Our Morning Offering – 30 June – “The Last day of the Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time
Consecration to the Sacred Heart By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) Pope from 1878-1903
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race,
look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar.
We are Thine and Thine we wish to be
but, to be more surely united with Thee,
behold each one of us,
freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known Thee,
many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee.
Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus
and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart.
Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful,
who have never forsaken Thee
but also of the prodigal children, who have abandoned Thee,
grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house
lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions,
or whom discord keeps aloof
and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith,
so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
Be Thou, King of all those.
who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism
and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God.
Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race,
once Thy chosen people – of old they called down upon themselves
the Blood of the Saviour;
may it now descend upon them,
a laver of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Thy 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 be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation;
to It be glory and honour forever.”
Amen
The above prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII was included in the 1899 encyclical Annum Sacrum issued by Leo XIII as he Consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The consecration was influenced by two letters written to the Holy Father by Blessed Sister Mary of the Divine Heart, who stated that in visions of Jesus Christ, she had been told to request the Consecration.
Our Morning Offering – 28 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament By The League of the Sacred Heart 1929 (Ireland)
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,
overflowing with gentleness,
tenderness and charity,
I bury in the abyss of The Mercy,
all my iniquities and all my negligence.
I offer Thee
my labours and my sufferings,
my sorrows and my miseries,
I recommend to Thee
my life and my death.
Solace my doubts Sweet Jesus,
calm my fears
and grant, that day by day,
I may become more united to Thy Sacred Heart,
learning Thy love and Thy holiness.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 27 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Pierced by a Crown of Thorns
“There are many ways of showing our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of making reparation for our sins and for the sins of mankind.
We can console ourselves with the reflection, that by these acts of love and reparation, we are removing the thorns which encircle and pierce the Heart of Jesus.
The simplest ways of doing this, are by prayers, aspirations and expressions of love, directed towards the adorable Heart of our Redeemer and, by visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
In silence and recollection, before the Tabernacle, we shall feel the Heart of Jesus, beating with love and, shall offer in return, for His infinite love, the affection of our poor hearts.
We can also receive Holy Communion in reparation.
When Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus, it will be easier and more pleasant, to offer Him our love and expiation.
We can make reparation also, by practising the devotion of the First Fridays of the month.
This pious practice, so pleasing to the Heart of Jesus, aims at being a mass offering of love and reparation, for the sins of the entire human race.”
Quote/s of the Day – 27 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Memorial of St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) and Blessed Louise-Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance OSHJ (1820-1885) “Apostle of the Sacred Heart”
“You work for God, without doubt but one must work IN God.”
“Love dies where there is no humility.”
“To hand onto your children.
the faith you received from your parents,
is your first duty
and your greatest privilege as parents.
The home should be the first school of religion,
as it must be the first school of prayer.”
Prayer of Bl Louise-Thérèse “O Jesus, Eternal Life in the womb of the Father, Life of souls made in Your likeness, In the name of Your Love, make Your Heart known and revealed.”
Blessed Louise-Thérèse de Montaignac de Chauvance (1820-1885)
“Apostle of the Sacred Heart”
“By nature, each one of us is enclosed, in his own personality but supernaturally, we are all one. We are made one body in Christ because we are nourished by one flesh. As Christ is indivisible, we are all one in Him. Therefore, He asked His Father “that they may all be One, as We also are one.”
“We have passed over the waves of this present life like a sea, with its commotion and insane bustle. We have eaten spiritual manna, the bread that came down from heaven giving life to the world.”
“Christ, has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped but His, by essence and by nature.
“The mark of Christ’s sheep is their willingness to hear and obey, just as disobedience is the mark of those who are not His. We take the word ‘hear’ to imply obedience to what has been said.”
“We must note, therefore, that he that does things pleasing to God, serves Christ but he that follows his own wishes, is a follower, rather of himself and not of God.”
“Our lives are all controlled by the Spirit now and are not confined to this physical world that is subject to corruption. The light of the Only-begotten has shone on us and we have been transformed into the Word, the source of all life.”
St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
Father and Doctor of the Incarnation
Our Morning Offering – 26 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Friday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus! By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
Hail, Sacred Heart of Jesus,
living and strengthening
source of eternal life,
infinite treasury of the divinity,
burning furnace of divine love!
You are my refuge
and my sanctuary.
My loving Saviour,
consume my heart
in that burning fire
with which Your own is inflamed.
Pour into my soul
those graces which flow
from Your love.
Let my heart be so united with Yours
that our wills may be one
and my will, in all things,
conformed with Yours.
May Your Will be the guide
and rule of my desires
and of my actions.
Amen
Our Morning Offering –25 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Thursday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year A
O Sacred Heart of Jesus By St John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
living and quickening source of eternal life,
infinite treasure of the Divinity
and burning furnace of divine love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary,
O my amiable Saviour.
Consume my heart with that burning fire
with which Your Heart is ever inflamed.
