Five Approved Litanies
A litany is a liturgical prayer in which the clergy lead and the laity respond. The same responses are repeated in a number of succeeding clauses, and usually, are in the form of responsive petitions. Only the following five litanies are approved for public devotion.
Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus
An indulgence of 7 years. A plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions when this Litany is recited daily for a month.
Lord, have mercy (2x)
Christ, have mercy (2x)
Lord, have mercy (2x)
Jesus, hear us (2x)
Jesus, graciously hear us (2x)
God, the Father of Heaven Response: Have mercy on us
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world
God, the Holy Spirit
Holy, Trinity, one God
Jesus, Son of the living God Response: Have mercy on us
Jesus, Splendor of the Father
Jesus, Brightness of eternal Light
Jesus, King of Glory
Jesus, Sun of Justice
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary
Jesus, most amiable
Jesus, most admirable
Jesus, the mighty God
Jesus, Father of the world to come
Jesus, Angel of great counsel
Jesus, most powerful
Jesus, most patient
Jesus, most obedient
Jesus, meek and humble of heart
Jesus, lover of Chastity
Jesus, our Lover
Jesus, God of Peace
Jesus, Author of Life
Jesus, Model of Virtues
Jesus, zealous for souls
Jesus, our God
Jesus, our Refuge
Jesus, Father of the Poor
Jesus, Treasure of the Faithful
Jesus, good Shepherd
Jesus, true Light
Jesus, eternal Wisdom
Jesus, infinite Goodness
Jesus, our Way and our Life
Jesus, joy of Angels
Jesus, King of the Patriarchs
Jesus, Master of the Apostles
Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists
Jesus, Strength of Martyrs
Jesus, Light of Confessors
Jesus, Purity of Virgins
Jesus, Crown of all Saints
Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus!
From all evil Response: Deliver us, O Jesus
From all sin
From Your wrath
From the snares of the devil
From the spirit of fornication
From everlasting death
From the neglect of Your inspirations
Through the mystery of Your holy incarnation
Through Your nativity
Through Your infancy
Through Your most divine life
Through Your labors
Through Your agony and passion
Through Your cross and dereliction
Through Your sufferings
Through Your death and burial
Through Your resurrection
Through Your ascension
Through Your institution of the Most Holy Eucharist
Through Your joys
Through Your glory
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus!
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, hear us, O Jesus!
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus!
Jesus, hear us (2x)
Jesus, graciously hear us (2x)
Let us Pray
O Lord Jesus Christ, who have said, “Ask and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you”; mercifully attend to our supplications, and grant us the grace of Your most divine love, that we may love You with all our hearts, and in our words and actions never cease to praise You.
Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear and love of Your holy Name, for You never fail to govern those whom You do solidly establish in Your love. Who live and reign world without end. Amen.
Litany of the Sacred Heart
An indulgence of 7 years. A plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions, if the entire Litany with its versicle and prayer is recited daily for a month.
Lord, have mercy (2x)
Christ, have mercy (2x)
Lord, have mercy (2x)
Christ, have mercy (2x)
Christ, hear us (2x)
Christ, graciously hear us (2x)
God, the Father of Heaven Response: Have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world
God, the Holy Spirit
Holy Trinity, one God
Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father Response: Have mercy on us
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, of 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, aflame with love for men
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love
Heart of Jesus, full of confidence and love
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise
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 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 our sins
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those 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
Response: Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Have mercy on us
Jesus, meek and humble of heart
Response: Have mercy on us
Make our hearts like yours
Let us pray
Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Your most beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers You in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Your mercy, in Your great goodness grant forgiveness in the Name of the same Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns in union with You and the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
An indulgence of 7 years. A plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions, if this Litany with its versicle and prayer is recited daily for a month.
Lord, have mercy on us (2x)
Christ, have mercy on us (2x)
Lord, have mercy on us (2x)
Christ, hear us (2x)
Christ, graciously hear us (2x)
God, the Father of Heaven Response: Have mercy on us
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world
God, the Holy Spirit
Holy Trinity, One God
Holy Mary Response: Pray for us
Holy Mother of God
Holy Virgin of Virgins
Mother of Christ
Mother of Divine Grace
Mother most Pure
Mother most Chaste
Mother Inviolate
Mother Undefiled
Mother most Amiable
Mother most Admirable
Mother of Good Counsel
Mother of our Creator
Mother of our Savior
Mother of the Church
Virgin most Prudent
Virgin most Venerable
Virgin most Renowned
Virgin most Powerful
Virgin most Merciful
Virgin most Faithful
Mirror of Justice
Seat of Wisdom
Cause of our Joy
Spiritual Vessel
Vessel of Honor
Singular Vessel of Devotion
Mystical Rose
Tower of David
Tower of Ivory
House of Gold
Ark of the Covenant
Gate of Heaven
Morning Star
Health of the Sick
Refuge of Sinners
Comforter of the Afflicted
Help of Christians
Queen of Angels
Queen of Patriarchs
Queen of Prophets
Queen of Apostles
Queen of Martyrs
Queen of Confessors
Queen of Virgins
Queen of all Saints
Queen Conceived without Original Sin
Queen Assumed into Heaven
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary
Queen of the Family
Queen of Peace
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Have mercy on us
Let us Pray
Grant, we beseech You, O Lord God, that we Your servants, may enjoy lasting health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enter into the joy of eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns in union with You and the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Litany of St. Joseph
An indulgence of 5 years. A plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions, if this Litany with its versicle and prayer is recited daily for a month.
Lord, have mercy on us (2x)
Christ, have mercy on us (2x)
Lord, have mercy on us (2x)
Christ, hear us (2x)
Christ, graciously hear us (2x)
God, the Father of Heaven Response: Have mercy on us
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world
God, the Holy Spirit
Holy Trinity, One God
Holy Mary Response: Pray for us
St. Joseph
Renowned offspring of David
Light of Patriarchs
Spouse of the Mother of God
Chaste guardian of the Virgin
Foster father of the Son of God
Diligent protector of Christ
Head of the Holy Family
Joseph, most just
Joseph, most chaste
Joseph, most prudent
Joseph, most strong
Joseph, most obedient
Joseph, most faithful
Mirror of patience
Lover of poverty
Model of artisans
Glory of home life
Guardian of virgins
Pillar of families
Solace of the wretched
Hope of the sick
Patron of the dying
Terror of demons
Protector of Holy Church
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Have mercy on us
He made him the lord of His household
Response: And prince over all His possessions
Let us pray
O God, who in Your ineffable Providence did vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother; grant, we beseech You, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector. Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.
Litany of the Saints
(a) The faithful who, on the Feast of St. Mark or during the Rogation Days, participate in sacred functions celebrated in a church or public oratory, may gain an indulgence of 10 years. A plenary indulgence, with the addition of Confession, Communion and prayers for the intention of the Holy Father.
(b) If there is no sacred function on the aforesaid days, the faithful may gain an indulgence of 7 years by devoutly reciting the Litany of the Saints.
(c) The faithful who recite this same Litany on any of the remaining days of the year, may gain a indulgence of 5 years. A plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions, when this Litany is recited daily for a month.
Lord, have mercy on us (2x)
Christ, have mercy on us (2x)
Lord, have mercy on us (2x)
Christ, hear us (2x)
Christ, graciously hear us (2x)
God, the Father of Heaven Response: Have mercy on us
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world
God, the Holy Spirit
Holy Trinity, One God
Holy Mary Response: Pray for us
Holy Mother of God
Holy Virgin of Virgins
St. Michael
St. Gabriel
St. Raphael
All you holy Angels and Archangels
All you holy orders of blessed Spirits
St. John the Baptist
St. Joseph
All you holy Patriarchs and Prophets
St. Peter
St. Paul
St. Andrew
St. James
St. John
St. Thomas
St. James
St. Philip
St. Bartholomew
St. Matthew
St. Simon
St. Thaddeus
St. Matthias
St. Barnabas
St. Luke
St. Mark
All you holy Apostles and Evangelists
All you holy Disciples of our Lord
All you holy Innocents
St. Stephen
St. Lawrence
St. Vincent
Sts. Fabian and Sebastian
Sts. John and Paul
Sts. Cosmas and Damian
Sts. Gervase and Protase
All you holy Martyrs
St. Sylvester
St. Gregory
St. Ambrose
St. Augustine
St. Jerome
St. Martin
St. Nicholas
All you holy Bishops and Confessors
All you holy Doctors
St. Anthony
St. Benedict
St. Bernard
St. Dominic
St. Francis
All you holy priest and levites
All you holy monks and hermits
St. Mary Magdalen
St. Agatha
St. Lucy
St. Agnes
St. Cecilia
St. Catherine
St. Anastacia
All you holy virgins and widows
All you holy men and women, saints of God, make intercession for us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord
From all evil Response: O Lord, deliver us
From all sin
From Your wrath
From threatening dangers
From the scourge of earthquake
From plague, famine and war
From sudden and unprovided death
From the snares of the devil
From anger, and hatred, and ill-will
From the spirit of fornication
From lightning and tempest
From everlasting death
Through the mystery of Your holy Incarnation Response: We beseech You, hear us
Through Your coming
Through Your nativity
Through Your baptism and holy fasting
Through Your Cross and Passion
Through Your death and burial
Through Your holy resurrection
Through Your admirable ascension
Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Paracleet
In the day of judgment
We sinners
That You would spare us
That You would pardon us
That You would bring us to true penance
That You would vouchsafe to govern and preserve Your holy Church
That You would vouvhsafe to preserve our Apostolic Prelate, and all orders of the Church in holy religion
That You would vouchsafe to humble the enemies of Holy Church
That You would vouchsafe to give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes
That You would vouchsafe to grant peace and unity to all Christian people
That You would restore to the unity of the Church all who have strayed from the truth and lead all unbelievers to the light of the Gospel
That You would vouchsafe to confirm and preserve us in Your holy service
That You would lift up our minds to heavenly desires
That You would render eternal blessings to all our benefactors
That You would deliver our souls and the souls of all our brethren, relations and benefactors, from eternal damnation
That You would vouchsafe to keep and preserve the fruits of the earth
That You would vouchsafe to grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed
That You would vouchsafe graciously to hear us
Son of God
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Response: Have mercy on us
Christ, hear us (2x)
Christ, graciously hear us (2x)
Lord, have mercy on us (2x)
Christ, have mercy on us (2x)
Lord, have mercy on us (2x)
Our Father…
Psalm 69
Deign, O God, to set me free; O Lord make haste to help me.
Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my life. May they who delight in my misfortunes, fall back and be covered with shame.
May they fall back covered with confusion who say to me: Ha, Ha!
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let such as desire Your help say always: “The Lord be magnified.”
But I am miserable and poor, O God help me! You are my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, tarry not.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
V. Save Your servants.
R. Who hope in You, O my God.
V. Be to us, O Lord, a tower of strength.
R. From the face of the enemy.
V. Let not the enemy prevail against us.
R. Nor the son of iniquity have the power to hurt us.
V. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins.
R. Neither requite us according to our iniquities.
V. Let us pray for our Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI.
R. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.
V. Let us pray for our benefactors.
R. Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Your name’s sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good. Amen.
V. Let us pray for the faithful departed.
R. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
V. For our absent brethren.
R. Save your servants who hope in You, O my God.
V. Send them help, O Lord, from Your holy place.
R. And from Sion protect them.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come to You.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
Let us Pray
O God, whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petition; that we, and all Your servants who are bound by the chains of sin may, by the compassion of Your goodness, be mercifully absolved. Graciously hear, we beseech You, O Lord, the prayers of Your suppliant people, and turn away the scourges of Your anger, which we deserve for our sins.
Almighty, everlasting God, have mercy upon Your servant Pope Benedict XVI, our Sovereign Pontiff, and direct him according to Your clemency into the way of everlasting salvation; that by Your grace he may desire those things that are pleasing to You, and perform them with all his strength.
O God, from whom are holy desires, good counsels, and just works, give to Your servants that peace which the world cannot give: that our hearts be set to keep Your commandments, and that, being removed from the fear of our enemies, we may pass our time in peace under Your protection.
Inflame, O Lord, our desire and heart with the fire of the Holy Spirit: that we may serve You with a chaste body, and please You with a clean heart.
O God the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls or Your servants departed the remission of all their sins: that, through pious supplications, they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired.
Direct, we beseech You, O Lord, our actions by Your holy inspirations, and carry them on by Your gracious assistance that every prayer and work of ours may begin always from You and through You be happily ended.
Almighty and everlasting God, who have dominion over the living and the dead, and are merciful to all whom You foreknow will be Yours by faith and good works, we humbly beseech You that those for whom we intend to pour forth our prayers, whether this present world still detains them in the flesh, or the world to come has already received them out of their bodies, may, through the intercession of all Your saints, by the clemency of Your goodness, obtain the remission of all their sins. Through Your Son our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, One God, world without end. Amen.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us.
R. Amen.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, and the intercession of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, rest in peace.
R. Amen.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Prayers to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
Catholics honor the Most Precious Blood of our Lord and have devotion to It because It is the price of our redemption. Our eternal salvation is due to the merits of Jesus Christ who shed His Blood for us.
Invocation to the Most Precious Blood
We therefore beseech You, help Your servants whom You have redeemed with Your Precious Blood.
Prayer on the Feast of the Most Precious Blood (July 1)
Almighty and everlasting God, You who have appointed Your only-begotten Son to be a Redeemer of the world, and have willed to be appeased by His Blood, grant, we implore You, that by our solemn worship, we may so venerate the price of our redemption, and by Its power, be so defended form the evils of this present earthly life, that we may enjoy its fruits forevermore in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer in Honor of the Passion of Our Lord
O Lord Jesus Christ, You who came down to earth from the bosom of Your Father, and shed Your Precious Blood for the remission of our sins, we humbly implore You, that on the judgment day, at Your right hand, we may be found worthy to hear from You those words: “Come, ye blessed.” Who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Seven Offerings to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
FIRST: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for the propagation and exaltation of our beloved and holy Mother, the Church; for the preservation and prosperity of her visible head, the Sovereign Pontiff and Bishop of Rome; for the cardinals, bishops and pastors of souls, and for all the ministers of the sanctuary. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
SECOND: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, You beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for the peace and concord of Catholic kings and princes, for the humiliation of the enemies of our holy faith, and for the happiness of the Christian people. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
THIRD: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for the enlightening of infidels, the extirpation of all heresies, and the conversion of sinners. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
FOURTH: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for all my relatives, friends and enemies; for the poor, the sick and the afflicted, and for all those for whom You know and will that I should pray. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
FIFTH: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for those who shall depart from this life today, that You may free them from the pains of hell, and may grant them a speedy admittance to the presence of Your glory. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
SIXTH: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for all those who esteem the great treasure of His Sacred Blood, for those who are united with me in adoring and honoring it, and finally for those who endeavor to promote this holy devotion. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
SEVENTH: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for all my spiritual and temporal wants, for the relief of the holy souls in purgatory, and especially those who have been most devoted to this price of our redemption, and to the sorrows and sufferings of the blessed Virgin Mary, our beloved Mother. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
Glory be to the Sacred Blood of Jesus, now and at all times, and for all eternity. Amen.
