Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Meaning of the Sacred Heart

To reflect upon the image and face of Christ together, Pope Benedict wrote, is transformative, since "anyone who gazes upon the face of the Lord, which the servants of the Sanhedrin and Pilate's servants have spat upon, which they have slapped and covered with spittle, will see in his face the mirror of our violence, a reflection of what sin is, and their conscience will be purified."

Meditating on Jesus's often scorned and wounded heart, shows us the ugliness of sin. In adoring it, we move towards purifying our own heart and conscience, freeing us to develop a closer relationship with the Divinity of Christ, our Saviour. The image of the Sacred Heart is an open invitation to participate in Christ's deep and abiding love, which led to his sacrifice on Calvary, that we might be redeemed. What greater love is there?

The Feast of the Sacred Heart

The Friday that follows the Second Sunday after Pentecost is the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Many Catholics prepare for this Feast by beginning a Novena to the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Corpus Christi, which is celebrated from the Thursday of the week before. On the Feast of the Sacred Heart itself, we can gain a plenary indulgence by making an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart.

Devotions to the Sacred Heart were common in Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries. However, the popularisation of this devotion took root after St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), a Visitation nun, enjoyed a personal revelation of the Christ, involving a series of visions as she prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote, "He disclosed to me the marvels of his Love and the inexplicable secrets of his Sacred Heart."

The Promises of the Sacred Heart

Christ promised that, in response to those who consecrate themselves and make reparations to His Sacred Heart, He would:

• Give them all the graces necessary in their state of life
• Establish peace in their homes
• Comfort them in all their afflictions
• Be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death
• Bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings
• Show sinners that his Heart is the source of an infinite ocean of mercy
• Bless every place in which an image of His Heart is exposed and honoured
• Give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts

Those who promote this devotion will have their names written in His Heart. Moreover, Jesus promised that the grace of final perseverance will be given to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays for nine consecutive months.

Prayer of Reparation to the Sacred Heart

Most sweet Jesus, whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before You, eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries to which Your loving Heart is subject.

Mindful that we ourselves have had a share in such indignities, which we now deplore, we humbly ask Your pardon and declare our readiness to atone. We do this not only for our own personal offences, but also for the offences of others who, straying from the path of salvation, obstinately refuse to follow You, their Shepherd; or who have renounced the promises of their baptism and cast off the sweet yoke of Your law.

We resolve to expiate the outrages committed against You, determined to make amends for the manifold offences that offend Your Sacred Heart. We promise to live a life of unswerving faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially of charity. We promise to do this to the best of our power and to try to deter others from offending You, and to try to bring as many as possible to follow You and the precepts of Your Church.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of these reparations. We ask for the crowning gift of perseverance, to keep us faithful in our duty and the allegiance we owe You, so that we may all one day come to rest in that happy home, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit You also live and reign. Amen.

Act of Adoration

O Most Holy Heart of my dearly beloved Jesus, I desire to renew and to offer You these acts of adoration, and these prayers at every possible moment. I offer them for myself, my family, friends and neighbours. I recommend to You the holy Catholic Church, its parishioners and the souls undergoing your justice, poor sinners, the sick and afflicted, the agonised and all the people of the world.

O Divine Heart of Jesus, I adore You with all my heart and soul and consecrate them to you for all time. I devote my thoughts, words and actions to your glory. I ask you to give me strength to face all challenges, to have steadfast faith in your mercy and infinite merits, and to protect me and my family, and when my time on earth is over, to be my refuge when I die. Amen.

Daily Prayer to the Sacred Heart

O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore You, I love You, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer You this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

Prayer for the Church

Most sacred Heart of Jesus, pour down Your blessings abundantly on Your holy Church, on the Supreme Pontiff, and on all the clergy. Grant perseverance to the just, convert sinners, enlighten infidels, bless our parents, friends, and benefactors, assist the dying, free the souls in purgatory, and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Your love.

Prayer in Difficult Times

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. In this time of difficulty and uncertainty, I turn to you for comfort and strength. Your love is a beacon of hope, and I know that even in my darkest moments, you are with me.

Grant me the grace to trust in your divine will, even when I do not understand. Help me to see the beauty and purpose in my struggles. Give me the courage to face my fears and the wisdom to make the right decisions.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, you are my refuge and my protector. Be with me in my trials, and lead me to peace and healing. I ask for your merciful intercession, and I place my entire being in your loving embrace.

St Gertrude's Prayer to the Sacred Heart

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Saviour, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.

St Margaret Mary Alacoque's Prayer

Lord Jesus, let my heart never rest until it finds You, who are its centre, its love, and its happiness. By the wound in Your heart, pardon the sins that I have committed whether out of malice or out of evil desires. Place my weak heart in your own divine heart, continually under your protection and guidance, so that I may persevere in doing good and in fleeing evil until my last breath. Amen.

Memorare to the Sacred Heart

Remember, O most kind Jesus, that none who have had recourse to Your Sacred Heart, implored its assistance, or called for mercy, have ever been abandoned. Filled and animated by this same confidence, O divine Heart, Ruler of all hearts, I fly to You, and oppressed beneath the weight of my sins, I prostrate myself before You. Despise not Your unworthy child, but grant me, I pray, an entrance into Your Sacred Heart. Sustain me in all my combats and be with me now, and at all times, but especially in the hour of my death. O gracious Jesus! O amiable Jesus! O loving Jesus! Amen.