Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 18. De vulneribus lesu et pretiosi sanguinis

Tractatus Prior, Pars Altera, Cap. 18. De vulneribus lesu et pretiosi sanguinis

Through the outpouring of His blood. I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, author of our salvation, most kind giver of mercy and most patient tolerator of human wickedness, for all the pains and each wound, and for the bloody wounds inflicted on your most noble and tender body with the sharpest severity, so that from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head, there was no place in you free from suffering and blows, but there was either a swelling wound or a painful injury or blood flowing warmly throughout your entire body. I praise and glorify you, most worthy Lord, as best I can, with the internal submission of my mind for that most generous outpouring of your precious blood from your five sacred wounds and from all the scars of your wounds, both greater and lesser, bleeding and dripping, a life-giving liquid more precious than all balm, into the most effective medicine for our sins. Ah, most gentle Jesus, you were so cruelly twisted and pierced by your brutal ministers, that with all the strength of your body exhausted and your veins widely opened, not even a small drop of blood remained in you, but whatever sacred liquid you had, whether living or dying, hidden within you, all of it flowed out for the pious use of our souls and as the price of salvation. O five precious wounds, the chief signs of supreme love, full of divine sweetness, from which a sinner draws firm confidence, so that the guilty may not despair of Your mercy. In His medicine of life, the abundance of grace, the fullness of indulgence, the breadth of mercy, and the gate of the promised glory. Whatever stains I contract, whatever I do against the senses of my body, I wash, cleanse, and amend clearly in these five fountains. I praise and honor you, Christ, uniquely and dearly beloved spouse of the holy Church, for your inestimable love, by which you deemed it worthy to redeem my soul in the blood of your covenant from the bond of the first transgression, to cleanse it from all sins, to enrich and adorn it with the merits of your virtues, so that it might be worthy to be joined and united to you, and might be holy through grace, and afterward truly blessed in the kingdom of your glory. Pay close attention here, O faithful soul; see how great and noble a price you were redeemed for, by the One who created you in His own image and likeness out of sheer goodness. You weren't redeemed from the guilt of sin and from the many offenses you committed, which you willingly added to your own account, by corruptible things like gold or silver, but by the precious blood of the unblemished Lamb, Jesus Christ, who not only poured out His blood for your cleansing on the cross, but also deemed it worthy to leave that same blood for you to drink in the cup of faithful devotion, which is to be taken in the communion of the Sacrament, through which the daily sins of the world are purified and wiped away. Alas, how severe the punishments will be for the one who has treated the blood of the covenant of the Son of God as common and has failed to give due thanks for the wounds of the Crucified! So strive to give thanks to such a lover, such a generous benefactor, at least with a brief prayer or a devout meditation at some point during the day or night. Many faithful, consumed by the fire of His love, poured out their blood with devout longing for Him. Many also offered the bitter waters of contrition in supplication for the cup of His precious blood, sharing in His sufferings through the harsh paths of repentance. Learn from their example, and you too should crucify your flesh with its vices and desires, bravely resist temptations, and carry the yoke of voluntary submission all the way to death. Offer the sacrifice of a contrite spirit for the martyrdom of His blood on the altar of your heart to our Redeemer Christ, diligently recalling the benefits of the cross and seeking a refuge in the deep wounds of Jesus, as if in the clefts of the rock, from the face of the enemy and the one who pursues you. Come to my aid, most merciful Jesus, in all my need and the struggles I face. Spread your hands over me and always protect me with your right hand; grant me devotion in my heart, truth in my mouth, and strength in my actions. Cleanse me from all the corruption of sin, and heal my wounds with your precious blood. May nothing dark remain in me, nothing impure, nothing contagious; but may your sacred blood, poured out abundantly, cleanse me from all. May every fault be sanctified through all things, so that my whole spirit and soul may be presented to you, my Creator, pure at the coming of the final judgment, for which you endured so many severe penalties and expended the priceless treasure of your grace.