Invocation to the Most Precious Blood
We therefore beseech You, help Your servants whom You have redeemed with Your Precious Blood.
Prayer on the Feast of the Most Precious Blood (July 1)
Almighty and everlasting God, You who have appointed Your only-begotten Son to be a Redeemer of the world, and have willed to be appeased by His Blood, grant, we implore You, that by our solemn worship, we may so venerate the price of our redemption, and by Its power, be so defended form the evils of this present earthly life, that we may enjoy its fruits forevermore in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer in Honor of the Passion of Our Lord
O Lord Jesus Christ, You who came down to earth from the bosom of Your Father, and shed Your Precious Blood for the remission of our sins, we humbly implore You, that on the judgment day, at Your right hand, we may be found worthy to hear from You those words: “Come, ye blessed.” Who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Seven Offerings to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
FIRST: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for the propagation and exaltation of our beloved and holy Mother, the Church; for the preservation and prosperity of her visible head, the Sovereign Pontiff and Bishop of Rome; for the cardinals, bishops and pastors of souls, and for all the ministers of the sanctuary. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
SECOND: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, You beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for the peace and concord of Catholic kings and princes, for the humiliation of the enemies of our holy faith, and for the happiness of the Christian people. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
THIRD: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for the enlightening of infidels, the extirpation of all heresies, and the conversion of sinners. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
FOURTH: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for all my relatives, friends and enemies; for the poor, the sick and the afflicted, and for all those for whom You know and will that I should pray. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
FIFTH: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for those who shall depart from this life today, that You may free them from the pains of hell, and may grant them a speedy admittance to the presence of Your glory. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
SIXTH: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for all those who esteem the great treasure of His Sacred Blood, for those who are united with me in adoring and honoring it, and finally for those who endeavor to promote this holy devotion. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
SEVENTH: Eternal Father, I offer You the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Your beloved Son, and my divine Redeemer, for all my spiritual and temporal wants, for the relief of the holy souls in purgatory, and especially those who have been most devoted to this price of our redemption, and to the sorrows and sufferings of the blessed Virgin Mary, our beloved Mother. Glory… May Jesus be blessed and thanked forever, who has saved us with His Blood!
Glory be to the Sacred Blood of Jesus, now and at all times, and for all eternity. Amen.
Prayers and Devotions to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Your altar. We are Yours, and Yours we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Your Most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known You; many too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart.
You are King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken You, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You; grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
You are King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof; call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
You are King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism; refuse not to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God. Turn your eyes of mercy toward the children of that race, once Your chosen people. Of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior, may it now descend upon them a layer of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Your 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.
Consecration of the Family to the Divine Heart of Jesus (1)
Divine Heart of Jesus, you promised that where two or three persons assemble in Your Name, you would be there in their midst. Behold us here on our knees before Your sacred image. With hearts filled with sentiments of fervent love, we thank You for Your infinite goodness in having bestowed upon us numberless benefits for soul and body.
O divine King, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and under the powerful protection of St. Joseph, we consecrate to you our entire family. Be the director of all our interests, and may our home, like that of Nazareth be the abode of faith and charity, of labor and prayer, of order and domestic peace.
We consecrate to You, divine Heart of Jesus, all the adversities and occurrences of our family life, and beseech You to pour out upon us in abundant measure all your richest blessings. We commend ourselves forever to the protection of Your divine Heart. Heart of Jesus, ocean of mercy and love, assist us at the hour of our death. Amen.
O Sacred Heart, Bless our Family
Prostrate before You, Lord Jesus Christ, we consecrate to You Sacred Heart ourselves and everything dear to us: our thoughts, words and actions; our sorrows, our hopes, our relatives and friends. We desire to belong entirely to You, to know all things, and to despise the pleasures, riches and honors of this world and everything which could be an obstacle in Your service.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, teach us, by Your example in the stable of Bethlehem and by Your whole life, meekness and humility. Teach us, by Your agony and sufferings on the Cross, patience and resignation to the holy will of God. Teach us in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, to admire Your power, wisdom and love. Three hundred years ago you revealed to St. Margaret Mary your desire to receive the special homage of Your creatures. In obedience to that divine entreaty, behold us at Your feet to consecrate to Your service and love our hearts, our family and our home in a special manner.
Heart of Jesus, in the name of Mary and under the patronage of St. Joseph we consecrate to You our whole household. Like Nazareth, may it always be a center of faith, hope, charity and peace; a hive of prayer and true zeal for Your glory. Guide our lives, direct our steps, and sustain us in all our ways. We earnestly consecrate to You all the trials, afflictions, joys and events of our domestic life.
We beseech You to pour Your blessings upon every member of this family: those who are gathered here and those who are absent; those who are living and those who are dead. With confidence we entrust them all to You. If, among them, there be any who have lost Your grace and grieved You loving Heart by sin, with deepest sorrow, we now desire to offer reparation and implore forgiveness for them.
We beg Your mercy and grace, also, for every family in the whole world. O Sacred Heart, shelter the cradle of the newborn babe; bless the child at school; guide the vocation of young men and women; sweeten the lot of the sufferer; support the aged; console the widow; be a Father to the orphan. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we entrust to You our own dear country and all those who govern us.
O Jesus, source and infinite ocean of mercy, we beseech You assist us in the sufferings and agony of death. Unite us, then, still more closely to Your Heart and the Heart of Your Immaculate Mother. Be our refuge and our place of rest; and when our souls have taken their flight to dwell forever in Your Sacred Heart, may we see again in heaven every member of this family which we now so earnestly and unitedly desire to consecrate without reserve to You. Amen.
Consecration of the Christian Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (2)
Sacred Heart of Jesus, who manifested to St. Margaret Mary the desire of reigning in Christian families, we today wish to proclaim Your most complete regal dominion over our own. We would live henceforth with Your life, we would cause to flourish in our midst those virtues to which You have promised peace here below, we would banish far from us the spirit of the world which You have cursed; and You shall reign, over our minds in the simplicity of our faith, and over our hearts by the wholehearted love with which they shall burn for You, the flame of which we shall keep alive by the frequent reception of Your divine Eucharist.
Be pleased, O divine Heart, to preside over our assemblies, to bless our enterprises, both spiritual and temporal, to dispel our cares, to sanctify our joys, to alleviate our sufferings. If ever one or other of us should have the misfortune to afflict You, remind Him, O Heart of Jesus, that you are good and merciful to the penitent sinner. And when the hour of separation strikes, when death shall come to cast mourning into our midst, we will all, both those who go and those who stay, be submissive to Your eternal decree. We will console ourselves with the thought that a day will come when the entire family, reunited in Heaven, can sing forever Your glories and Your mercies.
May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph present this consecration to You, and keep it in our minds all the days of our life. All glory to the Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father.
Private Act of Consecration
By St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
I consecrate and surrender to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person, my life, my difficulties and my sufferings that I may henceforth live only for His love and glory. It is my firm and unwavering purpose to be His entirely, to do everything for His love and renounce wholeheartedly everything that could displease His divine Heart.
O Sacred Heart, I choose You as the sole object of my love, the protector of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the support of my weakness and the atoner for all the sins of my whole life. O mild and bountiful Heart, be likewise my refuge at the hour death, my justification before God, and ward off from me the penalty of His just wrath. O loving Heart, I place my trust entirely in You. While I fear everything from my own malice I hope everything from Your goodness. Destroy in me whatever may displease You or be opposed to You, and let Your pure love imprint You so deeply upon my heart that it will be impossible for me ever to forget You or be separated from you.
O Sacred Heart, by Your goodness, I implore You, let my name be deeply engraved in You, for in Your service and in Your love I will live and die. Amen.
Litany of the Sacred Heart
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Christ, hear us
Christ, graciously hear us
God, the Father in heaven Response: Have mercy on us
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 in 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, aflame with love for men
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love
Heart of Jesus, full of confidence and love
Heart of Jesus, endless source of all virtues
Heart of Jesus, worthy of all praise
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 merciful
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke You
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness
Heart of Jesus, atonement 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 sin
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those 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
Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Have mercy on us
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us
Make our hearts like yours
Let us pray
Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Your most beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers You in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Your mercy, in Your great goodness grant forgiveness in the Name of the same Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns in union with You and the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Act of Consecration for Religious – Suitable also for other persons
By Sister Mary of the Divine Heart
My most loving Jesus, I consecrate myself today anew and without reserve to Your divine Heart. I consecrate to You my body with all its sense, my soul with all its faculties: my whole being. I consecrate to You all my thoughts, words and actions; all my sufferings and labors; all my hopes, consolations and joys; and, above all, I consecrate to You my poor heart, that it may love only You and be consumed as victim in the fire of Your love. Accept, O Jesus, my most loving spouse, the desire that I have to console Your divine Heart and to yours forever. Possess me in such a manner that henceforward I may have no other liberty than that of loving You, no other life than that of suffering and dying for You.
I place in You unlimited trust and I hope, from Your infinite mercy, for the pardon of my sins. I place in Your hands all my cares, especially that of my eternal salvation. I promise to love and honor You to the last moment of my life, and to propagate, with the help of Your divine grace and as far as I am able, devotion to Your Sacred Heart. Dispose of me, O divine Heart of Jesus, according to Your pleasure; I desire no other recompense than Your greater glory and Your holy love.
Grant me the grace to find my dwelling place in Your Sacred Heart where I desire to pass everyday of my life and where I wish to breathe my last breath. Make my heart Your abode, the place of Your repose, so that we may remain intimately united until, finally, I may praise, love and possess You for all eternity, singing forever the infinite mercy of Your Sacred Heart. Amen.
Three Offerings of Thanksgiving
We offer to the most holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for the precious Blood which he shed in the Garden for us, and through these merits we beseech His divine majesty to grant us pardon of all our sins. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
We offer to the most holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for His most precious death endured on the Cross for us, and through these merits we beseech the divine majesty pardon of our sins. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
We offer to the most holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for his unimaginable charity, by which He descended from heaven to earth to take human flesh, and to suffer and die for us on the Cross, and by these merits we beseech His divine majesty to bring our souls to the glory of heaven after our death. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Greeting the Sacred Heart
Once when St. Mechtilde was grieving over the thought that her whole life had been spent in a useless manner, Our Lord said to her: “In order to make amends for what you have neglected, greet my Heart!” Our divine Savior made a similar revelation to St. Gertrude: ‘As often as a person greets me, I will greet him, and this will redound to his honor in heaven.’ St. Clare greeted the Sacred Heart of Jesus daily and received special graces each day.
When we have committed a fault, let us make an act of contrition and greet the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This divine Heart is ever ready to repair our offenses. We should especially greet the Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. St. Mechtilde ardently venerated the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and in return received from our Lord so many graces that in referring to them, she said: ‘Were I to write down all the graces I received from the loving Heart of Jesus, I would need a book thicker than a breviary.’
Heart of my Jesus, save me!
Heart of my Creator, perfect me!
Heart of my Savior, deliver me!
Heart of my Spouse, love me!
Heart of my Master, teach me!
Heart of my King, crown me!
Heart of my Benefactor, enrich me!
Heart of my Pastor, keep me!
Heart of my Friend, caress me!
Heart of the Infant Jesus, attract me!
Heart of Jesus dying on the Cross, atone for me!
Heart of Jesus in all Your conditions, give yourself to me!
Heart of my Brother, remain with me!
Heart of incomparable goodness, forgive me!
Heart most amiable, inflame me!
Heart most glorious, shine forth in me!
Heart most charitable, work in me!
Heart most merciful, answer for me!
Heart most humble, repose in me!
Heart most patient, bear with me!
Heart most faithful, make satisfaction for me!
Heart most adorable and most worthy, bless me!
Heart most peaceful, calm me!
Heart most desirable and most beautiful, delight me!
Heart most illustrious and most perfect, ennoble me!
Heart most holy and balm most precious, preserve and sanctify me!
Heart most holy and most salutary, reform me!
Heart most blessed, true Physician and remedy for all ills, heal me!
Heart of Jesus, consolation of the afflicted, comfort me!
Heart of Jesus, ardent furnace burning with love, consume me!
Heart of Jesus, model of perfection, enlighten me!
Heart of Jesus, source of all happiness, strengthen me!
Heart of eternal benediction, call me to You!
Offering of the Blood and Water that Flowed from the Side of Christ
O Jesus, my dearest Savior, through You I offer to Your eternal Father the precious blood and water which flowed from Your wounded Heart on the tree of the Cross. Grant that this blood and water may be efficaciously applied to us and to all sinners. Cleanse, purify and sanctify all men in virtue of Your merits. Grant, O Jesus, that we may enter into Your most loving Heart and remain there forever. Amen.
Eternal Father, accept the precious blood and water that flowed from the wound of the divine Heart of Jesus as a sacrifice of reparation for the necessities of holy Church and in atonement for the sins of men. Have mercy us. Amen.
Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist
Behold, my most loving Jesus, to what an excess Your boundless love has carried You. Of Your own flesh and precious blood You have made ready for me a divine banquet so as to give me Yourself completely. What was it the impelled You to do this transport of love? Nothing else surely save Your most loving Heart. O adorable Heart of my Jesus! O burning furnace of divine love! Within Your most sacred wound receive my soul, that in that school of charity I may learn to requite the love of that God who has given me such wondrous proofs of His love. Amen.
Prayer to the Divine Heart of Jesus
O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of all good, I adore You, I love You. Deeply sorry for my sins, I offer You my poor heart. Make it humble, patient, pure and in all things conformed to Your desires. Grant, O good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in dangers, console me in affliction, give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, blessing in all my undertakings and the grace of a holy death.
Daily Prayer of St. Gertrude
Hail to You, most Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and life-giving source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the divinity, consuming furnace of divine love! You are my resting place and my city of refuge. My sweetest Savior, inflame my heart with that burning love with which Your Heart is consumed! Pour into my heart those precious graces which spring forth from Your Heart as from their source. Unite my heart so intimately with Yours that Your will may be mine, and that mine may be ever in perfect accord with Yours; for my only desire is that, in future, Your most adorable will may be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.
Offering to the Sacred Heart
O Lord Jesus Christ, in union with that divine intention with which, on earth, You offered praise to God through Your Sacred Heart and continue to offer now in all places in the sacrament of the Eucharist, and will do so to the end of the world, I most willingly offer You throughout this entire day, without the smallest exception, all my intentions and thoughts, all my affections and desires, all my words and actions, in imitation of the most pure heart of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Prayer to Obtain Conformity to the Sacred Heart
O dearest Jesus, whose most amiable Heart excludes not even the greatest sinners when they turn to You, I beseech You to grant me and all penitent sinners a heart like Yours; that is, a humble heart, which even in the midst of temporal honors loves a hidden life, a life little esteemed by men; a meek heart, which bears with everyone and seeks revenge upon no one; a patient heart, which if resigned in adversity, and happy even in the most trying circumstances; a peaceful heart, which is ever at peace with others and with itself; a disinterested heart, which is always contented with what it has; a heart which loves prayer and performs it often and cheerfully; a heart whose only desire is that God may be known, honored and loved by all creatures; a heart which grieves for nothing except that God is offended; despises nothing but sin; wishes for nothing but the glory of God and its neighbor’s salvation; a pure heart, which in all things seeks God alone and desires only to please Him; a grateful heart, which acknowledges and esteems the benefits of God; a strong heart, which is daunted by no evil, but bears all adversity for the love of God; an open heart, liberal to the poor and compassionate towards the suffering souls in purgatory; a well-ordered heart, whose joys and sorrows, desires and aversions, nay, whose every motion is regulated according to the divine will. Amen.
