Saint
Bridget of Sweden: The 15 Prayers
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus Christ! Eternal all joy Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing and all joy and desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast no greater desire than to be among men, recall all the sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from all eternity in the Divine plan.
Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Thy disciples, having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time Thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst foretell them Thy coming Passion.
Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst experience in Thy Soul as Thou Thyself bore witness saying: "My soul is sorrowful even unto death."
Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that Thou didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season.
Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy Face and Eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed paced in Thy Hands, that Thou was crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission of all my sins. Amen.Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! True liberty of angels, Paradise of delights,
remember the horror
and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious
lions,
surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations
and other unheard-of-cruelties, tormented Thee at will. In
consideration
of these torments and insulting words, I beseech Thee, O my Savior, to
deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me,
under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen.
Third
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy Loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding Thee in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged Thy Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Thy Body on the Cross, pulled Thee from all sides, thus dislocating Thy Limbs.
I
beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most Loving suffering of
the
Cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to Love Thee. Amen.
Fourth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal
our wounds
with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the
weakness
of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that never was
there pain like unto Thine. From the crown of Thy Head to the Soles of
Thy Feet there was not one spot on Thy Body that was not in torment,
and
yet, forgetting all Thy sufferings, Thou didst not cease to pray to Thy
Heavenly Father for Thy enemies, saying:
"Father
forgive them for they know not what they do.
Through
this great Mercy, and in memory of this suffering, grant that the
remembrance
of Thy Most Bitter Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and
the
remission of all our sins. Amen.
Fifth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor, remember the sadness
which Thou experienced,
when contemplating in the light of Thy Divinity the predestination of
those
who would be saved by the merits of Thy Sacred Passion, Thou didst see
at the same time, the great multitude of reprobates; who would be
damned
for their sins, and Thou didst complain bitterly of those hopeless lost
and unfortunate sinners.
Through
this abyss of compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness
which Thou displayed to the good thief when Thou saidst to him: "This
day,
thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, that
at the hour of my death, Thou wilt show me mercy. Amen.
Sixth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief Thou didst suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou was fastened and raised on the Cross, when all Thy relatives and friends abandoned Thee, except Thy Beloved Mother, who remained close to Thee during Thy agony and whom Thou didst entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou saidst to Mary: "Woman, behold thy son!" and to St. John: "Son, behold thy Mother!"
I
beg of Thee O my Savior, by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul
of Thy holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my affliction and
tribulations,
both corporal and spiritual, and to assist me in all my trials, and
especially
at the hour of my death. Amen.
Seventh
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by a
profound gesture
of Love, said from the Cross: "I thirst!" suffered from the thirst for
the salvation of the human race. I beg of Thee O my Savior, to inflame
in our hearts the desire to tend toward perfection in all our acts; and
to extinguish in us the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of
worldly
desires. Amen.
Eighth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Sweetness of hearts, delight of the spirit, by the
bitterness of
the vinegar and gall which Thou didst taste on the Cross for Love of
us,
grant us the grace to receive worthily Thy Precious Body and Blood
during
our life and at the hour of our death, that they may serve as a remedy
and consolation for our souls. Amen.
Ninth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the pain Thou didst endure when, plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou didst cry out in a loud voice that Thou was abandoned by Thy Father, saying: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
Through
this anguish, I beg of Thee, O my Savior, not to abandon me in the
terrors
and pains of my death. Amen.
Tenth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Who art the beginning and end of all things, life and
virtue, remember
that for our sakes Thou was plunged in an abyss of suffering from the
soles
of Thy Feet to the crown of Thy Head. In consideration of the enormity
of Thy Wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments,
whose
way is wide and easy for those who love Thee. Amen.
Eleventh
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, I beg of Thee, in memory of Thy
Wounds which
penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth of Thy
being,
to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offenses, away from
sin
and to hide me from Thy Face justly irritated against me, hide me in
Thy
Wounds, until Thy anger and just indignation shall have passed away.
Amen.
Twelfth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Mirror of Truth, symbol of unity, link of Charity,
remember the
multitude of wounds with which Thou was covered from head to foot, torn
and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable Blood. O Great and
Universal
Pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal Flesh for Love of us!
Sweetest
Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou hast
not done May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the
faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy Love increase in my
heart
each day, until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasury of
every
real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O Sweetest
Jesus,
in Heaven. Amen.
Thirteenth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Strong Lion, Immortal and Invincible King, remember the pain which Thou didst endure when all Thy strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted, Thou didst bow Thy Head, saying: "It is consummated!"
Through
this anguish and grief, I beg of Thee Lord Jesus, to have mercy on me
at
the hour of my death when my mind will be greatly troubled and my soul
will be in anguish. Amen.
Fourteenth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, Splendor and Figure of
His Substance,
remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou didst make of Thy
Soul
to Thy saying: "Father, into Thy Hands I commend Eternal Father, I
commend
My Spirit!" And with Thy Body all torn, and Thy Heart Broken, and the
bowels
of the Mercy open to redeem us, Thou didst Expire. By this Precious
Death,
I beg of Thee O King of Saints, comfort me and help me to resist the
devil,
the flesh and the world, so that being dead to the world I may live for
Thee alone. I beg of Thee at the hour of my death to receive me, a
pilgrim
and an exile returning to Thee. Amen.
Fifteenth
Prayer
Our Father - Hail Mary.
O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of Blood which Thou didst so generously shed from Thy Sacred Body as juice from grapes in a wine press.
From Thy Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in Thy Body a single drop, and finally like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top of the Cross Thy delicate Flesh was destroyed, the very Substance of Thy Body withered, and the Marrow of Thy Bones dried up.
Through this bitter Passion and through the outpouring of Thy Precious Blood, I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen.
Conclusion
O Sweet Jesus! Pierce my heart so that my tears of penitence
and love will
be my bread day and night; may I be converted entirely to Thee, may my
heart be Thy perpetual habitation, may my conversation be pleasing to
Thee,
and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven
and
there with Thy Saints, praise Thee forever. Amen.