LUISA PICCARETTA

LUISA PICCARETTA

TWENTY SECOND HOUR
From the Twenty-Four Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Head crowned with thorns, and I ask your forgiveness for my many thoughts of pride, of ambition and of self-esteem. And I promise You that every time a thought arises in me which is not completely for You, O Jesus, and that I find myself in occasions of offending You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your beautiful Eyes, still wet with tears and covered with dried Blood, and I ask your forgiveness for all the times I have offended You with evil and immodest gazes. I promise You that every time my eyes are led to look at things of the earth, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Sacred Ears, deafened by insults and horrible blasphemies up to the very last moments, and I ask your forgiveness for all the times I have listened to, or made others listen to discourses which move us away from You, and for all the evil discourses made by creatures. I promise You that every time I find myself in the occasion of hearing unseemly discourses, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Holy Face, pale, bruised and bleeding, and I ask your forgiveness for the many scorns, offences and insults You receive from us, most miserable creatures, with our sins. I promise You that every time I have the temptation of not giving You all the glory, the love and the adoration which is due to You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Sacred Mouth, dry and embittered. I ask your forgiveness for all the times I have offended You with my evil discourses; for all the times I have contributed to embittering You and increasing your thirst. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of making discourses which might offend You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Holy Neck, and I can still see the marks of the chains and ropes which have oppressed You. I ask your forgiveness for the many bonds and the many attachments of the creatures, which have increased the ropes and the chains around your most holy neck. And I promise You that every time I feel disturbed by attachments, desires and affections which are not for You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Holy Shoulders, and I ask your forgiveness for the many illicit satisfactions; forgiveness for the many sins committed with the five senses of our body. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of taking some pleasures or satisfactions which are not for your glory, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Holy Breast, and I ask your forgiveness for all the coldness, indifference, lukewarmness and horrendous ingratitude You receive from the creatures; and I promise You that every time I feel my love for You become cooler, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Sacred Hands, I ask your forgiveness for all the evil and indifferent works; for many acts rendered malicious by love of self and self-esteem. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of not operating only for love of You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, to You I give my heart and my soul.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Holy Feet, and I ask your forgiveness for the many steps, the many paths covered without righteous intention; for many who move away from You to go in search of the pleasures of the earth. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of moving away from You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”

O My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Sacred Heart, and I intend to enclose in It, with my soul, all the souls redeemed by You, so that all may be saved – no one excluded. O Jesus, lock me in your Heart, and close the doors, that I may see nothing but You. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of wanting to go out of this Heart, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my heart and soul to You.”