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Most Sacred Heart of Jesus The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Novena, Prayers and Litany I.
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
On Margaret Mary was inspired by
Christ to establish the Holy Hour and to pray lying prostrate with her face
to the ground from eleven till midnight on the eve of the first Friday of
each month, to share in the mortal sadness He endured when abandoned by His
Apostles in His Agony, and to receive holy Communion on the first Friday of
every month. In the first great revelation, He made known to her His ardent
desire to be loved by men and His design of manifesting His Heart with all
Its treasures of love and mercy, of sanctification and salvation. He
appointed the Friday after the octave of the feast of The discussion of the mission
and virtues of Margaret Mary continued for years. All her actions, her
revelations, her spiritual maxims, her teachings regarding the devotion to
the Sacred Heart, of which she was the chief exponent as well as the apostle,
were subjected to the most severe and minute examination, and finally the
Sacred Congregation of rites passed a favourable vote on the heroic virtues
of this servant of God. In March, 1824, Leo XII pronounced her Venerable, and
on [Editor's
Note: II.
First Friday Devotion Promises from Jesus Jesus gave the following promises to
Saint Margaret Mary for souls devoted to His most Sacred Heart: 1. I will give them all the graces
necessary in their state of life. 2. I will establish peace in their
homes. 3. I will comfort them in their
afflictions. 4. I will be their secure refuge in
life and above all in death. 5. I will bestow abundant blessings
on all their undertakings. 6. Sinners shall find in My heart the
source and infinite ocean of mercy. 7. Tepid souls shall become fervent. 8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount
to high perfection. 9. I will bless every place where a
picture of My heart shall be exposed and honored. 10. I will give to priests the gift of
touching the most hardened hearts. 11. Those who shall promote this
devotion shall have their names written in My heart, never to be blotted out. 12. I promise you, in the excessive
mercy of my heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who
receive Holy Communion on the first Friday for 9 consecutive months the grace
of final repentance; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving
the sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in that last
moment. III.
Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus FIRST DAY: The word heart is a strong word and a
beautiful one. "Take heart!" we say, when we want a man to pick up
courage. "He gave her his heart," we say when a man gives to a
woman his pure love With perfect understanding we talk of a motherly heart
... of a man who puts heart into his work ... of the innocent heart of a
child ... of the pulsing heart of a city. What more natural then that when
Christ the Savior revealed Himself once more to humanity He should borrow our
word knowing that it would ring with complete familiarity? "Behold the heart that hath
loved men so much, He cried, indicating His own heart. And men of good heart
and of loving heart answered, "Indeed we know how much you have loved
us." To the Savior who revealed Himself to
the world that needs love, we say:
The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus O God, Who in the heart of thy Son
wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully to bestow upon us the infinite
treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee, that we who now pay Him the
devout homage of our piety may also perform the duty of worthy satisfaction.
Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who livest and reignest with thee in
the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. (Copyright 1947 Daniel A. Lord,
S.J.) SECOND
DAY: Ours is a gracious God of love, of
that there is no slightest doubt. God the Father created the world lov-ingly
and tenderly. The long passages of the ages—a flash of God's eternity-were
spent in the preparation of a beautiful, convenient, well-stocked earth to be
man's dwelling place. The newly made creatures, made to the image and
likeness of the heavenly Father, He adopted as His sons and daughters. When in dark rebellion these sons and
daughters revolted, "God so loved the world, as to give His only-begotten
Son that . . . the world may be saved . . ." The love story of God is written anew
in the star of Bethlehem, the smile of the Child Jesus, His hidden life of
service to Mary and to the villagers of Nazareth, the miracles and parables
of His public life, the death by which Christ laid down His Life for His
friends. Then on the wings of wind and in the
symbolic form of flame the Spirit of love came to dwell in human souls,
divine love taking up its residence in the men and the women that God had
loved into life, loved unto death, loved to their own sanctification. Before the Three Persons of the
Trinity, who love us with a divine love, we kneel and pray: The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus O God, Who in the heart of thy Son
wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully to bestow upon us the infinite
treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee, that we who now pay Him the
devout homage of our piety may also perform the duty of worthy satisfaction.
Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who livest and reignest with thee in
the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. THIRD
DAY: Christ of the tender and loving
heart… The Infant heart that beat with the
impulse of love on Christmas… The heart that yearned over the world
which was dark in ignorance and wandering in sin ... The heart that leaped in response to
the love of Mary and knew the warmth of a devoted Son for the foster father who guarded Him tenderly… The heart that could hardly wait for
the beginnings of His work among men . . . The heart that wept over the lost
multitudes . . . The heart of the Good Shepherd
searching for His lost sheep… The heart that speaks in the poetry
of the parables and the strength of the sermons . . . The heart that yearned for sinners
and drove the Savior questing for them far into the night . . . The heart that raised the widow's son
from death... The heart that selected twelve men as
intimate friends and then responded gratefully to the love of
the innocent John… The heart that poured itself out in
miracles of healing and forgiveness and mercy and loving kindness . . . This is the Sacred Heart of the
Savior. To this heart we say:
The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus O God, Who in the heart of thy Son
wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully to bestow upon us the infinite
treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee, that we who now pay Him the
devout homage of our piety may also perform the duty of worthy satisfaction.
Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who livest and reignest with thee in
the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. FOURTH
DAY: The heart of the Savior broke
during the course of the Passion. The paschal moon that shone
with fierce brilliance over the garden was like a searchlight beating upon the
sins of the parading world. Christ saw that world, knew its horror and
vileness, and broke into abloody sweat. Yet that heart held Him captive
when the traitor came and made Him call the betrayer friend. Upon the loving Savior, bound,
not with cords and chains, but by His heartstrings, fell the blows of the scourging, the mockery of the mob, the
spittle of the soldiers, the awful humiliation of public rejection. It was His heart rather than
His head that was crowned with thorns. Upon the cross it was His heart
that held Him fast. He loved us and delivered Himself for us. He bore ourbruises
and our infirmities. Greater love than this no man hath, that He die for His
executioners. And that the last drop of love
might flow out and the lowest and meanest of His sinners might find safe
entrance to His heart. He offers that heart to the lance of the centurion. In
the cleft of His heart, as in the cleft of a rock, the penitent world has found
warmth, safety, and protection. Before the suffering Christ of love we
say: The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus we say:
The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus O God, Who in the heart of thy
Son wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully to bestow upon us the infinite
treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee, that we who now pay Him the
devout homage of our piety may also perform the duty of worthy satisfaction.
Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who livest and reignest with thee in
the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
FIFTH DAY:
The ages roll swiftly along their course. God's love for His creatures is
undying.
The love of Christ lives on in the Mass and in the sacraments and in His
abiding presence upon the altar and in the soul.
But men are fickle. Doubt is a cold and chilling thing. The hot flame of
passion has a way of dying down to the dark, cold, dusty ashes of bitterness
and despair.
So it was that into an age when men taught the denial of God's love, when
they rejected His presence on the altar or for-bade believers to approach the
altar, the God of love came again.
A little nun, holy and loving, knelt in her Visitation Convent. Margaret
Mary, she was called. The combination of the two names has become music to
the Catholic world ever since that time.
On the altar before her was the vision of the loving Christ.
There was shown the tortured, flaming heart.
There were spoken such words of pathetic beauty, of such divine yearning, of
dignity combined with passion that only God could have said them.
"Behold the heart that has loved men so much and has been loved so
little in return."
Beholding that heart, we kneel adoringly to say: The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O God, Who in the heart of thy Son wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully
to bestow upon us the infinite treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee,
that we who now pay Him the devout homage of our piety may also perform the
duty of worthy satisfaction. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who
livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world
without end. Amen.
SIXTH DAY:
As the symbol of love, Christ had chosen the heart, the favorite symbol of
human speech.
It was His human heart, still pierced with the spear of
Around that heart was twined the crown of thorns; for though Christ is indeed
king, He is a king who won His kingdom along the bloody course of love.
From the heart leap up living flames. They are like the tongues that
descended upon the Apostles when the Spirit of love came to inflame them for
the apostolate. These flames are restless, as love is always restless; but
while, like fire, they warm and light, they do not burn or destroy or even
smudge.
A tiny cross, that unfailing symbol of God's love even unto death, surmounts
the
heart.
Poetry has known that a sequence of sonnets could not say what a single
glimpse of this heart reveals.
Catholics everywhere have looked upon the heart of the Savior and have known
that it was offered to them. God s heart was theirs for the asking, theirs if
only they would give their own worthless hearts in exchange.
Before the symbol of the Sacred Heart we say: The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O God, Who in the heart of thy Son wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully
to bestow upon us the infinite treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee,
that we who now pay Him the devout homage of our piety may also perform the
duty of worthy satisfaction. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who
livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without
end. Amen.
