Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/140

 offering Thee  this  great  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  are  rendering Thee  all  the  glory  and  honor  due  to  Thine  infinite majesty. We pray  Thee  for  the  deliverance  of the  souls  in  purgatory. Receive then  this  day,  O  heavenly Father,  the  sacrifice  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of Thy  Son,  in  union  with  the  sufferings  He  experienced when He  was  so  shamefully  reviled  by  the  Jews; for when  Pilate,  from  his  judgment-seat,  presented Him to  the  people,  crowned  with  thorns,  covered with a  tattered  scarlet  mantle,  a  reed  in  His  hand, and blood  gushing  from  every  wound,  saying,  "Behold the  Man!" the Jews  judged  Him  worthy  of death,  and  preferred  Barabbas,  a  wicked  homicide, to Jesus,  and  cried  out,  "Not  this  man,  but  Barabbas. Crucify  Him,  Crucify  Him!" Jesus, condemned to  death,  like  a  gentle  lamb,  embraced  His cross and  carried  it  to  Calvary,  the  place  of  sacrifice. It was  charity  on  the  part  of  Thy  divine  Son  that made Him  humble  Himself  thus  for  our  salvation; but it  is  justice  on  Thy  part,  accepting  this  profound humiliation in  order  to  raise  us  and  deliver  the souls in  purgatory. I pray  Thee,  then,  by  the  merits of this  sacrifice,  and  by  the  profound  humility  which Thy Son  practised  during  His  Passion,  to  grant  rest and peace  to  the  souls  in  purgatory.

''Requiem, etc.

God of love, Father of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, look down  now  on  this  altar  whereon  the unbloody sacrifice  of  Thy  Son's  Body  and Blood is  representing  His  most  holy  Death  and grievous Passion. In quality  of  High  Priest  He offered  it  to  Thee  on  Calvary  by  the  effusion  of  all the blood  in  His  veins,  when  stretched  naked  on  the cross, He  was  nailed  thereon,  and  after  three  hours' agony, amid  derision  and  insult,  gall  and  vinegar being given  Him  to  drink,  He  yielded  His  soul  into