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Little Office of the Passion by S. Francis of Assisi

12 min
How St Francis prayed this office

Here begin the Psalms which our most blessed Father Francis arranged to reverence and recall and praise the Passion of the Lord. And they begin from Compline on Maundy Thursday because on that night our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed and taken captive. And note that the Blessed Francis was wont to say this office thus: First he said the Prayer which the Lord and Master taught us: Our Father most holy, with the Praises, to wit, Holy, Holy, Holy. When he had finished the Praises with the Prayer he began this antiphon, namely: Holy Mary. First he said the Psalms of the holy Virgin; besides he said other Psalms which he had selected, and at the end of all the Psalms which he said, he said the Psalms of the Passion, the Psalm being finished he said the antiphon, namely, Holy Virgin Mary. When this antiphon was finished, the office was completed.

Part
Hour

Antiphon

Holy Mary.

Psalm

Ps. 141:2I cried to the Lord, with my voice; with my voice I made my supplication to the Lord.

Ps. 141:3I pour out my prayer in His sight; and before Him I declare my trouble.

Ps. 141:4When my spirit failed me, then Thou knewest my paths. In this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me.

Ps. 141:5I looked on my right-hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me. Flight hath failed me; and there is no one that hath regard to my soul.

Ps. 68:8Because for Thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

Ps. 68:9I am become a stranger to my brethren; and an alien to the sons of my mother.

Ps. 68:10Holy Father, the zeal of Thy house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon me.

Ps. 34:15And they rejoiced against me and gathered together; scourges were gathered together upon me and I knew not.

Ps. 68:5They are multiplied above the hairs of my head who hate me without cause; My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me; then did pay I that which I took not away.

Ps. 34:11Unjust witnesses rising up, have asked me things I knew not.

Ps. 34:12They repaid me evil for good and Ps. 37:21 detracted me; because I followed goodness. Thou art my Father, most holy; my King and my God.

Ps. 37:23Attend unto my help, O Lord God of my salvation.

About this prayer

A traditional little office in honour of the Passion by S. Francis of Assisi, arranged in the canonical hours.

History

From The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi (1905), translated by Paschal Robinson, O.F.M.

Although the early biographies of S. Francis are silent as to this opuscule, its authenticity is guaranteed by the Legend of S. Clare written by Thomas of Celano toward the end of his life. In reference to the holy abbess’ devotion to the Passion we are told by Celano that she "learned and frequently recited with attachment the Office of the Cross which Francis, the lover of the Cross, had instituted." This passage was rightly understood by Wadding as referring to the Office of the Passion which many early manuscripts attribute to S. Francis, and the character of which altogether squares with the Saint's writings. Composed, as it is, of a simple and devout combination of Scriptural texts, this document is at once a witness to S. Francis’ ardent devotion to the Crucified and a precious example of his method of prayer. It comprises five parts: For the three last days of Holy Week and for week-days throughout the year. For the Paschal season. For Sundays and feast-days throughout the year. For Advent. For Christmas and the days following, to the close of the Epiphany octave. The text of the Office given in the Quaracchi edition is that of the Assisi MS. 338, only a few rubrical notes having been omitted.

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