SOME APPARITIONS OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR TO THE MARYS AND TO THE APOSTLES

The following post is taken from:

The City of God : The Divine History and Life of the Virgin Mother of God

Written by la Venerable Madre Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda (1602-1665)

Part II: The Transfixion,, Book VI

CHAPTER XXVII: SOME APPARITIONS OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR TO THE MARYS AND TO THE APOSTLES; THE PRUDENCE OF THE QUEEN IN LISTENING TO THEIR REPORTS CONCERNING THESE APPARITIONS OF THE LORD

766. After Jesus our Saviour, arisen and glorified, had visited and filled with glory his most blessed Mother, He resolved, as the loving Father and Pastor, to gather the sheep of his flock, which the scandal of his sufferings had disturbed and scattered. The holy Patriarchs and all whom He had rescued from limbo continually remained in his company, although they did not manifest themselves and remained invisible during his apparitions; only our great Queen was privileged to see them, know them and speak to them all during the time intervening between the Resurrection and the Ascension of her divine Son. Whenever the Lord did not appear to others, He remained with his beloved Mother in the Cenacle; nor did She ever leave this place during all the forty days. There She enjoyed the presence of the Redeemer of the world and of the choir of Prophets and Saints, by whom the King and Queen were attended. For the purpose of making His Resurrection known to His Apostles, He began by showing Himself to the women, not on account of their weakness, but because they were stronger in their belief and in their hope of the Resurrection; for this is the reason why they merited the privilege of being the first to see Him arisen.


767. The Evangelist Mark (Mark 15, 47) mentions the special notice, which Mary Magdalen and Mary Joseph took of the place where they had seen the body of Jesus deposited. Accordingly they, with other holy women, went forth on the evening of the Sabbath from the Cenacle to the city and bought additional ointments and spices in order to return, early the following morning, to the sepulchre, and show their veneration by visiting and anointing the holy body once more. On the Sunday, entirely ignorant of the grave's having been sealed and placed under guard by order of Pilate (Matth. 27, 65), they arose before dawn in order to execute their pious design. On their way they thought only of the difficulty of removing the large stone, which they now remembered had been rolled before the opening of the sepulchre; but their love made light of this hindrance, though they did not know how to remove it. When they came forth from the house of the Cenacle, it was yet dark, but before they arrived at the sepulchre the sun had already dawned and risen; for on that day the three hours of darkness which had intervened at the Death of the Saviour, were compensated by an earlier sunrise. This miracle will harmonize the statements of saint Mark and of saint John, of whom the one says, that the Marys came after sunrise, and the other that it was yet dark (Mark 16, 2; John 20, 1); for both speak truly: That they went forth very early and before dawn, and that the sun, by its more sudden and accelerated flight, had already risen at their arrival at the grave, though they tarried not on the short way. The sepulchre was in an arched vault, as in a cave, the entrance to which was covered by a large stone slab. Within, somewhat to one side and raised from the ground, was the hollow slab wherein the body of the Saviour rested.

Near the entrance they saw the angel. J-J Tissot

768. A little before the Marys thought and spoke of the difficulty of removing the stone, a violent and wonderful quaking or trembling of the earth took place; at the same time an angel of the Lord opened the sepulchre and cast aside the stone that covered and obstructed the entrance (Matth. 28, 2). At this noise and the earthquake the guards of the sepulchre fell prostrate to the earth, struck motionless with fear and consternation, although they did not see the Lord. For the body of the Lord was no more in the grave; He had already arisen and issued from the monument before the angel cast aside the stone. The Marys, though in some fear, took heart and were encouraged by God to approach and enter the vault. Near the entrance they saw the angel who had thrown aside the stone, seated upon it, refulgent in countenance and in snowwhite garments (Mark 16, 5). He spoke to them saying:

"Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: He is risen, He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him." 

The holy women entered, and seeing the sepulchre vacant they were filled with grief; for as yet they were more deeply affected at seeing the Lord absent, than by the words of the angel. Then they saw two other angels seated at each end of the slab, who said to them:

"Why seek you the Living with the dead? Remember how He spoke unto you, when he was yet in Galilee (Luke 26, 45), that He was to rise on the third day. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, that He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall you see Him" (Mark 16, 7).

The holy women related to the Apostles what they had seen

769. Being thus reminded by the angels the Marys remembered what their divine Master had said. Assured of His Resurrection they hastened away from the sepulchre and gave an account to the eleven Apostles and other followers of the Lord. But many of these were so shaken in their faith and so forgetful of the words of their Master and Redeemer, that they thought this story of the holy women a mere hallucination (Luke 24, 11). While the holy women, full of trembling and joy, related to the Apostles what they had seen, the sentinels at the grave awoke from their stupor and regained the use of their senses. As they saw the sepulchre open and emptied of the sacred body, they fled to give notice of the event to the princes and priests (Matth. 11, 14). These were cast into great consternation and called a meeting in order to determine what they could do in order to palliate the miracle, which was so patent that it could not remain hidden. They concluded to offer to the soldiers much money to induce them to say that during their sleep the disciples of Jesus had come and stolen the body from the grave. The priests, having assured the guards of immunity and protection, spread this lie among the Jews. Many were so foolish as to believe it; and there are some in our own day, who are obstinate and blind enough to give it credit and who prefer to accept the testimony of witnesses, who acknowledged that they were asleep during the time of which they testify.

Peter and John run to the Sepulchre. J-J Tissot

770. Although the disciples and Apostles considered the tale of the Marys mere preposterous talk, saint Peter and saint John, desirous of convincing themselves with their own eyes, departed in all haste to the sepulchre, closely followed by the holy women (John 20, 3). Saint John arrived first, and without entering saw the winding sheets laid to one side. He waited for the arrival of saint Peter, who, passing the other Apostle, entered first. Both of them saw that the sacred body was not in the tomb. Saint John then was assured of what he had begun to believe, when he had seen the great change in the Queen of heaven, as I have related in the foregoing chapter, and he then professed his belief. The two Apostles returned to give an account of the wonder they had seen in the sepulchre. The Marys remained in a place apart from the sepulchre and wonderingly commented on the events. Mary Magdalen, in great excitement and tears, reentered the sepulchre to reconnoitre. Although the Apostles had not seen the angels, she saw them and they asked her:

"Woman, why dost thou weep?" (John 20, 5). She answered:
"Because they have taken away my Lord; and I know not where they have laid Him." 

With this answer she left the garden where the sepulchre was, and met the Lord. She did not know Him, but thought it was the gardener. And the Lord also asked her:

"Woman, why weepest thou? Whom dost thou seek?" (John 15). 

Magdalen, ignorant of his being the Lord, answered Him as if He were the gardener and, without further reflection, said:

"Sir, if thou hast taken Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away." 

Then the loving Master said:

 "Mary," 

and in pronouncing her name He permitted Himself to be recognized by the tone of his voice.

Do not touch Me. J-J Tissot

771. As soon as Magdalen recognized Jesus she was aflame with joyous love and aswered saying:

"Rabboni, my Master!" 

Throwing herself at his feet, she was about to touch and kiss them, as being used to that favor. But the Lord prevented her and said:

"Do not touch Me, for I am not yet ascended to my Father whence I came; but return and tell my brethren, the Apostles, that I am going to my Father and theirs." 

"God save you."  J-J Tissot

Then Magdalen left, filled with consolation and jubilee. Shortly she met the other Marys. Scarcely had they heard what had happened to her and how she had seen Jesus arisen from the grave, and while they were yet standing together conferring with each other in wonder and tears of joy, He appeared to them and said:

 "God save you." 

They all recognized Him and, as saint Matthew tells us, they worshipped his sacred feet. The Lord again commanded them to go to the Apostles and tell them, that they had seen Him and that they should go to Galilee, where they should see Him arisen (Matth. 22, 9). Jesus then disappeared and the holy women hastened to the Cenacle to tell the Apostles all that had happened to them; but the Apostles continued to hesitate in their belief (Luke 24, 11). Then the women sought the Queen of Heaven in order to tell Her of the events. Although Mary knew all that had happened by intellectual vision, She listened to them with admirable tenderness and prudence. While listening to the Marys, She took occasion to confirm their faith in the mysteries and high sacraments of the Incarnation and in the passages of holy Scriptures pertaining thereto. But the heavenly Queen did not tell them what had happened, although She was the Teacher of these faithful and devout disciples, just as the Lord was the Teacher of the Apostles in holy faith.



