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INTRODUCTIONThe History of this PublicationIn 1882, after having written her Christmas Novenaat the age of 17, Luisa had an unexpected vision of theinfant Jesus who invited her to aspire to a higher level ofgrace and love. He exhorted her to meditate each hour ofthe day upon the corresponding 24 hours of his Passion anddeath on the Cross. She did this on a daily basis, and 31years later – in 1913 and 1914, Luisa was placed underobedience to write down these meditations, now known as,“The Hours of the Passion”.Rev. Hannibal di Francia published this work in 4editions with the name, “The Hours of the Passion”. The 1 stedition published in 1915 produced 5,000 copies; the 2 ndedition published in 1916 produced 2,000 copies; the 3 rdedition published in 1917 produced 10,000 copies; the 4 thedition published in 1924 produced 15,000 copies. All ofthese editions bore the “nulla osta” and the “imprimatur”.To the 3rd and 4th editions Rev. Hannibal added anappendix with the title, “Little Treatise on the Divine Will”,comprised of various extracts of Luisa’s volumes in chapterform.Upon Rev. Hannibal’s death in 1927, the work wastaken up by Luisa’s last appointed confessor Rev. BenedictCalvi who published in 1934 a 5th edition of this workentitled, “The Hours of the Passion” that bore the “nullaosta”. Rev. Calvi was preparing a 6th edition when thetranslation of the 5th Italian edition was published inGerman and was edited by Rev. Ludwig Beda, O.S.B.,x

INTRODUCTIONthereby producing the two more editions of this work (inGerman) that bore the “imprimatur”. The 1st edition inGerman published in 1936 produced 25,000 copies, and the2nd edition in German published in 1938 produced 30,000copies.After German, translations in many other languagesfollowed, nearly all being translated from the 5 th Italianedition that you presently hold.xi

INTRODUCTIONPreface by St. Hannibal di Francia(October 29, 1926 - Messina, Italy)I begin by citing a letter sent to me by the author (ofthe Hours the Passion, Luisa Piccarreta):“Most Reverend Father, I am finally sending youthe text of the Hours of the Passion, and all for the glory ofthe Lord. I am also including another sheet containing thebenefits, merits and promises of Jesus to all who meditateon these Hours of the Passion. The sinner will turn toGod; the imperfect will become perfect; the saint willbecome holier; those who are tempted will triumph overtemptation; those who are ill shall discover the necessarymedicine to be strengthened and comforted; the weak willbe spiritually nourished.”What can we say about how great this tool would befor each religious community to advance in holiness,maintain its purpose, increase in the number of itsvocations and obtain true prosperity? It would tell of howmuch commitment each community ought to have in theconstant practice of this pious exercise. And the membersof these communities who daily attend Holy Mass wouldreceive Communion with such ardent desire and love forJesus that each Communion would be a renewed marriageof the soul with Jesus in the most intimate and increasingunion of love.xii

INTRODUCTIONIf on account of only one soul doing these hours,Jesus would spare a city of chastisements and would givegrace to as many souls as there are words of thesesorrowful hours [one meditates], how many graces might acommunity [or any group of individuals] expect to receive?How many imperfections and omissions would it be healedof, if not preserved from? How many souls would sanctifyand save [other souls] through the observance of this piousexercise?If there were but one soul in each community thatwould apply itself to observing these hours with moreattention during the day, even amidst its daily occupations– in the evening and at night-time with a little bit of vigil it would be the summit. and the maximum profit for thatcommunity and for the whole world, if this exercise wereobserved by all taking turns, day and night!Now, how these Hours of the Passion can be done?One method is to meditate one hour each day by reading italone, with one’s family or with others. In this way, in 24days one would complete the 24 Hours. A good clock neverstops, life never stops A second method is to form groups, let’s say of 4, 8,12 or possibly 24 people and more. Each person should becommitted seriously to doing one of the hours assigned fora period of time, before moving onto the next hour; a goodclock marks all the hours, it doesn’t skip any of them xiii

