Sixth Effusion Of Our Saviors Blood On Friday: Nailing To The Cross
CHAMPAIGNE, Philippe de
Crucifixion
c. 1650
THE SIXTH EFFUSION ON FRIDAY
SIXTHLY, the devout soul ought to think, meditate, and contemplate, how our Saviour and redeemer Jeſus, all the time they were preparing the Cross, set him self upon the earth, on both his knees, praying to God his Father, that he would receive his oblation and sacrifice, to wit, his most ignominious and bitter death, for the reconciliation of all poor sinners, and for the remission of their sins.
And how afterwards those inhumane murderers took him, and furiously threw him upon the cross, whereupon he spread his sacred arms of his own accord: and how his blessed hands and feet, were straightly, and violently stretched onto the holes, and hardily fastened with boisterous nails, which put marvelous pain, and intolerable torment.
The figure hereof was the Serpent of Brass, which Moses caused to be made and set it up for a sign, so that all those which were smitten with any disease, looking thereon were healed: likewise our Lord and Saviour, being lifted up and hanging on the cross, his precious blood ran forth abundantly on the earth, as if it had been forth of four fountains, or rivers.
Behold here the sign elevated, whereof the Prophet foretold saying: Our Lord God shall lift up a glorious sign among all nations.
And now contemplate how in all his pains, and excessive dolours, as a meek lamb he is silent and saith nothing, unless it be to pray unto his blessed Father for his enemies, for their conversion, and salvation.
Wherefore the devote soul ought here to rest himself, and deeply to weigh and consider the exceeding ardor of love and charity, which the blessed son of God hath expressed and shewed unto him, hanging upon the Cross, and pronouncing those seven sacred words and holy sentences.
And with how great patience, sufferance, and obedience, he gave & resigned up his holy life.
And how much and how many lamentations, tears, sighs,and bitter groans was then to be heard of his dolorous mother (for then was performed the prophecy of holy Simeon, who said that the swords of sorrow should pierce her soul) and of his other friends: beholding him in such pitifull pain, and so cruelly fastened on the Cross, pierced and wounded for the satisfaction of our sins.
And then ought he to say with a hart contrite, dolorous and replenished with compassion, and tears of true love, this devout petition following.
THE PRAYER FOR THE SIXTH EFFUSION
I Salute the noble blood of my amorous lover, running abundantly as four rivers, out of his precious body for my redemption, and for the satisfaction of my manifold offences.
O good Jesu, for this marvelous charity, bounty, & mercy which issued out of thy bountiful hart, and for that thou waft stretched for us upon thy Cross with such extremity, and fastened thereon with such boiſterous nails, and for all thy bitter sorrows, pains, and dolours, and for the multitude of thy ſtripes, injuries, blasphemies, anguishes, and oppression of thy sweet and gentle hart, and for all thy afflictions and tribulations which thou patiently endure, and principally in these three hours hanging ruefully naked betwixt two Thieves, as their head or Captain adore thee, praise thee, bless thee, and render thee humble thanks, praying that thorough thy grace, my old concupiscence may be crucified with thee, and that the body of sin, may be mortified and quite destroyed in me.
O most, sweet Jesu, I heartily beseech thee, for all the stripes, dolours, and pains of thy blessed body, & for all the drops of thy most precious blood, which thou vouchsafed to shed even o the utmost drop, in so much that with thy precious blood, the Cross and the earth were dyed wholly red: that it would please thee to take from me, all envy, detraction, obloquy disaffection, hatred,& hard opinion of my neighbor, and to pardon all my offences committed, by envy.
For well I know, thou hast admonished me by thy holy Apostle saying: Lay aside envies and all detraction.
And Solomon saith: Hatred and envious have perished together
And therefore, my most amorous and dearly beloved lover, give me most ardent, perfect, inviolable, and perpetual charity, and so fully replenish my soul there with, that I may first in all things perfectly love thee, and next my neighbor entirely in thee, and most purely and sincerely for the love of thee.
And that I may from the very bottom of my hart for thy love of thee, pardon all those which have any way offended me, and do any way hate me: and both to wish them, and do them all kind of good, to the utmost of mine ability; as S. Paul admonish saying: if thine enemy hunger, give him meat: if he thirst, give him drink.
O most benign Jeſu, I beſeech thee by thy unspeakable charity, and infinite mercy, that thou would so inflame my hart, and wholly swallow it up in thy love, that I may never be separated from thee.
Draw my hart always unto thee, and suffer me not to be vanquished by any temptation, nor ſurmounted by any manner of adversity: defend, fortify, and deliver me from all sin, & from the assaults of mine enemies: govern, & direct me in all mine affairs, and in all things, take unto thee the total possession of me.
Give me the grace so to be inwardly wounded with thy love, and pitiful passion, that in all things, and in all places, I may still see and behold thee crucified for me, that my hart may by love perpetually be united unto thee: saying with the Prophet David: It is good for me to be united and conjoined to my God, and to put my trust and confidence in my Lord.
And furthermore, I beseech thee, most sweet Jesus, for all those for whom thou hast suffered thy most bitter death and passion (to the end that the merit of the same, and of thy exceeding charity, may neither be lost, nor perish in them) to comfort all those which are in any trouble or affliction; to support and strengthen them which are in any temptation: & all those which are in thy holy grace, vouchsafe to confirm them.
Convert again all such as by imbecility are fallen, and all sinners which run astray, and save us, and glorify us altogether, to the end that we may eternally laude thee, and perpetually love thee, Amen.
Pater Noster. Ave Maria.
Seven Effusions Of Our Saviors Blood:
Agony In The Garden
Flagellation
Clothed With Purple Mantle Crowning With Thorns
Carrying Of The Cross
Disrobing
Nailing To The Cross
Lance Was Thrust Into His Side
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