Efficacious Little Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
By Venerable Maria Lataste
O amiable Heart of my Savior, I adore You! O gracious Heart of my Jesus, I love You! O compassionate Heart, I give You my heart, and I am deeply moved by all You have done and suffered for me. I give You my heart completely; affix it to Your Heart eternally; inflame it with Your love; inspire it with Your sentiments; make it know Your will and practice Your virtues.
Novena in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O Sacred and adorable Heart of Jesus! Furnace of eternal charity! Ocean of infinite mercy! Consolation of the afflicted! Refuge of sinners and Hope of the whole world! I most fervently adore You. Most amiable Heart, that has loved us with an eternal love, supply Yourself for my insensibility, and receive my desire at least of loving You with all the ardor and sincerity You so justly merit. But remember, O adorable Heart, that You have not disclosed Yourself to us only as an object of our adorations; You desire much more to engage our love, and to become the ground and motive of our tender confidence. For this end, You were pierced through with a lance on the Cross; and for the same purpose You remain a daily victim of Your own love on our altars.
O infinitely compassionate Heart of Jesus, which was overwhelmed with sorrow in the Garden of Olives, at the view of our spiritual and corporal miseries, I recur to You now with all the confidence You desire I should repose in the extent of Your power and the riches of Your mercy. Convinced that those things which are impossible to human means are infinitely easy to You, and relying with a humble, steadfast faith on the sacred words of truth itself, that whatever we ask the Father in the Name of Jesus should be granted, I now most humbly implore in that adorable Name, in virtue of that promise, and through the abundant mercies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the particular favor I petition for in this Novena.
O Blessed St. Gertrude, and all you glorious servants of Christ; who while on earth were particularly devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, join your prayers with mine, and implore from the divine object of all your devotion the grant of the petition which I now make, and especially offer up through your intercession. Beg likewise, from this adorable Heart, which has dominion over all hearts, and could in a moment change the most obdurate, to have compassion on those who are in the dreadful state of mortal sin, and to open to us all the treasures of its mercy at the hour of death. Amen.
Act of Resignation for the Sick and Afflicted
Most benign Jesus, I accept willingly this sickness (or this trial) which it has pleased you to lay upon me as a token of the love of Your Fatherly Heart, and with the same love with which You sent it, I offer it up to You in gratitude. Moreover, I confide all my pains to Your Sacred Heart, beseeching You to unite them to Your bitter sufferings, and thus perfect them by making them Your own.
Since I cannot render You the praise due to You because of the multitude of my sorrows and afflictions, I beseech You to praise God the Father for all I suffer, with the same tribute of praise You offered Him when Your agony on the Cross was at its height. As You thanked Him with all the powers of Your Soul for all the sufferings and injustice which He willed You should endure. I pray You, give Him thanks for all my trials also.
Animated by the same love wherewith You accepted all the wounds and indignities inflicted on You, offering them to Your heavenly Father with profound gratitude, I pray You to offer my physical and spiritual sufferings to Him also, in union with Your most holy pains, to His eternal honor and glory. Amen.
Holy Hour Biblical Service in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ’ are the words of St. Jerome. To know Christ better it is necessary to return to Scripture and, in particular, to that part of Scripture known as the New Testament. It is here that the sacred writers paint for us, in stark reality, the life, ministry and teaching of Christ. Devotion to the Sacred Heart finds its source in the understanding of God’s love for us as we unfold the pages of Scripture.
The Bible service which follows is a sample of how we can deepen our knowledge of Christ, understand our role as Christians in the world, be disposed to open our hearts beyond our own little world and draw closer to the Heart of Jesus.
This holy Hour can be made individually or in a group. It is a way of prayer most useful in preparation for the feast of the Sacred Heart or, in commemorating on Thursdays, the agony of our Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. The prayer service is divided into three parts which can be of twenty-minute intervals if there is time to make the full hour. Each reading is followed by a period of reflection, for Scripture – God’s Word – must waken a response in us. To this end we go back to the Scripture passage asking God to open our hearts to its message. Each section concludes with a prayer which, in itself, is a source of reflection.
The readings from Scripture are by way of example. Familiarity with the New Testament will suggest other texts according to one’s particular spiritual needs and inclinations.
The holy Hour may be made at home privately but it would be an act of love for the Sacred Heart on our part if we could go to one of the city churches where it is more likely that we can find our Lord exposed in the Blessed Sacrament.
First Reading: 1 John 4:7-16
7 My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
8 Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love.
9 God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world His only Son so that we could have life through Him;
10 This is the love I mean: not our love for God, but God’s love for us when He sent His Son to be the sacrifice that takes away our sins.
11 My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another God will live in us and His love will be complete in us.
13 We can know that we are living in Him and He is living in us because He lets us share His Spirit.
14 We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent His Son as savior of the world.
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in Him and He is in God.
16 We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves. God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.
Reflection
• What do the words of verse 8 mean to me in my daily life? In my duties? In my state of life?
• Have I reflected on and do I appreciate fully the meaning of verse 10?
• In my life as a Christian do I fulfill the underlying commandment of verse 11?
Prayer
St. Paul sums up the greatness and universality of this love of Christ for us. As we read His Words in the form of prayer let us meditate on how we can draw closer to the Heart of Jesus in order to understand His love for us. The following is taken from Paul’s letter to the Philippians (2:6-11):
His state was divine
Yet He did not cling
To His equality with God
But emptied Himself
To assume the condition of a slave
And became as human beings are
And being as a human being
He was humbler yet
Even to accepting death
Death on a Cross
But God raised Him high
And gave Him the Name
Which is above all other names
So that all beings in the heavens
On earth and in the underworld
Should bend the knee at the name of Jesus
And that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord
To the glory of God the Father
Second Reading
Excerpts from chapter IV of the second Vatican Council’s document On the Church in reference to some aspects of the role of the laity in the Church.
… The laity, by their very vocation, seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God. They live in the world, that is, in each and in all of the secular professions and occupations. They live in the ordinary circumstances of family and social life, from which the very web of their existence is woven. They are called there by God that by exercising their proper function and led by the spirit of the Gospel they may work for the sanctification of the world from within as a leaven. In this way they make Christ known to others, especially by the testimony of a life resplendent in faith, hope and charity. Therefore, since they are tightly bound up in all types of temporal affairs it is their special task to order and to throw light upon these affairs in such a way that they may come into being and then continually increase according to Christ and to the praise of the Creator and Redeemer.
… Besides intimately linking them to His life and His mission, (Christ) also gives them a sharing in His priestly function of offering spiritual worship for the glory of God and the salvation of men. For this reason, the laity, dedicated to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit are marvelously-called and wonderfully prepared so that ever more abundant fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers and apostolic endeavors, their ordinary married and family life, their daily occupations, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life, if patiently borne – all these become ‘spiritual sacrifices’ acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5)
Reflection
• Do I understand my vocation as a lay person in the Church? Is my life a testimony to my Christian beliefs?
• Do I regard my everyday tasks, my toil, my hardships, as spiritual sacrifices?
• The Sacred Heart told St. Margaret Mary that tepid souls shall become more fervent, and fervent souls shall rise to greater perfection: do I regard these promises as referring to me personally?
Prayer
Our examen of conscience is not an end in itself by a means whereby we strive to come to know ourselves better. The words of the Psalm show the inner struggle of the man who places himself in all humility before His God. Praying the words of the psalmist let us be mindful of the promise of the Sacred Heart that ‘Sinners shall find in my Heart a fountain and boundless ocean of mercy.’ The following is taken from Psalm 32:1-7:
Happy are those whose fault is forgiven
Whose sin is blotted out
Happy are those whom the Lord
Accuses of no guilt
Whose spirit is incapable of deceit!
All the time I kept silent
My bones were wasting away
With groans, day in, day out
Day and night Your hand
Lay heavy on me
My heart grew parched as stubble
In summer drought
At last I admitted to You I had sinned
No longer concealing my guilt
I said ‘I will go to the Lord
And confess my fault’.
And You, You have forgotten the wrong
I did, have pardoned my sin
That is why each of Your servants prays
To You in time of trouble
Even if floods come rushing down
They will never reach him
You are a hiding place for me
You guard me when in trouble
Third Reading: John 19:31-37
It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the Sabbath – since that Sabbath was as special day of solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Him and then the other. When they came to Jesus, they found that He was already dead, and so instead of breaking His legs one of the soldiers pierced His side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfill the Words of Scripture: Not one bone of his will be broken and again, in another place Scripture says: They will look on the one whom they have pierced.
Reflection
• The Heart of Jesus was pierced with a lance to make sure that He was dead; yet how little is required to make our hearts close and die to our fellowmen?
• Do I close my heart to my fellowmen through selfishness, prejudice, suspicion, distrust, envy?
• Do I observe the laws of the Sabbath and overlook the other laws of God regarding justice, charity, the right to life, etc?
Prayer of Petition
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, look down on our Holy Father, Pope N…, and help him guide us where You would have us go. Lord, hear my prayer.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, strengthen our bishop and his priests in the vocation to which you have called them. Lord, hear my prayer.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, enlighten the minds of those who govern us so that the laws they promulgate may be in harmony with your law. Lord, hear my prayer.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, make me more aware of the sins of injustice committed in this world which result in hunger, discrimination, prejudice and war. Lord, hear my prayer.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours: a heart which is open and not closed in on my own sorrows; a heart which is generous and not selfish by denying to other the rights I claim for myself. Lord, hear my prayer.
Concluding Prayer
Almighty God and Father, we glory in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, You beloved Son, as we call to mind the great things His love has done for us. Fill us with grace that flows in abundance from the Heart of Jesus, the source of heaven’s gifts. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Your altar. We are Yours, and Yours we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Your Most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known You; many too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart.
You are King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken You, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You; grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
You are King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof; call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
You are King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism; refuse not to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God. Turn your eyes of mercy toward the children of that race, once Your chosen people. Of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior, may it now descend upon them a layer of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Your 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.
Consecration of the Family to the Divine Heart of Jesus (1)
Divine Heart of Jesus, you promised that where two or three persons assemble in Your Name, you would be there in their midst. Behold us here on our knees before Your sacred image. With hearts filled with sentiments of fervent love, we thank You for Your infinite goodness in having bestowed upon us numberless benefits for soul and body.
O divine King, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and under the powerful protection of St. Joseph, we consecrate to you our entire family. Be the director of all our interests, and may our home, like that of Nazareth be the abode of faith and charity, of labor and prayer, of order and domestic peace.
We consecrate to You, divine Heart of Jesus, all the adversities and occurrences of our family life, and beseech You to pour out upon us in abundant measure all your richest blessings. We commend ourselves forever to the protection of Your divine Heart. Heart of Jesus, ocean of mercy and love, assist us at the hour of our death. Amen.
O Sacred Heart, Bless our Family
Prostrate before You, Lord Jesus Christ, we consecrate to You Sacred Heart ourselves and everything dear to us: our thoughts, words and actions; our sorrows, our hopes, our relatives and friends. We desire to belong entirely to You, to know all things, and to despise the pleasures, riches and honors of this world and everything which could be an obstacle in Your service.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, teach us, by Your example in the stable of Bethlehem and by Your whole life, meekness and humility. Teach us, by Your agony and sufferings on the Cross, patience and resignation to the holy will of God. Teach us in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, to admire Your power, wisdom and love. Three hundred years ago you revealed to St. Margaret Mary your desire to receive the special homage of Your creatures. In obedience to that divine entreaty, behold us at Your feet to consecrate to Your service and love our hearts, our family and our home in a special manner.
Heart of Jesus, in the name of Mary and under the patronage of St. Joseph we consecrate to You our whole household. Like Nazareth, may it always be a center of faith, hope, charity and peace; a hive of prayer and true zeal for Your glory. Guide our lives, direct our steps, and sustain us in all our ways. We earnestly consecrate to You all the trials, afflictions, joys and events of our domestic life.
We beseech You to pour Your blessings upon every member of this family: those who are gathered here and those who are absent; those who are living and those who are dead. With confidence we entrust them all to You. If, among them, there be any who have lost Your grace and grieved You loving Heart by sin, with deepest sorrow, we now desire to offer reparation and implore forgiveness for them.
We beg Your mercy and grace, also, for every family in the whole world. O Sacred Heart, shelter the cradle of the newborn babe; bless the child at school; guide the vocation of young men and women; sweeten the lot of the sufferer; support the aged; console the widow; be a Father to the orphan. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we entrust to You our own dear country and all those who govern us.
O Jesus, source and infinite ocean of mercy, we beseech You assist us in the sufferings and agony of death. Unite us, then, still more closely to Your Heart and the Heart of Your Immaculate Mother. Be our refuge and our place of rest; and when our souls have taken their flight to dwell forever in Your Sacred Heart, may we see again in heaven every member of this family which we now so earnestly and unitedly desire to consecrate without reserve to You. Amen.
Consecration of the Christian Family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (2)
Sacred Heart of Jesus, who manifested to St. Margaret Mary the desire of reigning in Christian families, we today wish to proclaim Your most complete regal dominion over our own. We would live henceforth with Your life, we would cause to flourish in our midst those virtues to which You have promised peace here below, we would banish far from us the spirit of the world which You have cursed; and You shall reign, over our minds in the simplicity of our faith, and over our hearts by the wholehearted love with which they shall burn for You, the flame of which we shall keep alive by the frequent reception of Your divine Eucharist.
Be pleased, O divine Heart, to preside over our assemblies, to bless our enterprises, both spiritual and temporal, to dispel our cares, to sanctify our joys, to alleviate our sufferings. If ever one or other of us should have the misfortune to afflict You, remind Him, O Heart of Jesus, that you are good and merciful to the penitent sinner. And when the hour of separation strikes, when death shall come to cast mourning into our midst, we will all, both those who go and those who stay, be submissive to Your eternal decree. We will console ourselves with the thought that a day will come when the entire family, reunited in Heaven, can sing forever Your glories and Your mercies.
May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph present this consecration to You, and keep it in our minds all the days of our life. All glory to the Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father.
Private Act of Consecration
By St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
I consecrate and surrender to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person, my life, my difficulties and my sufferings that I may henceforth live only for His love and glory. It is my firm and unwavering purpose to be His entirely, to do everything for His love and renounce wholeheartedly everything that could displease His divine Heart.
O Sacred Heart, I choose You as the sole object of my love, the protector of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the support of my weakness and the atoner for all the sins of my whole life. O mild and bountiful Heart, be likewise my refuge at the hour death, my justification before God, and ward off from me the penalty of His just wrath. O loving Heart, I place my trust entirely in You. While I fear everything from my own malice I hope everything from Your goodness. Destroy in me whatever may displease You or be opposed to You, and let Your pure love imprint You so deeply upon my heart that it will be impossible for me ever to forget You or be separated from you.
O Sacred Heart, by Your goodness, I implore You, let my name be deeply engraved in You, for in Your service and in Your love I will live and die. Amen.
