Prayers and Devotions from The Imitation of the Sacred Heart
All of the following prayers are found verbatim in the writings of Blessed Margaret Mary.

MORNING PRAYERS

ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING

O MY GOD! with a most lively faith and profound veneration I adore Thee, and thank Thee for all the graces I have received from Thy bounty, especially for the grace of my creation, redemption, and preservation, for the gift of the true faith, and for having preserved me during the past night from sudden death.

OFFERING AND INTENTION

O SACRED HEART! I give and consecrate myself entirely to Thee: my heart, my memory, and my will, in order that everything I shall do and suffer be done for Thy honor and for love of Thee; that I may love Thee in all I see and hear; that all my words may be so many acts of adoration, love, and praise of Thy infinite Majesty; that every movement of my lips be an act of contrition for the sins which I have committed, and for the omissions of which I was guilty. Most amiable, Divine Heart, would that I could draw me to Thee as often as I breathe; that I could offer Thee to the Eternal Father as often as I respire, in thanksgiving for all Thy benefits.

Trusting in Thy infinite mercy, I also form the intention of gaining all the holy indulgences to be gained today, and I implore Thee to let them aid the salvation of my soul. I moreover unite in all the prayers, good works, and holy intentions of the Church militant, suffering, and triumphant. Thus submitting my whole being to the dispositions of Thy most holy will, I implore Thee, O Lord, for Thy holy blessing.

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
 
HAIL, most amiable Mistress, O holy Mother of my God! I venerate thee with all my heart, and resign into thy hands my liberty, imploring thee to be the guide of my steps, the mistress of my life, and the rule of all my intentions, desires, and actions. Most holy Virgin, be thou my star in the ocean of life, the secure haVen of my eternal salvation. Obtain for me, together with thy protection and blessing, the grace to live and die like thee.

TO THE GUARDIAN ANGEL AND HOLY PATRONS

HOLY Guardian Angel, and ye, my holy Patrons, hail! Grant me, I pray, your mighty protection and help. Amen.

INVOCATION

DIVINE Heart of Jesus, living in the heart of Mary! I implore Thee to live and reign in the hearts of all men, and to enkindle in them the flames of Thy pure love.

EVENING PRAYERS

ADORATION AND INVOCATION

MOST Sacred and Divine Heart of Jesus! convinced of my unworthiness, I prostrate myself before Thee to do Thee homage, to adore, love, and praise Thee as much as is in my power. O Jesus, my most sincere Friend! I expose to Thee all my wants, I discover to Thee all my miseries, my weakness, my tepidity and sloth-----in a word, all the wounds of my soul, and fervently implore Thee to let Thyself be moved to pity by them, and that Thou wouldst come to my aid according to the magnitude of Thy mercies.

(Examine your conscience.)

ACT OF CONTRITION

O SACRED HEART of my Jesus! by that ardent love which consumed thee on the Cross, a Victim of love and of suffering, and induced Thee to continue this sacrifice on our altars to the end of time, I, Thy miserable, sinful child, beseech Thee to grant me pardon for all the sins and outrages which I committed against Thee, for all ingratitude and infidelity of which I was guilty, and for my forgetfulness of Thee. Pardon all the sins of my life. I hate them, because Thou dost hate them; I detest them, because Thou dost detest them. For love of Thee I am sorry for having committed them, and should feel the greatest compunction for them even if there were neither Heaven nor Hell, solely because they offended Thee, Who art infinite goodness and worthy to be loved above all things. I would rather die a thousand times than offend Thee again, Whom I love above my life.

COMMENDATION TO THE SACRED HEART

O MOST amiable Heart of Jesus! let me, my relations, and friends, and all that have commended themselves to my prayer, and for whom I am bound to pray, experience Thy most powerful aid. Assist them individually in their necessities. O Heart full of mercies! convert all hardened hearts, console the Souls in Purgatory, be a refuge of the dying, the consolation of all distressed and suffering. Above all, be the refuge of my soul at the hour of death, and receive it into the bosom of Thy mercy.

