Why a HOLY HOUR
before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament?
PERHAPS MANY still ask that question. To it there is basically only one answer: Jesus Christ, the God-Man, is present....
He is present in that special Eucharistic manner of transubstantiation in which the very substance of the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
St. Thomas taught that the Eucharist is the greatest of miracles ever worked by Christ, to perpetuate his Passion and Sacrifice with us and to be specially present to each individual.
Christ is present there for us, to manifest his great love for us. St. Thomas says, "He cares for us and is there." If we care for him, we would also be there for a Holy Hour or some other form of Eucharistic adoration. Christ had asked this of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque as he had asked the apostles in the Garden of Olives: "Can you not watch one hour with me?"
Vatican II insists that the Christian life is incomplete if it is not Eucharistic. In the Decree on Priests (No. 5) the Council wrote: "Every ministry of the Church and every work of the apostolate are linked with the Holy Eucharist and are directed to it." Of course, this refers primarily to the Eucharistic sacrifice and the Council said so in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (No. 11): "Taking part in the Eucharistic sacrifice, which is the apex and fount of the whole Christian life, the faithful offer the Divine Victim to God and offer themselves with it."
However, it is in the Eucharist that Christians will find unity in Christ: "In the Sacrament of the Eucharistic Bread, the unity of all believers, who form one body in Christ (1 Cor. 10,17) is both expressed and brought about." (Consti. on the Church No. 3)
To stress that this did not refer only to the Eucharistic Sacrifice and the reception of Holy Communion but also to Eucharistic adoration, Pope John XXIII, who called the Council, arranged for the canonization of Blessed Julian Eymard, the apostle of Eucharistic adoration, for the solemnities of the closing of the first session of the Council, that he was to be an example and model of true Catholic renewal.
This leaflet attempts to offer some aids to making a Holy Hour.
I
The first suggestion is: divide the Holy Hour into four 15 minute periods. It is essential to take sufficient time to really visualize the purpose in each period. Do not proceed till you have made that particular purpose clear and definite.
The second suggestion is for that first 15 minute period: dedicate it to a realization of who is present in the Holy Eucharist. Of course you know the answer to that, but think of it until there is in your soul a response of wonder ("is it possible?" "how can that be?" and yet "it is true") and admiration (how wonderful: Jesus is really, truly present here!).
Think of the marvel of this great reality: Christ, the God-Man, is truly present in his divinity as well as his humanity, body and soul. Even: substantially present—the substance of the bread and wine changed into the body and blood of Christ.
Try to realize also how different this presence of Christ is from the presence of God in the whole world, or in us by grace, or in the Church, or in the words of the Holy Scriptures. This is a unique substance, substantially special and different from his presence anywhere else. It is the mystery of his total presence in the great mystery of his love: the incarnation now transubstantiated. This is not just the presence of God but the presence of God as the God-Man via the substance of bread and wine changed into the Body and Blood of Christ.
Consider who he is as God: the Creator; as God-Man: our Redeemer, our Savior-Brother, our Lord and King.
Push your thoughts to search out the meaning of these truths and let your soul rest in the wonder of his loving presence here—for you. Be quiet and listen, too, because God wants to speak to your heart.
If perhaps words of admiration and wonder do not come to you, use the words of some familiar prayers and songs of adoration and praise that you can usually find in any missalette available in most churches. For example: "Down in Adoration Falling," "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name," the "Holy, Holy, Holy" of the Mass, "Now Praise We All Our God," or any Benediction hymn. However, rely on yourself—do not move too quickly to these texts.
These words should be read slowly, with great, deep understanding and always in relation to Christ present before you in the tabernacle: you directing your praise to him who is truly present there! Do not hurry, thinking that you have to finish all or any of these hymns and prayers. Remember that Christ himself said, "Do not prattle on . . . in sheer multiplication of words . . ." (Mt. 6, 8). Make sure that they express the thoughts and desires in your own heart.
II
A suggestion for the second 15 minutes: devote the time to thoughts and prayers of thanksgiving to God as you grasp the wonder of who is present Really: God is with us! the Emmanuel of Christmas.
Momentarily give some fresh thought to the fact: God is with us in this special, most remarkable way. Now let words of thanksgiving rise up in your soul, or just simply give thanks to God for his presence here in such a remarkable way. Thank God for the great Sacrament of the Priesthood and for vocations by which he perpetuates his presence in the Holy Eucharist.
In a parallel situation think of our Blessed Mother's joy when she realized that Christ, the great Messiah, was present within her, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Make her words of the Magnificat your own as you realize that Jesus is equally present here. There hidden in a human body; here hidden under the form of bread. Or with Simeon break out in that beautiful exclamation of delight and contentment when he realized whom he was holding in his arms: "Now, Lord, you may dismiss your servant in peace . . ." or read the words of the joy of Zachary when he could again speak to proclaim the wonder of the presence of the one who would prepare the way of the Lord. Or use the text of Ps. 148.
You might also take some time to recall and thank God for other special blessings and wonders of God: your family, vocation, gift life, opportunity to be in his Presence, special friends, etc. Thank him for his love for you, for his unfailing help in trials and difficulties. Do you really believe that? Think about it till you can really say that in sincerity and heartfelt conviction: that God does love you!
III
A suggestion for the next 15 minutes. Dedicate this to petition. First of all, ask Jesus here present in the Holy Eucharist for the grace that is dearest to him, the grace he wants most for you: the great blessing of redemption and eternal salvation. Just think, for some time what that means . . . for you, for each member of your family, your friends, people of you neighborhood and parish, for all mankind. Think of how marvelous that would be if all would be so blessed: to be in heaven for all eternity! Pray for that! Beg for it: the fulfillment of Christ's greatest intention, the fulfillment of his greatest hope and desire and the main reason for his coming, for which he is preset here. "Come to me all you who labor and al burdened and I will refresh you." For this he was in agony.
Pray for conversions. Pray for particular people, those who are away from the Church and the Sacraments. Pray for the sick and lonely, the discouraged, our youth, the unborn, our country, its leaders. Pray for our Holy Father, and for all priests and religious that they may be so influenced by grace that they will be effective instruments doing the work of God. Pray for vocations to complete the work of Christ. Pray for the grace to know the will of God always in your own life. Pray for peace, God's peace in the hearts of all.
IV
Dedicate the last 15 minutes of the Holy Hour to atonement. Why atonement? A look into one's own conscience and the conscience of the world gives the answer. A mere glance at headlines and you see insults, blasphemies, defiance thrown by man into the face of God. These will make you shudder unless your heart is cold and uncaring. The injuries of man to man when Christ commanded: "Love one another." The ignoring and deliberate pushing aside (for sophisticated, selfish reasons) God's commandments of respect for life. Think of the sins of injustice that cry to heaven for vengeance, the sins of the modern Sodom and Gomorrah that defy the wrath of God. There are also the slurs and insults against the virginity and Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother. There is much need for atonement for the sins of disregard, of refusal to recognize and obey the Holy Father, Christ's own spokesman and Vicar on earth. Think and you will know many, many more reasons for atonement and for begging God's pardon and mercy.
You might wish to express your thoughts of sorrow for all these evils ("sins" expresses it more accurately) by any traditional act of contrition or in the liturgical words of the "Lord, have mercy," the "Lamb of God" or the hymn "O Lord, I am not worthy." In the Litany of the Sacred Heart and the Litany of the Holy Name we find powerful and inspirational motives for praying for pardon and mercy in a great spirit of atonernent. The Litany of our Blessed Mother is very appropriate, asking her under all her titles of honor and power to "pray for all of us." The Litany of the Saints and the Prayer to St. Michael could be expressive of the hopes in your heart.
A slow, thoughtful saying of the Rosary would be very helpful during any phase of a Holy Hour. With our Blessed Mother and with Christ present there before you in the Holy Eucharist, recall and consider those events in his life. Ponder all those things in your heart as you ask our Blessed Mother to pray for us.
Other Suggestions for Holy Hours
Holy Hours can also be made at home, either alone or with one's family. Unite yourself with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the nearest tabernacle or in all the tabernacles of the world. Keep in mind that perspective of being in the presence of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist—perhaps even in some Communist country. Pray for the special problems or topics described above or others you are concerned about. You will find much motivation and inspiration for prayer. Feel free to break from any of these suggestions, ("structures") though at times you will find them helpful. Perhaps even your own inability or reluctance to pray can be a reason for prayer.
The aged, sick and handicapped are urged to make such a Holy Hour of prayer right there in their bed, chair, or home or hospital or wherever. They should unite their sufferings with Jesus crucified and with him atone for the sins of the world. So much suffering could be converted into blessings by such prayer.
Questions Frequently Asked Concerning Eucharistic Adoration
1. What kinds of Eucharistic Adoration are there?
a) a simple, devout, very brief visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
b) a private or public (group) Holy Hour either in church or in the home
c) a traditional Thirteen or Forty Hours of Adoration in a parish.
d) a 3 or 4 or 5 hour Eucharistic Vigil, usually by a larger group with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, perhaps with procession and other devotions.
e) the all-night Eucharistic Vigil (watch) by a similar group, starting in the evening (8 or 9 p.m.) and ending with Mass in the morning (6 or 7 a.m.).
f) perpetual adoration. Some parishes have an organized program of continual adoration with one or several present in church each hour, day and night. Individuals would take the same hour each month, each week, or more frequently.
g) partial adoration. Same method as in "f" except that it would be only one day a week or month or perhaps only from morning (7 or 8 a.m.) to evening (6 or 7 p.m.).
2. What is Eucharistic Adoration?
Eucharistic adoration is the recognition of and honoring this special presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
3. How can a Eucharistic Adoration program be started in a parish?
a) discuss this idea with your pastor, seek his advice, permission and support.
b) try to find support and help from other interested people.
c) arrange for pulpit and bulletin explanations and announcements; make mimeographed explanations available at the door or send them to the homes via the school children, with the support of the faculty.
d) publicize each Eucharistic Adoration that is going to be held, inviting others to come.
e) make it easy for individuals to sign up for particular hours for adoration if you are having any kind of a perpetual or partial adoration.
f) obtain capable and reliable speakers if a homily or meditation is on your program.
This "little aid" has been written to show you that a Holy Hour is not so difficult. Further explanations can be had by writing to:
Franciscan Friars of Marytown
Eucharistic Adoration Department
8000 - 39th Ave.
Kenosha, WI 53140
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/pea/holyhour.htmlHoly Hour
Adoration
Eternal Father, I thank You because Your infinite Love has saved me, even against my own will. Thank You, my Father, for Your immense patience, which has waited for me. Thank You, my God, for Your incommensurate compassion, which has had pity on me. The only return I can make to you in payment for all that You have given me is my weakness, my pain and my misery.
I am before You, Spirit of Love, you who are an ever-burning fire, and I want to remain in Your adorable presence. I want to make reparation for my faults, renew myself in the fervor of my consecration, and render to You my homage of praise and adoration.
Blessed Jesus, I am before You and I want to draw from Your Divine Heart countless graces for me and for all souls, for the Holy Church, and for your priests and religious. Grant, Oh Jesus, that these hours be truly hours of intimacy, hours of love in which I will be granted to receive all the graces that Your Divine Heart has reserved for me.
Virgin Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, I unite myself to you, and beg of you to have me share in the feelings of Your Immaculate Heart.
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You.
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly and I offer You the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners.
Act of Faith and Adoration
I believe, O Jesus, with my liveliest faith that You are present, here, in front of me, under the Eucharistic Species. You, the Eternal Word of the Father, are begotten from all eternity and incarnate in the womb of the Virgin Mother. Jesus Christ, Redeemer and King, I truly believe that You are present in the ineffable truth of Your Divinity and Your Humanity.
Jesus, You are the same Jesus of Bethlehem, the Divine Child, who for my sake will accept banishment, poverty and persecution. You are the Jesus of Nazareth, who for my love, embraced concealment, hardships and obedience. You are the Divine Teacher, who came to teach me the sweet truths of the Faith, to bring the great commandment of love: Your Commandment. You are the Merciful Savior, the One who bends over all my miseries with infinite understanding and moving kindness, always ready to forgive, to heal, to renew. You are the Holy Victim immolated for the glory of the Father and the good of all souls. You are the Jesus, who sweated blood for me in the Garden of Gethsemani; who suffered for me the condemnation of human tribunals, the most painful flagellation, the cruel and humiliating crowning of thorns, the cruel martyrdom of the crucifixion. You are He, who wanted to agonize and to die for me. You are the Risen Jesus, the vanquisher of death, of sin and of hell, who longs to communicate the treasures of Divine Life, which You possess in all its fullness.
My Jesus, You are here, present in the Consecrated Holy Host, with a Heart overflowing with tenderness, a Heart, which loves infinitely. In Your Heart, Jesus, I find the infinite Love, the Divine Charity - God, the beginning of Life - existent and alive. How sweet it is for me, My God, Trinity most blessed, to worship You in this Tabernacle where You are now!
Therefore, I join the angels and the saints, who invisible but present and vigilant around Your Tabernacle, adore You incessantly. I join, above all, Your most holy Mother, and her feelings of profound adoration and intense love, that sprang from her soul from the first instant of Your Incarnation, when she carried You in her immaculate womb.
And while I worship You in this Tabernacle, I do so in all the Tabernacles of the world and especially in those where You are most abandoned and forgotten. I adore you in each Consecrated Host that exists between Heaven and Earth.
I worship You, God the Father, because through Christ, You have descended to my humanity, and because through His adorable Heart, You have united Yourself so closely to man, to me, a poor ingrate creature. I adore You in this church sanctified by the ever current Presence of Your Divine Being. I prostrate myself in profound adoration before Your Sovereign Majesty. Yet, at the same time, love draws me up to You.
I worship You, God the Father, and I love You. My love and my adoration are totally mixed and combined in my soul, so much that I could not tell whether I love more than I adore or adore more than I love. I adore You because I find in You: all power, all holiness, justice and wisdom. You are My Creator and My God. I love You because I find in You all beauty, all kindness, all tenderness and all mercy. I love You because You have given me, as a present, an invaluable treasure.
Jesus is my Treasure. He is mine and at any moment I can draw graces from Him with full hands, since I find this Treasure always abundant. I take all I need from Him, in order to pay my debts, to meet my needs, to find delight, to earn a crown. What ineffable gift is this Jesus, whose Heart overflows with all tenderness! A treasure, which is never depleted, the more I take, the more He gives.
O God the Father, You have loved your creatures so much, that You gave them Your only Son. In order that the majesty of Your Word would imbue us with fear and our souls could address Him with confidence, You clothed Him with flesh like ours. You adorned Him with the most attractive graces. Above all, You gave Him an infinitely perfect Heart, such, that It had to be the abode of Your delights, because in this Heart lives Your Divine Fullness, and in It the most humble of creatures has a place of privilege.
That adored Heart is as immense as Yourself, My God, because It contains You. It is also my dwelling place, since It loves me. In It I meet Your Divinity, and upon seeing me in this sacred refuge, Your just wrath is placated and Your Justice is disarmed.
I adore You, God the Father, through Jesus and in Jesus. I worship Jesus, Your Son, who by His Humanity is My Brother and by His Divinity is My God. I love You through Jesus and with Jesus. I love You through the Heart of Jesus, made mine by love. I love You in Jesus. Through Him my love reaches You. Through Him I can reach You and embrace You.
R/: My God, I acknowledge that You are infinite kindness and I believe in Your Love for me.
† In the sublime mystery of the unity of Your Nature and the Trinity of Your Persons, R/.
† In the harmony of Your innumerable Perfections, R/.
† In the inexhaustible wealth, with which you make beings out of nothing, R/.
