For a long time St. Bridget wanted to know the number of blows Our Lord received during His Passion. One day he appeared to her and said, "I received 5480 blows on My Body. If you wish to honor them in some way, say 15 Our Fathers and 15 Hail Marys with the following Prayers for a whole year. When the year is up, you will have honored each one of My Wounds."
*Our Lord made 21 promises to anyone who recites the 15 St. Bridget Prayers for a whole year. They are listed in italics below these prayers.
15 Saint Bridget Prayers for a whole year
First Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy
surpassing all joy and desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who has
proved that Thou has no greater desire than to be among men, even assuming
human nature at the fullness of time for the love of men. Recall all the
suffering Thou endured from the instant of Thy Conception, and especially
during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained in the Divine plan from all
eternity.
Remember, O Lord, that
during the Last Supper with Thy disciples, having washed their feet, Thou gave
them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while sweetly consoling them, Thou foretold
them of Thy coming Passion.
Remember the sadness and
bitterness which Thou did experience in Thy Soul as Thou Thyself bore witness
saying: “My Soul is sorrowful even unto
death.”
Remember all the fear,
anguish and pain that Thou did suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment
of the Crucifixion. When, after praying three times, bathed in a sweat of blood,
you were betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple. Then arrested by the people of a
nation you had chosen and elevated, all during the flower of Thy youth and
during the solemn Paschal season. You were accused by false witnesses and unjustly
judged by three judges.
Remember that Thou was
despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy Face and
Eyes were veiled, that Thou was buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in
Thy Hands, that Thou was crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and
outrages.
In memory of all these
pains and sufferings which you endured before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant us
before our death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy
satisfaction and the remission of all our sins. Amen.
Second Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! True liberty of angels, Paradise of delights,
remember the horror and sadness which Thou endured when, tormented at will, Thy
enemies surrounded Thee like furious lions and meted out thousands of insults,
spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of-cruelties. In consideration of these torments and
insulting words, we beseech Thee, O Savior, to deliver us from all our enemies,
visible and invisible, and to bring us, under Thy protection, to the completion
of eternal salvation. Amen.
Third Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven
and Earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou who does enfold and hold
all under Thy Loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou did suffer when Thy
Sacred Hands and Feet were nailed to the Cross by blow after blow with big
blunt nails. And not finding Thee in a
pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged Thy Wounds and added
pain to pain. With indescribable cruelty, they stretched Thy body on the Cross,
pulling Thee from all sides, dislocating Thy Limbs.
We beg of Thee, O Jesus, by
the memory of this most Loving suffering of the Cross, to grant us the grace to
fear Thee and to Love Thee. Amen.
Fourth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross
to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou did suffer and
the weakness of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that
never was there pain like Thine. From
the crown of Thy Head to the Soles of Thy Feet there was not one spot on Thy
Body not in torment. Yet, forgetting all
Thy sufferings, Thou did not cease to pray to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy
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 Thy Most Bitter
Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and the remission of all our
sins. Amen.
Fifth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor, remember the
sadness which Thou experienced, when contemplating in the light of Thy Divinity,
the predestination of those who would be saved by the merits of Thy Sacred
Passion. Thou did also see at the same
time, the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and
Thou did complain bitterly of those hopeless lost and unfortunate sinners.
Through this abyss of
compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness which Thou displayed
to the good thief when Thou said to him:
“This day, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise,” we beg of Thee, O Sweet
Jesus, that at the hour of our death, you will show us mercy. Amen.
Sixth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the
grief Thou did suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou was fastened
and raised on the Cross, when all Thy relatives and friends abandoned Thee,
except Thy Beloved Mother, who remained close to Thee during Thy agony and whom
Thou did entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou said to Mary: “Woman, behold thy son!” and to St.
John: “Son, behold thy Mother!”
We beg of Thee O Savior, by
the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Thy Holy Mother, to have
compassion on us in all our affliction and tribulations, both corporal and
spiritual. And to assist us in all our trials, and especially at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Seventh Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by
a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross: “I thirst!” while suffering
from a thirst for salvation of the human race.
We beg of Thee O Savior, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend
toward perfection in all our acts; and to extinguish in us any greed, evil lust
of the flesh, or yearning toward worldly desires. Amen.
Eighth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Sweetness of hearts, delight of the spirit,
by the bitterness of the vinegar and gall which Thou did taste on the Cross for
Love of us, grant us the grace to receive worthily Thy Precious Body and Blood
during our life and at the hour of our death, that they may serve as a remedy
and consolation for our souls. Amen.
