ON SUNDAY, OR AT MATINS
O Eternal Wisdom, my heart reminds Thee of
Thy sorrow of soul. 1. When after the Last Supper on the Mount, Thou wast
bathed in Thy bloody sweat because of the anxiety of Thy heart; 2. And when
like an enemy Thou wast made prisoner, cruelly bound, and led miserably away;
3. When, Lord, Thou wast sacrilegiously maltreated in the night with hard
blows, and with blindfolding of Thine eyes; 4. Early accused before Caiphas and
pronounced worthy of death; 5. Seen by Thy affectionate mother with unspeakable
sorrow of heart; 6. Thou wast ignominiously presented before Pilate, falsely
accused, and condemned to die; 7. Thou, O Eternal Wisdom, wast mocked as a fool
in a white garment before Herod; 8. Thy fair body was torn and rent without
mercy by the cruel whips of Thy scourgers; 9. Thy delicate head was pierced
with sharp thorns and Thy sweet face, in consequence, drenched with blood; 10.
Thus condemned Thou wast led miserably and shamefully with Thy cross to
death.
Alas, my only hope, let me, therefore, remind
Thee to give me Thy fatherly aid in all my distresses. Oh, unloose my sinful
fetters, guard me against secret vice and open guilt, shelter me from the false
councils of the enemy, and from the occasion of all crime, inspire me with a
sincere sympathy for Thy own sufferings and for those of Thy tender mother.
Lord, at my last departure, judge me mercifully, teach me to condemn worldly
honours, and to serve Thee wisely. Let all my infirmities be healed in Thy
wounds. Let my reason be fortified and adorned by the injuries inflicted on Thy
head, and may Thy whole Passion be imitated by me according to my ability.
Amen.
Sweet Lord! 1. When on the high branches of the
cross Thy eyes were extinguished and turned in their sockets; 2. Thy divine
ears filled with mockery and blasphemy; 3. Thy delicate nostrils stopped with
rank smells; 4. Thy sweet mouth with bitter drink; 5. Thy tender feeling
visited with rude blows. Therefore do I beg that Thou wouldst guard this day my
eyes from all dissolute sights, my ears from voluptuous speech. Lord, take away
from me all relish of bodily things, make all temporal things unpleasant to me,
and rid me of all tenderness for my own body.