Prayer of the Church, from the Enchiridion of Indulgences

Prayer before a Crucifix — En ego, o bone et dulcissime Iesu

After Communion; plenary indulgence on the Fridays of Lent

LatinEnglish

En ego, o bone et dulcissime Iesu, ante conspectum tuum genibus me provolvo, ac maximo animi ardore te oro atque obtestor, ut meum in cor vividos fidei, spei et caritatis sensus, atque veram peccatorum meorum paenitentiam, eaque emendandi firmissimam voluntatem velis imprimere;
dum magno animi affectu et dolore tua quinque vulnera mecum ipse considero ac mente contemplor, illud prae oculis habens, quod iam in ore ponebat tuo David propheta de te, o bone Iesu:
Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos: dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea.

Behold, O good and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and beseech thee to impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a most firm purpose of amendment;
while with deep affection and grief of soul I ponder within myself and contemplate in mind thy five wounds, having before my eyes what David the prophet already put in thy mouth concerning thee, O good Jesus:
They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones.

Amen.

SourcePrayer of the Church, from the Enchiridion of Indulgences · After Communion; plenary indulgence on the Fridays of Lent

The history of this prayer

"En ego, o bone et dulcissime Iesu" is one of the best-known prayers of thanksgiving after Communion in the Latin tradition; it was printed in missals among the prayers of thanksgiving after Mass. Its author is unknown. It ends by quoting Psalm 21 (22):17-18, which Christian tradition reads as Christ's own words on the cross: "They have pierced my hands and my feet".

The Enchiridion of Indulgences grants a plenary indulgence to the faithful who, on any Friday of Lent, after receiving Communion, devoutly recite this prayer before an image of Christ crucified; on other days of the year the indulgence is partial. The usual conditions for a plenary indulgence apply: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, prayer for the Pope's intentions and detachment from all sin, even venial.

It is said kneeling, looking at the crucifix and pondering the five wounds. In Church Latin, "dulcissime" is dool-CHEE-see-meh and "vulnera" is VOOL-neh-rah.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Prayer Before a Crucifix carry a plenary indulgence?

On the Fridays of Lent, when prayed after Communion before an image of Christ crucified, under the usual conditions.

And on other days?

On other days of the year, praying it devoutly carries a partial indulgence.

More prayers: The Eucharist

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