With God/Various Devotions
St. Teresa's Book-Mark, Which She Kept in Her Breviary
Let nothing trouble thee,
Let nothing affright thee.
All things pass away,
God never changes.
Patience obtains everything.
God alone suffices!
When crosses would afflict thee,
Oh! let thy watchword be,
Thy holy Mother's lesson,
"Let nothing trouble thee."
If darkness round thee gathers,
And fills thy soul with fear,
"Let nothing e'er afright thee,"
She whispers in thy ear.
In every joy or sorrow
Which meets thee day by day,
She bids thee to remember
"That all things pass away."
If lonely or forsaken.
By friends thou art forgot,
Thy Spouse, she doth remind thee,
"Is one that changeth not."
When hope within thee wavers,
And distant seems the goal,
How patience winneth all things,
She tells thy weary soul,
That nothing in the wide world
Is needful unto one
Whose happy soul possesses
God's own eternal Son.
To drink the living waters
At any cost or price,
To quench thy thirst she whispers,
"God only doth suffice."
Oh! sweet, seraphic Mother,
May these dear words of thine
Help to unite me closer
Unto my Spouse divine!
— Leaflets.
Prayer for Fervor
Dearest Jesus! teach me to be generous, teach me to love Thee as Thou deservest, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask reward, save to feel that I do Thy will, my God. Amen.
— Leaflets.
Prayer for Greater Love of Jesus
O MY Jesus, Thou knowest well that I love Thee; but I do not love Thee enough; O grant that I may love Thee more. O love that burnest ever and never failest, my God, Thou Who art charity itself, enkindle in my heart that divine fire which consumes the saints and transforms them into Thee. Amen.
An indulgence of 50 days, twice a day. — Leo XIII, Feb. 6, 1893.
Prayer to Jesus, for a Holy Life and a Happy Death
GRANT US, Lord Jesus, always to follow the example of Thy holy family, that at the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother with blessed Joseph may come to meet us, and so we may deserve to be received by Thee into Thy everlasting dwelling-place.
An indulgence of 200 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 25, 1897.
Prayer in Honor of the Passion and Death of Our Saviour
O God, Who for the world's redemption wast pleased to be born, circumcised, rejected by the Jews, betrayed by the kiss of the traitor Judas, bound with chains, led like an innocent lamb to sacrifice, and shamefully presented before Annas, Caiphas, Pilate, and Herod, accused by false witnesses, beaten with whips, buffeted, insulted, spit upon, crowned with thorns, smitten with a reed, blindfolded, stripped of Thy garments, fastened with nails to the cross, and lifted up on high, reputed among thieves, and made to drink gall and vinegar, and wounded by a lance; oh, by these most sacred sufferings, which, unworthy as I am, I thus commemorate, and by Thy holy cross and death, deliver me, Lord, from the pains of hell, and deign to lead me where Thou didst lead the penitent thief, who was crucified by Thy side; Thou Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, etc., five times.
The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII, by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, Aug. 25, 1820, granted to all the faithful who, with at least contrite heart and devotion, shall say this prayer, and the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory be to the Father, each five times, an indulgence of three hundred days, once a day, also a plenary indulgence, on any one of the last three days of the month, to all those who, having said these prayers every day for a month, and being truly penitent, after confession and communion shall pray devoutly for some time for the intention of His Holiness.
Seven Offerings of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ
I. ETERNAL Father! I offer Thee the merit of the precious blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for my dear Mother, the holy Church, that she may enlarge her borders and be magnified among all the nations of the earth; for the safety and well-being of her visible head, the sovereign Roman Pontiff; for the cardinals, bishops, and pastors of souls; and for all the ministers of Thy sanctuary.
Then say the Glory be to the Father, and the ejaculation. Blessing and thanksgiving be to Jesus, Who with His blood hath saved us!
II. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merit of the precious blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for peace and union among all Catholic kings and princes, for the humiliation of the enemies of our holy faith, and for the welfare of all Christian people.
Glory be to the Father, and Blessing and thanksgiving, etc.
III. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merit of the precious blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for the repentance of unbelievers, for the uprooting of heresy, and for the conversion of sinners.
Glory be to the Father, and Blessing and thanksgiving, etc.
IV. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merit of the precious blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for all my kindred, friends, and enemies; for the poor, the sick, and wretched; and for all for whom Thou, my God, knowest that I ought to pray, or wouldst have me pray.
Glory be to the Father, and Blessing and thanksgiving, etc.
V. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merit of the
precious blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Saviour,
and my God, for all who, this day, are passing to the other
life; that Thou wouldst save them from the pains of hell,
and admit them quickly to the possession of Thy glory,
Glory be to the Father, and Blessing and thanksgiving, etc.
VI. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merit of the precious blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for all those who love this great treasure; for those who join with me in adoring it and honoring it, and who strive to spread devotion to it.
Glory be to the Father, and Blessing and thanksgiving, etc.
VII. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merit of the precious blood of Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Saviour and my God, for all my wants, spiritual and temporal, in aid of the holy souls in purgatory, and chiefly for those who most loved this precious blood, the price of our redemption, and who were most devout to the sorrows and pains of most holy Mary, our dear Mother.
Glory be to the Father and Blessing and thanksgiving, etc.
Glory be to the blood of Jesus, now and forever, and throughout all ages. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, each time. — Pius VII, Sept. 22, 1817. Plenary indulgence once a month, under usual conditions.
Invocation of St. Thomas Aquinas to the Cross
The Cross is my sure salvation. The Cross I ever adore. The Cross of my Lord is with me. The Cross is my refuge.
Indulgence of 300 days, once a day. — Pius IX, Jan. 21, 1874.
Ejaculation in Honor of Our Crucified Savior
We adore Thee, most holy Lord Jesus Christ, we bless Thee; because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 4, 1882.
Ejaculation to be Said in Reparation for Blasphemies
ETERNAL Father, by the most precious blood of Jesus Christ, glorify His most holy name, according to the intention and the desires of His adorable Heart.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, Jan. 27, 1908.
Offering
ETERNAL Father! I offer Thee the precious blood of Jesus Christ in satisfaction for my sins, and for the wants of holy Church.
Indulgence of 100 days, every time. — Pius VII, Sept. 22, 1817.
Month of June
To gain the indulgences of 7 years and 7 quarantines each day, and a plenary indulgence during the month or first eight days of July on the usual conditions: confession, communion, visit to a church, and prayer according to the intention of the Pope, any form of devotion, public or private, may be used. If it be in public, ten attendances suffice for the plenary indulgence. If in private, the devotion must be practised daily throughout the month.
Plenary indulgence on June 30, every time a visit is made to a church where the month of the Sacred Heart has been solemnly observed, conditions as above.
Indulgence of 500 days to promoters of this devotion whenever they do any good work calculated to propagate or make better observed this month of the Sacred Heart.
Plenary indulgence to the same persons for every communion made in June. The privilege of the Gregorian altar is conferred on the preacher of the month and the Rector of the church where the month has been duly observed, available for their Masses on June 30.
Note. — The solemn observance of June contemplated in the last three indulgences mentioned, implies discourses, either daily, or at least for eight days, after the manner of spiritual exercises. The month may be concluded on the last Sunday of the month. It may be observed in the semi-public chapels or seminaries, and communities. It may be transferred to another month by leave of the bishop. — Pius X, Jan. 26, 1908.
Acts of Homage to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
I
PRAYER
N.B. — This Devotion does not substantially differ from the ordinary Devotion to the Sacred Heart. It merely emphasizes the Act of Supreme Love of that Heart in bestowing the gift of the Holy Eucharist upon us. — "The Raccolta."
