`
APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER / LEAGUE OF THE SACRED
HEART
NOVENA
IN HONOR OF THE SACRED HEART
Rev. Peter Schineller, S.J.
INTRODUCTION:
In many churches around the world, novenas
in honor of the Sacred Heart are held in preparation for the annual feast of
the Sacred Heart. Of course, the
novena could be given at any time of the year, for example close to the feast
of Christ the King, or as preparation
for the celebration of Holy Week and Easter.
What follows is one format, one way to make
such a novena. While it may be used as
written, it may also be creatively
adapted and modified, shortened or lengthened, in accord with the needs and
resources of a particular parish or parish society.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a heart
overflowing with love. The goal of the novena is two fold: first to gain insight in the love of the
Sacred Heart for each one of us, and secondly, to respond to that love by imitating more closely the different
qualities of the love shown in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and by putting that
love into practice in our lives.
True devotion to the Sacred Heart, in other
words, consists not only in experiencing and receiving the love of Jesus
Christ, not only in prayerful adoration of his Heart. It consists in putting on the Heart of
Christ, conforming our live to the life of Christ. It consists of loving God and the neighbor as
He did and does. True devotion to the
Sacred Heart is deeply apostolic.
This apostolic nature has two dimensions: First it should lead to a life of service,
charity, compassion and justice; secondly, it should urge us, as apostles, to
draw others to a personal devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by our
prayers, words, and witness.
The structure of each prayer period:
Theme for each day. Each day of
the novena will examine and set forth one key quality of the love of God in the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is the basis
of our prayer and reflection.
Opening Prayer: For each day
there is an Opening Prayer taken from the Sacramentary, the book used by
the priest at Mass.
Scripture Reading: each day we propose two Scripture passages, one from
the Gospels and another from one of the letters of the New Testament. For the reading of these a Bible will be
needed.
Reflection: In the Reflection
on the Scripture passages, we show how Jesus expressed his love through his
actions, and how as teacher he challenged us to imitate his love. We
also show how other parts of the Scripture not only describe the love of
God but how we are to respond to it and give witness to in our lives. Ideally, these reflections will be creatively
adapted, added to, modified, in accord with the
particular group and their circumstances, rather than simply read
out.
Resolution/Practice: Following the reflection we add a few more practical
suggestions of how we might live out the theme we have reflected upon. In this way we will put effort into imitating
and practicing the love which Jesus shows to us in His Sacred Heart.
Litany/Prayer of the Faithful.
For each day of the novena,
there will be a litany which calls for a response on the part of the
congregation.
Prayer of Consecration: There follows
a Prayer of Consecration, a prayer through which we offer ourselves or
our families to God in an offering of love.
Closing Prayer. We conclude
with a prayer which is taken from a saint or holy person. If a priest is present, he would then give a
final blessing.
Periods of Silence. One important
note is that a few short periods of silence should also form an integral part
of the novena. For example, after the
Scripture, after the Reflection and
after the Prayer of Consecration, a few moments of silence are most fitting
to help the participants appreciate, appropriate, and reflect personally on
what they have heard.
In addition to what is presented here,
groups may decide to have Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament as part of the
novena. They may also recite the Litany
of the Sacred Heart daily, and might
well include hymns that celebrate the love of God as part of the novena
service.
The votive Mass of the Sacred Heart may
also be celebrated, if allowed by the liturgical calendar.
OUTLINE OF THE THEMES FOR THE NINE DAYS
DAY ONE: LOVE THAT IS TOTAL AND UNCONDITIONAL
DAY TWO: LOVE
THAT IS SENSITIVE AND RESPONSIVE
DAY THREE: LOVE THAT IS UNIVERSAL,
EXTENDING TO ALL
DAY FOUR: LOVE THAT IS PERSEVERING,
ENDURING TO THE END
DAY FIVE: LOVE THAT UNITES AND BINDS
TOGETHER INTO COMMUNITY
DAY SIX: LOVE THAT IS ACTIVE,
PRACTICAL, AND EFFECTIVE
DAY SEVEN: LOVE THAT IS PATIENT AND
FORGIVING
DAY EIGHT: LOVE THAT REACHES OUT TO THE POOR AND NEEDY
DAY NINE: LOVE THAT BRINGS REST,
PEACE, AND JOY
DAY ONE: LOVE THAT IS TOTAL AND UNCONDITIONAL
Opening Prayer: Almighty
God and Father, we glory in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, your beloved Son, as we
call to mind the great things his love has done for us. Fill us with the grace that flows in
abundance from the Heart of Jesus, the source of heaven=s gifts.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 13: 1-13
Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous
Matt. 5:43-48 If you love those who love you, what merit
is there
in that?
Reflection: One of the
early lessons in life seems to be that we should be cautious and careful. Watch
out or people will take advantage of you!
Hold on to what you have. What
you give away you lose. AAn eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth@ is
the more common way of thinking. In
the market, we bargain and argue over prices.
The law of economics rules. We
get nothing for nothing. Debts must be
repaid in full.
But these attitudes are not the gospel way. They are not the way of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. If that were the way of Jesus, we
would never be saved. We would still be
without hope. But God loved us, and God loves us
with an extravagant, boundless, total, and unconditional love.
We often put strings on our love. AI will love you if you love me.@ AIf you do that again, I will not forgive
you.@
These are conditions, and this is not the way of Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount gives us His
way: AIf you love those who love you, what merit
is there in that?@ If you greet your brothers only, what is so
praiseworthy about that? Do not pagans
do as much?@
Jesus challenges us to imitate his love and to imitate the love of his heavenly Father.
One of the most beautiful gospel stories is that of the widow=s mite. Even though she gave only two coins, in the
eyes of God, in imitating the love of the Sacred Heart, she gave more than all
the others, because she gave all she had.
Her love, her generosity was unconditional.
St. Paul
writes to the Corinthians and describes for them the qualities of
love. Paul is
really describing the qualities of the love that God
revealed to us in the Heart of His
Son. Paul is challenging us to love the way Jesus
did. ALove is patient, kind, not jealous, not
prone to anger, there is no limit to its trust, hope, and power to endure....@ God wants to mold our heart so that it
resembles the Heart of His Son. Let us
generously and unconditionally accept that love, and then try to practice
unconditional love in our relationship with our neighbor.
Resolution/Practice: 1. Pray daily the Prayer of St. Ignatius for
Generosity:
Dear Lord, teach us to be generous. Teach us to serve
you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed
the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I am doing your will.
