Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart II

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart II

I N.N., give and consecrate to the Sacred Heart , of our LORD JESUS CHRIST my person and my life, my actions, penances, and sufferings, not wishing to make use of any part of my being for the future except in honouring, loving, and glorifying that Sacred Heart.

It is my irrevocable will to be entirely his, and to do everything for his love, renouncing with my whole heart whatever might displease Him. I take Thee then, O most Sacred Heart, as the sole object of my love, as the protector of my life, as the pledge of my salvation, as the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, as the repairer of all the defects of my life, and as my secure refuge in the hour of death.

Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before GOD the FATHER, and remove far from me the thunderbolts of his just wrath. O Heart of love, I place my whole confidence in Thee. While I fear all things from my malice and frailty, I hope all things from thy goodness.

Consume then in me whatever can displease or be opposed to Thee, and may thy pure love be so deeply impressed upon my heart that it may be impossible that I should ever be separated from Thee, or forget Thee.

I implore Thee, by all thy goodness, that my name may be written in Thee, for in Thee I wish to place all my happiness and all my glory, living and dying in very bondage to Thee. Amen.

by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

From the Raccolta

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Words of the Lord to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

Words of the Lord to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

"Behold how sinners treat Me. . . My daughter, wilt thou give Me thy heart and ease My suffering love which everyone despises?"

"I love so much a soul's desire to receive Me, that I hasten to it each time it summons Me by its yearnings."

“My Divine Heart so ardently loves men that, unable to contain within itself any longer the flames of its burning love, it needs must spread them with your assistance, and thus it will show itself that all men may be enriched with its most precious treasures...”

“It is the ingratitude of men which has hurt Me more than all the suffering I underwent during My Passion. If only they would make some return for My love, I should think but little of all I have done for them and would wish, were it possible, to suffer still more. But the sole return they make for all My eagerness to do them good is to reject Me and treat Me with coldness. Do thou at least console Me by supplying for their ingratitude as far as thou art able.”

“Behold this Heart, Which has loved men so much, that It has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify to them Its love; and in return I receive from the greater number nothing but ingratitude by reason of their irreverence and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt which they show Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel most keenly is that it is hearts which are consecrated to Me, that treat Me thus...”

'Dost thou know why I give thee My graces in such abundance? To make of thee a sanctuary in which the fire of My love may continually burn. Thy heart is like a sacred altar which nothing sullied may touch; I have chosen it as an altar of holocausts for My Eternal Father.'

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

The Sacred Heart of Christ

The Sacred Heart of Christ

 The sacred heart of Christ is an inexhaustible fountain and its 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 in order 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 unit 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 filled with all blessings, and into 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.

Are you making no progress in prayer? The 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.

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.

from a letter by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
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Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

O most holy, most amiable and most glorious Virgin, Mother of God, Mistress and Advocate to whom we are all vowed and consecrated, making it our glory to belong to thee as children, servants and slaves for time and eternity, behold! with common accord, we throw ourselves at thy feet to renew our vows of fidelity and servitude to thee and to pray thee that as we belong entirely to thee, thou wouldst offer, dedicate, consecrate and immolate to the Sacred Heart of our adorable Jesus, ourselves and all that we are, all that we shall do and suffer, without reserving anything for ourselves. We wish to have no other liberty except that of loving Him, no other glory except that of belonging to Him as slaves and victims of His pure love, no other will or power but that of pleasing Him and contenting Him in everything, even at the price of our lives. And since thou hast all power over the amiable Heart of thy Divine Son, grant, O most charitable Mother, that He may receive and accept this consecration which we make today in thy presence, and through thy mediation, with the protestations of our fidelity, relying on His grace and thy help, which we beg thee not to refuse us. 

O, our sweet Hope, make us feel thy power over the amiable Heart of Jesus, and use thy influence on our behalf to lodge us there always. Pray Him to exercise His sovereign empire over our souls, making His love reign in our hearts, in order that He may consume us and transform us entirely into Himself May He be our Father, our Spouse, our Protection, our Treasure, our Delight, our Love and our All in all things; may He destroy and annihilate in us all that is of ourselves and put in place of it all that is of Himself, in order that we may be able to be pleasing to Him. May He be the support of our powerlessness, the strength of our weakness, the joy of all our sadness.

O Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, repair all our failings, supply for all that is wanting to us, burn our hearts in your holy ardors; consume all our coldness and cowardice in loving and serving you, since we wish to make all our holiness and happiness consist in living and dying in the state of slaves of the adorable Heart of Jesus, and servants of His holy Mother. Amen. 

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

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Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus

Place me, O my sweet Savior, in Thy Sacred Side, and in Thy adorable Heart which is a burning Furnace of pure love, and I shall be in safety. I hope, O my Jesus, My Sovereign Good, that Thou wilt bring me in thither, since I love Thee, not for the recompenses which Thou dost promise to those who love Thee, but purely for the love of Thyself. I love Thee above all things lovable, above everything good, above everything beautiful, above every pleasure, and in fine, above myself and everything that is outside of Thee, and I protest in the presence of Heaven and earth that I wish to live and die in Thy holy love, purely and simply, and that even if to love Thee in this manner, I must suffer persecution and torments and even endure death, I am quite content, and will say with St. Paul: "No creature shall ever be able to separate me from the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whom I love and wish to love eternally."

O most amiable Heart, Thou art my strength, my support, my recompense, my safety, my refuge, my love and my all. O most holy Heart of Jesus, Heart most august, Master of all hearts, I love Thee, I adore Thee, I praise Thee; I thank Thee, I wish to be all Thine. O Heart of love, dwell with me and in me; govern me, save me, change me entirely into Thee. O most excellent and most Sacred Heart, the eternal enjoyment of which will be, without surfeit, the Source of enjoyment and the Recompense of the blessed, how desirable, how lovable Thou art! O Divine Heart, come to me, or draw me to Thee. O Heart most sublime, the Delight of Divinity! I salute Thee from exile where I am; I invoke Thee in my sorrow; I call on Thee as the remedy for my frailty. Oh! most merciful Heart, compassionate and generous Heart of my Father and my Savior, do not refuse Thy help to my unworthy heart, destroy in me the reign of sin and establish in me that of virtue in order that Thy image may be completely perfected in me and that it may one day be an ornament in Thy Heavenly palace. Amen.

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

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Prayer to Our Lord in His Quality as All-Powerful Physician

Prayer to Our Lord in His Quality as All-Powerful Physician

O Jesus, my love, in memory of the Sacrifice of Thyself which Thou didst offer on the Cross and which Thou dost still offer in the Blessed Sacrament, I beg of Thee to accept that which I make of my whole being, immolated and sacrificed to Thy adorable designs and wishes. Receive me in the spirit of penance and sacrifice. O Heavenly Physician of my soul, Sovereign Remedy for my evils, I present myself to Thee as a sick person without hope in any other but in the charitable Heart of my Savior, who alone knows my maladies and can cure me of them.

I hope for this favor from Thy bounty, since in this amiable Sacrament Thou hast made Thyself my medicine, my healing balm. My cowardice and my coldness in Thy love have been the cause of all my infirmities; but Thou canst, if Thou wilt, cure me, for I am ready to suffer anything in order to be cured. Cut, burn, amputate; provided that I love Thee and be saved, I will submit to everything. On my part, I am ready to apply the iron and fire of entire mortification and crucifixion of myself to cure the wounds which pride and self-love have caused to my soul.

Apply Thyself then to my poor languishing heart as a balm of love. O my charitable Physician, have pity on my weakness and deliver me from it for the glory of Thy name. Amen.

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

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St. Margaret Mary's Litany of the Passion

Humbly prostrate at the foot of Thy holy Cross, I will often say to Thee, in order to excite Thy compassion and obtain mercy and pardon: Jesus, unknown and despised, Have mercy on me. 

Jesus, calumniated and persecuted, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, abandoned by men and tempted, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, betrayed and sold for a paltry sum, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, blamed, accused and unjustly condemned, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, clothed with a garment of opprobrium and shame, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, buffeted and mocked, Have mercy on me.
Jesus, dragged with a rope round Thy neck, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, scourged unto blood, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, reputed to be a fool and to be possessed by a devil, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, to Whom Barabbas was preferred, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, shamefully stripped of Thy garments, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, crowned with thorns and saluted in derision, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, laden with the Cross, and disowned by Thy people, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, overwhelmed with insults, sorrow, and humiliations, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, sorrowful unto death, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, insulted, spat upon, beaten, outraged and scoffed at, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, hanged on the infamous tree in company with robbers, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, set at nought and deprived of honor before men, Have mercy on me. 
Jesus, overwhelmed with all kinds of sorrow, Have mercy on me. 