Pour down on my soul
those graces which flow from Your love
and let my heart be so united with Yours,
that our wills may be one
and mine in all things,
be conformed to Yours.
May Your divine will
be equally the standard
and rule of all my desires
and of all my actions.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 24 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Solemnity of the Nativity of St John the Baptist
Seal Your Image on My Heart By Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury (c 1125-1190)
O Lord, take away my heart of stone,
my hardened heart,
my uncircumcised heart
and grant to me a new heart,
a heart of flesh,
a clean heart.
Come, You who cleanse the heart
and love the pure of heart,
possess my heart and dwell in it,
containing it and filling it,
higher than my highest
and more intimate than
my most intimate thoughts.
You are the image of all beauty
and the seal of all holiness,
seal Your image on my heart
and seal my heart in Your mercy,
O God, the strength of my heart
and my portion forever,
amen.
Our Morning Offering – 23 June – Tuesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year A
Heart of Jesus! Unknown author (Published 1929)
Heart of Jesus! I entreat
Fill my soul with graces sweet!
Heart of Jesus! Help me win
Freedom from all mortal sin!
Heart of Jesus! Keep my soul
Ever under Thy control!
Heart of Jesus! Kindle mine
With the fire of faith divine!
Heart of Jesus! Give me a light
To see, to think, to act aright!
Heart of Jesus! Sorrow-rent
Make me truly penitent!
Heart of Jesus! Soften mine
Out of gratitude to Thine!
Heart of Jesus! Full of love
Lead my thoughts to heaven above!
Heart of Jesus! Give me grace
My purgatory here to face!
Heart of Jesus! Let me be
Ever filled with love of Thee!
Heart of Jesus! Holy shrine,
Be It ever home of mine!
Our Morning Offering – 22 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Monday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time, Year A
Make Me, O Good Jesus Live in Thee and for Thee By Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922)
O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
O fount of every good!
I adore Thee,
I love Thee
and sincerely repenting of my sins
I present to Thee my poor heart.
Give it back to me
humble,
patient,
pure
and in everything,
conformed to Thy wishes.
Make me, O good Jesus,
live in Thee and for Thee.
Protect me in dangers,
comfort me in afflictions,
grant me health of body,
succour in my temporal needs,
Thy blessing in all my works
and the grace of a holy death.
Amen
Indulgence – 100 days Pope Benedict XV 4 December 1916
Thought for the Day – 21 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) (Incorporating the Sunday Reflection)
Holy Communion
“Let us meditate on what an extraordinary thing Holy Communion is. Jesus, God made man, really descends into us, poor creature though we are. We become the living temples of the Holy Trinity.
Not only does Jesus come to us, body, soul and divinity but, He also becomes our food. There is a great difference, however, between the nourishment of material food and the spiritual nourishment which we receive from the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. When we take ordinary natural food, we assimilate it. In other words, we cause it to become blood of our blood and flesh of our flesh. When we receive Holy Communion, on the other hand, it is we who must be assimilated and changed into Jesus. Each of us should become, therefore, another Christ, in the manner indicated by St Paul: “It is now, no longer I that live but Christ, lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
Material food becomes human and is assimilated into our being. Our Eucharistic food assimilates us into Itself and, in a certain sense, deifies us. This is why St John Chrysostom calls it a mystery which transports us into Heaven.
Before this can happen, however, it is necessary for us to approach Holy Communion with the necessary dispositions. These are: (1) A lively and active faith, which will enable us to recognise in the white Host, the person of Jesus Himself, full of goodness, mercy and love, eager to shower upon us, all the treasures of His Heart. (2) Purity and freedom, not only from mortal sin but, also from any deliberate attachment to venial sin. (3) Deep humility because, Jesus loves the humble and holds the proud at a distance from Him. He wishes us to be like Him, in other words, meek and humble of heart. There must be no worldly ambition, therefore, no love of honours, riches or human greatness, no inordinate affection for things or persons. There must be only a great desire to please God alone and to offer Him our whole life, including every thought and action. (4) Finally, an ardent love for Jesus, which will consume all our imperfections and unite us to Him so intimately, that, we shall be transformed by Him.”
Our Morning Offering – 21 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
For those of us who will be blessed by attending Holy Mass today.
And for those of us still facing closed and locked Churches, we pray to the Sweet Eucharistic Heart of Our Beloved Lord, an Act of Spiritual Communion.
Prayer Before Holy Communion By St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
O Lord, my God,
I am not worthy,
that You should come into my soul
but I am glad that You will come to me,
because in Your loving kindness,
You desire to dwell in me.
You ask me to open the door of my soul,
which You alone have created,
so that You may enter into it,
with Your loving kindness
and dispel the darkness of my mind.
I believe that You will do this
for You did not turn away Mary Magdalene
when she approached You in tears.
Neither did You withhold forgiveness
from the tax collector,
who repented of his sins,
or from the good thief,
who asked to be received into Your kingdom.