HEART of Jesus in the Eucharist, sweet
companion in our exile, I adore Thee.
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,
Heart solitary, Heart humiliated,
Heart abandoned, Heart forgotten,
Heart despised. Heart outraged,
Heart ignored by men.
Heart, lover of Our hearts,
Heart desirous of being loved.
Heart patient in waiting for us,
Heart eager to hear us.
Heart longing to be prayed to,
Heart source of new graces,
Heart wrapped in silence, desiring to speak to souls,
Heart, the sweet refuge of the hidden life,
Heart, teacher of the secrets of union with God,
Heart of Him who sleeps yet ever watches,
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, have pity on us.
Jesus, victim, I desire to console Thee.
I unite myself to Thee, and sacrifice myself with Thee.
I annihilate myself in Thy presence.
I would forget myself to be mindful of Thee.
I would be forgotten and despised for love of Thee.
And be neither understood nor loved, unless by Thee.
abandon myself to lose myself in Thee.
Grant that I may thus appease Thy thirst, the thirst for my sanctification and salvation, and that being purified I may bestow on Thee a pure and true love.
I would not longer weary Thy patience; take possession of me, I give myself to Thee.
I offer Thee all my actions, my intellect to be illuminated by Thee, my heart to be guided by Thee, my will to be made strong, my soul and body to be nourished, my misery to be lightened.
Eucharistic Heart of my Jesus, whose blood is the life of my soul, may it be no longer I that live but do thou alone live in me. Amen.
II
ACT OF CONSECRATION
JESUS, adorable Lord, hidden in Thy sacrament of love. Thou Who abidest with us to sweeten our exile, should I not occupy myself in consoling Thee in Thine? To Thee Who givest me Thy Heart, how should I not offer Thee mine?
Truly, to give myself to Thee is to benefit myself; it is to find an ineffable treasure, a heart, loving, disinterested, and faithful, such as I would wish my own to be. I can not be forever receiving, and giving nothing in return. Dear Lord, I could never vie with Thee in generosity, but I love Thee; deign to accept my poor heart, and though it is worthless, yet because Thou lovest it it may become something by Thy grace; make it good and take it into Thy custody.
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, I consecrate to Thee all the powers of my soul, and all the powers of my body; I desire to apply myself to the work of knowing Thee and loving Thee ever more and more, in order to make Thee better known and loved by others. I would do nothing except what tends to Thy glory, nor act in anything but as Thy divine Father wills. I consecrate to Thee all the moments of my life in a spirit of adoration before Thy real presence, in a spirit of thanksgiving for this incomparable gift, of reparation for our cruel indifference, and of incessant supplication, so that our prayers offered to Thee, with Thee, and in Thee may rise to the throne of divine mercy pure and efficacious, and for God's eternal glory. Amen.
III
EJACULATION
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, on fire with love of us, inflame our hearts with love of Thee.
IV
ACT OF REPARATION
Eucharistic Heart of my God, living and beating under the veil of the sacred species, I adore Thee.
Moved afresh with love for the immense benefit of the divine Eucharist, penetrated with sorrow for my ingratitude, I humble and annihilate myself in the still greater abyss of Thy mercies.
Thou didst choose me from childhood; Thou didst not despise my infirmity; Thou didst descend into my poor heart, and giving it happiness and peace, didst invite it to mutual love; and I have lost all, by being unfaithful to Thee, O Jesus, my Lord. I have allowed my spirit to become dissipated and my heart to grow cold; I have listened to my own voice and have forgotten Thee.
Thou wouldst have been my guide, my counsellor, protector of my life, and I, allowing my passions to destroy the sweet attraction of Thy presence, have lost sight of Thee and forgotten Thee.
In the salutary trials of our probation, in times of joy and consolation, in my difficulties and necessities, instead of having recourse to Thee, I have gone after creatures and have forgotten Thee.
I have forgotten Thee in deserted tabernacles, where Thy love languishes, in the churches of towns where Thou art outraged in the hearts of the indifferent and sacrilegious, and in my own sinful heart, O Jesus, as well when I approached to receive Thee, as after receiving Thee.
Eucharistic Heart of my Saviour, the delight of my first communion and of the days of my fidelity, I surrender to Thee. Return! Return! draw me to Thyself afresh. Pardon me yet again this time; and I shall hope everything in the strength of Thy love.
Glorious Archangel St. Michael and thou, O beloved St. John, offer my reparation to Jesus and be propitious to me. Amen.
Indulgence of 200 days each time, for each of the four Acts. — Leo XIII, February 6, 1890.
Acts of Devotion in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Suitable for a novena in honor of the Holy Eucharist (e.g. for the feast of Corpus Christi or in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus).
I. The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt amongst us.
ETERNAL Word, made Man for love of us, humbly kneeling at Thy feet we adore Thee with the deepest veneration of our souls; and in order that we may repair our ingratitude for this great benefit of Thy incarnation, we unite ourselves to the hearts of all those who love Thee, and together with them we offer Thee our humble, loving thanksgiving. Pierced by the excess of humility, goodness, and sweetness which we behold in Thy divine Heart, we beseech Thee to give us Thy grace, that in our lives we, too, may imitate these virtues so dear to Thee.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
2. He was crucified also for us; suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried.
JEsus, our loving Saviour, humbly kneeling at Thy feet we adore Thee with the deepest veneration of our souls; and, in order that we may give Thee proof of the sorrow we feel at our insensibility to the outrages and sufferings which Thy loving Heart made Thee undergo for our salvation in Thy painful Passion and death, we here unite ourselves with the hearts of all those who love Thee, and together with them we give thanks unto Thee with our whole soul. We wonder at the boundless patience and generosity of Thy divine Heart; and we entreat Thee to fill our hearts with such a spirit of Christian penance as may enable us courageously to embrace suffering, and to make Thy cross our great comfort and all our glory.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
3. Thou didst give them Bread from heaven to eat, containing in itself all sweetness.
JEsus, Who dost burn with love for us, humbly kneeling at Thy feet we adore Thee with the deepest veneration of our souls; and, in order to make Thee reparation for the outrages which Thy divine Heart daily receives in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, we unite ourselves with the hearts of all those who love Thee, and give Thee tenderest thanks. We love in Thy divine Heart this Thy incomprehensible fire of love toward thy Eternal Father, and we entreat Thee to inflame our hearts with ardent charity toward Thee and toward our neighbor.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father,
LASTLY, O most loving Jesus, we pray Thee, by the sweetness of Thy divine Heart, convert the sinner, console the afflicted, help the dying, lighten the pains of the souls in purgatory. Make all our hearts one in the bonds of true peace and charity, deliver us from sudden and unforeseen death, and grant us a death holy and peaceful. Amen.
EJACULATION
V. Heart of Jesus, burning with love of us,
R. Inflame our hearts with love of Thee.
Let us pray
GRANT, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who glory in the Most Sacred Heart of Thy well-beloved Son, and call to mind the chief benefits of His heavenly charity towards us, may be gladdened by the operation and the fruit of those graces in our souls. Through the same Christ, etc.
