St. Alphonsus' prayer-book/Part 4.2: Devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ

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St. Alphonsus' prayer-book (1882)
by Alphonsus Liguori, translated by G.M. Ward

Part 4.2: Devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ

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Alphonsus Liguori4036269St. Alphonsus' prayer-book — Part 4.2: Devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ1882G.M. Ward

2. Devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

DEVOTION TO THE INFANT JESUS.

Chaplet in Honor of the Incarnate Word.

Y most sweet Jesus, Who wast born in a cave and wast afterwards laid in a manger upon straw, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on us. "Our Father," "Hail Mary," "Glory be," etc.

2. My most sweet Jesus, Who wast presented and offered by Mary in the Temple, to be afterwards one day sacrificed for us upon the cross, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on us. "Our Father," " Hail Mary," "Glory be," etc.

3. My most sweet Jesus, Who wast persecuted by Herod and constrained to fly into Egypt, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on us. "Our Father," " Hail Mary," " Glory be," etc.

4. My most sweet Jesus, Who didst dwell in Egypt for seven years, poor, unknown, and despised by that barbarous nation, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy. O Lord, have mercy on us. " Our Father." " Hail Mary," " Glory be," etc.

5. My most sweet Jesus, Who didst return to Thy country to be one day crucified there in the midst of two thieves, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy. O Lord, have mercy on us. "Our Father," " Hail Mary," " Glory be," etc.

6. My most sweet Jesus, Who at the age of twelve years didst remain in the temple to dispute with the doctors, and after three days wast found by Mary, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on us. "Our Father," " Hail Mary," " Glory be," etc.

7. My most sweet Jesus, Who didst live concealed from the world for so many years in the shop at Nazareth, serving Mary and Joseph, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on us. "Our Father," " Hail Mary." " Glory be," etc.

8. My most sweet Jesus, Who for three years before Thy passion didst go about preaching and teaching the way of salvation, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on us. "Our Father," " Hail Mary," " Glory be," etc.

9. My most sweet Jesus, Who for the love of us didst terminate Thy life by dying on the cross, have mercy on us.

R. Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on us. " Our Father," " Hail Mary," " Glory be," etc.

Ejaculation. My Jesus, be Thou born in my heart.

PRAYERS TO THE INFANT JESUS.

To Jesus coming into this World to accomplish His Father's Will

" I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me."— John vi. 38.

my beloved Infant, my dear Redeemer, since Thou hast come down from heaven to give Thyself to me, what else shall I go about seeking in heaven or on earth besides Thee, Who art my Sovereign Good, my only Treasure, the Paradise of souls? Be Thou, then, the sole Lord of my heart, do Thou possess it wholly. May my heart obey Thee alone, and seek to please Thee alone! May my soul love Thee alone, and mayest Thou alone be its portion! Let others strive after and enjoy (if enjoyment can ever be found out of Thee) the goods and fortunes of this world; Thee alone do I desire, Who. art my fortune, my riches, my peace, my hope, in this life and in eternity. Behold, then, my heart; I give it wholly to Thee; it is no longer mine own, but Thine. In the same manner as at Thy entrance into the world Thou didst offer to the Eternal Father and present to Him Thine eternal will, as David has taught: " In the head of the book it is written of Me; that I should do Thy will; O My God, I have desired it" (Ps. xxxix. 9), so do I on this day offer to Thee, my Saviour, my entire will. At one time it was rebellious against Thee, and with it I offended Thee; but for all the wicked consent by which I have miserably forfeited Thy friendship, I am now heartily sorry, and I consecrate my entire will to Thee. " Lord, what wilt Thou have Me to do?" (Acts ix. 6.) Tell me what Thou desirest of me, for I am willing to do all. Dispose of me and of my affairs as Thou wilt, for I accept of all, and in everything I resign myself to Thee. I know well that Thou wiliest what is best for me, and therefore I abandon my soul fully into Thy hands: "Into Thy hands I commend My spirit." For pity's sake, help it, and preserve it! and grant that it may be always and entirely Thine own, since Thou hast redeemed it with the last drop of Thy Blood: "Thou hast redeemed Me, O Lord, the God of truth" (Ps. xxx. 6). O Mary, help me to do the will of God!

To Jesus all Ours.

If we wish God to give Himself entirely to us, it is likewise necessary for us to give ourselves entirely to Him.

