Morning Prayer for Lent

O Jesus! I would now meditate upon Thy Passion: grant me a true spirit of devotion. Let my heart behold Thee as Thou didst appear when wounded for my transgressions and bruised for my iniquities. O suffering Saviour, I humbly entreat Thee graciously to guide my meditations while in spirit I watch Thee going to the Holy City, in which the cruel sentence of death already waits for Thee, and in which Thy bitter foes, angry at Thee without a cause, already rejoice at the prospect of Thy death.

This season of Lent, which Thou hast again graciously permitted me to reach, reminds me of the cruel sufferings which Thou, in accordance with the counsel of Thy heavenly Father, didst willingly undergo in order, as the Lamb of God, to bear and atone for the sins of the whole world. No man could redeem his brother, or reconcile him with God. The ransom which was needed was too great for any merely human being to pay in a whole eternity. Therefore Thou didst in mercy assume our flesh and blood in the fulness of time, and didst undertake by Thy bloody atonement to restore between men and God that peace which men by their sins had broken and lost.

If I am to ponder these things with profit, Thou must give me grace to do so. For without Thee I can do nothing. Therefore enlighten my understanding, that I may behold the greatness of Thy love and mercy, and may be prompted to give Thee the thanks which are meet. Sanctify my will, that I may appropriate and employ for my profit the blessings which Thou hast acquired by Thy death. Thou lovedst me even before I knew Thee. Thou gavest Thyself for me before I could know anything of Thee. Thou didst bear shame and scorn and contumely and sufferings of many kinds, in order that I might be blessed. For me, for my salvation, Thou didst do these things! Shall I not sing Thy praise? Shall I not laud and magnify Thee? Yea, a thousand times will I thank Thee, dearest Jesus! A thousand times be unto Thee praise and glory! For Thou hast conquered death and hell for me. I am now Thine, and Thou art mine, my Joy and my Crown. Grant that I may soon behold Thee, Thou Sun of Righteousness, in all Thy glory.

Thy sufferings have been borne: O come, Thou Bishop of souls, and unite my soul with Thee. Thou didst die for all, and consequently for me also, in order that those who live might henceforth live, not unto themselves, but unto Him that died and rose again for them. Therefore come into my soul, and give it life. Let me ever remember how much my redemption cost Thee. Let me never forget the ignominious death which Thou hadst to endure in order to free me from eternal death. Let me ever remember that Thy death was necessary for me, because I have hitherto lived for myself and the world. And may this reflection move me to live henceforth unto Thee, Pluck me as a brand out of the fire, and let not Thy sufferings have been in vain for me. Let me henceforth be Thy disciple whom nothing can part from Thee.

To this end, grant me Thy Holy Spirit, that He may bring home to my heart all that I hear of Thy cruel sufferings and death during this season of Thy passion. Give me grace to occupy my mind and heart constantly with thoughts of Thee, to find my delight in Thee, and thus to secure for myself an abiding blessing. Should the world seek to lead me into vanity and folly, or should Satan disturb me by distractions of the mind, or should my own depraved heart prompt me to evil, then let me think of Thy sufferings, and in steadfast faith resist and overcome all these temptations. Help me to keep Thee ever in mind, in order that I may shun sin and be found faithful, and thus be permitted at last to enter upon the enjoyment of that blessedness which Thou hast acquired for me by Thy sufferings and death. Amen.