February. LENT-PASSION OF OUR LORD-PURIFICATION. [See also the Seven Dolours, September.] The Seven Words upon the Cross.1 y. O God, bow down to aid me. R. O Lord, make haste to help me. y. Glory be to the Father, &c. The First Word. R. As it was, &c. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." y. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee. R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world. O my beloved Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonise on the Cross that thou mightest pay by thy sufferings the debt due to my sins, and didst open thy divine mouth to obtain my pardon from eternal justice, have mercy on all the faithful in their agony, and on myself when I shall be in that extremity, and, by the merits of thy most precious blood shed for our salvation, give us so lively a sorrow for our sins that we may breathe out our souls into the bosom of thine infinite mercy. Three Glories. . Have mercy on us, O Lord. R. Have mercy on us. O my God, I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love tnee, and I repent of having offended thee by my sins. The Second Word. "To-day thou shalt be with me in Paradise." R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world. O my beloved Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonise on the Cross, and with such readiness and bounty didst respond to the faith of the good thief who in the midst of thy humiliation acknowledged thee to be the Son of God: O thou who didst assure him of Paradise, have mercy on all the faithful in their agony, and on me when I shall be in that extremity, and, through the merits of thy most precious blood, revive in our spirits a faith so firm and constant, that it may • A perpetual Indulgence of 300 days, applicable to the souls in Purgatory, every time that this exercise is devoutly practised. not waver at any suggestion of the devil, so that we also may obtain the holy reward of Paradise. Three Glories. 7. Have mercy on us, O Lord. R. Have mercy on us. O my God, I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee, and I repent of having offended thee by my sins. The Third Word. "Behold thy mother; behold thy son." y. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee. R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world. O my beloved Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonise on the Cross, and, forgetting thy sufferings, didst leave us as a pledge of thy love thine own most holy Mother, that through her we might confidently have recourse to thee in our greatest need, have mercy on all the faithful in their agony, and on me also when I shall be in that extremity, and, through the. interior martyrdom of this thy dear Mother, awaken in our hearts a firm hope in the infinite merits of thy most precious blood, that we may avoid the eternal damnation which our sins have merited. Three Glories. y. Have mercy on us, O Lord. Ry. Have mercy on us. O my God, I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee, and I repent of having offended thee by my sins. The Fourth Word. "My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" . We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee. B. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world. O my beloved Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonise on the Cross, and, heaping suffering on suffering, didst endure with infinite patience not only thy many bodily tortures, but the most heavy affliction of spirit through the dereliction of thine eternal Father, have mercy on all the faithful who are in their agony, and on me also when I shall be in that extremity, and, through the merits of thy most precious blood, give us grace to suffer with true patience all the pains and afflictions of our agony, that, uniting them with thine, we may be partakers of thy glory in Paradise. Three Glories. y. Have mercy on us, O Lord. By. Have mercy on us. O my God, I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee, and I repent of having offended thee by my sins. "I thirst." The Fifth Word. y. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee. B. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world, O my beloved Jesus, who didst agonise on the Cross for the love of me, and who, not satisfied with all the ignominy and suffering, wouldst willingly have suffered yet more, so that all men might be saved, as was clearly proved when all the torrents of thy passion would not allay the thirst of thy tender heart, have pity on all the faithful who are in their agony, and on me also when I shall be in that extremity, and, through the merits of thy most precious blood, enkindle such a fire of charity in our hearts as may cause them to languish with the desire of uniting themselves to thee for all eternity. Three Glories. y. Have mercy on us, O Lord. Ry. Have mercy on us. O my God, I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee, and I repent of having offended thee by my sins. The Sixth Word. "It is consummated." y. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee. R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world. O my beloved Jesus, who for the love of me didst agorise on the Cross, and from that chair of truth didst announce the completion of the work of our redemption, through which, from being the children of wrath and perdition, we are become the children of God and the heirs of Paradise, have pity on all the faithful who are in their agony, and on me also when I shall be in that extremity, and, through the merits of thy most precious blood, detach us entirely from the world and from ourselves, and at the moment of our agony give us grace sincerely to offer thee the sacrifice of our life in expiation of our sins. Three Glories. Have mercy on us, O Lord. Have mercy on us. O my God, I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee, and I repent of having offended thee by my sins. The Seventh Word. "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” y. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee. B. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world. O my beloved Jesus, who didst agonise on the Cross for the love of me, and who, in completing this great sacrifice, didst accept the will of thine eternal Father, by resigning thy spirit into his hands, and then bowing thine head and dying, have mercy on all the faithful who are in their agony, and on me also when I shall be in that extremity, and through the merits of thy most precious blood give us, in our agony, an entire conformity to the divine will, that we may be ready either to live or die according as it shall best please thee, desiring nothing but the accomplishment of thy blessed will in Three Glories. us. y. Have mercy on us, O Lord. R. Have mercy on us. O my God, I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee, and I repent of having offended thee by my sins. A Prayer to our Blessed Lady of Dolours. O most holy Mother, most afflicted by the intense martyrdom which thou didst endure at the foot of the Cross, during the three hours' agony of Jesus, vouchsafe to assist all of us, the children of thy sorrows, in our last agony, that through thine interference we may pass from the bed of death, to form a crown for thee in the heavenly Paradise. Three Hail Marys. O Mary, Mother of grace, Mother of mercy, Protect us from the enemy, And receive us at the hour of death. . From sudden and unprovided death, R. Deliver us, O Lord. y. From the deceits of the devil, Ry. Deliver us, O Lord. . From eternal death, deliver us, O Lord. O God, who for the salvation of mankind didst give an example and a help in the most painful death of thy Son; grant, we beseech thee, that in the extremity of death we experience the effects of this thy charity, and de be partakers in the glory of him our Redeemer ; Che same. &c. Plenary Indulgence to be obtained by all the faithful, who, after having confessed their sins with contrition, received the Holy Communion, and prayed for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff, shall devoutly recite it before an image or representation of Christ crucified. Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and beseech thee that thou wouldst impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm desire of amendment, whilst with deep affection and grief of soul I ponder within myself, and mentally contemplate thy five most precious wounds; having before my eyes that which David spake in prophecy: "They pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones." FIFTEEN MEDITATIONS ON THE PASSION OF OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. 1. O good and gracious Jesus! who, being most high in the glory of thy Father, and of one essence with him, didst vouchsafe of thy infinite love to be made man, to be born in a stable, to be laid in a manger, to be circumcised, and to fly into Egypt; afterwards to be baptised, to be tempted, to fast, to watch, to teach the ignorant, and to heal the diseased; in thy whole life to suffer continual afflictions and persecutions; and at length voluntarily to suffer death upon the cross; and all this for me, and such wretched creatures as myself. 2. O good and gracious Jesus! who, having eaten the paschal lamb with thy dearly beloved disciples, didst arise from supper, gird thyself with a towel, pour wate |