St. Mary's Parish

(To be said kneeling before the altar)

PRIEST AND PEOPLE — My Lord Jesus Christ, / You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love; / and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You. / But now I love You with all my whole heart; / and because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You. / Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey. / You go to die for love of me; / I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You. / My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.

(Sing) At the cross her station keeping
Stood the mournful Mother weeping
Close to Jesus to the last

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider how Jesus, after having been scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the Cross. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My adorable Jesus, / it was not Pilate, / no, it was my sins that condemned You to die. / I beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey, / to assist my soul in its journey to eternity. / I love You, my beloved Jesus; / I love You more than I love myself. / With all my heart I repent of ever having offended You. / Never let me be separated from You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Sing) Through her heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing
Now at length the sword has passed

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider how Jesus as He walked this road with the Cross on His shoulders, thinking of us, and offering to His Father, in our behalf, the death He was about to suffer. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My most beloved Jesus, / I embrace all the sufferings You have destined for me until death. / I beg You, by all You suffered in carrying Your Cross, / to give me the necessary help to carry mine with perfect patience and resignation. I love You, Jesus my love; I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to separate myself from You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Sing) O, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole Begotten One.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider this first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowning with thorns has so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross. (Kneel)
People — My beloved Jesus, / it was not the weight of the Cross / but the weight of my sins which made You suffer so much. / By the merits of this first fall, / save me from falling into mortal sin. / I love You, O my Jesus, with all my heart; / I am sorry that I have offended You. / May I never offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Christ above in torment hangs
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, Glorious Son.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PEOPLE — Consider the meeting of the Son and the Mother, which took place on this journey. Jesus and Mary looked at each other, and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My most loving Jesus, / by the pain You suffered in this meeting, / grant me the grace of being truly devoted to Your most holy Mother. / And You, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, / obtain for me by your prayers / a tender and a lasting remembrance of the Passion of your divine Son. / I love You, Jesus my love above all things. / I repent of ever having offended You. / Never permit me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Is there one who would not weep,
‘whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ’s dear Mother to behold.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PEOPLE — Consider how weak and weary Jesus was. At each step He was at the point of expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way, when they wished Him to die the infamous death of the Cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to carry the Cross behind our Lord. (Kneel)
 PEOPLE — My beloved Jesus, / I will not refuse the cross as Simon did: / I accept and embrace it. / I accept in particular the death that is destined for me / with all the pains that may accompany it. / I unite it to Your death / and I offer it to You. / You have died for love of me; / I will die for love of You and to please You. / Help me by Your grace. / I love You, Jesus, my love; I repent of ever having offended You. / Never let me offend you again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain
In that Mother’s pain untold?

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.  (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider how the holy woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus so afflicted, and His face bathed in sweat and blood, presented Him with a towel, with which He wiped His adorable face, leaving on it the impression of His holy countenance. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My most beloved Jesus, / Thy face was beautiful before You began this journey; / but, now it no longer appears beautiful / and is disfigured with wounds and blood. / Alas, my soul also was once beautiful / when it received Your grace in Baptism; / but I have since disfigured it with my sins. / You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. / Do this by the merits of Your Passion; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.  (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider the second fall of Jesus under the Cross -- a fall which renews the pain of all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My most gentle Jesus, / how many times You hast forgiven me; / and how many times have I fallen again and begun again to offend You! / By the merits of this second fall, / give me the grace to persevere in Your love until death. / Grant, that in all my temptations, I may always have recourse to You. / I love You, Jesus my love, with all heart; I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) For the sins of His own nation
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His spirit forth He sent.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider how those women wept with compassion at seeing Jesus in such a pitiable state, streaming with blood, as He walked along. But Jesus said to them: Weep not for Me, but for your children. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My Jesus, laden with sorrows, / I weep for the offences which I have committed against You / because of the punishment I deserve for them; / and, still more, because of the displeasure they have caused You / who have loved me with an infinite love. / It is Your love, more than the fear of hell, / which makes me weep for my sins. / My Jesus, I love You more than myself; / I am sorry I of have offended You. / Never allow me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) O sweet Mother! Fount of Love,
Touch my spirit from above
Make my heart with yours accord.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.  (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST— Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ. His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive, who tried to hasten His steps when He had scarcely strength to move. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My outraged Jesus, / by the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary, / give me enough strength to overcome all human respect / and all my evil passions which have led me to despise Your friendship. / I love You, Jesus my love, with all my heart; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never permit me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Make me feel as You have felt
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.  (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider the violence with which the executioners stripped Jesus. His inner garments adhered to His torn flesh, and they dragged them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Compassionate your Savior thus cruelly treated, and say to Him: (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My innocent Jesus, / by the torment You suffered in being stripped of Your garments, / help me to strip myself of all attachment for the things of earth / that I may place all my love in You, who are so worthy of my love. / I love You, O Jesus, with all my heart; / I am sorry foe ever having offended You. / Never let me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Holy Mother, pierce me through
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider how Jesus, after being thrown on the Cross extended His hands, and offered to His Eternal Father the sacrifice of His death for our salvation. These barbarians fastened Him with nails, and then, raising the Cross, allowed Him to die with anguish on this infamous gibbet. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My despised Jesus, nail my heart to the cross / that it may ever remain there to love You, and never leave You again. / I love You more than myself; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never permit me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Let me share with you His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.  (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider how thy Jesus, after three hours’ Agony on the Cross, consumed at length with anguish, abandons Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head, and dies. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — My dying Jesus, I kiss devoutly the Cross on which You would die for love of me. / I deserve, because of my sins, to die a terrible death; / but Your death is my hope. / By the merits of Your death, / give me grace to die embracing Your feet and burning with love for You. / I yield my soul into Your hands. / I love You with my whole heart. / I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never let me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Let me mingle tears with thee
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider how, after the death of our Lord, two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, took Him down from the Cross, and placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable tenderness, and pressed Him to her bosom. (Kneel)
PEOPLE — O Mother of sorrows, / for the love of your Son, / accept me for thy servant, and pray to Him for me. / And You, my Redeemer, since You have died for me, / allow me to love You; / for I desire only You and nothing more. / I love You, Jesus my Love, / and I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never permit me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) By the cross with you to stay
There with you to weep and pray
Is all I ask of you to give.

PRIEST — We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
PEOPLE — Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
PRIEST — Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it, accompanied by His holy Mother, who arranged it in the sepulchre with her own hands. They then closed the tomb, and all withdrew. (Kneel)
 PEOPLE — Of, my buried Jesus, / I kiss the stone that closes You in. / But You gloriously did rise again on the third day. / I beg You by Your resurrection that I may be raised gloriously on the last day, / to be united with You in heaven, to praise You and love You forever. / I love You, Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended You. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

 (Sing) Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.

Prayer to Jesus Christ Crucified
My good and dear Jesus, I kneel before You,
Asking You most earnestly to engrave upon my heart
A deep and lively faith, hope, and charity,
With true repentance for my sins, and a firm resolve to make amends.
As I reflect upon your five wounds, and dwell upon them
With deep compassion and grief, I recall, good Jesus,
The words the Prophet David spoke long ago concerning yourself:
“They pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones.”

The faithful who, after receiving Communion, recite this prayer before a picture of Christ Crucified

may gain a plenary indulgence on any Friday in Lent and a partial indulgence on other days in the year,

with the addition of prayers for the Holy Father’s intention.