JUNE IS THE MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
“Behold this Heart which has so loved men that It spared nothing, even going so far as to exhaust and consume Itself, to prove to them Its love.” -Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion which began in the 12th Century and gained popularity after Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1670s, revealing to her the image of His Sacred Heart. It is a month dedicated, therefore, to contemplating the wonderful mystery of the human heart of Jesus that contains all of God’s eternal, infinite, self-giving love for each person. Pope Francis has said that it is easier for us to believe in our own love for God than it is for us to believe in God’s love for us; in this month, the Church invites us to contemplate the Sacred Heart of Jesus and let ourselves be convinced of God’s passionate love for us.
In Jesus’ first apparition to St. Margaret Mary, after revealing His Heart to her, he said to her, “My divine Heart is so passionately fond of the human race, and of you in particular, that it cannot keep back the pent-up flames of its burning charity any longer. They must burst out through you.”
As we look at the images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we notice many symbols. Each of these expresses some aspect of God’s love for us.
Flames: The Sacred Heart of Jesus burns with divine love. In the Gospel, Jesus says that He has come to set fire to the earth—the fire that He longs to set is the fire of divine love, the fire of the Holy Spirit, in each human heart. One prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus says, “Oh Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, inflame our hearts with love for You.” The Sacred Heart of Jesus is aflame with love for you and for me, and in this month, He wants to set our hearts on fire with His love, to consume all that is not His love, and for this fire of His love to spread to others who so need to know God’s love for them.
Rays of Light: The Sacred Heart of Jesus is surrounded by rays of light, as if rays of light are emanating from it. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says He is the light of the world. What does light do? It shines in and dissipates the darkness, and it reveals the truth. The Sacred Heart of Jesus reveals to us the eternal truth of God’s love for us, bringing the light of God’s love into the darkness of our sin and suffering, our fear and doubt.
Crown of Thorns: We remember that during His Passion, the soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. In one of His revelations to St. Margaret Mary, Jesus told her that the crown of thorns symbolizes our individual sins, which prick His heart.
The Cross: In the Gospels, Jesus hangs upon the cross as He dies for us. In the image of the Sacred Heart, the Heart of Jesus no longer hangs upon the Cross, but rather the Cross stands atop the Sacred Heart, as if to say that the Heart of Jesus is what supported the Cross and what supports us when we have to bear a cross. It was the Divine Love of the Sacred Heart that willingly accepted death on the Cross for our sake, and it is that same Divine Love that transforms the Cross into the most powerful act of redemption.
The Open Wound: After Jesus dies on the cross, a soldier pierces His Heart with a lance, and blood and water flow out—the mercy of God floods the world. The open wound in the image of the Sacred Heart shows us that the Heart of Jesus is always open to us, His mercy always available to us, that He never closes His Heart to us.
At this moment in our world, torn by so much violence and suffering, we need to let our own hearts be filled with the love of the Sacred Heart, so that the flames of God’s love reach the world through us. So let us ask for two graces this month: first, the grace to be convinced of God’s love for each one of us personally, manifested in the Sacred Heart of Jesus; second, for the grace to show that love to all those around us, to love others as Jesus has loved us.
In this month, we invite you specially to start each day praying the consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
These are the promises the Sacred Heart of Jesus made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:
- I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
- I will give peace in their families.
- I will console them in all their troubles.
- I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
- I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
- Sinners shall find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
- Tepid souls shall become fervent.
- Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
- I will bless those places where in the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
- I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
- Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my heart.
- In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.
The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
| Lord, have mercy | Lord, have mercy. |
| Christ, have mercy | Christ, have mercy. |
| Lord, have mercy | Lord, have mercy. |
| Christ, hear us | Christ, hear us. |
| God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. | have mercy on us. |
| God the Son, Redeemer of the world, | have mercy on us. |
| God, the Holy Spirit, | have mercy on us. |
| Holy Trinity, One God, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, of Infinite Majesty, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, Sacred Temple of God, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, in whom are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke Thee, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, obedient to death, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, our peace and our reconciliation, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, | have mercy on us. |
| Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, | have mercy on us. |
| Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, | spare us, O Lord. |
| Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, | graciously hear us, O Lord. |
| Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, | have mercy on us, O Lord. |
| V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart. | R. Make our hearts like to Thine. |
Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which He offers Thee in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Thy mercy, in Thy great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee forever and ever. Amen.
An Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Attributed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Saint Padre Pio recited this novena every day for all those who requested his prayers.
This novena can be prayed any time of year or, as did Padre Pio, perpetually throughout the year. However, it is traditionally prayed for nine days prior to the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart.
Pray all prayers below every day during the novena.
Prayer One:
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…
(name your request here)
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be to the Father…
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
Amen.
Prayer Two:
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…
(name your request here)
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be To the Father…
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
Amen.
Prayer Three:
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 here)
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be to the Father…
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
Amen.
Concluding Prayer:
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.
The Hail Holy Queen (The Salve Regina)
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to you we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this, our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us O most holy Mother of God,
That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
Amen.
Optional Litany to the Sacred Heart
By St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
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, grant me pardon!
Hail, Heart of my Father, govern me!
Hail, Heart of my Spouse, grant me love!
Hail, Heart of my Master, teach me!
Hail, Heart of my King, be my crown!
Hail, Heart of my Benefactor, enrich me!
Hail, Heart of my Shepherd, guard me!
Hail, Heart of my Friend, comfort me!
Hail, Heart of my Brother, stay with me!
Hail, Heart of the Child Jesus, draw me to yourself!
Hail, Heart of Jesus dying on the Cross, redeem me!
Hail, Heart of Jesus in all your states, give yourself to me!
Hail, Heart of incomparable goodness, have mercy on me!
Hail, Heart of splendor, shine within me!
Hail, most loving Heart, inflame me!
Hail, most merciful Heart, work within me!
Hail, most humble Heart, dwell within me!
Hail, most patient Heart, support me!
Hail, most faithful Heart, be my reward!
Hail, most admirable and most worthy Heart, bless me!
Lord Jesus,
let my heart never rest until it finds You,
who are its center, its love, and its happiness.
By the wound in Your heart,
pardon the sins that I have committed
whether out of malice or out of evil desires.
Place my weak heart in Your own divine Heart,
continually under Your protection and guidance,
so that I may persevere in doing good
and in fleeing evil until my last breath.
Amen.
An Act of Consecration to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
TO You, most sacred Heart of Jesus, I devote my life. To You I consecrate
all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings. My whole being shall be
employed henceforth in loving, serving, and glorifying You. Be Thou, most
blessed and adorable Heart, the sole object of my love, the protector of
my life, the pledge of my salvation, and my secure refuge at the hour of
my death. Be Thou my advocate at the throne of Divine Justice, and screen
me from the wrath which my sins deserve.
I trust entirely in your mercy. I place all my confidence in You. Destroy in
me all that is displeasing to You. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make
my heart like unto Thine. Imprint Thyself like a seal upon my heart in order
that I may never be separated from You. May I be a victim forever
consecrated to your glory – ever burning with the flames of your pure love
in time and for eternity. This is my whole desire – to live, in You: This shall
be my happiness, to live and die as your devoted servant. Sweet Heart of
Jesus, I implore that I may love You more and more. Amen.
V. Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us.
R. Inflame our hearts with love of You.
Let us pray
Lord, we beseech You, let your Holy Spirit kindle in our hearts that fire of charity which Our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son, sent forth from His inmost heart upon this earth, and willed that it should burn with vehemence. Who lives and
reigns with You, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Morning Offering to the Sacred Heart
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all
the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation
for my sins, for the intentions of all our associates, and in particular for the intentions of our Holy Father for this
month.
Offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
MY LOVING Jesus! I [N.N.] give you my heart, and I consecrate myself wholly to you, out of the grateful love I bear
you, and as a reparation for all my unfaithfulness, and with your aid I purpose never to sin again.
V. Heart of Jesus, burning with love of us,
R. Inflame our hearts with love of you.
Let us pray
Lord, we beseech you, let your Holy Spirit kindle in our hearts that fire of charity which Our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son, sent forth from His inmost Heart upon this earth, and willed that it should burn with vehemence. Who lives and
reigns with you, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
Amen.
