Posted on 02/29/2004 11:44:03 PM PST by Salvation
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.
Finally found it.
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Please see #7. You mentioned looking for documentation. Outside of Scripture and St. Bridget, THE DOLOROUS PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST by Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) is probably the most important. It is on-line at http://www.emmerich1.com/DOLOROUS_PASSION_OF_OUR_LORD_JESUS_CHRIST.htm
I heard Mel Gibson mention Emmerich often as a major source, but not St. Bridget.
The image below is from the movie & must have been based on the images from St. Bridgets book (post7). They are too similar--IMO.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/articles/news/?id=040227potc.htm
And none of this compares to His Spiritual & Mental Suffering.
http://www.intermirifica.org/lent/passion3.htm
Scourging. Left, Short whip (flagrum) with lead balls and sheep bones tied into leather thongs. Center left, Naked victim tied to flogging post. Deep stripelike lacerations were usually associated with considerable blood loss. Center right, View from above, showing position of lictors. Right, inferomedial direction of wounds.
Health of Jesus
The rigors of Jesus' ministry (that is, traveling by foot throughout Palestine) would have precluded any major physical illness or a weak general constitution. Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus was in good physical condition before his walk to Gethsemane. However, during the 12 hours between 9 PM Thursday and 9 AM Friday, he had suffered great emotional stress (as evidenced by hematidrosis), abandonment by his closest friends (the disciples), and a physical beating (after the first Jewish trial). Also, in the setting of a traumatic and sleepless night, had been forced to walk more than 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to and from the sites of the various trials. These physical and emotional factors may have rendered Jesus particularly vulnerable to the adverse hemodynamic effects of the scourging.
SCOURGING Scourging Practices
Flogging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution, (28) and only women and Roman senators or soldiers (except in cases of desertion) were exempt. (11) The usual instrument was a short whip (flagrum or flagellum) with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. Occasionally, staves also were used. (8,12) For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post. (11) The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or by one who alternated positions. (5,7,11,28) The severity of the scourging depended on the disposition of the lictors and was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. (8) After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim. (11)
Medical Aspects of Scourging
As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim's back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. (7) Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. (27,25) Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. (12) The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross. (3)
This conforms with the image on the Shroud of Turin.
I've looked at this image hundreds of times, but never "saw" the lash strokes, at least not in the same way that I do now after having seen "The Passion of the Christ." They're there.
The image on the Shroud corresponds exactly with the movie's depiction of the scourging. It's breathtaking. My previous understanding of the scourging and crucifixion has simply been obliterated.
The impossibly high number of lashes can be accounted for by the fact that the Romans were using a flagrum, the equivalent of a "cat o' nine tails." Additionally, The Shroud of Turin shows not only the horrific number of strokes inflicted on Christ's body, but also marks left by the small, dumbell-shaped pieces of iron tied to the end of each flagrum whip which were designed to tear out pieces of flesh.
Interestingly, this specific characteristic of the flagrum was unknown to medieval society.
Yes. You know, I used to look down on those "grisly" crucifixes. You know the ones I'm talking about. They seem pretty sanitized now, don't they?
Even my understanding of Jesus' arrest has been transformed. I always pictured Peter walking over to a guard, taking his sword and slicing off his ear. Pretty weird image. And it doesn't make much sense, if you think about it at all. Mel's rendering of the scene certainly makes much more sense.
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