772. The Evangelists do not state when the Lord appeared to saint Peter, although saint Luke supposes it; but it was after He had appeared to the women. He appeared to him in private as the head of the Church and before He appeared to all of the Apostles together or to anyone of them. This happened on that same day, after the holy women had informed him of his apparition to them. Soon after also happened the apparition of the Lord to the two disciples going that afternoon to Emmaus, which is related minutely by saint Luke (Luke 24, 13). This town is sixty stadia from Jerusalem; four Palestinian miles and about two Spanish leagues. The one of them was called Cleophas and the other was saint Luke himself. It took place in the following manner: The two disciples left Jerusalem, after they had heard the reports of the women. On the way they continued to converse about the events of the Passion, the holiness of their Master and the cruelty of the Jews. They wondered that the Almighty should permit so holy and innocent a Man to suffer such wrongs and torments. The one said: "When was ever such meekness and gentleness seen?" and the other coincided, saying: "Who ever saw or heard of such patience, without a word of complaint or the least sign of perturbation in outward appearance or bearing? His doctrine was holy, his life blameless, his words those of etemal life, his doings for the welfare of all. What then could the priests see in him to warrant such hatred ?" The other answered: "Truly He was wonderful in all respects; and no one can deny, that He was a great Prophet; He performed many miracles, gave sight to the blind, health to the sick, life to the dead, and conferred wonderful benefits upon all. But He said He would rise on the third day after his Death, which is today, and this we do not see fulfilled." The other one replied: "He also said that He would be crucified, and it was fulfilled to the word" (Matth. 20, 19).

Christ appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. J-J Tissot

773. In the midst of this and similar conversation Jesus appeared to them in the habit of a pilgrim and as one who happened to meet them on the way. He saluted them and said:

"Of what do you speak, for it seems to Me you are sad?"

Cleophas answered:

"Art Thou the only stranger in Jerusalem, that Thou dost not know what has happened during these days in the city?" 

The Lord said:

"What has happened, then?" to which the disciple replied:

 "Dost thou not know what the princes and priests have done to Jesus of Nazareth, a Man holy and powerful in words and deeds; how they condemned and crucified him? We had hopes that He would redeem Israel by rising from the dead; now the third day has already come, and we do not know what has happened. And some of the women of our party have terrified us, since they went early this morning to the sepulchre and did not find the body. They maintain that they saw some angels who told them that He had risen. Then some of our associates went to the grave and found true, what the women had said. We are going to Emmaus in order to await the drift of these events." 

Then the Lord answered:

"O foolish and slow of heart to believe; since you do not understand, that it must be so, that Christ suffer all these pains and so frightful a death in order to enter into his glory!"

774. Following up these mysteries the divine Master then explained to them his life and death for the Redemption of the human race; He interpreted to them different types of holy Scripture: of the lamb which Moses commanded to be slain and eaten, after the thresholds should have been marked with its blood (Exod. 12, 7) ; the death of the high-priest Aaron (Numb. 20, 23), the death of Samson through the amours of his spouse Delila (Judges 16, 30), many psalms of David pointing out the wicked council, the crucifixion and the division of his garments (Ps. 21, 17, 19; 15, 10), and that his body shall not see corruption; what is said in Wisdom (Wisdom 2, 20) and more clearly in Isaias (Is. 53, 2) and Jeremias (11, 19) concerning his Passion; namely, that He should appear as a leper and a man of sorrows, that He should be borne to slaughter like a lamb without opening his mouth; and in Zacharias, who saw Him pierced with many wounds; and many other passages of the holy Prophets, which clearly manifest the mysteries of his life and death. By the fervour of these arguments the disciples were gradually enkindled with love and enlightened in the faith, which they had permitted to be obscured. And when they were already near to the castle of Emmaus, the divine Master gave them to understand, that He was to pass on in his journey; but they eagerly begged Him to stay with them, as it was getting late in the evening. The Lord yielded and, invited by the disciples, sat down to supper with them according to the manner of the Jews. The Lord took the bread, blessing it and breaking it as usual, He imparted to them, with it, the certainty that He was their Redeemer and Master.

"Peace be with you. It is I; do not fear." J-J Tissot

775. They knew Him, because He opened the eyes of their souls. In the same instant He disappeared from their bodily eyes and they saw Him no more. But they were left in a state of wonder and full of joy, conferring with each other about the ardors of charity they had felt on the way, when He had conversed with them and explained to them the Scriptures. Without delay they returned to Jerusalem (Luke 24, 33), although night had already set in. They went to the house, where the rest of the Apostles had secreted themselves for fear of the Jews and they found them discussing the news of the risen Savior and how He had already appeared to Peter. To this the two disciples added all that had happened to them on the way to Emmaus, and how they had recognized the Saviour at the breaking of the bread in the castle of Emmaus. At this meeting was present also saint Thomas, who, although hearing the arguments of the Apostles and the testimony of saint Peter asserting that he had seen the Master risen, refused credit to the three disciples and the women, persevering in doubt and unbelief. In a somewhat hasty manner, caused by his incredulity, he left their company. Shortly after, when Thomas had left and the doors had been locked, the Lord entered and appeared to the others. In their midst He saluted them, saying:

"Peace be with you. It is I; do not fear."

776. At this sudden apparition, the Apostles feared lest what they saw was a ghost or phantasm, and the Lord added:

 "Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle and see: for a spirit hath no flesh and bones, as you see Me have." 

The Apostles were so excited and confused, that though they saw Him and touched the wounded hands of the Savior, they could not realize, that it was He to whom they spoke and whom they touched. The loving Master in order to assure them stilI more, said to them:

"Give Me to eat, if you have aught." 

Joyfully they offered Him some fried fish and a comb of honey. He ate part of these, and divided the rest among them, saying:

"Do you not know, that all that has happened with Me is the same that has been written by Moses and the Prophets, in the Psalms and holy Scriptures, and that all must necessarily be fulfilled in Me as it was prophesied?" 

And at these words He opened their minds, and they knew Him, and understood the sayings of the Scriptures concerning his Passion, Death and Resurrection on the third day. Having thus instructed them, He said again:

"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you, in order that you may teach the world the knowledge of the truth, of God and of eternal life, preaching repentance for sins and forgiveness of them in my name." 

Breathing upon them, He added and said:

"Receive ye the Holy Ghost, in order that the sins which you forgive may be forgiven, and those which you do not forgive, may not be forgiven. Preach ye to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem." 

Then the Saviour, having thus consoled and confirmed them in faith, and having given them and all priests the power to forgive sins, disappeared from their midst.

777. All this took place in the absence of Thomas; but soon after, the Lord so disposing, he returned to the assembly, and the Apostles told him what had happened during his absence. Yet, though he found them so changed in joyful exultation, he remained incredulous and obstinate, maintaining, that he would not believe what all of them affirmed, unless he himself should see with his own eyes and touch with his own hands and fingers the wounds of the Savior's side and those of the nails (John 20, 25). In this obstinacy the incredulous Thomas persevered for eight days, when the Savior again returned through locked doors and appeared in the midst of the Apostles including Thomas. He saluted them as usual, saying:

"Peace be with you," 

and then calling Thomas, He sweetly reprimanded him.

"Come, Thomas, and with your hands touch the openings of my hands and of my side, and be not so incredulous, but convinced and believing." 

Thomas touched the divine wounds and was interiorly enlightened to believe and to acknowledge his ignorance. Prostrating himself to the ground he said:

 "My Lord and my God!" 

to which the Lord replied:

"Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed; but blessed are those who do not see Me and believe Me." 

The Lord then disappeared, leaving the Apostles and Thomas filled with light and joy. They immediately sought most holy Mary in order to relate to Her what had happened, just as they had done after the first apparition of the Lord.



