Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/552

 holy Hands  with  blunted nails; and in  order  to  drive them through  thy  most  tender Feet, when  thou  wert  not  conformable to  their  will,  added to thy  Wounds  pain  upon pain, and  so  cruelly  dragged thee apart,  and  stretched  thee on the  length  and  breadth  of the  Cross,  as  to  loosen  the joints of  thy  Limbs.

I pray thee,  by  the  memory of  thy  most  sacred  and bitter agony  on  the  Cross,  to grant  me  thy  fear  and  love. Amen. ''Our Father. Hail Mary. ''

O Jesus! heavenly Physician, remember  the  languor, the bruises,  and  the  agony, which, when  raised  upon  the lofty gibbet  of  the  Cross,  thou sufferedst in  all  thy  torn Limbs, not  one  of  which  had remained in  its  own  proper state,  so  that  no  sorrow was  ever  found  like  thy sorrow; for from  the  sole  of the  foot  to  the  top  of  the head there  was  no  soundness in thee;  and  yet,  regardless of all  thy  pains,  thou  lovingly prayedst thy  Father  for  thy enemies, in  saying:  Father, forgive them,  for  they  know not what  they  do!

By this  mercy,  and  in  remembrance of  that  agony, grant that  this  memory  of thy  most  bitter  Passion  may be the  full  remission  of  all my sins,  Amen. ''Our Father. Hail Mary.''

O Jesus! true freedom  of Angels,  paradise  of  delights, remember the  grief  and  horror thou  enduredst,  when  all thy enemies  stood  around thee, like  fiercest  lions,  and tormented thee  with  buffetings,  spittings,  scratchings, and all  thy  other  untold pains.

By those  pains,  and  by  all the insulting  words  and  most cruel torments  with  which, O Lord Jesus  Christ,  all  thy enemies afflicted  thee,  deliver me, I pray  thee,  from  all  my visible  enemies; and  grant  me under  the  shadow  of  thy  wings to attain  the  completion  of my  eternal  salvation. Amen. ''Our Father. Hail Mary.''

O Jesus! mirror of  eternal love, remember  the  sorrow which thou  hadst,  when  in  the mirror of  thy  most  serene  majesty thou  beheldest  the  predestination of  the  Elect,  who are saved  by  the  merits  of thy  Passion; and  the  reprobation of  the  wicked,  who are to  be  damned  by  their own demerits;  and  the  infinite depth  of  thy  mercy,  with which thou  then  condoledst with us  lost  and  desperate  sinners, and  which  thou  displayedst  to  the  thief  on  the  cross, in saying,  This  day  thou  shalt be with  me  in  Paradise; I pray  thee,  O Jesus,  shew