J.Healer
The Music of J & K
The 15 Prayers
St.Bridget of Sweden
St. Bridget of Sweden was born in 1303, and died in 1373. When St. Bridget was young she had a dream of Jesus, and during her life, she received many visions from God. She was a devoted wife and mother to eight children. After her husband died, she became a religious sister and founded the Bridgettine Order.
On the 1st of October 1999, St. Pope John Paul II made St. Bridget of Sweden, along with St. Catherine of Siena and St. Edith Stein, one of three co-patronesses of Europe.
St. Bridget wanted to honour the sufferings of Jesus during His Passion. One day, Jesus appeared to her and told her during His Passion, “I received 5,480 blows on My Body,”. He taught her how she could honour them: Jesus said to recite fifteen Our Fathers and fifteen Hail Marys, along with fifteen prayers that He would teach her, every day for a year. In doing so, she would honour each of His Wounds. In Rome, visitors to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls can see the actual Crucifix in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, before which St. Bridget knelt when she received these fifteen prayers from Our Lord.
My journey with the 15 Prayers
Written by K
When I went to World Youth Day 2011, which was held in Madrid, I felt the Lord asking me to set these 15 Prayers to music. It was around the time I visited the Mother Teresa Centre in Madrid and read one of her quotes, which was something like: Jesus is calling you to a deeper life of prayer. I answered yes, that I would, and it has taken me nine years to do so, with the help of my husband.
The Lord has been patient with me, and yet His timing is perfect.
The day that I am sharing them with you is Friday 1st May 2020.
Friday is the day we remember the Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord Jesus.
May is the month of Mary.
The 1st of May is the feast day of St. Joseph.
2020 is the year that England was re-dedicated to Mary.
And during this time we need Our Lord and the prayers of the Saints more than ever.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Michael, pray for us.
St. Gabriel, pray for us.
St. Raphael, pray for us.
All you Holy Angels and Archangels, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us.
St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us.
St. Edith Stein, pray for us.
St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.
All you Holy Saints of God, pray for us.
Lord, be merciful.
Lord, save Your people.
Prayer 1
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love You, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who has proved that You have 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 You have endured from the instant of Your conception, and especially during Your Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from all eternity in the Divine plan.
Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Your disciples, having washed their feet, You gave them Your Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time You did sweetly console them, You did foretell them Your coming Passion.
Remember the sadness and bitterness which You did experience in Your Soul as You Yourself bore witness saying: "My Soul is sorrowful even unto death."
Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that You did suffer in Your delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, You were betrayed by Judas, Your disciple, arrested by the people of a nation You had chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Your youth and during the solemn Paschal season.
Remember that You were despoiled of Your garments and clothed in those of derision; that Your Face and Eyes were veiled, that You were buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Your Hands, that You were crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.
In memory of all these pains and sufferings which You did endure before Your 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
.
The Musical Setting
The first prayer is divided into five separate arrangements. I see a connection between this and the tradition that there were five Holy Wounds of Jesus Christ. I remember praying the 15 prayers daily for a whole year, as per the tradition of the prayer. This in itself was a journey and so the arrangements of all the 15 prayers are meant to be a journey towards our eternal homeland.
Part One
The arrangement begins with repeating piano calling notes. A call to prayer. The main focus of this arrangement are the words 'Eternal Sweetness'. The words seem to contradict the pain and suffering of the Passion. I therefore settled upon a peaceful and reflective piano to end with, which forms a meditation on the closing words of part one, 'as it was decreed and ordained from all eternity in the Divine plan'.
Part Two
Continuing the theme of 'Eternal Sweetness' carried over from the first part there is a sudden change on the word 'Passion'. I kept the simple piano accompaniment from part one and again ended with another piano reflection; this time on the words: 'My Soul is sorrowful even unto death.'
Part Three
This begins the same repeating piano calling notes as in Part One but already a change is apparent with a lonely Japanese flute hauntingly singing out in the memory of the anguish and pain suffered.
Part Four
I contemplated upon the words of this section and imagined the sense of disorientation created by being buffeted with blows from all sides, whilst being crowned with thorns and having to hold a reed. The time signature therefore keeps changing to create that sense of disorientation.
Part Five
The final part of prayer one begins and ends with angelic choirs singing. The mystery of the Passion dwelling in 'all these pains and sufferings'.
Pray for the Grace
We pray for the grace to witness the infinite Love of Jesus displayed through His Passion.
Prayer 2
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! True liberty of angels, Paradise of delights, remember the horror and sadness which You did endure when Your enemies, like furious lions, surrounded You, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of-cruelties, tormented You at will. In consideration of these torments and insulting words, I beseech You, O my Saviour, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Your protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen.
The Musical Setting
Despite the theme of suffering running through these prayers, this composition contains a sense of brightness, allowing for a contemplation on the opening words of the prayer, 'True liberty of angels, Paradise of delights...'
