SACRED HEART

SACRED HEART
FEAST DAY
FRIDAY AFTER THE OCTAVE OF CORPUS CHRISTI

From 1673 to 1675, Our Lord appeared several times to St Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation nun, in the French town of Paray-le-Monial. The first apparition took place on 27 December 1673, the feast of St John the Evangelist. Interestingly, it was St John who was called the disciple ‘whom Jesus loved’, and who rested his head near Christ’s Heart at the Last Supper. John 13: 23

Christ showed St Margaret Mary His Sacred Heart which was Crowned with Flames and a Cross, and encircled by a Crown of Thorns. She also saw that His heart was pierced. This corresponds with the fact that Christ’s Side was pierced with a lance when He hung on the Cross. John 19:20

The GREAT PROMISE is contained in a letter written in May, 1688, by St. Margaret Mary to Mother Saumaise:

On a Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: “In the excess of the Mercy of My Heart, I promise you that My all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and My Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.“

The feast day of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was officially established in 1765 and in 1899 Pope Leo XIII consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart.

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CHAPLET OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

The Sacred Heart Chaplet is composed of a Crucifix, a centre piece medal, (one side the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the other has the Immaculate Heart of Mary) 39 beads, six of which are large and thirty three small beads which represent the 33 years of the mortal life of our Lord and are divided into five groups of six; The first three beads of the chaplet recall the public life of the Savior.

The following prayers are taken from Fr. John Croiset, S. J. classic book, “The Devotion to the Sacred Heart.”

OPENING PRAYER
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me!
Body of Christ, save me!
Blood of Christ, inebriate me!
Water from the side of Christ, wash me!
Passion of Christ, strengthen me!
O good Jesus, hear me!
Within Thy wounds hide me!
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee!
From the malignant enemy, defend me!
In the hour of my death, call me!
and bid me come unto Thee,
that with Thy Saints I may praise Thee forever and ever. Amen.

First Three Beads
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…

FIRST MYSTERY
On the large bead before each decade
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
On the small beads before each decade
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love! 6 times
At the end of each group of six, say:
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!

SECOND MYSTERY
On the large bead before each decade
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
On the small beads before each decade
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love! 6 times
At the end of each group of six, say:
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!

THIRD MYSTERY
On the large bead before each decade
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
On the small beads before each decade
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love! 6 times
At the end of each group of six, say:
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!

FOURTH MYSTERY
On the large bead before each decade
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
On the small beads before each decade
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love! 6 times
At the end of each group of six, say:
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!

FIFTH MYSTERY
On the large bead before each decade
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
On the small beads before each decade
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love! 6 times
At the end of each group of six, say:
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!

Final Prayer
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be honoured, praised, glorified, and loved throughout the world
now and forever more. Amen.

LITANY TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

In 1899 Pope Leo XIII approved this Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for public use. This litany is actually a synthesis of several other litanies dating back to the 17th century. Father Croiset composed a litany in 1691 from which 17 invocations were used by Venerable Anne Madeleine Remuzat when she composed her litany in 1718 at Marseille. She joined an additional 10 invocations to those of Father Croiset, for a total of 27 invocations. Six more invocations written by Sister Madeleine Joly of Dijon in 1686 were added by the Sacred Congregation for Rites when it was approved for public use in 1899. This makes a total of 33 invocations, one for each year of life of our Lord Jesus Christ. A partial indulgence is attached to this litany.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.                             
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.      
Lord, 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.

Response:  HAVE MERCY ON US

  • 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 centre of all hearts
  • Heart of Jesus, in whom are all 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 offences
  • 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 our 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 taketh away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
R. make our hearts like to Thine.

Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which He offers Thee in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Thy mercy, in Thy great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reignest with Thee forever and ever. Amen.

PROMISES

I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life.

I will establish peace in their houses.

I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

I will be their strength during life and above all during death.

I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.

Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.

Tepid souls shall grow fervent.

Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honoured.

I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.

