Page images
PDF
EPUB

167

Prayers for the Devotion of the Three Hours' Agony on Good Friday.

I.

In thanksgiving for the pardon our Lord asked for us, recite three times what follows:

Be thou praised and blessed for ever, O crucified Lord, for the pardon of our sins which thou hast obtained for us.

Make the following Acts :—

I believe in God; I hope in God; I love God above all things; I am grieved for having offended him, because he is the Almighty and all-gracious God. I firmly purpose not to offend him any more.

O Mary! admirable Mother! the advocate of sin-. ners, obtain for me, I beseech thee, through Jesus crucified, the pardon of my sins, and grace never more to offend him.

The following Prayer of St. Ignatius may be here recited, and after each meditation or instruction :—

Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water issuing from the side of Christ, cleanse me; Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me, hide me within thy wounds; never permit me to be separated from thee; defend me against the malignant enemy; at the hour of my death call me to thyself, and command me to come to thee; that with thy saints I may praise Thee for ever and ever. Amen.

II.

Repeat three times the prayer of the good thief:— Have pity on me, O Lord, and in thy mercy re

member me, when thou comest into thy heavenly kingdom.

Then-I believe in God; I hope, &c., as in page 167.

III.

In thanksgiving to Jesus for having given us Mary for our Mother, and imploring her as such, recite three times what follows:

Most sweet Jesus, we return thee infinite thanks for having appointed thy blessed Mother, Mary, to be our Mother also.

Afterwards address yourself to her :

O sorrowful Mary, our Mother, pray for thy children now, and at the hour of our death.

Then I believe in God; I hope, &c., as in page 167.

IV.

That our Lord may never abandon us, recite three times what follows:

Most sweet Jesus! by thy most holy dereliction, abandon us not, neither during our lives, nor at our death.

Then to our Lady :

Mary, Mother of grace, Mother of mercy, protect us now, and at the hour of our death.

Then--I believe in God; I hope, &c., as in page 167.

V.

Here, to alleviate the thirst of Jesus, give him your heart, saying three times :

Most sweet Jesus, through the terrible pangs of thy agonizing thirst, have pity on all sinners.

Then-I believe in God; I hope, &c., as in page 167.

VI.

In return for the accomplishment of the work of our redemption, recite three times the following Act:

I thank thee, O Lord, from the bottom of my heart, for having accomplished the great work of our redemption. Grant, O my Saviour, that it may avail to our salvation.

Then I believe in God; I hope, &c., as in page 167.

The Litany for a Soul Departing.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,

All ye holy angels and archangels,
Holy Abel,

All ye choirs of the just,

Holy Abraham,

St. John the Baptist,

St. Joseph,

All ye patriarchs and prophets,

SS. Peter and Paul,

SS. Andrew and John,

All ye holy apostles and evangelists,
All ye holy disciples of the Lord,
All ye holy innocents,

SS. Stephen and Lawrence,

All ye holy martyrs,

SS. Sylvester and Gregory,

St. Augustin,

All ye holy bishops and confessors,
SS. Benedict and Francis,
All ye holy monks and hermits,
SS. Mary Magdalen and Lucy,

Pray for him.

All ye holy virgins and widows, Pray for him.
All ye saints of God, Make intercession for him.
Be merciful, Spare him, O Lord.

Be merciful, and

From thy anger,

From the danger of death,

From an ill end,

From the pains of Hell,
From all evil,

From the power of the Devil,
By thy nativity,

By thy cross and passion,
By thy death and burial,

By thy glorious resurrection,

By thy admirable ascension,

By the grace of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
In the day of judgment,

We sinners, beseech thee to hear us.

That thou spare him, We beseech thee to hear us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Let us pray.

Deliver him, O Lord.

Depart, Christian soul, out of this world, in the name of God the Father Almighty, who created thee; in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who suffered for thee; in the name of the Holy Ghost, who sanctified thee; in the name of the angels, archangels, thrones and dominations, cherubim and seraphim; in the name of the patriarchs and prophets, of the holy apostles and evangelists, of the martyrs and confessors, of the holy monks and hermits, of the holy virgins and of all the saints of God. Let thy place be this day in peace, and thy abode in holy Sion: through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

God of mercy, God of Goodness! O God, who, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, forgivest the sins of such as repent, and graciously remittest the guilt of their past offences, mercifully regard this thy servant [N.], and grant him (her) a full discharge from all his (her) sins, who most earnestly begs it of thee. Remove, O merciful Father, whatever is corrupt in him (her) through human frailty, or by the snares of the enemy; make him (her) a true member of the Church, and let him (her) partake of the fruit of thy redemption. Have compassion, Lord, on his (her) tears, and admit him (her) to the sacrament of thy reconciliation, who has no hope but in thee through, etc.

I recommend thee, dear brother (sister), to Almighty God, and leave thee to his mercy, whose creature thou art, that having paid the common debt, by surrendering thy soul, thou mayest return to thy Maker, who formed thee out of the earth. Let, therefore, the splendid company of angels meet thy soul at its departure; let the court of the apostles receive thee; let the triumphant army of glorious martyrs conduct thee; let the crowds of joyful confessors encompass thee; let the choirs of blessed virgins go before thee; and let a happy rest be thy portion in the company of the patriarchs; let Jesus Christ appear to thee with a mild and cheerful countenance, and give thee a place among those who are to be in his presence for ever. Mayest thou be a stranger to all that which is punished with darkness, chastised with flames, and condemned to torments. Let the wicked enemy, with all his evil spirits, depart from thee; may he tremble at thy approach in the company of angels, and retire into the horrid confusion of eternal night. May thy God arise, and thy enemies be put to flight. May all who hate him fly before his face. Let them vanish like smoke; and as wax before the fire, so let

« EelmineJätka »