O Good Jesus, Who has suffered an infinity of insults and humiliations for love of me, imprint deeply on my heart a great love and appreciation for them

Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart

Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart

O Divine Heart of Jesus, inexhaustible Source of love and goodness, ah! how I regret that I have forgotten Thee so much and loved Thee so little! O Sacred Heart, Thou dost merit the reverence and love of all hearts which Thou hast cherished so much and laid under infinite obligations. And yet Thou dost receive from the greater number nothing but ingratitude and coldness, and especially from my own heart which merits Thy just indignation. But Thy Heart is all full of goodness and mercy, and of this I wish to avail myself to obtain reconciliation and pardon. O Divine Heart, I grieve intensely when I see myself guilty of such cowardice and when I consider the ungrateful conduct of my wicked heart, which has so unjustly stolen the love that it owes to Thee and bestowed it on myself or on vain amusements. 

O Heart most meek, if the sorrow and shame of a heart that recognizes its error can satisfy Thee, pardon this heart of mine for it is sorry for its infidelity and ashamed of the little care which it has taken to please Thee by its love. O Sacred Heart of my Savior, what could I expect from all this but Thy displeasure and condign punishment if I did not hope in Thy mercy. O, Heart of my God, Heart most holy, Heart to which alone belongs to pardon sinners, do Thou in Thy mercy pardon this poor miserable heart of mine. All its powers unite in a supreme effort to make reparation to Thee for its wanderings from Thee and the disordered application of its love. 

Ah! how have I been able hitherto to refuse Thee my heart, I who have so many obligations to make Thee its sole possessor, nevertheless I have done so. But now how I regret that I have wandered away from Thee, from the love of Thee who art the Source of all goodness, in a word, from the Heart of my Jesus, who although needing me not, hast sought me out and lavished Thy favors on me. O adorable Heart of Jesus, is it possible that my heart can have treated Thee thus, my heart which depends entirely on Thy love and Thy benefits and which, if Thou shouldst take them from it, would fall into the utmost extremes of misery or be reduced to nothingness? Ah! how I am beholden to Thy goodness, O indulgent Heart of my Savior, for having borne with me so long in my ingratitude! Oh! how timely Thy mercies come to pardon my poor, inconstant heart! 

O Heart of my Jesus, I now consecrate to Thee and give Thee all my love and the source of my love, which is my heart; I give Thee both irrevocably, although with great confusion for having so long refused Thee Thine own possessions. O Divine Heart, my very capability of bestowing my poor heart on Thee is a proof of Thy great love for me, but alas! I have availed myself badly of such a favorable opportunity to merit Thy love and grace. Oh! how great is my confusion at the thought of this! O Heart of my Jesus, reform my faithless heart, grant that henceforth it may bind itself to Thy love by its own, and that it may approach Thee as much in the future as it has wandered away from Thee in the past, and as Thou art the Creator of my heart, may Thou, I beseech Thee, one day give it the crown of immortality. 

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

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Aspirations of a Soul That Ardently Desires Holy Communion

Aspirations of a Soul That Ardently Desires Holy Communion

Great God, Whom I adore veiled under these frail appearances, is it possible that Thou art reduced to this lowly form in order to come to me and dwell corporally within me? The heavens are all too unworthy to lodge Thee, and Thou dost content Thyself to remain under these poor species in order to be always with me! 

O inconceivable Goodness, could I believe this marvel if Thou Thyself hadst not assured me of it! But still more, could I dare think that Thou wouldst come into my mouth! Thou wiliest, then, to repose on my tongue and to descend into my bosom; and to induce me to receive Thee, Thou dost promise me a thousand blessings! 

O God of Majesty, but also God of love, would that I might be all understanding to comprehend this Mystery, all heart to realize it well, all tongue to announce it. It is then, Thou, O God of my heart, who hast created me to be the object of Thy love and the recipient of Thy ineffable goodness, who art present under these lowly appearances. The angels are never weary of looking at Thee; they desire the favor of Communion even while they enjoy Thee. Should I, then, not desire to receive Thee? Since the reception of Thee in Holy Communion is pleasing to Thee, O my amiable Savior, and since my needs oblige me to desire to receive Thee, and since Thy goodness permits me to hope for this favor, I open to Thee my heart, I offer Thee my breast and my mouth to receive Thee, and my tongue to transport Thee thither. 