Y dearest Jesus, if it be true (as the law says) that dominion is required by gift, since Thy Father hath given Thee to me, Thou art mine; for me Thou wast born, to me hast Thou been given: " A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us" (Is. ix. 6). Therefore I may well say: "My Jesus and my All." Since Thou art mine, everything that belongs to Thee is also mine. Of this I am assured by Thy apostle: " How hath He not also with Him given us all things" (Rom viii. 32). Thy Blood is mine, Thy merits are mine, Thy grace is mine, Thy paradise is mine; and if Thou art mine, who shall be able to take Thee from me? " No man can take God away from me," said with joy the abbot St. Antony. So, from this day forth, will I also continually say. It is only through my own fault that I can lose Thee and separate myself from Thee; but if in past times I have abandoned Thee and lost Thee, O my Jesus, I now repent of it with all my soul, and I am resolved to lose my life and everything sooner than lose Thee, O Infinite Good and only love of my soul! I thank Thee, Eternal Father, for having given me Thy Son; and since Thou hast given Him entirely to me, I, miserable sinner, give myself entirely to Thee. For the sake of this same Son, accept me, and bind me with the chains of love to this my Redeemer; but bind me so strongly that I also may be able to say: "Who shall separate me from the love of Christ?" (Rom. viii. 35.) What good shall there ever be in the world that shall separate me from my Jesus? And Thou, my Saviour, if Thou art all mine, know that I am all Thine. Dispose of me, and of all that belongs to me, as shall best please Thee. And how can I refuse anything to a God Who has not refused me His Blood and His Life? Mary, my Mother, do Thou guard me with thy protection. I will no longer be my own. I will be all my Saviour's. Do thou help me to be faithful; I trust in thee.

To Jesus afflicted at the Sight of our Sins.

From the very first moment of His existence Jesus beheld every single fault of every one of us, and each sin afflicted Him immeasurably.

Y beloved Jesus, I who have offended Thee am not worthy of Thy favors, but through the merit of that pain which Thou didst suffer, and which Thou didst offer up to God at the sight of my sins, and to satisfy divine justice for m them, give me a share in that light by which Thou didst see their malice, and in that hatred with which Thou didst then abominate them. Can it then be true, my amiable Saviour, that ever since Thou wast an Infant, and in every moment of Thy life, I have been a murderer of Thy Sacred Heart, and a murderer more cruel than all those who crucified Thee? And I have renewed and increased this suffering every time I have repeated my offences against Thee? O Lord! Thou hast indeed died to save me; but Thy death will not save me, if I do not on my part detest every evil, and have true sorrow for the sins I have committed against Thee. But even this sorrow must be given me by Thee. Thou givest it to him that asks it of Thee. I ask it of Thee through the merits of all the sufferings Thou didst endure on Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/421 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/422 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/423 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/424 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/425 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/426 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/427 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/428 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/429 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/430 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/431 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/432 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/433 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/434 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/435 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/436 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/437 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/438 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/439 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/440 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/441 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/442 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/443 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/444 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/445 Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/446 the sight of my sins; these were the cruel press which forced so much blood from Thy sacred veins. Hence, it was not the executioners, nor the nails, nor the thorns, that were cruel and barbarous in Thy reregard: no, my sins, which made Thee so sorrowful in the garden, have been barbarous and cruel to Thee, my sweet Redeemer. Then, in Thy great affliction, I too have added to Thy sorrows, and have grievously afflicted Thee by the weight of my sins. Had I been guilty of fewer sins, Thou wouldst have suffered less. Behold, then, the return I have made for Thy love in dying for me. I have added to Thy great sufferings! My beloved Lord, I repent of having offended Thee, I am sorry for my sins, but my sorrow is not sufficiently great; I would wish for sorrow that would take away my life. Ah, through the bitter Agony which Thou didst suffer in the Garden, give me a portion of that abhorrence which Thou didst then feel for my sins. And if my ingratitude was then a cause of affliction to Thee, grant that I may now please Thee by my love. Yes, my Jesus. I love Thee with my whole heart. I love Thee more than myself, and for Thy love I renounce all the pleasures and goods of this earth. Thou alone art, and shalt always be, my only good and my only love.

To Jesus being scouraged.