Amen.
2. At Mass,
we see how Jesus gave himself completely for us. Every time you attend Mass, make an unconditional offering of yourself to
God the Father, in union with the complete offering of Jesus.
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
Prayer of Trust in the Sacred Heart
In all my temptations -
I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In all my weaknesses, - I place my trust in you, O Sacred Heart of
Jesus.
In all my difficulties, R/
In all my trials, R/
In all my sorrows, R/
In all my work, R/
In every failure R/
In every discouragement R/
In life and in death R/
In time and in eternity R/
Our Father...
Prayer of Consecration
I,
(N.N.) give myself to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I
consecrate to him my person and my life, my actions, pains, and sufferings so
that henceforth I shall be unwilling to make use of any part of my being except
for the honor, love, and glory of the Sacred Heart.
My unchanging purpose is to be all his and
to do all things for the love of him while renouncing with all my heart
whatever is displeasing to him.
I take you, O Sacred Heart, as the only
object of my love, the guardian of my life, the assurance of my salvation, the
remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for all my faults, and the
sure refuge at my death.
O Heart of goodness, be my justification
before God the Father, and turn away from me the strokes of his righteous
anger. O Heart of love, I place all my
trust in you, for I fear everything from my own wickedness and frailty, but I
hope for all things from your goodness and bounty.
Consume in me all that can displease you or
resist your holy Will. Let your pure
love imprint you so deeply upon my heart that I shall nevermore be able to
forget you or be separated from you.
May I obtain from all your loving kindness the grace of having my name
written in you, for I desire to place in you all my happiness and all my glory,
living and dying in virtual bondage to you.
(St. Margaret Mary Alacoque)
Closing Prayer: Prayer
of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, let me sow pardon. Where there is error, let me sow
truth.
Where there is doubt, let me sow faith. Where there is despair, let me sow
hope
Where there is darkness, let me sow light. Where there is sadness, let me sow joy.
O Divine
Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to
console,
to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
DAY TWO:
LOVE THAT IS SENSITIVE
AND RESPONSIVE
Opening Prayer: Lord God,
give us the strength and love of the heart of your Son Jesus, that, by becoming
one with him, we may have eternal
salvation. We ask this through Christ
our Lord, Amen.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:
7-12 If God has loved us so, we must
have the same love for
one another.
Matt. 15: 29-38 My heart is
moved with pity for the crowd
Reflection: Who does
God expect us to love? Must I love each
and every one? Does charity begin at
home, as we say? Sometimes I am tired
and weary and have limited energy? I
have so much to do. How can I reach out and help someone else? How can I summon up the courage and strength
to be faithful to the love of the Heart of Jesus?
First of all, we must know that by
ourselves we are weak. But we can do all
things in God, the one who strengthens us.
Our efforts at love are first, last and always only possible as
responses to the love which God has showered upon us. One wise spiritual guide once wrote:
The big day in your spiritual life will come not when
you realize how much you might love God or your neighbor, but when you realize
how much God loves you.
The Scripture we just heart, the first letter of John,
reminds us of this: A Love then consists in this; not that we
have loved God, but that he has loved us and has sent his Son as an offering
for our sins.
@ John explains
that our response to God=s love is not merely to love
God, but to show A that same love for one another.@
Our love must reach out to the neighbor, the one in need.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus sets an
example of sensitive and responsive love. When two blind men call out, the
crowd wants to silence them. But Jesus
calls them to come nearer, and Amoved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes and immediately they
could see@ (Mt. 20:34). In our Scripture reading, we see how His
Heart is moved with pity at the crowd (Matt. 15:32) They are hungry, so he and his disciples feed them. On another occasion, he hears of the death of
his friend Lazarus and goes directly to restore him to life. At Cana, in response to the request of his mother, he changes the water into wine. Rather than acting out of a unchanging
and eternal plan, Jesus shows a
Heart that responded in love in any situation where there was a
need.
A poem by the American poetess, Emily
Dickinson sets forth the kind of responsive, loving heart that we want to have:
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching, or cool
one pain,
Or help one fainting robin,
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
We pray for a sensitive and loving heart, like the
Heart of Jesus, that is ready and willing to respond where ever love is
lacking, where and when ever love is
needed.
Resolution/Practice: 1.Take a
few minutes each evening to reflect back on the day. Was there any situation, any person who
called for your love or care? How did
you respond? If your love was weak, at
least say a prayer for that person or persons involved, and think of one way
that you could show love to that person when you next meet them.
2. Pray to
the Holy Spirit, that the Spirit keep you alert, sensitive, open, and
responsive to the needs of others.
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
Act of Offering: Sacred Heart of Jesus, receive my offering. You have given me yourself, now let me give
myself to you.
I give you my body, that it may be chaste and
pure: Response: SACRED HEART OF JESUS
YOUR
KINGDOM COME.
I give you my soul, that it
may be free from sin. R/
I give you my pains and sufferings to gain graces for
those separated from you by sin. R/
I give you my heart that I
may always love you. R/
I give you every breath that
I shall breathe, and especially my last R/
I give you myself in life
and in death R/
Our Father...
Prayer of Consecration
O Heart of Jesus, all Love, I offer you
these humble prayers for myself and for all those who unite themselves with me
in spirit to adore you. O holiest Heart
of Jesus most lovely, I intend to renew and to offer to you these acts of
adoration and these prayers for me, a wretched sinner, and for all those who
are associated in your adoration. Help
me to do this throughout my entire life, even unto its end.
I recommend to you, O my Jesus, the Holy
Church, your dear Spouse and our true Mother, the souls who practice justice,
all poor sinners, the afflicted, the dying, and all humankind. Let not your blood be shed for them in vain.
Finally, deign to apply it in relief of the
souls in purgatory, those in particular who have practiced in the course of
their live this holy devotion of adoring you.
Cardinal Newman
Closing Prayer:
My God, my Savior, I adore your Sacred
Heart, for that heart is the seat and source of all your most tender affections
for us sinners. It is the instrument and
organ of your love. It did beat for us.
It yearned for us. It ached for us and
for our salvation. It was on fire
through zeal that the glory of God might be manifested in and by us. It is the
channel through which has come to us all your overflowing human affection, all
your divine charity to us. All your
incomprehensible compassion for us, as God and Man, as our Creator and Redeemer
and Judge, has come to us, and comes in one inseparable stream, through that
Sacred Heart. O most sacred Symbol and Sacrament of Love, human and divine, in
its fulness You saved me by your divine strength and your human affection, and
then at length by your wonderworking blood, which did overflow for our
salvation.