Come, come, O my Divine Sun, I am plunged in terrible darkness of ignorance and sin; come and clear away my darkness, and make the divine lights of Thy knowledge shine in my soul. 

Come, O my amiable Savior! On Calvary Thou didst give Thyself completely to save me from Hell; I have fallen again miserably under the slavery of sin. Come again once more and loose my bonds; break my fetters and set me at liberty. 

Come, O Charitable Physician of my soul! Thou hast washed me in the bath of Thy Blood and by Baptism hast made me clean and holy, though I deserved it not, but through my fault I have again contracted a thousand dangerous maladies which have brought loathing on my heart, weakness to my courage and death to my soul. Come and cure me, O my Divine Physician! I have greater need of it than the paralytic whom Thou didst ask if he wished to be cured. Yes, my God, I really wish it, and Thou who knowest the languor of this desire, increase it and render it more lively in me by the ardors of Thy Sacred Heart. 

Come, O most faithful, most tender, most sweet and most amiable of all friends! Come into my heart! He whom Thou lovest is suffering from a dangerous, nay a mortal, infirmity and languor. Thou knowest it, Thou who readest the depth of my heart. If hitherto I have been insensible to my misfortune and imprudent in danger, now by Thy grace I realize my misfortune and my danger; I groan in spirit, I cry out and implore Thy help. I summon Thee by Thy incomparable friendship, by Thy promise to come and solace me. 

Come, and do not permit me ever again to give Thee reason for leaving me. Promise me, as Thou didst St. Elizabeth, that Thou wishest always to be with me. 

Come, O Life of my heart, O Soul of my life, O only Support of my soul! O Bread of Angels, incarnate for love of me, exposed on the Cross for my ransom and taken down for my nourishment! Come and satiate me abundantly! Come and sustain me strongly! Come and make me grow to great stature! Come and make me live by Thee and in Thee, but in an efficacious manner, O my only Life and my only Good! 
If a body were deprived of its soul, how could it call it back, how could it seek it? Have I so little idea of Thee and of myself that I do not know what I am without Thee? Come, O my God and my All. Come and once more animate my soul which is languishing after Him who constitutes all its ornament and beauty, and is the Principle of its movement and the Source of its life. 

Absorb, I beseech Thee, O Jesus, my only love, all my thoughts, and draw my heart away from everything under the heavens by the force of Thy love, more ardent than fire and sweeter than honey. Grant that I may die of love of Thy love as Thou didst die of love of my love. Ah! Lord, so wound this heart which belongs to Thee and pierce it through so thoroughly that it can no longer contain anything earthly or human. 

O loving Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ, O Heart which woundest hearts harder than stone, which warmest souls colder than ice and softenest feelings more impenetrable than diamond, wound my heart by Thy sacred wounds, O my amiable Savior, and inebriate my soul with Thy Blood, so that whatever side I may turn, I may see nothing but my Divine Crucified Savior, and that everything I look upon may appear stained with Thy Blood. O my good Jesus, grant that my soul may not repose until it has found Thee, who art its center, its love and its happiness. 

My amiable Jesus, by the Sacred Wound of Thy Heart, pardon me all the sins I have committed through malice or through impure intentions. Put my wicked heart in Thy Divine Heart, in order that being continually under Thy protection and direction, I may persevere constantly in doing good and avoiding evil until I breathe my last sigh. 

I find in the Sacred Heart of Jesus all that is wanting to my poverty, because It is filled with mercy. I have found no remedy so efficacious in all my afflictions as the Sacred Heart of my adorable Jesus. In It I sleep without care and repose without anxiety. There is nothing hard or grievous which is not softened by the amiable Heart of Jesus. The sick and sinners find in It an assured refuge and dwell there in peace. This divine and loving Heart is all my hope; It is my refuge. Its merits are my safety, my life and my resurrection. So long as Its mercy does not fail, I am well provided with merits, for the more powerful It is to save me, the more assured I am against all danger. 

O Divine Heart, Which on the Cross didst show forth the excess of Thy love and mercy by allowing Itself to be opened to give entrance to our hearts, receive them, then, drawing them by the bonds of Thy ardent charity and consume them by the vehemence of Thy love. 

O most liberal Heart, be Thou all our treasure and all our sufficiency. O Heart most amiable and desirable, teach us to love Thee and to desire only Thee. 