Litany of the Sacred Heart
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Christ, hear us
Christ, graciously hear us
God, the Father in heaven Response: Have mercy on us
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 in 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, aflame with love for men
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love
Heart of Jesus, full of confidence and love
Heart of Jesus, endless source of all virtues
Heart of Jesus, worthy of all praise
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 merciful
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke You
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness
Heart of Jesus, atonement 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 sin
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those 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
Spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
Have mercy on us
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us
Make our hearts like yours
Let us pray
Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Your most beloved Son and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers You in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Your mercy, in Your great goodness grant forgiveness in the Name of the same Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns in union with You and the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Act of Consecration for Religious – Suitable also for other persons
By Sister Mary of the Divine Heart
My most loving Jesus, I consecrate myself today anew and without reserve to Your divine Heart. I consecrate to You my body with all its sense, my soul with all its faculties: my whole being. I consecrate to You all my thoughts, words and actions; all my sufferings and labors; all my hopes, consolations and joys; and, above all, I consecrate to You my poor heart, that it may love only You and be consumed as victim in the fire of Your love. Accept, O Jesus, my most loving spouse, the desire that I have to console Your divine Heart and to yours forever. Possess me in such a manner that henceforward I may have no other liberty than that of loving You, no other life than that of suffering and dying for You.
I place in You unlimited trust and I hope, from Your infinite mercy, for the pardon of my sins. I place in Your hands all my cares, especially that of my eternal salvation. I promise to love and honor You to the last moment of my life, and to propagate, with the help of Your divine grace and as far as I am able, devotion to Your Sacred Heart. Dispose of me, O divine Heart of Jesus, according to Your pleasure; I desire no other recompense than Your greater glory and Your holy love.
Grant me the grace to find my dwelling place in Your Sacred Heart where I desire to pass everyday of my life and where I wish to breathe my last breath. Make my heart Your abode, the place of Your repose, so that we may remain intimately united until, finally, I may praise, love and possess You for all eternity, singing forever the infinite mercy of Your Sacred Heart. Amen.
Three Offerings of Thanksgiving
We offer to the most holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for the precious Blood which he shed in the Garden for us, and through these merits we beseech His divine majesty to grant us pardon of all our sins. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
We offer to the most holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for His most precious death endured on the Cross for us, and through these merits we beseech the divine majesty pardon of our sins. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
We offer to the most holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for his unimaginable charity, by which He descended from heaven to earth to take human flesh, and to suffer and die for us on the Cross, and by these merits we beseech His divine majesty to bring our souls to the glory of heaven after our death. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Greeting the Sacred Heart
Once when St. Mechtilde was grieving over the thought that her whole life had been spent in a useless manner, Our Lord said to her: “In order to make amends for what you have neglected, greet my Heart!” Our divine Savior made a similar revelation to St. Gertrude: ‘As often as a person greets me, I will greet him, and this will redound to his honor in heaven.’ St. Clare greeted the Sacred Heart of Jesus daily and received special graces each day.
When we have committed a fault, let us make an act of contrition and greet the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This divine Heart is ever ready to repair our offenses. We should especially greet the Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. St. Mechtilde ardently venerated the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and in return received from our Lord so many graces that in referring to them, she said: ‘Were I to write down all the graces I received from the loving Heart of Jesus, I would need a book thicker than a breviary.’
Heart of my Jesus, save me!
Heart of my Creator, perfect me!
Heart of my Savior, deliver me!
Heart of my Spouse, love me!
Heart of my Master, teach me!
Heart of my King, crown me!
Heart of my Benefactor, enrich me!
Heart of my Pastor, keep me!
Heart of my Friend, caress me!
Heart of the Infant Jesus, attract me!
Heart of Jesus dying on the Cross, atone for me!
Heart of Jesus in all Your conditions, give yourself to me!
Heart of my Brother, remain with me!
Heart of incomparable goodness, forgive me!
Heart most amiable, inflame me!
Heart most glorious, shine forth in me!
Heart most charitable, work in me!
Heart most merciful, answer for me!
Heart most humble, repose in me!
Heart most patient, bear with me!
Heart most faithful, make satisfaction for me!
Heart most adorable and most worthy, bless me!
Heart most peaceful, calm me!
Heart most desirable and most beautiful, delight me!
Heart most illustrious and most perfect, ennoble me!
Heart most holy and balm most precious, preserve and sanctify me!
Heart most holy and most salutary, reform me!
Heart most blessed, true Physician and remedy for all ills, heal me!
Heart of Jesus, consolation of the afflicted, comfort me!
Heart of Jesus, ardent furnace burning with love, consume me!
Heart of Jesus, model of perfection, enlighten me!
Heart of Jesus, source of all happiness, strengthen me!
Heart of eternal benediction, call me to You!
Offering of the Blood and Water that Flowed from the Side of Christ
O Jesus, my dearest Savior, through You I offer to Your eternal Father the precious blood and water which flowed from Your wounded Heart on the tree of the Cross. Grant that this blood and water may be efficaciously applied to us and to all sinners. Cleanse, purify and sanctify all men in virtue of Your merits. Grant, O Jesus, that we may enter into Your most loving Heart and remain there forever. Amen.
Eternal Father, accept the precious blood and water that flowed from the wound of the divine Heart of Jesus as a sacrifice of reparation for the necessities of holy Church and in atonement for the sins of men. Have mercy us. Amen.
Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist
Behold, my most loving Jesus, to what an excess Your boundless love has carried You. Of Your own flesh and precious blood You have made ready for me a divine banquet so as to give me Yourself completely. What was it the impelled You to do this transport of love? Nothing else surely save Your most loving Heart. O adorable Heart of my Jesus! O burning furnace of divine love! Within Your most sacred wound receive my soul, that in that school of charity I may learn to requite the love of that God who has given me such wondrous proofs of His love. Amen.
Prayer to the Divine Heart of Jesus
O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of all good, I adore You, I love You. Deeply sorry for my sins, I offer You my poor heart. Make it humble, patient, pure and in all things conformed to Your desires. Grant, O good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in dangers, console me in affliction, give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, blessing in all my undertakings and the grace of a holy death.
Daily Prayer of St. Gertrude
Hail to You, most Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and life-giving source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the divinity, consuming furnace of divine love! You are my resting place and my city of refuge. My sweetest Savior, inflame my heart with that burning love with which Your Heart is consumed! Pour into my heart those precious graces which spring forth from Your Heart as from their source. Unite my heart so intimately with Yours that Your will may be mine, and that mine may be ever in perfect accord with Yours; for my only desire is that, in future, Your most adorable will may be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.
Offering to the Sacred Heart
O Lord Jesus Christ, in union with that divine intention with which, on earth, You offered praise to God through Your Sacred Heart and continue to offer now in all places in the sacrament of the Eucharist, and will do so to the end of the world, I most willingly offer You throughout this entire day, without the smallest exception, all my intentions and thoughts, all my affections and desires, all my words and actions, in imitation of the most pure heart of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Prayer to Obtain Conformity to the Sacred Heart
O dearest Jesus, whose most amiable Heart excludes not even the greatest sinners when they turn to You, I beseech You to grant me and all penitent sinners a heart like Yours; that is, a humble heart, which even in the midst of temporal honors loves a hidden life, a life little esteemed by men; a meek heart, which bears with everyone and seeks revenge upon no one; a patient heart, which if resigned in adversity, and happy even in the most trying circumstances; a peaceful heart, which is ever at peace with others and with itself; a disinterested heart, which is always contented with what it has; a heart which loves prayer and performs it often and cheerfully; a heart whose only desire is that God may be known, honored and loved by all creatures; a heart which grieves for nothing except that God is offended; despises nothing but sin; wishes for nothing but the glory of God and its neighbor’s salvation; a pure heart, which in all things seeks God alone and desires only to please Him; a grateful heart, which acknowledges and esteems the benefits of God; a strong heart, which is daunted by no evil, but bears all adversity for the love of God; an open heart, liberal to the poor and compassionate towards the suffering souls in purgatory; a well-ordered heart, whose joys and sorrows, desires and aversions, nay, whose every motion is regulated according to the divine will. Amen.
Efficacious Little Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
By Venerable Maria Lataste
O amiable Heart of my Savior, I adore You! O gracious Heart of my Jesus, I love You! O compassionate Heart, I give You my heart, and I am deeply moved by all You have done and suffered for me. I give You my heart completely; affix it to Your Heart eternally; inflame it with Your love; inspire it with Your sentiments; make it know Your will and practice Your virtues.
Novena in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O Sacred and adorable Heart of Jesus! Furnace of eternal charity! Ocean of infinite mercy! Consolation of the afflicted! Refuge of sinners and Hope of the whole world! I most fervently adore You. Most amiable Heart, that has loved us with an eternal love, supply Yourself for my insensibility, and receive my desire at least of loving You with all the ardor and sincerity You so justly merit. But remember, O adorable Heart, that You have not disclosed Yourself to us only as an object of our adorations; You desire much more to engage our love, and to become the ground and motive of our tender confidence. For this end, You were pierced through with a lance on the Cross; and for the same purpose You remain a daily victim of Your own love on our altars.
O infinitely compassionate Heart of Jesus, which was overwhelmed with sorrow in the Garden of Olives, at the view of our spiritual and corporal miseries, I recur to You now with all the confidence You desire I should repose in the extent of Your power and the riches of Your mercy. Convinced that those things which are impossible to human means are infinitely easy to You, and relying with a humble, steadfast faith on the sacred words of truth itself, that whatever we ask the Father in the Name of Jesus should be granted, I now most humbly implore in that adorable Name, in virtue of that promise, and through the abundant mercies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the particular favor I petition for in this Novena.
O Blessed St. Gertrude, and all you glorious servants of Christ; who while on earth were particularly devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, join your prayers with mine, and implore from the divine object of all your devotion the grant of the petition which I now make, and especially offer up through your intercession. Beg likewise, from this adorable Heart, which has dominion over all hearts, and could in a moment change the most obdurate, to have compassion on those who are in the dreadful state of mortal sin, and to open to us all the treasures of its mercy at the hour of death. Amen.
Act of Resignation for the Sick and Afflicted
Most benign Jesus, I accept willingly this sickness (or this trial) which it has pleased you to lay upon me as a token of the love of Your Fatherly Heart, and with the same love with which You sent it, I offer it up to You in gratitude. Moreover, I confide all my pains to Your Sacred Heart, beseeching You to unite them to Your bitter sufferings, and thus perfect them by making them Your own.
Since I cannot render You the praise due to You because of the multitude of my sorrows and afflictions, I beseech You to praise God the Father for all I suffer, with the same tribute of praise You offered Him when Your agony on the Cross was at its height. As You thanked Him with all the powers of Your Soul for all the sufferings and injustice which He willed You should endure. I pray You, give Him thanks for all my trials also.
Animated by the same love wherewith You accepted all the wounds and indignities inflicted on You, offering them to Your heavenly Father with profound gratitude, I pray You to offer my physical and spiritual sufferings to Him also, in union with Your most holy pains, to His eternal honor and glory. Amen.
Holy Hour Biblical Service in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ’ are the words of St. Jerome. To know Christ better it is necessary to return to Scripture and, in particular, to that part of Scripture known as the New Testament. It is here that the sacred writers paint for us, in stark reality, the life, ministry and teaching of Christ. Devotion to the Sacred Heart finds its source in the understanding of God’s love for us as we unfold the pages of Scripture.
The Bible service which follows is a sample of how we can deepen our knowledge of Christ, understand our role as Christians in the world, be disposed to open our hearts beyond our own little world and draw closer to the Heart of Jesus.
This holy Hour can be made individually or in a group. It is a way of prayer most useful in preparation for the feast of the Sacred Heart or, in commemorating on Thursdays, the agony of our Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. The prayer service is divided into three parts which can be of twenty-minute intervals if there is time to make the full hour. Each reading is followed by a period of reflection, for Scripture – God’s Word – must waken a response in us. To this end we go back to the Scripture passage asking God to open our hearts to its message. Each section concludes with a prayer which, in itself, is a source of reflection.
The readings from Scripture are by way of example. Familiarity with the New Testament will suggest other texts according to one’s particular spiritual needs and inclinations.
The holy Hour may be made at home privately but it would be an act of love for the Sacred Heart on our part if we could go to one of the city churches where it is more likely that we can find our Lord exposed in the Blessed Sacrament.
First Reading: 1 John 4:7-16
7 My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
8 Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love.
9 God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world His only Son so that we could have life through Him;
10 This is the love I mean: not our love for God, but God’s love for us when He sent His Son to be the sacrifice that takes away our sins.
11 My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another God will live in us and His love will be complete in us.
13 We can know that we are living in Him and He is living in us because He lets us share His Spirit.
14 We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent His Son as savior of the world.
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in Him and He is in God.
16 We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves. God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.
Reflection
• What do the words of verse 8 mean to me in my daily life? In my duties? In my state of life?
• Have I reflected on and do I appreciate fully the meaning of verse 10?
• In my life as a Christian do I fulfill the underlying commandment of verse 11?
Prayer
St. Paul sums up the greatness and universality of this love of Christ for us. As we read His Words in the form of prayer let us meditate on how we can draw closer to the Heart of Jesus in order to understand His love for us. The following is taken from Paul’s letter to the Philippians (2:6-11):
His state was divine
Yet He did not cling
To His equality with God
But emptied Himself
To assume the condition of a slave
And became as human beings are
And being as a human being
He was humbler yet
Even to accepting death
Death on a Cross
But God raised Him high
And gave Him the Name
Which is above all other names
So that all beings in the heavens
On earth and in the underworld
Should bend the knee at the name of Jesus
And that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord
To the glory of God the Father
Second Reading
Excerpts from chapter IV of the second Vatican Council’s document On the Church in reference to some aspects of the role of the laity in the Church.
… The laity, by their very vocation, seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God. They live in the world, that is, in each and in all of the secular professions and occupations. They live in the ordinary circumstances of family and social life, from which the very web of their existence is woven. They are called there by God that by exercising their proper function and led by the spirit of the Gospel they may work for the sanctification of the world from within as a leaven. In this way they make Christ known to others, especially by the testimony of a life resplendent in faith, hope and charity. Therefore, since they are tightly bound up in all types of temporal affairs it is their special task to order and to throw light upon these affairs in such a way that they may come into being and then continually increase according to Christ and to the praise of the Creator and Redeemer.
… Besides intimately linking them to His life and His mission, (Christ) also gives them a sharing in His priestly function of offering spiritual worship for the glory of God and the salvation of men. For this reason, the laity, dedicated to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit are marvelously-called and wonderfully prepared so that ever more abundant fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers and apostolic endeavors, their ordinary married and family life, their daily occupations, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life, if patiently borne – all these become ‘spiritual sacrifices’ acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5)
Reflection
• Do I understand my vocation as a lay person in the Church? Is my life a testimony to my Christian beliefs?
• Do I regard my everyday tasks, my toil, my hardships, as spiritual sacrifices?
• The Sacred Heart told St. Margaret Mary that tepid souls shall become more fervent, and fervent souls shall rise to greater perfection: do I regard these promises as referring to me personally?