DAY THREE:
LOVE THAT IS UNIVERSAL, EXTENDING TO ALL
Opening Prayer: God our
Father, in obedience to you, your only
Son Jesus Christ accepted death on the cross for the salvation of
humankind. We acknowledge the mystery of
the cross on earth. May we receive the
gift of redemption in heaven. . We ask
this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Eph. 3:14-19
...the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ=s
love
Matt. 8: 5-13 Many will come
from east and west and find a place at
the banquet
in the kingdom of God
Reflection: The world
is divided up into nations and nationalities.
One is German, another a
Kenyan. The world is divided up into
ethnic groups. One is a Caucasian,
another is Chinese, another Igbo or Yoruba.
The world is divided up into religious groups, Muslims, Christians,
Jews. Christians are subdivided into
many different denominations. How does
one find one=s way through these different groups,
categories? Does one so identify with
a particular group and keep at bay the other groups? Do I show special love to my own group? Does charity begin at home, and sadly,
sometimes end there?
Christian faith, modeled upon the love of
God as manifest in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Heart of love, says that we are
all brothers and sisters. It
affirms that our love must be universal, extended to all, and not only to my
own, to my kin, and my group.
Jesus limited his official public ministry
to those in the house of Israel.
But his vision and his compassion
extended far wider. Passing through a
Samaritan town where they were not welcomed,
two disciples ask Jesus if they should Acall down fire from heaven to destroy them@ (Lk.
9:54). Jesus, instead of agreeing
with this wish, reprimands them. On
other occasions, Jesus praises the Samaritan woman for her faith. In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus
sets forth the Good Samaritan as the
exemplar of Christian love, rather than the priest or the Levite. He admires
the Canaanite woman for her great faith (Mt. 15:28) and in our Scripture
reading today he praises the centurion
for his spirit of trust and faith (Mt. 8:11).
The Sermon on the Mount presents a stronger
teaching. In one of the most
challenging passages of the Bible, we are given a new command of Jesus: Alove your enemies; pray for your
persecutors@ (Mt. 5:44). Jesus then explains that his heavenly Father
shows this universal love, a love that extends even to one=s enemies:
Ahis sun rises on the bad and the good, he
rains on the just and the unjust@ (Mt. 5:45).
In the Jewish tradition there is a saying: Aif two persons claim your help, and one is
your enemy, help him first.@ We, as followers of Jesus
Christ, are to be instruments of God=s love.
God=s love is universal, and so our love
cannot, should not be anything less than universal, extending to all of God=s children.
Resolution/Practice: 1. Think of a particular person, or a particular
group of persons that you find it very hard to love. Pray to God for help to learn how to love
that person or group.
2. Take a
page of paper and write out on it the names of friends, relatives, co-workers,
that you would like to pray for.
Resolve every few days to read over that page, and entrust all those
persons to the love of the Sacred Heart.
3. Pray
regularly for the progress of the
ecumenical movement, for unity among all God=s people, Athat they may be one.@
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
Litany of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy.
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 Spirit
Have mercy on us (Repeated after each invocation)
Holy Trinity, one God
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit 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 you,
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 offenses,
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 you,
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in you,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints,
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Spare us O Lord
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us O Lord
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Jesus meek and humble of heart, Make our hearts like to yours.
Let us pray: Almighty and eternal God, look upon the
Heart of your most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which he
offers you in the name of sinners; and to those who implore your mercy, in your
great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, your
son, who lives and reigns with you,
forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of Consecration:
O my Jesus, you have not refused to give me
your blood and your life. How then can I refuse to give you my miserable
heart? O my dear Redeemer, I give you
all my will; accept it and do with it what you will. I have nothing and can do nothing, but this I
have to give you - my heart which you have given me, which nobody can steal
from me. I may lose my natural goods, my
blood, my life, but not my heart. With
this heart I can love you and will love you.
O my God, teach me to forget myself; teach
me how to come to your pure love; in your goodness you have already inspired in
me a great desire for this love.
O loving heart of Jesus, it is now up to
you to make wholly yours this poor heart which in the past has been so
ungrateful, and which, by its own fault, is now empty of your love. Inflame this heart with your love, as your
heart burns with love for me.
Unite my will wholly with your will so that
I shall not will anything not willed by you. From now on your holy will shall
be the rule of all my actions, thoughts and desires. Lord, I am sure that you will not deny me the
grace to live up to this resolution which I make today at your feet; I resolve to embrace with peace whatever
designs you have for me now and forever. Amen.
St. Alphonsus Ligouri
Closing Prayer:
O most sacred, most loving heart of Jesus,
You are concealed in the Holy Eucharist and You still beat for me. Now as then, You say, Awith desire have I desired to share the
Passover with you.@ I worship You then with all my best love and
awe, with my fervent affection, with my most submissive, most resolved will.
O my God, when You condescend to allow me
to receive You, and You take up your abode within me, O make my heart beat with
Your heart. Purify it of all that is
earthly, all that is proud and sensual, all that is hard and cruel, of all
perversity, of all disorder, of all deadness. So fill it with You, that neither
the events of the day nor the circumstances of the time may have power to shake
it. In Your love and in Your fear may it
find peace.
Cardinal Newman
DAY FOUR:
LOVE THAT IS PERSEVERING, ENDURING TO THE END
Opening Prayer: Father, by
the blood of your own Son, Jesus Christ, you have set us free and saved us from
death. Continue your work of love within
us, that by constantly celebrating the mystery of our salvation, we may reach
the eternal life it promises. We ask
this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:
31-39 Nothing can separate us from
the love of God in
Christ Jesus, our Lord.
John 13: 1-17 Jesus would
show his love for them to the end
Reflection: We see many
unfinished buildings, unfinished projects throughout Africa.. Sometimes it is just that it is slow, and
the funding money is not available. Or,
a project is started, and a new governor
comes in, and the project is abandoned.
On a more personal level, sometimes we fail to follow through on our
promises. We get distracted, we move on
to something new. . We forget, we lose
interest.
But God=s love is faithful, enduring to the end. We
gain insight into the persevering love of God from the prophet Isaiah. ACan a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness
for the child of her womb? Even should
she forget, I will never forget you@ (Is. 49:15).
The public life of Jesus is marked by love for his
apostles and disciples, marked by love for
the crowds.
This love would persevere and continue till the end. Our Scripture reading from the gospel of John affirms this as Jesus continues
his journey to the city of Jerusalem.