Indeed, You numbered as Your friends
all who came to You with repentant hearts.
O God, You alone are blessed always,
now and forever.
Amen
Act of Spiritual Communion By Servant of God Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)
At Thy feet, O my Jesus,
I prostrate myself
and I offer Thee repentance of my contrite heart,
which is humbled in its nothingness
and in Thy holy presence.
I adore Thee in the Sacrament of Thy love,
the ineffable Eucharist.
I desire to receive Thee into the poor dwelling
that my heart offers Thee.
While waiting for the happiness of sacramental communion,
I wish to possess Thee in spirit.
Come to me, O my Jesus,
since I, for my part, am coming to Thee!
May Thy love embrace my whole being in life and in death.
I believe in Thee,
I hope in Thee,
I love Thee.
Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 20 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
“I want My Church to…put the devotion to this Immaculate Heart beside the devotion to My Sacred Heart.”
Jesus to Lúcia of Fatima
“Look, my Daughter,” Our Lady said to Lúcia on 10 December 1925, “at my heart, surrounded with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce me. “
Our Lady assured Lúcia: “My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” Thus, if we devote ourselves to her Immaculate Heart, Mary will lead us to her Son, Jesus Christ and we will be on the way to Heaven.
Our Lady of Fatima
“This Virgin Mother of the Only begotten of God is called Mary, worthy of God, Immaculate of the Immaculate, one of the one.”
Origen (c 185-253)
“Do you not know, that not only is Jesus, resting and dwelling continually in the Heart of Mary but that He is, Himself the Heart of Mary … “
St John Eudes
Apostle of the Two Holy Hearts
“If you put all the love, of all the mothers into one heart, it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.”
St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)
“…Let us continue Immaculate Mary’s mission. All is included in it. May [we].. follow her example and be the handmaid of the Lord in everything, everywhere and always.”
Our Morning Offering – 20 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Heart of Love, Heart of Mercy Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Most Blessed Mother,
heart of love, heart of mercy,
ever listening, caring, consoling,
hear our prayer.
As your children,
we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son.
Receive with understanding and compassion
the petitions we place before you today,
especially those so deep in our heart.
We are comforted in knowing
your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer.
We trust to your gentle care and intercession,
those whom we love
and who are sick or lonely or hurting.
Help all of us, Holy Mother,
to bear our burdens in this life,
until we may share eternal life
and peace with God forever.
Amen
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – 19 June
May we all be abundantly Blessed today by the Sacred and Loving Heart of Jesus May we all grow closer and closer to the Sacred Heart, the source of all Love!
A little (actually, a lot! – please take the time to read it) of the History of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart
By Giovanni Gasparro
In the 13th century, the Franciscan Doctor of the Church (1217-1274) – “The Seraphic Doctor,” St Bonaventure’s work “With You is the Source of Life” (which is the reading for the Divine Office on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart) began to point to the heart as the fountain from which God’s love poured into our lives:
“Take thought now, redeemed man and consider how great and worthy is He who hangs on the cross for you. His death brings the dead to life but at His passing, heaven and earth are plunged into mourning and hard rocks are split asunder. It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open His sacred side with a lance. This was done so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christ as He slept the sleep of death on the cross and so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘They shall look on him whom they pierced.’ The blood and water, which poured out at that moment, were the price of our salvation. Flowing from the secret abyss of our Lord’s Heart as from a fountain, this stream, gave the Sacraments of the Church, the power to confer the life of grace, while for those already living in Christ, it became a spring of living water welling up to life everlasting.”
The Devotion Spreads Slowly
At the end of the 13th century, St Gertrude the Great, on the feast of St John the Evangelist, had a vision in which she was allowed to rest her head near the wound in the Saviour’s side. She heard the beating of the Divine Heart and asked John if, on the night of the Last Supper, he too had felt this beating heart, why then had he never spoken of the fact. John replied that this revelation had been reserved for subsequent ages when the world, having grown cold, would have need to rekindle its love.
St Gertrude the Great
From that time until the time of St John Eudes Orat. (1501-1680), the devotion continued to spread, primarily as a private devotion but one that was increasingly wide-spread. Many religious orders prayed the devotion – the Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Carmelites of Spain and the Benedictines.
Let us now consider the key ideas which motivated St John Eudes in his great love for the Sacred Heart, so that by understanding them “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that being rooted and grounded in love, you may have the power with all the saints to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God “(Eph 3, 17-19). Two interrelated thoughts overwhelmed St John Eudes, first:
“The Sacred Heart of Jesus, whether considered in His Divinity or in His humanity, is more ardently enkindled with love for His Father, loving Him infinitely more at any given moment, than all the hearts of angels and saints can love Him throughout all eternity.”
The second thought which rejoiced the heart of St John Eudes expands on the first:
[Jesus, the Son of God] “willed to be our Head and chose us as His members. He has associated us with Himself in His ineffable love [for the Father]. He has given us, as a result, the power to love the Father with the [very] same love with which He loves [the Father], with a love eternal, boundless and infinite.”