O Heart most generous, which dost take so much pleasure in doing good, grant me the grace of paying my debt towards Divine justice! I am insolvent, pay for me. Repair the evils that I have done by the good that Thou hast done. And in order that I may owe everything to Thee, receive me, O Charitable Heart, at the dread hour of my death. Hide my soul from the Divine anger which I have often aroused against myself Appear and answer for me, for I have done nothing but what would merit my condemnation to eternal punishment, if Thou dost not justify me. Oh! suffer not that I be deprived of loving Thee eternally. I languish with desire to be united to Thee, to possess Thee and to be lost in Thee, in order henceforth to live only by Thee who art my dwelling forever. In Thee, O most amiable Heart, I wish to love, act and suffer. Consume, then, in me all that is of myself; put in place of it all that is of Thee, and transform me into Thee. May I live only by Thee and for Thee. Be Thou, then, my life, my love and my all. Amen. 

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

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Thirty-Five Salutations to the Sacred Heart

Thirty-Five Salutations to the Sacred Heart

Hail, Heart of Jesus! Save me. 

Hail, Heart of my Creator! Perfect me. 

Hail, Heart of my Savior! Deliver me. 

Hail, Heart of my Judge! Pardon me. 

Hail, Heart of my Father! Govern me. 

Hail, Heart of my Spouse! Love me. 

Hail, Heart of my Master! Teach me. 

Hail, Heart of my King! Crown me. 

Hail, Heart of my Benefactor! Enrich me. 

Hail, Heart of my Pastor! Guard me. 

Hail, Heart of my Friend! Caress me. 

Hail, Heart of my Infant Jesus! Draw me to Thee. 

Hail, Heart of Jesus, dying on the Cross! Ransom me. 

Hail, Heart of Jesus! in all Thy states! Give Thyself to me. 

Hail, Heart of my Brother! Dwell with me. 

Hail, Heart of incomparable goodness! Pardon me. 

Hail, Magnificent Heart! Shine forth in me. 

Hail, Most amiable Heart! Embrace me. 

Hail, Charitable Heart! Operate in me. 

Hail, Merciful Heart! Answer for me. 

Hail, Most Humble Heart! Repose in me. 

Hail, Most Patient Heart! Bear with me. 

Hail, Most Faithful Heart! Atone for me. 

Hail, Most Admirable and Most Worthy Heart! Bless me. 

Hail, Peaceful Heart! Calm me. 

Hail, Most Desirable and Excellent Heart! Enrapture me. 

Hail, Illustrious and Perfect Heart! Ennoble me. 

Hail, Sacred Heart, Precious Balm! Preserve me. 

Hail, Most Holy and Profitable Heart! Make me better. 

Hail, Blessed Heart, Medicine and Remedy of our evils! Cure me. 

Hail, Heart of Jesus, Solace of the afflicted! Console me. 

Hail, Most loving Heart, burning Furnace! Consume me. 

Hail, Heart of Jesus, Model of perfection! Enlighten me. 

Hail, Heart of Jesus, Origin of all happiness! Fortify me. 

Hail, Heart of eternal blessings! Call me to Thee. 

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

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Pact With the Sacred Heart

Pact With the Sacred Heart

O most Divine, most adorable and amiable Heart of Jesus, behold me humbly prostrate before Thee to adore, praise, bless and glorify Thee, and to recognize the rights of Thy sovereignty over me, by confessing and acknowledging my subjection and by my protestation of love and fidelity towards Thee. O Heart most holy, receive me, since I am and wish to be completely Thine, in spite of all the opposition which my enemies may stir up. Do not reject me, but acknowledge what belongs to Thee, receive it and defend it. I have a most ardent desire to love and please Thee, but to accomplish this is above my strength; do Thou help my weakness, and in Thy love and mercy, grant me the graces necessary to do it perfectly and the graces to pray and act and suffer in the purity of Thy love. 

O Sacred Heart, I give and consecrate myself entirely to Thee; my heart, my understanding, my memory and my will, in order that everything which I do and suffer may be for Thy love and Thy glory, that everything which I see and hear may induce me to love Thee, that all my words may be so many acts of adoration, love and praise of Thy sovereignty, and that the movements of my lips may be so many acts of contrition for all the sins that I have committed and for all the good that I have omitted. I beseech Thee, O Heart of love, that I may be able to draw Thee to myself as many times as I draw in the air I breathe and that in exhaling it, I may offer Thee as many times to Thy eternal Father, to render to Him all that I owe Him. Grant, O Sacred Heart, that all the pulsations and beatings of my heart and the respirations of my lungs may be so many acts of gratitude and thanksgiving for all the favors which Thou hast conferred upon me and which Thou dost intend to confer upon me. Take away, I beseech Thee, all impediments thereto, for I renounce and disavow all movements of pride and self-love and all that might hinder me from loving Thee perfectly and serving Thee faithfully. 