INTRODUCTIONA third method is to do at least one hour each day,at the time of the day which coincides with that hour. Inany event, one must strive to reach such familiarity withthese Hours of the Passion and assimilate them in such away that one follows them mentally throughout the entireday. For this purpose it is very helpful to learn by heart thesuccession of the 24 Hours with the corresponding titlereported on the next page.To “do” an hour of the Passion means to read itattentively, meditating on it, contemplating it and making itone’s own life It is not just remembering and having pityon the sufferings of Jesus as something that happened manycenturies ago in a faraway place; rather, it is first of all, toenter into the Divine Will, in which everything is presentand in act, and to participate in the interior acts andsufferings of Our Lord, which are present and in act at thisprecise moment, so as to repeat his life within us, to growin his likeness, and to pour upon everyone the infinitevalue, merits and effects of his Passion; Jesus explains thisvery important difference.32One can comprehend then how the Hours of thePassion are not just a reading, nor even an ordinarydevotion, but a formation of life: The interior life of Jesus.In this way, day after day, we will feel more and more thatJesus is truly living in us – not just [mystically living] ourlife, but [really living in us] his own divine life.32Ibid., vol. 18, October 24, 1925.xiv

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INTRODUCTIONPrayer Before Each HourO my Lord Jesus Christ, prostrate in your divinepresence, I implore your most loving Heart to assist me as Imeditate on the 24 hours of your most sorrowful Passion.In your Passion, your love drove You to suffer so much inyour adorable body and in your most holy soul, even untodeath on the Cross. I implore your help, your grace andyour love to have profound compassion and a profoundunderstanding of your sufferings, as I meditate on this hour.I offer You my desire to meditate on all the hours, even onthose I cannot observe. Please accept my desire to meditateon all the hours, even when I must sleep or tend to my otherduties. O merciful Lord, grant that my loving desire, unitedto You, may bring your holy blessings down upon us all.I give You thanks, O Jesus, for calling me intounion with You by means of prayer. To glorify You, I unitemyself with your thoughts, your tongue and your Heartwith which I intend to pray. I fuse myself in your Will andin your love, and extending my arms to embrace You, Iplace my head upon your Heart, and begin.xvi

INTRODUCTIONPrayer After Each HourMy beloved Jesus, You have called me in this hourof your Passion to keep You company, and I have come.With the most touching and eloquent words I seemed hearYou praying, offering reparation, suffering and pleading inanguish and sorrow for the salvation of souls.I tried to follow You in everything. Now, I owe Youmy heartfelt “Thank You” and “I bless You.” Yes, O Jesus,I repeat My Thank You thousands and thousands of times.And I bless You for all that You have done and suffered forme and for everyone. I thank You and I bless You for everydrop of Blood you shed. I thank You for your every breath,heartbeat and step. I thank You for all the words, glances,afflictions and affronts You lovingly endured; foreverything You did, O Jesus, I offer You my Thank Youand I bless You. O my dear Jesus, let my soul send forth acontinuous flow of thanksgiving and blessings; may theydraw down on all of us the flow of your blessings andgraces.O my sweet Jesus, press me to your Heart and, withyour most sacred hands, mark every particle of my beingwith your “I bless You,” so that my being may send forth acontinuous hymn of blessings to You.xvii

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5 PM HOURFirst Hour5 PMJesus exchanges blessings with his Most Holy Motherbefore leaving herO Heavenly Mother, the hour of separation drawsnear and I approach you. O mother, grant me your love,your reparations and your sorrow. United with you I wishto follow sweet Jesus, step by step.And here comes Jesus. As He arrives, you runtoward him with your Heart overflowing with love. Inseeing him so pale and sad, your Heart breaks, you growweak and you are about to fall at his feet.O my sweet mother, do you know why adorableJesus has come to you? He has come to give you his lastfarewell, to share with you his last words and to receiveyour last embrace! O mother, I hold you tightly – with allthe tenderness my poor heart can express – so that, holdingyou tightly, I may also receive sweet Jesus’ embraces.Surely, you will not refuse me. Does it not comfort yourHeart to have a soul near you who shares in your sorrows,reparations and sufferings?O Jesus, in this hour, so bitter for your most tenderHeart, what an example You give us of filial and lovingobedience to your mother! What an exchange of sweetharmony between You and Mary! What a gentle1