St John Eudes with the Sacred Heart of Jesus
St John Eudes discerned eight different flames of love, which issue from our Lord’s Heart in the Tabernacle, which are freely adapted here to our present needs (definitely a post soon). St Pope Pius X declared him, the Father, Doctor and Apostle of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Devotion Renewed: St Marguerite Marie Alacoque VHM (1647-1690)
In the late 17th century the devotion was renewed and adopted elsewhere, especially following the revelations to St Marguerite Marie Alacoque. The saint, a cloistered nun of the Visitation Order, received several private revelations of the Sacred Heart, the first on 27 December 1673 and the final one 18 months later. The visions revealed to her the form of the devotion, the chief features being reception of Holy Communion on the first Friday of each month, Eucharistic adoration during a “Holy hour” on Thursdays and the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
Initially discouraged in her efforts to follow the instruction she had received in her visions, Alacoque was eventually able to convince her superior of the authenticity of her visions. She was unable, however, to convince a group of theologians of the validity of her apparitions, nor was she any more successful with many of the members of her own community. She eventually received the support of St Claude de la Colombière SJ (1641-1682), the community’s confessor, who declared that the visions were genuine. Alacoque’s short devotional writing, La Devotion au Sacré-Coeur de Jesus (Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus), was published posthumously in 1698. Here is an excerpt:
Saints of the Sacred Heart – St Joseph Benedict Labre, St Maria Goretti, St Dominic Savio, St Claude de la Colombiere, St John Eudes
“And He [Christ] showed me that it was His great desire of being loved by men and of withdrawing them from the path of ruin, that made Him form the design of manifesting His Heart to men, with all the treasures of love, of mercy, of grace, of sanctification and salvation which it contains, in order that those who desire to render Him and procure Him, all the honour and love possible, might themselves be abundantly enriched with those divine treasures of which His heart is the source.”
The devotion was fostered by the Jesuits and Franciscans but it was not until the 1928 encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor by Pope Pius XI that the Church validated the credibility of Alacoque’s visions of Jesus Christ in having “promised her [Alacoque] that all those who rendered this honour to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces.”
The World Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Maria Droste zu Vischering, was a German noble women, who at the age of 25 joined the congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, in Munster. She was given the name, BlSr Mary of the Divine Heart. In 1894, at the age of 31, she was transferred to Portugal and appointed superior of Oporto, Portugal. While there, she reported some messages from Jesus Christ in which she was asked to contact the Holy Father, requesting the consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On 10 June 1898, her Confessor at the Good Shepherd monastery wrote to Pope Leo XIII stating that Sister Mary of the Divine Heart had received a message from Christ, requesting the Holy Father to consecrate the entire world to the Sacred Heart. The Pope initially did not believe her and took no action. However, on 6 January 1899 she wrote another letter, asking that in addition to the consecration, the first Fridays of the month be observed in honour of the Sacred Heart. In the letter she also referred to the recent illness of the Pope and stated that Christ, had assured her, that Pope Leo XIII would live until he had performed the consecration to the Sacred Heart.
Bl Mary of the Divine Heart and St Margaret Mary Alacoque
Pope Leo XIII commissioned an inquiry on the basis of her revelation and Church tradition. In his 1899 encyclical letter Annum Sacrum, Leo XIII decreed that the Consecration of the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should take place on 11 June 1899. Here is the consecration Pope Leo composed for the consecration:
“Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be but to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us, freely consecrates himself today, to Thy most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known Thee, many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only, of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee but also, of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee, grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Saviour, may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Thy 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 be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation, to it be glory and honour forever.’” Amen
By Giovanni Gasparro – detail
The 100th Anniversary of the Feast of the Sacred Heart
In a landmark encyclical, Haurietis aquas (“You will draw waters”– written 15 May 1956) Venerable Pope Pius XII began his reflection by drawing from Isaiah 12:3, a verse which alludes to the abundance of the supernatural graces which flow from the heart of Christ. Haurietis aquas called the whole Church, to recognise the Sacred Heart as an important dimension of Christian spirituality. Pope Pius XII gave two reasons why the Church gives the highest form of worship to the Heart of Jesus. The first rests on the principle whereby the believers recognise that Jesus’ Heart is hypostatically united to the “Person of the Incarnate Son of God Himself.” The second reason is derived from the fact, that the Heart, is the natural sign and symbol of Jesus’ boundless love for humans . The encyclical recalls that for human souls the wound in Christ’s side and the marks left by the nails have been “the chief sign and symbol of that love” that ever more incisively shaped their life from within.
In a letter on 15 May 2006 Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “By encouraging devotion to the Heart of Jesus, the Encyclical Haurietis aquas exhorted believers to open themselves to the mystery of God and of His love and to allow themselves to be transformed by it. After 50 years, it is still a fitting task for Christians to continue to deepen their relationship with the Heart of Jesus, in such a way, as to revive their faith in the saving love of God and to welcome Him ever better into their lives.”
