Prayer Before a Crucifix

This prayer, "Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus," is known in Latin as the En ego. For centuries Catholics have prayed it kneeling before a crucifix after Holy Communion, gazing on the five wounds of Christ and recalling the words of the Psalm that the prayer itself quotes: "They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones." It asks for lively faith, hope, and charity, true sorrow for sin, and a firm purpose of amendment.

The Church grants a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to the faithful who pray it devoutly before an image of Christ crucified after Communion on any Friday of Lent, and a partial indulgence on other days. It is also a fitting prayer on Good Friday, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14), and at any time you kneel before a crucifix.

The Prayer

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul 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 most precious wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to 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." Amen.

Sources: Traditional prayer before a crucifix; Raccolta/Manual tradition, public domain.

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