778. The Apostles were at that time not yet able to comprehend the great wisdom of the Queen of heaven and earth, and much less to understand the knowledge She had of all that happened to them and of all the works of her divine Son; She therefore listened to them with highest prudence and with the loving sweetness of a Mother and Queen. After the first apparition some of the Apostles told Her of the obstinacy of Thomas, and that he would not believe their unanimous testimony concerning the Resurrection of the Master. During the eight days in which his incredulity continued, the indignation of some of the Apostles against him grew more intense. They went to the heavenly Lady and accused him before Her of being an obstinate and stubborn transgressor, a man too dull to be enlightened. The loving Princess listened to them sweetly, and seeing that the anger of the Apostles, who were as yet all imperfect, was still increasing, She spoke to those most indignant and quieted them by arguing that the judgments of the Lord were deeply hidden and that the incredulity of Thomas would occasion great benefit to others and glory to God; that they should wait and hope and not be disturbed so easily. The heavenly Mother offered up most fervent prayers and petitions for Thomas and on that account the Lord hastened the cure of the incredulous Apostle. When He yielded and all of them brought the news to Mary, their Mistress and Lady, She confirmed them in their faith, at the same time admonishing and correcting them. She told them to give thanks to the Most High for this blessing, and to be constant in temptation, since all were subject to the danger of falling. Many other sweet words of correction, instruction and warning did She add, preparing them for what was yet to be done in the establishment of the new Church.

The apparition of the Lord at the sea of Tiberias. J-J Tissot

779. There were other apparitions and doings of the Lord, as the Evangelist saint John gives us to understand; but only those are mentioned, which suffice to establish the fact of the Resurrection. The same Evangelist describes the apparition of the Lord at the sea of Tiberias to saint Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples, which, as it is so mysterious, I thought I ought not pass over unmentioned in this chapter. The apparition happened in the following manner: the Apostles, after the above events in Jerusalem, betook themselves to Galilee; for the Lord had so commanded them and had promised, that they should there see Him. Saint Peter, happening to be with the seven Apostles and disciples on the shores of that sea, proposed that they pass the time in fishing, as that was his trade. All of them accompanied him and they spent the night in casting out their nets; but they caught not a single fish. In the morning our Saviour Jesus appeared on the bank without making Himself known. He was near the boat on which they were fishing and He asked them:

"Have you something to eat?" 

They answered:

"We have nothing." 

The Lord replied:

"Throw out your net on the right side, and you shall make a catch." 

They complied and their net became so filled, that they could not lift it into the boat. This miracle caused saint John to recognize the Lord Christ, and going nearer to saint Peter, he said:

"It is the Lord who speaks to us from the bank." 

Then saint Peter likewise recognized Jesus; and immediately seized with his accustomed fervour, he hastily girded himself with the tunic, which he had laid off, and cast himself into the sea, walking on the waters to the Master of life, while the others followed in their boat.


780. They sprang ashore and found that the Lord had already prepared for them a meal; for they saw a fire and upon its glimmering ashes bread and a fish. The Lord however told them to bring some of those they had caught. Saint Peter then drew out the catch and found, that they had secured one hundred and fifty-three fishes; and that even with that great number the net had not been torn. The Lord commanded them to eat. Although He was so familiar and affable in his behavior to them, no one ventured to ask who He was; for the miracles and the majesty of the Lord filled them with great reverence. He divided among them the fish and the bread. As soon as they had finished eating, He turned to saint Peter and said to him:

"Simon, son of John, dost thou love Me more than these do?" 

Saint Peter answered:

"Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee." 

The Lord replied:

"Feed my lambs." 

Immediately He asked again:

"Simon, son of John, dost thou love me?" 

Saint Peter gave the same answer:

"Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee." 

And the Lord put the same question the third time:

"Simon, son of John, lovest thou me?" 

At this third repetition Peter grieved and answered:

"Lord, Thou knowest all things, and also that I love Thee." 

Christ our Saviour then answered the third time:

"Feed my sheep." 

By these words he made Peter the sole head of his only and universal Church, giving him the supreme vicarious authority over all men. On this account He had questioned him so often concerning his love, as if that alone could make him capable of the supreme dignity, and of itself sufficed for its worthy exercise.



781. Then the Lord intimated to him the duties of the office He had given him and said:

"Truly I assure thee, that when thou art old, thou shalt not gird thyself as now, nor shalt thou go where thou listest; for another shall gird thee and lead thee where thou wouldst not." 

Saint Peter understood, that the Lord held in store for him the death of the cross in which he was to imitate and follow his Lord. But as saint John was so beloved, Peter was desirous of knowing what would become of him, and he asked the Saviour:

"And what shalt Thou do with this one so beloved by Thee?"

The Lord answered:

"What is it to thee to know this? If I desire that he remain thus until I come again to the world, it will be in my hands. Follow thou Me, and do not concern thyself with what I desire to do with him." 

On account of these words a report was spread among the Apostles, that John was not to die. But the Evangelist himself remarks, that Christ had not said positively, he should not die, as is plain from the words, but He seems to have expressly desired to conceal his will concerning the death of the Evangelist, reserving this secret to Himself at that time. The most holy Mary, by her clear intuition so often mentioned, had a full intelligence of all these mysteries and apparitions of the Lord. Being the archive of the works of the Lord and the treasure house of the mysteries of his Church, She preserved and conferred them within her own most prudent and chaste heart. The Apostles, and especially her new son John, informed Her of all that happened to them. The great Lady persevered in her retirement for the forty days after the Resurrection and there enjoyed the sight of her divine Son and of the angels and saints. They in turn sang hymns to the Lord, which She composed; and the angels as it were gathered them from her mouth, celebrating the glories and the virtues of the Lord.

INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN, MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.

782.

My daughter, the instruction which I shall give thee in this chapter shall be also an answer to thy desire of knowing why my divine Son appeared at one time as a gardener, at another as a stranger, and why He did not always make Himself known at first sight. Know then, my dearest, that the Marys and the Apostles, although they were followers of Christ and at that time privileged and perfect in comparison with the rest of men; yet they had withal arrived only at a low degree of perfection and holiness and not far enough advanced in the school of their Master. They were weak in faith and in other virtues; they were less constant and fervent than was due to their vocation and to the graces they had received. The little faults in souls favoured and chosen for the friendship and familiar intercourse with God weigh more in the scales of his most righteous equity, than some great ones in other souls not selected for these privileges. Hence, although the Apostles and the Marys were friends of the Saviour, yet, on account of their faults and their weaknesses, their lukewarm and faltering love, they were not prepared for the immediate effects of the full knowledge and presence of their Master. In this paternal love He therefore created in them the proper dispositions by enlightening them and enkindling them with words of eternal life before He manifested Himself to them. When their hearts had been thus prepared by faith and love, He made known and communicated to them the abundance of his Divinity together with other admirable gifts and graces by which they were renewed and raised above themselves. When they had enjoyed his favours, He again disappeared, in order that they might desire so much the more earnestly the sweetness of his communications and intercourse. This was the secret of his appearing in disguise to Magdalen, to the Apostles, and to the disciples at Emmaus. The same course He pursues respectively with many other souls, whom He chooses for intimate converse and communication.

783.

By the consideration of these admirable tactics of divine Providence thou wilt be instructed and reprehended for the doubts and incredulity with which thou hast so often met the divine blessings and favors of my Son. Thou wilt learn that it is time thou moderate thy constant fears, lest thou pass from doubt to obstinacy and to slowness of heart in giving thanks. Thou wilt also draw a very useful lesson if thou worthily contemplate, how quickly the immense charity of the Most High responds to those who are contrite and humble of heart (Ps. 33, 19), and how ready He is, immediately to assist those who seek Him in love, who meditate and speak of his Passion and Death (Wis. 6, 13). All this thou seest well exemplified in saint Peter, Mary Magdalen and in the disciples. Imitate then, my dearest, the fervour of Magdalen in search for her Master, who did not permit herself to be diverted even by the angels, or leave the sepulchre with the others, or rest until she found Him so full of sweetness and kindness. This she also earned by having accompanied Me through all the Passion with an ardent and unfaltering heart. Similar was also the conduct of the other Marys, who thus merited before so many others the joys of the Resurrection. Next to them the humility and contrition of saint Peter in bewailing his denial, secured the same reward; immediately the Lord bent down to console him and commissioned the women to tell especially him of his Resurrection and shortly after, He visited him, confirmed him in faith and filled him with joy and the gifts of grace. Then before appearing to others, He showed Himself to the two disciples, because, although in doubt, they were conversing regretfully of his Death. I assure thee, my daughter, that none of the works of men done with a good intention and righteous heart, shall remain without an immediate reward. For neither fire will in its greatest intensity so quickly consume the driest tow, nor will a stone, freed from hindrance, so quickly fall to its centre, nor the waves of the sea rush on with so great an impulse and force, as the goodness of the Most High and his grace to those souls, who are well disposed and have cleared away the hindrances of sin. This is a truth which causes the greatest wonder in the saints, who are made aware of it in heaven. Praise Him for this goodness and also for his drawing vast good out of evil, as He did out of the incredulity of the Apostles. For through it He manifested his mercy to them and has made his Resurrection plain to all men, and evident his kindness in pardoning the Apostles. He showed his willingness to forget their faults, his readiness to seek them and appear to them, dealing humanely with them as a father, enlightening them and instructing them according to their needs and the weakness of their faith.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam 