5 PM HOURenchantment of love that ascends to the throne of theEternal One and pleads for the salvation of all souls onearth!O Heavenly Mother, do you know what sweet Jesusdesires of you? He desires your last blessing. It is true thatfrom every particle of your being only blessings and praisesflow to your Creator, but in taking leave of you, Jesuswants to hear your sweet words: “I bless You, O Son.” That“I bless You” wards off every blasphemy from his hearingand descends sweetly and gently into his Heart. Jesus wantsyour “I bless You,” to atone for all offenses committed.I too unite myself to you, O sweet mother. On thewings of the wind I wish to travel to heaven and ask theFather, the Holy Spirit and all the angels for an “I blessYou” for Jesus. In this way, when I go to him I may bringhim their blessings. I also wish to travel to all souls onearth and ask for [their] every heartbeat, step, breath,thought, glance and word, and then offer them as blessingsand praises to Jesus. And if anyone refuses to grant methese, I myself shall offer him all these.O sweet mother, I have gone around again andagain to ask the Most Holy Trinity, the angels, all souls, thelight of the sun, the fragrance of the flowers, the waves ofthe sea, every breath of wind, every spark of fire, every leafthat moves, the twinkling of the stars and every movementof nature for an “I bless You” [for Jesus]. Now I come toyou and add my blessings to yours; dear mother, I see thatyou are comforted by them, and I offer Jesus all of my2

5 PM HOURblessings to atone for the blasphemies and curses Hereceives from others. And as I too offer everything, I hearyour trembling voice say: “Son, I ask for your blessingalso!”O Jesus, my sweet love, I ask for your blessingalong with that of your mother.33 Bless my thoughts, myheart, my hands, my works, my steps and, with yourmother, bless all creatures. O mother, in looking at Jesus’sorrowful face – so pale, sad and tormented – thereawakens in you the memory of the sufferings He is about toendure. You foresee his face covered with spittle and youbless it, his head crowned with thorns, his eyes blindfolded,his body lacerated with the scourges, his hands and feetpierced with nails and you bless them. Wherever Jesus isabout to go, you follow him with your blessings.I too follow Jesus with you, so that when He isstruck with scourges, crowned with thorns, slapped, piercedwith nails, everywhere He will find my “I bless You” withyours. O Jesus, O mother, I partake in your passion.Immense is your pain in these last moments. The Heart ofone seems to replace the Heart of the other.33The blessing of Mary Luisa asks for is a maternal blessing.Noteworthy is the manner in which Mary offered her maternal blessingto Luisa and, indeed, to other seers whose apparitions the Church hasapproved. Unlike the blessing of a Priest who, in receiving at ordinationthe special power to consecrate, absolves and blesses both persons andobjects by making the sacramental sign of the Cross with his righthand, Mary imparts her blessing to others with a loving maternalprayer, but without making the sacramental sign of the Cross overthem.3

5 PM HOURO mother, snatch my heart from this earth and bindit tightly to Jesus, so that clinging to him, I may share in hissufferings. And as you cling to each other in your embraceand exchange the last kiss and glances, may I who ambetween your two Hearts receive your last kiss andembraces. Can’t you see that I cannot be without you inspite of my misery and insipidness?Jesus, mother, keep me close to you. Grant me yourlove and your will. Dart through this poor heart of mine,hold me tightly in your arms so that with you, O sweetmother, I may follow sweet Jesus step by step with theintention of offering him comfort, solace, love andreparation for all offenses. O Jesus, with your mother I kissyour left foot, asking You to forgive me and all souls for allthe times we have not walked toward God.I kiss your right foot: Forgive me and all souls forall the times we have not followed the perfection Youexpected of us.I kiss your left hand: Communicate your purity toall of us.I kiss your right hand: Bless all of my heartbeats,thoughts and affections, so that given value by yourblessing, these may be completely sanctified. And with me,bless all souls and seal their salvation with your blessing.O Jesus, I embrace You with your mother and,kissing your Heart, I beg You to place my heart betweenyour two Hearts so that it may be continuously nourished4