† In the peaceful possession of Your eternal Happiness, R/.
† In the infinite Wisdom, with which You govern all things, R/.
† In the unfathomable kindness, with which You elevate man to the dignity of being Your child, R/.
† In the infinite Mercy, with which You tolerate and conserve the sinner, R/.
† In the mysterious decree by which Redemption was established, R/.
† In the infinite debasing of Your Incarnation, R/.
† In the humiliations, the concealment and the labors of Your earthly life, R/.
† In the ignominy of Your Passion and Death, R/.
† In the glory of Your Resurrection, of Your Ascension and of Your triumph in the heavens, R/.
† In Your Divine Heart opened by a lance on Calvary, R/.
† In Your Divine Heart revealed to Your saints in the course of the centuries, R/.
† In Your Divine Heart, beating with Love for us in Your adorable Chest, present in our Tabernacles, R/.
† In Your Divine Heart, overflowing with Mercy for poor sinners, especially in the Sacrament of Penance, R/.
† In Your priesthood, which in the course of the centuries continues Your work of Love and Salvation, R/.
† In Your Vicar, Your visible representative on earth, R/.
† In the Church, which conserves and dispenses the treasures of Your Divine Grace to souls, R/.
† In its infallible Magisterium, its wise ruling, and its unfathomable power to sanctify, R/.
† In Most Holy Mary, Your Mother, enriched with so many privileges and also established as our Mother, Coredemptrix and Advocate, R/.
† In the exuberant fruitfulness with which You produce saints, R/.
† In the moving generosity with which You dispense Your gifts, R/.
† In the mysterious work of grace in the intimacy of the soul, R/.
† In the purifying gift of Your Cross, R/.
† In the marvelous Providence, with which You follow each creature through the course of his life, R/.
† In Your infinite Glory, which You communicate to Your elect, making them eternally happy in Heaven, R/.
Lord, in the recitation of the Gloria at Holy Mass, the Church invites me to give You thanks for Your infinite glory. She invites me to thank You, to glorify You and to praise You for all that You are, My God. For this reason I take pleasure in repeating: I give You thanks for You Are Infinite Love.
After having prostrated myself to worship You in the Heart of Jesus, I want to give You thanks. I thank You, my God, because You are Love, and I thank You for all the gifts of Your Love. And since it is through Jesus that You have given us the most precious gifts, the gifts of supernatural life, it is also through Him, with Him and in Him, that I want to lift up to You this hymn of thanksgiving.
In union with Jesus I thank You, God the Father, for all the personal graces You have bestowed upon me. You gave me life, bringing me out of the void. You have conserved my life, day after day up to this moment. But You have given me another more valuable life, the life of grace, which makes me share in Your own Divine Life. And after the first grace, with which You sanctified me on the day of my Baptism, I have received from You so many more graces that have conserved, increased and, perhaps, regained my supernatural life!
I think of the gifts of Your Love, which I have enjoyed so abundantly:
† In the Church You have given me as my teacher and guide towards eternity.
† In the priests who have conferred on me the gifts of Your Love.
† In the forgiveness, continually renewed.
† In the Eucharist, which has been my nourishment, strength and consolation.
† In the Virgin Mary, who is my good Mother, my consoler, my help and my special protector during every instant of my life.
† In the Paradise You have prepared for me, which with Your grace, I hope to reach.
I look at my life, sown with joys and sorrows, and I understand that all in it has been Love. All of it, O My God, because from Your Loving Heart nothing but Grace and Love can flow.
R/: I thank You, my God.
† For all these things, R/.
† For all the gladness You have allowed me to enjoy; as well as for all the sorrows and trials You have scattered on my path, R/.
† For the known, as well as for the unknown graces, R/.
† For the favors of the past and for those in the future, R/.
† For all You have done in me and for me and for all that You will still want to do in the future, R/.
† Above all for calling me to the knowledge of Your Love and to consecrate myself to It, R/.
† For Your Light and Joy, of which I am far from being worthy, R/.
† For the light and joy that the knowledge of Your Love has brought to my life, R/.
