Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/328

 nails, and  the  joints  of  thy  limbs  stretched  as  on  a rack ! Oh, with  what  love  and  sweetness  of  charity didst thou suffer thy  hands  and  feet  to  be  pierced through, whence,  as  from  a fountain,  thy  precious blood gushed  out.

14. O good  and  gracious  Jesus ! who, hanging  on the  cross  between  two  thieves,  wast  assailed  with blasphemies, and  after  so  long  a continuance  of  thy tortures, prayedst  to  thy  Father  to  forgive  them: and even  when  their  fury  was  at  the  highest,  didst exercise the  greatest  bounty,  promising  Paradise  to the  repenting  thief,  and  bequeathing  thy  dearly  beloved Mother  (who,  pierced  with  sorrow,  stood  by the  cross,)  to  thy  beloved  disciple,  St.  John,  and  in him  to  us  all; and  after  thou  hadst  suffered  for  three long hours  intolerable  pains  and  extreme  thirst,  they gave thee  vinegar  to  drink,  which  when  thou  hadst tasted, bowing  down  thy  venerable  head,  thou  gavest up thy  spirit.

15. O good  and  gracious  Jesus ! O good Shepherd! thus thou  bestowedst  thy  life  for  thy  sheep,  and  even after death  still  thou  wouldst  suffer  for  us,  the  sacred side of  thy  dead  body  being  opened  with  a spear,  out of which  flowed  water  and  blood. Thus at  last  ended all thy  sufferings; and  thy  enemies  having  slaked their thirst  for  thy  blood,  and  being  gone  away,  thy disciples came  and  took  thy  immaculate  body  down from the  cross,  reposed  it  on  the  knees  of  thy  blessed Mother, and  after  all  imaginable  expressions  of  piety, reverence and  love,  wrapped  it  up  in  linen,  and  laid it in  a sepulchre.

MILD and  innocent  Lamb  of  God,  thus  heartily thou didst  love  me,  these  things  thou  didst  for