Sacred Heart of Jesus, mayest Thou be known, loved and imitated!
An Indulgence of 300 days once a day {S.P. Ap., March 15, 1918}
PRAYER TO THE WOUNDED HEART OF JESUS
O my Most Loving and Gentle Jesus, I desire with all the affections of my heart, that all beings created and uncreated, should praise Thee, honor Thee and glorify Thee eternally for that sacred wound wherewith Thy divine side was rent.
I deposit, enclose, conceal in that wound and in that opening in Thy Heart, my heart and all my feelings, thoughts, desires, intentions and all the faculties of my soul.
I entreat Thee, by the precious Blood and Water that flowed from Thy Most Loving Heart, to take entire possession of me, that Thou may guide me in all things.
Consume me in the burning fire of Thy holy Love, so that I may be so absorbed and transformed into Thee that I may no longer be but one with Thee. Amen.
SYMBOLISM OF THE SACRED HEART
The Thorns:
Represent the painful crown of thorns that our Lord endured for our salvation
The Blood:
Represents the more than one thousand drops of blood that our Lord shed hanging on the cross for our sins
The Flame:
Represents the eternal love that our Lord has for each one of us
This wounded heart symbolizes Christ's pain at the rejection of God's Gospel message of salvation and righteousness by mankind.
MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most Sweet Jesus, that none who have had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored Its assistance, or called for mercy, have ever been abandoned. Filled and animated with this same confidence, O Divine Heart, Ruler of all hearts, I fly to Thee, and oppressed beneath the weight of my sins, I prostrate myself before Thee. O despise not my feeble prayers but listen to them with a favorable ear and vouchsafe to answer them. Show me that Thou hast the best Heart of Fathers and that He Who has given Thee to me for my salvation will through Thee receive my prayers. Amen!
FROM SAINT MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE'S VISION OF JESUS:
"Look at this Heart which has loved men so much, and yet men do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth."
FROM A LETTER BY SAINT MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE:
It seems to me that our Lord's earnest desire to have his Sacred Heart honored in a special way is directed toward renewing the effects of redemption in our souls. For the Sacred Heart is an inexhaustible fountain and It's sole desire is to pour Itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure.
From this divine heart three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of mercy for sinners; it pours into their hearts sentiments of contrition and repentance. The second is the stream of charity, which helps all in need and especially, aids those seeking perfection to find the means of surmounting their difficulties. From the third stream flow love and light for the benefit of his friends who have attained perfection; these he wishes to unite to himself so that they may share his knowledge and commandments and, in their individual ways, devote themselves wholly to advancing his glory.
This divine heart is an abyss of all blessings, and into it the poor should submerge all their needs. It is an abyss of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows. It is an abyss of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an abyss of mercy for the wretched, an abyss of love to meet our every need.
Therefore, you must unite yourselves to the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, both at the beginning of your conversion in order to obtain proper dispositions, and at its end in order to make reparation. Are you making no progress in prayer? Then you need only offer God the prayers, which the Savior has poured out for us in the sacrament of the altar. Offer God his fervent love in reparation for your sluggishness. In the course of every activity pray as follows: "My God, I do this or I endure that in the heart of your Son and according to his holy counsels. I offer it to you in reparation for anything blameworthy or imperfect in my actions." Continue to do this in every circumstance of life. And every time that some punishment, affliction or injustice comes your way, say to yourself: "Accept this as sent to you by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ in order to unite yourself to him.
But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the divine heart. In this way his will can carry out for us whatever contributes to his glory, and we will be happy to be his subjects and to trust entirely in him."
"The remembrance of the Divine Heart of Jesus is a source of consolation and joy; O how good it is to make one's dwelling herein." ~Saint Bernard
THE BLESSING OF THE SACRED HEART
May the grace and blessing of the Sacred Heart be with you; the peace of the Sacred Heart encompass you; the merits of the Sacred Heart plead for you; the love of the Sacred Heart enflame you; the sorrows of the Sacred Heart console you; the zeal of the Sacred Heart animate you; the virtues of the Sacred Heart shine forth in every word and work, and may the joys of the Beatific Vision be your eternal recompense. Amen.
CEASE THE HEART OF JESUS IS WITH ME!
