Bridget of Sweden

“ Others spoke other jeering words, and thus, while the crowd stood around, one running up with great fury, plunged a lance into his right side so powerfully, that the lance seemed about to come forth in the opposite side of the body, and when it was drawn out, a very river of blood gushed impetuously from that wound; but the lance-head and part of the handle came forth blood-stained. His mother seeing this, trembled so violently and with bitter groans, that her countenance and manner showed that her soul was then pierced with a keen sword of grief. ”

“ Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed with the garments of derision; that Thy face and eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a scepter placed in Thy hands, that Thou wast fastened to a column and crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the cross, grant that before I die, I may make with true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, make worthy satisfaction and be granted the remission of all my sins. Amen. ”

“ Had they divine charity, they would at least think in mind, what I did for them, how great was my labor in preaching, my pain in my Passion, my charity in death, because I preferred death to abandoning them. But their faith is weak, tottering, as it were, to fall; because they believe, when the assault of temptation is absent, — they distrust, when any thing contrary comes upon them. Their hope is vain; they hope that sin will be forgiven without justice and truth of judgment. They trust to obtain the kingdom of heaven gratis; they desire to obtain mercy untempered by justice. ”

“ Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. ”

“ Why art thou contracted by sadness ? For it is the will of my Father, that I suffer death; nay, my will with the Father. What I have of the Father cannot suffer; but the flesh which I took of thee shall suffer, that the flesh of others may be redeemed, and their spirits saved.” He was so obedient, that when Joseph by chance said: Do this or that, he immediately did it, because he so concealed the power of his divinity, that it could not be discerned except by me, and sometimes by Joseph, who both often saw an admirable light poured around him, and heard angelic voices singing over him. ”

“ May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy love increase in my heart each day, until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasure of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O sweetest Jesus, in heaven. ”

“ He rested when the deity was associated to the humanity. Blessed, therefore, art thou O most blessed Virgin, in whom the mighty God became a little child; the ancient Lord became a puny infant; the everlasting God and invisible Creator became a visible creature. Therefore, because thou art most compassionate and most powerful, O Lady, I beg thee to look on me and take pity on me. For thou art the mother of Solomon; not of him who was David’s son, but of him who is the father of David, and the Lord of Solomon, who built that wonderful temple, which truly prefigured thee. ”

“ Who art the beginning and end of all things, life and virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou wast plunged in an abyss of suffering from the soles of Thy feet to the crown of Thy head. In consideration of the enormity of Thy wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Thy commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love. ”

“ Woman, behold thy son I beseech thee, merciful Jesus, by the sword of grief which then pierced thy soul, to have compassion on me in all my tribulations and afflictions, bodily and spiritual, and give me comfort in time of tribulation and at the hour of my death. ”

“ THE CONSIDERATION OF THE PASSION.
The consideration of the Passion of my Son ought to be frequently in man’s thoughts; for let him consider how the Son of God, and the Son of the Virgin, who is one God with the Father and Holy Ghost, suffered; how he was led captive, and buffeted and spit upon; how he was scourged to the very inmost, so that the flesh was torn away by the lash; how with all his nerves distended and pierced, he stood dolorous on the cross; how crying out on the cross, he gave up the ghost. If he frequently fans the spark, then will he grow warm. ”

“ O Jesus, fountain of inexhaustible mercy, who from intense feeling didst exclaim on the cross, “I thirst,” thirsting for the salvation of the human race; inflame, we beseech thee, the desires of our hearts to every perfect work, and entirely cool and extinguish in us the thirst of carnal concupiscence and the heat of worldly delight. ”

“ Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lend us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ”

“ His hands and feet were stretched out most rigidly, drawn and shaped to the form of the cross, his beard and hair all clotted with blood. Now when my Son was thus torn and livid, his heart alone was vigorous, it being naturally very good and strong; for at his birth he assumed a most pure body of my flesh, and an excellent constitution. His skin was so tender and fair, that it could not be slightly struck without blood issuing at once. His blood was so fresh, that it could be seen in his clear skin; and as he was of an excellent temperament, life struggled with death in his pierced body. ”

“ Let it be known that whoever may have been living in a state of mortal sin for 30 years, but who will recite devoutly, or have the intention to recite these Prayers, the Lord will forgive him all his sins. I will defend him against evil temptations. I will preserve and guard his five senses. I will preserve him from a sudden death. His soul will be delivered from eternal death. He will obtain all he asks for from God and the Blessed Virgin. If he has lived all his life doing his own will and he is to die the next day, his life will be prolonged. ”

“ O Jesus Christ, eternal sweetness of them that hope in thee, joy exceeding all joy and all desire, salvation, and love of sinners, who hast declared it to be thy delight to be with the children of men, made man for man in the end of time; remember all thy premeditation and interior grief, which thou didst endure in thy human body, at the approach of the time of thy most saving Passion, preordained in thy divine heart. ”