There he will meet rejection and death.
AJesus realized that the hour had
come... He had loved his own in this
world, and would show his love for them to the end.@
He did not turn back, did not slow down, did not shrink from what lie
ahead. No, he manifested and practiced
his love Ato the end.@
This quality of the Heart of Jesus is one we seek and need in our
lives.
In his teaching, Jesus also called us to a
love that does not swerve or weaken or look back. We are to dedicate ourselves and our
energies to the work of the kingdom. He
calls us to follow him and not look back:
AWhoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps
looking back is unfit for the kingdom of God@ (Luke 9:62).
The two great commandments point to this
love that is total and persevering. You
shall love the Lord your God, with your whole mind, whole heart, whole
strength. You shall love your neighbor
as yourself. Not partially, not
sporadically, not occasionally, but
continually, constantly, and to the
end.
One beautiful example of love that remains
faithful and perseveres to the end comes from Liv Ullman, a film actress. She saw a photograph of an old couple. The wife is in bed, and almost in a coma,
living in another world, her eyes are empty.
The husband on the bedside with a bowl and a spoon and he is feeding
her, and looks at her so lovingly. He
is making a quiet statement about his love for her. He is saying that what we once promised each
other when we were young - love in sickness or in health - remains strong even
today. Liv Ullman would like to make a
movie from that picture, and she calls it the strongest and most beautiful
statement of love that she had ever seen.
May we imitate the ever-faithful, enduring love of the
Sacred Heart.
Resolution/Practice: 1. At the end of each day, resolve to spend five
minutes reviewing the day. Thank God for
the good. And if there is any Aunfinished business,= any obligations which I still have to
fulfill, ask for the grace and strength
to persevere to the end in bringing to completion what I have begun, what I have
promised to do, or what I am obliged to do. I pray for a loving heart that follows
through, and perseveres to the end, a heart like the Heart of Jesus.
2. Prayer
every day for the grace of final perseverance... For example, in the Hail Mary,
we say: APray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.@
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
O Heart of Jesus, we come before you, to
adore you, to praise you, to thank you, to consecrate ourselves to your
love. Bearing in mind your promises to
those who love and honor your Sacred Heart, we pray to you with confidence.
Heart of Jesus,
give us all the graces necessary
for our state of life. Response
SACRED HEART OF JESUS, YOUR
KINGDOM COME.
Heart of Jesus, ` grant peace
to our families. R/
Heart of Jesus, console us in our sorrows. R/
Heart of Jesus,
be our safe refuge during life, and above all at the hour of our
death R/
Heart of Jesus, pour abundant blessings on all our labors. R/
Heart of Jesus,
be for us sinners the source and infinite ocean of mercy R/
Heart of Jesus, make indifferent souls fervent R/
Heart of Jesus, make fervent souls advance rapidly to
perfection. R/
Heart of Jesus,
bless the homes where your image is exposed and honored. R/
Heart of Jesus,
give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts. R/
Heart of Jesus, be our secure refuge at the last hour. R/
Our Father...
Prayer of
Reparation
Lord Jesus Christ, we look at the Cross, and we - your pilgrim
Church - can see what sin has done to the Son of Mary, to the Son of God.
But now you are risen and glorified. You
suffer no more in the flesh. Sin can no longer expose you to the agony of the
garden, to the scourging, to death on a Cross.
But it can reach you through your Mystical
Body. This part of you, your Church on earth
still feels the strength of sin. For this we make our
act of reparation.
We who have sinned in the past now
consecrate ourselves to the healing of your Mystical Body, to our part in the
mystery of its well-being and its growth.
Sanctify us for this task.
May your Sacred Heart be the symbol not of
one love but two - your love for us and ours for you. Accept our love, and help make it real by
serving you in our brothers and sisters, so that love and concern may lead all
people Ato know the one true God, and Jesus Christ
whom he has sent.@
Apostleship of Prayer
Closing Prayer: Prayer for
Perseverance
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and
life-giving fountain of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity and
glowing furnace of love, you are my refuge and my sanctuary. O adorable and
glorious Savior, consume my heart with that burning fire that ever inflames
your Heart. Pour down on my soul those
graces which flow from your love. Let my
heart be so united with yours that our wills may be one, and mine may in all
things be conformed to yours. May your
Will be the rule both of my desires and my actions.
St. Alphonsus Ligouri
DAY FIVE:
LOVE THAT UNITES AND BINDS TOGETHER INTO COMMUNITY
Opening Prayer: Loving
Father, when your Son Jesus Christ was
lifted high on the cross, he gave his life for us, so much did he love us. From his wounded side flowed blood and water,
the fountain of sacramental life in the Church.
To his open heart your Son invites all, to draw water with joy from the
springs of salvation. Help us to respond
generously to his invitation. We ask
this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Eph. 4: 11-16
Through Jesus the whole body grows, and builds
itself up in love
John 10: 14-16 There shall be one flock and one shepherd
Reflection: Sin
disrupts unity. In sinning we go our own
way and disregard the rights of others and our obligations to others. There are too many gaps, divisions in the
world, gaps between rich and poor,
black and white, Christian and
Christian, Christians and Muslims. This is not what God wills or wants!
Jesus came and comes to bring us together
into one family. In his vision there
will be one flock and one shepherd.
Jesus called and gathered his apostles and disciples. His love united them. After the Resurrection, his Holy Spirit kept
them together. In the Acts of the
Apostles, we read that they were Aof one heart and one soul@ (Acts 4:32).
We are to imitate the love of the Sacred
Heart, and be a source of unity and peace in our family and our community. First of all, in our families. If we truly love our children, and our
brothers and sisters, we not only pray for them but with them. AThe family that prays together, stays together.@
There is a story about the father who took
his son regularly to football games.
This took time and cost money.
One day, a neighbor asked him: ADo you like football games that much?@ The
father answered, ANo,
but I love my son that much.@ Love involves sacrificing our
own interest for the good of others. Like the Good Shepherd, we lay down our
life for others. If we love someone, we
want to remain close to that person. In
the African proverb, Aif someone loves you, he or she comes to your home.@
A beautiful image of the love of God is
that of Hosea 11:3-4. It is the image of
God as a parent, joined by love, holding
the child by the hand and teaching the child how to walk, and then taking the
child into his or her arms. That is how
God wants to envelop us with love. And
how God in turn wants us to share His love with others.