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR AND HIS APPARITION TO HIS MOST BLESSED MOTHER

The following post is taken from:

The City of God : The Divine History and Life of the Virgin Mother of God

Written by la Venerable Madre Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda (1602-1665)

Part II: The Transfixion,, Book VI

CHAPTER XXVI: THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR AND HIS APPARITION TO HIS MOST BLESSED MOTHER IN COMPANY WITH THE HOLY FATHERS OF LIMBO

755. The divine soul of Christ our Redeemer remained in limbo from half past three of Friday afternoon, until after three of the Sunday morning following. During this hour He returned to the Sepulchre as the victorious Prince of the angels and of the saints, whom He had delivered from those nether prisons as spoils of his victory and as an earnest of his glorious triumph over the chastised and prostrate rebels of hell. In the sepulchre were many angels as its guard, venerating the sacred body united to the Divinity. Some of them, obeying the command of their Queen and Mistress, had gathered the relics of the sacred blood shed by her divine Son, the particles of flesh scattered about, the hair torn from his divine face and head, and all else that belonged to the perfection and integrity of his most sacred humanity. On these the Mother of prudence lavished her solicitous care. The angels took charge of these relics, each one filled with joy at being privileged to hold the particles, which he was able to secure. Before any change was made, the body of the Redeemer was shown to the holy Fathers, in the same wounded, lacerated and disfigured state in which it was left by the cruelty of the Jews. Beholding Him thus disfigured in death, the Patriarchs and Prophets and other saints adored Him and again confessed Him as the incarnate Word, who had truly taken upon Himself our infirmities and sorrows (Is. 53, 4) and paid abundantly our debts, satisfying in his innocence and guiltlessness for what we ourselves owed to the justice of the eternal Father. There did our first parents Adam and Eve see the havoc wrought by their disobedience, the priceless remedy it necessitated, the immense goodness and mercy of the Redeemer. As they felt the effects of his copious Redemption in the glory of their souls, they praised anew the Omnipotent and Saint of saints, who had with such marvelous wisdom wrought such a salvation.


756. Then, in the presence of all those saints, through the ministry of those angels, were united to the sacred body all the relics, which they had gathered, restoring it to its natural perfection and integrity. In the same moment the most holy soul reunited with the body, giving it immortal life and glory. Instead of the winding-sheets and the ointments, in which it had been buried, it was clothed with the four gifts of glory, namely: with clearness, impassibility, agility and subtility (John 19, 40). These gifts overflowed from the immense glory of the soul of Christ into the sacred body. Although these gifts were due to it as a natural inheritance and participation from the instant of its conception, because from that very moment his soul was glorified and his whole humanity was united to the Divinity; yet they had been suspended in their effects upon the purest body, in order to permit it to remain passible and capable of meriting for us our own glory. In the Resurrection these gifts were justly called into activity in the proper degree corresponding to the glory of his soul and to his union with the Divinity. As the glory of the most holy soul of Christ our Saviour is in comprehensible and ineffable to man, it is also impossible entirely to describe in our words or by our examples the glorious gifts of his deified body; for in comparison to its purity, crystal would be obscure. The light inherent and shining forth from his body so far exceeds that of the others, as the day does the night, or as many suns the light of one star; and all the beauty of creatures, if it were joined, would appear ugliness in comparison with his, nothing else being comparable to it in all creation.


757. The excellence of these gifts in the Resurrection were far beyond the glory of His Transfiguration or that manifested on other occasions of the kind mentioned in this history. For on these occasions He received it transitorily and for special purposes, while now He received it in plenitude and forever. Through impassibility his body became invincible to all created power, since no power can ever move or change Him. By subtility the gross and earthly matter was so purified, that it could now penetrate other matter like a pure spirit. Accordingly He penetrated through the rocks of the sepulchre without removing or displacing them, just as He had issued forth from the womb of his most blessed Mother. Agility so freed Him from the weight and slowness of matter, that it exceeded the agility of the immaterial angels, while He himself could move about more quickly than they, as shown in his apparitions to the Apostles and on other occasions. The sacred wounds, which had disfigured his body, now shone forth from his hands and feet and side so refulgent and brilliant, that they added a most entrancing beauty and charm. In all this glory and heavenly adornment the Saviour now arose from the grave; and in the presence of the saints and Patriarchs He promised universal resurrection in their own flesh and body to all men, and that they moreover, as an effect of his own Resurrection, should be similarly glorified. As an earnest and as a pledge of the universal resurrection, the Lord commanded the souls of many saints there present to reunite with their bodies and rise up to immortal life. Immediately this divine command was executed, and their bodies arose, as is mentioned by saint Matthew, in anticipation of this mystery (Matthew 27, 52). Among them was saint Anne, saint Joseph and saint Joachim, and others of the ancient Fathers and Patriarchs, who had distinguished themselves in the faith and hope of the Incarnation, and had desired and prayed for it with greater earnestness to the Lord. As a reward for their zeal, the resurrection and glory of their bodies was now anticipated.


758. 0 how powerful and wonderful, how victorious and strong, appeared even now this Lion of Juda, the son of David! None ever woke from sleep so quickly as Christ from death (Ps. 3, 4). At his imperious voice the dry and scattered bones of the ancient dead were joined together, and the flesh, which had long ago turned to dust, was united to the bones, renewed their former life, and adorned by the gifts of glory communicated to it by the life-restoring soul. In one instant all these saints gathered around their Saviour, more refulgent and brilliant than the sun, pure, transparent, beauteous and agile, fit to follow Him everywhere and by their own good fortune they now confirmed the prophecy of Job, that, in our own flesh and with our own eyes, and not with those of others, we shall see our Redeemer for our consolation (Job 19, 26). Of all these mysteries the great Queen of heaven was aware and She participated in them from her retreat in the Cenacle. In the same instant in which the most holy soul of Christ entered and gave life to his body the joy of her immaculate soul, which I mentioned in the foregoing chapter as being restrained and, as it were, withheld, overflowed into her immaculate body. And this overflow was so exquisite in its effects, that She was transformed from sorrow to joy, from pain to delight. from grief to ineffable jubilation and rest. It happened that just at this time the Evangelist John, as he had done on the previous morning, stepped in to visit Her and console Her in her bitter solitude, and thus unexpectedly, in the midst of splendor and glory, met Her, whom he had before scarcely recognized on account of her overwhelming sorrow. The Apostle now beheld Her with wonder and deepest reverence and concluded that the Lord had risen, since His blessed Mother was thus transfigured with joy.


759. In this new joy and under the divine influences of her supernatural vision the great Lady began to prepare Herself for the visit of the Lord, which was near at hand. While eliciting acts of praise, and in her canticles and prayers, She immediately felt within Her a new kind of jubilation and celestial delight, reaching far beyond the first joy, and corresponding in a wonderful manner to the sorrows and tribulations She had undergone in the Passion; and this new favour was different and much more exalted than the joys overflowing naturally from her soul into her body. Moreover She perceived within Herself another, third and still more different effect, implying new divine favours. Namely She felt infused into her being the heavenly light heralding the advent of beatific vision, which I will not here explain, since I have descanted on it in the first part (Part I, No. 620). I merely add here, that the Queen, on this occasion, received these divine influences more abundantly and in a more exalted degree; for now the Passion of Christ had gone before and She had acquired the merits of this Passion. Hence the consolations from the hands of her divine Son corresponded to the multitude of her sorrows.


