment, like a fool or a madman;
166. Grant that I may rather choose to be reputed base and abject with Thee than glorious with the world;
167. That I may esteem it better and more worthy to suffer disgrace for Thy love, than to shine in the vain honour of the world;
168. Grant that, knowing thoroughly my own unworthiness, I may grow base in my own conceit, and despise, reprehend, and bewail myself.
169. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, being compared with the notorious thief Barabbas, wast judged more wicked and more worthy of death than he:
170. The murderer is set at liberty, and the impious Jews demand Thy death, who art the Author of life;
171. Thou art indeed that Living Stone rejected by man but chosen by God:
172. O that I may prefer nothing before Thee, nor change Thee for anything!
173. O that I could esteem all things as dung and filth, to the end I might gain Thee!
174. Grant, O Lord, that the blot of envy may never stain my soul.
175. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, being stripped naked in the palace and bound to a pillar, didst suffer Thy naked and most immaculate Flesh to be rent with most cruel scourges, that with Thy sores Thou mightest heal our wounds:
176. O amiable Jesus, I make choice of Thee, covered with stripes, for the spouse of my soul,
177. Desiring to be inflamed and burned with the fire of Thy most sweet love;
178. Strip my heart naked, I beseech Thee, from all indecent cogitations;
179. Grant that I may now patiently suffer the scourges of Thy Fatherly correction. Amen.
180. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, 579O Christ, upon whom are discharged unspeakable injuries and contumelies;
181. For they clothed Thee, the King of Glory, with a purple garment for Thy greater affront;
182. They fastened upon Thy divine head a crown of thorns;
183. They put into Thy hands a sceptre of a reed, and, kneeling down in a scornful manner, saluted Thee, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’
184. Plant, I beseech Thee, in my heart the memory of Thy Passion;
185. Let scorn for Thy sake be my glory, and injuries and affronts my crown.
186. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst not refuse for my sake to be beaten with a reed, to be buffeted, to be spit upon, and to be the object of all kinds of derision;
187. I beseech Thee, by Thy wounds, by Thy Blood, by Thy disgrace, and by all the grief and sorrow Thou sufferedst for me, to endow my soul with all Thy patience and graces;
188. That Thou wouldst convert me and all I have to Thy everlasting praise and glory.
189. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, being defiled with spittle, rent and disfigured with stripes, bound and wholly miserable, wast brought forth as a spectacle to the enraged people, wearing a crown of thorns and a robe of purple;
190. Grant that with my heart I may utterly tread under foot, and have in detestation, all ambition, ostentation, worldly pomp and vanity, and all earthly dignity;
191. That, by profound humility and true contempt of myself, I may incessantly run towards the glory of Thy heavenly felicity.
192. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, being declared innocent by Pilate the judge, didst not refuse to hear the furious outcries of the Jews, by which they demanded that Thou shouldst be crucified;
193. Grant that I may live innocently, and not be troubled by reason of other men’s evil will towards me;
580194. Give me this grace, that I may neither backbite other men, nor willingly give ear to those that do it;
195. But that still I may have a good opinion of others, and bear other men’s imperfections with a true compassion;
196. And love all men for God and in God with a pure, sincere, and cordial affection.
197. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who didst permit Thyself in the presence of Thy people to be unjustly condemned to the most ignominious death of the cross,
198. That Thou mightest free us from the sentence of eternal death;
199. Grant that I may seek Thy honour, and rather choose to be exercised with Thee in adversity, than by forsaking Thee to enjoy the commodities of life.
200. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, with many disgraces and injuries offered Thee, didst carry Thy cross with great pain upon Thy sacred and torn shoulders,
201. And, being weary and breathless, didst languish under the burden;
202. Grant that, with fervent devotion, I may embrace the cross of my own abnegation,
203. And with an ardent charity imitate the example of Thy virtues,
204. And may humbly follow Thee unto death.
205. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, in that lamentable journey in which Thou wentest to Thy death, didst meekly admonish the women, that they should bewail themselves and their children;