Ninth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the
pain Thou endured when, plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of
death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou did cry out in a loud voice to Thy
Father, saying: “My God, My God, why
hast Thou forsaken me?”
Through this anguish, we
beg of Thee, O Savior, not to abandon us in the terrors and pains of our own death. Amen.
Tenth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Who art the beginning and end of all things,
life and virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou was 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 us to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments, whose way is
wide and easy for those who love Thee.
Amen.
Eleventh Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, we beg of you, in memory
of the Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth
of Thy being, to draw us, miserable sinners, overwhelmed by our offenses, away
from sin and to hide us from Thy Face justly irritated against us. Hide us in Thy Wounds, until Thy anger and
just indignation shall have passed away.
Amen.
Twelfth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Mirror of Truth, symbol of unity, link of
Charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou was covered from head
to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable Blood. O Great and Universal Pain which Thou did
suffer in Thy virginal Flesh for Love of us!
Sweetest Jesus! What is there
that you could have done for us which you have not done! May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in
our souls by the faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy Love increase
in our hearts each day, until we see Thee in eternity. Thou art the treasury of every real good and
every joy, which we beg of Thee to grant us, O Sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen.
Thirteenth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Strong Lion,
Immortal and Invincible King, remember the pain which Thou endured when all Thy
strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted, and Thou did bow Thy
head, saying: “It is consummated!”
Through this anguish and
grief, we beg of Thee Lord Jesus, to have mercy on us at the hour of our death
when our minds will be greatly troubled and our souls in anguish. Amen.
Fourteenth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, Splendor and Figure
of His Substance, remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou did make
of Thy Soul to Thy Eternal Father, saying:
“Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit!” And with Thy Body all torn, and Thy Heart
Broken, and the bowels of Thy Mercy open to redeem us, Thou did Expire. By this Precious Death, we beg of Thee O King
of Saints, comfort us and help us to resist the devil, the flesh and the world,
so that being dead to the world we may live for Thee alone. We beg of Thee at the hour of our death to
receive us, pilgrims and exiles returning to Thee. Amen.
Fifteenth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of Blood
which you did so generously shed from Thy Sacred Body like juice from grapes in
a wine press.
From Thy Side, pierced with
a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in
Thy Body a single drop, and finally, like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top
of the Cross Thy delicate Flesh was destroyed, the very Substance of Thy Body
withered, and the Marrow of Thy Bones dried up.
Through this bitter Passion
and through the outpouring of Thy Precious Blood, we beg of Thee, O Sweet
Jesus, to receive our souls when we are in our death agony. Amen.
Conclusion
O Sweet Jesus! Pierce our hearts so that our tears of
penitence and love will be our bread day and night. May we be converted entirely to Thee. May our hearts be Thy perpetual habitation,
may our conversations be pleasing to Thee, and may the end of our lives be so
praiseworthy that we may merit Heaven and be there with Thy saints, praising
Thee forever. Amen.
*Promises
1) I will deliver 15 souls of their lineage from Purgatory.
2) Fifteen souls of their lineage will be confirmed and preserved in grace.
3) Fifteen sinners of their lineage will be converted.
4) Whoever recites these Prayers will attain the first degree of perfection.
5) Fifteen days before their death I will give them My Precious Body in order that they may escape eternal starvation; and will give them My Precious Blood to drink lest they thirst eternally.
6) Fifteen days before their death will feel a deep contrition for all their sins and will have a perfect knowledge of them.
7) I will place before them the sign of My Victorious Cross for their help in defense against the attacks of their enemies.
8) Before their death I shall come with My Dearest Beloved Mother.
9) I shall graciously receive their soul and will lead it into eternal joys.
10) And having led it there, I shall give them a special draught from the fountain of My Deity, something I will not for those who have not recited My Prayers.
11) Let it be known that whoever may have lived 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 them all their sins.
12) I shall protect them from strong temptations.
13) I shall preserve and guard their five senses.
14) I shall preserve them from a sudden death.
15) Their soul will be delivered from eternal death.
16) They will obtain all they ask for from God and the Blessed Virgin.
17) If they have lived all their life doing their own will and are to die the next day, their life will be prolonged.
18) Every time one recites these Prayers they gain 100 days of indulgence.
19) They are assured of being joined to the supreme Choir of Angels.
20) Whoever teaches these Prayers to another, will have continuous joy and merit which will endure eternally.
21) There where these Prayers are being said, or will be said in the future, God is present with His grace.