I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who shall receive communion on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

THE DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART 

by Fr. John Croiset, SJ.
Originally published in 1691; 
Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1959 

PROMISES ATTACHED TO THE VENERATION OF THE IMAGE OF THE SACRED HEART

BLESSINGS PROMISED TO NATIONS THAT PUT THE IMAGE OF THE SACRED HEART ON THEIR STANDARDS
“. . . Our Divine Lord does not wish to stop there: He desires, it seems to me, to enter with pomp and magnificence into the houses of princes and kings, in order to be honored there as much as He was outraged, despised and humiliated in His Passion, and to receive as much pleasure at seeing the great ones of this world abased and humiliated before Him, as He felt bitterness at seeing Himself annihilated at their feet.”

BLESSINGS PROMISED TO FAMILIES WHERE THE IMAGE OF THE SACRED HEART IS HONORED
“Our Divine Lord assured me that He takes a singular pleasure in being honored under the figure of His Heart of flesh, the image of which He wishes to be exposed in public in order to touch the unfeeling hearts of men. He promised that He would pour out in abundance into the hearts of all those who would honor His Heart all the gifts with which It is filled, and that everywhere this image is exposed and honored, it would draw down all kinds of blessings.”

BLESSINGS PROMISED TO COMMUNITIES
“He promised that He would pour out the sweet unction of His ardent charity on all those communities in which this divine image would be honored; that He would turn away from them the thunderbolts of the just anger of God, and that He would restore them to His grace, if they should have the misfortune to fall into sin.”

BLESSINGS PROMISED TO INDIVIDUALS
“He promised to pour out into the hearts of all those who honor the image of His Heart all the gifts which It contains. He promised also to imprint His love on the hearts of all those who would wear this image on their persons, and that He would destroy in them all disordered movements.”

 PROMISES ATTACHED TO THE CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART
Consecration to the Sacred Heart is the principle, the resume and the final term of all the devotional practices demanded by our Divine Lord for His Sacred Heart.

THIS CONSECRATION REJOICES THE SACRED HEART AND TERRIFIES THE DEVIL, AGAINST WHOM IT IS A POWERFUL WEAPON
“Let us renew often our consecration to the Heart of Jesus,” writes St. Margaret Mary, “and let us live that consecration faithfully. The Sacred Heart takes a singular pleasure in it.
“The devil has a most intense fear of the devotion to this loving Heart, because of the salvation of the multitude of souls which it effects in favor of those who consecrate themselves completely to the Sacred Heart for the purpose of loving it, honoring it, and glorifying it.”

CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART IS A SOVEREIGN REMEDY AGAINST MORTAL SIN
“I cannot believe,” writes St. Margaret Mary, “that those consecrated to the Heart of Jesus will fall under the domination of Satan through mortal sin, if having consecrated themselves to the Heart of Jesus, they endeavor to honor it, love It, and glorify it, by conforming themselves in all things to its holy maxims.”

CONSECRATION PUTS SOULS ON THE ROAD TO PERFECTION
“There is no surer means of attaining perfection than to be consecrated to the Heart of Jesus. If therefore, we wish to attain that perfection which the adorable Heart of Jesus desires of us, we must make an entire sacrifice of ourselves, and of everything that depends on us, to the Sacred Heart and live entirely for it.”

CONSECRATION WILL PROCURE PEACE
“Establish your dwelling in the amiable Heart of Jesus, and you will find unalterable peace, strength to carry out all your good desires, and a protection against voluntary faults.”

CONSECRATION IS THE KEY WHICH OPENS THE SACRED HEART TO US
“Our Lord gave me to understand that He wishes to be known, loved and adored by men, and for that end He would give them many graces, provided they consecrated themselves to the devotion and love of His Sacred Heart.”

CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART IS A PLEDGE OF SALVATION
“There is no surer means of salvation than to consecrate oneself to the Divine Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ. “The loving Heart of Jesus will not allow any of those consecrated to It to perish, so great is His desire that His Sacred Heart be known, loved and honored by His creatures. In this Sacred Heart they will find assistance during their life in all their necessities; it will be their secure place of refuge at the hour of their death, into which they will be received and protected from their enemies.”