As the encyclical states, from this source, the heart of Jesus, originates the true knowledge of Jesus Christ and a deeper experience of His love. Thus, according to Pope Benedict XVI, we will be able to understand better what it means to know God’s love in Jesus Christ, to experience Him, keeping our gaze fixed on Him to the point that we live entirely on the experience of His love, so that we can subsequently witness to it to others.
Sadly, today, The League of the Sacred Heart founded in Ireland in the year of grace 1873, has fallen into obscurity, though, I know that in certain countries across the world, it is being revived. Below is a 14 minute video explaining the resuscitation of the League and the institution in America. The League however, still exists in a few isolated countries and we NEED, in these awful times, to revive it, wherever we are.
A great usurpation has taken place in the Church by the Divine Mercy Devotion – I know there are devotees of this latter Devotion on the site but if you would wish to educate yourself further in this regard, please go to the Youtube Channel – Ascent of Mount Carmel, where you will find lots of research on this subject. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcOObC8wjuxJjx6rBSiKo2A/videos
The Sacred Heart is knocking at the door of our heart. Will we open the door for Him? Will we make a commitment in devotion to serve Him with greater zeal and fidelity? Will we let Him in? The choice is now ours. Those who want to grow, know where the Sacred Heart is waiting for the response of their love and they know how to imitate His love in their daily life. Let us resume all that has been said with a final thought from St John Eudes: “The Son of God gives us His Heart not only to be the model and rule of our life but also to be our heart, so that by the gift of this Heart, immense, infinite and eternal, we may fulfil all our duties to God in a manner worthy of His infinite perfections. [Thus] we have received from our Divine Saviour, the gift of His adorable Heart, which is the perfect means of fulfilling all our duties. We should employ the Sacred Heart as if it were our own heart, to adore God fittingly, to love Him perfectly, and to satisfy all our obligations adequately so that our homage and love may be worthy of His supreme majesty. Eternal and infinite thanks be rendered to Thee, O Good Jesus, for the infinitely precious gift of Thy divine Heart. May all the angels, saints and all creatures bless Thee forever!
Let us Pray: Daily Consecration to the Sacred Heart
Daily Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayers to the Sacred Heart – The League of the Sacred Heart 1936 – 15th Edition, Dublin
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by our ingratitude and pierced by our sins, yet loving us still, accept the Consecration we make to Thee, of all that we are and all that we have. Take every faculty of our souls and bodies, only day by day draw us, nearer and nearer to Thy Sacred Heart, and there, as we shall hear the lesson, teach us Thy Holy Way. Amen
Thought for the Day – 19 June – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)
“Learn From Me, For I Am Meek and Humble of Heart”
“It is very easy to be gentle and humble when everything is going well for us.
It is difficult, however, when we meet humiliation, misunderstanding or opposition.
We need to be well advanced in perfection, if we are to have mildness and humility of heart, like that of Jesus.
We can only reach this state of perfection by prayer, sacrifice and character formation.
Pride, self-love and the desire to excel, are the evil effects of our corrupted nature.
St Francis de Sales jestingly remarked that self-love dies three days after us.
It is difficult to remove it completely from our character and to put, in it’s place, the love of God and of our neighbour but, this operation is necessary, if we are to obtain Christ-like humility and gentleness of heart.
God, not our own ego, should be the centre of our lives, He should be the focal point of all our thinking.
Let us beseech God for this grace and try and behave in this fashion on all occasions.
When we encounter lack of sympathy, coldness or injustice on the part of our fellowmen, we should try and avoid becoming annoyed or discourage.
The testimony of a sound conscience before God, is all that should concern us.
We should offer everything else to God, whether it is joy or sorrow, praise or criticism.
We shall be rewarded with peace of soul.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine!”
Quote/s of the Day – 19 June – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests and the Memorial of Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)
“We, Christians, are the true Israel which springs from Christ, for we are carved out of His Heart, as from a Rock!”
St Justin Martyr (100-165)
Father of the Church and Martyr
Looking forward to never-ending communion, St Gertrude ended her earthly life on 17 November 1301 or 1302, at the age of about 46. In the seventh Exercise, that of preparation for death, St Gertrude wrote:
“O Jesus, You who are immensely dear to me, be with me always, so that my heart may stay with You and that Your love may endure with me, with no possibility of division and bless my passing, so that my spirit, freed from the bonds of the flesh, may immediately find rest in you. Amen”
St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
“If the Jewish High priest carried the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on his shoulders and on his breast, how much more Christ, our High Priest, carries our names written on His Heart”
St John of Avila (1500-1569)
Doctor of the Church
“Do everything out of love for God, for God, with God, to get to God.”