We pray for the grace to continuously adore God in the Blessed Sacrament, with all the Angels and the Communion of Saints.
Prayer 3
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, You Who do enfold and hold all under Your Loving power, remember the very bitter pain You did suffer when the Jews nailed Your Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding You in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged Your Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Your Body on the Cross, pulled You from all sides, thus dislocating Your Limbs.
I beg of You, O Jesus, by the memory of this most loving suffering of the Cross, to grant me the grace to fear You and to Love You. Amen.
The Musical Setting
This prayer vividly portrays the terrible pain and sufferings inflicted upon the body of Jesus. The aim of this composition is to capture the rage and torment of the Passion. The piece ends with a slight lightness as St. Bridget calls upon Jesus to grant her the grace to love Him all the more.
We pray for the grace to Love God all the more, even in our sufferings.
Prayer 4
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Yours, remember the bruises which You did suffer and the weakness of all Your Members which were distended to such a degree that never was there pain like Yours. From the crown of Your Head to the Soles of Your Feet there was not one spot on Your Body that was not in torment, and yet, forgetting all Your sufferings, You did not cease to pray to Your Heavenly Father for Your 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 Your Most Bitter Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and the remission of all our sins. Amen.
The Musical Setting
This piece centres upon healing and mercy. The central part sings out in desperation, surrounded by the uncontrollable descent of suffering, “never was there pain like Yours...”.
We pray for the grace to forgive.
Prayer 5
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendour, remember the sadness which You experienced, when contemplating in the light of Your Divinity and predestination of those who would be saved by the merits of Your Sacred Passion, You did see at the same time, the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and You did complain bitterly of those hopeless lost and unfortunate sinners.
Through the abyss of compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness which You displayed to the good thief when You said to him, "This day, You shall be with Me in Paradise." I beg of you, O Sweet Jesus, that at the hour of my death, You will show me mercy too. Amen.
The Musical Setting
This piece again returns to brightness. The important words for me in this prayer are the words of Jesus to the good thief, 'this day you shall be with Me in Paradise'. This piece is a complete contemplation upon this theme.
We pray for the grace to always focus the journey of our life towards Heaven.
Prayer 6
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief You did suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, You were fastened and raised on the Cross, when all Your relatives and friends abandoned You, except Your Beloved Mother, who remained close to You during Your agony and whom You did entrust to Your faithful disciple when You said to Mary, "Woman, behold Your son!" And to Saint John, "Son, behold Your Mother!"
I beg of You O my Saviour, by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Your 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.
The Musical Setting
This piece begins with an echoing voice singing the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) in Latin. It then moves to a music box playing a waltz lullaby. The connection for me in this prayer is between Jesus (the Lamb of God) and His mother Mary, who was with Him from conception (symbolised by the music box playing a lullaby).
We pray for the grace to pray to the Virgin Mary to pray for us and to guide us continually to her Son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer 7
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross, "I thirst!" Suffered with a thirst for the salvation of the human race. I beg of You O my Saviour, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend towards perfection in all our acts and to extinguish in us the excessive desire of the flesh and the love of worldly things. Amen.
The Musical Setting
This increasing orchestral build up at the beginning is a contemplation upon the parched Body of Jesus, who was extremely thirsty, not only physically, but also for the human race.
We pray for the grace to continuously live our lives focused on the thirst and desire for Holiness.
Prayer 8
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Sweetness of Hearts, delight of the spirit, by the bitterness of the vinegar and gall which You did taste on the Cross for Love of us, grant us the grace to receive worthily Your 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.
The Musical Setting
This piece uses plucked strings and tremolo violins as a focus on the awful taste of 'bitterness of the vinegar and gall'. The opposite of this can be found in Psalm 34, which exclaims, 'taste and see that the Lord is Good'.
We pray for the grace to receive worthily, Our Lord in Holy Communion.
Prayer 9
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the pain You did endure when plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted and outraged, You did cry out in a loud voice that You were abandoned by Your Father, saying, "My God, My God, why hast You forsaken me?"
Through this anguish, I beg of You, O my Saviour, not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death. Amen.
The Musical Setting
Other than the piano, my favourite instrument is the violoncello. It was therefore important that at least one musical arrangement of these prayers contained a violoncello.
The musical arrangement centres upon the opening words, 'Royal virtue'.
We pray for the grace to love and serve the King of Kings, with all our heart, mind and soul.
Prayer 10
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Who art the beginning and end of all things, life and virtue, remember that for our sakes You were plunged in an abyss of suffering from the soles of Your Feet to the crown of Your Head. In consideration of the enormity of Your Wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Your Commandments, whose ways are wide and easy for those who love You. Amen.
The Musical Setting
A classical guitar opens this piece and softly continues to accompany all the way through. Watching an expert classical guitarist playing the guitar is a wonder.
