O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
My heavenly Mother, Mary, in union with Thee I am about to go along the Sorrowful Way where Thou hast walked so many times. Is it possible that my heart should not be en-kindled when I think of the tears which Thou hast shed on remembering the sufferings of Jesus and when I realize the ardent love that inflamed Thy Heart for God and for all Thy children. O Mother of Love, I give myself to Thee that I may share the sentiments of Thy Heart.
Ah, suffer not that I should remain without feeling on seeing the many sufferings and insults borne for me. Change my heart, or rather give me Thine, that with Thee and through Thee I may have true compassion on Jesus suffering so much for me, that I may repent of my sins and henceforth love Him more generously. I beg Thee, O Mother, to apply the indulgences which I wish to gain, to the soul of ..... and especially to the most forgotten souls.
.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
Try to penetrate into the anguished Heart of your mother when She stops before the courthouse of Pilate and remembers how the clamorous multitude demanded, with horrible shouts, the blood of Her Divine Son. Who else but Jesus can understand the feelings of Her Heart?
O Mary, I unite with thine acts of reparation; offer them for me. Are they not my treasure before God? I detest my self-love, my frivolity and my lack of mortification, which are the cause of Thy sufferings and of the humiliations of Jesus. I now mercilessly condemn my evil inclinations and more particularly my predominant fault. O tender Mother! assist me with thy help and with the grace of Thy Son. Impress upon my heart Thy feelings of repentance and of love, that before the Tribunal of the Sovereign Judge, I may hear the sentence of the elect.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
At the Cross her station keeping ,
Stood the mournful Mother,
Weeping, Close to Jesus to the last.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
"I have a baptism (of blood) wherewith I am to be baptized; and how I am straitened until it is accomplished". These words of Jesus show the intensity of the love with which He takes up and carries His Cross. They also express the measure of Mary's love. Her Heart, drawn by its love for Jesus, faithfully follows Him in His ardent desires and consents to His sacrifice. Do I not know that this worthy Mother, always conforming herself to the divine will, would have nailed Her own Son to His Cross with her own hands, had it been necessary for the salvation of my soul?What shall I render to the Queen of my Heart, and to Thee, O my Jesus, for that excess of love! Thou hast given me to understand that in order to please Thee, I must conquer myself. I must renounce myself every day of my life. I must patiently bear with the shortcomings of my neighbour. I must practice the Christian virtues and fight the good fight. O Mary, I consecrate myself to Thee at this moment as fervently as if I did it for the first time in my life, or the last; give me Thy love, give to all Thy children such true love as will enable them to shun no sacrifice in serving and pleasing Thee.Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Through her heart,
His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
How heavily the Cross weighs upon our meek Saviour, now that He is weakened by so many sufferings. He totters under the blows and the rough treatment which are mercilessly dealt out to Him. And now He falls prostrate to the ground. The thorns of His crown enter deeper into His head. But why this first fall, which causes so much pain to the Heart of Mary? It is to atone for our sins of pride, which have made us the slaves of Satan. Make amends to the Mother of Sorrows and beg Her to obtain pardon for you.
O Mary, by all the sufferings which Thou hast endured, cure me of my pride, which steals into my best actions, which displeases Thy Son so much and hinders the perfect union of my soul with Thee. By this first fall, Jesus expiates the loss of my baptismal innocence. O Mother, how this thought ought to rend my heart with bitter remorse! But I have given myself wholly to Thee, that in Thee I may find the remedy for my misfortune; I trust in Thy wisdom which knows how to cure me; I place my hope in Thy goodness, which will do it without fail, because I ask Thee for it. O Lord Jesus, give children to Thy Mother; give Her slaves of love more numerous than the stars in the heavens and as pure and as innocent as the angels! Multiply them in Her virginal Heart!
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blest
Of the sole-begotten One!
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
Who will tell us the feelings of the Son and of the Mother in this most painful of meetings! Servant of Mary, ask yourself what must be the effect produced upon the loving Heart of Our Lady by this look of Jesus which had pierced, so gently and yet so mightily, the soul of Peter after his denial. Admire and exalt the exceeding love of these two Hearts that tire not of suffering in order to save you!
