Glory, honor, and praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ; may all the world adore Thee; blessed be Thy Holy Name, Who for us sinners didst vouchsafe to be born of a humble Virgin; and blessed be Thine infinite goodness, Who didst die upon the Cross for our redemption. O Jesus, Son of God and Savior of mankind, we beseech Thee to have mercy on us, and so dispose our lives here by Thy grace, that we may hereafter rejoice with Thee forever in Thy Heavenly Kingdom. Amen.
O Dear Jesus, our blessed Savior and Redeemer, the sweet comforter of all the sad, desolate, and distressed souls: behold Thy poor servants humbly prostrate at the foot of Thy holy Cross, bewailing our miseries, imploring Thy mercy, and beseeching Thee to take pity and compassion upon us in this our present and pressing afflictions, in our infirmities, poverties, temptations, troubles, and all other spiritual or corporeal necessities.
Hear our prayer, O assured refuge of all afflicted, wretched! Behold our tears, consider our sorrows, and remedy our distresses; for finding ourselves encompassed with very grievous calamities, by reason of our great crimes, we knowest not whither to fly for succor, or to whom we may make our moan, but unto Thee, our meek and merciful Savior, with a full hope and confidence that Thou, O living Redeemer, wilt vouchsafe to lend the ears of Thy ordinary pity and accustomed clemency to the humble petition of Thy poor children, and by that sweetness which Thy blessed soul perceived at the time of Thy alliance with our human nature, when resolving with the Father and the Holy Ghost to unite Thy Divine Person to mortal flesh for man’s salvation. Thou didst send Thy Angel to the holy Virgin Mary with those happy tidings, and clothing Thyself with our human nature, didst remain true man for the space of nine months in her sacred womb.
By the anguish Thou didst endure when, the time of Thy designed Passion drawing nigh, Thou didst pray to Thy Eternal Father, that if it might stand with His most Divine Providence, Thou didst desire that the bitter chalice might pass away from Thee; yet concluding with a most perfect act of resignation: Not My will, O heavenly Father, but Thine, be done.
By the outrageous injuries, shameful disgraces, cruel blows, contumelious blasphemies, forged witnesses, false accusations, and unjust judgments which Thou, innocent Lamb! Patiently didst endure; by the shackles which fettered Thy limbs, the tears which flowed from Thine eyes, the Blood which trickled from Thy whole Body; by the fears, sorrows, and sadness of Thy Heart; by the shame Thou didst receive in being stripped of Thy garment, to hang naked on the Cross in the sight of Thy sorrowful Mother and in presence of all the people.
By Thy royal head crowned with thorns and smitten with a reed; by Thy thirst quenched with vinegar and gall; by Thy side opened with a spear, whence issued blood and water, to refresh our souls with that living fountain of Thy love and mercy; by the sharp nails wherewith Thy tender hands and feet were cruelly pierced and fastened to the Cross; by the recommendation of Thy departing Soul to the Heavenly Father, saying, Into Thy hands I commend my spirit; by Thy praying for Thine enemies, saying, O Father, forgive them, for they know what they do; by Thy giving up the ghost when Thou didst cry out with a loud voice, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? and then bowing down Thy most blessed head, to impart the kiss of peace saidst, It is consummated.
By the great mercy Thou didst show towards the penitent thief, saying, This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise; by Thy descent into the Limbo of the just, and the joy Thou didst communicate to the souls therein detained; by the glory of Thy triumphant Resurrection, and the consoling apparition Thou frequently didst make for a space of forty days to Thy sacred Virgin Mother, to Thine Apostles, and Thine other chosen friends and servants: by Thine admirable Ascension, when, in the sight of Thy sacred Virgin Mother and Thy Apostles, Thou wast elevated into Heaven; by the miraculous coming down of the Holy Ghost in the form of fiery tongues, whereby Thou didst replenish the hearts of Thy disciples with Thy love, and didst give them strength and courage to plant Thy faith in the whole world; by the dreadful day of general judgment, on which Thou art to pass sentence on all mankind.
By all those sorrows, joys, passions, compassions, and whatsoever else is near and dear to Thee in Heaven and on earth, take pity on us, O compassionate Redeemer; hear our prayers, and grant us that for which now we most humbly and heartily petition Thee.
{mention or call to mind your lawful requests}
Grant us, O gracious Saviour, speedy and efficacious feelings of Thy Divine succor and comfort: Who, according to the accustomed sweetness of Thy tender Heart, art wont to grant the requests of those who really fear and love Thee, even to their own soul’s desire and satisfaction. Bestow on us also, O blessed Lord Jesus, a constant faith, a confident hope, a perfect charity, a cordial contrition, a sincere confession, a competent satisfaction, a diligent custody of myself from future failings, a heroic contempt of the world, a complete conquest of my passions, a zealous imitation of Thy exemplary life and conversation, an entire accomplishment of our vows and duties, an absolute mortification of self-will, a willing readiness to die for Thy love and honor, a final perseverance in grace and good works, a happy departure of our souls out of this world, with senses perfect about us, Thy holy Sacraments to strengthen us, Thyself, O dear Jesus, to comfort us, Thy sacred Virgin Mother, with the Saints, our particular patrons, to pray for us, and our good Angels to conduct us to eternal rest, eternal life, and eternal happiness. Amen.