Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Friday following the Second Sunday After Pentecost

Taken from, “Divine Intimacy,” by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., pp.622-623

PRESENSE OF GOD – O Jesus, grant that I may penetrate the secrets hidden in Your divine Heart.

MEDITATION

1. After we have contemplated the Eucharist, a gift crowning all the gifts of the love of Jesus for men, the Church invites us to give direct consideration to the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the source and cause of all His gifts. We may call the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus the feast of His love for us. “Behold this Heart which has so loved men,” Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary; “Behold this Heart which has so loved men,” the Church repeats to us today, showing us that it is truly “in the Heart of Christ, wounded by our sins, that God had deigned to give us the infinite treasures of His love” (cf. Collect). Today’s liturgy inspired with this thought, reviews the immense benefits we owe to the love of Christ and sings a hymn in praise of His love. “Cogitationes cordis ejus,” chants the Introit of the Mass: “The thoughts of His Heart” – the Heart of Jesus – “are to all generations: to deliver them from death, to feed them in time of famine”. The Heart of Jesus is always in search of souls to save, to free from the snares of sin, to wash in His Blood, to feed with His Body. The Heart of Jesus is always living in the Eucharist to satisfy the hunger of all who long for Him, to welcome and console all those who, disillusioned by the vicissitudes of life, take refuge in Him, seeking peace and refreshment. Jesus Himself in our support of the hard road of life. “Take up My yoke upon you and learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls, Alleluia.” It is impossible to eliminate sorrow from our life; yet if we live for Jesus we can suffer in peace and find in the Heart of Jesus repose for our weary soul.

2. Today’s Gospel and Epistle lead us to consider the Sacred Heart of Jesus even more directly. The Gospel (Fn 19, 31-37) shows us His Heart pierced with a lance: “One of the soldiers opened His side with a spear,” and St. Augustine offers this comment: “The Evangelist says...opened, to show us that thereby the door of life was thrown open, through which the Sacraments of the Church flow forth”. From the pierced Heart of Christ, symbol of the love which immolated Him on the Cross for us, came forth the Sacraments, represented by the water and the Blood flowing from the wound, and it is through these Sacraments that we receive the life of grace. Yes, it is eminently true to say that the Heart of Jesus was opened to bring us into life. Jesus once said, “Narrow is the gate...that leadeth to life” (Mt. 7, 14); but if we understand this gate to be the wound in His Heart, we can say that no gate could open to us with greater welcome.

St. Paul, in his beautiful Epistle (Eph 3, 8-19), urges us to penetrate further into the Heart of Jesus to contemplate His “unsearchable riches” and to enter into “the mystery which hath been hidden from the eternity of God”. This is the mystery of infinite, divine love which has gone before us from all eternity and was revealed to us by the Word made flesh; it is the mystery of the love which willed to redeem us and sanctify us in Christ “in whom we have...[free] access to God”.

Again Jesus presents Himself as the door which leads to salvation. “I am the door. By Me if any man enter in he shall be saved.” (Fn 10, 9). This door is His Heart, which, wounded for us, has brought us into life. By love alone can we penetrate this mystery of infinite love, but not any kind of love will suffice. As St. Paul says, we must “be rooted and founded in charity”. Only thus shall we be able “to know...the charity of Christ which surpasseth all knowledge, that [we] may be filled unto all the fullness of God”.

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (9 days)

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (9 days)

I. O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.”Behold I knock; I seek and ask for the grace of...(Here name your request)

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be to the Father...

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you.”Behold, in Your Name, I ask the Father for the grace of...(Here name your request)

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be to the Father...

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away.”Encouraged by Your infallible words I now ask for the grace of...(Here name your request)

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be to the Father...

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your tender Mother and ours.

Say the “Hail, Holy Queen” and add:

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

LITANY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS

LITANY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS

An indulgence of 7 years. A plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions, if the entire Litany with its versicle and prayer is recited daily for a month.

Responses are in Italics

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, Have mercy on us*

Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mother, *

Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, *

Heart of Jesus, of Infinite Majesty, *

Heart of Jesus, Sacred Temple of God, *

Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High, *

Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven, *

Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, *

Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love, *

Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, *

Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, *

Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, *

Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, *

Heart of Jesus, in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, *

Heart of Jesus, in Whom dwells the fullness of divinity, *

Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father was well pleased, *

Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received, *

Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, *

Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful, *

Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke Thee, *

Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, *

Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, *

Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium, *

Heart of Jesus, bruised for our ofeenses, *

Heart of Jesus, obedient to death, *

Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, *

Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, *

Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, *

Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, *

Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, *

Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee, *

Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, *

Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, *

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

V. Jesus meek and humble of heart.

R. Make our hearts like to Thine.

Let us Pray

ALMIGHTY and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thine most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which He offer Thee in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Thy mercy, of Thy great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee lives and reigns, world without end. Amen.