In the letter to the Ephesians, we see that
we have different functions, but together we make up the body of Christ. But it is only through love - God=s love for us and our response of love for
one another - that the body of Christ grows, and builds itself up in love.
Resolution/Practice: 1. Reflect
on how you might regularly practice or
improve your practice of family prayer.
2. Write or
visit a friend whom you have not been in touch with. Jesus prayed Athat we may be one@ (John 17: 21-23)
3. Say the
Rosary or other prayers for unity among all Christians and among all men and
women of good will.
4. Make a
special new effort to be reunited, reconciled with someone from whom you are
estranged or alienated.
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
Lord Jesus, let my heart never rest until
it finds you. By the wound in your
heart, pardon the sins I have committed.
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.
Heart of Jesus, save me. Response SACRED HEART OF JESUS, YOUR
KINGDOM COME.
Heart of my Creator,
perfect me R/
Heart of my Savior,
deliver me R/
Heart of my Judge,
forgive me R/
Heart of my Father,
govern me R/
Heart of my Spouse, love me R/
Heart of my Master, teach me R/
Heart of my King,
crown me R/
Heart of my Benefactor, enrich me R/
Heart of my Pastor,
defend me R/
Heart of my Friend,
embrace me R/
Heart of my infant Jesus, draw me R/
Heart of Jesus dying on the cross, pray for me. R/
Heart of my Risen Lord, guide and protect me R/
Our Father...
Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus
O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, you revealed
to St. Margaret Mary your desire to rule over Christian families. Behold, in order to please you, we stand
before you this day, to proclaim your full sovereignty over our family. We declare henceforth to live your life. We desire that the virtues to which you have
promised peace on earth, may flower in the our family. We desire to keep far from us the spirit of
the world, which you have condemned. You
are king of our minds by the simplicity of our faith. You are king of our hearts by our love for
you alone.
Be pleased O Sacred Heart, to bless our
spiritual and temporal affairs, to sanctify our joys and to comfort our
sorrows. If any of us have ever been so
unhappy as to fall into the misery of displeasing you, may we remember, O Heart
of Jesus, that you are full of goodness and mercy towards the repentant
sinner. And when the hour of separation
strikes and death enters our family circle, we shall all bow humbly before your
eternal decrees. This shall be our
consolation, to remember that the day will come when our entire family once
more united in heaven shall be able to sing of your glory and your goodness
forever. May the Immaculate Heart of
Mary and the glorious patriarch Saint Joseph offer you this, our act of
consecration, and keep the memory of it in us all the days of our lives. Glory to the Heart of Jesus, forever and
ever. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, my Savior, I believe that You love
me better than I love myself. I know
You will do Your part toward me, as I, through Your grace, desire to do my part
toward You. I know well You can never
forsake those who seek You, or can disappoint those who trust in You.
Keep me ever from being afraid of Your eye,
from the inward consciousness that I am not honestly trying to please You. Teach me to love You more, and then I shall
be at peace, without any fear of You at all.
And at the place You assign me, I shall be a messenger of Your peace.
Cardinal Newman
DAY SIX:
LOVE THAT IS ACTIVE, PRACTICAL, AND EFFECTIVE
Opening Prayer: Father, for your
glory and our salvation, you appointed Jesus Christ eternal High Priest. May the people he gained for your by his
blood come to share in the power of his cross and resurrection. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:
14-18 Let us love in deed and in
truth, and not merely
talk about it
John 21:15-17 If you love me,
feed by lambs, tend my sheep
Reflection: Who really
imitates the love of the Sacred Heart?
Who is really devoted to the Sacred Heart? The person who talks about love but doesn=t show it?
Or the person who may not talk much about it, but quietly performs deeds
of love? The answer is obvious. Jesus told us a story about the two sons
(Matt. 21:28-31). The son who did go out
and work in the vineyard is the one that Jesus admired and loved. He did what
the father wanted. Our love too is to
show itself in action, in deeds of
love.
In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter gives a
very brief and beautiful description of Jesus.
He is the one who Awent about doing good works@ (Acts 10:38). His Sacred Heart was filled with love and
compassion, and he constantly showed this love by his many deeds of healing and
teaching.
St. Ignatius Loyola wrote very directly in
his Spiritual Exercises that Alove ought to manifest itself in deeds more than in
words.@
Pope John Paul II told the young
people of France that Ato love is essentially to give
oneself to others.@ This was the challenge that Jesus put before
Peter after the Resurrection. Peter had
denied he knew Jesus, not once, but three times. So Jesus asks him three times: ADo you love me?@
Peter protests: AYes, you know that I love you.@ Then Jesus reminds him and challenges him. Peter, if you love me, then show that love in action, Afeed my sheep, tend my sheep.@
One cold night, a man saw a child hungry
and cold, without much clothing. He
became angry and said to God: AWhy do you permit this? Why don=t you do something about this?@ For
a while God said nothing. Then the
conscience of the man spoke to him. It
was the voice of God. God said, AI did do something. I created
you to help that child.@
So
too, in the letter of John we are
challenged even to lay down our lives for our brothers. We are not to be like the one who Acloses his heart to his brother when he
sees him in need.@ We strive to
imitate the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who Acame not to be served but to serve and to
lay down his life in ransom for many@ (Mark 10:45).
Surely we do have trust and faith in the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. But, as the apostle Paul writes,
this must be a trust and a Afaith which expresses itself through love@ (Gal. 5:6). The reward of such love is everlasting life
with God in the kingdom of heaven. For
as the book of Revelation reminds us, AHappy are the dead who die in the Lord. Yes, and they shall find rest from their
labors, for their good works accompany them@ (Rev.
14:13).
Resolution/Practice: 1. We commit not only sins by bad actions, but
by omitting good actions. Think of how I
may have, and should have helped someone, but was too tired or too busy.
2. Give
something extra this week to the poor, through the St. Vincent de Paul Society
or through your local parish.
3. Think of an
elderly person who may be lonely and would enjoy a visit. Perhaps you could bring some small food or
drink when you visit that person.
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
My brothers and sisters, let us place our petitions
before Jesus who is gentle and humble of
heart.
Response:
SACRED HEART OF JESUS, YOUR KINGDOM COME!
Jesus, in you resides the fullness of God, let us
share your divine nature -. Response
Jesus, in you is hidden every treasure of wisdom and
knowledge, reveal to us the
wisdom of God - R/
Jesus, favored by the Father, enable us who hear your word to persevere in
it- R/
Jesus, from your fullness we have all received, lavish
upon us the grace and truth of the Father -R/
Jesus, font of life and holiness, make us holy and
pure in our love - R/
Our Father...