206. Give me acceptable tears of compunction, with which I may truly bewail my sins and my own ingratitude;
207. Give me tears of devout compunction and of holy love, which may melt my hard heart, and make it grateful unto Thee,
208. That I may love Thee alone, and rest in Thee only.
209. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who, having Thy shoulders bruised with the weight of the cross, didst at length arrive weary at the place of execution,
581210. Where wine, mingled with gall, was offered Thee to refresh Thy languishing strength:
211. O that Thou wouldst extinguish in me the allurements of gluttony and the concupiscence of the flesh,
212. And cause in me an aversion and horror of all impure and unlawful delights;
213. And that I may eat and drink soberly to the glory of Thy name,
214. That I may hunger and thirst after Thee alone,
215. And in Thee place my delight and joy!
216. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst not disdain to be stripped naked upon Mount Calvary in the sight of the people,
217. And to suffer a most bitter pain by Thy sores, renewed with the pulling off Thy clothes;
218. Grant that I may love poverty of spirit, and not be troubled with any worldly want;
219. Grant that by Thy example I may endure and suffer any corporal necessities or calamities whatsoever.
220. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, being naked, didst not refuse to be rudely stretched out upon the wood of the cross, and cruelly fastened with nails unto the same;
221. In this manner Thou didst suffer Thy innocent hands and delicate feet to be most grievously wounded, and all Thy sacred joints to crack and be put out of joint;
222. Grant me, O Lord, that with a faithful and grateful mind I may consider this Thy unspeakable charity, with which of Thy own accord Thou didst stretch forth Thy arms, and willingly offer Thy hands and feet to be pierced;
223. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to enlarge and extend my heart with the perfect love of Thee;
224. Pierce it, and fasten it unto Thyself with the most sweet nail of charity;
225. And all my senses, cogitations, and affections enclose only on Thee.
226. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who didst hang (Thy hands and feet being pierced) three hours upon the shameful wood of the cross, and, 582shedding in great abundance Thy Precious Blood, didst of Thy own accord endure unspeakable torments throughout Thy whole Body;
227. Lift up, I pray Thee, upon the wood of Thy cross, my miserable soul grovelling on the ground:
228. O healthful Blood, O reviving Blood!
229. O that Thou wouldst purge and thoroughly heal me, being washed with this Thy Precious Blood!
230. O that Thou wouldst offer this Thy Blood to Thy Father for a perfect satisfaction of all my iniquities!
231. Grant, I beseech Thee, that mine inward man may, with ardent affection, mentally receive the lively drops of Thy Precious Blood, and may truly ‘taste how sweet Thy Spirit is.’
232. Hail, sweet Jesus, who wast so good even to those that were so wicked, that for the very same persons who did crucify Thee Thou didst pray unto Thy Father, saying, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;’
233. Give me, I beseech Thee, the grace of true meeknes and patience, by which I may, according to Thy commandment and example, love my enemies,
234. And do good to those that hate me;
235. I heartily pray unto Thee for those that hurt and persecute me.
236. Hail, sweet Jesus, who wouldst that the title written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (as it were the trophy of Thy victory) should be fastened to the cross, that we beholding it might courageously fight against our invisible enemies;
237. Protect me, under this title, against the wiles and deceits of the devil:
238. Teach me, under this title, to overcome all temptations, and to subdue all vices;
239. That, having by grace conquered them, I may freely praise and glorify Thy holy name. Amen.
240. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, whose garments the soldiers divided amongst themselves, but did leave Thy coat, which was without seam (and signifieth the unity of the Church), undivided;
583241. Pour down into my heart, I beseech Thee, the spirit of peace and union,
242. That I may never, through my fault, divide or trouble the concord and union of my brethren;
243. But that I may always endeavour to repair divisions and pacify troubles.
244. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, suffering upon the altar of the cross incomprehensible torments and ineffable anguishes, wert shamefully reproached and scorned by the Jews, who vomited out of their wicked mouths sundry blasphemies against Thee;
245. Grant, O Lord, that, being mindful of Thy humility, patience, and mildness, I may quietly and cheerfully suffer pain, disgrace, persecution, infamy, &c.,
246. And may remain with Thee nailed to the cross even to the end;
247. Let no violence of temptation, no storm of adversity, no tempest of contumely, hinder me from effecting my good purposes;
248. Let not death, nor life, nor things present nor to come, nor any creature separate me from Thy love.
249. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst tolerate one of the thieves to upbraid Thee, and didst most mercifully and bountifully promise the glory of Paradise to the other, who humbly acknowledged his own injustice, and with a devout faith confessed Thee to be his King and God;
250. Behold me, I beseech Thee, with those eyes of mercy which Thou didst cast upon the thief repentant for his sins:
251. O that, by Thy holy help and grace, I may lead a life so innocent, that I may faithfully serve Thee and purely love Thee!