760. The blessed Mary being thus prepared, Christ our Saviour, arisen and glorious, in the company of all the Saints and Patriarchs, made his appearance. The ever humble Queen prostrated Herself upon the ground and adored her divine Son; and the Lord raised Her up and drew Her to Himself. In this contact, which was more intimate than the contact with the humanity and the wounds of the Saviour sought by Magdalen, the Virgin Mother participated in an extraordinary favour, which She alone, as exempt from sin, could merit. Although it was not the greatest of the favours She attained on this occasion, yet She could not have received it without failing of her faculties, if She had not been previously strengthened by the angels and by the Lord himself. This favour was, that the glorious body of the Son so closely united itself to that of his purest Mother, that He penetrated into it or She into his, as when, for instance, a crystal globe takes up within itself the light of the sun and is saturated with the splendor and beauty of its light. In the same way the body of the most holy Mary entered into that of her divine Son by this heavenly embrace; it was, as it were, the portal of her intimate knowledge concerning the glory of the most holy soul and body of her Lord. As a consequence of these favours, constituting higher and higher degrees of ineffable gifts, the spirit of the Virgin Mother rose to the knowledge of the most hidden sacraments. In the midst of them She heard a voice saying to Her:

"My beloved, ascend higher !" (Luke 18, 10). 

By the power of these words She was entirely transformed and saw the Divinity clearly and intuitively, wherein She found complete, though only temporary, rest and reward for all her sorrows and labours. Silence alone here is proper, since reason and language are entirely inadequate to comprehend or express what passed in the blessed Mary during this beatific vision, the highest She had until then enjoyed. Let us celebrate this day in wonder and praise, with congratulations and loving and humble thanks for what She then merited for us, and for her exaltation and joy.


761. For some hours the heavenly Princess continued to enjoy the essence of God with her divine Son, participating now in his triumph as She had in his torments. Then by similar degrees She again descended from this vision and found Herself in the end reclining on the right arm of the most sacred humanity and regaled in other ways by the right hand of his Divinity (Cant. 2, 6). She held sweetest converse with her Son concerning the mysteries of his Passion and of his glory. In these conferences She was again inebriated with the wine of love and charity, which now She drank unmeasured from the original fount. All that a mere creature can receive was conferred upon the blessed Mary on this occasion; for, according to our way of conceiving such things, the divine equity wished to compensate the injury (thus I must call it, because I cannot find a more proper word), which a Creature so pure and immaculate had undergone in suffering the sorrows and torments of the Passion. For, as I have mentioned many times before, She suffered the same pains as her Son, and now in this mystery She was inundated with a proportionate joy and delight.


762. Then, still remaining in her exalted state, the great Lady turned to the holy Patriarchs and all the just, recognizing them and speaking to each in succession, praising the Almighty in his liberal mercy to each one of them. She was filled with an especial delight in speaking to her parents, saint Joachim and Anne, with her spouse, saint Joseph, with saint John the Baptist, and with them She conversed more particularly than with the Patriarchs and Prophets and with the first parents, Adam and Eve. All of them prostrated themselves before the heavenly Lady, acknowledging Her as the Mother of the Redeemer of the world, as the cause of their rescue and the Coadjutrix of their Redemption. The divine wisdom impelled them thus to venerate and honour Her. But the Queen of all virtues and the Mistress of Humility prostrated Herself on the ground and reverenced the saints according to their due. This the Lord permitted because the saints, although they were inferior in grace, were superior in their state of blessedness, endowed with imperishable and eternal glory, while the Mother of grace was yet in mortal life and a pilgrim and had not as yet assumed the state of fruition. The presence of Christ our Saviour continued during all the conference of Mary with the holy Fathers. The most blessed Mary invited all the angels and saints there present to praise the Victor over death, sin and hell. Whereupon all sang new songs, psalms, hymns of glory and magnificence, until the hour arrived, when the risen Saviour was to appear in other places, as I shall relate in the following chapter.

INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT LADY, MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME

763.

My daughter, rejoice in thy very anxiety of not being able to explain in words what thy interior faculties perceive concerning the exalted mysteries recorded in thy writing. To acknowledge oneself conquered by such sovereign sacraments as these must be looked upon as a victory for creatures, and as redounding to the glory of God; and in mortal flesh still more so. I felt the pains of my divine Son, and, although I did not lose my life, I endured the agonies of death mysteriously; therefore I experienced in myself also this wonderful and mystical resurrection to a most exalted state of grace and activity. The essence of God is infinite; and although the creature can participate in it so highly, yet there remains much to understand, love and enjoy. In order that now thou mayest by the help of thy understanding trace something of the glory of Christ my Son, of my own and of the saints, I wish to give thee some rules, by which thou canst pass on from the consideration of the gifts of the glorified body to those of the soul. Thou already knowest that the gifts of the soul are vision, comprehension and fruition, while thou hast already mentioned those of the body as being: clearness, impassibility, subtility and agility.

764.

Each of these gifts are correspondingly augmented in him who in the state of grace performs the least meritorious work, even if it be no more than removing a straw or giving a cup of water for the love of God (Matth. 10, 42). For each of the most insignificant works the creature gains an increase of these gifts; an increase of clearness exceeding many times the sunlight and added to its state of blessedness; an increase of impassibility, by which man recedes from human and earthly corruption farther than what all created efforts and strength could ever effect in resisting or separating itself from such infirmity or changefulness; an increase of subtility, by which he advances beyond all that could offer it resistance and gains new power of penetration; an increase of agility, surpassing all the activity of birds, of winds, and all other active creatures, such as fire and the elements tending to their centre. From this increase of the gifts of the body merited by good works, thou wilt understand the augmentation of the gifts of the soul; for those of the body are derived from those of the soul and correspond with them. In the beatific vision each merit secures greater clearness and insight into the divine attributes and perfections than that acquired by all the doctors and enlightened members of the Church. Likewise the gift of apprehension, or possession of the divine Object, is augmented; for the security of the possession of the highest and infinite Good makes the tranquillity and rest of its enjoyment more estimable than if the soul possessed all that is precious and rich, desirable and worthy of attainment in all creation, even if possessed all at one time. Fruition, the third gift of the soul, on account of the love with which man performs the smallest acts, so exalts the degrees of fruitional love, that the greatest love of men here on earth can never be compared thereto; nor can the delight resulting therefrom ever be compared with all the delights of this mortal life.

765.

Elevate therefore now thy thoughts, my daughter, and from these wonderful rewards, gained by one little deed done for God, consider what shall be the lot of the saints, who for the love of God have performed such heroic and magnificent works, and have suffered such cruel torments and martyrdom as are known in the Church of Christ. And if these things happen in mere men, subject to faults and imperfections that retard merit, imagine, as far as thou canst, the exaltation of my divine Son. Then thou wilt feel how limited is human capacity, especially in mortal life, to comprehend worthily this mystery and to conceive in a becoming manner such greatness. The most holy soul of my Lord was united substantially to the Divinity and on account of this hypostatic union the ocean of his Divinity necessarily communicated Itself to his divine and human personality, beatifying it as participating in the very essence of God in an ineffable manner. Although his glory depended not on merits, since it was given to Him as consequent upon the hypostatical union from the first instant of his conception in my womb; yet the works of the thirty-three years of his life, his being born in poverty, living in labour, loving as a pilgrim, operating in all the virtues, redeeming the human race, founding the Church and the doctrines of the faith: all this demanded, that the glory of his body be measured by that of his soul. And therefore his greatness is ineffable and immense, to be manifested only in eternal life. In connection with the magnificent exaltation of my divine Son, the right hand of the Almighty wrought also in me effects proportionate to a mere creature, and in them I forgot all the tribulations and sorrows of the Passion. Similar was the lot of the Fathers of limbo and the other saints, when they received their rewards. I forgot the bitterness and labours I had suffered; for the great joy drove out pain, though I never lost from view what my Son had suffered for the human race.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam 

This is the day which the Lord hath made

From Dominica Resurrectionis

Alleluia

Allelúia, allelúia.
Ps. 117:24; 117:1

Hæc dies, quam fecit Dóminus: exsultémus et lætémur in ea.

V. Confitémini Dómino, quóniam bonus: quóniam in sǽculum misericórdia eius. Allelúia, allelúia.
1 Cor 5:7

V. Pascha nostrum immolátus est Christus.

Sequentia

Agnus rédemit oves. J-J Tissot

Víctimæ pascháli laudes ímmolent Christiáni.
Agnus rédemit oves: Christus ínnocens Patri reconciliávit peccatóres.
Mors et vita duéllo conflixére mirándo: dux vitæ mórtuus regnat vivus.
Dic nobis, María, quid vidísti in via?
Sepúlcrum Christi vivéntis et glóriam vidi resurgéntis.
Angélicos testes, sudárium et vestes.
Surréxit Christus, spes mea: præcédet vos in Galilǽam.
Scimus Christum surrexísse a mórtuis vere: tu nobis, victor Rex, miserére. Amen. Allelúia.
Sequentia dicitur usque ad Sabbatum in Albis inclusive.



