Jesus takes up his cross

Untitled (An ancient Celtic prayer for sleep)

O Jesu without sin,
King of the poor,
Who were sorely subdued
Under the ban of the wicked,
Shield Thou me this night
From Judas.

My soul on Thine own arm, O Christ,
Thou the King of the City of Heaven,
Thou it was who bought’st my soul O Jesu,
Thou it was who didst sacrifice Thy life for me.

Protect Thou me because of my sorrow,
For the sake of Thy passion, Thy wounds, and Thy blood,
And take me in safety to-night
Near to the City of God.

From The Celtic Way of Prayer by Ester de Waal, Doubleday, 1997.

“Jesus takes up his cross” by Anna Kocher. See the rest of her work here.