In the quiet sanctuary of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, a 14th-century mystic knelt before a crucifix, her heart burdened by a singular, loving question: “Lord, how many blows did You receive during Your Holy Passion?”
That mystic was St. Bridget of Sweden. In response to her great devotion, Our Lord appeared to her and revealed a staggering truth: He had received 5,480 blows upon His sacred body during His journey to Calvary. To honor these neglected sufferings, Jesus gave her 15 specific prayers to be recited daily for one year.
We are invited to join her in this work of reparation and compassion. By praying the 15 Prayers, we are keeping watch with Christ in Gethsemane and standing with Mary at the foot of the Cross. This devotion is challenging, but the graces received are immense.
Recite one Our Father and one Hail Mary before each of the following fifteen prayers.
O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast 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 sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from all eternity in the Divine plan.
Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Thy disciples, having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time Thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst foretell them Thy coming Passion.
Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst 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 didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season.
Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy Face and Eyes were veiled, that Thou wast 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 Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission of all my sins. Amen.
O Jesus! Real Liberty of Angels, Garden of Pure Delights, remember the horror and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious lions, surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of cruelties, tormented Thee at will. In consideration of these torments and insulting outrages, I beseech Thee, O my Savior, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen.
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and Earth whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy Sacred Hands and Feet 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, and with unheard-of cruelty stretched Thy Body on the Cross, and dislocated Thy joints by pulling them on all sides. I beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most holy and most loving suffering of the Cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to love Thee. Amen.
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the weakness of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that never was there pain like unto Thine. From the crown of Thy Head to the soles of Thy Feet there was not one spot on Thy Body that was not in torment, and yet, forgetting all Thy sufferings, Thou didst not cease to pray to Thy 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.
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 didst see at the same time the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and Thou didst 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 saidst to him: “This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise,” I beg of Thee, O Gentle Jesus, that at the hour of my death, Thou wilt show me mercy. Amen.
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief Thou didst suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou wast 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 didst entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou saidst to Mary: “Woman, behold thy son!” and to St. John: “Behold thy Mother!” I beg of Thee, O my Savior, by the sword of sorrow which then pierced the soul of Thy Holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my afflictions and tribulations, both corporal and spiritual, and to assist me in all my trials, and especially at the hour of my death. Amen.
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of Compassion, Who by a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross: “I thirst!” suffered from the thirst for the salvation of the human race. I beg of Thee, O my Savior, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend toward perfection in all our actions; and to extinguish in us the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of worldly desires. Amen.
O Jesus! Sweetness of Hearts, Delight of the Spirit, by the bitterness of the vinegar and gall which Thou didst 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.
O Jesus! Royal Virtue, Joy of the Mind, recall the pain Thou didst endure when, plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou criedst out in a loud voice that Thou wast abandoned by Thy Father, saying: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Through this anguish, I beg of Thee, O my Savior, not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death. Amen.
O Jesus! Who art the Beginning and End of all things, Life and Virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou wast 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 me to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love Thee. Amen.
O Jesus! Deep Abyss of Mercy, I beg of Thee, in memory of Thy Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth of Thy being, to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offenses, away from sin and to hide me from Thy Face justly irritated against me, hide me in Thy Wounds, until Thy anger and just indignation shall have passed away. Amen.
O Jesus! Mirror of Truth, Symbol of Unity, Link of Charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou wast covered from head to foot, lacerated and reddened by the spilling of Thy Adorable Blood. O great and universal pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal Flesh for love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou hast not done? May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy Love increase in my heart each day, until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the Treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O Sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen.
O Jesus! Strong Lion, Immortal and Invincible King, remember the pain which Thou didst endure when all Thy strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted, and Thou didst bow Thy Head, saying: “It is consummated!” Through this anguish and grief, I beg of Thee, Lord Jesus, to have mercy on me at the hour of my death when my mind will be greatly troubled and my soul will be in anguish. Amen.
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, Splendor and Figure of His Substance, remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou didst make of Thy Soul to Thy Eternal Father, saying: “Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit!” And when, Thy Body all torn, and Thy Heart broken, and the bowels of Thy Mercy opened to redeem us, Thou didst expire. By this precious death, I beg of Thee, O King of Saints, comfort me and help me to resist the devil, the flesh and the world, so that being dead to the world I may live only for Thee. I beg of Thee at the hour of my death to receive me, a pilgrim and an exile returning to Thee. Amen.
O Jesus! True and Fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of Blood which Thou didst so generously shed as juice but from the grape in a winepress. 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. By this bitter Passion and by the outpouring of Thy Precious Blood, I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen.
O Sweet Jesus! Pierce my heart so that my tears of penitence and love will be my bread day and night; may I be converted entirely to Thee, may my heart be Thy perpetual habitation, may my conversation be pleasing to Thee, and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven and there with Thy saints, praise Thee forever. Amen.
Accompanying these prayers are 21 promises revealed to St. Bridget for those who faithfully complete the one-year cycle. These promises speak to the boundless mercy of the Sacred Heart.
Source: Pieta Prayer Booklet
A Theological Note: The Church views these promises as "pious beliefs" intended to stimulate fervor. They are not a replacement for the Sacraments or the state of grace, but rather a testament to the fruitfulness of meditating on the Passion.
To commit to these prayers for 365 days is an act of heroic constancy. In an age marked by spiritual sloth, the 1-year devotion requires real fortitude. This daily habit carves out a sanctuary in the mind, replacing modern distractions and anxieties with the redemptive images of the Passion.
By contemplating the 5,480 wounds, we find a home for our own psychological and physical pains. We learn that no suffering is "empty" when united to Christ. This devotion grants deep interior peace, as we begin to see the world through the lens of the Resurrection, which is only reached by way of the Cross.
Yes. The 15 Prayers are a one-year devotion focusing on the number of blows Christ received. The 12-Year Prayer is a longer commitment focusing specifically on the seven instances of His Blood being shed.
If you miss a day due to an honest oversight, just make up the prayer as soon as you can. The devotion is a matter of the heart’s intent and perseverance, not a legalistic requirement.
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