Alleluia

Alleluia, alleluia
Ps. 117:24; 117:1

This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us rejoice and be glad in it.

V. Give praise unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever. Alleluia, alleluia.
1 Cor. 5. 7
V. Christ our Pasch is immolated.

Sequentia

Christians! to the Paschal Victim offer your thankful praises.
The Lamb the sheep redeemeth: Christ, who only is sinless, reconcileth sinners to the Father.
Death and life contended in that conflict stupendous: the Prince of Life, who died, deathless reigneth.
Speak, Mary, declaring what thou sawest wayfaring.
"The tomb of Christ who now liveth: and likewise the glory of the Risen.
Bright Angels attesting, the shroud and napkin resting.
Yea, Christ my hope is arisen: to Galilee He goeth before you."
We know that Christ is risen, henceforth ever living: Have mercy, Victor King, pardon giving. Amen. Alleluia.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam 

Stabat Mater dolorosa : Good Friday 2020

This post contains the text in Latin and English of Stabat Mater dolorosa.

Here is a link to a sung version from the Militia Immaculatae website.

STABAT Mater dolorosa
iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.

AT, the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.

Cuius animam gementem,
contristatam et dolentem
pertransivit gladius.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.

O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta,
mater Unigeniti!

O how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother, highly blest,
of the sole-begotten One.


Quae maerebat et dolebat,
pia Mater, dum videbat
nati poenas inclyti.

Christ above in torment hangs,
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying glorious Son.

Quis est homo qui non fleret,
matrem Christi si videret
in tanto supplicio?

Is there one who would not weep,
whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?

Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari
dolentem cum Filio?

Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother's pain untold?

Pro peccatis suae gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender Child
All with bloody scourges rent:

Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriendo desolatum,
dum emisit spiritum.

For the sins of His own nation,
saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.

Eia, Mater, fons amoris
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.

O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord:

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
in amando Christum Deum
ut sibi complaceam.

Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ my Lord.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
crucifixi fige plagas
cordi meo valide.

Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified:

Tui Nati vulnerati,
tam dignati pro me pati,
poenas mecum divide.

Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all my sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.

Fac me tecum pie flere,
crucifixo condolere,
donec ego vixero.

Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live:

Iuxta Crucem tecum stare,
et me tibi sociare
in planctu desidero.

By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgo virginum praeclara,
mihi iam non sis amara,
fac me tecum plangere.



Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
passionis fac consortem,
et plagas recolere.

Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.

Fac me plagis vulnerari,
fac me Cruce inebriari,
et cruore Filii.

Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned,
in His very Blood away;

Flammis ne urar succensus,
per te, Virgo, sim defensus
in die iudicii.



Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
da per Matrem me venire
ad palmam victoriae.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
by Thy Mother my defense,
by Thy Cross my victory;

Quando corpus morietur,
fac, ut animae donetur
paradisi gloria. Amen.

While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Preces Stationum : Prayers for the Stations

Foreword

The text of the Stations of the Cross that I have posted below is reproduced courtesy of Michael Martin's excellent site: Thesaurus Precum Latinarum which I urge all readers to visit. I have added illustrations by J-J Tissot, reproduced with permission from the Brooklyn Museum.

Michael Martin supplies the following comments on the history of the text used:

''The text of this devotion is very Scriptural and liturgical, much more so than many more recent texts of the Stations, which are usually more meditational than purely prayerful such as this one. The text below draws extensively from the Good Friday Liturgy (Improperia/Reproaches) and Scripture, particularly the Psalms and the Book of Lamentations.Except for Stations XIII and XIV, the Latin text below appears in the 1741 edition of the Coeleste Palmetum. Like the 1584 edition of Adrichomius' text on the Stations, this 1741 edition of the Coeleste Palmetum contains only the first twelve of our traditional Stations of the Cross. It was not until 1731 that Pope Clement XII fixed the number at fourteen and established what we have today as the Stations of the Cross. It is thus clear that this Latin text predates Pope Clement's decree, and is likely to have its origins in Adrichomius' 1584 text. Nineteenth century editions of the Coeleste Palmetum include the full fourteen stations as decreed by Pope Clement. The text below contains the full set of fourteen and comes from the 1741 edition and later editions which supply the missing two stations. The English comes from the 1870 edition of the Golden Manual, which contains the full fourteen stations.''

Oratio praeparatoria

Preparatory prayer


SUSCIPE, Sancta Trinitas, hoc servitutis meae obsequium, quod ad divinae Maiestatis tuae gloriam, et recognitionem redemptionis nostrae, pro satisfactione peccatorum meorum ad impetrandam defunctis requiem, vivisque gratiam, omnibus gloriam offero, in unione meritorum Domini nostri Iesu Christi, Beatae Virginis Mariae et omnium Sanctorum. Tibi laus, honor, et gloria, o beata Trinitas, in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

RECEIVE, O holy Trinity, this my dutiful service, which I offer unto Thee in union with the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin, and of all the Saints, to the glory of thy divine majesty, in satisfaction for my sins, in remembrance of our redemption, and to obtain for the departed rest, for the living grace, and for all everlasting glory. To Thee be praise, and honor, and glory, O blessed Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.

V. Deus in adiutorium meum intende.
R. Domine ad adiuvandum me festina.

V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

I Statio : Ubi Christus morti adiudicatur

First Station : Where Christ Is Condemned to Death

Christ Is Condemned to Death. J-J Tissot

Iniquum hoc iudicium lubens ille subiit, ut te ab aeterna damnationis sententia absolveret.
He willingly submitted to that unjust judgment, that he might deliver thee from the sentence of everlasting damnation.

Ant. Dixerunt impii apud se non recte cogitantes: circumveniamus iustum, quoniam contrarius est operibus nostris: promittit se scientiam Dei habere, Filium Dei se nominat; videamus si sermones illius veri sunt, et si est vere Filius Dei, liberet eum de manibus nostris: morte turpissima condemnemus eum.

Ant. The wicked have said, reasoning with themselves, but not rightly : Let us lie in wait for the just, for he is contrary to our doing: he boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth God his Father. Let us see if his words be true. If he be indeed the Son of God, he will deliver him out of our hands. Let us condemn him to a most shameful death.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Proprio Filio suo non pepercit Deus.
R. Sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum.

V. God spared not His own Son
R. But delivered Him up for us all.

V. Oblatus est quia ipse voluit.
R. Et non aperuit os suum,

V. He was offered up, because He himself desired it.
R. And He opened not His mouth.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus:

DOMINE Iesu Christe, qui de caelis ad terram de sinu Patris descendisti, et sanguinem tuum pretiosum in remissionem peccatorum nostrorum fudisti: te humiliter deprecamur, ut in die iudicii ad dexteram tuam audire mereamur: VENITE BENEDICTI. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Let us pray:

O LORD Jesus Christ, who out of the bosom of the Father didst descend from heaven to earth, and didst shed Thy most precious blood for the remission of our sins; we humbly beseech Thee, that in the day of judgment we may be found worthy to stand at Thy right hand, and to hear Thee say unto us, "Come, ye blessed." Thou, who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

[Omittuntur in Golden Manual:
Omitted in the Golden Manual:]

V. Sanctus Deus, sanctus fortis, sanctus immortalis.
R. Miserere nobis

V. Holy God, Holy Strong One, Holy Immortal One.
R. Have mercy upon us

V. Benedicamus Domino
R. Deo gratias.

V. Let us bless the Lord
R. Thanks be to God.

V. Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace.
R. Amen.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace through the mercy of God.
R. Amen.

II Statio : Ubi Christo Crux imponitur

Second Station : Where the cross is laid upon Christ

Christ bearing His Cross. J-J Tissot

Supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt peccatores. (Ps. 128)
"The wicked have wrought upon my back." (Ps.128)

Ant. Ave Rex noster, tu solus nostros es miseratus errores, Patri oboediens ductus es ad crucifigendum, ut agnus mansuetus ad occisionem. Tibi gloria Hosanna: tibi triumphus et victoria: tibi summae laudis et honoris corona.

Ant. Hail, our King! Thou only hadst pity on our sins, and wast led, in obedience to Thy Father, to be crucified, and as a gentle lamb to the slaughter. To Thee be glory, Hosanna; to Thee be triumph and victory; to Thee the crown of highest praise and honor.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Disciplina pacis nostrae super eum.
R. Et livore eius sanati sumus.

