> [[js-cm-15|← Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus]] | [[the-carmelite-manual-toc|TOC]] | [[js-cm-17|Devotions for Every Day in the Week →]] # The Rosary of the Most Holy Name of Jesus BY the sign of the holy cross, from all our enemies, visible and invisible, good Lord deliver us. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. V. Thou, O Lord, wilt open my lips. R. And my tongue shall announce thy praise. V. Incline unto my aid, O God. R. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, &c. Prevent, we beseech thee, O Lord, our actions, by thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by thy gracious assistance; that every prayer and work of ours, may begin always from thee, and by thee be happily ended, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. I believe in God, &c. I confess to Almighty God, &c. THE INTENTION. TO BE REPEATED BEFORE THE ROSARY, OFFERING up this Rosary to the greater honour and glory of God. through the powerful intercession of the ever glorious and blessed Virgin Mary, giving him thanks, honour, and praise, for all the gifts and graces that he has ever bestowed on us sinners in this world. Likewise for mercy, for grace, for salvation, and peace, to all those of the Confraternities of both Rosaries, holy Orders of Mount Carmel, of St. Francis, St. Augustine, and all the other Confraternities in the Church of Christ our Lord, and the members that are enrolled therein, and us here present, beseeching the Lord God to grant them and us, the graces of a virtuous, devout, penitential life; that worthily and devoutly frequenting the most holy sacraments, we may enjoy everlasting happiness hereafter; beseeching the Lord God to deliver us from all our enemies, visible and invisible, to avert all evil from us, and preserve us from sin; that he may soften our hearts and enlighten our understandings, that we may conform our will to his, and co-operate with his divine grace; that living humble, faithful, and obedient children of his church here on earth, we may enjoy him in his eternal kingdom of glory hereafter, and that we may never die in the state of mortal sin. Also, for rest to the souls of the faithful departed; for our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, friends, relations, benefactors, and neighbours; of all the brothers and sisters of the different orders, that ever departed this life, that the Lord God may grant them a place of rest, and happy repose; that the light of his countenance may shine on them for ever; that they may be found worthy to see and enjoy him in his eternal kingdom, and praise him everlastingly. And also, for the conversion of all sinners, who are at this time going astray in vice and error; for the conversion of all our enemies, that the Lord God may convert them all; that all may know and be known by him; that all may bring forth fruit worthy of repentance, and be saved; that none may be everlastingly cast away. Finally, for the intention of his Holiness the Pope, and the universal Church of Christ; for the conversion of sinners, and the conversion of the enemies of the true Church of Christ; for all things that are to the greater honour and glory of God; beseeching the whole court of heaven to make intercession for us, in our present spiritual necessities, by repeating the "Hail Mary, full of grace," &c. ## A Prayer, Recommended to Be Repeated Before the Rosary of Jesus BY DOCTOR LAWRENCE RICHARDSON.* O THou, the Son of the Almighty Father, anointed Saviour of mankind! O thou who art! O Jehovah! O Emanual! O Adonai! O thou, the Holy One! O thou, the dreadful One! O thou, the Wonderful! O thou, our God! O thou, the strong One! O thou, the Prince of Peace! O thou, the Father of the future age! we adore thee in all thy names. But thou hast humbled thyself, being made obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. For which God hath exalted thee, and given thee a name above all names; that at the name of Jesus every knee may bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and in hell. I offer thee my thanks for uniting me in this holy Society. Oh! grant me to partake of those benefits which were obtained by the merits of the glorious Order of St. Dominick. I purpose for ever to honour thee in all thy sacred names, and never to profane them. I purpose to hinder and prevent so great a crime in others, to the best of my ability. Inspire me with reverence and zeal to fulfil this purpose; I implore thee in virtue of the mysteries of the most holy Rosary. * In his Appendix to the Manner of Hearing Mass. O thou, the Son of David, miraculously made man, and born from the womb of a virgin! O thou, the King of the Jews, who bore for me a most bitter passion; O thou, the Son of the living God, risen from death, and the Judge of the living and the dead, grant to me, and to all our Society, to perform this great devotion in the spirit of thy Church; that we may obtain grace and merit in this life, and happiness in the next; through thee, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one God for all eternity. Amen. ## Rosary of Jesus IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. V. Thou, O Lord, wilt open my lips. R. And my tongue shall announce thy praise. V. Incline unto my aid, O God. R. O Lord make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. THE FIVE MYSTERIES OF THE FIRST PART.* I.