[Pyro7480]

The Psalter of Jesus gets its name from from the number of times the Holy Name of Jesus is said when it is prayed. It is said at least 10 times with each of the 15 petitions, bringing the total number over 150 (there are 150 Psalms in the Books of Psalms). I can personally attest that this prayer, due to the number of times the Holy Name is said, and the humility of the petitions, is a very powerful one. I learned about it from an English priest who offered Mass on the Feast of the Holy Name in 2004, and gave a homily which mentioned the Psalter of Jesus.

The Psalter of Jesus is divided into three parts; each consisting of five Petitions. Each part is preceded by the reading of Phil. 2: 10, 11. (In the online edition, the following version of the reading is used: "At the Name of Jesus let every knee bow, of things in heaven, of things on earth, and of things in hell; and let every tongue confess that our Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.")

Each of the petitions is concluded by the following prayers:

Have mercy on all sinners, Jesus, I beseech Thee; turn their vices into virtues, and, making them true observers of Thy law, and sincere lovers of Thee, bring them to bliss in everlasting glory.

Have mercy also on the souls in purgatory, for Thy bitter Passion, I beseech Thee, and for Thy glorious Name Jesus.

O Blessed Trinity, one Eternal God, have mercy on me.

The Our Father and Hail Mary is then said (I say them in Latin).

At the end of each part, the following prayers are said before the Our Father and Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed is said after them:

Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death. Even to the death of the Cross.

Hear these my petitions, O my most merciful Saviour, and grant me grace so frequently to repeat and consider them, that they may prove easy steps, whereby my soul may ascend to the knowledge, love, and performance of my duty to Thee and my neighbour, through the whole course of my life. Amen.

The Fifteen Petitions of the Jesus Psalter

Part I:

First Petition: Jesus, have mercy on me.
Second Petition: Jesus, help me.
Third Petition: Jesus, strengthen me.
Fourth Petition: Jesus, comfort me.
Fifth Petition: Jesus, make me constant.

Part II:

Sixth Petition: Jesus, enlighten me with spiritual wisdom.
Seventh Petition: Jesus, grant me grace to fear Thee.
Eighth Petition: Jesus, grant me grace to love Thee.
Ninth Petition: Jesus, grant me grace to remember my death.
Tenth Petition: Jesus, send me here my purgatory.

Part III:

Eleventh Petition: Jesus, grant me grace to avoid bad company.
Twelfth Petition: Jesus, grant me grace to call on Thee for help.
Thirteenth Petition: Jesus, make me persevere in virtue.
Fourteenth Petition: Jesus, grant me grace to fix my mind on Thee.
Fifteenth Petition: Jesus, give me grace to order my life towards mine eternal welfare.

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping, in anticipation of the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, Sunday 2 January 2005 on the traditional calendar, and Monday 3 January 2005 on the new calendar.

A great pocket-sized resouce on the Holy Name of Jesus is Fr. Paul O'Sullivan's The Wonders of the Holy Name, printed by TAN Books.

[murphE]

This is so strange. When I first saw your post on the Holy Name of Jesus I had thought of the Psalter of Jesus, which I had remembered seeing in an old prayer book. I went to go find it and when I came back...you had posted this!

[pascendi]

Tenth Petition: Jesus, send me here my purgatory.

Now that takes some real guts.

[Robert Drobot]

Thank you for posting this thread.

[Stubborn]

Thanks for the ping and THANK YOU VERY MUCH for posting this!

Absolutely beautiful.

[NYer]

Thank you for posting this timely and beautiful reminder!

[Siobhan]

Bless you! And bless you a thousand million times for posting this.

[AlbionGirl]

Thank you so much for posting this, it is absolutely beautiful.
Simple, beautiful, unambiguous. I crave that.