"Ah! let us love this divine Bridegroom of our souls," says the loving St. Augustine, "'and the more He is disfigured by suffering, the more sweet and precious let Him seem to us."

es. my sweet Saviour. I see Thee all covered with wounds; I look into Thy beautiful face; but, O my God, it no longer wears its beautiful appearance, but is disfigured and blackened with blood, and bruises, and shameful spittings: "There is no beauty in Him, nor comeliness; and we beheld Him, and esteemed Him not" (Isa. liii. 2). But the more I see Thee so disfigured, O my Lord, the more beautiful and lovely dost Thou appear to me. And what are these disfigurements that I behold but signs of the tenderness of that love which Thou dost bear towards me? I love Thee, my Jesus, thus wounded and torn to pieces for me; would that I too could see myself torn to pieces for Thee, like so many martyrs whose portion this has been! But if I cannot offer Thee wounds and blood, I offer Thee at least all the pains which it will be my lot to suffer. I offer Thee my heart; with this I desire to love Thee more tenderly even than I am really able. And who is there that my soul should love more tenderly than a God, Who has endured scourging and been drained of His blood for me? I love Thee, O God of love! I love Thee, O Infinite Goodness! I love Thee, O my Love, my All! I love Thee, and I will never cease to say, both in this life and in the other, I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee. Amen.

To Jesus crowned with Thorns.

Our sins, our evil thoughts, were the wicked thorns which pierced the head of Jesus Christ.

sinful thoughts of men! it was you that pierced the head of the Redeemer. Yes, my Jesus, by our criminal consent to sin we have formed Thy crown of thorns. I now detest this compliance with sin, and abhor it more than death or any other evil. To you, O thorns, consecrated with the blood of the Son of God, I again turn with an humble heart; ah, pierce this soul of mine, make it always sorrowful for having offended so good a God. O my afflicted Saviour! O King of the world! to what do I see Thee reduced? I behold Thee a king of mockery and sorrow! In a word, I see Thee the laughing-stock of all Jerusalem! From the wounded head of Our Lord streams of blood flow down His face and breast. I am filled with astonishment, O my Jesus! at the cruelty of Thy enemies, who are not content with having, as it were, excoriated Thy flesh from head to foot, but still continue to torment Thee with fresh cruelties and insults; but I admire still more Thy meekness and Thy love in suffering and accepting all with so much patience for the love of us: " Who when He was reviled, did not revile; when He suffered, He threatened not; but delivered Himself to him that judged Him unjustly" (1 Peter ii. 23). Ah, my Jesus, true, indeed, it is that love makes Thee sweet and merciful, as regards us, showing Thee to be a passionate lover of our souls; but it makes Thee pitiless towards Thyself, causing Thee to suffer such bitter torments. Thou wast willing to be crowned with thorns to obtain for us a crown of glory in heaven: " He was crowned with thorns, that we may be crowned with the crown that is to be given to the elect in heaven." O my sweetest Saviour, I hope to be Thy crown in paradise, obtaining my salvation through the merits of Thy sufferings; there will I forever praise Thy love and Thy mercies: " The mercies of the Lord will I forever sing; yea, I will sing them forever."

To Jesus carrying His Cross.

Jesus goeth before us, as our Captain, with His cross; under this standard we must follow Him, each bearing- his own cross.

Y Jesus, since God has burdened Thee with all the sins of men, my sins, alas! have added to the weight of the cross that Thou didst bear to Calvary. Ah, my sweetest Saviour, Thou didst even then foresee all the wrongs that I should do Thee: yet Thou didst not cease to love me, or to prepare for me all the mercies that Thou hast since employed towards me. If, then, I, a most vile and ungrateful sinner who has so much offended Thee, am dear to Thee, it is but just that Thou shouldst be dear to me, — Thou, my God, Who art infinite in beauty and goodness, and Who hast loved me so much. Ah, would that I had never displeased Thee! Now, my Jesus, do I know the wrong that I have done Thee. O ye accursed sins of mine, what have you done? You have caused me to sadden the loving heart of my Redeemer. Thou dost go before me with Thy cross, innocent as Thou art, and dost invite me to follow Thee with mine; go forward, then, for I will not abandon Thee. If, in time past, I have abandoned Thee, I confess that I have done wrong. Give me now whatever cross Thou wilt, and, whatsoever it may be, I will embrace it and accompany Thee with it even unto death: " Let us go forth from the camp, bearing His reproach." And how, O Lord, how can it be possible for us not to love sufferings and shame out of love for Thee, since Thou didst love them so well for our salvation? But since Thou dost invite us to follow Thee, it is our wish to follow Thee and to die with Thee: give us only the strength to carry out our desire. This strength we ask of Thee, and hope for by Thy merits. I love Thee, O my Jesus, I love Thee with all my soul, and I will never abandon Thee more; too long have I gone astray from Thee. Bind me now to Thy cross. If I have despised Thy love, I repent of it with all my heart; and I now prize it above every good. Help me, O my Jesus, to be ever making acts of love towards Thee, and to depart out of this life while making an act of love, that so I may arrive at loving Thee without imperfection and without interruption, and with all my powers, to all eternity.

