The 15 Prayers of Saint Bridget
The 15 Prayers in an English-language book, printed 1576 at Bruges (Brugge,
Belgium)
Fifteene
Prayers
righte good and vertuous,
usually called the.xv.Oos, and of divers called S. Brigets
prayers, because the holye and blessed Virgin used dayly to say them
before the Image of the Crucifix, in S. Paules Church in
Rome.
The
first Prayer.
O Jesu, endles sweetenesse of all that love thee, a ioyepassing and
exceeding all gladness and desyre, the saviour and lover of all repentaunt
synners, that lykest to dwell (as thou saydest thy selfe) with the
children of men, for that was the cause why thou waste incarnate and made
man in the ende of the worlde: Have mynde, blessed Jesu, of all the
sorrowes that thou sufferedst in thy manhood, drawing nigh to thy blessed
Passion, the whiche most wholsome Passion was ordeyned to be in thy Divine
harte, by councel of the holy Trinitie, for the raunsome of al mankinde:
Have minde, blessed Jesu, of al the great dredes, anguishes, and sorrowes
that thou suffredst in thy tender fleshe, before thy passion on the
Crosse, when thou wast betrayed of thy disciple Judas to the Jewes, which
of singuler affection that thou haddest to them, should have beene thy
special people, after the tyme that thou haddest made thy prayer uppon the
mount of Olivet, and swettest there both blood and water: Also have minde
of the great anguishe that thou wast in, when thou wast taken of the false
Jews, and by false witnesse accused: and at Jerusalem in tyme of Easter,
in the flourishing youth of thy body, without trespasse recyvedst thou thy
iudgement of death uppon the Crosse: where also thou waste dispoyled of
thyne own clothes, scorned, blindfeelde, buffeted, bounde to a pyller,
scourged, crowned with thornes, smitte on the head with a reede, and with
innumerable paynes thy body was al to brused and torne. For minde of this
blessed Passion, I beseech thee, benigne Jesu, graunt me before my death,
very contrition, true confession, and worthye satisfaction, and of all my
sinnes remission, Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
second prayer.
O Blessed Jesu, maker of all the worlde, that of man may not be
measured, which closest in thy hande al the earth: Have mind of thy bytter
sorow, first when the Jewes fastned thy blessed handes to the Crosse with
nayles: Also to encrease more thy payne, they added sorowe upon sorowe
when they pearsed thy tender fete, because thou wouldest not accorde to
their wyll, and so cruelly they drewe thy blessed body in lenght and
breadth to the measure of the Crosse, that al the ioynts of thy limmes
were both losed and broken: For minde of thy blessed Passion, I beseeche
thee benigne Jesu, give me grace to keepe with me both thy love and thy
dread, Amen
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
third prayer.
O Jesu heavenly Phisition, have minde of thy langour and blewnesse of
thy woundes, and sorowe that thou sufferedst in the height of thy Crosse,
when thou wast so lifted up from the earth that thou wast al to torne in
every of thy lymmes, so that there was no lymme abyding in his right ioynt,
and therefore no sorrow was like to thine, because that from the soules of
the feete to the top of the head was no whole place: and yet forgetting in
manner of those greevous paynes, thou prayedst devoutly and charitably to
thy father for thine enemies, saying, Father forgeve them, for they knowe
not what they doo. For this charitable mercy that thou shewedst to thine
enimies, and for mynde of those bytter paynes, graunte me that this mynde
of thy bytter passion be to me ful remission, and forgivenes of all my
sinnes, Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
fourth prayer.
O Jesu, very freedome of Angels, the paradise of al ghostly pleasures,
have minde of the dread and hydeous fearfulnes that thou suffredst when
all thyne ennemies, lyke unto moste wood lions, compassed thee about,
smyting thee, and spitting on thee, scratching thee, and with many other
greevous paynes tormenting thee: For minde of all these dispiteful words,
cruel beatinges, and sharpe tormentes, I beseeche thee (blessed Jesu)
delyver mee from all mine enimies bodily and ghostly, and give me grace to
have the defence and protection of health everlasting agaynst them under
the shadowe of thy wings, Amen. Pater.
Ave.
The
fifth prayer.
O Jesu, myrrour of the divine clearenesse, have minde of that dread and
heavines which thou hadst when thou hangedst naked and miserable uppon the
Crosse, and al thy freends and acquayntaunce stoode agaynst thee, and thou
foundest comforte of none, but onely thy most loving mother, faythfully
standing by thee with great bitternesse of heart, whom thou diddest betake
to thy welbeloved Disciple, saying, Lo woman thy sonne: And likewyse to
thy Disciple, Lo thy mother. I beseeche thee, blessed Jesu, by the sworde
of sorowe that then pearsed her harte, to have compassion on me in al my
troubles and afflictions, both bodyly and ghostly, and geve mee comforte
in all time of tribulations. Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
sixth prayer.