-The Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. THE MEDITATION, THE Son of God assumes human flesh out of the pure blood of the blessed Mary, ever virgin, and is made man in her womb. O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. To be repeated ten times, and to conclude with Glory be to the Father, &c. * They who do not say the whole Rosary at one time, but divide it into three parts, for three different days, are to take notice, that the first part of the Rosary of Jesus is to be said on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the year, and on the Sundays in Advent, and after Epiphany until Lent. The second part on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year, and the Sundays in Lent. The third part to be said on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the year, and on the Sundays after Easter until Advent. II.-The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. THE MEDITATION. OUR Saviour of the world is born for our redemption; his mother remaining a virgin. O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. III.-The Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE MEDITATION. OUR Saviour being eight days old, begins to suffer for our sins; and his blood already flows for us. He is circumcised according to the law, as if he had been himself a sinner. O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. IV.-Our Lord Jesus Christ is found in the Temple. THE MEDITATION. OUR Saviour being twelve years old, shows himself more than mortal, by his knowledge and wisdom, teaching the teachers of the Jews. O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. V.-The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE MEDITATION. THE Saviour of the world is baptized by St. John: the Eternal Father declares him to be his Son. O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. LET US PRAY. O Jesus, whose name is above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee may bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and in hell. Who at the time appointed by the Eternal Wisdom, assumed human flesh in the womb of the blessed Mary, ever virgin, and thus became the Son of David; whose birth gladdened men and angels; who began so early to suffer for us, and to shed on our account, that blood that washes away the sins of the world; whose immortal wisdom appeared at the age of twelve years; to whose baptism all heaven was attentive; grant to us, to celebrate those mysteries to thy honour and our own salvation: who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, one God, for all eternity. Amen. THE FIVE MYSTERIES OF THE SECOND PART. I.-Our Saviour washeth his Disciples' feet. THE MEDITATION, OUR Saviour, to show us an example of humility and how much we ought to serve each other, descendeth so low as to wash the feet of his disciples, though he is the God whom heaven and earth adore. O Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. II.-Our Saviour's Agony in the Garden. THE MEDITATION. OUR Saviour knowing his passion to be now at hand, is so affected with the thoughts of it, and so oppressed by the load of our sins, that he prays to his Almighty Father that the bitter cup might pass away from him. O Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. III.-Our Saviour is apprehended. THE MEDITATION. OUR Saviour, as if he had been no more than mortal man, yields to the power of men, and permits himself, for our redemption, to be apprehended, as if he were a malefactor. O Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. IV.-Our Saviour carries his Cross. THE MEDITATION, OUR Saviour, being torn with scourges and pierced with thorns to expiate our sins, is obliged to carry the cross on which he is to die; and moves on, labouring in sorrow, towards the place of his execution. O Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. V.-The descent of our Saviour into Hell. THE MEDITATION, THE soul of our Saviour, being separated by death from the body, descends to that place where the saints were expecting his redemption. O Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. LET US PRAY. O JESUS, whose name is above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee may bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and in hell; whose mysterious humiliations and sorrows, appointed for thee on account of our sins, appeared in thy washing the feet of thy servants and creatures; in thy distress, and prayer, and bloody sweat; in thy being secured and brought before courts as a criminal; in thy bearing the load of the cross; and in the separation of thy soul from thy body, and its descent to the regions below; grant to us, to celebrate these mysteries to thy honour and our own salvation: who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one God, for all eternity. Amen. ## The Five Mysteries of the Third Part I.-The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE MEDITATION, THE soul of our Lord Jesus Christ, which had been separated from the body, is re-united to it by a miracle of the Almighty power; and that body which had been dead, rises to die no more. O Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. II.-The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE MEDITATION. THE body of our Lord Jesus Christ ascends into the highest, where the Saviour of mankind sits at the right hand of God, the Almighty Father. O Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. III.