O Heart full of goodness, listen to me and grant my petition! O Sacred Heart, to which I belong, on which I depend and by which I live, inflame me, take possession of me and transform me entirely into Thee! Grant that all my endeavors may be to arrive at Thee, that all my movements and actions be to unite myself to Thee! I protest that I would prefer to suffer a thousand deaths rather to be separated from Thee or commit any act of infidelity towards Thee. 

Accept this pact which I make with Thee, O Divine and adorable Heart, and which I desire to renew with every protestation of fidelity, every time that I open my eyes or put my hand on my heart, for I wish henceforth to live and breathe only to love Thee. Give Thyself then entirely to me and make me entirely Thine. Grant me to know and avoid all that can displease Thee, for I protest a thousand times that if I knew of any other way of joining, giving and uniting myself to Thee, I would embrace it at the peril of my life. Strengthen and sustain all the good resolutions and desires to love and please Thee, with which, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thou dost inspire me. Grant that they may all have the good effects which Thou dost intend. Amen.

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

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Act of Contrition to the Sacred Heart

Act of Contrition to the Sacred Heart

O most Sacred and adorable Heart of Jesus, behold me humbly prostrate before Thee with a heart contrite and penetrated with lively sorrow for having loved Thee so little and for having offered Thee so many insults by my wandering from Thee, by my ingratitude, my perfidy and my other acts of infidelity, by which I have rendered myself unworthy of Thy mercies and of all the graces and favors of Thy pure love. 

The shame and regret which I feel leave me no other words to express myself except to say: I have sinned against Thee. Have pity on me who am unworthy of all mercy. Do not condemn me, however, O Divine Heart, full of charity. I implore Thee to manifest the excess of Thy goodness by showing favor to this poor criminal who appears before Thee annihilated in the abyss of her nothingness and misery. Alas! O Sacred Heart, I have sinned against Thee, do not abandon me to the rigor of Thy justice which would infallibly punish any want of love towards Thee by the eternal privation of Thy love. Oh! rather let all torments, pains and miseries come and overwhelm me, than that I should be deprived for a moment of loving Thee! And since it is Thou, O Divine Heart of Jesus, the Source of love, who hast received the insults of all my infidelities and of my want of love, do Thou take care to be avenged upon me. If Thou wishest to condemn me to burn eternally, I consent, provided it be in the devouring fire of Thy pure love. O compassionate Heart, save me by the excess of Thy mercy. Do not allow me to perish in the deluge of my iniquities. O Heart of love, I cry to Thee from the abyss of my misery; save me by Thy ardent charity. Save me, I implore Thee, by all that is in Thee most capable of moving Thee to do me this great mercy. Have pity, then, on this poor criminal who expects her salvation from Thee. 

Oh! save me, O merciful Heart, at whatever price it may cost. Save me and do not deprive me of loving Thee eternally. Rather let all the moments of life that remain to me be filled with bitterness, sorrow and affliction. 

Am I not sufficiently punished for having loved so late a Heart so full of love! But because I love Thee, I have such regret for having so ungratefully offended Thee, my Sovereign Good, that rather than having committed so many sins, I would wish from the moment I commenced to sin to have endured as a preservative all the pains of Hell, although I hope that in Thy love Thou wilt exempt me from them. This is what I pray Thee, while crying to Thee with all my heart for mercy. Pardon, then, in Thy mercy, this afflicted heart which has put all its confidence and all its hope in Thee. 

O Heart of Jesus, my Savior, exercise over me this office which has cost Thee so dear and do not lose the fruit of so many sufferings and of so painful a death, but honor it by saving me in order that my heart may adore, praise and glorify Thee eternally. Be then, O Sacred Heart, our refuge and our hope, now and at the hour of our death! 