The amount of training and discipline it must take to master such an instrument is unfathomable, and yet the guitarist makes it look so effortless and easy. The guitar is therefore used here to contemplate upon the words within the prayer, 'teach me to keep, through pure love, Your Commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love You.'
We pray for the grace to continually learn and study the way of Jesus, whose way is wide and easy for those who love Him.
Prayer 11
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, I beg of You, in memory of Your Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Your Bones and to the depth of Your Being, to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offences, away from sin and to hide me from Your Face justly irritated against me, hide me in Your Wounds, until Your anger and just indignation shall have passed away. Amen.
The Musical Setting
There is a great beauty and dignity in old Classical Church hymns. I sense a depth in the musicality of these hymns which really do evoke the words being sung. This piece is made to feel like a traditional hymn as a contemplation on the 'Deep abyss of mercy' found in God.
We pray for the grace to always remember the mercy of God for us.
Prayer 12
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Mirror of Truth, Symbol of Unity, Link of Charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which You were covered from head to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Your adorable Blood. O Great and Universal Pain which You did suffer in Your virginal Flesh for Love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that You could have done for us which You have not done! May the fruit of Your sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Your Passion, and may Your Love increase in my heart each day, until I see You in eternity. You Who art the treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg You to grant me, O Sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen.
The Musical Setting
Continuous rain flows through this piece, and mingles in with the words 'spilling of Your adorable Blood'. This is used as a symbolic reference to the image of the Divine Mercy which portrays the blood and water gushing forth from the side of Jesus.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, Have Mercy on us and on the whole world.
Prayer 13
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Strong Lion, Immortal and Invincible King, remember the pain which You did endure when all Your strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted, You did bow Your Head, saying, "It is consummated!"
Through this anguish and grief, I beg of You 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.
The Musical Setting
A single unaccompanied voice cries out to Jesus, the Strong Lion who is an Immortal and Invincible King. However, in life we remember that we are not alone and are accompanied by the angels, the communion of Saints and all those who journey with us homeward to Heaven.
Therefore a choral arrangement (Angels) takes over, followed by an Orchestra (Saints) to take the musical piece home to the final Amen.
We pray for the grace to be aware of the great Communion of Saints, who pray continually for us.
Prayer 14
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, Splendour and figure of His Substance, remember the simple and humble recommendation You did make of Your Soul to Your Eternal Father, saying, "Father, into Your Hands I commend My Spirit!" And with Your Body all torn, and Your Heart Broken, and the bowels of Your Mercy open to redeem us, You did Expire. By this Precious Death, I beg of You 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 for You alone. I beg of You at the hour of my death to receive me, a pilgrim and an exile returning to You. Amen.
The Musical Setting
This piece contrasts a paced melody with a subtle and slow accompaniment. This is used as a symbol of the state of pilgrimage and exile.
We pray for the grace to focus on God in times of exile and seek the journey as pilgrims towards Heaven.
Prayer 15
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of Blood which You did so generously shed from Your Sacred Body as juice from grapes in a wine press.
From Your Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in Your Body a single drop, and finally, like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top of the Cross Your delicate Flesh was destroyed, the very Substance of Your Body withered, and the Marrow of Your Bones dried up.
Through this bitter Passion and through the outpouring of Your Precious Blood, I beg of You, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen.
The Musical Setting
It was important that the final prayer had a sense of finality to the entire musical arrangement of the 15 prayers.
The continued descending notes of the piano symbolise the final moments of Jesus, with His reducing breaths and heartbeat, as he dies on the cross.
The final moment of the piece ends with the lowest register on a standard piano (the low A).
The note A is important however, as for me it stands for Alpha - the beginning.
The death is not the end.
We pray for the grace to remember that there is an Easter at the end of Lent - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Please pray with us:
The Prayer
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 You, may my heart be Your perpetual habitation, may my conversation be pleasing to You, and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven and there with Your saints, praise You forever. Amen.
The Musical Setting
The concluding prayer is set as a contemporary Psalm tone, used with permission by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.
Although this is the conclusion, I see this as the beginning, to move onwards with Jesus from the Passion through to His Resurrection and our ultimate Salvation.
May God bless you all now and always.
J & K
Acknowledgements
Thank you
Thanks be to God for His goodness to each of us. Lord, we praise You, we bless You, we thank You and we love You.
Thank You Lord for bringing this project to fruition, with and by Your grace.
Thank You Lord. Thank You Lord for your patience with me.
Thank You Father God, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit.
Thank you Mother Mary, Angels and Saints for your prayers.
Thank you J for helping me a lot.
Thank you Br John Bosco CFR for your chords for the Concluding Prayer.
From J & K
The final musical arrangement and recording of this project was done during the global pandemic of 2020. We pray for all those affected in any way. Please remember to support your local Parish church at this time. Please pray for us.
Written and arranged by J & K
© ℗ Kristina, 2020, all rights reserved