SEVENTH DAY:
Love is always generous. It gives without the prospect of reward. It asks
only to give in a flooding desire to be lavishly generous.
Much as the heart of the Savior had during His public life sought love and
responded to love and been divinely grateful for the slightest sign of love,
that heart always thought first in terms of giving… giving . . . and
more giving.
Miracles for the needy, forgiveness for the sinful faith for those in
darkness, hope for the despairing---these were the outpourings of the heart
of the Savior.
Now again He speaks, this time to promise the sweet gifts of His love.
To those who love Him, assurance of eternal salvation . . .
To those who honor, a picture of Him peace in their households and blessings
upon their family.
His reward for little acts of devotion just before death ... His presence in
the Blessed Sacrament . . .
Favors, gifts-promises made out of the greatness of His love---to anyone who
will show some little signs of love for Him .
With that vision the great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, old as
Christianity itself but new in its present manifestation, moves in the
wind-fed fire of love across the earth.
Loving the Lover of our souls, we say: The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O God, Who in the heart of thy Son wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully
to bestow upon us the infinite treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee,
that we who now pay Him the devout homage of our piety may also perform the
duty of worthy satisfaction. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who
livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world
without end. Amen.]
EIGHTH DAY:
"Behold the heart that has loved men so much and that has been loved so
little in return."
It is upon the second half of the Savior's statement that the loving
Christian focuses his attention.
We have known always the love of God.
We have tried not to remember the love-less-ness of men and women.
With love for everyone and for everything, now as on the first Christmas, no
love remains for Christ. With love walking in a thousand cheap disguises, as
it did even during the climax of love on
That is why the Savior Himself asked loving souls for a little reparation:
“Make up," He pleads, "for the millions who do not love me.”
"Tell me at least that you wish sinners would stop their sin, and the
faithful in name would become faithful in fact, and the sins committed in the
ugly travesty on love would cease to kill the human power of love.
"Consecrate yourself," He begs, "to my heart. Dedicate your
homes and your children to my loving protection. Spend at least an occasional
hour with me."
We consecrate ourselves to the loving Christ and say: The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O God, Who in the heart of thy Son wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully
to bestow upon us the infinite treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee,
that we who now pay Him the devout homage of our piety may also perform the
duty of worthy satisfaction. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who
livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world
without end. Amen.
NINTH DAY:
Christ of the Sacred Heart, Christ of the Blessed Sacrament---these two are
identical. Devotion to the Sacred Heart is inseparably linked to devotion to
the Holy Eucharist. Love for the Sacred Heart must inevitably lead to the
tabernacle.
Host and Heart are equal manifestations of the love of the savior for saints
and sinners.
The impulse of love in the heart of the Savior made inevitable the promise of
the Eucharist, which climaxed the love feast of the loaves and the fishes.
Love in the wonderful evening before His Passion, when love was the sole
subject of His speech, inevitably passed beyond words and became bread made
flesh and wine made blood with the guarantee that never would He leave us
orphans.
That is why in His revelation to Saint Margaret Mary, Christ speaks of Holy
Communion, that close union of the human soul with the divine. That is why He
asks that on the first Friday we come to welcome Him. That is why He
begs that on our knees before His loving Presence in the tabernacle we find
the Eucharistic Christ and remember that the love of Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
Before the Eucharistic heart of Christ we kneel and say: The Prayer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O God, Who in the heart of thy Son wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully
to bestow upon us the infinite treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee,
that we who now pay Him the devout homage of our piety may also perform the
duty of worthy satisfaction. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who
livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world
without end. Amen. (Copyright 1947, Daniel A.
Lord, S.J. W.H. Lithographing Company, IV. Daily Prayer and Invocations to the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus DAILY PRAYER
O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love
Thee and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of
mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant,
good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of
danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in
my temporal needs, Thy blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy
death. Within Thy Heart I place my every care. In every need let me come to
Thee with humble trust saying, Heart of Jesus help me. INVOCATIONS TO THE MOST SACRED HEART OF
JESUS Merciful Jesus, I
consecrate myself today and always to Thy Most Sacred Heart. Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus I implore, that I may ever love Thee more and more. Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus, I trust in Thee. Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus, have mercy on us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, I
believe in Thy love for me. Jesus, meek and humble of
heart, make my heart like unto Thine. Sacred Heart of Jesus Thy
Kingdom Come. Most Sacred Heart of
Jesus, convert sinners. save the dying, deliver the Holy Souls in Purgatory. (OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY LIBRARY LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
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