-Our Lord Jesus Christ sends down the Holy Ghost. THE MEDITATION. OUR Saviour now seated at the right hand of God, his Almighty Father, sends down the Holy Ghost to inspire and animate his disciples, that they may be qualified to publish to mankind his cross and his glory. O Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. IV.-Our Lord Jesus Christ crowning the Blessed Virgin and Saints. THE MEDITATION. OUR Saviour, having by his passion, resurrection, and ascension, opened the way for the sons of Adam to heaven, which they had lost by sin, bestows on his mother and his saints, a crown of immortal glory. O Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. V.-Our Lord Jesus Christ Coming to Judgement. THE MEDITATION, OUR Saviour will come in power and majesty to judge the living and the dead, and to render to every one according to his works. O Jesus; Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [Ten times.] Glory, &c. LET US PRAY. O JESUS, whose name is above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee may bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and in hell; whose body, that was murdered by mankind, the Almighty raised from death, glorious and immortal; who by thy ascension triumphed over death, and held captivity captive; who according to thy promise, sent down thy Spirit, that proceedeth from the Father and the Son, the comforter and the enlivener; who stretching forth the bounty of thy Almighty hand, shed upon the chosen children of Adam, that glory, that neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive; and who will come forth in power and majesty, to judge the living and the dead; before whose throne all mortals will appear; grant to us to celebrate those mysteries to thy honour and our own salvation: who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one God, for all eternity. Amen. N.B.-They who cannot read or meditate on the mysteries, ought to say the creed before-hand, in this Rosary, and that of the Blessed Virgin. *For the Litany of Jesus, see page 50.* # A Prayer of a Penitent Sinner O ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast created me to thine own image and likeness, and redeemed me by the precious blood of thy only Son; who hast thought on me and loved me from all eternity, and out of pure love prepared a heaven for me, with all the necessary means to bring me thither; who hast borne with me for so long a time, in my repeated offences and treasons against thee; hast still continued with infinite goodness and mercy, to call, to invite, to press me to return to thee, notwithstanding all my monstrous ingratitude to thee, and my contempt of all thy graces. Behold, I now desire with my whole heart to quit those husks of swine, which have kept me so long at a distance from thy house, my true home; and to come back to thee, to obey the summons which thou hast been pleased to send me; and to confess and detest all my sins in thy presence, in hopes of finding mercy at this time of mercy. I desire now to come before thee, though infinitely unworthy, in the spirit of humility, and with a contrite heart, and to make at thy feet a general confession of all my sins. I acknowledge that from my first coming to the use of reason, to this very hour, my whole life has been nothing but sin and misery. Alas! I lost thee; I turned my back upon thee; I shamefully preferred worthless toys to thee; even from the very time I was first capable of knowing and loving thee. I have very seldom thought of thee; I have daily and hourly many ways broken thy commandments. Good God! what must then become of this poor wretch in the day of thy judgment-this wretch, whose known and unknown sins are without number, and who has done so very little good to put in the scales to counterbalance so much evil? Must I, then, despair of thy mercy? Must I give up the cause and abandon myself to Satan, sin, and hell? No, my God. May thy infinite goodness forbid I should fall into that bottomless pit, where none shall ever confess thee. My iniquities are great it is true; but thy goodness, thy mercy, thy power, is still greater. Thou hast declared, it is not thy will the sinner should perish, but that he should be converted and live. Thou hast declared there is more joy in thy heavenly court over one penitent sinner, than over ninety-nine just. Thy Son hath shed his blood for me, to purchase for me a full forgiveness of all my sins. Here is my hope. This mercy I lay hold on, and nothing shall make me quit my hold. I know the worst of sinners have been cleansed from all their filth in this sovereign bath. Should my case be even worse than the worst of theirs, the mercy and grace of my God, and the virtue of the precious blood of my Redeemer, are abundantly sufficient, and will appear the more illustrious in my cure. O Infinite Goodness! who hast endured me for so many years, since I first fell from thee by sin; who hast kept me all this while from falling into hell, and hast continually cherished me with innumerable favours and graces, behold me now prostrate at thy feet, accusing myself of my crimes, and imploring thy mercy. I am that prodigal child that has gone away into a far country from thee, and have squandered away all the substance thou gavest me; I have made myself a slave to the devil, who has sent me to feed his swine, even my own passions and sensual inclinations; I have sought, but sought, alas! in vain, to satisfy my craving appetite with their husks. But now being made sensible of my misery, and being weary of my own evil ways, I come back to thee. I acknowledge myself unworthy to