A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity/The Devotion of the Seven Words upon the Cross
The Devotion of the Seven Words upon the Cross.(i)
OME unto my help, O God.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
The First Word.
FATHER, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
O BELOVED Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonize 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 me also when I shall be in that extremity, and, through 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.
Glory be to the Father, three times.
V. 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 Second Word.
THIS day you shalt be with Me in Paradise.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
O BELOVED Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonize 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 also when I shall be in that extremity, and, through the merits of Thy most Precious Blood, revive in our souls a faith so firm and constant that it may not waver at any suggestion of the devil, so that we also may obtain the blessed reward of Heaven.
Glory be to the Father, three times.
Have mercy, etc.
The Third Word.
BEHOLD thy son; behold thy Mother.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
O BELOVED Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonize 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 deserved.
Glory be to the Father, three times.
Have mercy, etc.
The Fourth Word.
MY God! My God! why hast Thou forsaken Me?
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
O BELOVED Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonize 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 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.
Glory be to the Father, three times.
Have mercy, etc.
The Fifth Word.
I THIRST.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
O BELOVED Jesus, who didst agonize 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 mercy on all the faithful 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 burn tli the desire of uniting themselves to Thee for all eternity.
Glory be to the Father, three times.
Have mercy, etc.
The Sixth Word.
IT is consummated.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
O BELOVED Jesus, who for the love of me didst agonize on the Cross, and from that Throne 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 Heaven: have mercy on all the faithful 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.
Glory be to the Father, three times.
Have mercy, etc.
The Seventh Word.
FATHER, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
O BELOVED Jesus, who didst agonize 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 Thy Head and dying: have mercy on all the faithful 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 us.
Glory be to the Father, three times.
Have mercy, etc.
A Prayer to our Blessed Lady of Sorrows.
O HOLY Mother, most afflicted by the bitter sorrow 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 intercession we may pass from the bed of death to form a crown for thee in the heavenly Paradise.
Hail Mary, three times.
O Mary, Mother of grace,
Mother of mercy,
Protect us from the enemy,
And receive us at the hour of death.(i)
V. From sudden and unlooked-for death,
R. O Lord, deliver us.
V. From the snares of the devil,
R. O Lord, deliver us.
V. From everlasting death,
R. O Lord, deliver us.
Let us pray.
O GOD, who for the salvation of mankind didst give an example and a help in the Passion and Death of Thy Son: grant, we beseech Thee, that in the hour of our death we may experience the effects of this Thy charity, and deserve to be partakers in the glory of Him our Redeemer, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
R. Amen. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.(i)