Act of Hope and Confidence in God
My God, I believe most firmly that you
watch over all who hope in you, and that we can want for nothing when we rely
upon you in all things. Therefore I am
resolved for the future to cast all my cares upon you.
People may deprive me of worldly goods and
status. Sickness may take from me my strength and the means of serving
you. I may even jeopardize our
relationship by sin, but my trust shall never leave me. I will preserve it to the last moment of my
life and the powers of hell shall seek in vain to grab it from me.
Let others seek happiness in their wealth
and in their talents. Let them trust in
the purity of their lives, the severity of their mortifications, in the number
of their good works, the enthusiasm of their prayers. As for me, my Rock and my Refuge, my
confidence in you fills me with hope.
For you, my Divine Protector, alone have settled me in hope.
AThis confidence can never be in vain. No
one who has hoped in God has ever been confounded.@
I am assured, therefore, of my eternal happiness, for
I firmly hope in it and all my hope is in you.
AIn you, O loving god, have I hoped: let me
never be confounded.@
I know too well that I am weak and
changeable. I know the power of temptation against the strongest virtue. I have seen stars fall and foundations of my
world crack. These things do not alarm
me. While I hope in you, I am sheltered
from all misfortune, and I am sure that my trust shall endure, for I rely upon
you to sustain this unfailing hope.
Finally, I know that my confidence cannot
exceed your generosity, and that I shall never receive less than I have hoped
for from you. Therefore I hope that you
will sustain me against my evil inclinations, that you will protect me against
the deceitful attacks of the evil one, and that you will cause my weakness to
triumph over every hostile force. I hope
that you will never cease to love me and that I shall love you unceasingly.
AIn you, O loving God, have I hoped; let me never
be confounded.@
St. Claude La Colombiere, S.J.
Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus
Christ, you are the King of the whole world. All that was made was created for
you. Exercise your sovereign rights over
me. I renew my baptismal vows,
renouncing Satan with all his works and I promise to live as a good
Christian. I pledge to do all in my
power to make the rights of God and of your Church triumph in the world.
Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer you whatever
I do, however feeble, to obtain that all human hearts may admit your
sacred kingship, so that the kingdom of
your peace will be established throughout the whole world. Amen.
Pope Pius XI
DAY SEVEN:
LOVE THAT IS PATIENT AND FORGIVING
Opening Prayer: Father, we
have wounded the heart of Jesus your Son, but he brings us forgiveness and
grace. Help us to prove our grateful
love and make amends for our sins. We
ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Romans
12:9-21 Do not be conquered by evil,
but conquer evil with good.
Luke
23: 32-34 and 39-43 Father forgive
them; they do not know what they are
doing
Reflection: There are
some persons we can=t
seem to get along with. Tension more
than peace comes between us. Perhaps
they annoy us and get on our nerves. Our
efforts to be kind and friendly to them never seem to succeed. We seem unable to change the situation, we
are frustrated and tempted to give up. As a matter of fact, each situation
varies; there is no one simple, single
solution to solve problem cases.
But one thing is true. In every situation, the Christian is called
upon to imitate the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This means we must be patient with others,
and must be ready to forgive, not seven but
seventy times seven (Mt.
18:21). Peter found this
lesson hard to believe.
Perhaps the most beautiful image in the
Bible of such patience and forgiveness is found in Jesus=s story of the prodigal son. It is the picture of the father who waits
and prays for his son to come home. And
then, one bright day, he sees the son off in the distance. The son is
slowly, cautiously, fearfully returning home. The father forgets his importance and
dignity. He runs out to meet and embrace
the son. He doesn=t ask any questions, he doesn=t allow the son to explain. The father=s
love overwhelms, and welcomes back the lost son.
This is the love of God, the love of the
Sacred Heart which we try to imitate. We
see it in Jesus as he forgives the woman caught in adultery, as he forgives
Peter who denies him three times. We see
his patience in the parable of the weeds and the wheat. Some wanted to go out and uproot the
weeds. But Jesus says: be patient, let the weeds grow together (Mt.
13:24-30). Jesus accepts the invitation of the tax collector Zacchaeus,
and brings salvation to his home and family (Lk. 19: 1-10). Rather than condemn or avoid or ostracize
sinners, Jesus wines and dines with
sinners, prostitutes and tax collectors.
He shares table fellowship with them, and in the process probably wins over the hearts
of some of them.
We see this patient and forgiving
heart in the Scripture passage just read
now. In spite of his agony and
suffering on the cross, the loving
Heart of Jesus reaches out even to those who hung him there. AFather forgive them, they know not what they are
doing.@
That same love reaches out to the good thief and promises him eternal
life in paradise.
ABe merciful as you heavenly father is
merciful@
(Luke 6:36). True, this is easier
said than done, but this is the challenge Jesus puts before us his followers. St. Francis of Assisi once wrote to a
superior who had trouble with some of the young men: ALove those who disobey you. Don=t ask more of them than the Lord does. Love them exactly as they are, don=t ask them to be better Christians
first... Let there be no single
person who, however much he may sin, goes away without first looking into your
eyes and finding there mercy. And if he
does not look for mercy, offer it to him anyway.@
In our first Scripture reading, Paul urges the Christians in Rome Anot to grow slack, be patient under trial,
persevere in prayer. Bless your
persecutors. Do not repay injury with
injury.@
These are the attitudes which we pray for. These are the attitudes of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus.
Resolution/Practice: 1. Every time we recite the Our Father, we pray
for this spirit of mercy and forgiveness.
Next time you recite the Our Father, think concretely of someone you
have had difficulty with. Pray for that
person, that God will bless him or her, and that will be patient and more forgiving too. 2.
If you have recently had a quarrel with someone, think of some one way
that you might show that you really love and care for that person and want to be at peace with him
or her.
3. Resolve to
frequent the sacrament of penance at least monthly and recall that penance
calls for reconciliation not only with God but with all of God=s people.
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
Petitions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Congregation repeats after the leader)
Love of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, embrace my heart
Fire of the Heart of Jesus, inflame my heart.
Charity of the Heart of
Jesus fill my heart.
Strength of the Heart of
Jesus sustain my heart
Mercy of the Heart of Jesus pardon my heart
Patience of the Heart of
Jesus do not forsake my
heart
Reign of the Heart of Jesus establish yourself in my
heart
Wisdom of the Heart of Jesus teach my heart
Will of the Heart of Jesus guide my heart
Zeal of the Heart of Jesus consume my heart
Our Father...