O divine Heart of my Jesus! I adore Thee with all the powers of my soul; I consecrate them to Thee forever, together with all my thoughts, my words, my works, and my whole self. I purpose to offer to Thee, as far as I am able, acts of adoration, love, and glory, like unto those which Thou dost offer to Thine eternal Father. I beseech Thee, be Thou the reparation for my transgressions, the protector of my life, my refuge and asylum in the hour of my death. By Thy sighs, and by that sea of bitterness in which Thou wast immersed for me throughout the whole course of Thy mortal life, grant me true contrition for my sins, contempt of earthly things, an ardent longing for the glory of heaven, trust in Thy infinite merits, and final perseverance in Thy grace.
Heart of Jesus, all love! I offer Thee these humble prayers for myself, and for all who unite with me in spirit to adore Thee; vouchsafe, of Thy infinite goodness, to receive and to answer them, and especially for that one of us who shall first end this mortal life. Sweet Heart of my Saviour, pour down upon him, in the agony of death, Thine inward consolations; place him in Thy sacred wounds, cleanse him from every stain in that furnace of love, that so Thou mayest open to him speedily the entrance into Thy glory, there to intercede with Thee for all those who yet tarry in their land of exile.
Most holy Heart of my most loving Jesus, I purpose to renew these acts of adoration and these prayers for myself, miserable sinner that I am, as well as for all who are associated with me to adore Thee, every moment while I live, down to the last instant of my life. I recommend to Thee, my Jesus, the Holy Church, Thy well-beloved Spouse, our own true Mother, the souls that undergo Thy justice, ah poor sinners, those who are in affliction, the dying, and all mankind — let not Thy blood be shed in vain for them; and, last of all, vouchsafe to receive my poor prayers for the relief of the souls in purgatory, and, above all, for those who in the course of their life were wont devoutly to adore Thee.
Most loving heart of Mary, which, among the hearts of all creatures of God, art at once the most pure, most inflamed with love for Jesus, and most compassionate toward us poor sinners, gain for us from the Heart of Jesus our Redeemer all the graces which we ask of thee. Mother of mercies, one single throb, one beat of thy heart, all on fire with love toward the Heart of Jesus, offered to Him by thee has power to console us to the full. Only grant us this favor and the Heart of Jesus, out of that filial love it had and will ever have for thee, wall not fail to hear and answer us. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days, once a day. — Pius IX, June 18, 1876.
Novena of the Sacred Heart.
Indulgence of 300 days, each day; plenary indulgence during the novena or octave on the usual conditions.— Pius IX, Nov. 26, 1876.
This novena may be made for the Feast of the Sacred Heart, and once during the year as well, with any form of prayers approved by competent ecclesiastical authority.
Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
By Blessed Margaret Mary
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, that my whole being may be devoted to honoring, loving, and glorifying Him.
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.
Indulgence of 300 days, applicable to the souls in purgatory. — Leo XIII, June i, 1897.
Note. — This Consecration, which was the first composed by Blessed Alargaret Mary in honor of the Sacred Heart and called by her "The Little Consecration," possesses the very precious privilege of having been inspired and recommended by Our Lord Himself to His faithful servant.
In a letter to Pere Croiset, Blessed Margaret Mary recommends to him to insert in his work upon devotion to the Sacred Heart The Little Consecration. " For," says she, "it comes from Him, and He will not be pleased at its omission."
In several of her letters, we again find the same prayer recommended very earnestly to persons in communication with the Blessed Sister. "I send you," she says, a little Consecration to this Divine Heart that every one of you may make it in private." (Letter XXXVII to Mere de Saumaise, March 2, 1686, Vol. II, p. 3.) And in another to a Religious I who asked her advice: "I am sending you a little Consecration to wear on your heart with a picture.
The autograph of this first Consecration is preserved in the monastery of Nevers, along with a picture of the Sacred Heart, sent by the Blessed Sister to Mere de Sondeilles, of Moulins, Sept. 15, 1686. It is beneath and on the back of the picture that we read the little prayer written by herself.
Daily Act of Oblation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O LORD Jesus Christ, in union with that divine intention with which Thou didst on earth offer praises to God through Thy sacred Heart, and now dost continue to offer them in all places in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and wilt do so to the end of the world, I most willingly offer Thee, throughout this entire day, without the smallest exception, all my intentions and thoughts, all my affections and desires, all my words and actions, that they may be conformed to the most sacred heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary ever immaculate.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Dec. 19, 1885.
Ejaculations
May the Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Pius IX,
Sept. 23, 1860.
Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, make
my heart like unto Thine.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, Sept. 15, 1905.
May the Heart of Jesus in the most blessed Sacrament be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Pius IX, Feb. 29, 1868.
O sweetest Heart of Jesus ! I implore That I may ever love Thee more and more.
Indulgence of 300 days, each time. — Pius IX, Nov. 26, 1876. — The New Raccolta."
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.
Indulgence of 300 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, May 21, 1892.
Heart of Jesus, burning with love of us, inflame our hearts with love of Thee.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, July 16, 1893.
Let us, with Mary immaculate, adore, thank, pray to and console the most sacred and well-beloved eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
Indulgence of 200 days, every time; plenary indulgence on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, on the usual conditions, if said every day for a year. — Pius X, Dec. 19, 1904.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us!
Indulgence of 100 days, every time. — Pius X, July 9, 1904.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, June 27, 1906.
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, Dec. 26, 1907.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come!
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, May 4, 1906.
Jesus, Mary, Joseph
Indulgence of 7 years and 7 quarantines. — Pius X, June 16, 1906.
Jesus, Mary, and good Joseph, bless us now and in the agony of death.
Indulgence of 50 days. — Pius X, June 9, 1906. Divine Heart of Jesus, convert sinners, save the dying, deliver the holy souls from purgatory.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, Nov. 6, 1906.
Ejaculations of Blessed Margaret Mary
O heart of love, I place all my trust in Thee: for though I fear all things from my weakness, I hope all things from Thy mercies.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, June 3, 1908.
Ejaculations to Our Lady
Mary, our hope, have pity on us.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, Jan. 8, 1906.
Our Lady of good studies, pray for us.
Indulgence of 300 days, once a day. — Pius X, May 22, 1906.
Mary, most sorrowful Mother of all Christians, pray for us.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X,
June 27, 1906. Prayer to St. Joachim
St. Joachim, spouse of Anna, father of the benign Virgin, aid thy clients here on the way to salvation.
Indulgence of 300 days. — Pius X, June 16, 1906.
Indulgenced Acts of Adoration and Thanksgiving
We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
I ADORE Thee, eternal Father, and I give Thee thanks for the infinite love with which Thou didst deign to send Thy only-begotten Son to redeem me, and to become the food of my soul. I offer Thee all the acts of adoration and thanksgiving that are offered to Thee by the angels and saints in heaven and by the just on earth. I praise, love, and thank Thee with all the praise, love, and thanksgiving that are offered to Thee by Thine own Son in the Blessed Sacrament; and I beg Thee to grant that He may be known, loved, honored, praised, and worthily received by all, in this most divine Sacrament.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
I ADORE Thee, eternal Son, and I thank Thee for the infinite love which caused Thee to become man for me, to be born in a stable, to live in poverty, to suffer hunger, thirst, heat, cold, fatigue, hardships, contempt, persecutions, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, and a cruel death upon the hard wood of the cross. I thank Thee, with the Church militant and triumphant, for the infinite love with which Thou didst institute the most blessed Sacrament to be the food of my soul.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
I ADORE Thee in all the consecrated hosts throughout the whole world, and I return thanks for those who know Thee not, and who do not thank Thee. Would that I were able to give my life to make Thee known, loved, and honored by all, in this sacrament of love, and to prevent the irreverences and sacrileges that are committed against Thee! I love Thee, divine Jesus, and I desire to receive Thee with all the purity, love, and affection of Thy blessed Mother, and with the love and affection of Thy own most pure Heart. Grant, O most amiable Spouse of my soul in coming to me in this most holy Sacrament, that I may receive all the graces and blessings which Thou dost come to bestow on us, and let me rather die than receive Thee unworthily.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
I ADORE Thee, eternal Holy Ghost, and I give Thee thanks for the infinite love with which Thou didst work the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation, and for the infinite love with which Thou didst form the sacred body of Our Lord Jesus Christ out of the most pure blood of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to become in this sacrament the food of my soul. I beg Thee to enlighten my mind, and to purify my heart and the hearts of all men, that all may know the benefit of Thy love, and receive worthily this most blessed sacrament.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
Tantum Ergo
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail.