252. That at the end of my life I may deserve to hear, most merciful Redeemer, that most desired voice, ‘This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.’
253. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, from the cross beholding Thy most sweet Mother full of grief and tears, with inward compassion didst commend her to Thy disciple John, and again John to her, and us all in John unto Thy said Mother;
584254. Grant that I may love and honour her with a most chaste and ardent affection;
255. That, having her for my Mother, I may deserve also to be acknowledged by her for her son;
256. Grant that in all necessities, and especially at the hour of my death, I may find her present assistance.
257. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who in a most pitiful manner, hanging upon the cross with wide gaping wounds, didst profess Thyself to be destitute of all comfort;
258. Grant that with a firm confidence I may always have recourse to Thee, my most merciful Saviour, in all adversities, temptations, and desolations,
259. And wholly distrusting myself, I may trust in Thee alone,
260. And commit and resign myself entirely to Thee;
261. Wound the intime of my soul with the remembrance of Thy wounds;
262. Imprint them in my heart, and make my spirit even drunk with Thy Sacred Blood;
263. That I may attend to Thee, and Thee only seek, find, hold, and possess.
264. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, panting upon the cross, Thy Body being drawn dry for want of Blood, becamest very thirsty, and didst burn with an unspeakable desire of our salvation;
265. Grant that I may ardently thirst after Thy honour and the salvation of souls,
266. And may with courage employ myself in this affair;
267. Grant that I may not be hindered nor entangled by any transitory thing.
268. Hail, sweet Jesus, who wouldst that a sponge dipped in vinegar and gall should be offered Thee to drink, being then thirsty even to death, that by taking thereof Thou mightest satisfy for our gluttony and leave us an example of poverty;
269. Give me grace to despise unlawful pleasures and avoid all excess in meat and drink;
270. Also to use those things moderately which Thou givest for the sustentation of the body;
585271. Pacify the inordinateness of my desires, that whatsoever doth please Thee may please me, and whatsoever displeaseth Thee may be displeasing also to me.
272. Hail, sweet Jesus, most enamoured of mankind, who, duly performing the work of our redemption, didst offer up Thyself upon the altar of the cross a holy sacrifice for the expiation of the sins of all men;
273. Be Thou, I beseech Thee, the scope of all my thoughts, words, and works,
274. That in all things I may with a right and simple intention seek Thy honour;
275. Grant that I may never grow cold nor faint in Thy service;
276. But that fervour of spirit may be renewed in me, and that I may daily more and more be inflamed to praise and love Thee. Amen.
277. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who of Thy own accord didst embrace death, and recommending Thyself to Thy Heavenly Father, bowing down Thy venerable head, yieldedst up Thy Spirit;
278. Truly thus giving up Thy life for Thy sheep, Thou hast shown Thyself to be a good Shepherd;
279. Thou didst die, O Only-begotten Son of God; Thou diedst, O my beloved Saviour, that I might live for ever:
280. O how great hope, how great confidence have I reposed in Thy Death and Thy Blood!
281. I glorify and praise Thy holy name, acknowledging my infinite obligations to Thee;
282. O good Jesus, by Thy bitter Death and Passion, give me grace and pardon;
283. Give unto the faithful departed rest and life everlasting.
284. Hail, sweet Jesus, at whose death the sun withdrew his light, the veil of the Temple was rent asunder, and the monuments opened;