be received in the quality of thy child; all I crave is thy mercy, in the forgiveness of my manifold treasons: I dare not ask for, the meanest place in thy family. I find myself quite loaded and oppressed with the enormous weight of my sins. If I consider my own deserts, I can look for nothing but hell; which I have deserved a thousand and a thousand times. I now hate and detest my evil ways, I abhor myself for having been so wicked and ungrateful to thee. I have even crucified thy Son, my divine Redeemer, over, and over again, by my sins. But, O thou Fountain of Mercy! have pity and compassion on this miserable wretch. Look not upon my sins, but upon the bowels of thy tender mercy, and the merits of Christ. Look upon the face of thy Son, and upon all he has done and suffered for poor sinners. Oh! mercy, mercy, mercy, through that blood which he shed for me in his agony in the garden of Gethsemani; through that blood he shed for me, when he was rent and torn with scourges, and crowned with thorns; through that blood he shed for me upon the cross. Grant this mercy which he then asked for me, when he was bleeding and dying for me; and which he now implores sitting at thy right hand, where he is still the advocate of sinners: Hear, also, the prayers of thy holy Church, spread throughout the whole earth, which she now offers in his name, and through his merits, imploring thy mercy at this time for all her children, of which I am the most unworthy. Hear the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, and of the whole Church of heaven, whom I humbly beseech to be joint petitioners with the Church upon earth, to obtain mercy for me and all poor sinners: through the same Jesus. Christ, thy Son. And turning myself to thee, my dearest Jesus, my Redeemer and my Advocate, the great High Priest of God and man; the Pastor and Bishop of our souls; I beg of thee, to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth, pardon, absolution, and full remission of all my sins. I am heartily sorry for all my offences; I desire to lay them all down at thy feet, to be cancelled by thy precious blood. I wish with all my soul I had never offended thy infinite goodness. I wish I could wash thy feet, like Magdalen, with penitential tears. Oh! that I could worthily bewail my sins, even with tears of blood. I resolve, by thy grace, rather to die than to commit the like any more. I resolve to make the best satisfaction I am able, by bringing forth worthy fruits of penance. Oh! discharge me this once from the dismal load of the guilt of my crimes. Oh! release all the bands that may keep my soul from thee and thy heavenly kingdom; and then, as to this life, do with me what thou pleasest, I willingly accept from thy hands whatever crosses or sufferings thou shalt send; I will dedicate the remainder of my days to thee, daily to bewail my sins; and daily to present my heart to thee. I will make what amends I can for my past offences by a life of penance and a life of love. I renounce from this moment, and for ever, the world, the flesh, and the devil; and all their suggestions, vanities, and concupiscences; and I fully determine to be for ever thine. Oh! cleanse my soul from all my past abominations, and let nothing henceforward, either in life or death, evermore separate me from thee: who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen. The penitent may also here recite for the same intention, the psalm Miserere; or other devout prayers and acts of contrition. # A Prayer for the Whole State of Christ's Church upon Earth, and All the Intentions of an Indulgence O ETERNAL Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of all things visible and invisible, Source of all our good; infinitely good in thyself, and infinitely gracious, bountiful, and good to us; behold we, thy poor servants, the work of thy hands, redeemed by the blood of thy only Son, come in answer to his summons, by his vicegerent, to present ourselves as humble petitioners before the throne of thy mercy. We come all in a body at this time, even all thy people upon earth; and we come in communion with all thy Church in heaven, hoping to be assisted by their prayers and merits; and with Jesus Christ at our head, our High Priest and Mediator, in whose precious blood we put all our trust. We prostrate ourselves here before thee, and most humbly beseech thee to sanctify thy own most holy name, by sanctifying and exalting thy holy Catholic Church throughout the whole world. O eternal King! who has sent thy only Son down from thy throne above, to establish a kingdom here amongst us, from whence we might hereafter be translated to thy eternal kingdom. Look down, we beseech thee, upon this kingdom of thy Son, and propagate it through all nations and through all hearts. Sanctify it in all truth; maintain it in peace, unity, and holiness; give to it saints for its rulers, its chief pastor, and all its other prelates; enlighten them all with heavenly wisdom, and make them all men according to thy own heart. Give thy grace and blessing to all the clergy, and send amongst them that heavenly fire which thy Son came to enkindle on earth; assist and protect all apostolical missionaries, that they may zealously and effectually promote thy glory and the salvation of souls redeemed by the blood of thy Son. Sanctify all religious men and women, of all orders; give them the grace to serve thee with all perfection, according to the spirit of their institute, and to shine like lights