by Fr. Gaetano Maria da Bergamo. Among all the books written on the Passion of Our Lord and Savior, this one holds a privileged place. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, the Franciscan saint who bore the wounds of Christ in his own flesh for half a century, once handed a copy of this book to a young priest, saying: “Take it, and meditate on it every day.” Originally published in Italian in 1733, this work has been translated into various languages. The present edition is based on a translation produced by the Passionist Fathers of the United States, published in 1905. We have made minor revisions to the text and have inserted a new English translation of one section which was inadvertently omitted by the editors of the 1905 edition. It is our hope that an army of prayerful souls will recognize what a jewel this book is, and will not only read it regularly, but immerse themselves in it, as in a white-hot furnace, perfectly suited for burning away the dross and impurities of their souls.