Prayer
Our examen of conscience is not an end in itself by a means whereby we strive to come to know ourselves better. The words of the Psalm show the inner struggle of the man who places himself in all humility before His God. Praying the words of the psalmist let us be mindful of the promise of the Sacred Heart that ‘Sinners shall find in my Heart a fountain and boundless ocean of mercy.’ The following is taken from Psalm 32:1-7:
Happy are those whose fault is forgiven
Whose sin is blotted out
Happy are those whom the Lord
Accuses of no guilt
Whose spirit is incapable of deceit!
All the time I kept silent
My bones were wasting away
With groans, day in, day out
Day and night Your hand
Lay heavy on me
My heart grew parched as stubble
In summer drought
At last I admitted to You I had sinned
No longer concealing my guilt
I said ‘I will go to the Lord
And confess my fault’.
And You, You have forgotten the wrong
I did, have pardoned my sin
That is why each of Your servants prays
To You in time of trouble
Even if floods come rushing down
They will never reach him
You are a hiding place for me
You guard me when in trouble
Third Reading: John 19:31-37
It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the Sabbath – since that Sabbath was as special day of solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Him and then the other. When they came to Jesus, they found that He was already dead, and so instead of breaking His legs one of the soldiers pierced His side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfill the Words of Scripture: Not one bone of his will be broken and again, in another place Scripture says: They will look on the one whom they have pierced.
Reflection
• The Heart of Jesus was pierced with a lance to make sure that He was dead; yet how little is required to make our hearts close and die to our fellowmen?
• Do I close my heart to my fellowmen through selfishness, prejudice, suspicion, distrust, envy?
• Do I observe the laws of the Sabbath and overlook the other laws of God regarding justice, charity, the right to life, etc?
Prayer of Petition
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, look down on our Holy Father, Pope N…, and help him guide us where You would have us go. Lord, hear my prayer.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, strengthen our bishop and his priests in the vocation to which you have called them. Lord, hear my prayer.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, enlighten the minds of those who govern us so that the laws they promulgate may be in harmony with your law. Lord, hear my prayer.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, make me more aware of the sins of injustice committed in this world which result in hunger, discrimination, prejudice and war. Lord, hear my prayer.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours: a heart which is open and not closed in on my own sorrows; a heart which is generous and not selfish by denying to other the rights I claim for myself. Lord, hear my prayer.
Concluding Prayer
Almighty God and Father, we glory in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, You beloved Son, as we call to mind the great things His love has done for us. Fill us with grace that flows in abundance from the Heart of Jesus, the source of heaven’s gifts. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers to the Holy Spirit
“But when He, the Spirit of Truth has come, He will teach you all truth… the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your mind whatever I have said to you.” (John 16:12-13,14,26)
Novena to the Holy Spirit
First Prayer
CONSIDERATION – We shall strive during this Novena to obtain an increase of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, over and above the special favors we shall ask from the Divine Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent supernatural dispositions given to us with grace, to make the soul attentive and responsive to the movements of the Third Person of the Adorable Trinity. Very appropriately have they been compared with the sails of a ship which, when spread, carry the craft swiftly and smoothly over its course. When the inspirations of the Holy Spirit find the gifts spread like sails in the soul, they waft it safely over the sea of life to the haven of eternal happiness. Those Christians who through indolence allow the gifts to lie dormant, are like ships dismantled, whose sails lie in the bottom of the boat, useless. Who has not felt, many a time, even immediately coming from the sacred tribunal of penance, the necessity of some such impelling power? Therefore let us beseech the Holy Spirit for an increase of these necessary gifts.
LET US PRAY. Almighty and eternal God, You who have regenerated us by water and the Holy Spirit, and have given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and of Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Second Prayer
The Gift of Holy Fear
CONSIDERATION – The irreligious man often fears that there may possibly be a God and a time for retribution. O what a base fear; a fear which he tries to bury in oblivion by leading a riotous, sinful life. With such fear, we are not concerned. The gift of Holy Fear fills us with sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread above all things to offend Him. It is fear like that of a dutiful son, who will shun certain company of whom he knows no evil, but with whom his parents do not wish him to associate. He simply respects his parents’ wishes. It is a fear which arises from reverence and submission toward those we love and esteem. It measures the malice of sin, not by the world’s standards, but by those of heaven. If it does not suggest very noble deeds in God’s service, at least it keeps us from going over into the enemy’s camp. For this reason, we poor sinners need the gift of Holy Fear. Let us therefore pray for it.
LET US PRAY. Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set You, my Lord and God, before my face forever; and shun all things that can offend You, so that I may be made worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Your Divine Majesty in the heaven of heavens, where You live and reign in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God, world without end. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Third Prayer
The Gift of Piety
CONSIDERATION – The gift of Piety is the gift through which the Holy Spirit calls to the service of God and man, the mistress of virtues, charity. It prompts us to love God not because of His majesty, but because He is our Father. It makes us love whatever is near and dear to our Divine Savior, beginning with His Immaculate Mother and going down the scale to the most abandoned soul on earth and in purgatory. The gift of Piety which bids us love our Father in heaven, stirs up our affections for our father and mother in the flesh, our own dear parents, for our fathers in God, the Pope, Bishops and Priests, for our home, our Church and our country. Pride and envy beget chauvinism, which is false patriotism and narrow-mindedness; the gift of Piety begets real patriotism. Let us, therefore, pray fervently for this beautiful gift.
LET US PRAY. Come, O blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart, incline it to a true faith in You, to a holy love of You, my God, and of all my fellow creatures for your sake. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Fourth Prayer
The Gift of Knowledge
CONSIDERATION – Knowledge as a gift of the Holy Spirit, directs the soul to judge of things both human and divine, according to supernatural common sense and not according to the standards of the worldly-wise. Even with supernatural faith in our soul to elevate our reason, how often we detect ourselves talking of temporal gain and loss, success and failure, suffering and pleasure, purely and simply, according to the principles of the worldly-minded! We fail to pierce the veil of the natural and see in suffering a blessing from God. We have come to think it folly to season our pleasures with a pinch of pepper and salt for mortification; for example: to determine that we will not remain out later that a certain reasonable hour, when we go out for an evening of innocent pleasure. In this age of doubt, materialism, pleasure-seeking, what shall we say of the necessity of this gift to enable us to distinguish good from evil, innocent pleasure from tainted joy, truth from falsehood, the real good from the apparent good among all the things around us? Let us, therefore, pray earnestly for this gift.
LET US PRAY. Come, O blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Your glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to You and Your eternal rewards. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Fifth Prayer
The Gift of Fortitude
CONSIDERATION – Fortitude is a gift of the Holy Spirit strengthening the soul against all natural fear and supporting it to the end in the performance of duty. Daily the soul, in the state of grace, must go forth to fight the good fight for Christ; to do its duty, which, because it is duty, will always be difficult. The virtue of Fortitude leads us into the battle, but we need special encouragement from the Spirit of God, to enable us to persevere in good, in spite of unforeseen difficulties, hardships and the grind of routine. That encouragement the Holy Spirit imparts to us through the gift of Fortitude. Moreover, while we are not called upon to face the roaring lions in the Roman arena like the first Christians, we are bound everyday of our lives to fight the roaring lion within us, to struggle against our besetting temptation. God has armed us with the gift of Fortitude for that purpose. Let us, therefore, pray for that gift to enable us to fight perseveringly the good fight of Jesus Christ until it please our Divine Leader to call us from the battlefield of life to enjoy the eternal reward of heaven.
LET US PRAY. Come, O blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from You, my God and greatest Good. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Sixth Prayer
The Gift of Counsel
CONSIDERATION – The gift of Counsel is a disposition in the soul through which the Holy Spirit prompts us to choose to do the better of two good actions. It is the elder sister of supernatural prudence. Prudence teaches us the A, B, C of Christian life; the gift of Counsel trains us in the fine arts of Christian perfection. As this gift gains greater influence over our actions, the soul begins to realize more and more the full meaning of the words of St. Paul: “All things are lawful to me, but not all things are expedient.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) The gift can never be developed in the Christian soul which stops short only of mortal sin in its use and abuse of liberty. Such a rule of conduct will not keep us long from mortal sin, and when mortal sin enters the soul, grace and all the supernatural gifts depart. Because my use of the things of this world may give my neighbor a pretext of abusing them, it is often expedient for me to hearken to the counsel of my Divine Guide and refrain from licit pleasures and actions. Above all, as Catholics, we should be as shining lights to our neighbors, going before them in the path of virtue. To do so, we need the gift of Counsel; therefore, let us pray for it.
LET US PRAY. Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Your holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Your commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Seventh Prayer
The Gift of Understanding
CONSIDERATION – Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps the Christian, in the state of grace, to grasp according to his mental capacity, the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. Perhaps, to many of us, the articles of the Creed are but dry disconnected truths. God gives us the gift of Understanding to enable us to penetrate the truths of our holy religion in a manner that will enable us to live them. Many Catholics find the Catholic newspapers flat and unsavory. On Sundays they would like to hear the Priest speak of the topics of the times rather than give catechetical instructions. That is because they are imbued with the spirit of the age. They have never become accustomed to thinking seriously of religious subjects. They have no religious, no Catholic, no supernatural ideals. Perhaps one of the reasons why we do not duplicate the majestic cathedrals of Europe is because we do not live the religious mysteries and ideals which inspired those monuments of faith. We need an increase of the gifts of Understanding to make our religion something real and living. Therefore, let us pray fervently for that intention.
LET US PRAY. Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Your Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of You and the Father and the Son. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Eight Prayer
The Gift of Wisdom
CONSIDERATION – Wisdom is that gift of the Holy Spirit whereby the Divine Spirit raises up our intellect and our heart to rest in God alone. Knowledge tells us the value of earthly things, and how we can enjoy them licitly without offending God; but Wisdom mounts high above them. Wisdom is the blossom of all the other gifts. The latter lead us up, step by step, to the throne of God; Wisdom bids us sit down on his footstool and judge all earthly things from that sublime height. Wisdom gives us courage to trample underfoot wealth, honor and pleasure, if these things – I will not say, impede our salvation – but even cast so much as a shadow between us and our God. You may be inclined to think that the gift of Wisdom is only for saints. You are right when you say that this gift is only for the saints, but you are wrong if you think that you are not destined to be a saint. We must all aspire to sanctity. Why not aim high? God will reward the effort. Let us begin today by trying to make an act of thanksgiving for every little cross that falls on us.
LET US PRAY. Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Show me the way by which I may be able to attain them and possess them forever. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Ninth Prayer
Zeal for the Glory of God and the Propagation of the Faith
CONSIDERATION – The first great Novena in honor of the Holy Spirit was crowned with an abundant outpouring of the Divine Spirit upon the Apostles. It enkindled within their bosom a zeal that knew not fear of starvation or death; that defied the sword and the cross; that braved storms at sea and bloody persecutions on land, for the propagation of the faith of Jesus Christ. Before we close the Novena, let us beg the Holy Spirit to fill the world with zeal for the triumph of right over might, for the triumph of truth over error, for the triumph of honesty and purity over deceit and sensuality. Let us pray that the Divine Spirit may fill many of our young men and women with zeal for the propagation of the faith, with courage to sacrifice the comforts of home and the company of parents to labor in the service of Christ and the Church. Let us pray that He may pour out an abundance of the apostolic spirit upon our priests, missionaries and nuns. Let us pray that He may draw the hearts of heretics and pagans to the one true fold of Christ, so that from every quarter of the earth one cry will ascend heavenward: Praise be the holy and adorable Trinity; to It be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
LET US PRAY. Holy, Divine Spirit, by the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, deign to pour abroad Your most ardent and omnipotent charity into all hearts, so that there may be one Fold and one Shepherd in the whole world; and that we may all come to sing Your divine praises in heaven forever. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit, Divine Spirit of light and love, I consecrate to You my mind, heart and will, for time and eternity. May my mind be ever docile to Your divine inspirations, and to the teachings of the holy Catholic Church, whose infallible guide you are, my heart ever inflamed with the love of God and my neighbor; my will ever conformable to the divine will; and my whole life a faithful imitation of the life and virtues of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and You be honor and glory forever. Amen.
Novena to the Holy Spirit
First Prayer
CONSIDERATION – We shall strive during this Novena to obtain an increase of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, over and above the special favors we shall ask from the Divine Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent supernatural dispositions given to us with grace, to make the soul attentive and responsive to the movements of the Third Person of the Adorable Trinity. Very appropriately have they been compared with the sails of a ship which, when spread, carry the craft swiftly and smoothly over its course. When the inspirations of the Holy Spirit find the gifts spread like sails in the soul, they waft it safely over the sea of life to the haven of eternal happiness. Those Christians who through indolence allow the gifts to lie dormant, are like ships dismantled, whose sails lie in the bottom of the boat, useless. Who has not felt, many a time, even immediately coming from the sacred tribunal of penance, the necessity of some such impelling power? Therefore let us beseech the Holy Spirit for an increase of these necessary gifts.
LET US PRAY. Almighty and eternal God, You who have regenerated us by water and the Holy Spirit, and have given us forgiveness of all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and of Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Second Prayer
The Gift of Holy Fear
CONSIDERATION – The irreligious man often fears that there may possibly be a God and a time for retribution. O what a base fear; a fear which he tries to bury in oblivion by leading a riotous, sinful life. With such fear, we are not concerned. The gift of Holy Fear fills us with sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread above all things to offend Him. It is fear like that of a dutiful son, who will shun certain company of whom he knows no evil, but with whom his parents do not wish him to associate. He simply respects his parents’ wishes. It is a fear which arises from reverence and submission toward those we love and esteem. It measures the malice of sin, not by the world’s standards, but by those of heaven. If it does not suggest very noble deeds in God’s service, at least it keeps us from going over into the enemy’s camp. For this reason, we poor sinners need the gift of Holy Fear. Let us therefore pray for it.
LET US PRAY. Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set You, my Lord and God, before my face forever; and shun all things that can offend You, so that I may be made worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Your Divine Majesty in the heaven of heavens, where You live and reign in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God, world without end. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Third Prayer
The Gift of Piety
CONSIDERATION – The gift of Piety is the gift through which the Holy Spirit calls to the service of God and man, the mistress of virtues, charity. It prompts us to love God not because of His majesty, but because He is our Father. It makes us love whatever is near and dear to our Divine Savior, beginning with His Immaculate Mother and going down the scale to the most abandoned soul on earth and in purgatory. The gift of Piety which bids us love our Father in heaven, stirs up our affections for our father and mother in the flesh, our own dear parents, for our fathers in God, the Pope, Bishops and Priests, for our home, our Church and our country. Pride and envy beget chauvinism, which is false patriotism and narrow-mindedness; the gift of Piety begets real patriotism. Let us, therefore, pray fervently for this beautiful gift.
LET US PRAY. Come, O blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart, incline it to a true faith in You, to a holy love of You, my God, and of all my fellow creatures for your sake. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Fourth Prayer
The Gift of Knowledge
CONSIDERATION – Knowledge as a gift of the Holy Spirit, directs the soul to judge of things both human and divine, according to supernatural common sense and not according to the standards of the worldly-wise. Even with supernatural faith in our soul to elevate our reason, how often we detect ourselves talking of temporal gain and loss, success and failure, suffering and pleasure, purely and simply, according to the principles of the worldly-minded! We fail to pierce the veil of the natural and see in suffering a blessing from God. We have come to think it folly to season our pleasures with a pinch of pepper and salt for mortification; for example: to determine that we will not remain out later that a certain reasonable hour, when we go out for an evening of innocent pleasure. In this age of doubt, materialism, pleasure-seeking, what shall we say of the necessity of this gift to enable us to distinguish good from evil, innocent pleasure from tainted joy, truth from falsehood, the real good from the apparent good among all the things around us? Let us, therefore, pray earnestly for this gift.