Bl Maria Rosa Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)
“The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”
St John Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
Patron of Priests
“Ah! Beside You I am not afraid of anything! I snuggle up against You and, like the lost sheep, hear the beating of Your Heart. Jesus, yet again I am Yours, Yours forever. With You, I am truly great, without You, nothing but a weak reed. Upheld by You, I am a pillar!”
One Minute Reflection – 19 June – Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, Gospel: Luke 15:3–7, Readings: Deuteronomy 7:6-11, Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8, 10, 1 John 4:7-16, Matthew 11:25-30
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” … Matthew 11:29-30
REFLECTION – “Now, O love, my King and my God, now, O Jesus my dear one, receive me into the most gracious care of Your Divine Heart. There, there, so that I may live entirely for You, fasten me to Your love. Now release me into the great ocean of Your mercy’s abyss – there, there, commit me to the bowels of Your overflowing kindness. Ah! Now cast me into the voracious flame of Your living love. There, there, transmit me into You until my soul and spirit are reduced to ashes in the conflagration. And at the hour of my passing away, commit me to the providence of Your fatherly charity.
There, there, O my sweet Saviour, console me with the sight of Your gentle presence. There, by the taste of Your dear ransom with which You have redeemed me, recreate me. There, with the loving voice of Your incomparable love, call me to You. There, there, receive me in the embrace of Your infinitely merciful forgiveness. There, by the exquisite scent of the breath of Your Spirit’s sweetness, draw me to You, draw me in and draw me. There, in the kiss of perfect union of Your fruition, immerse me forever. And grant me then to see You, to have You, to enjoy You eternally in the greatest happiness, for my soul has yearns for You, O Jesus, dearest of all dear ones. Amen.” … St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Exercises IV, §400-419
PRAYER – Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
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 aflamed.
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 Lambert of Saragossa
St Lupo of Bergamo Blessed Maria Rosa/Margaretha Flesch FSMA (1826-1906)
St Modeste Andlauer
St Nazario of Koper
Bl Odo of Cambrai
St Protase
St Rémi Isoré
Bl Sebastian Newdigate
Bl Thomas Woodhouse
Bl William Exmew
St Zosimus of Umbria
Novena in Honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Day Nine – 18 June
Thank You, Jesus!
Today’s Scripture
Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ … Luke 17: 17-18
Reflection for the Ninth Day
Did you know that in the Old Testament the word ‘praise’ has only one object – God!
In the psalms, to praise is to live, not praising is the same as not living, not living the life which is God’s gift, to be returned in praise.
A Jewish rabbi has written, ‘It is difficult to feel depressed when you remember fairly constantly, that life is a gift. Faith teaches us to make a blessing over life. Making a blessing over life, is the best way of turning life into a blessing.’
Today’s Prayer
I want to say ‘thank You, Jesus’
for these nine days of prayer,
of talking and listening to You, more closely than usual.
Thank You, especially for all the things in my life
that I take for granted everyday,
forgetting, that they are pure gifts.
Most of all, I thank You for the gift of faith
and for making me one of Your own sheep,
within the folds of Your Church,
our Holy Mother, the Catholic Church.
Daily Invocation Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
Novena Prayer
Lord Jesus,
the needs of Your people open Your heart in love for each of us.
You care for us when we are lost,
sympathise with us in loneliness
and comfort us in mourning;
You are closest to us where we are weakest.
You love us most, when we love ourselves least;
You forgive us most, when we forgive ourselves least
and You call us to spread Your love, in whatever way we can.
Lord Jesus, Your heart is moved with compassion
when we are suffering,
when we need Your help
and when we pray for each other.
I ask You to listen to my prayer during this Novena
and grant what I ask.
…………………………. (Mention your intention silently.)
If what I ask, is not for my own good and the good of others,
grant me what is best,
that I may build up Your kingdom of love in our world.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 18 June – Thursday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time, Year A
Be the Heart of My Heart By St John Eudes (1501-1680) Apostle of the Sacred Heart
O Heart all lovable
and all loving of my Saviour,
be the Heart of my heart,
the Soul of my soul,
the Spirit of my spirit,
the Life of my life
and the sole principle
of all my thoughts,
words and actions,
of all the faculties of my soul
and of all my senses,
both interior and exterior.
Amen
St John Eudes is the author of the Proper for the Mass and Divine Office of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ and the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin. St John was an ardent proponent of the Sacred Heart and dedicated himself to it’s promotion and celebration. The Masses he compiled for both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and for the Immaculate Heart of Mary, were both first celebrated during his lifetime. He preached missions across France, including Paris and Versailles, while earning recognition as a popular evangelist and confessor. St John Eudes was also a prolific writer and wrote on the two Holy Hearts despite opposition from the Jansenists.
St Eudes was Canonised on 31 May 1925 and his supporters are now petitioning to have him named, a Doctor of the Church. Those of the Eudists, managing the process, collected evidence needed to support the idea and compiled it into a Positio dossier, which included the reasons for the proposal, as well as those spiritual works that would support it. This dossier was submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in April 2017 for evaluation.