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defect supplying Where the feeble senses fail.
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son Who reigns on high,
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from each eternally.
Be salvation, honor, blessing.
Might and endless majesty:
V. Thou gavest them bread from heaven.
R. And therein was sweetness of every kind.
Let us pray
O God, Who, under this wonderful Sacrament, hast left us a memorial of Thy Passion: grant us the grace, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy body and blood, that we may ever feel within us the fruit of Thy redemption. Who livest and reignest. for ever and ever. Amen.
Plenary indulgence on usual conditions to all who
after confession and communion, on the first Thursday of the month, shall visit with devotion the Blessed Sacrament; 7 years and 7 quarantines on all the other Thursdays of the year; 100 days on any other day of the year, to those who say them with a contrite heart before the Blessed Sacrament. — Pius VI, Oct. 17, 1796.
An Act of Reparation in Honor of the Blessed Sacrament.
MOST adorable Saviour, in Thy wondrous love for us Thou dost remain in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, in order to be the perpetual sacrifice of the New Law, the propitiatory victim for our sins, the life-giving manna of our souls, our powerful mediator, our good master, and our best friend.
But, alas! with what ingratitude on our part has Thine infinite goodness been repaid. Prostrate before Thy veiled majesty, at the foot of the altar, where Thou art as truly and really present as in heaven, we come to make reparation and offer atonement for all the injuries inflicted on Thee in the sacrament of Thy love.
O divine Jesus, O meek and humble Jesus, accept our feeble efforts to compassionate Thy suffering Heart, and to make a fitting reparation to Thy outraged majesty for all blasphemies, profanations, and sacrileges ever committed; for our own want of devotion and reverence in Thy sacred presence, for our poor preparations and thanksgivings at holy communion, and for the little fruit we have drawn from holy communion through our own fault.
Pardon, O Lord, pardon, we beseech Thee, these and all our offenses against Thee. We are truly sorry for having sinned, because Thou art infinitely good and sin displeases Thee. Thou wilt not despise a contrite and humble heart. We offer Thee our poor hearts filled with sentiments of sincere repentance and deep affection. We offer Thee, in atonement. Thy own bitter sufferings, the sorrows of Thy blessed Mother, and the merits of all the saints. By the fervor of our love we desire to make amends to Thee for the injuries inflicted on Thee by ourselves, by infidels, heretics, and all negligent Christians. Yes, Jesus, we love Thee now above all things, and we are resolved to please Thee by doing Thy will and by faithfully discharging the obligations of our state of life. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven! How happy should we be, O Jesus, could we but make reparation to Thy glory, by our respect, by our zeal, aye, even by the shedding of our blood. At least, most adorable Saviour, grant us the grace to love Thee in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, with the most tender, the most generous, the most perfect, the most constant love.
EJACULATIONS
O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine!
Virgin most holy, by thy holy and immaculate heart, make us enter into the adorable Heart of thy divine Son, Jesus Christ, that we may learn to be meek and humble, chaste and gentle and kind.
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us!
Dear St. Joseph! obtain for us the gift of prayer and of perpetual union with Jesus and Mary. Amen.
Spiritual Communion
Jesus, my Saviour and my God! I am not worthy to appear before Thee, for I am a poor sinner; yet I approach Thee with confidence, for Thou hast said, "Come to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." Thou wilt not despise a contrite and humble heart. I am truly sorry for my sins, because by them I have offended Thee, Who art infinitely good. Whatever may have been my foolish transgressions in the past, I love Thee now above all things, and with all my heart. I desire, good Jesus, to receive Thee in holy communion, and since I can not now receive Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness.
Come, my Lord, my God, and my All! Come to me, and let me never again be separated from Thee by sin. Teach me Thy blessed ways; help me with Thy grace to imitate Thy example; to practise meekness, humility, charity, and all the virtues of Thy sacred Heart. My divine Master, my one desire is to do Thy will and to love Thee more and more; help me that I may be faithful to the end in Thy service. Bless me in life and in death, that I may praise Thee forever in heaven. Amen.
Shorter Acts for a Spiritual Communion
I
I BELIEVE that Thou, O Jesus, art in the Most Holy Sacrament! I love Thee and desire Thee! Come into my heart. I embrace
Thee; oh, never leave me! II
MY Jesus, I love Thee with my whole heart, and I wish to live always united to Thee. As I can not now receive Thee sacramentally, I receive Thee in spirit. Come, then, into my soul; I embrace Thee, and I unite my entire self to Thee; and I beseech Thee never more to allow me to be separated from Thee.
III
MY Jesus, living in the blessed Eucharist, come and live in my heart in the might of Thy love, by which all within me may become transformed. Reign in me over all my faculties, so that I may no longer live or act but by Thy life and movement. Be Thou, O my Love, the Life of my life, that so each day my heart may become more and more like Thine.
IV
MY sweet Jesus, come into my poor heart and remain with me. Poor as it is, may it be to Thee a sanctuary from those who hate Thee, as Thy Heart is to me a refuge and a
sanctuary from my enemies. V
My heart is ready, O my Jesus, to receive Thee. Enter, and stay with me, for the day is far spent. Tribulation draws nigh and there is none to help, but if Thou art with me, I shall not fear.
Indulgenced Acts in Honor of the Blessed Sacrament
Reverent Genuflection and Devout Invocation Before the Blessed Sacrament
1. For reciting in any language the invocation, Jesus, my God, I adore Thee here present in the
sacrament of Thy love," whilst devoutly genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament enclosed in the tabernacle, one hundred days indulgence, each time.
2. For reciting the same invocation whilst adoring with a double genuflection the Blessed Sacrament solemnly exposed, three hundred days, each time.
3. For making an exterior act of reverence in passing by a church or oratory where the Blessed Sacrament is kept, one hundred days each time.
Pius X (S. Cong. Indul., July 13, 1908). Prayers to the Holy Ghost in Connection with Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and Communion Devotions[1]
I
O HOLY Ghost, help me to receive Jesus with love and reverence. Thou art my teacher and my sanctifier, and by Thee I live. Thou givest light and strength to my soul. Jesus, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, is my Saviour and my God. I long to be with Him, that He may abide more in me and I in Him. He is the Bread of life, the true Bread of God. I long to feed with adoration on that living Bread. Be with me, O Blessed Spirit, as I draw near to the altar, and give me always more faithfulness to Jesus and more love for Him.
II
IN the light of the tabernacle I ask Thee, O Holy Ghost, to fill my heart with pure desire for Jesus, the living Bread. Give me grace to adore Him with the holy angels, that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that His will may be done in my soul. Help me to thank Him for all His gifts, and most of all for Himself. By this Holy Sacrament He strengthens souls on earth, and gives rest to souls in purgatory, and gladdens souls in heaven. He is the hidden Manna, promised by Himself to all who overcome. Thy grace will bring me in safety to God. May I taste the sweetness of Jesus! May my soul be kept by Thee very bright for the coming of my Spouse!
