Our most loving Saviour shed His Precions
Blood for us, for the first time on the eighth day
after His birth, when, to fulfil the law of Moses,
He was circumcised. While then, we think on all
that Jesus did to satisfy God's justice for our
wanderings, let us excite ourselves to true sorrow
for them, and promise, with the help of His
powerful grace, to be henceforth truly chaste in
body and in soul.
V. Te ergo quaesumus famulis tuis subveni quos pretiosa Sanguine redemisti.
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V. We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.
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SECOND MYSTERY.
Jesus in the Garden of Olives, shed His Blood
for us in such streams that it bathed the earth
around. This He did at the vision He then had of
the ingratitude with which men would meet His
love. Oh! let us then repent sincerely for the past,
considering how poorly we have met the countless
benefits of our Lord, and resolve henceforth to
make good use of His graces and holy inspirations.
Our Father, five times.
Glory be to the Father, once.
We beseech Thee, etc.
THIRD MYSTERY.
Jesus, in His cruel scourging, shed His Blood
when, from His lacerated skin and wounded flesh,
on every side, that Precious Blood flowed in streams,
while our gentle Lord kept offering It to His
eternal Father in payment of our impatience and
our wantonness. How is it, then, that we do not
curb our anger and self-love!- Oh! let us henceforth
try to be more patient in our trials, to despise
ourselves, and to bear in peace the injuries men do
us.
Our Father, five times.
Glory be to the Father, once.
We beseech Thee, etc.
FOURTH MYSTERY.
The sacred Head of Jesus poured forth Blood
when it was crowned with thorns, all for our pride
and evil thoughts. And shall we continue to
nourish haughtiness and to foster foul imaginations
and the evil thoughts of our minds? Henceforth
let there be ever before our eyes our utter nothing
ness, our misery, and our weakness, and with
generous hearts let us resist the evil suggestions of
the devil.
Our Father, five times.
Glory be to the Father, once.
We beseech Thee, etc.
FIFTH MYSTERY.
Oh! what streams of Blood our loving Jesus,
laden with the heavy wood of the Cross, on the
mournful way to Calvary, poured forth from His
veins! Then were the very streets and ways of
Jerusalem through which He passed, bathed with
His Precious Blood. And all this was done in
satisfaction for the scandals and bad examples by
which His own creatures had led others astray on
the way to ruin. Ah! who can tell whether we,
too, are not of this unhappy number? Who
knows how many our bad example has thrust down
to hell? And have We done nothing to remedy
this evil? Alas! let us henceforth endeavor to do
all we can to save souls by word and example,
making ourselves to all a pattern of a good and
holy life.
Our Father, five times.
Glory be to the Father, once.
We beseech Thee, etc.
SIXTH MYSTERY.
More and yet more Blood flowed from the
Redeemer of mankind, in His most barbarous
crucifixion, when His veins and arteries were rent
and broken, and the saving balm of life eternal,
which blotted out all the crimes and enormities of
a whole world, flowed in torrents from out His
hands and feet. What man is he who still will
choose to continue in his sin, renewing thus the
cruel cnlcifixion of the Son of God? Bitterly
will we weep then for our bad deeds, and
at the feet of God's minister detest them; now
will we mend our evil ways and henceforth begin a
truly Christian life, with the thought ever in our
hearts of all the Blood which our eternal salvation
cost the Saviour of men.
Our Father, five times.
Glory be to the Father, once.
We beseech Thee, etc.
SEVENTH MYSTERY.
Last of all, Jesus shed His Blood when He was
dead, when the lance opened His sacred side and
cleft His loving Heart; and with the Blood gushed
forth water, to show us how His Blood was all
Poured out, even to the last drop, for our salvation.
O infinite goodness of our Redeemer! who will not
love Thee? What heart will not melt away for
very love of Thee who hast done all this for our
redemption? Our tongues want words to praise
Thee: wherefore, we invite all the creatures upon
earth, all the angels and all the saints in paradise,
and, most of all, our dearest Mother, Mary, to bless,
to praise, and to hymn Thy most Precious Blood!
Yes, glory to the Blood of Jesus, now and forever
throughout all ages! Amen.
Our Father, five times.
Glory be to the Father, once.
We beseech Thee, etc.
PRAYER.
Most Precious Blood of life eternal, price and
ransom of the world, whose saving streams nourish
and cleanse our souls, ever pleading man's cause
before the throne of heavenly mercy! from the
depths of Iny soul I adore Thee: fain would I,
were I able, make Thee Some compensation for the
outrages and wrongs Thou dost ever suffer from
men, Thy creatures, and, most of all, from those
who, in their rashness, cease not to blaspheme
Thee. Who will not bless this Blood of infinite
value? Who not burn for love of Jesus, who shed
It all for us? What were I but for this Blood
which hath redeemed me? Lost, assuredly lost. O boundless love, which gave to us this saving
balm beyond all price, welling from the fount of
immeasurable love! give to all hearts, to all tongues,
power to praise, hymn and thank Thee now
and for ever, and throughout all eternity! Amen
V. Thou hast redeemed us, 0 Lord! in Thy
Blood.
R. And made us a kingdom to our God.
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast appointed
Thine only-begotten Son the Saviour of the
world, and hast willed to be appeased with His
Blood: grant us, we bpseech Thee, so to venerate
this price of our salvation, and by its might so to
be defended upon earth from the evils of this pre'
sent life, that in heaven we may rejoice in Its everlasting
fruit. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in
unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
Most merciful Jesus, lover of souls! I pray
Thee, by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart, and
by the sorrows of Thy Immaculate Mother, wash
in Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world who
are now in their agony, and who are to die this
day. Amen.
Heart of Jesus, once in agony, pity the dying.
100 days indul.-Pius IX., Feb. 1850.
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