V. The chastisement of our peace was upon him.
R. And by his bruises we are healed.

V. Posuit in eo Dominus iniquitatem omnium nostrum.
R. Propter scelus populi sui percussit eum.

V. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
R. For the wickedness of his people hath he struck him.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

III Statio : Ubi primum Christus sub Cruce cecidit

Third Station : Where Christ falls the first time under the cross

 Christ falls under the cross. J-J Tissot

Quantum pondus est peccatorum nostrorum, cui ille succubuit, quia omnia portat verbo virtutis suae.

How great must be the weight of our sins, under which He fell. For he bears all things by the word of His power!

Ant. Humiliavit semetipsum Dominus noster Iesus Christus usque ad mortem, mortem autem Crucis, propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum et donavit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen.

Ant. Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross; for which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Vere languores nostros ipse portavit
R. Et dolores nostros ipse portavit.

V. Surely he hath born our infirmities.
R. And carried our sorrows.

V. Ipse vulneratus est propter iniquitates nostras.
R. Attritus est propter scelera nostra.

V. He was branded for our iniquities.
R. He was bruised for our sins.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

IV Statio : Ubi Beata Virgo cum Sancto Ioanne obviat Christo

Fourth Station : Where the Blessed Virgin and St. John meet Christ

The Blessed Virgin and St. John meet Christ. J-J Tissot

Quam acerbo doloris gladio cor matris, et cor amantissimi discipuli vulneratum fuerit ad hunc Iesu conspectum! Quem in te compassionis dolorem sentis.

Oh, how sharp a sword of grief must have pierced the heart of his Mother, and of his loving disciple, when they met Jesus thus! Dost thou, too, share with them their sorrow and grief?

Ant. O vos omnes, qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte, si est dolor sicut dolor meus. Idcirco ego plorans, et oculus meus deducens aquas, quia longe factus est a me consolator, convertens animam meam. Defecerunt prae lacrimis oculi mei: conturbata sunt omnia viscera mea: effusum est in terra iecur meum, super contritione filii mei, quoniam praevaluit inimicus.

Ant. Oh, all ye that pass by, attend and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow: therefore do I weep, and my eyes run down with water, because the Comforter, the relief of my soul, is far from me. My eyes have failed for weeping, my bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me; for the desolation of my Son. because the enemy hath prevailed.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Magna est velut mare contritio tua.
R. Quis medebitur tui?

V. Great as the sea of thy grief.
R. Who shall heal thee?

V. Tuam ipsius animam doloris gladius pertransivit.
R. Ut revelentur ex multis cordibus cogitationes.

V. A sword of grief hath pierced thine own soul.
R. That out of many hearts thought may be revealed.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...
Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

V Statio : Ubi Simoni Cyrenaeo Crux imponitur

Fifth Station : Where the cross is laid upon Simon of Cyrene

The cross is laid upon Simon of Cyrene. J-J Tissot

Coactus hic Crucem post Iesum portavit, quanto merito portasset sponte! Quae tua est promptitudo ad ferendam crucem Christi?

This man was compelled to carry the cross after Jesus. How great an honor to have carried it willingly! Art thou ready to bear the cross of Christ?

Ant. Nos autem gloriari oportet in Cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi, in quo est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra, per quem salvati et liberati sumus.

Ant. It behooveth us to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, who is our life and resurrection, and through whom we are saved and delivered.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Mihi autem absit gloriari, nisi in Cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi.
R. Per quem mihi mundus crucifixus est et ego mundo.

V. God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

V. Crux fidelis inter omnes, arbor una nobilis.
R. Nulla silva talem profert, fronde, flore, germine.

V. O faithful cross, thou peerless tree!
R. No forest yields the like of thee, leaf, flower, or bud.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

VI Statio : Ubi Veronica Christo obviat

Sixth Station : Where Christ is met by Veronica

Christ is met by Veronica. J-J Tissot

Quam illa praeclarum speculum a Christo obtinuit! in hoc te semper contemplare.

How excellent a mirror did Veronica obtain in the image of the face of Christ! Do thou ever contemplate thyself in that mirror.

Ant. Ecce vidimus eum non habentem speciem neque decorem, despectum et novissimum virorum virum dolorum et scientem infirmitatem, et quasi absconditus vultus eius, unde nec reputavimus eum. Inglorius est inter viros aspectus eius, et forma eius inter filios hominum. Ipse autem est speciosus forma prae filiis hominum, cuius livore sanati sumus.

Ant. Behold, we have seen him without beauty or comeliness, despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with infirmity, and his look was as it were hidden and despised; whereupon we esteemed him not. His appearance is without honor among the living, and his beauty among the sons of men; yet he is beautiful above all the children of men; by whose bruises we are healed.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Domine Deus virtutum converte nos.
R. Et ostende faciem tuam, et salvi erimus.

V. O Lord God of Hosts, turn to us.
R. Show us thy face, and we shall be saved.

V. Ne avertas faciem tuam a nobis.
R. Et ne declines in ira a servis tuis.

V. Turn not away thy face from us.
R. Nor leave thy servants in thy anger.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

VII Statio : Ubi Christus sub iudiciaria porta cecidit

Seventh Station : Where Christ falls down at the gate of judgment

Quomodo tu in iudicio extremo subsistes?

How wilt thou be able to stand before him in the day of judgment?

Ant. Tradiderunt me in manus impiorum et inter iniquos proiecerunt me, et non pepercerunt animae meae. Congregati sunt adversum me fortes et sicut gigantes steterunt contra me terribilibus oculis intuentes et plaga crudeli percutientes subsannaverunt me.

Ant. They delivered me into the hands of the ungodly, and thrust me among the wicked, and did not spare my soul. The strong men gathered themselves against me, and stood over me like giants, gazing upon me with fierce looks; and beating me with cruel stripes, they mocked me.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Ego autem sum vermis et non homo.
R. Opprobrium hominum et abiectio plebis.

V. But I am a worm, and no man.
R. The scorn of men, and the outcast of people.

V. Omnes videntes me deriserunt me.
R. Locuti sunt labiis et moverunt caput.

V. All they that see me laugh at me.
R. They spoke against me with their lips, and wagged their heads.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

VIII Statio : Ubi mulieres Christum deplorant

Eighth Station : Where the women lament over Christ

The women lament over Christ. J-J Tissot

Ubi sunt lacrimae tuae, quibus sola peccata tua, nullam vero alium rei temporalis iacturam defleas?

Where are tears with which thou dost bewail thy sins, rather than the loss of an earthly good?

Ant. Filiae Ierusalem, nolite flere super me, sed super vos ipsas flere, et super filios vestros. Quoniam ecce venient dies in quibus dicent: beatae steriles, et ventres quae non genuerunt, et ubera, quae non lactaverunt. Tunc incipient dicere montibus: cadite super nos; et collibus, operite nos. Quia si in viridi ligno haec faciunt, in arido quid fiet?

Ant. Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For, behold, the days shall come in which they say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the paps that have not given suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall upon us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry?

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Spiritus oris nostri Christus Dominus.
R. Captus est in peccatis nostris.

V. The breath of our nostrils, Christ the Lord,
R. Is taken in our sins.

V. Cecidit corona capitis nostris.
R. Vae nobis quia peccavimus.

V. The crown of our head hath fallen.
R. Woe unto us, for we have sinned.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

IX Statio : Ubi ultimo cecidit ad Montem Calvariae

Ninth Station : Christ falls for the last time at mount Calvary

Quoties peccatis nostris Christus opprimitur?

Oh, how often is Christ pressed down by the weight of our sins!

Ant. Popule meus, quid feci tibi, aut in quo contristavi te, responde mihi. Ego te eduxi de terra Aegypti: et tu me eduxisti ad patibulum Crucis. Ego te pavi manna per desertum quadraginta annis; et tu me cecidisti alapis et flagellis. Ego dedi tibi sceptrum regale; et tu dedisti capiti meo spineam coronam. Quid ultra debui tibi facere et non feci?

Ant. O my people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I molested thee?Answer thou me. I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and thou hast prepared for me a cross; I led thee through the wilderness forty years, and fed thee manna, and thou hast beaten me with buffets and scourges; I gave thee a royal scepter, and thou hast given my head a crown of thorns. What could I have done more for thee, that I have not done?

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Sicut ovis ad occisionem ductus est.
R. Et quasi agnus coram tondente se obmutuit.

