Gospel.

Remember, O God, the sufferings of the Lord when He was dragged before Caiphas and Pontius Pilate. I offer myself to the guidance of Thy providence; do with me what Thou wilt for Thy glory. May Thy holy Gospel be always a consolation to me in all my troubles, and a guide to my conduct, so that, leading a good Christian life during the remainder of my stay in this world, I may direct my steps to heaven. Amen.

Credo.

I believe in the teachings of the Church; with a full acceptance I have accepted Christianity, let me remain faithful to it under all circumstances. Come to the assistance of my unbelief, that I may firmly profess my faith openly before the world. I believe, especially, in the efficacy of the Passion and the glory of the cross, a humiliation to the people of the world, but a source of comfort and salvation to me. I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who taught me the articles of the creed. I believe in the Church which He has established. I believe in the forgiveness of my sins through the merits of the Passion and blood of the Lord. Amen.

Lavabo.

Remember, O God, for my sake, the washing of the hands of Pilate, as a sign of the innocence of the Lamb of God and His freedom from sin. Pilate washed his hands as a sign that he was not guilty of the murder of Christ, but I must acknowledge that I have condemned Jesus to death by my [pg 314] sinfulness. My declaration of justice will not suffice, but do Thou declare me pardoned. O my God, let me hear the words, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” Amen.

Orate Fratres.

I call to mind the scene when Pilate presented Jesus to the Jewish rabble, all covered with blood, with a crown of thorns on His head, His sacred body torn with the lashes of the scourging, and enveloped in a purple mantle. Pilate says, “Behold the man!” But the Jews cry out, and oh, how their cruel words sound in my ears, “Crucify Him, crucify Him”! Look upon our Jesus, O God, as He stands there, claiming the kindness of some good heart, and through His precious blood have mercy on us. Amen.

Canon.

I will now, O my God, with the angels, bow low before Thee, and cry Holy, holy, holy, God of hosts! The angels continually cry thus to Thee in heaven. I ought to be engaged here on earth in the same occupation. But let me continue to meditate on the sacred Passion of Thy Son and how He carried His cross. I offer Thee the way of the cross which He made, and all the suffering which He endured during it. He fell three times to the ground, crushed by its weight; stains of blood from His recent scourging marked His path. I see the Cyrenean unwilling to carry the cross for Jesus. Veronica wipes His face, and the women of Jerusalem weep over the cruelty that the Lord had to endure. I offer to Thee the bitter meeting of Mary and her [pg 315] beloved Son. May I be encouraged, through Christ's Passion, to take the cross on my own shoulders, and carry it with joy. I offer Thee the painful carrying of the cross for all poor Christians who have heavy crosses to bear, and who are bearing them patiently; for the sick, the dying, the poor orphan child, the patient mother who labors, with resignation to Thy holy will, for those dependent on her, and for all who have to suffer on this earth. Let me understand, O my Jesus, the valuable lesson that I deserve to suffer on account of my many sins. Amen.

Elevation Of The Host And Chalice.

I believe, my Jesus, that Thou art now present on this altar; that this bread is now Thy body, and this wine is now Thy blood. Now, O my God, Thy beloved Son has arrived at Calvary. His garments are torn off, and He is nailed to the cross. He is raised, and suspended between heaven and earth, with hands and arms outstretched. There He hangs for three hours, and makes the sacrifice of Himself to Thee, His heavenly Father, for the salvation of the human race. O heavenly Father, look down on this altar and hear the sighs of Thy pleading Son! This is the same sacrifice as that on Calvary: let this Mass, then, have a great spiritual benefit to all on earth. This precious blood is offered up every day on our altars, to obtain pardon for our sins, and new graces for the future. Amen.

Agnus Dei.

I now contemplate Jesus hanging on the cross, His blood flowing from His wounds. I adore Thee on the cross, I listen to Thy words as Thou dost [pg 316] pray for sinners. This holy sacrifice is for them: Christ is the willing Victim that is expiating the sins of mankind; He thirsts for souls on the cross. Father Creator, why dost Thou not create new creatures, and satisfy the thirst of Thy divine Son? Thou canst force the wicked to a change of heart, as Thou didst St. Paul. “Create a clean heart in me, O my God.” But to bring the sacrifice to completion, after the three hours of agony the voice of Jesus is heard exclaiming, “It is consummated.” All is completed; the sufferings and humiliation of the cross are over. Amen.

Communion.

Would, O my Jesus, that I were in a state to go and unite myself to Thee! At least I will unite myself in a spiritual manner. I should always be so full of love towards Thee as to think ever of Thee, and desire to be closely united to Thee and to have Thee buried in my heart. Let me consider before Thee, O heavenly Father, that the sacrifice of the cross is completed, that Thou hast accepted it, and dost look upon the earth with pity and mercy. Still the cruelty of the Jews is not satisfied. They have one more wound to inflict on the Lord. A soldier with a lance opens the sacred side of Our Lord, to demonstrate to every one that the Victim is really dead. O my God, I offer Thee these last marks of the love of the dead Jesus, the wound in His sacred side, and the drops of blood and water which issue therefrom. O my Jesus, Thy heart is open for my reception. I will take refuge therein, away from the temptations of the world. Give me the grace not to fall into mortal sin, as well as to [pg 317] persevere in my resolution to avoid even small sins to the end of my life. I pray for the poor souls in purgatory, for my parents, relatives, sisters and brothers. I recommend to the goodness of Thy Sacred Heart all my benefactors, all those who need my prayers, all the poor, the miserable, and the wretched. I pray also for my country; for peace, prosperity, and love among all the nations that have gathered here to make this their fatherland. I pray also for the conversion of all to the faith, that this may be the kingdom of God here on earth, one sheepfold of Christ, the Good Shepherd. I offer to Thee, O my God, all the sufferings of Jesus for these necessities. Amen.

Conclusion Of The Mass.

In order that this day may be most profitable to me, and to those for whom I have offered this Mass, O heavenly Father, I join myself in spirit in all the Masses that are continually being said all over the world. What great graces are given to mankind by this unceasing succession of oblations of the precious body and blood of Christ! I offer to Thee, also, O my Saviour, all the pious works which are done by so many faithful Christians all over the world. I offer all the confessions, communions, rosaries, and all prayers, as well as all good works of fasting, almsgiving, and penances which are done. I wish to gain all the indulgences which are within my reach to-day, that I may apply them to the souls in purgatory. Now that the priest is about to bless the people in Thy name, do Thou bless me, as well as those for whom I have prayed. Pour out, by the hands of the priest, the blessing of Thy precious [pg 318] blood with all its merit and innumerable graces, on the souls in purgatory. Purify us from our sins by means of this blessing, and give us strength and courage to do good works. Protect us, Thy children and the heirs of Thy kingdom, and lead us to eternal happiness in company with all the saints in heaven. Amen.

Thanksgiving After Mass.

I thank Thee, O my God, at the end of this Mass, for all the graces which I have received during it. The grace of attention to this holy sacrifice, the grace of faith by which I really saw the dying Jesus offered to God the Father, and His sacred blood applied to the wounds of my soul. I thank Thee for that love which has made me come here, and spend some time in the service of God. May I preserve, to the end of my life, the graces which I have received, so that they may bring me to heaven. The love of God almighty, the grace of His divine Son, and the imparting of the Holy Ghost, be always with me and all the faithful throughout the world. The power of the precious blood, the treasure of the merits of the Blessed Virgin, and the intercession of all the saints accompany me now to my home, to my daily work, and make all that I say and do faithful to eternal life. Amen.