LET US PRAY. Come, O blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Your glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to You and Your eternal rewards. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Fifth Prayer
The Gift of Fortitude
CONSIDERATION – Fortitude is a gift of the Holy Spirit strengthening the soul against all natural fear and supporting it to the end in the performance of duty. Daily the soul, in the state of grace, must go forth to fight the good fight for Christ; to do its duty, which, because it is duty, will always be difficult. The virtue of Fortitude leads us into the battle, but we need special encouragement from the Spirit of God, to enable us to persevere in good, in spite of unforeseen difficulties, hardships and the grind of routine. That encouragement the Holy Spirit imparts to us through the gift of Fortitude. Moreover, while we are not called upon to face the roaring lions in the Roman arena like the first Christians, we are bound everyday of our lives to fight the roaring lion within us, to struggle against our besetting temptation. God has armed us with the gift of Fortitude for that purpose. Let us, therefore, pray for that gift to enable us to fight perseveringly the good fight of Jesus Christ until it please our Divine Leader to call us from the battlefield of life to enjoy the eternal reward of heaven.
LET US PRAY. Come, O blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from You, my God and greatest Good. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Sixth Prayer
The Gift of Counsel
CONSIDERATION – The gift of Counsel is a disposition in the soul through which the Holy Spirit prompts us to choose to do the better of two good actions. It is the elder sister of supernatural prudence. Prudence teaches us the A, B, C of Christian life; the gift of Counsel trains us in the fine arts of Christian perfection. As this gift gains greater influence over our actions, the soul begins to realize more and more the full meaning of the words of St. Paul: “All things are lawful to me, but not all things are expedient.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) The gift can never be developed in the Christian soul which stops short only of mortal sin in its use and abuse of liberty. Such a rule of conduct will not keep us long from mortal sin, and when mortal sin enters the soul, grace and all the supernatural gifts depart. Because my use of the things of this world may give my neighbor a pretext of abusing them, it is often expedient for me to hearken to the counsel of my Divine Guide and refrain from licit pleasures and actions. Above all, as Catholics, we should be as shining lights to our neighbors, going before them in the path of virtue. To do so, we need the gift of Counsel; therefore, let us pray for it.
LET US PRAY. Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Your holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Your commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Seventh Prayer
The Gift of Understanding
CONSIDERATION – Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps the Christian, in the state of grace, to grasp according to his mental capacity, the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. Perhaps, to many of us, the articles of the Creed are but dry disconnected truths. God gives us the gift of Understanding to enable us to penetrate the truths of our holy religion in a manner that will enable us to live them. Many Catholics find the Catholic newspapers flat and unsavory. On Sundays they would like to hear the Priest speak of the topics of the times rather than give catechetical instructions. That is because they are imbued with the spirit of the age. They have never become accustomed to thinking seriously of religious subjects. They have no religious, no Catholic, no supernatural ideals. Perhaps one of the reasons why we do not duplicate the majestic cathedrals of Europe is because we do not live the religious mysteries and ideals which inspired those monuments of faith. We need an increase of the gifts of Understanding to make our religion something real and living. Therefore, let us pray fervently for that intention.
LET US PRAY. Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Your Light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of You and the Father and the Son. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Eight Prayer
The Gift of Wisdom
CONSIDERATION – Wisdom is that gift of the Holy Spirit whereby the Divine Spirit raises up our intellect and our heart to rest in God alone. Knowledge tells us the value of earthly things, and how we can enjoy them licitly without offending God; but Wisdom mounts high above them. Wisdom is the blossom of all the other gifts. The latter lead us up, step by step, to the throne of God; Wisdom bids us sit down on his footstool and judge all earthly things from that sublime height. Wisdom gives us courage to trample underfoot wealth, honor and pleasure, if these things – I will not say, impede our salvation – but even cast so much as a shadow between us and our God. You may be inclined to think that the gift of Wisdom is only for saints. You are right when you say that this gift is only for the saints, but you are wrong if you think that you are not destined to be a saint. We must all aspire to sanctity. Why not aim high? God will reward the effort. Let us begin today by trying to make an act of thanksgiving for every little cross that falls on us.
LET US PRAY. Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Show me the way by which I may be able to attain them and possess them forever. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Ninth Prayer
Zeal for the Glory of God and the Propagation of the Faith
CONSIDERATION – The first great Novena in honor of the Holy Spirit was crowned with an abundant outpouring of the Divine Spirit upon the Apostles. It enkindled within their bosom a zeal that knew not fear of starvation or death; that defied the sword and the cross; that braved storms at sea and bloody persecutions on land, for the propagation of the faith of Jesus Christ. Before we close the Novena, let us beg the Holy Spirit to fill the world with zeal for the triumph of right over might, for the triumph of truth over error, for the triumph of honesty and purity over deceit and sensuality. Let us pray that the Divine Spirit may fill many of our young men and women with zeal for the propagation of the faith, with courage to sacrifice the comforts of home and the company of parents to labor in the service of Christ and the Church. Let us pray that He may pour out an abundance of the apostolic spirit upon our priests, missionaries and nuns. Let us pray that He may draw the hearts of heretics and pagans to the one true fold of Christ, so that from every quarter of the earth one cry will ascend heavenward: Praise be the holy and adorable Trinity; to It be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
LET US PRAY. Holy, Divine Spirit, by the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, deign to pour abroad Your most ardent and omnipotent charity into all hearts, so that there may be one Fold and one Shepherd in the whole world; and that we may all come to sing Your divine praises in heaven forever. Amen. Glory… Glory… Glory… Glory … Glory … Glory … Glory …
Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit, Divine Spirit of light and love, I consecrate to You my mind, heart and will, for time and eternity. May my mind be ever docile to Your divine inspirations, and to the teachings of the holy Catholic Church, whose infallible guide you are, my heart ever inflamed with the love of God and my neighbor; my will ever conformable to the divine will; and my whole life a faithful imitation of the life and virtues of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and You be honor and glory forever. Amen.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Way of the Cross
The Way of the Cross is a traditional devotion commonly prayed in a church or chapel where there are Stations. If this is not possible, it can be prayed anywhere. Reflecting prayerfully on the passion and death of Christ, we are reminded that our sins have caused Him to suffer and die, and that His Passion continues today in suffering humanity. The new form of the Way of the Cross gives the Stations better liturgical and biblical foundation. It expresses the Paschal Mystery more fully, since it not only emphasizes the significance of the Passion and Death of Jesus but also points out that He rose from the dead. The following method suggests very brief reflections and prayers, but they should not hinder spontaneous response. Instead of hurrying through them, take time to elicit sympathy from the heart.
Station 1
The Lord’s Supper
“The day came during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread when the lambs for the Passover meal were to be killed. Jesus sent Peter and John with these instructions: “Go and get the Passover meal ready for us to eat.” “Where do You want us to get it ready?” they asked Him. He answered, “As you go into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house: ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover meal?’ He will show you a large furnished room upstairs, where you will get everything ready. They went off and found everything just as Jesus told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
When the hour came, Jesus took His place at the table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! For I tell you, I will never again eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.” Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.” Then He took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them saying, “This is My Body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way, He gave them the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.”
“But, look! The one who betrays Me is here at the table with Me! The Son of Man will die as God has decided but how terrible for that man who betrays Him!” Then they began to ask among themselves which one among them it could be who was going to do this.” (Luke 22:7-28)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 26:17-35, Mark 14:12-26, John 13:21-30)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Knowing that His time had come, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His chosen apostles and instituted the Eucharist. He gave them His own Body and Blood in the form of Bread and Wine. Each time we celebrate the Mass, we are once again invited to partake of the Last Supper.
LORD, thank You for nourishing me with Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion. Help me to grow in appreciation of Your Precious Gift and make me remember our covenant of friendship in this Sacred Meal so that I may continue to live this in my everyday life and share it with others. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 2
Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
“Jesus left the city and went, as He usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” Then He went off from them about the distance of a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed. “Father,” He said, “if You will, take this cup of suffering away from Me. Not My Will, however, but Your Will be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. In great anguish, He prayed even more fervently; His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Rising from His prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief. He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
After the Paschal meal, Jesus went to a garden called Gethsemane to pray. But His disciples were overcome by sleep and He was left alone in agony and distress. The thought of His Death must have caused this anguish. We, too, feel deep separation and sadness at times, and often, we cannot explain the reason why.
LORD, teach me to pray. Comfort me in times of sadness and help me overcome the fears and anxieties I feel because of my insecurities and failures and the evils that surround me. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 3
Jesus before the Council
“Those who had arrested Jesus took Him to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the teachers of the Law and the elders had gathered together. Peter followed from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the High Priest’s house. He went into the courtyard and sat down with the guards to see how it would all come out. The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some false evidence against Jesus to put Him to death; but they could not find any, even though many people came forward and told lies about Him. Finally two men stepped up and said, “This Man said, ‘I am able to tear down God’s Temple and three days later build it back up.’” The High Priest stood up and said to Jesus, ”Have You no answer to give to this accusation against You?” But Jesus kept quiet. Again the High Priest spoke to Him, “In the name of the Living God, I now put You under oath: tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
Jesus answered, “So you say. But I tell all of you: from this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of the Almighty and coming down on the clouds of heaven!” At this the High Priest tore his clothes and said, “Blasphemy! We don’t need any more witnesses! You have just heard his blasphemy! What do you think?” They answered, “He is guilty and must die.” Then they spat on His Face and beat Him; and those who slapped Him said, “Prophesy for us, Messiah! Guess who hit You!” (Matthew 26:57-68)
(Similar Gospel passages: Mark 14:53-65, Luke 22:54,55,63-71, John 18:13,14,19-24)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
After capturing Him, His enemies led Jesus to the High Priest and the assembled elders. They tried to convict Him with false evidence. What evidence is there of my faith in Jesus?
LORD, when I have the opportunity to give witness to You, allow me to show genuine evidence by my truly Christian lifestyle. Grant me the strength and courage for this, LORD. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 4
Jesus is Sentenced to Death
“Jesus stood before the Roman governor, who questioned Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” “So you say,” answered Jesus. But He said nothing in response to the accusations of the chief priests and others. So Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear all these things they accuse You of?” But Jesus refused to answer a single word, with the result that the Governor was greatly surprised.
At every Passover Festival the Roman governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the crowd asked for. At that time there was a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them. “Which one do you want me to set free for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah? He knew very well the Jewish authorities had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.
While Pilate was sitting in the judgment hall, his wife sent him a message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night I suffered much on account of Him.”
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to set Barabbas free and have Jesus put to death. But Pilate asked the crowd, “Which one of these two do you want me to set free for you?” “Barabbas!” they answered. “What, then, shall I do with Jesus the Messiah?” Pilate asked them. “Crucify Him!” they all answered. But Pilate asked, “What crime has he committed?” Then they started shouting at the top of their voices: “Crucify Him!”
When Pilate saw that it was no use to go on, but that a riot might break out, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am not responsible for the death of this man! This is your doing!” The whole crowd answered, “Let the responsibility for His death fall on us and on our children!” Then Pilate set Barabbas free for them: and after he had Jesus whipped, he handed Him over to be crucified.” (Matthew 27:11-26)
(Similar Gospel passages: Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:1-25, John 18:28-19:16)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Accused falsely of treason, Jesus was brought before Pilate and was condemned to die like a criminal. But injustice did not end with the trial of Jesus. Innocent people all over the world are condemned and destroyed. Am I also guilty of condemning the innocent?
LORD, let me see You in every person I meet so that I may not give way to the injustice of prejudice. Teach me compassion for the innocent and oppressed. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 5
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
“Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him whipped. The soldiers made a crown out of thorny branches and put it on His Head; then they put a purple robe on Him and came to Him and said, “Long live the King of the Jews!” And they went up and slapped Him. (John 19:1-3)
“Then Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace, and the whole company gathered around Him. They stripped off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him. Then they made a crown of thorny branches and placed it on His Head, and put a stick in His Right Hand; then they knelt before Him and made fun of Him. “Long live the King of the Jews! they said. They spat on Him, and took the stick and hit Him over the Head. When they had finished making fun of Him, they took the robe off and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him. (Matthew 27:27-31)
(Similar Gospel passages: Mark 15:16-20, John 19:1-3)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Although he found no fault in Him, Pilate had Jesus taken away and scourged. The soldiers put a crown of thorns on His Head and mocked Him. How many innocent people today suffer from the harsh judgment of others?
LORD, when I feel humiliated and powerless give me the strength to suffer in silence like You. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 6
Jesus Accepts His Cross
“Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took charge of Jesus. He went out carrying His Cross, and came to “The Place of the Skull,” as it is called.” (In Hebrew it is called “Golgotha.”) (John 19:16-17)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
A heavy cross was laid on His Shoulder and Jesus accepted it. Man is burdened by crosses throughout the world, especially those brought about by man – war, hunger, poverty. Do I notice the people around me who are carrying their crosses?
LORD, help me to recognize the crosses others carry, and help me accept the crosses in my life with patience and love, as You did Yours. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 7
Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
“The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simeon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.” (Luke 23:26)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
The soldiers forced a bystander named Simeon to help Jesus, fearing He might die on the way. Am I reluctant to attend to other people’s problems when I have enough of my own? Are there are things that I can do to help them without adding to my own problems?
LORD, help me to be generous enough to share in other people’s problems and to find the right solutions. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 8
Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem
“A large crowd of people followed Him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for Him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Women of Jerusalem! Don’t cry for me, but for yourselves and your children. For the days are coming when people will say, ‘How lucky are the women who never had children, who never bore babies, who never nursed them!” That will be the time when people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Hide us!’ For if such things as these are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:27-31)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Forgetting His own pain, Jesus consoled the women who are weeping at His condition. If I reflect on the millions who are facing death by starvation in many places around the world, I should also weep.
LORD, help me not simply to weep over other people’s suffering from hunger but also to do whatever I can to relieve it.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 9
Jesus is Crucified
“There they crucified Him; and they also crucified two other men, one on each side, with Jesus between them. Pilate wrote a notice and had it put on the Cross. “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” is what he wrote. Many people read it, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city. The notice was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. The chief priests said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This Man said, I am the King of the Jews.’ Pilate answered, “What I have written stays written.”
After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. They also took the robe, which was made out of one piece of woven cloth without any seams on it. The soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it; let’s throw dice to see who will get it.” This happened in order to make the scripture come true.” (John 19:18-24)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 27:35-37, Mark 15:24-27)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
The journey has ended. The soldiers quickly stripped Jesus naked, roughly pinned Him down and nail His Hands and Feet to the wood. Today the same process continues. Poor people are stripped of the little they have while the wealthy accumulate more wealth. Political prisoners are tortured, while crime syndicates murder their victims.
LORD, strip me of my selfishness, pride and attachment to things that are not pleasing to You. Keep me from nailing people to crosses by my unjust words and actions. Help me to place less importance on material things than on people and human values. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 10
Jesus Forgives the Thief
“One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God? You received the same sentence He did. Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did: but He has done no wrong.” And he said to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when You come as King!” Jesus said to him, “I promise You that today you will be in Paradise with Me.” (Luke 23:39-43)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
One of the thieves crucified with Jesus was convinced of His innocence and asked to be remembered in His Kingdom. Jesus replied, “Truly, you will be with Me today in Paradise.” God’s forgiveness is always offered today to those who repent sincerely.
LORD, help me to see and acknowledge my sins honestly. Like the good thief, I repent of my sins and ask You to take me with You to Paradise. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 11
Jesus Entrusts His Mother to John
“Standing close to Jesus’ Cross were His Mother, His Mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus saw His Mother and the disciple he loved standing there, so He said to His Mother, “He is your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “She is your Mother.” From that time the disciple took her to live in his home. (John 19:25-27)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
When Jesus saw His Mother and His beloved Apostle standing nearby, he said to His Mother, “Woman, this is your son,” and to John, “There is your Mother.” Mary’s pain and compassion is echoed today in the hearts of women who grieve for their murdered husbands and sons.
LORD, thank You for giving me Your Mother to be my own. Touch my heart with Her deep sorrow at Your Death. Help me to love and reverence Her as You did. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 12
The Death of Jesus
Luke 23:44-49:
“It was about twelve o’clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o’clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn into two. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father! In Your Hands I place my spirit!” He said this and died.
The army officer saw what happened and he praised God saying, “Certainly He was a good man!” When the people who had gathered there to watch the spectacle saw what happened, they all went back home, beating their breasts in sorrow. All those who knew Jesus personally including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance to watch.”
Mark 15:33-39:
“At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout “Eloi, Eloi, lema, sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did You abandon Me?” Some of the people there heard Him and said, “Listen, He is calling for Elijah! One of them ran up with a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, and put it on the end of a stick. Then he held it up to Jesus’ lips and said, “Wait! Let us see if Elijah is coming to bring Him down from the Cross!” With a loud cry Jesus died.
The curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The army officer who was standing there in front of the Cross saw how Jesus had died. “This Man was really the Son of God!” he said. Some women were there looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of the younger James and of Joseph, and Salome. They had followed Jesus while He was in Galilee and helped Him. Many other women who had come to Jerusalem with Him were there also.”
Matthew 27:45-56:
“At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. At about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud shout, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, My God, why did You abandon Me?” Some of the people standing there heard Him and said, ”He is calling for Elijah!” One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make Him drink it. But the others said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah is coming to save Him!” Jesus again gave a loud cry and breathed His last.
Then the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart, the graves broke open, and many of God’s people who had died were raised to life. They left the graves, and after Jesus rose from death, they went into the Holy City, where many people saw them. When the army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened, they were terrified and said, “He really was the Son of God!” There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and helped Him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the wife of Zebedee.”
John 19:28-30:
Jesus knew that by now everything had been completed; and in order to make the scripture come true, He said, “I am thirsty.” A bowl was there, full of cheap wine; so a sponge was soaked in the wine, put on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted up to His Lips. Jesus drank the wine and said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His Head and gave up His Spirit.”
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
The nightmare of pain and suffering had come to an end. Jesus agonized for three hours and expired. Jesus was not the first, nor the last, to die a violent death. Violence continues today wherever there is hatred instead of love.
LORD, as You commended Your Spirit to Your Father, I commend my whole life to Your service. As You died on the Cross for me, let me live for You. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 13
The Burial of Jesus
“It was toward evening when Joseph of Arimathea arrived. He was a respected member of the Council, who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. It was Preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath), so Joseph went boldly into the presence of Pilate and asked him for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. He called the army officer and asked him if Jesus had been dead for a long time. After hearing the officer’s report, Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph brought a linen sheet, took the body down, wrapped it in the sheet, and placed it in a tomb which had been dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body of Jesus was placed.” (Mark 15:42-47)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 27:57-61, Luke 23:50-53, John 19: 38-42)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
What greater grief is there than a mother’s for a dead son. What greater loss than that of a loved one. How do I feel and behave when someone dies?
Mary, my Mother, give me a share of your compassion and love. Teach me how to comfort those who are grieving and give them the consolation of the Faith. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 14
The Resurrection
Luke 24:1-49:
“Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb, so they went in; but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. They stood there puzzled about this, when suddenly two men in bright shining clothes stood by them. Full of fear, the women bowed down to the ground, as the men said to them, “Why are you looking among the dead for the one who is alive? He is not here; He has been raised. Remember what He said to You while He was in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, be crucified, and three days later rise to life.”
Then the women remembered His Words, returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven disciples and all the rest. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James; they and the other women with them told these things to the apostles. But the apostles thought that what the women said was non-sense, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; he bent down and saw the grave clothes but nothing else. Then he went back home amazed at what had happened.
On that same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. As they talked and discussed, Jesus Himself drew near and walked along with them; they saw Him, but somehow did not recognize Him. Jesus said to them, “What are you talking about to each other as you walk along?” They stood still, with sad faces. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have been happening there these last few days?” “What things?” He asked. The things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This Man was a prophet and was considered by God and by all the people to be powerful in everything He said and did. Our chief priests and rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and He was crucified. And we had hoped that He would be the One who was going to set Israel free! Besides all that, this is now the third day since it happened. Some of the women of our group surprised us; they went at dawn to the tomb, but they could not find His Body. They came back saying that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that He is alive. Some of our group went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they did not see Him.” Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter His Glory?” And Jesus explained to them what was said about Himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets. As they came near the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going farther; but they held Him back, saying, “Stay with us; the day is almost over and it is getting dark.” So He went in to stay with them. He sat down to eat with them, took the bread and said the blessing; then He broke the bread and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Wasn’t it like a fire burning in us when He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” They got up at once and went back to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven disciples gathered together with the others and saying, “The Lord has risen indeed! He has appeared to Simon!” The two then explained to them what had happened on the road and how they had recognized the Lord when He broke the bread.
While the two were telling them this, suddenly the Lord Himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you!” They were terrified thinking that they were seeing a ghost. But He said to them, “Why are you alarmed? Why are these doubts coming up in your minds? Look at My Hands and My Feet, and see that it is Myself. Feel me and you will know, for a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you can see I have.” He said this and showed them His Hands and Feet. They still could not believe, they were so full of joy and wonder; so He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of cooked fish, which He took and ate in their presence. Then He said to them, “These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the Psalms had to come true.”
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “This is what is written, the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in His name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And I Myself will send upon you what My Father has promised. But you must wait in the city until the power from above comes down on you.”
John 20-21:
“Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. She went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!” Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb. The two of them were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and saw the linen cloths, but He did not go in. Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there and the cloth which had been around Jesus’ head. It has not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. (They still did not understand the scripture which said that he must rise from death.) Then the disciples went back home.
Mary stood crying outside the tomb. While she was still crying, she bent over and looked in the tomb and saw two angels there dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her. She answered, “They have taken my Lord away and I do not know where they have put Him!” Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not know that it was Jesus. “Woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is it that you are looking for?” She thought He was the gardener, so she said to Him, “If you took Him away, sir, tell me where you have put Him and I will go and get Him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned toward Him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher.”) “Do not hold on to Me,” Jesus told Her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to Him who is My Father and their Father, My God and their God.” So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what He had told her.
It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. After saying this, He showed them His Hands and His Side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. Jesus said to them again.”Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Then He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ”We have seen the Lord!” Thomas said to them, unless I see the scars of nails in His Hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in His Side, I will not believe.” A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked and Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My Hands; then reach out your hand and put it in My Side. Stop your doubting and believe!” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and My God!” Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing Me!”
In His disciples’ presence, Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your Faith in Him you may have life.
After this, Jesus appeared once more to His disciples at Lake Tiberias. This is how it happened. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael (the one from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus were all together. Simon Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing.” “We will come with you,” they told him. So they went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing. As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water’s edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then He asked, “Young men, have you caught anything?” “Not a thing,” they answered. He said to them, “Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will catch some.” So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in, because they had caught so many fish. The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken his clothes off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples came to shore in the boat pulling the net full of fish. They were not very far from land, about a hundred yards away. When they stepped ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread. Then Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore full of big fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” because they knew it was the Lord. So Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; he did the same with the fish. This, then, was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was raised from death.
After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do You love me more than these others do?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know that I love You.” Jesus said to Him, “Take care of my lambs.” A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.” A third time Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you Love me?” Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you Love me?” and so he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You!” Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep. I am telling you the truth: when you were young, you used to get ready and go anywhere you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you up and take you where you don’t want to go.” (In saying this, Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God.) Then Jesus said to him, “Follow Me!”
Peter turned around and saw behind him that other disciple, whom Jesus loved – the one who had leaned close to Jesus at the meal and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray You?” When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus answered him, “If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you? Follow Me!” So a report spread among the followers of Jesus that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die; He said, “If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you?” He is the disciple who spoke of these things, the one who also wrote them down; and we know that what he said is true.
Now there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one. I suppose the whole world could not hold all the books that would be written.”
Mark 16:1-20:
“After the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus. Very early on Sunday morning, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they said to one another, who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb? (It was a very large stone.) Then they looked up and saw that the stone had already been rolled back. So they entered the tomb where they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe – and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed, he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is not here – He has been raised! Look, here is the place where He was placed. Now go and give this message to His disciples, including Peter: He is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see Him, just as He told you.” So they went out and ran from the tomb, distressed and terrified. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
After Jesus rose from death early on Sunday appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons. She went and told His companions. They were mourning and crying; and when they heard her say that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe her.
After this, Jesus appeared in a different manner to two of them while they were on their way to the country. They returned and told the others, but these would not believe it.
Last of all, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them, because they did not have faith and because they were too stubborn to believe those who had seen Him alive. He said to them, “Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. Believers will be given power to perform miracles: they will drive out demons in My Name; they will speak in strange tongues; if they pick up snakes or drink any poison, they will not be harmed; they will place their hands on sick people, and these will get healed.
After the Lord Jesus had talked with them, He was taken up to heaven and sat at the right side of God. The disciples went and preached everywhere, and the Lord was with them and proved that their preaching was true by the miracles that were performed.”
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 28:1-5, Luke 24:1-45, John 20:1-29)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, the women came with perfumes and ointments they had prepared for the Body of Jesus. But an angel appeared and told them, “Do not be frightened. I know that you are looking for Jesus the crucified, but He is not here. He has been raised, exactly as He promised.”
The Resurrection of Jesus reminds me that all suffering and pain is worthwhile and somehow makes sense. It reminds me that each human being has been redeemed by Jesus out of love. It reminds me that my life must be patterned after that of Jesus, so that by following Him in pain, I may also follow Him in glory.
LORD JESUS, Your Resurrection gives me great hope and joy. Let me bring the good news to those who feel hopeless. By Your Glorious Resurrection, make us all Easter Christians, aware of Your Promise that we too shall rise and live with You forever. Amen.
May the Risen Christ keep us optimistic, active, smiling, and perceptive, for God’s greater Glory. Amen.
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26)
Station 1
The Lord’s Supper
“The day came during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread when the lambs for the Passover meal were to be killed. Jesus sent Peter and John with these instructions: “Go and get the Passover meal ready for us to eat.” “Where do You want us to get it ready?” they asked Him. He answered, “As you go into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house: ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover meal?’ He will show you a large furnished room upstairs, where you will get everything ready. They went off and found everything just as Jesus told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
When the hour came, Jesus took His place at the table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! For I tell you, I will never again eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.” Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.” Then He took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them saying, “This is My Body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way, He gave them the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.”
“But, look! The one who betrays Me is here at the table with Me! The Son of Man will die as God has decided but how terrible for that man who betrays Him!” Then they began to ask among themselves which one among them it could be who was going to do this.” (Luke 22:7-28)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 26:17-35, Mark 14:12-26, John 13:21-30)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Knowing that His time had come, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His chosen apostles and instituted the Eucharist. He gave them His own Body and Blood in the form of Bread and Wine. Each time we celebrate the Mass, we are once again invited to partake of the Last Supper.
LORD, thank You for nourishing me with Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion. Help me to grow in appreciation of Your Precious Gift and make me remember our covenant of friendship in this Sacred Meal so that I may continue to live this in my everyday life and share it with others. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 2
Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
“Jesus left the city and went, as He usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” Then He went off from them about the distance of a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed. “Father,” He said, “if You will, take this cup of suffering away from Me. Not My Will, however, but Your Will be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. In great anguish, He prayed even more fervently; His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Rising from His prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief. He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
After the Paschal meal, Jesus went to a garden called Gethsemane to pray. But His disciples were overcome by sleep and He was left alone in agony and distress. The thought of His Death must have caused this anguish. We, too, feel deep separation and sadness at times, and often, we cannot explain the reason why.
LORD, teach me to pray. Comfort me in times of sadness and help me overcome the fears and anxieties I feel because of my insecurities and failures and the evils that surround me. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 3
Jesus before the Council
“Those who had arrested Jesus took Him to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the teachers of the Law and the elders had gathered together. Peter followed from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the High Priest’s house. He went into the courtyard and sat down with the guards to see how it would all come out. The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some false evidence against Jesus to put Him to death; but they could not find any, even though many people came forward and told lies about Him. Finally two men stepped up and said, “This Man said, ‘I am able to tear down God’s Temple and three days later build it back up.’” The High Priest stood up and said to Jesus, ”Have You no answer to give to this accusation against You?” But Jesus kept quiet. Again the High Priest spoke to Him, “In the name of the Living God, I now put You under oath: tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
Jesus answered, “So you say. But I tell all of you: from this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of the Almighty and coming down on the clouds of heaven!” At this the High Priest tore his clothes and said, “Blasphemy! We don’t need any more witnesses! You have just heard his blasphemy! What do you think?” They answered, “He is guilty and must die.” Then they spat on His Face and beat Him; and those who slapped Him said, “Prophesy for us, Messiah! Guess who hit You!” (Matthew 26:57-68)
(Similar Gospel passages: Mark 14:53-65, Luke 22:54,55,63-71, John 18:13,14,19-24)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
After capturing Him, His enemies led Jesus to the High Priest and the assembled elders. They tried to convict Him with false evidence. What evidence is there of my faith in Jesus?
LORD, when I have the opportunity to give witness to You, allow me to show genuine evidence by my truly Christian lifestyle. Grant me the strength and courage for this, LORD. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 4
Jesus is Sentenced to Death
“Jesus stood before the Roman governor, who questioned Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” “So you say,” answered Jesus. But He said nothing in response to the accusations of the chief priests and others. So Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear all these things they accuse You of?” But Jesus refused to answer a single word, with the result that the Governor was greatly surprised.
At every Passover Festival the Roman governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the crowd asked for. At that time there was a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them. “Which one do you want me to set free for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah? He knew very well the Jewish authorities had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.
While Pilate was sitting in the judgment hall, his wife sent him a message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, because in a dream last night I suffered much on account of Him.”
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to set Barabbas free and have Jesus put to death. But Pilate asked the crowd, “Which one of these two do you want me to set free for you?” “Barabbas!” they answered. “What, then, shall I do with Jesus the Messiah?” Pilate asked them. “Crucify Him!” they all answered. But Pilate asked, “What crime has he committed?” Then they started shouting at the top of their voices: “Crucify Him!”