V. He is led like a sheep to the slaughter.
R. And as a lamb before his shearers, he is dumb.

V. Tradidit in mortem animam suam.
R. Ut vivificaret populum suum.

V. He delivered his soul unto death.
R. That he might give life unto his people.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

X Statio : Ubi felle et aceto potatur

Tenth Station : Where Christ is stripped of his garments and given vinegar and gall to drink

Christ is stripped of his garments. J-J Tissot

Quam tu immitis es in pauperes? Idem Christo facis?

Art thou unkind and inconsiderate to the poor? What thou dost to them, thou dost to Christ.

Ant. Popule meus, quid tibi feci, aut in quo contristavi te? responde mihi: Ego eduxi te de domo servitutis in terram promissionis: et tu me descendentem e sinu Patris eduxisti ad mortem Crucis. Ego te plantavi vineam meam speciosissimam; et tu factus es mihi nimis amara. Ego te potavi aqua salutis de terra: et tu me potasti felle et aceto. Quid ultra debui tibi facere et non feci?

Ant. O my people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I molested thee?Answer thou me. I brought thee out from the house of bondage to the promised land; and when I came to thee from the bosom of my Father, thou didst lead me to the death of the cross. I planted thee my choicest vine, and thou wast made unto me exceedingly bitter; I gave thee to drink out of the rock the water of salvation, and thou madest me to drink vinegar and gall. What could I have done more for thee, that I have not done?

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Christ is given vinegar and gall to drink. J-J tissot

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Aruit tamquam testa virtus mea.
R. Et lingua me adhaesit faucibus meis.

V. My strength hath dried up like a potsherd.
R. And my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws.

V. Dederunt in escam meam fel.
R. Et in siti mea potaverunt me aceto.

V. They gave me gall to eat.
R. And when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

XI Statio : Ubi Cruci horrendis clavis affigitur

Eleventh Station : Where Christ is fastened to the cross with dreadful nails

The first nail. J-J Tissot

Quam fortia amoris sunt vincula quibus Iesus se tibi obstrinxit! quibus tu vicissim te illi obstringis.

How strong are the band of love with which Jesus hath bound himself unto thee! How dost thou bind thyself in returned to him?

Ant. Popule meus quid feci tibi? Ego te exaltavi magna virtute: et tu me suspendisti in patibulo Crucis. Ego te excelsiorem feci cunctis gentibus; et tu me saturasti opprobriis et maledictis. Ego ante te aperui mare rubrum; et tu aperuisti lancea latus meum. Quid ultra debui tibi facere, et non feci?

Ant. O my people, what have I done unto thee? I exalted thee with great power, and thou didst hang me on the gibbet of the Cross; I made thee higher than all nations, and thou hast loaded me with reproaches and curses; I opened before thee the Red Sea, and thou hast opened my side with a spear. What could I have done for thee, that I have not done?

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

The nail driven into the feet. J-J Tissot

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Quid sunt plagae istae in medio manuum tuarum?
R. His plagatus sum in domo eorum, qui diligebant me.

V. What are these wounds in the middle of thy hands?
R. With them was I wounded in the house of those who loved me.

V. Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos.
R. Et dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea.

V. They pierced my hands and my feet.
R. And have numbered all my bones.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

XII Statio : Ubi in Cruce moritur

Twelfth Station : Where Christ dies upon the cross

Christ dies upon the cross. J-J Tissot

Considera, quid moriens dixerit, et fecerit Iesus. Utinam tu similiter moriaris!

Consider what Jesus said and did when he was dying. Oh, that thou too mayest die like him!

Ant. Ecce quomodo moritur iustus nemo percipit corde: viri iusti tolluntur et nemo considerat: a facie iniquitatis sublatus est iustus, et erit in pace memoria eius.

Ant. Behold how the just man dieth, and no man layeth it to heart; and the righteous are taken away, and no one considereth. The just man is taken away from before the face of evil, and the memory of him shall be in peace.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Christus factus est pro nobis oboediens usque ad mortem.
R. Mortem autem Crucis.

V. Christ became obedient unto death for us.
R. Even the death of the cross
.
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per Sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

XIII Statio : Ubi Iesu corpus e cruce super afflictae matris genua deponitur

Thirteenth Station : The body of Christ is taken down from the cross, and laid upon the knees of his mother

Christ is laid upon the knees of his mother. J-J Tissot

Considera vehementes animae dolores Mariae, cum mortuum Filii sui corpus de cruce depositum suo complexu susciperet, et suis genibus sustineret. Caritas tantis eam doloribus affecit, eamque vere martyrem reddidit. Quamnam tu erga Salvatorem tuum sentis caritatem et commiserationem?

Consider the vehement anguish of Mary's soul, when she received in her arms the dead body of her Son taken down from the cross, and laid him on her knees. Love caused her so great grief, and made her truly a martyr. What love and sympathy dost thou feel for thy Savior?

Ant. Cui comparabo te, vel cui assimilabo te, filia Ierusalem? Cui exaequabo te, et consolabor te Virgo filia Sion? Magna est enim velut mare contritio tua. (Lam 2:13) O Mater misericordiae, fac ut tecum portem Christi mortem, passionis consortem.

Ant. To what shall I compare thee, or to whom shall I liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I equal thee, O virgin daughter of Sion? Great as the sea is thy desolation. O mother of mercy, make me to share with thee the death of Christ; make me a partaker of his passion.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Per te salutem hauriamus, Virgo Maria,
R. Ex vulneribus Christi.

V. Through thee, O Virgin Mary, may we obtain salvation,
R. From the wounds of Christ.

V. Pie Iesu, da per matrem me venire,
R. Ad palmam victoriae.

V. O holy Jesus, grant me to obtain, through Thy mother,
R. The crown of victory.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

XIV Statio : Ubi Iesu corpus sepelitur

Fourteenth Station : The Body of Jesus is buried

Considera, o anima mea, quomodo corpus Iesu aromatibus condiatur, atque ita in monumento novo sepeliatur. Quibus tu honoribus Iesum, Redemptorem tuum, quotidie, sive sacramentaliter, sive spiritualiter excipis? An pro Iesu tuo recipiendo semper conaris esse monumentum novum, et praeclaris virtutum ornamentis splendidum?

Consider, O my soul, how the body of Jesus was wrapped in spices, and laid in a new tomb. With what honor dost thou receive Jesus thy Redeemer daily, either sacramentally or spiritually? or art thou always endeavoring to be, as it were, a new tomb for the reception of Jesus, bright with the beautiful ornaments of virtue?

Ant. Aestimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum, factus sum sicut homo sine adiutorio, inter mortuos liber (Ps 87:5-6) O bone Iesu, venio huc cum mulieribus ad monumentum, lamentans et flens quod adhuc tam indignum me reddidi, ad regnum gratiae tuae in corde meo conservandum et stabiliendum.

Ant. I am counted among them that go down to the pit; I am become as a man without help, free among the dead. O good Jesus, I come here with the women to Thy tomb, sorrowing and lamenting that hitherto I have shown myself so unworthy; confirm and establish the kingdom of grace in my heart.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster... Ave Maria...

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father... Hail Mary....

V. Caro mea requiescet in spe.
R. Et non dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem.

V. My flesh shall rest in hope.
R. Thou wilt not give thy holy one to see corruption.

V. Exsurge, Domine, adiuva me.
R. Et redime me a peccatis meis.

V. Arise, O Lord, and help me.
R. And deliver me from my sins.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe...

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ...

Commendatio

Commendation

Respice, quaesumus Domine, super hanc familiam tuam, pro qua Dominus noster Iesus Christus non dubitavit manibus tradi nocentium et Crucis subire tormentum. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Look down, O Lord, we beseech Thee, upon this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ did not refuse to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and to endure the torment of the cross; who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God forever and ever. Amen.

Oratio de Sancta Sindone Christi

Prayer on the holy Winding-Sheet of Christ's Body


Domine Iesu, qui in sancta sindone, qua corpus tuum sacratissimum in Cruce depositum, a Ioseph involutum fuit, passionis tuae vestigia reliquisti: concede propitius, ut per mortem et sepulturam tuam ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst leave the marks of thy passion on the holy winding-sheet, in which thy most sacred body was wrapped by Joseph when taken down from the cross; mercifully grant, that through thy death and burial we may be brought to the glory of the resurrection; who livest and reignest, etc.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam