The Fifteen Prayers of St.
Bridget of Sweden
March 29, 1992
Brother John Raymond
St. Bridget as a child lived in a castle in Sweden. The castle
had a chapel where Holy Mass was said daily. At the age of 10 she
heard a sermon preached on the sufferings of Christ. When she went
to bed that night she lay awake crying over the sufferings of Jesus.
Before dawn she had a vision of Christ Crucified, His Wounds bleeding
as if freshly inflicted. He said to her, "See how I have been
wounded." She asked, "Who has done this to You?" Jesus answered,
"Those who despise Me and forget My Love." She remembered this lesson
for the rest of her life. And it was a very special life. St. Bridget,
a dedicated wife and mother, advised the Pope, founded an Order of
Nuns and one of Monks. She was a great mystic whose revelations are
inspiring reading.
The following fifteen prayers were taught by Jesus to St.
Bridget. He said to her, "I received 5,480 wounds on My Body during
My Passion. If you wish to honor each of them in some way pray the
following prayers each day for a whole year. When the year is over,
you will have honored each one of My Wounds." Our Lord gave many
promises to those who recite these prayers. Many people have done
this and benefited greatly - including myself.
Prayers
Recite one Our Father and Hail Mary before each of the
following:
1. O Jesus! You have proved that You have no greater desire than to
be among men, even assuming human nature at the fullness of time for
the love of men. I recall all the sufferings of Your life especially
Your Passion.
I remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Your
disciples, having washed their feet, You gave them Your Most Precious
Body and Blood, and, while consoling them, You foretold Your coming
Passion.
I remember the sadness and bitterness which You experienced
in Your Soul as You said, "My Soul is sorrowful even unto death."
I remember all the fear, anguish and pain that You did suffer
in Your delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when,
after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, You were
betrayed by Judas, arrested by the people of a nation You had chosen
and elevated, accused by false witnesses and unjustly judged by three
judges.
I remember that You were despoiled of Your garments and clothed
in those of derision, that Your Face and Eyes were covered, that You
were beaten, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Your Hands, that
You were crushed with blows and overwhelmed with insults and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings which You endured before
Your Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death a true contrition,
a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the
remission of all my sins. Amen.
2. O Jesus! I remember the horror and sadness which You endured when
Your enemies surrounded You, and by thousands of insults, spits,
blows, lacerations and other unheard-of cruelties tormented You. In
consideration of these torments and insulting words, I beg You to
deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring
me, under Your protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation.
Amen.
3. O Jesus! I remember the very bitter pain You did suffer when the
executioners nailed Your Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross by blow
after blow with big blunt nails, and, not finding You in a sad enough
state, to satisfy their cruelty they enlarged Your Wounds, and added
pain to pain, stretching Your Body on the Cross and dislocated Your
Bones by pulling Them on all sides. I beg of You by the memory of
this most loving suffering of the Cross to grant me the grace to love
You. Amen.
4. O Jesus! I Remember the bruises You suffered and the weakness of
Your Body, which was distended to such a degree that never was there
pain like Yours. From the crown of Your Head to the soles of Your Feet
there was not one spot on Your Body which was not in torment. Yet, for
getting all Your sufferings, You did not cease to pray to Your
Heavenly Father for Your enemies, saying: "Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do."
Through this great mercy and in memory of this suffering, grant
that the remembrance of Your most bitter Passion may effect in us a
perfect contrition and the remission of all our sins. Amen.
5. O Jesus! I remember the sadness which You experienced when,
foreseeing those who would be damned for their sins, You suffered
bitterly over these hopeless, lost and unfortunate sinners.
Through this abyss of compassion and pity and especially
through the goodness which You displayed to the good thief when You
said to him, "This day you will be with Me in Paradise," I beg of You
that at the hour of my death to show me mercy. Amen.
6. O Jesus! I remember the grief which You suffered when, like a common
criminal, You were raised and fastened to the Cross, when all Your
relatives and friends abandoned You, except Your Beloved Mother who
remained close to You during Your agony and Whom You entrusted to Your
faithful disciple when You said, "Woman, behold Your son. Son behold
your Mother."
I beg You by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Your
Holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my afflictions and
tribulations, both of body and spirit, and to assist me in all my
trials and especially at the hour of my death. Amen.
7. O Jesus! I remember Your profound gesture of love from the Cross
when You said,"I thirst," and Your suffering from the thirst for the
salvation of the human race. I beg You to inflame in our hearts the
desire to tend toward perfection in all our actions and to extinguish
in us all wordly desires. Amen.
8. O Jesus! I remember the bitterness of the gall and vinegar which
You tasted on the Cross for love of us. Grant us the grace to receive
worthily Your Precious Body and Blood during our life and at the hour
of our death that It may be a remedy of consolation for our souls.
Amen.
9. O Jesus! I remember the pain You endured when, immersed in an ocean
of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the
people, You cried out in a loud voice that You were abandoned by Your
Father, saying: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Through
this anguish I beg You not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of
my death. Amen.
10. O Jesus! I remember that for our sakes You were immersed into an
abyss of suffering. In consideration of the enormity of Your Wounds,
teach me to keep, through pure love, Your Commandments, which are a
wide and easy path for those who love You. Amen.
11. O Jesus! I remember Your Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow
of Your Bones and to the depth of Your Being. Draw me away from sin
and hide me in Your Wounds. Amen.
12. O Jesus! I remember the multitude of Wounds which afflicted You
from Head to Foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Your Precious
Blood. O great and universal pain which You suffered in Your Flesh
for love of us! What is there You could have done for us which You
have not done?
May the fruit of Your sufferings be renewed in my soul by the
faithful remembrance of Your Passion and may Your love increase in
my heart each day until I see You in eternity, You Who are the
treasury of every real good and joy, which I beg You to grant me in
Heaven. Amen.
13. O Jesus! I remember the pain You endured when all Your strength,
both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted; You bowed Your Head,
saying: "It is consummated."
Through this anguish and grief, I beg You to have mercy on me
at the hour of my death, when my mind will be greatly troubled and my
soul will be in anguish. Amen.
14. O Jesus! I remember the simple and humble recommendation You made
of Your Soul to Your Eternal Father, saying, "Father, into Your Hands
I commend My Spirit," and when, Your Body all torn and Your Heart
broken, You expired. By this precious death, I beg You to comfort me
and give me help to resist the devil, the flesh and the world,
so that, being dead to the world, I may live for You alone. I beg of
You at the hour of my death to receive me. Amen.
15. O Jesus! I remember the abundant outpouring of Blood which You
shed. From Your Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, Blood and
Water poured forth until there was not left in Your Body a single Drop;
and finally the very substance of Your Body withered and the marrow
of Your Bones dried up.
Through this bitter Passion and through the outpouring of Your
Precious Blood, I beg You to pierce my heart so that my tears of
penance and love may be my bread day and night. May I be entirely
converted to You; may my heart be Your perpetual resting place; may
my conversation be pleasing to You; and may the end of my life be so
praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven and there with Your saints praise
You forever. Amen.