O Mother of God, pray for me. Amen.

To Jesus nailed to the Cross.

The wounds of Jesus are wounds which soften the hardest hearts and inflame the most frozen souls.

H, my Jesus, what was it that nailed Thy Hands and Thy Feet to this wood but the love Thou didst bear to men? Thou, by the pain of Thy pierced Hands, wast willing to pay the penalty due to all the sins of touch that men have committed; and, by the pain of Thy Feet, Thou wast willing to pay for all the steps by which we have gone our way to offend Thee. O my crucified Love, with these pierced Hands give me Thy benediction! Oh, nail this ungrateful heart of mine to Thy Feet, that so I may no more depart from Thee, and that this will of mine, which has so often rebelled against Thee, may remain ever steadily fixed in Thy love. Grant that nothing else but Thy love, and the desire of pleasing Thee, may move me. Although I behold Thee suspended upon this gibbet, I believe Thee to be the Lord of the world, the true Son of God, and the Saviour of mankind. For pity's sake, O my Jesus, never abandon me again at any period of my life; and more especially at the hour of my death, in those last agonies and struggles with hell, do Thou assist me, and strengthen me to die in Thy love. I love Thee, my crucified Love, I love Thee with all my heart.

To Jesus dead on the Cross.

Had He not loved me He would not have died for me!

Saviour of the world, O my Jesus, behold to what Thy love for men has at length reduced Thee! I thank Thee that Thou hast been willing, Thou, Our God, to lose Thy life that we might not lose our souls. I thank Thee for all men, but especially for myself. And who is there more than I that has reaped the fruits of Thy death? I, through Thy merits, without even so much as knowing it, was, by baptism, made a child of the Church; through Thy love my sins have been often forgiven, and I have received many special graces; through Thee I have the hope of dying in the grace of God, and of loving Thee eternally in paradise.

O my beloved Redeemer, what gratitude do I not owe Thee! Into Thy pierced hands I commend my poor soul. Make me well understand the excess of that love which made God die for me: would that I could die for Thee! But what would the death of a wicked slave weigh against the death of his Lord and God? Would that I could, at least, love Thee with my whole heart; but without Thy help, O my Jesus, I can do nothing. Oh, help me! and, through the merits of Thy death, make me die to all earthly affections, that so I may love Thee only, Who dost deserve all my love. I love Thee, O Infinite Goodness. I love Thee, my chief Good. O Mary, my Mother, intercede for me. Amen.

Petitions to Jesus crucified.

H, my crucified Jesus, look on me with the same love with which Thou didst look on me when dying on the cross for me; look on me, and have pity on me; give me a general pardon for all the displeasure I have given Thee; give me holy perseverance; give me Thy holy love; give me a perfect conformity to Thy will; give me paradise, that I may love Thee there forever. I deserve nothing; but Thy wounds encourage me to hope for every good from Thee. Ah, Jesus of my soul, by that love which made Thee die for me, give me Thy love. Take away from me all affection to creatures, give me resignation in tribulation, and make Thyself the object of all my affections, that from this day forward I may love none other but Thee.

Prayer in Honor of the Precious Blood.

o, then, my Jesus, in order to save my soul, Thou hast prepared a bath of Thine own Blood wherein to cleanse it from the filth of its sins. If, then, our souls have been bought by Thy Blood, " For you are bought with a great price" (i Cor. vi. 20"), it is a sign that Thou lovest them much; and as Thou dost love them, let us pray thus to Thee: "We therefore pray Thee to help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious Blood." It is true that by my sins I have separated myself from Thee, and have knowingly lost Thee. But remember, my Jesus, that Thou hast bought me with Thy Blood. Ah, may this Blood not have been given in vain for me, which was shed with so much grief and so much love.

Prayers in Honor of the Five Wounds.

Jesus, by the pain Thou didst suffer when Thy left Hand was nailed to the cross, give me true sorrow for my sins.

O my Jesus, by the pain which Thou didst suffer when Thy right Hand was nailed to the cross, grant me perseverance in Thy grace.

O my Jesus, by the pain which Thou didst suffer when Thy left Foot was nailed to the cross, save me from the pains of hell.

O my Jesus, by the pain which Thou didst suffer when Thy right Foot was nailed to the cross, grant me the grace of eternally loving Thee in heaven.

O my Jesus, by the Wound made in Thine adorable Heart, procure for me the happiness of ever loving Thee in this life and in the next.

Prayer before a Crucifix

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

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

Little Chaplet of the Five Wounds of Jesus crucified