O Jesu, king most worthy to be loved, and freende moste to be desired:
Have minde of the sorrowe that thou haddest, when thou beheldest in the
myrrour of thy moste cleare maiestie, the predestination of al thy chosen
Soules, that should be saved by the merite of thy Passion: For minde of
the deepenesse of thy great mercy, which thou haddest upon us lost and
desperate sinners, and namely for the great mercy whiche thou shewedst to
the theefe that hung on thy right side, saying thus, This daye thou shalt
be with me in Paradise. I pray thee (benigne Jesu) to shewe thy mercy to
me in the houre of death, Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
seventh prayer.
O Jesu, wel of endlesse pitie, that said on the crosse of thy passion
by inwarde affection of love, I thirst, that is to saye, the health of
mans soule: for mynde of this blessed desyre, I beseeche thee (benigne
Jesu) kyndle our desyre to every good and perfecte worke, the thyrst of
concupiscence, and burning of al worldly love in us utterly coole and
extinguishe. Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
eyght prayer.
O Jesu, sweetnes of harts, and ghostly pleasure of soules, I beseeche
thee for the bytternesse of eysel and gal that thou tastedst and suffredst
for us at the houre of thy death, graunt that we may worthely receyve thy
most blessed body and blood for the remedie of our sinnes, and comforte of
our soules. Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
ninth prayer.
O Jesu, royal strenght, and ghostly ioy: have mind of the anguishes and
great sorowes that thou suffredst, when thou criedst to thy father with a
mightie voyce, what for ye bitternes of thy death, and also for the
scorning of the Jews, saying, O my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
by this painful anguish forsake us not in the anguishes of our death, our
blessed God, Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
tenth prayer.
O Jesu, the beginning and ende, the way, life, and vertue in every
meane, have minde, that from the top of thy head, unto the soales of thy
feete thou sufferedst for us, to be drowned in ye water of thy paynefull
passion: for mind of this great pain, and namely for the depenes and
widenes of thy wounds, I beseech thee, blessed Jesu, teache me the large
precept and commaundement of love, whiche am all drowned foule sinne.
Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
eleventh prayer.
O Jesu, deepenes of endles mercy, I beseech thee for the depenes of thy
wounds that went through thy tender fleshe, and thy bowels, and the marowe
of thy bones, that thou vouchesake to drawe me out, being drowned in the
deepenes of my sin, and hide me ever after in the holes of thy wounds,
from the face of thy wrath, unto the time, Lorde, that thy dreadfull fury
be passed. Amen. Pater
noster. Ave.
The
twelfth prayer.
O Jesu, mirroure of truth, token of unitie, and sure bond of charitie:
have mind of thy innumerable paynes and woundes, with the whiche from the
top of thy head to the soale of thy foote thou wast wounded, and of the
wicked Jewes thou wast al to torne and rent, and al thy body made redde
with thy moste holy bloud, the which great sorowe (blessed Jesu) in thy
cleane Virgin body thou sufferedst: what mightest thou do more for us then
thou diddest? therefore (benigne Jesu) for the mind of this Passion write
all thy woundes in my heart with thy moste precious bloud, that I may both
rede in then thy dread and thy love, and that I may still continue
in praying and thanking thee to my lives ende. Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
thirtenth prayer.
O Jesu, most mighty Lyon, king immortall, and moste victorious,
have minde of the sorowe that thou sufferedst, when all the powers of
thine heart and body fayled thee utterly, and then thou declining thy
head, saydest thus, It is done: for minde of this anguishe and sorowe have
marcy on me, when my soule in the last consummation and departing of my
breath, shal be anguished and troubled. Amen. Pater.
Ave.
The
fourtenth prayer.
O Jesu, the onely begotten sonne of almightie God the father, the
brightnes and figure of his godly substance: have minde of that
entire commendation, in whiche thou diddest commende thy spirite into the
hands of thy Father, and with a torne body and broken heart, shewing to us
for our raunsome the bowels of thy mercy, for the redeming of us diddest
give up the breath: for minde of that precious death, I beseech thee (king
of Saints) comfort me to withstande the fiend, the world, and my fleshe,
that I may be dead to the world, and living ghostly towarde thee: and in
the last houre of my departing from this world, receive my soule comming
to thee, which in this life is an outlawe and a pilgrime, Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
The
fiftenth prayer.
O Jesu, very true and plenteous vine, have mind of the most exceeding
and abundant effusion of bloud, that thou sheddest moste plentiouslye, as
it had bene crusht out of a ripe cluster of grapes, when thou upon
ye crosse diddest treade that presse alone, and gavest us drinke both
bloud and water out of thy syde, being perced with a knightes speare, so
that in al thy body was not lefte a drop of bloud ne of water, then
at the last like a bundle of myrre thou wast hanged on the crosse on high,
where thy render flesh waxed wan, and the licour of thy bowels, and
the marowe of thy bones was dried up: for minde of this thy most bitter
passion, sweete Jesu, wound my hart that the water of penance, and the
teares of love maye be my foode both night and day. And, good Jesu, turne
me whole to thee, that my hart maye be ever to thee a dwelling place, and
that my living maye be ever plesant and acceptable, and that the end of my
life may be so commendable, that I may perpetuallye deserve to
prayse thee with all thy saints in blisse. Amen.
Pater
noster. Ave
Maria.
FINIS.
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