Novena in Honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Day Eight – 17 June
Peace Be With You!
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ … Luke 24: 36-39
Reflection for the Eighth Day Peace; Look; Listen; Go! Jesus greets the apostles with that soothing word, ‘Shalom’ (Peace) – it means I wish you the fullness of well-being of mind and body and soul. He then invites them to look at His hands and side. He encourages them to listen to what the scriptures say about Him and then to go and preach the Good News, that He is Risen.
Today’s Prayer
Lord, You see my poverty
and You love me better than I can love myself.
Supply my wants according to Your mercy.
Help me to accept Your will,
without seeking to understand.
Help me to resign myself entirely
and absolutely to You
and thus, I shall have Your peace.
Amen
Daily Invocation Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
Novena Prayer
Lord Jesus,
the needs of Your people open Your heart in love for each of us.
You care for us when we are lost,
sympathise with us in loneliness
and comfort us in mourning;
You are closest to us where we are weakest.
You love us most, when we love ourselves least;
You forgive us mos, when we forgive ourselves least
and You call us to spread Your love in whatever way we can.
Lord Jesus, Your heart is moved with compassion
when we are suffering,
when we need your help
and when we pray for each other.
I ask You to listen to my prayer during this Novena
and grant what I ask.
…………………………. (Mention your intention silently.)
If what I ask, is not for my own good and the good of others,
grant me what is best,
that I may build up Your kingdom of love in our world.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 17 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” -Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A
Be my Strength, O Sacred Heart! By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Visionary of the Sacred Heart
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I fly to Thee, I unite myself to Thee, I enclose myself in Thee! Receive my call for help, O my Saviour, as a sign of my horror of all within me, contrary to Thy holy love. Let me die rather a thousand times, than consent to sin against Thee! Be my strength, O God – defend me, protect me. I am Thine and desire forever to be Thine! Amen
Novena in Honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Day Seven – 16 June
What Strange Friends You Have, O Lord!
Today’s Scripture “But I say to you listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” … Luke 6: 27-28
Reflection for the Seventh Day
You know the old saying, ‘Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are’ ?
Well, Jesus had the strangest set of friends Levi (a hated tax-collector), Simon the Zealot (a revolutionary), women in prostitution and other ‘public sinners.’
Maybe I’m not such bad company for Jesus, after all.
Just remember, they all repented upon meeting Jesus!
Today’s Prayer
Jesus, You once said,
‘I’ve come not to call the virtuous but sinners to repentance.’
During Your apostolate, You sat and ate with sinners.
This practice of Yours gives me great hope
that Your love, will bid me welcome too!
And, You will help me to be holy!
Amen
Daily Invocation Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
Novena Prayer
Lord Jesus,
the needs of Your people open Your heart in love for each of us.
You care for us when we are lost,
sympathise with us in loneliness
and comfort us in mourning;
You are closest to us where we are weakest.
You love us most, when we love ourselves least;
You forgive us mos, when we forgive ourselves least
and You call us to spread Your love in whatever way we can.
Lord Jesus, Your heart is moved with compassion
when we are suffering,
when we need your help
and when we pray for each other.
I ask You to listen to my prayer during this Novena
and grant what I ask.
…………………………. (Mention your intention silently.)
If what I ask, is not for my own good and the good of others,
grant me what is best,
that I may build up Your kingdom of love in our world.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 16 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Tuesday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time, Year A
Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart By St Therese of the Child Jesus/Lisieux (1873-1897) Doctor of the Church
O my God!
I offer You all my actions of this day
for the intentions and for the glory
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify
every beat of my heart,
my every thought,
my simplest works,
by uniting them
to His infinite merits
and I wish to make reparation for my sins
by casting them into the furnace
of His Merciful Love.
O my God! I ask of You for myself
and for those whom I hold dear,
the grace to fulfil perfectly
Your Holy Will,
to accept for love of You
the joys and sorrows of this passing life,
so that we may one day be united together
in heaven for all Eternity.
Amen
Novena in Honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Day Six – 15 June
Honesty in Prayer
Today’s Scripture When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ … John 11:17-24
Reflection for the Sixth Day
St Ignatius Loyola said that we should always speak to Jesus in prayer just as one close friend would speak to another.
Don’t be afraid to express your real feelings to Jesus – anger, hurt, joy, sorrow, etc.
When you’ve made your complaint or expressed your joy, don’t forget one thing Listen for God’s response!
It may come in surprising ways.
If, you concentrate on Him all day, at every task, you will hear Him!
Today’s Prayer
Jesus, I have to be honest and tell You,
that there have been times when I’ve been angry with You
and I feel that You’ve let me down.
Help me to trust
that You really do have a loving plan for me
and for everyone,
a plan that most times I find hard to fathom.
I love and trust You Lord,
help me to love and trust You more each day!