In it I sleep securely and rest in peace. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, etc.

PRAYER

MOST sacred Heart! I select Thee as my resting-place, that Thou mayst be my strength in combat, my support in weakness, my light and guide in darkness, the expiation of my faults, and the sanctification of my intentions and actions, which I unite with Thine. Amen.

DEVOTIONS FOR HOLY MASS

AT THE INTROIT

O MY GOD! I offer Thee the infinite merits of this holy Sacrifice of the precious Body and Blood of my Redeemer in satisfaction for my sins: to implore Thee to cause Thy grace to become efficacious in me, and that. Thou mayest make me persevere in good works; that thou mayest fulfill Thy holy will in me, and grant me the grace to mortify my own will, together with a lively faith, a steadfast hope, and an ardent love; and that at the end of my life I may have true contrition and a happy death. Be pleased, also, to accept this sacrifice in union with all the desires, sentiments, affections, and beatings of the Sacred Heart. Again I offer Thee, O my God, this holy Mass for the exaltation of holy Church, for our holy Father, the Pope, for our country and its needs, for all those in spiritual fellowship with me, for all ecclesiastical Orders, and for this community, the care of whose spiritual and temporal welfare I commend to Thee. Give us, O Lord, the spirit of true charity and humility.

I beseech Thee also for the conversion of sinners and infidels, for the destruction of heresies, and for the release of the Souls in Purgatory, the consolation of the afflicted and suffering, and the assistance of the dying. O my God! whilst I unite myself with all the holy intentions Thou didst have when instituting this holy Sacrifice I implore Thee to distribute the merits of this holy Mass, and of all the holy Masses celebrated today according to these intentions; for I wish in all my prayers only that Thy Divine will be fulfilled, and that the fulness of Thy grace descend upon us.

FROM THE GLORIA TILL AFTER THE EPISTLE

ETERNAL FATHER, receive, I beseech Thee, the offering that I make of the Heart of Jesus Christ, Thy well-beloved Son, as He offers Himself to Thee in sacrifice. Be pleased to receive this offering for me, with all the desires, all the sentiments, all the affections, all the pulsations, all the actions of this sacred Heart. They are all mine, since He immolates Himself for me; and I desire for the future never to have any other intentions but His. Receive them in satisfaction for my sins, and in thanksgiving for all Thy benefits. Receive, them and grant me, through their merits, all the graces I stand in need of, and particularly the grace of final perseverance. Receive them as so many acts of love, adoration, and praise, which I offer to Thy Divine Majesty, since it is by Him alone that Thou art worthily honored and glorified. Amen.

AT THE GOSPEL

My Jesus was obedient unto death, even unto the death of the Cross. (Rising, and signing forehead, lips, and breast with the Sign of the Cross:) O God! be Thou in my thoughts, on my lips, and in my heart, that I may worthily receive Thy holy gospel!

O Sacred Heart of Jesus! to Thee I devote and offer up my life, thoughts, words, actions, pains, and sufferings. My entire being shall henceforward only be employed in loving, serving, honoring, and glorifying Thee. Be Thou, O most sacred Heart, the sole object of my love, the Protector of my life, the Pledge of my salvation, and my secure refuge at the hour of death. Be Thou also, O most bountiful heart, my justification at the throne of God, and screen me from His anger, which I have so justly merited. In Thee I place all my confidence, and, convinced as I am of my own weakness, I rely entirely on Thy compassionate mercy. Annihilate in me all that is displeasing and offensive to Thy pure eyes. Imprint Thyself like a Divine seal on my heart, that I may ever remember my obligations and never be separated from Thee. May my name also, I beseech Thee by Thy tender goodness, ever be fixed and engraven on Thee, O Book of Life, and may I be a victim consecrated to Thy glory ever burning with the flames of Thy pure love, both in time and in eternity. In this I place all my happiness; this is all my desire, to live and to die in no other quality but that of Thy devoted servant. Amen.