Personal
Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O Queen of Heaven, my most loving Mother, I
(N.N.) though full of weakness and quite
unworthy, yet encouraged by the gracious invitation of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, desire to consecrate myself entirely to Him. Conscious of my own unworthiness and
inconstancy, I desire to offer everything through your maternal hands and with
a childlike trust in your loving care, I look to you to assist me in the
fulfilment of my resolutions.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of love
and goodness, full of recognition for Your favors, freely and with all my soul
do I accept this pact between You and me. I shall care for your interests, and
You will care for mine. You know indeed
that You will gain less by it than I. I
wish everything of mine to be Your=s and place everything in Your hands, my soul, my eternal salvation, my freedom,
my interior progress, my wants, my body, my life and my health, the small
number of good works I am able to perform, or which others will offer up for me
during my life or after my death, if they can be of service to You, my family,
my possessions, my works (pause for
personal petitions).
That You may be King and may dispose of
them according to Your pleasure, I for my part will do my best in all these
affairs, but I shall rest contented with whatever Your loving Heart decides on
my behalf, hard though it be.
In return, I ask that the time still left
to me be not frittered away. I desire to
do something big, that you may reign in the world, by prayer and aspirations,
by my daily tasks, by the sufferings which I accept here and now, by my little
acts of self-denial. I desire that every
moment of my life may be spent in propagating and establishing Your divine
Kingdom. May Your seal be on everything
I do until the end of my allotted time, and then may my last breath be spent in
words of love of Your most Sacred Heart. Amen.
Closing Prayer: Prayer of
Union with the Sacred Heart
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and
strengthening source of eternal life, infinite treasury of the Divinity, and
burning furnace of divine love! You are
my refuge and sanctuary.
My loving Savior, consume my heart in that
burning love with which your own Heart is inflamed. Pour out upon me those
graces which flow from your love. Let my
heart be so united with yours that our wills may be one, and my will may in all
things be conformed to your Will. May your Will be the guide and rule of my
desires and of my actions. Amen. St. Gertrude
DAY EIGHT: LOVE THAT REACHES OUT TO THE POOR AND NEEDY
Opening Prayer: Father, we
honor the heart of your Son broken by our cruelty, yet the symbol of love=s triumph, the pledge of all we are called
to be. Teach us to see Jesus Christ in
the lives we touch, to offer him fitting worship by love-filled service to our
brothers and sisters. We ask this through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading: James 2:
14-18 Faith that does nothing in
practice is thoroughly lifeless
Luke 4: 16-21 He has sent me
to bring glad tidings to the poor
Reflection: The world
is not even. It does not seem to be
fair. There are the wealthy and the
poor, the powerful and the powerless,
the healthy and the sick. Even if we
are poor and powerless and ill, there are always many who are worse off, who
are more needy. The Christian
attitude, in imitation of the love of the Sacred Heart, is to go out in a
special way to the poor, the sick, the lonely, the weak.
Why?
This was the attitude of Jesus.
In the Scripture reading, Jesus tells us that this is precisely why he
was sent. AHe has sent me to bring glad tidings to the
poor, sight to the blind, freedom to those in captivity.@
Later in the gospel of Luke, when the disciples of John came to ask
Jesus if he was the Messiah, he told them to tell John what you have seen and
heard: Athe blind recover sight, cripples walk,
lepers are cured,... and the poor have the good news preached to them@ (Luke 7: 22). The sign of Jesus, and the sign of his
followers should be love - a love that reaches out in very special ways to the
most needy.
The Catholic Church now speaks of a
preferential or special love for the poor.
This is love at its best when
there is no hope of reward or return of love.
Love consists in sharing, in giving what we can to one who has less or
has no one who loves him. As the Heart
of Jesus went out to the blind, to the widow whose child died, to the deaf, to
the crowds, so our love should extend not only to those we know, not only to
those who love us, but especially to those who need our love.
Our Scripture lesson from the letter of
James is very blunt. Faith that does not
lead us to practice love is useless and
lifeless. It is not genuine faith
at all. If someone is in need of food
or clothing, it is not enough just to pray for them or wish them well. James explains that Christian love means that we must act, we must reach out to meet the needs of others. Otherwise our faith is dead.
Resolution/Practice: 1. If you
know someone who is widowed, visit that
person, and bring a small gift of food or something to share with him or
her.
2. Next few
times that you meet a beggar on the street,
instead of ignoring the person and passing by, accept their greeting, greet them, and if
you can, give them something small so they can buy some food.
3. Inquire in
your parish if you can assist with the
work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society or an equivalent society that does
reach out and help the poor.
4. Reflect on
how the League of the Sacred Heart can take on a project of regularly helping
some worthy cause, person, or group of persons in your parish.
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
Let us pray to Jesus, in whom we find rest for our
souls, as we say to him.
Response:
.SACRED HEART OF JESUS, YOUR KINGDOM COME
Jesus, your heart was pierced by the lance
and from it flowed blood and water so that your bride, the Church, might be
born. Keep her in holiness without spot
or wrinkle. Response
Jesus, holy temple of God, you were
condemned by men and raised up by the Father.
Make the Church the tabernacle of the Most High. R/
Jesus, king and center of all hearts, to your
loving mercy you never cease to draw us to yourself, keep alive your covenant with us all. R/
Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, from
the cross you forgave your enemies and you bring all together in peace. Show us how to reach the Father. R/
Jesus, our life and resurrection, you
lighten our burden and give rest to our souls. Draw all sinners to
yourself. R/
Jesus, because of your infinite love you
were obedient even unto death on a cross.
Bring to life all those who are sleeping in peace. R/
Our Father....
Prayer of Consecration: Act of
Family Consecration
Lord Jesus Christ, in union with the
Immaculate Heart of your mother and our mother also, we gather today in your
name. We believe you are present among
us. We praise and thank you for your goodness. You are seated in glory at the
right hand of your Father and never cease to intercede for us. All our gifts
are yours. We thank you for them all,
especially for our love for one another, our home our happiness. We wish in return to offer our lives to you
by dedicating our family to your Sacred Heart.
Be with us always, Lord, as the life and center of our home.
You offered your life in sacrifice for all
and gave yourself to us in the Eucharist. United with you in baptism we wish to
live by your life, offering ourselves with you in the Mass, receiving you in
Holy Communion, and turning to you in our family prayer. Through your Holy Spirit strengthen the ties
which hold us, and keep us one with you in all our undertakings.