When Pilate saw that it was no use to go on, but that a riot might break out, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am not responsible for the death of this man! This is your doing!” The whole crowd answered, “Let the responsibility for His death fall on us and on our children!” Then Pilate set Barabbas free for them: and after he had Jesus whipped, he handed Him over to be crucified.” (Matthew 27:11-26)
(Similar Gospel passages: Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:1-25, John 18:28-19:16)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Accused falsely of treason, Jesus was brought before Pilate and was condemned to die like a criminal. But injustice did not end with the trial of Jesus. Innocent people all over the world are condemned and destroyed. Am I also guilty of condemning the innocent?
LORD, let me see You in every person I meet so that I may not give way to the injustice of prejudice. Teach me compassion for the innocent and oppressed. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 5
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
“Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him whipped. The soldiers made a crown out of thorny branches and put it on His Head; then they put a purple robe on Him and came to Him and said, “Long live the King of the Jews!” And they went up and slapped Him. (John 19:1-3)
“Then Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace, and the whole company gathered around Him. They stripped off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him. Then they made a crown of thorny branches and placed it on His Head, and put a stick in His Right Hand; then they knelt before Him and made fun of Him. “Long live the King of the Jews! they said. They spat on Him, and took the stick and hit Him over the Head. When they had finished making fun of Him, they took the robe off and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him. (Matthew 27:27-31)
(Similar Gospel passages: Mark 15:16-20, John 19:1-3)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Although he found no fault in Him, Pilate had Jesus taken away and scourged. The soldiers put a crown of thorns on His Head and mocked Him. How many innocent people today suffer from the harsh judgment of others?
LORD, when I feel humiliated and powerless give me the strength to suffer in silence like You. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 6
Jesus Accepts His Cross
“Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took charge of Jesus. He went out carrying His Cross, and came to “The Place of the Skull,” as it is called.” (In Hebrew it is called “Golgotha.”) (John 19:16-17)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
A heavy cross was laid on His Shoulder and Jesus accepted it. Man is burdened by crosses throughout the world, especially those brought about by man – war, hunger, poverty. Do I notice the people around me who are carrying their crosses?
LORD, help me to recognize the crosses others carry, and help me accept the crosses in my life with patience and love, as You did Yours. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 7
Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
“The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simeon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.” (Luke 23:26)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
The soldiers forced a bystander named Simeon to help Jesus, fearing He might die on the way. Am I reluctant to attend to other people’s problems when I have enough of my own? Are there are things that I can do to help them without adding to my own problems?
LORD, help me to be generous enough to share in other people’s problems and to find the right solutions. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 8
Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem
“A large crowd of people followed Him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for Him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Women of Jerusalem! Don’t cry for me, but for yourselves and your children. For the days are coming when people will say, ‘How lucky are the women who never had children, who never bore babies, who never nursed them!” That will be the time when people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Hide us!’ For if such things as these are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:27-31)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Forgetting His own pain, Jesus consoled the women who are weeping at His condition. If I reflect on the millions who are facing death by starvation in many places around the world, I should also weep.
LORD, help me not simply to weep over other people’s suffering from hunger but also to do whatever I can to relieve it.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 9
Jesus is Crucified
“There they crucified Him; and they also crucified two other men, one on each side, with Jesus between them. Pilate wrote a notice and had it put on the Cross. “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” is what he wrote. Many people read it, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city. The notice was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. The chief priests said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This Man said, I am the King of the Jews.’ Pilate answered, “What I have written stays written.”
After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. They also took the robe, which was made out of one piece of woven cloth without any seams on it. The soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it; let’s throw dice to see who will get it.” This happened in order to make the scripture come true.” (John 19:18-24)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 27:35-37, Mark 15:24-27)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
The journey has ended. The soldiers quickly stripped Jesus naked, roughly pinned Him down and nail His Hands and Feet to the wood. Today the same process continues. Poor people are stripped of the little they have while the wealthy accumulate more wealth. Political prisoners are tortured, while crime syndicates murder their victims.
LORD, strip me of my selfishness, pride and attachment to things that are not pleasing to You. Keep me from nailing people to crosses by my unjust words and actions. Help me to place less importance on material things than on people and human values. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 10
Jesus Forgives the Thief
“One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God? You received the same sentence He did. Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did: but He has done no wrong.” And he said to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when You come as King!” Jesus said to him, “I promise You that today you will be in Paradise with Me.” (Luke 23:39-43)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
One of the thieves crucified with Jesus was convinced of His innocence and asked to be remembered in His Kingdom. Jesus replied, “Truly, you will be with Me today in Paradise.” God’s forgiveness is always offered today to those who repent sincerely.
LORD, help me to see and acknowledge my sins honestly. Like the good thief, I repent of my sins and ask You to take me with You to Paradise. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 11
Jesus Entrusts His Mother to John
“Standing close to Jesus’ Cross were His Mother, His Mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus saw His Mother and the disciple he loved standing there, so He said to His Mother, “He is your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “She is your Mother.” From that time the disciple took her to live in his home. (John 19:25-27)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
When Jesus saw His Mother and His beloved Apostle standing nearby, he said to His Mother, “Woman, this is your son,” and to John, “There is your Mother.” Mary’s pain and compassion is echoed today in the hearts of women who grieve for their murdered husbands and sons.
LORD, thank You for giving me Your Mother to be my own. Touch my heart with Her deep sorrow at Your Death. Help me to love and reverence Her as You did. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 12
The Death of Jesus
Luke 23:44-49:
“It was about twelve o’clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o’clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn into two. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father! In Your Hands I place my spirit!” He said this and died.
The army officer saw what happened and he praised God saying, “Certainly He was a good man!” When the people who had gathered there to watch the spectacle saw what happened, they all went back home, beating their breasts in sorrow. All those who knew Jesus personally including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance to watch.”
Mark 15:33-39:
“At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout “Eloi, Eloi, lema, sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did You abandon Me?” Some of the people there heard Him and said, “Listen, He is calling for Elijah! One of them ran up with a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, and put it on the end of a stick. Then he held it up to Jesus’ lips and said, “Wait! Let us see if Elijah is coming to bring Him down from the Cross!” With a loud cry Jesus died.
The curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The army officer who was standing there in front of the Cross saw how Jesus had died. “This Man was really the Son of God!” he said. Some women were there looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of the younger James and of Joseph, and Salome. They had followed Jesus while He was in Galilee and helped Him. Many other women who had come to Jerusalem with Him were there also.”
Matthew 27:45-56:
“At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. At about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud shout, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, My God, why did You abandon Me?” Some of the people standing there heard Him and said, ”He is calling for Elijah!” One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make Him drink it. But the others said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah is coming to save Him!” Jesus again gave a loud cry and breathed His last.
Then the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart, the graves broke open, and many of God’s people who had died were raised to life. They left the graves, and after Jesus rose from death, they went into the Holy City, where many people saw them. When the army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened, they were terrified and said, “He really was the Son of God!” There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and helped Him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the wife of Zebedee.”
John 19:28-30:
Jesus knew that by now everything had been completed; and in order to make the scripture come true, He said, “I am thirsty.” A bowl was there, full of cheap wine; so a sponge was soaked in the wine, put on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted up to His Lips. Jesus drank the wine and said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His Head and gave up His Spirit.”
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
The nightmare of pain and suffering had come to an end. Jesus agonized for three hours and expired. Jesus was not the first, nor the last, to die a violent death. Violence continues today wherever there is hatred instead of love.
LORD, as You commended Your Spirit to Your Father, I commend my whole life to Your service. As You died on the Cross for me, let me live for You. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 13
The Burial of Jesus
“It was toward evening when Joseph of Arimathea arrived. He was a respected member of the Council, who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. It was Preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath), so Joseph went boldly into the presence of Pilate and asked him for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. He called the army officer and asked him if Jesus had been dead for a long time. After hearing the officer’s report, Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph brought a linen sheet, took the body down, wrapped it in the sheet, and placed it in a tomb which had been dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body of Jesus was placed.” (Mark 15:42-47)
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 27:57-61, Luke 23:50-53, John 19: 38-42)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
What greater grief is there than a mother’s for a dead son. What greater loss than that of a loved one. How do I feel and behave when someone dies?
Mary, my Mother, give me a share of your compassion and love. Teach me how to comfort those who are grieving and give them the consolation of the Faith. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us. Amen.
Station 14
The Resurrection
Luke 24:1-49:
“Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb, so they went in; but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. They stood there puzzled about this, when suddenly two men in bright shining clothes stood by them. Full of fear, the women bowed down to the ground, as the men said to them, “Why are you looking among the dead for the one who is alive? He is not here; He has been raised. Remember what He said to You while He was in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, be crucified, and three days later rise to life.”
Then the women remembered His Words, returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven disciples and all the rest. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James; they and the other women with them told these things to the apostles. But the apostles thought that what the women said was non-sense, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; he bent down and saw the grave clothes but nothing else. Then he went back home amazed at what had happened.
On that same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. As they talked and discussed, Jesus Himself drew near and walked along with them; they saw Him, but somehow did not recognize Him. Jesus said to them, “What are you talking about to each other as you walk along?” They stood still, with sad faces. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have been happening there these last few days?” “What things?” He asked. The things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This Man was a prophet and was considered by God and by all the people to be powerful in everything He said and did. Our chief priests and rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and He was crucified. And we had hoped that He would be the One who was going to set Israel free! Besides all that, this is now the third day since it happened. Some of the women of our group surprised us; they went at dawn to the tomb, but they could not find His Body. They came back saying that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that He is alive. Some of our group went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they did not see Him.” Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter His Glory?” And Jesus explained to them what was said about Himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets. As they came near the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going farther; but they held Him back, saying, “Stay with us; the day is almost over and it is getting dark.” So He went in to stay with them. He sat down to eat with them, took the bread and said the blessing; then He broke the bread and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Wasn’t it like a fire burning in us when He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” They got up at once and went back to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven disciples gathered together with the others and saying, “The Lord has risen indeed! He has appeared to Simon!” The two then explained to them what had happened on the road and how they had recognized the Lord when He broke the bread.
While the two were telling them this, suddenly the Lord Himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you!” They were terrified thinking that they were seeing a ghost. But He said to them, “Why are you alarmed? Why are these doubts coming up in your minds? Look at My Hands and My Feet, and see that it is Myself. Feel me and you will know, for a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you can see I have.” He said this and showed them His Hands and Feet. They still could not believe, they were so full of joy and wonder; so He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of cooked fish, which He took and ate in their presence. Then He said to them, “These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the Psalms had to come true.”
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “This is what is written, the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in His name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And I Myself will send upon you what My Father has promised. But you must wait in the city until the power from above comes down on you.”
John 20-21:
“Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. She went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!” Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb. The two of them were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and saw the linen cloths, but He did not go in. Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there and the cloth which had been around Jesus’ head. It has not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. (They still did not understand the scripture which said that he must rise from death.) Then the disciples went back home.
Mary stood crying outside the tomb. While she was still crying, she bent over and looked in the tomb and saw two angels there dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her. She answered, “They have taken my Lord away and I do not know where they have put Him!” Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not know that it was Jesus. “Woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is it that you are looking for?” She thought He was the gardener, so she said to Him, “If you took Him away, sir, tell me where you have put Him and I will go and get Him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned toward Him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher.”) “Do not hold on to Me,” Jesus told Her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to Him who is My Father and their Father, My God and their God.” So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what He had told her.
It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. After saying this, He showed them His Hands and His Side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. Jesus said to them again.”Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Then He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ”We have seen the Lord!” Thomas said to them, unless I see the scars of nails in His Hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in His Side, I will not believe.” A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked and Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My Hands; then reach out your hand and put it in My Side. Stop your doubting and believe!” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and My God!” Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing Me!”
In His disciples’ presence, Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your Faith in Him you may have life.
After this, Jesus appeared once more to His disciples at Lake Tiberias. This is how it happened. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael (the one from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus were all together. Simon Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing.” “We will come with you,” they told him. So they went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing. As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water’s edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then He asked, “Young men, have you caught anything?” “Not a thing,” they answered. He said to them, “Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will catch some.” So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in, because they had caught so many fish. The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken his clothes off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples came to shore in the boat pulling the net full of fish. They were not very far from land, about a hundred yards away. When they stepped ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread. Then Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore full of big fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” because they knew it was the Lord. So Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; he did the same with the fish. This, then, was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was raised from death.
After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do You love me more than these others do?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know that I love You.” Jesus said to Him, “Take care of my lambs.” A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.” A third time Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you Love me?” Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you Love me?” and so he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You!” Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep. I am telling you the truth: when you were young, you used to get ready and go anywhere you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you up and take you where you don’t want to go.” (In saying this, Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God.) Then Jesus said to him, “Follow Me!”
Peter turned around and saw behind him that other disciple, whom Jesus loved – the one who had leaned close to Jesus at the meal and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray You?” When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus answered him, “If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you? Follow Me!” So a report spread among the followers of Jesus that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die; He said, “If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you?” He is the disciple who spoke of these things, the one who also wrote them down; and we know that what he said is true.
Now there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one. I suppose the whole world could not hold all the books that would be written.”
Mark 16:1-20:
“After the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus. Very early on Sunday morning, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they said to one another, who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb? (It was a very large stone.) Then they looked up and saw that the stone had already been rolled back. So they entered the tomb where they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe – and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed, he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is not here – He has been raised! Look, here is the place where He was placed. Now go and give this message to His disciples, including Peter: He is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see Him, just as He told you.” So they went out and ran from the tomb, distressed and terrified. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
After Jesus rose from death early on Sunday appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons. She went and told His companions. They were mourning and crying; and when they heard her say that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe her.
After this, Jesus appeared in a different manner to two of them while they were on their way to the country. They returned and told the others, but these would not believe it.
Last of all, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them, because they did not have faith and because they were too stubborn to believe those who had seen Him alive. He said to them, “Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. Believers will be given power to perform miracles: they will drive out demons in My Name; they will speak in strange tongues; if they pick up snakes or drink any poison, they will not be harmed; they will place their hands on sick people, and these will get healed.
After the Lord Jesus had talked with them, He was taken up to heaven and sat at the right side of God. The disciples went and preached everywhere, and the Lord was with them and proved that their preaching was true by the miracles that were performed.”
(Similar Gospel passages: Matthew 28:1-5, Luke 24:1-45, John 20:1-29)
Genuflect and pray: We adore you, O CHRIST, and we bless You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Amen. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, the women came with perfumes and ointments they had prepared for the Body of Jesus. But an angel appeared and told them, “Do not be frightened. I know that you are looking for Jesus the crucified, but He is not here. He has been raised, exactly as He promised.”
The Resurrection of Jesus reminds me that all suffering and pain is worthwhile and somehow makes sense. It reminds me that each human being has been redeemed by Jesus out of love. It reminds me that my life must be patterned after that of Jesus, so that by following Him in pain, I may also follow Him in glory.
LORD JESUS, Your Resurrection gives me great hope and joy. Let me bring the good news to those who feel hopeless. By Your Glorious Resurrection, make us all Easter Christians, aware of Your Promise that we too shall rise and live with You forever. Amen.
May the Risen Christ keep us optimistic, active, smiling, and perceptive, for God’s greater Glory. Amen.
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26)
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