The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost, which this year is 19 June. In addition to the liturgical celebration, many devotional exercises are connected with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Of all devotions, devotion to the Sacred Heart was, and remains, one of the most widespread and popular in the Church. At St Teresa’s we will have a novena to the Sacred Heart after the daily Mass for nine days, starting on 11 June (see below).
Understood in the light of the Scriptures, the term “Sacred Heart of Jesus” denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being, and his person considered in its most intimate essential: Son of God, uncreated wisdom; infinite charity, principal of the salvation and sanctification of mankind. The “Sacred Heart” is Christ, the Word Incarnate, Saviour, intrinsically containing, in the Spirit, an infinite divine-human love for the Father and for his brothers.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a wonderful historical expression of the Church’s piety for Christ, her Spouse and Lord: it calls for a fundamental attitude of conversion and reparation, of love and gratitude, apostolic commitment and dedication to Christ and his saving work.
Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary
In the apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus gives these twelve promises for those who are devoted to His Sacred Heart.
- I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
- I will establish peace in their families.
- I will console them in all their troubles.
- They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
- I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
- Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
- Tepid souls shall become fervent.
- Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
- I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
- I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
- Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
- The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
(With excerpts from Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy)
Our Novena to the Sacred Heart
At St Teresa’s we will have a novena to the Sacred Heart after the daily Mass for nine days, starting on 11 June
A short Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart of Jesus,
filled with infinite love,
broken by my ingratitude,
pierced by my sins,
yet loving me still,
accept the consecration which I make to you,
of all that I am and all that I have.
Take every faculty of my soul and body,
and draw me, day by day, nearer and nearer to your sacred side:
There, as I can hear the lesson,
teach me your blessed ways. Amen
The Litany
Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy
God our Father in 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
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, one with the eternal Word, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, infinite in majesty, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, well-spring of all virtue, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, generous to all who turn to you, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, source of healing, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, sharer in our sorrow, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, safe-guarder of the vulnerable, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, friend of the betrayed, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, companion of the ignored, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, face of the misjudged, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, memory of the disbelieved, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, true voice in the silence, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, wounded by our failings, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, bearer of our sufferings, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, acquainted with grief, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, atonement for our sins, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with insults, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, obedient even to death, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in you, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in you, have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world, have mercy on us
Jesus, gentle and humble of heart.
Touch our hearts and make them like your own.
Let us pray.
Father,
we honour the heart of your Son
broken by man’s cruelty,
yet symbol of love’s triumph,
pledge of all that man is called to be.
Teach us to see Christ in the lives we touch,
to offer him living worship
by love-filled service to our brothers and sisters.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord
Amen
Let us pray:
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 the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee forever and ever. Amen.
(Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)