Take my cause in hand, justify me and turn away the rigors which my sins have merited. Thou art my true friend, do Thou answer and satisfy for me. Draw me from the abyss into which my sins have precipitated me. Hearken to the groans of my afflicted heart which hopes for everything from Thy goodness. But if Thy justice condemns it as unworthy of pardon, it will appeal to the tribunal of Thy love, being ready to suffer all its rigors rather than be for a single moment deprived of loving Thee. Cut, burn, amputate; provided only I love Thee, it is sufficient for me. Spare neither my body nor my life, whenever there is question of Thy glory. I belong to Thee, O Divine and Adorable Heart, work out, then, my salvation, I implore Thee. In punishing my sins, do not abandon me to myself, allowing me to relapse into the same sins. Ah! rather a thousand deaths than offend Thee whom I love a hundred times more than my life! 

What glory will the loss of a wretched grain of dust give Thee? And Thou shalt have great glory in saving such a miserable sinner. Save me, then, O pure Love, for I wish to love Thee eternally whatever price it may cost me. Yes, I wish to love Thee whatever it may cost me, I wish to love Thee with my whole heart. Amen.

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

Image Credit Waiting for the Word

Union With Jesus Immolated

Union With Jesus Immolated

O my sweet Jesus, the only love of my heart, the sweet torment of my soul, and the agreeable martyrdom of my flesh and my body, all the grace I ask of Thee in order to honor Thy Divine state of Victim in the Blessed Sacrament is, that I may live and die the victim of Thy Sacred Heart by my bitter disgust of all that is not Thee; the victim of Thy holy Soul, by all the anguish of which my soul is capable; the victim of Thy Body, by keeping far away from everything that can satisfy mine and by my hatred of its criminal and accursed flesh. 

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

Image Credit Waiting for the Word

Act of Love and Perfect Contrition

Act of Love and Perfect Contrition

Humbly prostrate before Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I adore Thee, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, and I love Thee with all my strength and all the love of which my heart is capable; but do Thou extend its capacity and increase my love, in order that I may love Thee more, and that this love may make me belong completely to Thee forever. This is a grace which I ask for myself and for all hearts capable of loving, and especially for my own rebellious, hardened, unfaithful heart, which has so long abused Thy graces, resisted Thee and continued to offend Thee. I lead a life so cowardly in Thy service that, were it not for the excess of Thy mercy, Thou wouldst have long ago vomited me out of Thy mouth and rejected me as an object of horror and abomination which merits only to suffer eternally all the rigors of Thy just anger. But I implore Thee, O Sacred Heart of my adorable Jesus, by that ardent love and suffering on the tree of the Cross, and which will keep Thee in this state on our altars until the end of time, to grant me, poor, miserable sinner, pardon for all the sins that I have committed: my ingratitude, forgetfulness and infidelity, and the other insults that I have offered to Thee of which I repent with my whole heart. I ask Thy pardon  with all the sorrow  and regret of which I am capable, and I protest that I wish I could shed all my blood by all the torments imaginable, in order to satisfy Divine Justice and to repair the outrages which I have done to Thee. I accept in advance all the pains by which it may please Thee to chastise me in this life, and I beseech Thee not abandon me to myself and to sin, and thus deprive me of Thy love. O Divine and most amiable Heart, do not condemn me to so horrible a torment as not to love Thee. Rather let all the pains of Hell come and torment me, than that I should be for a single moment without loving Thee! O DIvine Heart, Source of love and goodness, how couldst Thou forget Thy mercies and condemn to eternal privation of Thy love a heart which wishes henceforth in time and in eternity to live only to love Thee and to inhale and exhale breath only by this love. 

Listen, then, O most amiable Heart of my Lord Jesus Christ, to the prayer which I make and to the request which I present in my favor, wretched and unworthy sinner that I am; it is, that Thou wouldst grant me true conversion of heart. I detest all my past sins and I hold them in such horror, that I would choose rather to be sunk in the abyss of Hell than relapse again in the future; and if Thou wishest to condemn me to flames, let it be to those of Thy pure love. Cast me into the abyss of this ardent furnace in punishment for all my perfidy. And when the excess of Thy goodness urges Thee to confer still further graces on me, I ask for no other than that of the sweet punishment of love. But grant, I implore Thee, that I may be consumed in this love and transformed into Thee. And in order to avenge Thyself on me for not loving Thee and for loving myself inordinately, pierce and transfix, a thousand thousand times my ungrateful heart with the dart of Thy pure love, that it may no longer be able to contain earthly and human love, but only the plenitude of Thy pure love, which will leave me no other liberty but that of loving Thee, while suffering and accomplishing in everything Thy holy will. These are the graces that I ask of Thee, O Sacred and most amiable Heart, and I implore Thee to grant them to me and to all hearts capable of loving Thee, and for them I ask Thee that they may live and die in this same love. Amen.

