Prayer before a Crucifix - Devotion to the Passion by St. Alphonsus Liguori

[Hildegard of Bingen]

DEVOTION TO THE PASSION

Prayer before a Crucifix.

(Taken from St. Alphonsus’ Prayer-Book – pages 454)

          O Wounds of Jesus!  You are my hope.  I should despair of the pardon of my sins, and of my eternal salvation, did I not behold you, the fountains of mercy and grace, through which a God has shed all His Blood, to wash my soul from the sins I have committed.  I adore ye, then, O holy Wounds! And I trust in you.  I detest a thousand times and I curse those vile pleasures by which I have displeased my Redeemer, and have miserably lost His friendship.  On beholding ye, my hopes revive, an the affection of my heart is renewed.

      O wounds of my sorrowful Jesus, ye are living evidences of the love which my Redeemer has for me; with tender words do ye force me to love Him for the many sufferings that He underwent for love of me.  Eternal Father, “look at the Face of Thy Christ” (Ps. Lxxxiii. 10); look at the Wounds of Thy Son, which ask pity for me, and for their sake pardon the outrages that I have committed against Thee; take my heart entirely to Thyself that it may not love, seek, nor sigh after any other but Thee.  O Wounds of my Redeemer, how many souls have ye not inflamed with love!  Inflame my soul also.  O Wounds of Jesus, ye constrain me to love Jesus!  O Wounds of my Jesus, O blessed furnaces of love! Receive me that I may not burn in the fire of hell, as I have deserved, but be consumed in the holy flames of love for That God Who condescended to die in torment for my salvation.  Amen.