One of the most popular forms of Christian prayer is praying in front of a crucifix. It is a powerful way to recall the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and to put yourself in front of love personified.
However, because of the shame in the culture of such a death, Christians in the early centuries seldom used the image of Christ on the cross for devotion. It was too raw, too horrible. For the first three centuries, the threat was too real that any individual Christian might also die on a cross for believing in Christ crucified.
“Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly kneel” … So begins a traditional prayer of the Catholic Church, the “Prayer Before a Crucifix.” What is the image of Jesus you see when you kneel before a crucifix? Is it a simple, bare bones image of Christ in his pain? Or a gentler image that evokes tenderness with tears? Or is there an element of the glory to come in the dying Savior?
This prayer is meant to be prayed while kneeling in front of a crucifix. It can help properly dispose us to receive the many graces God has in store for us and lead us to look with love upon the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. Although it can be prayed any time of the year, Christ crucified, and his image become the focus during Holy Week.
This Catholic prayer addressed to Jesus, is often recited after Communion or Mass. The original version dates back to around 1205 and is commonly attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi during his time at San Damiano. This heartfelt prayer echoes Psalm 22:17-18 (these verses blend personal lament with prophetic foreshadowing, ultimately pointing to the redemptive work of Christ on the cross).
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus,
while before Thy face I humbly kneel,
and with burning soul I pray and beseech Thee
to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity,
true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment,
while I contemplate with great love and tender pity
Thy five wounds,
pondering over them within me, having in mind the words which David Thy prophet said of Thee, my Jesus:
“They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones.”
“A single tear shed at the remembrance of the Passion of Jesus is worth more than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, or a year of fasting on bread and water”.
-St. Augustine
*NOTE – A plenary indulgence is granted on each Friday of Lent and Passiontide to the faithful, who after Communion piously recite the above prayer before an image of Christ crucified. On other days of the year, the indulgence is partial.