Amen
Daily Invocation Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
Novena Prayer
Lord Jesus,
the needs of Your people open Your heart in love for each of us.
You care for us when we are lost,
sympathise with us in loneliness
and comfort us in mourning;
You are closest to us where we are weakest.
You love us most, when we love ourselves least;
You forgive us mos, when we forgive ourselves least
and You call us to spread Your love in whatever way we can.
Lord Jesus, Your heart is moved with compassion
when we are suffering,
when we need your help
and when we pray for each other.
I ask You to listen to my prayer during this Novena
and grant what I ask.
…………………………. (Mention your intention silently.)
If what I ask, is not for my own good and the good of others,
grant me what is best,
that I may build up Your kingdom of love in our world.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 15 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Monday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time, Year A
In Thy Divine Heart By St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) Visionary of the Sacred Heart
Lord Jesus, let my heart never rest until it finds Thee, Who are its source, its love and its happiness. By the wound in Thy Heart pardon the sins I have committed, whether out of weakness, or out of evil desires. Place my weak heart in Thy own Divine Heart, continually under Thy protection and guidance, so that I may persevere in doing good and in fleeing evil, until my last breath. Amen
Novena in Honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Day Five – 14 June
Has no-one condemned you?
Today’s Scripture Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No-one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way and from now on do not sin again.’… John 8:10-11
Reflection for the Fifth Day
I read something recently which went like this: ‘You do not have to be good before God will love you, you do not have to repent before you will be absolved by God. It is all the other way around. If you are good, it is because God’s love has already made you so, if you want to be forgiven, that is because God is forgiving you because you want to be forgiven!’
Today’s Prayer
Jesus, as I reflect upon Your Sacred Heart,
help me to have a deep felt knowledge
that You long to forgive my sins.
Your Sacred Heart is love made visible.
I need to love Your love and repent and repair.
Daily Invocation Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
Novena Prayer
Lord Jesus,
the needs of Your people open Your heart in love for each of us.
You care for us when we are lost,
sympathise with us in loneliness
and comfort us in mourning;
You are closest to us where we are weakest.
You love us most, when we love ourselves least;
You forgive us mos, when we forgive ourselves least
and You call us to spread Your love in whatever way we can.
Lord Jesus, Your heart is moved with compassion
when we are suffering,
when we need your help
and when we pray for each other.
I ask You to listen to my prayer during this Novena
and grant what I ask.
…………………………. (Mention your intention silently.)
If what I ask, is not for my own good and the good of others,
grant me what is best,
that I may build up Your kingdom of love in our world.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 14 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Corpus Christi, The Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Prayer to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus By The Benedictines of Perpetual Adoration
In response to Your Presence, O Lord,
I offer You my presence.
In response to Your silence,
I offer You my silence.
In response to the gaze of Your Eucharistic Face,
I offer You my eyes.
In response to Your Eucharistic Heart,
I offer You every heartbeat of mine.
In response to the mystery of Your Eucharistic poverty,
I offer You my poverty.
My one desire is to remain before You
even as You remain before me
in this the Sacrament of Your Love.
Amen
Novena in Honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Day Four – 13 June
How Do We Look at Each Other?
Today’s Scripture Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. … Mark 10: 21-22
Reflection for the Fourth Day
A Dominican theologian once wrote, ‘A person is enlightened not when they get an idea but when someone looks at them.’ How we look at another has tremendous consequences for self-esteem. The Sacred Heart looks at each one of us with deep love, understanding and compassion. We are called to look at others in the same way.
Today’s Prayer
Jesus,
You looked at the rich young man with love
and yet, he could not respond to Your call.
Help our prayer, to become,
our looking at You looking at us
and smiling with love,
so that we will not run
from the love that You offer.
Daily Invocation Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.
Novena Prayer
Lord Jesus,
the needs of Your people open Your heart in love for each of us.
You care for us when we are lost,
sympathise with us in loneliness
and comfort us in mourning;
You are closest to us where we are weakest.
You love us most, when we love ourselves least;
You forgive us mos, when we forgive ourselves least
and You call us to spread Your love in whatever way we can.
Lord Jesus, Your heart is moved with compassion
when we are suffering,
when we need your help
and when we pray for each other.
I ask You to listen to my prayer during this Novena
and grant what I ask.
…………………………. (Mention your intention silently.)
If what I ask, is not for my own good and the good of others,
grant me what is best,
that I may build up Your kingdom of love in our world.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 13 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A
Lord, Give Me Your Heart By St Claude de la Colombiere SJ (1641-1682) Apostle of Devotion to the Sacred Heart and Spiritual Director to St Margaret Mary Alacoque
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 centre of our hearts
and enkindle in each heart
a flame of love as strong,
as great, as the sum of all the reasons
that we have for loving You, my God.
O holy Heart of Jesus,
dwell hidden in our hearts,
so that we may live only in You
and only for You,
so that, in the end, we may live
with You eternally in heaven.
Amen
AnaStpaul 
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