III
CLEANSE my heart, O Holy Spirit, by this heavenly food, wherein Jesus gives me Himself. Strengthen my faith, that I may see Jesus in this sacrament of His body and blood. There is in me a law by which I am in danger of falling into the captivity of sin. I have often to go on my heavenward way through darkness and many temptations, but Thou art my light and my strength. In Thee I trust. By Thy grace I can do all things that Jesus wishes me to do. Be ever in my soul as the dew of the light. With utter trust I rest upon Thee, and believe the testimony which Thou givest. Set up more and more Thy kingdom in my soul, that I may keep my body under, and bring it to subjection, lest I should be a castaway from Jesus and from Thee.
IV
O HOLY Ghost, let my life be hidden with Jesus in God. Give me grace to live for God only, and to use creatures in Him and for His sake. Let the beauty of God blind me to the beauty of the world, and let the light of God blind me to the light of earth. Thou, O my God, art brighter than all things and sweeter. Take away from my soul all the dross and purify it, giving it light and strength. To Thee, Spirit of deathless love, I turn for help. Take from me all human respect; for wrong regard of creatures blights the soul, so that its fruits are withered. Help me to be more faithful to Jesus, my Love, Who is coming to me from His altar. He is my life, as Thou art my life, and as the eternal Father is my life. Give me more love, that I may welcome Jesus as He comes to me in the hidden light, and the freshness of the morning dew.
V
O HOLY Ghost, fill me with the fear of the Lord, and drive far from me all thoughts of presumption. Save me from guilt like this. Keep me from offending God; and keep me from the wounds of His anger. Make me feel His goodness, and fill my heart with thankfulness. If I am faithful to Thee, Thou wilt give me much grace; if I am unfaithful, Thou wilt give me little grace, or, it may be, none at all. Dwell in my soul more and more, that I may be faithful with a great faithfulness, and inherit the fulness of Thy promises.
VI
O HOLY Ghost, give me a great hunger for the Bread of life. Do Thou, by that Bread which is Jesus, satisfy my soul, and strengthen it, and make it full of life. I am needy with a great need; but this Bread of heaven is the life of the poor; let it be my life. I am very poor and needy; but Thou, my own Lord, dost always care for me. Without Thee, Blessed Spirit, I can not say, Jesus: without Thee, Helper of the needy, I can not feed on Him Who is the Bread from heaven.
O Spirit of peace, give me a great love for the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
O Spirit of reconciliation, help all darkened souls, and bring them back to life.
O Spirit of mercy, help the souls that are now suffering in the fire of purgatory. I ask Thee, by Thine own goodness, to give them refreshment and joy and white robes of consoling love.
O most pitiful Spirit, give me a great joy in this Sacrament of love. Thou dwellest in me, and by Thee I live to God. Thou makest me a temple of Thyself and of the Father and the Son. Thou makest me an heir of God. Bring me now, dear Spirit, in light to the altar; bring me in light to my grave; bring me in light to the city of the King and the song of the morning stars.
VII
ETERNAL Father, wash me from my sins in the blood of Jesus.
Eternal Son, fill me with the fire of Thy Heart.
Eternal Spirit, make me glad with the sweetness of the soul of Jesus.
O eternal Father, crush all the powers of evil under my feet. Let me walk upon the asp and the basilisk; let me trample under foot the lion and the dragon by the blood of Thy Son.
O eternal Son, pour into my soul abundant gifts of grace. Thou didst die for me on the cross. There Thou didst merit for me the treasures of grace which now Thou givest. Thou didst give me Thyself in shedding of blood and in dimness of death. Now Thou givest me Thyself in outpouring of gladness and in Thy deathless life. Thou wast dead, and art alive forever.
O eternal Spirit, hide me more and more with God, and let there be in me more and more of the mind of Jesus. Touch the lips of my soul and give me a taste for this Bread of God, that I may know the graciousness of my Jesus, and the sweetness of His blood. The love of God is shed abroad in my heart, for Thou, O Holy Ghost, art given to me. Oh, lift me up, dear Spirit, from the dust. Oh, bring me in Thine own good time to the pavement of pure gold as clear as crystal. Fill my soul with Thy dew; fill it with Thy fire. There is no dew like Thine; and there is no fire like Thine. They mingle together in the fruitfulness of the garden of the Spouse. They mingle with the blood of Jesus, and with the water from His side. Oh, fire of the Holy Ghost, gentle and sweet as dew! Oh, dew of the Holy Ghost, piercing and cleansing as fire! O Holy Ghost, Whom I love, lift Thy little one to Thine uncreated Heart.
O Blessed Trinity, show me the hidden things of the blood of Jesus, the holy mystery of Thy Church.
Petitions to Jesus in the Tabernacle
O JESUS, I thank Thee for all the graces I have received through Thy real presence in the tabernacle; grant me an ardent love for the Sacrament of Thy love; grant that my visits to Thee in the Blessed Eucharist may sanctify me, make me resemble Thee, and render me more pleasing to Thee.
Dispose me better for the worthy and fruitful reception of holy communion and increase in me the desire of honoring Thee and of causing others to love and honor Thee more in the Blessed Sacrament.
I recommend to Thee the wants of my soul, the needs of my family, of my friends and benefactors, and of all who have asked me to pray for them. Preserve us from all deliberate sins, forgive us those that we have committed, and fill us with the penitential spirit. Send Thine aid to the holy Church, the Sovereign Pontiff, the bishops, priests. Religious, and all the faithful. Direct the labors of apostolic missionaries. Convert infidels, heretics, and sinners, and lead them to sincere repentance. O my Jesus, grant me the inestimable gift of final perseverance. Let me attain to that degree of virtue which is requisite for obtaining the degree of glory to which Thou hast destined me. Preserve me from sudden and unforeseen death, and let me be fortified in my departure for eternity by the grace of Extreme Unction and the Holy Viaticum. Save me through the mercy of Thy divine Heart, grant me the grace at the hour of my death to love Thee with a disinterested love like that with which Thou didst love me in Thy last hour on the cross. Amen.
V. Blessed and praised every moment
R. Be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
V. Lord, hear our prayers;
R, And let our cry come unto Thee.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
EJACULATION
My God, unite all minds in the truth and all hearts in charity.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius X, January 21, 1905; May 30, 1908.
N.B. Recite also the prayers for the Church and for the Civil Authorities, p. 756, and the Universal Prayer, p. 760. Petition for the Holy Souls in Purgatory
O MY God, I recommend to Thy clemency the holy souls in purgatory, and especially those to whom I am most indebted by the bond of charity or of justice; and chiefly I implore Thee in behalf of those who, during their life, were most devout to the Blessed Sacrament; as also those who have most loved the Blessed Virgin. For this I offer Thee, my good Jesus, Thy wounds. Thy agony, Thy death, and all the merits of Thy most bitter Passion. These holy souls love Thee and desire most ardently to be united with Thee. Hear, then, dear Lord, and grant this my prayer in their behalf, which I present to Thee in the words of Thy holy Church: Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis." — Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them."
Requiescant in pace. Amen.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
N.B. Pity the poor souls and recite for their relief some indulgenced prayers and ejaculations.
