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 thee, wound my heart with that arrow of love; so that nothing of earth may abide in it more, but that it be filled with thy glowing love alone for ever. Amen.

It is related in the annals of Clairvaux that St. Bernard once asked our Lord, which was his greatest unrecorded suffering, and that our Lord condescended to answer: I had on my shoulder, while I bore my cross on the way of sorrows, a most grievous wound, which was more gainful to me than the others, and which is not recorded by men because they knew not of it. Honour this wound with thy devotion, and I will grant thee whatsoever thou dost ask through its virtue and merit. And in regard of all those who shall venerate this wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins, and will no more remember their mortal sins. 

Most loving Jesus, meekest Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most sacred Wound of the shoulder on which thou didst bear thy heavy cross, which so tore thy Flesh and laid bare thy Bones as to inflict on thee an anguish greater than any other wound of thy most blessed Body. I adore thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise thee, I bless and glorify thee, and give thee thanks for this most sacred and most painful Wound; beseeching thee, by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of thy heavy