† For the possession of Your Love, which makes You mine, and makes me Yours, R/.
But I do not want and ought not to give thanks for myself only. I give You thanks also for all the gifts which Your Love has poured out on the Church. I give You thanks for all the benefits granted to the angels and to the saints, perpetual praises of Your Love. And I thank You above all, for the innumerable benefits granted to Most Holy Mary, our sweet Mother. I thank You for having made her so great, so holy, so beautiful. I thank You for the privileges that You have given her and for the throne of glory, on which You have placed her. I give You thanks for having made of this creature of Your predilection, a Mother in whom I can and should place all my hopes.
In order to offer a more efficacious thanksgiving, I permit myself, O Lord, to liven it with my love. Therefore, I tell You again and again that I love You with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind and with all my strength.
R/: I love You, my God.
† You, who are infinite Love, R/.
† You, who have saved me by Your Love, R/.
† You, who command me to love You, R/.
† With all my heart, R/.
† With all my soul, R/.
† With all my spirit, R/.
† With all my strength, R/.
† Above all possessions and honors, R/.
† Above all pleasures and joys, R/.
† More than myself and all that belongs to me, R/.
† More than my parents and friends, R/.
† More than all men and angels, R/.
† Above all created things in Heaven and on earth, R/.
† Only for Yourself, R/.
† Because You are the utmost Goodness, R/.
† Because You are infinitely worthy of being loved, R/.
† Because You are infinitely Perfect, R/.
† Even if You had not promised me Paradise, R/.
† Even if You did not threaten me with hell, R/.
† Even if You tried me with misery and misfortune, R/.
† In abundance and in poverty, R/.
† In prosperity and in misfortune, R/.
† In honors and in scorns, R/.
† In joys and in pain, R/.
† In health and in sickness, R/.
† In life and in death, R/.
† In time and in eternity, R/.
† In union with the love, with which all the saints and angels love You in Heaven, R/.
† In union with the love, with which the Blessed Virgin Mary loves You, R/.
† In union with the infinite Love, with which You eternally love us, R/.
O My God, You who possesses in an unfathomable abundance all that is perfect and worthy of love, extinguish in me all culpable, sensual and inordinate love towards creatures. Ignite in my heart the most pure fire of Your Love so that I may love only You, for You, to the point of being consumed in Your Most Holy Love, so that I may go, together with the chosen, to love You eternally in Heaven. Amen.
Lord, now I want to make atonement before You. O Jesus, Divine Victim of our altars, great and only Atoner, I also unite myself to You in order to perform with You and through You, the role of a small atoning soul.
And I also call upon you, O my Mother, that just as you offered your Jesus to the Father at the same time that He immolated Himself for His Glory and for the salvation of souls at Calvary, may you renew at this moment, that mystical offering in my place.
Offer in the chalice of your Immaculate Heart, O sweet Virgin, the sorrows of Jesus together with yours in order to invoke Divine Mercy on me and on the whole world. After having thanked You for your endless gifts, how could I not be troubled at the sight of my many faults and infidelities? How ungrateful and cold I have been in response to your benefits!
Prostrated before You, who has loved me so much, filled with confusion and regret, I beseech Your Pardon and Your Mercy:
R/: O Jesus, have mercy on me!
† For the misuse I made of the natural gifts I received from You: my life, my energy, my time, my senses, my intelligence, my tongue, R/.
† For the great and small acts of disobedience to Your law, R/.
† For the duties, disregarded or carelessly completed, R/.
† For the good I could have done and have not done, R/.
† For allowing many times the triumph of bad inclinations in me; of pride, vanity and egoism, R/.
† For not having practiced Your commandment of charity as You ordained it, R/.
† For having left barren in me so many graces, R/.
† For the lukewarmness with which I practiced my life of piety, R/.
† For the indifference and coldness with which I responded to Your gifts of Love, R/.
† For having many times preferred the creatures and human satisfactions to You and Your consolations, R/.
† For the little fidelity and generosity with which I have lived my consecration, R/.