Prayer to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist
DEAR Jesus, in the Sacrament of the Altar, be forever thanked and praised. Love, worthy of all celestial and terrestrial love! Who, out of infinite love for me, ungrateful sinner, didst assume our human nature, didst shed Thy most precious blood in the cruel scourging, and didst expire on a shameful cross for our eternal welfare! Now, illumined with lively faith, with the outpouring of my whole soul and the utmost fervor of my heart, I humbly beseech Thee, through the infinite merits of Thy painful sufferings. give me strength and courage to destroy every evil passion which sways my heart, to bless Thee in my greatest afflictions, to glorify Thee by the exact fulfilment of all my duties, supremely to hate all sin, and thus to become a saint.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Pius IX, Jan. I, 1866.
Indulgenced Acts of Reverence Toward the Blessed Sacrament
Genuflections and Salutations
THE Archbishop of Port-au-Prince in Haiti entreated the Holy Father, in order to move the faithful more and more to show their faith and reverence toward the Blessed Sacrament, that he would grant the following indulgences, applicable to the holy souls in purgatory:
I. For reciting in any language the invocation, Jesus, my God, I adore Thee here present in the sacrament of Thy love," while devoutly genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament enclosed in the tabernacle, 100 days' indulgence, each time.
2. For reciting the same invocation while adoring with a double genuflection the Blessed Sacrament solemnly exposed, 300 days, each time.
3. For making an exterior act of reverence in passing by a church or oratory where the Blessed Sacrament is kept, 100 days, each time.
The Holy Father granted these indulgences as asked (S. Cong. Indul., July 3, 1908).
These indulgences will encourage the slow and reverent genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament, and the pious custom of always raising the hat or slightly bowing in passing before a church door.
An Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
(For the first Friday of the Month)
ADORABLE Heart of Jesus, glowing with love for us and inflamed with zeal for our salvation: O Heart! ever sensible of our misery and the wretchedness to which our sins have reduced us, infinitely rich in mercy to heal the wounds of our souls, behold us humbly prostrate before Thee to express the sorrow that fills our hearts for the coldness and indifference with which we have so long requited the numberless benefits that Thou hast conferred upon us. With a deep sense of the outrages that have been heaped upon Thee by our sins and the sins of others, we come to make a solemn reparation of honor to Thy most sacred Majesty. It was our sins that overwhelmed Thy Heart with bitterness; it was the weight of our iniquities that pressed down Thy face to the earth in the Garden of Olives and caused Thee to expire in anguish and agony on the cross. But now, repenting and sorrowful, we cast ourselves at Thy feet, and implore forgiveness. Adorable Heart of Jesus, source of true contrition and ever merciful to the penitent sinner, impart to our hearts the spirit of penance, and give to our eyes a fountain of tears, that we may sincerely bewail our sins now and for the rest of our days. Oh, would that we could blot them out, even with our blood! Pardon them, O Lord, in Thy mercy, and pardon and convert to Thee all that have committed irreverences and sacrileges against Thee in the sacrament of Thy love, and thus give another proof that Thy mercy is above all Thy works. Divine Jesus, with Thee there are mercy and plentiful redemption: deliver us from our sins, accept the sincere desire we now entertain, and our holy resolution, relying on the assistance of Thy grace, henceforth to be faithful to Thee. And in order to repair the sins of ingratitude by which we have grieved Thy most tender and loving Heart, we are resolved in the future ever to love and honor Thee in the most adorable Sacrament of the Altar, where Thou art ever present to hear and grant our petitions, and to be the food and life of our souls. Be Thou, O compassionate Jesus! our Mediator with Thy heavenly Father, Whom we have so grievously offended, strengthen our weakness, confirm these our resolutions of amendment, and as Thy sacred Heart is our refuge and our hope when we have sinned, so may it be the strength and support of our repentance, that nothing in life or death may ever again separate us from Thee. Amen.
An Act of Consecration and Reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Together with Prayers for the Church and for the Propagation of the Faith
MOST sacred Heart of Jesus! I adore Thee; I offer to Thee all that I am and all that I possess; I consecrate to Thee my soul with all its faculties, my body with all its senses, my heart with all its affections, desiring in all things to honor, love, and glorify Thee; in thanksgiving for the numberless benefits that I have received from Thee, especially in the Holy Eucharist; in atonement for my own sins as well as in reparation for all the offenses that are committed against Thee in the sacrament of Thy love, and, finally, in humble supplication, that I may henceforth be faithful to Thee, that I may please Thee in thought, word, and deed, that I may suffer in patience and in perfect resignation to Thy holy will, that I may become like to Thee in meekness and humility, that I may persevere in Thy love and Thy grace to the end of my life, and that I may praise Thee and bless Thee with the saints and angels in eternity.
We beseech Thee, also. O good Jesus, by Thy sacred Heart, overflowing with sweetness and mercy, to bless our Holy Father, the Pope, and our Holy Mother, the Church; to take under Thy special protection this congregation, our homes, our country, our rulers, our legislators, our bishops, our priests, and all Religious Orders. We recommend to Thee all our concerns, our friends, relatives, benefactors, and all those who have asked us to pray for them; those who are sick and those who are dying, and all who are under any affliction. Cast an eye of compassion on obstinate sinners and heretics and unbelievers.
Give eternal rest to the faithful departed.
Bless in particular the apostolic labors of those who are engaged in giving missions and retreats, in propagating the Faith in heathen lands, in spreading Thy kingdom on earth, and in fostering devotion to Thy most sacred Heart and to the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
Prayer for the Propagation of Faith and Piety
ETERNAL Father, by Thy infinite mercy and by the infinite merits of Thy divine Son Jesus, make Thyself known and loved by all souls, since it is Thy will that all should be saved.
Gloria Patri.
Through the sacred mysteries of human redemption send, O Lord, laborers into Thy harvest, and spare Thy people.
Eternal Word incarnate. Redeemer of the human race, convert all souls to Thyself, since for them Thou wast obedient even to the death of the Cross.
Gloria Patri.
Through the merits and intercession of Thy most holy Mother, and of all the angels and saints, send, O Lord, laborers into Thy harvest, and spare Thy people.
O Holy Spirit of God, by the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, diffuse thy most ardent and all-powerful charity in all hearts, that there may be one Fold and one Shepherd throughout the world, and that all may come to sing Thy divine mercies in Heaven forever. Amen. Gloria Patri.
Indulgence of 7 years and 7 quarantines, once a day. — Leo XIII, Jan. 23, 1894.
Indulgenced Chaplet of the Sacred Heart
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory be, etc.
R. As it was, etc.
Indulgence of 300 days, every time. — Pius VII, March 20, 1815.
I
MY most loving Jesus, when I ponder over Thy most sacred Heart, all tenderness and sweetness for sinners, then doth my heart rejoice, and I am filled with hope of Thy kind welcome. But, ah me, my sins I how many and how great! With Peter and with Magdalen, I bewail and abhor them, because they are an offense to Thee, my Sovereign Good. Oh, grant me pardon for them all. I pray Thy sacred Heart that I may rather die than offend Thee again, and may live only to love Thee.
Pater once, Gloria five times, in honor of the Sacred Heart, then:
Sweet Heart of my Jesus,
Make me love Thee ever more and more.
II
MY Jesus, I bless Thy most humble Heart; and I give thanks unto Thee, Who in making it my model dost urge me with strong pleadings to imitate it, and also, at the cost of so many humiliations, dost vouchsafe Thyself to point out and smooth for me the way to follow Thee. Fool and ungrateful that I am, how have I wandered far away from Thee! Pardon me, my Jesus! Take away from me all hateful pride and ambition, that with lowly heart I may follow Thee, my Jesus, amidst humiliations and so gain peace and salvation. Strengthen me. Thou who canst, and I will ever bless Thy sacred Heart. Pater once, Gloria five times. Sweet Heart, etc.
III
My Jesus, I marvel at Thy most patient Heart, and I give Thee thanks for all the wondrous examples of unwearied patience which Thou hast left us. It grieves me that these examples still have to reproach me for my excessive delicacy, shrinking from every little pain. Pour, then, into my heart, O dear Jesus, a fervent and constant love of suffering and the cross, of mortification and of penance, that, following Thee to Calvary, I may with Thee attain the joys of Paradise. Pater once, Gloria five times. Sweet Heart, etc.
IV
Dear Jesus, beside Thy most gentle Heart I set my own, and shudder to see how unlike mine is to Thine. How am I wont to fret and grieve when a hint, a look, or a word thwarts me! Pardon all my violence, and give me for the future grace to imitate in every contradiction Thy unalterable meekness, that so I may enjoy an everlasting holy peace. Pater once, Gloria five times. Sweet Heart, etc.
V
LET US sing praise to Jesus for his generous Heart, conqueror of death and hell; for well it merits every praise. Still more than ever confounded am I, looking upon my coward heart, which dreads even a rough word or injurious taunt. But it shall be so with me no more. My Jesus, I pray Thee for such strength that, fighting and conquering self on earth, I may one day rejoice triumphantly with Thee in heaven. Pater once, Gloria five times. Sweet Heart, etc.
Now let us turn to Mary, and dedicating ourselves yet more and more to her, and trusting in her mother's heart, we say to her: By all the virtue of thy most sweet heart obtain for me, great Mother of God, our Mother Mary, a true and enduring devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thy Son, that, bound up in every thought and affection in union with His Heart, I may fulfil each duty of my state, serving Jesus evermore with readiness of heart, and specially this day.
V. Heart of Jesus, burning with love of us,
R. Inflame our hearts with love of Thee.
Let us Pray
LORD, we beseech Thee, let Thy Holy Spirit kindle in our hearts that fire of charity which Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, sent forth from His inmost Heart upon this earth, and willed that it should burn exceedingly. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
A Short Act of Consecration to Jesus and Mary
(Recommended to Promoters of the Sacred Heart League)
O JESUS, Saviour of mankind, Thou hast mercifully revealed to us the wonderful riches of Thy Heart; in thanksgiving for Thy benefits, especially for the institution of the Holy Eucharist — in reparation for the offenses against the Blessed Sacrament — in union with Thy mediation in heaven for us, poor sinners, I consecrate myself entirely to Thee, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. I promise to aid in spreading the worship and in promoting the interests of Thy sacred Heart.
I choose, moreover, the Blessed Virgin Mary for my Queen, my Advocate, and my Mother, and I am resolved to imitate her virtues, in particular her love for sinners, and to foster and promote devotion to her Immaculate Conception. I beseech Thee, O Lord, to accept this promise. Thou hast inspired me to make it; grant me the grace to fulfil it. Amen.
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love! Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!
Prayer for a Vist to Jesus
In Behalf of a Municipality
LOOK down, holy Father and Lord, from Thy sanctuary, and from heaven, Thy dwelling-place on high, and behold this sacred Victim which our great high priest. Thy holy child. Our Lord Jesus, offers up to Thee for the sins of His brethren; and be appeased for the multitude of our transgressions. Behold, the voice of the blood of Jesus, our brother, cries to Thee from the cross. Give ear, O Lord! Be appeased, O Lord! Hearken, and do not tarry, for Thine own sake, O my God, for Thy name is invoked upon this city and upon Thy people; and deal with us according to Thy mercy. Amen,
V. That Thou vouchsafe to defend, pacify, keep, preserve, and bless this city.
R. We beseech Thee to hear us.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Pius IX, Feb. 4, 1877.
Form of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Issued with the Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, May 25, 1899, on the consecration of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
MOST sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us, humbly prostrate before Thy 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 to-day 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 their 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 harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one shepherd. Be Thou King also of all those who sit in the ancient superstition of the Gentiles, and refuse not Thou to deliver them out of darkness into the light and kingdom of God. 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 to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor forever. Amen.
Prayer: "O Most Compassionate Jesus!"
O MOST compassionate Jesus! Thou alone art our salvation, our life, and our resurrection. We implore Thee, therefore, do not forsake us in our needs and afflictions, but by the agony of Thy most sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thy immaculate Mother, succor Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy most precious blood.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Pius IX, Oct. 6, 1870.
EJACULATION
| Jesu, Deus meus, super omnia amo Te. | Jesus, my God, I love Thee above all things. |
Indulgence of 50 days. — Pius IX, May 7, 1854.
Hymn to the Sacred Heart[2]
"Be this our lifers one aim To labor for the glory of Thy Name"
O SACRED Heart! what shall I render Thee
For all the gifts Thou hast bestowed on me?
O Heart of God! Thou seem'st but to implore
That I should love Thee daily more and more.
O Heart, Whose reign began upon the Tree
Where Thou didst triumph by humility;
O grant I may Thy hidden ways adore
And know and love Thee daily more and more.
O sacred Heart, I long, I long to love
E'en as the saints with Thee in heaven above,
O dearest Heart, this grace then I implore,
That I may love Thee daily, hourly more.
O Heart of Jesus I come and live in me
That with Thy love my heart consumed may be;
O sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore
That I may love Thee daily more and more.
O sacred Heart! be this our life's one aim;
To labor for the glory of Thy Name.
O dearest Heart! this grace we Thee implore:
That all the world may know and love Thee more.
Alone with God
Alone with God; oh! who can say
The mystery deep these words contain!
It thrills the soul with love and fear
To know and feel that God is near.
Alone, my God, alone with Thee,
The bliss like this for such as me.
How can so mean and vile a thing
Remain alone before her King!
Yet Abram's faith, so firm and pure.
Made hope shine bright when least secure,
And whilst vast stranger-land he trod,
He calmly dwelt alone with God.
Can heart conceive what Moses felt,
When all alone with God he dwelt.
The glowing breath of God so near,
And whispering softly to his ear!
How soft and sweetly time passed there,
Alone with God, and lost in prayer.
His raptured soul beamed forth such light
As dazzled mortals at the sight.
Nor Sinai's height, nor Horeb's fire,
Nor Thabor's sweets need I desire,
If in some little lonely cell,
I may alone with Jesus dwell.
Oh! if my weak heart might be
That little cell, my Spouse, for Thee;
Alone, my God, yes, night and day,
And at Thy feet I'd ever stay.
If oft Thou shouldst the cross bestow
On one who merits nought but woe,
Oh! teach me then alone to be
Attentive to Thy love for me.
And when obedience calls me where
My labors take the place of prayer,
I'll strive to keep my eyes on Thee,
And midst my toils alone to be.
O God of love, come then and dwell
Alone, in this poor humble cell.
Until at last Thy Heart divine
Consumes this wretched heart of mine. Amen.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be our dwelling-place forever. — Leaflets.
Christmas Day
The Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Prayers from the Roman Missal
O God, Who didst make this most sacred night to shine forth with the glory of Him who is the true light of the world; grant that He who, thus revealed to us, has made resplendent our path on earth, may be forever our joy and our light in heaven.
MAY the offerings we bring on this festival day be pleasing to Thee, O Lord; and, adoring the mystery of the Word made Flesh, may we, by Thy grace, be found made like unto Him, Who has united our nature to Thine own.
