NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY FIVE – 18 JUNE

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY FIVE – 18 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 from THE HOLY EUCHARIST

MEDITATION V.
The Compassionate Heart of Jesus.

Where shall we ever find a heart more compassionate or tender than the heart of Jesus, or one that had a greater feeling for our miseries?

This pity induced Him to descend from Heaven to this earth;  it made Him say that He was that good shepherd Who came to give His life to save His sheep.   In order to obtain the pardon of our sins, He would not spare Himself but would sacrifice Himself on the Cross, that by His sufferings He might satisfy for the chastisement that we have deserved. This pity and compassion makes Him say even now:   Why will ye die, O house of Israel? return ye, and live. [Ezek. xviii. 31].  O men, He says, my poor children, why will you damn yourselves by flying from Me?   Do you not see that by separating yourselves from Me you are hastening to eternal death?   I desire not to see you lost;  do not despair; as often as you wish to return, return and you shall recover your life:  Return, and live.

This compassion even makes Him say that He is that loving Father Who, though He sees Himself despised by His son, yet, if that son returns a penitent, He cannot reject him  but embraces him tenderly and forgets all the injuries He has received: I will not remember all his iniquities. [Ibid. 22].  It is not thus that men behave;  for though they may forgive, yet they nevertheless retain the remembrance of the offence received and feel inclined to revenge themselves and even if they do not revenge themselves, because they fear God, at least they always feel a great repugnance against conversing and entertaining themselves with those persons who have vilified them.

O my Jesus, You pardon the penitent sinners and never refuse in this world to give them everything in Holy Communion during their life and everything in the other world, even in Heaven, with eternal glory, without retaining the slightest repugnance towards being united to the soul that has offended You, for all eternity.   Where, then, is there to be found a heart so amiable and compassionate as Yours, O my dearest Saviour?

LET US PRAY – DAY FIVE

O compassionate heart of my Jesus, have pity on me:
“Most sweet Jesus, have mercy on me.”
I say so now and beseech You to give me the grace always to say to You,
“Most sweet Jesus, have mercy on me.”
Even before I offended You, O my Redeemer,
I certainly did not deserve any of the favours You bestowed upon me.
You created me,
You have given me so much light and knowledge
and all without any merit of mine.
But after I had offended You. I not only did not deserve Your favour
but I deserved to be forsaken by You and cast into Hell.
Your compassion has made You wait for me
and preserve my life even when I had offended You.
Your compassion has enlightened me and offered me pardon;
it has given me sorrow for my sins and the desire of loving You
and now I hope from Your mercy to remain always in Your grace.
O my Jesus Your mercy which I implore of You
is that You would grant me light
and strength to be no longer ungrateful towards You.
No, my Jesus; I love You and I will always love You
and this is the mercy which I hope for and seek from You
“Permit me not to be separated from You, permit me not to be separated from You.”

And I beseech you also, O Mary my Mother,
help me not to be ever again separated from my God.
Amen