† For the lack of faith in Your Love and the abandonment of It, R/.
† For the lack of dedication to souls and to the Church, R/.
† For my rebelliousness and lack of love for Your Will, and Your Cross, R/.
I lose myself in Your Presence, O my God.
I kneel at Your Feet.
I prostrate myself in front of You, O Jesus, Divine Host, My Redeemer and Savior, as did Mary Magdalene. And even though it is true that I am unworthy of Your Love, I am certain that You will have for me the same merciful tenderness.
Psalm 51 (50) - The Miserere
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offenses.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
And cleanse me from my sin.
My offenses truly I know them;
My sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
What is evil in your sight I have done.
That you may be justified when you give sentence
And be without reproach when you judge.
O see, in guilt I was born,
A sinner was I conceived.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
That the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your face
And blot out all my guilt.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
Put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
Nor deprive me of your Holy Spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help;
With a spirit of fervor sustain me,
That I may teach transgressors your ways
And sinners may return to you.
O rescue me, God my helper,
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
And my mouth shall declare your praise.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
Burnt offerings from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
In your goodness, show favor to Zion:
Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you would be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
Holocausts offered on your altar.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Being confident that in Your infinite Mercy You have granted me pardon for my countless faults, offenses and acts of negligence, I dare, O Jesus, to also ask pardon for my brothers and sisters.
I think of the untold number of sins being committed in the world, day after day, by individuals and by nations: sins committed by rulers and by subjects; sins of pride, sensuality and covetousness; and sins of thought, word, deed and omission.
For all these sins and for all the poor wretches who commit them, I dare to ask You, O Jesus, for the outpouring of Your infinite Mercy. It is our sins that caused You to agonize in the Garden of Olives, and submerged Your most Holy Soul in a sea of sadness.
Do not forget, O Jesus, that You freely wanted to take up our burden, that You wanted to become sin in order to erase ours. Do not forget, O Jesus, that You offered Yourself to the wrath of the Father in order to rescue Your guilty brothers.
O Jesus, I beg You to renew Your offering to the Father by again presenting Your wounds to Him. Show Him the thorns, the scourging and the nails that pierced Your Flesh, but especially let Him see Your wounded Heart, overflowing with Love for Him and for us, and ask His forgiveness.
Remember, O Jesus, that greater than all our faults is Your Mercy. Pour It, O Jesus, over this guilty world. Seek out the sheep that have strayed away from the herd, and show them the great power of Your saving Love.
And since Your Heart is wounded by the faults of those nearest to You, I beseech Your Forgiveness, O Jesus, for those who renew the kiss of Judas or the denial of Peter. May none carry out Judas’s desperate action, but may Your Grace prompt them, as it did Peter, to a reparation of love.
The Litany of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lord, have mercy on us. R/: Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. R/: Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. R/: Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. R/: Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. R/: Christ graciously hear us.
R/: Have mercy on us.
God, the Father of Heaven,
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God,
Heart of Jesus, infinite majesty,
Heart of Jesus, sacred temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High,
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of Heaven,
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity,
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praises,
Heart of Jesus, King and Center of all hearts,
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity,
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased,
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received,
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful,
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke You,
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium,
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses,
Heart of Jesus, obedient unto death,
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,
Heart of Jesus, victim for sins,
Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in You,
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in You,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints,
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, R/: spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, R/: graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, R/: have mercy on us.
Jesus meek and humble of heart, R/: Make our hearts like Yours.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, R/: I trust in You.
Sacred heart of Mary, R/: save my soul.
Jesus and Mary, I love You with all my soul, save souls, and save my soul.
Supplication
Before leaving this Holy Tabernacle I want, O my Jesus, to have recourse to Your Divine Heart’s infinite wealth.
Consecrated to Your Love, I believe that I can ask for nothing better than the fulfillment of Your own desires. It is Your Divine Desires that I want to present to the Father, before the conclusion of this time of graces, and beg Him in Your Name, to answer them.
The first desire of Jesus is the salvation of souls: to redeem the world by means of love, to establish the Kingdom of infinite Love throughout the earth.
Allow me then, O Jesus, to express my ardent wish that the Kingdom of Your Love be established all over the earth. O infinite Love, living in the Divine Heart of Jesus, make Yourself known to men so that men may love You, as You want to be loved.
The second desire of Jesus is to make use of priests for this great work, to make of them active laborers, and by means of them, to work in souls and in the world.
O Jesus, eternal Priest and Savior of the world, in order to realize this burning desire of Your Heart, multiply vocations, and send many holy workers to Your harvest.
O Jesus, make every priest an authentic sower of Your Love.
I beg You for the Holy Father, for the bishops, for all the priests who have helped me, for all priests.
I ask You, O Jesus, to sustain them during battle, to comfort them in loneliness, to encourage them in their failures, to make their hardships fruitful, and to pour into their hearts your Divine Heart’s Love.
R/: Give us holy priests.
† Lord, to watch over Your honor and glory, R/.
† Lord, to increase our faith, R/.
† Lord, to sustain Your Church, R/.
† Lord, to preach Your doctrine, R/.
† Lord, to defend Your cause, R/.
† Lord, to counteract error, R/.
† Lord, to annihilate the sects, R/.
† Lord, to uphold the truth, R/.
† Lord, to guide our souls, R/.
† Lord, to improve habits, R/.
† Lord, to vanish vices, R/.
† Lord, to illuminate the world, R/.
† Lord, to teach the riches of Your Heart, R/.
† Lord, to teach us to love the Holy Spirit, R/.
† Lord, to have all Your ministers become the light of the world and the salt of the earth, R/.
O Jesus, Holy Priest, we ask You with the greatest humility in our souls to increase priestly vocations and to form them according to the designs of Your loving Heart. Only then will we obtain holy priests, and there will soon be in the world only one flock and only one Shepherd. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
O Jesus, Eternal Priest, Divine Victim, who moved by an impulse of incomparable Love for men, Your brothers, You made Your Heart bring forth the Christian priesthood. Deem worthy to continue pouring over Your ministers the life-giving torrents of Your infinite Love.
Live in Your priests. Transform them into You. Make them, by Your Grace, instruments of Your Mercy. Work in them and through them. Grant that after having clothed themselves completely in You, by the faithful imitation of Your Divine Virtues, they may accomplish the same works that You Yourself accomplished for the salvation of the world, in Your Name and by the power of Your Spirit,.
Divine Redeemer of souls, look how great is the multitude of those who still sleep in the darkness of error. Count the number of the straying sheep, who walk amidst steep cliffs. Consider the throngs of the poor, the hungry, the ignorant and the feeble, who groan in the neglect.
Come back to us, Lord, through Your priests. Truly live again in them. Work through them, and walk again in the world, teaching, forgiving, consoling, sacrificing and renewing the sacred links of love, between the Heart of God and the heart of man. Amen.
Grant, O Jesus, that the labor of Your Love may always be in complete accordance with the purposes, for which You intended. Grant that it expands and consolidates itself, and that it conquers all souls for the sweetest Kingdom of Your Love.
O Jesus, I have asked for Your Kingdom. I do not need to ask for myself, for everything will be given to me. You know what I need. Look, and do what Your Heart suggests. I put my trust in Your Heart. I abandon myself to Your sweet Providence, and I give You thanks for the gift of these hours of intimacy with You. I thank You in union with Mary, for all the benefits that Your Love has yet reserved for me, in time, and in eternity.
The Blessed Mother’s Canticle
"The Magnificat"
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior; for He has looked upon the lowliness of His handmaid.
From now on all generations shall call me Blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is His Name, and His mercy is on His faithful from generation to generation.
He shows mighty deeds with His Arm: He scatters the proud of heart, He throws down the mighty from their thrones, and raises the lowly to high places.
He fills the hungry with good things, while the rich he sends away empty.
He helps Israel, His servant, ever mindful of His Mercy, as He had promised our fathers, in favor of Abraham and his descendants forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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