Watch over our family. Keep us from evil
and from harm. Guide and bless all we do. Sanctify our joys, comfort us in our
sufferings. In times of trial and sorrow
help us to draw courage and hope from your cross and resurrection.
If ever we sin, grant us the grace to
return to you in prayer and penance. Never let anger, resentment or bitterness
take hold of us or a vindictive, unbending spirit be ours. Keep us one in love and make our hearts like
yours, always open to others and ready to forgive.
Give us courage to face the change and
partings of this passing life. When
death comes to our family, make us calm and strong in hope, submissive to your
will and a comfort to one another. In that hour be very close to us. Trusting
in your love may we learn to look forward in joyful hope to our reunion in
heaven, where we shall live together with you and the Father and the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Closing Prayer: Prayer of
Thanksgiving to the Father for giving us the heart and mind of Jesus
O My God, how great is your love for
us! You are infinitely worthy of being
loved, praised, and glorified. You have
given us the Spirit and Heart of your Son, to be our own heart and spirit, in
accord with the promise made through the prophet: AI will give them a new heart, I will put a
new spirit in your midst@ (Ezechiel 36:26). Only the
spirit and Heart of a God are worthy of loving and praising God. Thus you have given us your Heart, the Heart
of your Son Jesus, as well as the heart of his holy Mother, and the heart of
the Saints and angels who together are only one heart, as the Head and members
for one Body. For this gift, we
praise and thank you, Father, now and forever.
Amen
St. John Eudes
DAY NINE: LOVE THAT BRINGS REST, PEACE, AND JOY
Opening Prayer: Father, we rejoice
in the gifts of love we have received from the heart of Jesus your Son. Open our hearts to share his life and
continue to bless us with his love. We
ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Romans 5:
5-11 God proves his love for us: while
we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us
Matt. 11: 25-30 Come to me, I will refresh you; I am
gentle and humble of heart
Reflection: There are
many reasons to be troubled and worried.
It could be one=s health, a problem in the family, economic difficulties,
unemployment. It could be a problem in a relationship or some fault or
failing that we cannot get rid of. We
are anxious and worried, rather than peaceful and joyful.
Precisely when we feel these
difficulties, we should turn to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. He invites us,
he calls us to receive and feel his love and peace. ACome to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will
give you rest, I will refresh you.@ The love of
Jesus Christ is the anchor, the polestar, the rock we need. He is our refuge and our strength. He is our peace and our joy.
In the chapel of the secondary school I
attended in New York City, over the altar were these words of Jesus, ACome to me all you who labor... I will refresh you.@
Indeed, after a difficult day in school, an exam where I did not do
well, facing an evening with several
hours of study, or on my way to a sports event, I would always stop in the
chapel and see those words. As I look
back, they did not work miracles, but the words of Jesus quietly, regularly
gave me peace and hope.
In the gospels, Jesus brought new life and hope to the
blind, the sinner, to the crowds hungry for God=s word.
AIf anyone thirsts, let him come to me, let
him drink...@ (John 7:37). The Scripture reading from St. Paul instills
trust and confidence in God. If we are
in difficulty or in sin, God does not
abandon us or love us any less. In fact,
as Paul writes, Awhat
proves God=s love for us, is while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.@ He goes on to add that Aif God is for us, who can be against us@ and
Awho can separate us from the love of Christ@ (Rom. 8:31 and 8:35). The Sacred Heart was pierced and broken.
The love of God was poured out into our hearts by the gift of God=s Holy Spirit.
Fr. Pedro Arrupe, superior of the Jesuits
wrote very much about devotion to the Sacred Heart. He writes:
AThe world is clamoring for joy: there is so much suffering everywhere, so
much anguish, so much insecurity. The
spring of joy is to be found in the Heart of Christ, symbol of the infinite
love of God, who >so
loved the world that he gave his only Son.=
This love is the fountain of our happiness, the secret that will
transform all into joy, the true joy that can fill man=s heart.@
St. Augustine once wrote the famous words in his Confessions. AYou have made us for yourself O Lord, and our heart is restless until it
rests in you.@
In the light of all we have heard and seen in this novena, we could
say: O God, loving Father, and Heart
of Jesus, full of goodness and love, our
human hearts, finite and failing, are restless until they rest in your Sacred
Heart!
Resolution/Practice: 1. Every morning or evening, resolve to take
five minutes of quiet in which you recall and thank God for His blessings of
God to you and your family. These
blessings are signs of God=s love.
2. When
something troubling or worrying occurs, try to get into the habit of saying
prayerfully: ASacred Heart of Jesus, Your Kingdom Come.@
3. Reflect on
your practice and frequency of receiving Holy Communion. As Jesus is ready and willing to come and be
with us, so we must prepare well to
receive him and his love.
Litany / Prayer of the Faithful
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
Lord, have mercy Christ have mercy
Lord, have mercy.
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 Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity one God, have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the eternal
Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, incarnate Word of God,
Blood of Christ, of the new and eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the agony,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the scourging,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the crowning of
thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the cross,
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,
Blood of Christ,
without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of
souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Spare us O Lord
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Let us Pray: Almighty and eternal God, you have appointed
your only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by
his Blood. Grant we beg of you, that we may worthily adore this price of our
salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present
life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus
Most Sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human
race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before You. We are Your=s and Your=s we wish to be; but to be more surely
united with You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Your
most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known You; many too,
despising Your precepts, have rejected You.
Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your
Sacred Heart. Be King, O Lord, not only
of the faithful who have never forsaken you, but also of the prodigal children
who have abandoned You. Grant that they
may quickly return to their Father=s house, lest they die of wretchedness and
hunger. Be king of those who are
deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back
to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock
and one Shepherd.
Grant, O Lord to Your Church, assurance of
freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make
the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry:
Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation;
to it be glory and honor forever. Amen.
Closing Prayer: O God, what
will you do to conquer the fearful hardness of our hearts? Lord, you must give us new hearts, tender
hearts, sensitive hearts, to replace hearts that are made of marble and of
bronze.
You must give us your own Heart, Jesus,
Come, lovable Heart of Jesus. Place your
Heart deep in the center of our hearts and enkindle in each heart a flame of
love as strong, as great, as the sum of all the reasons that I have for loving
you, my God.
O holy Heart of Jesus, dwell hidden in my
heart, so that I may live only in you and only for you, so that in the end, I
may live with you eternally in heaven.
Amen
St. Claude La Colombiere, S.J.