285. O Sun of Justice, permit not, I beseech Thee, that the beams of Thy grace at any time forsake me;
586286. But let them continually enlighten the inmost parts of my soul;
287. Withdraw wholly from me the veil of hypocrisy;
288. Shake the earth of my soul with wholesome repentance;
289. Rend my stony heart,
290. That, being wholly renewed, I may contemn all transitory things, and love only that which is eternal.
291. Hail, sweet Jesus, who wouldst that Thy side should be opened with a soldier’s lance,
292. And out of it pour blood and water to revive and wash our souls;
293. Thou wouldst, O my best Beloved, that Thy mellifluous Heart should be wounded for me;
294. O that it might please Thee to make a most deep wound in my heart with the lance of Thy love,
295. And unite it to Thy most Sacred Heart,
296. In such manner that I may have no power to will anything but that which Thou wilt!
297. Bring in, O my Lord, bring in my soul, through the wound of Thy side, into the bosom of Thy charity and the treasure-house of Thy Divinity,
298. That I may joyfully glorify Thee, my God, crucified and dead for me. Amen.
299. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who sufferedst all that the malice of men or devils could devise;
300. Behold, with as much devotion as possibly I can, I salute the five principal Wounds of Thy blessed Body.
301. Hail, ruddy, glorious, and mellifluous Wounds of my Redeemer and my King!
302. Hail, glorious seals of my reconciliation and salvation!
303. I humbly desire to abide and be hidden in you, and be by that means secure from all evil.
304. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, being with great lamentations of Thy friends taken down from the cross, wouldst be anointed 587with precious ointments, wrapped in a winding-sheet, and buried where no man was buried before;
305. Bury, I beseech Thee, all my senses, all my forces, and all my affections in Thee,
306. That, being joined to Thee by efficacious love, I may become insensible in respect of all other things.
307. Hail, sweet Jesus, who hast vanquished the power of the devil, and, powerfully and lovingly in soul descending into hell, didst make joyful with Thy presence the Fathers there detained,
308. And didst translate them thence at Thy glorious Ascension to the delightful garden of the celestial Paradise and to the clear vision of God;
309. Let the virtue of Thy Passion and Thy Blood descend now, I beseech Thee, into Purgatory, upon the souls of my parents, kinsfolks, friends, benefactors, and all the faithful departed,
310. That, being delivered from pains, they may be received into the bosom of eternal rest.
311. Hail, sweet Jesus, who like a conqueror with glorious triumph didst arise out of Thy closed sepulchre,
312. And, revested with Thy lovely countenance, didst replenish Thy friends with new joy and gladness;
313. Grant, O Lord, that, leaving the old paths of my wicked conversation, I may walk in the newness of life,
314. And seek and savour those things which are above in heaven, and not those things which are here upon earth,
315. To the end that when Thou my life shalt appear at the last day, I may appear with Thee in glory.
316. Hail, sweet Jesus; praise, honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who, forty days after Thy Resurrection, didst gloriously ascend into heaven in the sight of Thy disciples, where Thou sittest on the right hand of Thy Father, blessed for evermore:
317. O that my soul might always languish on earth, and ascend and aspire towards heaven!
318. May it hunger and thirst always after Thee!
319. Hail, sweet Jesus, who didst give Thy Holy Ghost 588to the elect disciples persevering together with one mind in prayer,
320. And didst send them to teach all nations throughout the whole world;
321. Cleanse, I beseech Thee, the interior of my heart;
322. Give me true purity and constancy of mind, that the Holy Ghost may find a grateful habitation in my soul,
323. And may replenish me with the special gifts of His grace;
324. May comfort, strengthen, fill, govern, and possess me.
325. Hail, sweet Jesus, who, coming as a Judge at the last day, wilt render unto every one according to his works, either punishment or reward;
326. O my most merciful Lord God, grant that according to Thy will I may so innocently pass the course of this miserable life,
327. That, my soul departing out of the prison of my body, I may be vested with Thy merits and virtues,
328. And be received into Thy everlasting joy,
329. And with all the Saints I may bless and praise Thee for ever.
330. Hail, sweet Jesus, whom I have most grievously offended all the days of my life;
331. Alas, I have never ceased to be ungrateful to Thee, resisting Thy grace in divers manners, and always adding new faults unto my former;
332. Behold, O my sweet Refuge; behold me, the outcast of all creatures, bringing with me nothing but bundles of sins;
333. I prostrate myself at the feet of Thy mercy, and humbly implore pardon and remission;
334. Pardon, I beseech Thee, and save me, for Thy name’s sake;
335. For I believe and am assured that no sins are so grievous and heinous but, by the merits of Thy most Sacred Passion, may be forgiven and, washed away. Amen.
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