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

Image Credit Waiting for the Word

Little Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Little Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

I, ____________ , give and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, penances and sufferings, not wishing to make use of any part of my being for the future except in honoring, loving and glorifying that Sacred Heart.

It is my irrevocable will to be entirely His and to do everything for His love, and I renounce with my whole heart whatever might displease Him. 

I take Thee, then, O most Sacred Heart, as the sole object of my love, as the protector of my life, as the pledge of my salvation, as the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, as the repairer of all the defects of my life, and as my secure refuge at the hour of my death. 

Be then, O Heart of Goodness, my justification before God the Father, and remove far from me the thunderbolts of His just wrath. O Heart of love I place my whole confidence in Thee. While I fear all things from my malice and frailty, I hope all things from Thy goodness. 

Consume then in me whatever can displease or be opposed to Thee, and may Thy pure love be so deeply impressed on my heart that it may be impossible that I should ever be separated from Thee, or forget Thee. 

I implore Thee, by Thy goodness, that my name may be written in Thee, for in Thee I wish to place all my happiness and all my glory, living and dying in very bondage to Thee. Amen.  

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 

Image Credit Waiting for the Word

Prayer of Love to the Sacred Heart

Prayer of Love to the Sacred Heart

O Heart of Jesus all inflamed with love and living by love, a Sanctuary of the Divinity, Temple of His Sovereign Majesty, Altar of Divine Charity, a Heart burning with love for God and for me, I adore Thee, I love Thee, I melt with love and reverence before Thee! I unite myself with Thy holy dispositions, I desire most earnestly to burn with Thy fire and to live by Thy life. What joy is mine to see Thee well pleased and content. Thou hast lavished Thy graces upon me and made me share in Thy sorrows and in Thy glory. Oh! how I would willingly die or suffer anything rather than displease Thee! O my heart, you must act only by the impulses from the Sacred Heart of Jesus; before It, you must expire in silence to all that is human or natural. 

O Divine Heart, I unite myself with Thee, and lose myself in Thee. I do not wish to live any longer but in Thee, by Thee and for Thee. Thus all my employment shall be to remain in silence and respect, annihilated before Thee like a burning lamp which is consumed before the Blessed Sacrament; to live, to suffer and to die. Amen. 

by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque 
Image Credit Waiting for the Word

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

(This Novena Recited by Padre Pio Everyday)

O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of......(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request)

Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request)

Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque  

Catholic Books Heart of the Redeemer A Heart on Fire: Rediscovering Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus The Imitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

'We should always look to God as in ourselves, no matter in what manner we meditate upon Him, so as to accustom ourselves to dwell in His divine presence. For when we behold Him within our souls, all our powers and faculties, and even our senses, are recollected within us. If we look at God apart from ourselves we are easily distracted by exterior objects.' ~ St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.

I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.  Amen.

.-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The Nine First Friday Devotion

The Nine First Friday Devotion

It was the Lord's desire as was revealed to St. Margaret Mary that the first Friday of each month be consecrated to His most Sacred Heart. 

From the writings of St. Margaret Mary:

"On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under my displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, my divine Heart making itself their assured refuge at the last moment." - From the writings of St. Margaret Mary

Making the Nine First Fridays Well

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation
• The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
• Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
• Act of Reparation
• The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

With regard to this promise: 

(1) that our Lord required Communion to be received on a particular day chosen by Him; 

(2) that the nine Fridays must be consecutive; 

(3) that they must be made in honor of His Sacred Heart, which means that those who make the nine Fridays must practice the devotion and must have a great love for our Lord; 

(4) that our Lord does not say that those who make the nine Fridays will be dispensed from any of their obligations or from exercising the vigilance necessary to lead a good life and overcome temptation; rather He implicitly promises abundant graces to those who make the nine Fridays to help them to carry out these obligations and persevere to the end; 

(5) that perseverance in receiving Holy Communion for nine consecutive First Firdays helps the faithful to acquire the habit of frequent Communion, which our Lord eagerly desires; and 

(6) that the practice of the nine Fridays is very pleasing to our Lord since He promises such great reward, and that all Catholics should endeavor to make the nine Fridays.

The Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque