The Most Sacred Heart Of Jesus

The Catholic Church recognizes the feast day of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus nineteen days after Pentecost, which this year fell on June 28^th. It is a time where, traditionally, believers have reflected upon The Five Wounds which Jesus suffered during The Crucifixion. The Wounded Heart of Jesus being a most Sacred Wound, and the graces that can come from dedicating our prayers in this regard are immensely rewarding.

The Novena Prayer to The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is one which is a very “old school” Catholic ritual and it is a prayer that has been somewhat forgotten in recent years by younger generations of Catholics. It is a devotion that is supposed to bring the individual into a deeper reflection on the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The prayer and connection to the Sacred Heart of Jesus also brings us closer to the understanding that our sin debt has been paid by His sacrifice for us on The Holy Cross in which we are all redeemed.

This is an incredibly powerful message of hope and strength which needs to be more prominent in our daily prayers. The tradition behind the feast day dedicated to this important component of our faith was centered upon the Lord appearing to St. Margaret Mary in 1674 and explaining that this commemoration to the Sacred Heart was needed due to the ingratitude of people to His sacrifice for our salvation.

My own prayer experience with the Novena to The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus began about seven years ago. I was in the middle of some great trials in my life and the Novena prayer helped me because it contains so many aspects of the concept of surrendering my will and to trust in God’s will for my life. The daily recitation of this prayer during my 3 PM prayers surrounding the Chaplet of Divine Mercy helped me immensely during this turbulent part of my life.

I found that the Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus aided me in letting go of all the anxiety, perplexity, and stress that many of my days at that point in my life were marked by; it helped me to refocus my energy and thoughts to a more positive and resilient mindset.

I found that by asking for help from Jesus, I was able to actually move forward and not stay stuck like I had been at other points in my life. I also found that I was more reflective in trying to discern God’s will for me, and humble as well as patient with the process.

In looking back now, that process was one that played out over a long period of time. It took me down some paths that I did not think made sense, but I was open to take them anyway, and I see now in retrospect why I was compelled to follow those twists and turns.

In my experience, I also found that this prayer helped me to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice Our Lord made for my salvation and yours. Jesus suffered and died for us, to take all our sins with Him to The Cross, His Sacred Heart wounded for our transgressions. It is so profoundly humbling to think that God loves us so much and this is also a focal point of hope, eternal life, given through the Crucifixion. I found that I reflected on this reality daily, and my faith grew stronger for it.

I have included a copy of the prayer below, and I encourage all of you to add it to your prayer routine, or to start a prayer routine with this powerful prayer devotion:

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

The prayer also has some additional verses that are like an addendum which you can find on any of the numerous Catholic prayer resource sites online. The prayer card sits in front of me at my desk as a constant reminder of Jesus and His love for me. The one added verse that stands out to me is:

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Your Heart

Our Lord reminds us that being humble, being kind, being meek, and being of service to others are the most important ways we can approach our life. The process of trying to make my heart like the Heart of Jesus, is a daily process of breakthroughs and setbacks which characterize my own flawed human ways.

However, nothing is impossible for God, as Jesus reminds us in the Gospel passage. This prayer helps me to find that hope, that strength, that courage, and that surrender needed to follow the path God has outlined for me. It is my sincere hope it will provide all of you with similar attributes. May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus bless you all and your families and serve as a reminder of His love for you.