Novena to the Sacred Heart
Video of this novena coming soon….
Audio of this novena coming soon….
Devotion to the Sacred Heart started as early as the 2nd century and continued throughout the centuries. Saints and other Christian writers emphasized the pierced side of Christ as the endless source of all graces for mankind, and highlighted the blood and water that poured forth from His Heart as symbols of the sacraments of the Church. By the 12th century, the focus on the Sacred Heart shifted from being a symbol of the sacraments to being the symbol of Divine Love towards humanity. This was based on writings from saints such as St. Anslem, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Gertrude and St. Mechtild. Religious communities helped spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus throughout the world.
However, it wasn’t until the 17th century that this devotion was universally approved and promoted throughout the Catholic Church, after Our Lord Himself appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque between the years 1673 to 1675. In one apparition, Jesus told her, “My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with humanity, and with you in particular, that it cannot keep back the pent-up flames of its burning charity any longer. They must burst out through you.”
Our Lord mourned the indifference and ingratitude of the greater part of humanity, and He asked for the communion of reparation on 9 First Fridays. He also requested that there be a special liturgical feast for His Sacred Heart in the Universal Church to be celebrated eight days after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. On that feast day, He asked for a solemn act of reparation for all the offenses heaped upon Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Since then, many Popes have written on the immense importance of devotion to the Sacred Heart including: Leo XIII, Benedict XV, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI.
Shortly after her visions of the Sacred Heart, St. Margaret wrote a prayer called the Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The wording is very similar to the Urgent Novena to the Infant of Prague, whose devotion and miracles began in early 1640 (about 35 years before the Sacred Heart apparitions occurred). In the 20th century, St. Padre Pio popularized this Sacred Heart novena by saying it daily for all who asked him for prayers, and he strongly recommended this novena to his many spiritual children. It can be prayed any time of the year, or even said every day of the year as St. Padre Pio did, but traditionally, it is prayed for nine days prior to the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart.
Pray all prayers below every day during the novena
O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of (name your request).
Say 1 each: 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 My Father in My Name, He will give it to you.” Behold in Your Name I ask the Father for the grace of (name your request).
Say 1 each: 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 (name your request).
Say 1 each: 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, to whom one thing alone is impossible, namely, 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 and our tender Mother.
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.
Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.