My heavenly Mother, had I but the hearts of all the saints wherewith to console Thee for all the anguish which Thou hast felt for my salvation! To supply the deficiency of my cold heart, I offer Thee the tender compassion which Jesus had on Thee in this sad meeting, and I beg Thee to present to Him on my behalf Thy acts of reparation and of love. Remember, dear Mother, that I also am Thy child. Come then to meet me and to strengthen me on the difficult and dangerous road of this life. Be always near me by that habitual presence with which Thou favours' Thy devoted ones. Visit also at this moment, the Holy Souls in Purgatory, especially those that are forgotten; and when my soul departs from this world, come to meet me and present me to Jesus.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Christ above in torment hangs;
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying glorious Son.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
Jesus has borne the weight of your sins, He has paid all your debts. Yet He has left you a share in this work of redeeming your soul, as well as in His sufferings. That is what he gives you to understand by calling the Cyrenean to help Him carry the Cross. Child of the Queen of Martyrs, be convinced of this truth, that wherever you go, you will find trials and afflictions. Now is the time for you to suffer, and that is your only way to reach Heaven. But see how good your Saviour is! He has given you His Mother, and to you who have consecrated yourself to Her, She is more particularly a Mother who will be your stay and your consolation in this vale of tears. Who, indeed, carries his Cross most easily and with most merit, if not the faithful servant of this sweet Mother?O heavenly Comforter of the children of God, be always my tender and merciful Cyrenean. Thou know-est my weakness; be my help in carrying my Cross and my support in the cares and trials of this life. Thou, whose love extends to all creatures, be the help also of those who have charge of others - priests, magistrates, superiors and teachers, and pour out on them in abundance, the spirit of zeal and devotedness in the discharge of their duties.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Is there one who would not weep,
Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to behold?
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
A holy woman makes her way through the crowd and wipes the sacred Face of our Redeemer. O love of Jesus, generous beyond all measure! He does not wait till the day of final recompense, but even in the midst of His sufferings and humiliations, He rewards the valour of this pious woman. What a consolation for Mary to witness this act of charity rendered to Her Divine Son! Do you wish to give Her the same joy? You will do so, if you guard jealously the purity of your soul in which Jesus dwells by His grace. If you should unfortunately commit sin, lose no time in wiping away that stain from your soul by a sincere act of contrition, while you wait for the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Penance. But what grief you will cause your Blessed Mother if, through Luke warmness and affection for sin, you allow your soul to remain more sullied than was the Face of Jesus during His Passion.
O my Sovereign, let Thy mercy triumph over my rebellious and craven nature! Let Thy tender Hand wipe from my soul not only the stains of sin, but also its consequences , which would paralyze the effects of Thy reign in my heart. Restore to the soul of Thy children the image of Jesus in all its beauty. Obtain for us great purity of heart, of body and mind, that we may be made worthy to contemplate the Face of God forever in Heaven.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?
.V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
The second fall of Jesus is far more painful than the first. The sight of the many sins which I have committed even in my early youth and of my numberless infidelities bears Him down and causes Him to fall again. Mary discerns this mystery more clearly than any other human creature and therefore She feels more keenly the torments which rend the Heart of Jesus. Why is my heart not broken by these sad thoughts? By this second fall, Jesus expiates more particularly the dis-ordinate love of ourselves and of the seductions of this world, which are the cause of so many sins and of the eternal ruin of numberless souls.
O Mary, I beseech Thee, by the tears and the sorrows of Jesus, to cure me of my dis-ordinate love of creatures and to wean me from all the things which one day I must necessarily leave behind. O wise and faithful Virgin, teach me to appraise the maxims of the world at their true value. O tender Mother, obtain for all the privileged children of Thy love, that the remembrance of Thy sorrows may detach their hearts from this world and themselves, and cause them to cling more affectionately to Thy holy and Immaculate Heart.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child
All with bloody scourges rent;
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
Who shall give us to understand the kindness of the Heart of Jesus and His compassion on us in our sufferings? He forgets His own excruciating pains and speaks words of consolation to the women of Jerusalem who follow Him. Always remember that Jesus is our Comforter in all our afflictions, and whatever be the nature of our sufferings, we should go to him, in the company of Mary, and seek relief from His Sacred Heart. Where can we find a better Friend than in Him who laid down his life for love of us? "Weep not for Me but for yourselves". Wretched creatures that we are! Why are we so hardened as to remain without feeling in the presence of so much suffering endured for us; as to remain deaf to that voice which tells us clearly that we must shed tears because of the many sins for which we have not done penance, because of the many dangers to our soul and the many hardships on the way that leads to eternal life?
O Mary, who by the will of Jesus art my supplement to speak to Him, to petition Him, to praise Him on my behalf, shed but one tear upon my heart to soften its hardness, impress upon it the wounds of Jesus and give it a true desire for sincere penance. Let Thy blessed and most powerful hand avert the chastisements which we deserve.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
For the sins of His own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His Spirit forth He sent.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
Jesus falls three times on the way to Calvary to expiate the great evils with which sin has wounded the human heart. In His last fall, our meek Saviour atones for our love of pleasure. Consider the abyss of reproaches and sorrows in which He lies, as the executioners renew their blows and their insults, as they tread on this innocent Lamb and drag Him along.O my heavenly Mother, whose Heart was rent again and again, when after the Ascension Thou didst stand motionless and overwhelmed with sorrow at this station, help me to atone for the many sensualities of which I have rendered myself guilty.
Consideration
"If you would keep chaste" says a Saint, "you must obtain this grace by prayer and by an ardent love for Our Lady, the Queen and Model of Virgins".O Virgin most chaste, who didst remain spotless as a lily among thorns, make me pure. Obtain for us who are dedicated to Thee, a special love for this angelic virtue of purity, a holy love which will make us dread whatever may tarnish it in the least. Obtain for us that severe modesty which is the mark of Thy true children.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with thine accord:
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
Alas, we have allowed the devil to strip us of the robe of our innocence, and Jesus wishes to restore it to us at any cost. Behold your Redeemer in the dreadful torments which He now endures. They roughly tear off His garments, which have become encrusted in the wounds of His body; thus the sores are opened afresh and pieces of torn flesh adhere to the garments or our gentle Saviour. Ask yourself to what extent this inhuman treatment must have renewed the woes of Mary's Immaculate Heart. 'Behold' this Mother of Sorrows seems to say to you, 'what Jesus has paid in atonement for your exaggerated love of fashions and luxuries, for your vanity and immodesty in dress'.
O Mother, I beg Thy pardon for having so often made Thee sad by my vanity. Make me love that exterior modesty and simplicity which are so pleasing to Thee. Help us who are the children of Thy love to strip ourselves of our self-love, our self-will, our conceit, which destroy thy work in us and deprive our soul of its merits for Heaven. By Thy tears and by the wounds of Jesus, clothe us with the double garments of Thy virtues and riches, which thou reservist for thy true servants, that we may appear with confidence before the Judgement Seat of Thy Son.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ my Lord.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
What heart-rending anguish for Mary to hear the repeated blows which are struck to nail the sacred Body of Jesus to the Cross! What martyrdom She undergoes! Every wound inflicted upon the Body of the Son is impressed on the soul of the Mother. Her suffering is so great at this moment, thinks Saint Bernardine of Sienna, that if it were divided among all creatures that are able to suffer, each and all would die at the very instant. How then is it that our exalted Queen does not expire with Her Son? The love of the Son keeps the Mother for more suffering, so that the children may have life more abundantly. With Mary, adore Jesus and renew your baptismal vows, together with your consecration to Our Lady.
O good Jesus, nailed to the Cross for love of me, I renew at this moment the vows of my Baptism and the perfect consecration of myself to Thy holy Mother. By the nails which crush Thy bones and cut Thy veins, by all the sorrows of Thy Mother, fasten me inseparably to Thee, through this beautiful and perfect devotion to Mary; imbue with it my every thought, all my affections and all my works. Thou hast said - "If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all things to Myself". Draw me to Thee more and more by an intimate union with Thy holy Mother. Draw many souls to Thee. Draw all Christians, all the peoples of the earth. O Jesus, let Mary reign perfectly in our hearts, that Thou gayest reign there Thyself in this life and in the next.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Holy Mother pierce me through;
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour crucified:
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
To approach our dying Saviour in a worthy manner, let us go to Him in union with Mary. To understand His sufferings better, let us think of Mary's sorrow. Do we not know that Jesus loves to see us share in the pains of His Mother? Child of Mary, contemplate the Queen of Martyrs, who says to you while She shows you Her most afflicted Heart, "Attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to mine". Answer Her, weeping and heartbroken,
"O Virgin, Daughter of Sion, great as the sea is Thy sorrow and bitter as it billows". Would that I could compensate Thee worthily and render due homage to thine exceeding love for me! To supply my insufficiency. I offer Thee the divine Compassion which Jesus had on Thee. He alone knows the weight and measure of Thy sorrows.O Jesus, hanging on the Cross, speak to me Thy life-giving words - "Woman, behold Thy child; child, behold Thy Mother".
O Mary, I do not deserve to be called Thy child, but Jesus has willed that it should be so. Show Thyself my Mother. To compensate for my poverty, I offer Thee the praises of the angels and of all Thy devoted children. I offer Thee the Heart of Jesus and the Love of the Blessed Trinity. I place myself in Thy hands and leave to Thee the full right to dispose of me and of all that is mine, according to Thy good pleasure and that of Thy Divine Son.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all my sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
What grief is added to Our Lady's sorrows, when She sees the executioners do not respect the Body of Her dear Son, even now He is dead! How painfully is Her own maternal Heart pierced with the prophetic sword of Simeon, when the lance opens the Divine Heart of Jesus, in which, according to the words of Saint Bernard, She dwelt Herself. What anguish She feels at this moment! The Body of Jesus is taken down and placed in Mary's arms. How Her Heart is rent again now that She has a close view of the horrible wounds! She now recalls the sweet caresses which She received from this loving Child when He rested upon Her bosom. She gazes at the many grievous wounds inflicted by the executioners and while She thus contemplates the lifeless Body, Her souls is pierced by a thousand swords. Devout child of Mary, meditate profoundly on this mystery. Remember that Jesus consented to be covered with wounds in order to heal your sinful soul. Beg the Mother of Sorrows to obtain for you this grace that will cure you entirely.
O Virgin most holy, permit me, unworthy though I am, to place myself with Jesus in Thine arms. By the bleeding Wounds of His lifeless Body, heal the sores of my soul. Purify my body and its senses; cleanse my heart in the Blood of Thy Son and with Thee, unite me to the Sacred Heart of Jesus forever.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him Who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live:
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Consideration
The sacrifice of Mary, like that of Jesus, must be complete. The adorable Body, which She so lovingly pressed to Her bosom, is laid in the tomb and disappears from before Her eyes. Ah! How willingly would She be buried with Jesus! But if She must separate Herself from His body, She remains hidden in His sacred Wounds. It is said that when Our Divine Saviour had been laid in the Sepulchre, Mary blessed the stone which covered the entrance, saying - "I bless thee, o stone chosen by God to hide My Son from the eyes of men; may-est thou guard Him!". This heavenly Mother speaks likewise even now, when She sees Her Eucharistic Son descend into our hearts in Holy Communion. She blesses our heart as the tomb of Her Son; She remains there to adore Him and does not lose sight of Him. Console your heavenly Mother once more, and with a loving heart say to Her -
"O sweet Virgin, my Mother, I implore Thee to engrave the Wounds of my Saviour upon my heart. Thy soul was another Calvary, which reflected all the sufferings of Jesus. May our souls be true copies of Thine. Forget not all that Thou hast suffered for our sake. May we, after Thine example, be mindful until death of the Sorrowful events of Calvary, and may their remembrance ever sustain us in our sufferings. Amen."
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.
By the Cross with thee to stay;
There with thee to weep and pray;
Is all I Ask of thee to give.
