Chaplet of the Five Precious Wounds.
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Five Precious Wounds Chaplet
The Chaplet of the Five Wounds is a meditation on the Holy Wounds of Jesus, suffered in his Passion. It Is a meditation on suffering and sacrifice for love and unifies us, in prayer with this profound, absolute and sacrificial love.
The Chaplet was inspired by Fr. Paul Aloysius, the sixth superior general of the Passionist Order but devotion to the 5 wounds has a longer history in Christian spirituality having been practiced by Saint Bridget of Sweden in the 14th century.
The Chaplet was first approved for use in the Catholic Church by Pope Pius VII in 1822. In this early form, the beads consisted of five sections, and each section consisted of five beads, on each was said an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. Between each of the five sections, one Hail Mary was said in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows.
At the time of the approval of the Chaplet, conditions for indulgences associated with its use were also set out.
In 1822, to simplify the form with the objective of promoting the use of the Chaplet, the father General of the Passionists Congregation asked Pope Leo XII, that it might be sufficient to say only a Glory Be on each bead, with a Hail Mary between each section. This resulted in the recitation of the Chaplet being much easier and shorter and the alteration was later confirmed in the Decree of Approval of Leo XII dated 20th Dec 1823.
This Decree contains a definition of the Chaplet in these words:
"This Chaplet is a formula of prayer containing five sections of five beads each. On each bead one Glory Be to the Father is said, and between the sections one Hail Mary in honour of the Sorrowful Virgin."
How to Pray the Chaplet
The Five Wounds:
- The nail wound to the left foot.
- The nail wound to the right foot.
- The nail wound to the left hand.
- The nail wound to the right hand.
- The spear wound to the side.
On each medal:
The wound is announced followed by a Hail Mary.
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.
Amen.
On each of the following five beads:
The Glory be is said.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
At the end of the Chaplet:
Three additional Hail Mary's are said on each of the three ending beads.