to the rest of the faithful. Have mercy on all Christian princes; grant them those lights and graces that are necessary for the perfect discharge of their duty to thee and to their subjects, that they may be true servants to thee, the King of kings; true fathers to their people, and to thy Church. Have mercy on all magistrates and men in power; that they may all fear thee, love thee, and serve thee; and ever remember that they are thy deputies, and ministers of thy justice. Have mercy on all thy people throughout the whole world; and give thy blessing to thy inheritance; remember thy congregation, which thou possesseth from the beginning; and give that grace to all thy children here upon earth, that they may do thy will in all things, even as the blessed do in heaven. Extend thy mercy also to all poor infidels, that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death; to all those nations that know thee not, and that have not yet received the faith and law of thy Son, their Saviour; to all pagans, Mahometans, and Jews. Remember, O Lord, that all these poor souls are made after thy own image and likeness, and redeemed by the blood of thy Son. Oh! let not Satan any longer exercise his tyranny over these thy creatures, to the great dishonour of thy name. Let not the precious blood of thy Son be shed for them in vain. Send among them zealous preachers and apostolic labourers, endued with the like graces and gifts as thy apostles were, and bless them with the like success, for the glory of thy name; that all these poor souls may be brought to know thee, love thee, and serve thee here, in thy Church, and bless thee hereafter for all eternity. Look down also with an eye of pity and compassion on all those deluded souls who, under the name of Christians, have gone away from the paths of truth and unity; and from the one fold of the one Shepherd, thy only Son, Jesus Christ, in the bye-paths of error and schism. Oh! bring them back to thee and to thy Church. Dispel their darkness by thy heavenly light; take off the veil from before their eyes, with which the common enemy has blindfolded them; let them see how they have been misled by misapprehensions and misrepresentations. Remove the prejudices of their education; take away from them the spirit of obstinacy, pride, and self-conceit. Give them an humble and docile heart; give them a strong desire of finding out thy truth, and a strong grace to enable them to embrace it, in spite of all the opposition of the world, the flesh, and the devil. For why should these poor souls perish, for whom Christ died? Why should Satan any longer possess these souls, whom by their baptism were dedicated to thee, to be thy eternal temple? O Father of lights, and God of all truth, purge the whole world from all errors, abuses, corruptions, and vices. Beat down the standard of Satan, and set up everywhere the standard of Christ; Abolish the reign of sin, and establish the kingdom of grace in all hearts. Let humility triumph over pride and ambition; charity over hatred, envy, and malice; purity and temperance over lust and excess; meekness over passion; and disinterestedness and poverty of spirit, over covetousness and love of this perishable world. Let the gospel of Jesus Christ, both in its belief and practice, prevail throughout all the universe. Grant to us thy peace, O Lord, in the days of our mortality; even that peace which thy Son bequeathed as a legacy to his disciples; a perpetual peace with thee, a perpetual peace with one another, and a perpetual peace within ourselves. Grant that all Christian princes and states may love, cherish, and maintain an inviolable peace among themselves, Give them a right sense of the dreadful evils that attend on wars. Give them an everlasting horror of all the blood shed, of the devastations and ruin of so many territories, of the innumerable sacrileges, and the eternal loss of so many thousand souls, as are the dismal consequences of war. Turn their hearts to another kind of warfare. Teach them to fight for a heavenly kingdom. Remove, O Lord, thy wrath, which we have reason to apprehend is actually hanging over our heads for our sins. Deliver all Christian people from the dreadful evil of mortal sin. Make all sinners sensible of their misery; give them the grace of a sincere conversion to thee; and a truly penitential spirit, and discharge them from all their bonds. Preserve all Christendom, and in particular this nation, from all the evils that threaten impenitent sinners; such as plagues, famines, earthquakes, fires, inundations, sudden and unprovided death, and thy many other judgments here, and eternal damnation hereafter. Comfort all that are under any affliction, sickness, or violence of pain. Support all that are under any temptation. Reconcile all that are at variance; deliver all that are in slavery or captivity; defend all that are in danger; grant a relief to all in their respective necessities; give a happy passage to all that are in their agony. Grant thy blessing to our friends and benefactors, and to all those for whom we are particularly bound to pray; and have mercy on all our enemies. Give eternal rest to all the faithful departed, and bring us all to everlasting life: through Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen. --- ![[maps/bibliography#^biblio-spratt]] > [[js-cm-15|← Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus]] | [[the-carmelite-manual-toc|TOC]] | [[js-cm-17|Devotions for Every Day in the Week →]]