5 PM HOURby your love, by your sorrows, by your very affections anddesires, and indeed by your own life. May it be so.5

5 PM HOURReflections and Practices [by Hannibal di Francia]Before beginning his Passion, Jesus approaches hismother to ask for her blessing. In this act Jesus teaches usobedience – not just external, but also internal obedience –which we must cultivate in order to requite his inspirationsof grace. Sometimes we are not ready to put into practice agood inspiration, either because we are held back by selflove coupled with temptation, or on account of humanrespect, or because we fail to mortify ourselves in a holyway. Our failure to follow a good inspiration to exercise avirtue, to accomplish a virtuous act, to do a good deed or topractice some devotion, makes the Lord withdraw anddeprives us of new inspirations. On the other hand, prompt,pious and prudent correspondence to holy inspirationsattracts more spiritual lights and grace for us.Concerning inspirations, in the cases of doubt, oneshould turn promptly and with an upright intention to thegreat means of prayer, and to sound and experiencedcounsel. In this way, our good God will enlighten our soulto enable us to execute the salutary inspiration and he willincrease it for its greater benefit.We should do our actions, acts, prayers andmeditations on the Hours of the Passion with the sameintentions as those of Jesus, and we ought to do this in hisWill, sacrificing ourselves as He did, for the glory of theFather and for the good of souls. We have to acquire the6

5 PM HOURdispositions of sacrificing ourselves in everything out oflove for our beloved Jesus, conforming ourselves to hisspirit, operating with his own sentiments and abandoningourselves in him. We should observe such things not onlyin all external sufferings and adversities, but moreimportantly in all that He disposes in our interior. In thisway, we will find ourselves ready in every moment toaccept any sacrifice He asks of us, and we will offer ourJesus sweet consolations. If we do all this in the Will ofGod which contains all sweetness and all joys of immenseproportion, we will give to Jesus greater and sweeterconsolations, so as to mitigate the poison other souls givehim and console his Divine Heart. Before beginning anyaction of ours, let us always invoke the blessing of God, sothat our actions may have the divine touch and may attracthis blessings not only upon us, but upon all souls.Beloved Jesus, may your blessing precede me,accompany me and follow me, so that everything I do maycarry the seal of your “I bless You.”7

6 PM HOURSecond Hour6 PMJesus takes leave of his Most Holy Motherand sets out for the cenacleMy adorable Jesus, as I have shared in yoursufferings along with You and in those of your afflictedmother, I see that You are about to leave and go where theWill of the Father calls You. The love between You andyour mother is so great that it renders you inseparable. Forthis reason You leave yourself in the Heart of your mother,and our queen and sweet mother places herself into yourHeart, otherwise it would have been impossible for you toseparate.But your pale face, your trembling lips and yourweak voice, almost bursting into tears in saying goodbye,oh everything tells me how much You love her and howmuch You suffer in leaving her! But to fulfill the Will ofthe Father, with your Hearts fused together – one within theother – you submit yourselves to everything and offerreparation for those who, unwilling to overcome the bonds,attachments and tenderness of relatives and friends, do notcare about fulfilling the Holy Will of God or ofcorresponding to the state of holiness to which God callsthem. What sorrow such souls cause You in rejecting fromtheir hearts the love You wish to give them, and insteadindulge themselves in the love of

administered to Jesus during his Passion assist the soul that meditates on the Hours of the Passion.31 Vestiges of this grace of participating in Jesus’ timeless Passion are discovered in the writings of scores of contemporary Mystics and exemplars that bear witness to the