# The 15 Prayers of St. Bridget of Sweden – A Year‑long Devotion
*2017-07-23*

> Bill Young revisits the fifteen prayers promised by Jesus to St. Bridget of Sweden, explaining the promise attached to reciting them for a year and offering the prayers themselves.

## St. Bridget’s Promise

St. Bridget of Sweden (1303‑1373) prayed for many years to learn how many blows Jesus received on the Cross. One night He appeared to her and said, “On My Body I received 5,480 blows. If you wish to honor them, recite fifteen Our Fathers and Hail Marys together with the prayers He taught you. Do this for a whole year, and at the end you will be granted the grace of the wounds.” He also promised that anyone who faithfully recites these prayers for a year will obtain the liberation of fifteen souls from purgatory, the conversion of fifteen sinners, and great spiritual benefits, including indulgences and a special place in the heavenly choir.

## How the Prayers Are Structured

Each of the fifteen prayers follows the same pattern:
1. An opening petition to Jesus, recalling a particular aspect of His Passion.
2. The Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be.
3. A specific request for mercy, forgiveness, or protection.
Bill reads the first three prayers in full as examples, then briefly notes that the remaining prayers continue in the same form, each focusing on a different mystery of the Passion (the scourging, the crown of thorns, the crucifixion, the thirst on the Cross, etc.).

## Sample Prayer (Prayer 1)

“All‑powerful Lord Jesus Christ, sweetness to those who love You, joy beyond all desire, salvation for the repentant, you said, ‘My delight is with the children of men.’ Remember the anguish of Your incarnation and the suffering of Your Passion. Recall the agony in the garden, the betrayal, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the blows, the crucifixion. In memory of these pains, grant me true contrition, sincere confession, and the remission of all my sins. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be.”

## Spiritual Benefits of the Devotion

Bill lists the promises attached to the devotion:
• 100 days of indulgence for each complete set of prayers.
• Liberation of fifteen souls from purgatory.
• Conversion of fifteen sinners.
• Protection from temptation, preservation of the senses, and a peaceful death.
• A special vision of Christ’s body and blood fifteen days before death, and the grace to drink from the source of His divinity.
• The promise of entering the first grade of perfection and receiving the “precious body” of Jesus at death.

## How to Practice the Prayers

Bill advises listeners to pray the fifteen Our Fathers, fifteen Hail Marys, and the fifteen accompanying prayers once a day for a full year. He suggests using a notebook to mark each day, praying with devotion, and offering the prayers for the souls of one’s relatives in purgatory. He also encourages sharing the devotion with others, noting that teaching the prayers to someone else brings additional merit.

*Reciting the fifteen prayers of St. Bridget for a year opens the soul to profound grace, the mercy of Christ, and the liberation of souls from purgatory.*