“ Then the angel said again: What is born in thee is holy, and shall be called the Son of God; and as it shall please him, so shall it be done. Still I deemed myself unworthy, and asked the angel not why or when, but how it should be done, that I, unworthy, should be the mother of God, not knowing man. And the angel answered me as I said: Nothing is impossible to God, but whatsoever he willeth shall come to pass, &c. Hearing the words of the angel, I felt a most fervent desire to be the mother of God, and my soul spoke in love: Here I am, let thy will be done in me. ”

“ Sixthly, I suffered from the tribulations of the Apostles and friends of God, ever fearing and grieving: fearing that they might yield to temptations and tribulations; grieving because my Son’s words were everywhere contradicted. But though the grace of God always persevered with me, and my will always conformed to the will of God, yet my grief was constantly mingled with consolation, till ‘I was assumed, body and soul, to my Son in heaven. Let not, then, this grief leave thy heart, for without tribulation few would reach heaven. ”

“ When the Passion of my Son drew nigh, his eyes were filled with tears, and his body with sweat, through fear of the Passion, and he was soon torn from my sight; nor did I see him more, till he was brought out to be scourged. ”

“ By this precious death, I beseech thee, O King of saints, comfort me to resist the devil, the world, flesh, and blood, that dead to the world, I may live to thee, and in the last hour of my departure receive thou my exiled, wandering spirit returning to thee. ”

“ If I blush for my own sloth, yet I rejoice, that thou who didst once die for our salvation, will die no more. For thou art truly he that was before the ages. Thou art he that has power of life and death. Thou alone art good and just. Thou alone art almighty and fearful. ”

“ Eternal honor and glory be to thee, my Lady Virgin Mary, who, when it pleased God to take thee from the exile of this world, and to honor thy soul eternally in his kingdom, vouchsafed to announce it to thee by his angel, and who wished thy venerable body, when dead, to be interred by the Apostles, with all reverence, in the sepulchre. ”

“ Those who lived with me, when I gave up the ghost, knew well, from the unusual light, that divine things then took place in me. After this, the friends of my Son, divinely sent, interred my body in the valley of Josaphat; countless angels, like specks in sunlight, attending, but malignant spirits not daring to approach. For fifteen days my body lay buried in the earth; then, with a multitude of angels, it was assumed into heaven.
After my Son ascended to heaven, I lived in the world fifteen years, — the time from my Son’s ascension to my death. And when dead, I lay in the sepulchre three days ”

“ Blessed be thou, my Lady Virgin Mary, who didst behold thy Son preaching, working miracles, and choosing his Apostles, who, enlightened by his example, miracles, and doctrine, were made witnesses of the truth, announcing to all nations that thy Jesus was truly the Son of God, that it was he who had accomplished in himself the oracles of the prophets, when he had patiently endured a most atrocious death for the human race. ”

“ The guardians sleep; those who pass delight in vanity and novelties; therefore, I rise and will not be silent. I will take away the voice of praise, and I will let my vineyard to others, who will bear fruit in season. Yet, according to the common proverb, friends are found among enemies. Therefore, will I send to my friends, words sweeter than dates, more delicious than honey, more precious than gold. Who receive and keep them, shall have that treasure which is happily forever, and faileth not, but increases in life everlasting. ”

“ Exult, O mother of God, glorious Lady Virgin Mary, that thou didst deserve to see thy soul quickened after death, assumed with thy soul with angelic honors to heaven, and didst see thy glorious Son, God with humanity, and with exulting joy behold him to be the most just judge of all men, and the rewarder of good works. ”

“ Whatever we had over our daily sustenance we gave to the poor, content with what we had. Joseph so served me, that no scurrilous, murmuring, or angry word was heard from him, for he was most patient in poverty, solicitous in labor when it was necessary, most mild to those who reproached, most obedient in my service, a most prompt defender against those who gainsayed my virginity, a most faithful witness of the wonders of God. ”

“ Thou art like pointing out suddenly to a friend grieving for it, a lost jewel, whereby his pain is alleviated, his joy increased, his whole mind rekindled with joy. So thou, most sweet mother, didst show to the world its God, whom men had lost, and didst bear him in time who was begotten before time, at whose birth earthly and heavenly things rejoiced. ”

“ And as it was manifest to all the court of heaven that no one, of angels or of men, loved God with as much charity as thou, therefore it was just and worthy that God himself should honorably place thee, soul and body, on the highest seat of glory. ”

“ Finally, my Father wishing to show the way by which heaven should be opened and excluded man enter in, out of love delivered me lip to the Passion, that by accomplishing it, my body might be glorified. For in justice, my humanity could not enter glory without passion, although I might have done so by the power of my divinity. ”