GRANT, we beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that we who, in joy of heart, keep with threefold celebration of the holy mysteries the feast of the nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, may, by worthiness of life, deserve to rejoice with Him for evermore.
BATHED in the new light brought upon earth by Thine incarnate Word, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, to vouchsafe that the holy faith which ever illumines our minds may in all our actions shine forth to Thy glory before the world.
IN virtue of the birth upon earth of Thine only-begotten Son, vouchsafe, O Lord, to hallow our offerings, and to cleanse us from all stain of sin.
GRANT, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that even as the Saviour of the world, born to us this day, bestowed upon us by adoption the sonship of God; so to Him we may look for the grace of a happy eternity.
Novena for Christmas
INDULGENCES
Three hundred days, each day. Plenary, on Christmas Day, or during the novena or octave, on the usual conditions: confession, communion, and prayer, according to the intentions of the Pope.
N.B. — Many Prayers, Chaplets, and Devotions contained in this hook in honor of Our Divine Lord, the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Name, and the Sacred Heart are quite suitable for a Christmas novena.
Prayer for Christmas
MOST dear Lord Jesus Christ Who, being made an infant for us, wast willing to be born in a cave, to free us from the darkness of sin, to draw us to Thyself, and to inflame us with Thy holy love; we adore Thee as our Creator and Redeemer, we accept and choose Thee for our King and Lord, and for tribute we offer Thee all the affections of our poor hearts. Dear Jesus, Our Lord and God, deign to accept this offering, and that it may be worthy of Thine acceptance, pardon us our faults, enlighten us, and inflame us with that holy fire which Thou earnest to bring into the world and enkindle in men's hearts. May our souls thus become a perpetual sacrifice in Thy honor. Grant that we may ever seek Thy greater glory here on earth, so that we may one day come to rejoice in Thy infinite loveliness in Heaven. Amen.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Jan. 18, 1894.
Prayer Before the Crib
I ADORE Thee, O Word incarnate, true Son of God from all eternity, and true Son of Mary ever Virgin in the fulness of time. When I adore Thy divine person, and the humanity united to Thy divinity, I venerate the poor manger which welcomed Thee when an infant, and which was truly the throne of Thy love. I prostrate myself before it with the simplicity of the shepherds, with the faith of Joseph, with the love of Mary. I bow down in veneration of this precious memorial of our salvation with the same spirit of mortification, poverty, and humility with which Thou, though the Lord of heaven and earth, didst choose for Thyself a manger wherein to lay Thy tender infant limbs. And Thou, O Lord, who in Thine infancy didst deign to lay Thyself in this manger, vouchsafe also to pour into my heart a drop of that joy to which the sight of Thy lovely childhood, and the miracles which accompanied Thy birth, gave rise. By that holy birth, I now implore Thee to grant to all the world peace and goodwill, and in the name of the whole human race I render thanks and honor to God the Father, and to God the Holy Spirit, who with Thee live and reign one God world without end. Amen.
Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Pius IX, Oct. 1,
1861. Versicles, Responses, and Prayers
Christmas Day and Its Octave.
V. The Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
V. Christ hath manifested Himself to us.
R. Come, let us adore.
Let us pray
1. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, Lord of heaven and earth, Who dost reveal Thyself to little ones; grant, we beseech Thee, that we, duly honoring the holy mysteries of Thy Son, the infant Jesus, and daily imitating Him in our lives, may come to the kingdom of Heaven promised by Thee to little children. Through the same Jesus Christ, etc.
R. Amen.
WITH hearts truly grateful,
Come, all ye faithful,
To Jesus, to Jesus in Bethlehem;
See Christ your Saviour,
Heaven's greatest favor.
Let's hasten to adore Him;
Our God and King.
2. Jesus, sweetest Child, born in Bethlehem of Mary, ever Virgin, swathed in rags, laid in the manger, announced by angels, visited by shepherds; have mercy on us. R. have mercy on us. Pater. Ave. Gloria.
O JESUS, born of Virgin bright,
Immortal glory be to Thee;
Praise to the Father Infinite,
And Holy Ghost eternally.
3. O DIVINE Saviour, O King of peace. Who wast pleased to make Thy appearance amongst us when the whole world was in peace; vouchsafe to send us Thy peace, so that all our powers being brought into subjection to Thee, Thou mayest be born anew in our souls. Pater. Ave. Gloria.
4. O DIVINE Saviour, O King of immortal glory, Who, in Thy great mercy, didst come into the world to redeem us and to make us holy; grant that, denying all ungodliness and love of this world, we may live soberly in ourselves, justly toward our neighbor, and piously before Thee, that so we may be happy with Thee for all eternity. Pater. Ave. Gloria.
5. O MY Jesus, Thou well knowest that I love Thee; but I do not love Thee enough. Oh! make me love Thee more. O Love which burnest always and is never extinguished, my God, Thou who art Charity itself, kindle in my heart that divine fire which consumes the saints and transforms them into Thee. Amen.
Christmas Hymns
Adeste Fideles
COME, all ye faithful.
Joyful and triumphant,
O hasten, O hasten to Bethlehem;
See in a manger
The Monarch of angels.
O come and let us worship
Christ the Lord.
God of God eternal.
Light from light proceeding,
He deigns in the Virgin's womb to lie;
Very God of very God,
Begotten, not created.
Sing alleluia.
All ye choirs of angels;
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above
Glory to God
In the highest.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
To Thee, O Jesus, be glory given;
True Word of the Father,
In our flesh appearing.
— Canon Oakeley's translation.
Another Version of the Adeste Fideles
OH, come! all ye faithful!
Triumphantly sing!
Come, and see in the manger
The angels' dread King!
To Bethlehem hasten!
With joyful accord;
Oh, hasten! oh, hasten!
To worship the Lord.
True Son of the Father!
He comes from the skies;
The womb of the Virgin
He doth not despise;
To Bethlehem hasten, etc.
Not made but begotten,
The Lord of all might,
True God of true God,
True Light of true Light;
To Bethlehem hasten, etc.
Hark! to the angels!
All singing in heaven
"To God in the highest
High glory be given."
To Bethlehem hasten, etc,
To Thee, then, O Jesu!
This day of Thy birth,
Be glory and honor
Through heaven and earth.
True Godhead Incarnate!
Omnipotent Word!
Oh, hasten! oh, hasten!
To worship the Lord.
Christmas Carol
ANGELS we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o'er our plains,
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.
Shepherds, why this Jubilee?
Why your rapturous strain prolong?
What may the gladsome tidings be.
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Come to Bethlehem, and see
Him whose birth the angels sing:
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the new-born King,
Sacred Infant all divine.
What a tender love was Thine;
Thus to come from highest bliss,
Down to such a world as this!
Teach, O teach us, holy Child,
By Thy face so meek and mild.
Teach us to resemble Thee.
In Thy sweet humility!
Virgin Mother, Mary blest,
By the joys that fill thy breast
Pray for us that we may prove
Worthy of the Saviour's love.
Hail, purest Victim Heav'n could find
The powers of Hell to overthrow!
Who didst the bonds of Death unbind;
Who dost the prize of Life bestow.
Hail, victor Christ! hail, risen King!
To Thee alone belongs the crown;
Who hast the heavenly gates unbarr'd,
And cast the prince of darkness down.
O Jesus! from the death of sin
Keep us, we pray; so shalt Thou be
The everlasting Paschal joy
Of all the souls new-born in Thee.
To God the Father, with the Son
Who from the grave immortal rose,
And Thee, O Paraclete, be praise
While age on endless ages flows.
— Ibid.