Recta Ratio

Station Church:
S. Agostino in Campo Marzio

Prayer from The Passion And Death Of Jesus Christ, by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori:
O Jesus! O treasure more worthy of love than all others! Why is it that men love Thee so little? O do Thou make known what Thou hast suffered for each of them, the love that Thou bearest them, the desire Thou hast to be loved by them, and how worthy Thou art of being loved. Make Thyself known, O my Jesus! Make Thyself loved.


Devotions for a Lenten Saturday Holy Hour:
Divine Mercy Chaplet
Seven Penitential Psalms
Prayer of St. Thomas More
Threnus Prayer
Stabat Mater Dolorosa
Litany of Our Lady of Sorrows
Sorrowful Mysteries

This Crown of Thorns is a reproduction based on the Wounds of Our Lord on the Holy Shroud of Turin.

Formerly, the Friday After Ash Wednesday was observed in many places as the Feast of the Crown of Thorns.

This feast was removed from the calendar even before Vatican II, and The Catholic Encyclopedia says it was never adopted for the Universal Church. It had moved around a bit before settling on the Friday After Ash Wednesday.

O Sacred Head surrounded by crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding Head so wounded, reviled and put to scorn!
Death's pallid hue comes o'er Thee, the glow of life decays,
Yet angel hosts adore Thee and tremble as they gaze.

I see thy strength and vigor all fading in the strife,
And death, with cruel rigor, bereaving Thee of life;
O agony and dying! O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying, O turn Thy face on me.

In this, Thy bitter passion, Good Shephered think of me
With thy most sweet compassion, unworthy though I be;
Beneath Thy Cross abiding forever would I rest,
In Thy dear love confiding, and in Thy presence blest.

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Station Church:
Ss. Giovanni e Paolo al Celio

From The Passion and Death Of Jesus Christ, by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori:

O my sweetest Redeemer! Thou hast done this for me without my having asked Thee; Thou hast not only saved me from death by the price of Thy blood, but also my parents and friends, so that I may have a good hope that we may all together enjoy Thy Presence forever in Paradise! O Lord! I thank Thee, and I love Thee, and I hope to thank Thee for it, and to love Thee forever in that blessed country.
Amen.

Devotions For a Lenten Friday Holy Hour:
Dies Irae
Divine Mercy Chaplet
Seven Penitential Psalms
Prayer of St. Thomas More
Threnus Prayer of Saint Augustine
Devotions To the Holy Cross
Stations of the Cross

Agony In the Garden, by Bellini
Station Church: S. Giorgio al Velabro


From The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, by Saint Alophonsus de Liguori:

O dearest Saviour! Thou wert, then, content, in order to obtain for me the blessing of God, to embrace the dishonor of appearing on the Cross accursed in the sight of the whole world, and even forsaken in Thy sufferings by Thine Eternal Father,- a suffering which made Thee cry out in a loud voice, "My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken me?"... O prodigy of compassion! O excess of love of God towards men! And how can there be a soul who believes this, O my Jesus, and yet loves Thee not?
Amen.

There are so many good prayers that Saint Alphonsus composed for his writings on the Passion that, for the duration of Lent, I will post one each day.

Devotions For A Lenten Thursday Holy Hour:

Dies Irae
Divine Mercy Chaplet
Seven Penitential Psalms
Prayer of St. Thomas More
Threnus Prayer of Saint Augustine
Devotion To the Holy Face

Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.
Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.

Carnival is over. Now the Lenten fast begins.


Station Church:
S. Sabina all'Aventino




From The Passion and Death Of Jesus Christ, by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori:

Thou didst, then, O my beloved Redeemer, choose by Thy death to sacrifice Thyself in order to obtain the pardon of my sins. And what return of gratitude shall I then make to Thee? Thou hast done too much to oblige me to love Thee; I should indeed be most ungrateful to Thee if I did not love Thee with my whole heart. Thou hast given for me Thy divine life; I, miserable sinner that I am, give Thee my own life. Yes. I will at least spend that period of life that remains to me only in loving Thee, obeying Thee, and pleasing Thee.
Amen.

Fish Eaters on Ash Wednesday

The Cornell Society For A Good Time on whether to display your ashes.

The Catholic Encyclopedia on Ash Wednesday.



Devotions For a Lenten Wednesday Holy Hour:
Dies Irae
Divine Mercy Chaplet
Seven Penitential Psalms
Prayer of St. Thomas More
Threnus Prayer
Seven Prayers of St. Gregory

All of these prayers can be found at Recta Ratio: The Yahoo Group