FROM THE CREDO TO THE SANCTUS

O MOST sacred, most Divine, most adorable Heart of Jesus! I adore Thy supreme Majesty with all the powers of my soul; and because of Thine infinite goodness I will, through a feeling of fear and respect, keep myself continually attentive not to offend Thee. O Heart most holy, I love Thee, and I desire to love Thee supremely above all things, detesting sin with my whole strength and power: and as I belong wholly to Thee, having received life from Thee amidst such bitter sorrows on the cross, I hope that Thou wilt have pity on my weakness and misery, and wilt not permit me to be lost eternally. I otTer myself, then, wholly to Thee, O Heart of love, and desire that my whole being, my life, and my sufferings should all tend to love, honor, and glorify Thee in time and eternity. O Heart most amiable, I love Thee as my sovereign good; in Thee I find all my happiness and all my joy, for Thou alone art worthy of the love of all hearts. Would that my heart might be worthy to be consumed through the vehemence of that love which causes me to renew with my whole heart all the promises I have ever made unto Thee! Preserve me from offending Thee, and make me ever do that which is most agreeable to Thee! O Heart, the source of pure love, why am I not all heart with which to love Thee, and all spirit with which to adore Thee! Grant me at least this grace, namely, that I may love only Thee, and all else in Thee, through Thee, and for Thee; that my memory may only be occupied by Thee; that I may henceforth have no understanding but to know Thee, no will or affection but to love Thee, no tongue but to make known Thy praises, no eyes but to see Thee, no hands but to serve Thee, no feet but to seek Thee, so that one day I may love Thee without the fear of ever losing Thee. Amen.

DURING THE CANON

Thirty-three  Salutations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Hail, Heart of Jesus-----Save me!
Hail, Heart of my Savior-----Deliver me!
Hail, Heart of my Judge-----Pardon me!
Hail, Heart of my Spouse-----Love me!
Hail, Heart of my Master-----Teach me!
Hail, Heart of my King-----Crown me!
Hail, Heart of my Benefactor-----Enrich me!
Hail, Heart of my Pastor-----Keep me!
Hail, Heart of my Friend-----Caress me!
Hail, Heart of my Infant Jesus-----Attract me!
Hail, Heart of Jesus, dying on the Cross-----Atone for me!
Hail, Heart of Jesus! in all its Condition-----Give Thyself to me!
Hail, Heart of my Brother-----Remain with me!
Hail, Heart of incomparable goodness-----Forgive me!
Hail, Magnificent Heart-----Shine forth in me!
Hail, Most amiable Heart-----Inflame me!
Hail, Charitable Heart-----Work in me!
Hail, Merciful Heart-----Answer for me!
Hail, Most Humble Heart-----Repose in me!
Hail, Most Patient Heart-----Bear with me!
Hail, Most Faithful Heart-----Make satisfaction for me!
Hail, Most Admirable and Most Worthy Heart-----Bless me!
Hail, Heart Most Peaceful -----Calm me!
Hail, Most Desirable and Most Beautiful-----Delight me!
Hail, Illustrious and Perfect Heart-----Ennoble me!
Hail, Sacred Heart Most Holy, and Balm Most Precious-----Preserve and sanctify me!
Hail, Heart Most Holy and Most Salutary-----Reform me!
Hail, Heart Most Blessed, True Physician and Remedy for all our ills-----Heal me!
Hail, Heart of Jesus, Consolation of the afflicted-----Comfort me!
Hail, Most loving Heart, burning Furnace-----Consume me!
Hail, Heart of Jesus, Model of perfection-----Enlighten me!
Hail, Heart of Jesus, Source of all happiness-----Strenghten me!
Hail, Heart of eternal benediction-----Call me to Thee!

 AT THE ELEVATION OF THE SACRED HOST

O MY Saviour! with sincere humility I adore Thee, and offer Thee up, by the hands of the priest, to Thy heavenly Father in reparation for my sins and for the sins of the whole world.

AT THE ELEVATION OF THE CHALICE

Most precious Blood, flow on my soul and sanctify it! May the love through which Thou wast shed for me be enkindled in my heart, and purify it!

AFTER THE CONSECRATION

O SWEETEST JESUS! I unite my soul with Thine. I unite my heart, my spirit, my life, and my intentions with Thy Heart, Thy Spirit, Thy Life, and Thy intentions, and present them thus united to Thy heavenly Father.

Receive me, O Eternal Father, through the merits of Thy Divine Son, which I offer up to Thee with the priest and the entire Church. Hidden in His wounds, covered with His Blood, and adorned with His
merits I appear before Thee. Cast me not away from Thy countenance, but receive me into the arms of Thy paternal goodness, and grant me the grace of salvation. O my God! I thank Thee for all Thy benefits, for Thy sacred Passion, and for the institution of the holy sacraments, especially for the Most Holy Eucharist.

(Say the Pater Noster.)

AFTER THE PATER NOSTER

HUMBLY prostrate before Thee, O Sacred Heart, I adore Thee, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, and I love Thee with all the strength and all the love of which my heart is capable; but I beseech Thee to increase its capacity and augment my love so that I may love Thee still more, and that this love may make me forever all Thine. This favor I ask for all hearts that are capable of loving Thee, but particularly for my own cold, rebellious, and unfaithful heart which has so long abused Thy graces, and ever resists and offends Thee. I am so lukewarm in Thy service that, were it not for Thy infinite mercy Thou wouldst long since have vomited me forth and cast me from Thee as an object of horror and disgust, deserving to suffer eternally all the rigors' of Thy just anger. But I conjure Thee, O Sacred Heart of my Jesus! by that burning charity which consumed Thee as a Victim of Love and suffering upon the Cross, and which will retain Thee as a Victim upon our altars until the end of time, to grant me, a poor miserable sinner, the pardon of all the sins which I have committed through ingratitude, forgetfulness, or want of fidelity, and all the other injuries which I have heaped upon Thee, and for which I repent from the bottom of my heart. I ask pardon for them with all the grief and regret of which I am capable. I would that I could shed my blood by means of all the torments imaginable, and thus satisfy Thy Divine justice, and repair the outrages
which I have committed against Thee. I accept beforehand all the sufferings with which Thou wilt be pleased to chastise me in this life, with the exception of being abandoned to myself and to sin, and of being thus deprived of Thy love. O most amiable Saviour, do not give me over to such a dread shame as that of not loving Thee! Rather let me be tormented by all the pains of Hell than be one moment without loving Thee. O Divine Heart, source of all love and goodness! do not forget Thy mercies and condemn to eternal privation of Thy love a heart which desires to live only for Thee, and to breathe and aspire only for Thy love in time and eternity! O most loving heart of my Lord Jesus Christ, graciously hear my humble petition, and grant me the grace I most earnestly ask of Thee, namely, that of my true conversion. I have such a detestation and horror for the past, that I would rather be plunged into the abyss of Hell than return and continue as before; but, my Jesus, if Thou wilt condemn me to the flames, let them be those of Thy pure love. Yes, cast me into this burning furnace, to remove every vestige of my past offences. And if the excess of Thy goodness prompt Thee to accord me still another grace, I ask of Thee nothing less than the most sweet torment of love. Grant, I beseech Thee, that I may be consumed thereby and entirely transformed into Thee. In revenge for my not having loved Thee, and for my inordinate self-love, pierce, O Jesus, my ungrateful heart through and through with the dart of Thy pure love, in such a manner that henceforth it may be incapable of containing any earthly or human affection, but solely the plenitude of Thy pure love, which shall leave me no other liberty but that of loving Thee in suffering and in the accomplishment of Thy most holy will in all things.

These, then, most sacred Heart, are the graces which I humbly beseech Thee to grant unto me, and to all those hearts which are capable of loving Thee; and I ask for them and for myself the grace of living and dying in this same holy love. Amen.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

ETERNAL FATHER! I offer up to Thee my intellect, that it may learn to know Thee alone.

Sweetest Jesus! I offer up to Thee my memory, that it may remember Thee alone.

Holy Ghost, Spirit of charity! I offer up to Thee my will, that Thou mayest enkindle and warm it by Thy Divine love.

Adorn my soul with Thy seven gifts, and let me become Thy pure temple. Fill me with Thy grace, and prepare my heart to receive spiritually my God.

Jesus, my God! as my sins render me unworthy to receive Thee into my heart, do Thou receive me into Thine, and unite me so perfectly with It that nothing may ever be able to separate me even for a moment from Thee. Engulf my misery and my nothingness in the abyss of Thy mercy, that I, changed into Thee, may henceforth live only for Thee, by Thee, and in Thee. Come, therefore, Thou, my only satisfaction, come to take possession of this heart, which belongs to Thee, and cannot live one moment without Thee.

AFTER COMMUNION

I THANK Thee, O my Saviour, that Thou wast pleased to unite Thyself spiritually with me. I offer up myself totally and without reserve to Thee, that it may please Thee to fulfill in me all Thou dost desire to accomplish. Destroy in me the spirit of self-love, humble in me whatever proudly asserts itself, and destroy whatever is opposed to Thee.

CONCLUSION

Consecration to the Sacred Heart

LORD JESUS, holy and sweet Love of our souls, Who didst promise that where two or three are gathered together in Thy name there wilt Thou be in their midst: behold our hearts united with one accord to adore, praise, love, and please Thy most holy and Sacred Heart, to which we dedicate and consecrate ours for time and eternity, renouncing forever all love and affection which are not in the love and dependence of Thy adorable Heart, desiring that all the wishes, aspirations, and affections of our hearts may be always conformable to the good pleasure of Thine, which we wish to satisfy as much as we are able. But as we can do no good of ourselves, we beseech Thee, O most adorable Jesus, by the infinite goodness and sweetness of Thy most sacred Heart, to support ours by confirming them in the resolution we have made to love and serve Thee, so that nothing may ever separate or detach us from Thee, but that we may be faithful and constant in this resolution, sacrificing to the love of Thy sacred Heart whatever may give vain pleasure to our hearts, or amuse them idly with the things of this world. We confess that all is vanity and affliction of spirit, except loving and serving Thee, our God and Saviour; we desire henceforth no other glory than that of belonging to Thee, as slaves of Thy pure love; no other aim or motive than that of pleasing and satisfying Thee in everything, even at the expense of our own lives. And since, O holy Mary, thou art all-powerful with this Sacred Heart, obtain for us that Jesus may receive and accept this consecration that we now make of ourselves in thy presence and through thy hands, protesting that we will be faithful to His sacred Heart, being assisted by His grace and thy prayers, which we entreat thee never to deny us. Amen.

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION

BEFORE CONFESSION

PRAYER

MOST merciful Father, behold me, Thy prodigal child, who sinned against Thee by squandering away the spiritual goods with which Thou hadst enriched me. Reject me not, but remember Thy mercy, and exercise it towards my soul, unworthy as it is. Permit it not to perish before Thy eyes after Thy sacred Heart has suffered so great pain to bring it to life.

Grant, O Sacred Heart, that I know and avoid everything that might offend Thee. Remove from me, I beseech Thee, everything that might be an obstacle to Thy love; for I detest and abhor whatever prevents me from loving and serving Thee perfectly.

(Examination of conscience.)

ACT OF CONTRITION

MOST sacred and adorable Heart of Jesus! humbly and with contrite heart I prostrate myself before Thee, bitterly bewailing that I was remiss in Thy love and have offended Thee by my ingratitude and unfaithfulness, thereby becoming unworthy of the manifestations of Thy love. Filled with confusion and fear, I can but say, "I have sinned against Thee, I have sinned!"

Most amiable and Divine Heart, have mercy on me, though I do not deserve mercy. Reject me not, but reveal, rather, I beseech Thee, the excess of Thy mercy by granting me, a poor sinner, who appears before Thee in the abyss of his nothingness and misery, pardon for my sins.

PRAYER FOR PARDON AND GRACE
 
O DIVINE REDEEMER! humbly prostrate at the foot of Thy Cross, I call upon Thee to incline Thy Sacred Heart to pardon me.
Jesus, misjudged and despised-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, calumniated and persecuted-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, abandoned by men and tempted in the desert-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, betrayed and sold-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, insulted, accused, and unjustly condemned-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, clothed in a robe of ignominy and contempt-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, mocked and scoffed at-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, bound with cords and led through the streets-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, treated as a fool and classed with malefactors-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, cruelly scourged-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, held inferior to Barabbas-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, despoiled of Thy garments-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, crowned with thorns and reviled-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, bearing the Cross amid the maledictions of the people-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, bowed down by ignominies, pain, and humiliations-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, crucified between thieves-----have mercy on me!
Jesus, dying for my sins amid all kinds of suffering-----have mercy on me!

LET US PRAY!
SACRED HEART of Jesus, my Redeemer! exercise, I beseech Thee, Thy office of mediator with me, and permit not that Thy sufferings and cruel death be in vain for my salvation, but let them bring forth, for Thy glory, fruits of salvation in me, that my heart may love, praise, and glorify Thee for ever and ever. Amen.

IMMEDIATELY BEFORE CONFESSION

GRANT pardon, O Sacred Heart, grant pardon to this my sorrowful heart, that places all its confidence and hope in Thee. Do Thou now take my case in hand, and absolve me of my sins and of the punishment due to them. Do Thou, my true Friend, defend me and satisfy the judgment against me.

O Sacred Heart, be my refuge and help now and at the hour of my death.

AFTER CONFESSION

 PRAYER

O HEART most mild! how thankful must I be to Thee for having borne with my ingratitude so long! At an auspicious moment has my poor, inconstant heart experienced Thy merciful pardon. O Sacred Heart of Jesus! I now give and bequeath to Thee irrevocably, but filled with confusion for having so long withheld from Thee Thine Own, my heart and my love. O Sacred Heart! Thou didst deign to give me a proof of Thine infinite love by giving me opportunity to serve Thee, but how little did I improve it! What confusion for me! Amend my faithless heart, O Heart of Jesus, and grant that henceforth it join its love to Thine, and draw near to Thee in future as in the past it withdrew from Thee. And as Thou hast given it its being, I fervently implore Thee to call it one day to life everlasting. Amen.

(Now perform your penance, if possible. )

 COMMENDATION TO THE SACRED HEART

O LORD, I elect Thy Sacred Heart my abiding-place. May it be my strength in combat, my support in weakness, my light and guide in darkness; may it supply for my defects and sanctify all my intentions and actions. In union with Thine Own I offer them up that I may be prepared to receive Thee.

Strengthen and support, O most sacred Heart, the purpose and desire of loving and serving Thee with which Thou didst inspire me, and grant that I perform all the good that according to Thy will I should.

Be Thou, O God, my strength; do Thou support and defend me, for I am and intend to be forever Thine.

DEVOTIONS FOR HOLY COMMUNION

BEFORE COMMUNION

ACT OF ADORATION AND HUMILITY

O GREAT GOD, Whom I adore in these humble species, is it possible that Thou didst thus conceal Thyself in order to come and remain substantially with me? Though the heavens are the throne of Thy Majesty, Thou art satisfied with these humble species to be with me always!

O incomprehensible bounty! could I believe such a miracle if Thou didst not Thyself assure me of it? And how would I dare to think that Thou shouldst humble Thyself to pass my lips, to rest on my tongue, and to dwell in my heart? Nevertheless, it is Thy will, and to incite me Thou dost promise innumerable graces if I heed Thy invitation.

O God of infinite majesty and ineffable love! why am I not all intelligence to conceive such mercy, all heart to be sensible of it, and all tongue to proclaim it? Thou, O God of my heart, hast created me to be the object of Thy love and ineffable bounty. The Angels weary not beholding Thee; they long for Thee even whilst enjoying Thy presence; and could I be able to withstand the desire of possessing Thee; Therefore, because it is Thy wish, most amiable Saviour, and because my necessities compel whilst Thy goodness permits me to desire Thee, I open my lips and heart to receive Thee.

ACT OF DESIRE AND PETITION

COME, O Divine Sun! For, behold, I dwell in the horrible darkness of sin and ignorance. Come and dispel this darkness, and enlighten my intellect with a ray of Divine light!

Come, most amiable Saviour! Thou hast given Thyself to save me from Hell, but I relapsed into the servitude of sin: come and disrupt the bonds that bind me, and liberate me!

Come, amiable Physician of my soul! Thou hast prepared for me a bath in Thy Blood, and hast given me in Baptism more salvation and welfare than I deserved; but through my own fault I fell into countless mortal illnesses, that weaken my courage, corrupt my heart, and bring death to my soul. Come, then, O Divine Physician! for I have more need of Thy help than the paralytic whom Thou didst ask if he wished to be healed. Indeed, O my God! I wish it from all my heart. But as Thou knowest how tepid this my desire is, do Thou animate it by enkindling in me the flames of Thy love.

Come, most faithful, most kind, most amiable and most sweet of all friends, come into my heart! The soul Thou lovest languishes in fatal infirmity; and if hitherto I was insensible of my misfortune and reckless in danger, Thou, O Searcher of hearts! knowest that with the help of Thy grace I have reformed, and sorrowfully call on Thee for help. By Thy incomparable friendship, by Thy word, I conjure Thee to assist me. Come, then, and do not permit that I ever cause Thee to depart from me.

Come, O life of my heart, soul of my life, and only support of my being, Bread of Angels made Man for love of me, given in ransom for me and become the food of my soul! Come, to nourish me, to support me, to give me increase, and to let me live by and in Thee, my sole good and my life! Were a body bereft of its soul, how would it seek and call for it! Do I know Thee and myself so little that I should not know what I am without Thee? Come, then, O my God and my all, impart life to my soul languishing for Him Who is the crown of its beauty, the source of its power, and the fountain of its life.

Most bountiful Jesus! grant that my heart rest not until it has found Thee, its centre, its love, and its happiness.

AFTER COMMUNION

ACTS OF ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING
 
O DIVINE and most amiable Heart of Jesus! humbly prostrate before Thee, I adore, praise, honor, and glorify Thee; I proclaim Thee my supreme Ruler, to Whose service I am bound forever, and Whose right to my love and fidelity I openly acknowledge. Sustain me, O Sacred Heart, because I belong entirely to Thee, despite all attacks of my enemies. Reject me not, but acknowledge that I am Thine, sustain and defend me as Thy possession. Support my weakness, and grant me the graces necessary to accomplish fully the desire of my heart to love and please Thee, and to pray, labor, and suffer in the purity of Thy love.

 ASPIRATIONS

O JESUS, my sole love, I beseech Thee to draw all my thoughts to Thee. Through the power of Thy love, which is more effective than fire and sweeter than honey, disengage my heart from all created things. Let me die for love of Thee, as Thou didst die for love of me. O Lord, wound my heart in such a manner, and transfix it so thoroughly, that henceforth it may no longer affect things merely human.

O loving Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who art able to soften a heart of stone and melt a heart of ice, Who transformest the innermost recesses of the soul, change my heart, and wound it with the wounds of Thy most holy Body, and inebriate my soul in the chalice of Thy most precious Blood, that, wherever I turn I see nothing but my crucified God, and whatever I see appears to me bathed in Thy Blood.

O Divine Heart of the Friend of my heart! behold, the soul Thou lovest is ill: visit me and heal me. Because Thou dost love me, Thou canst not possibly let me perish in my misery.

ACT OF CONSECRATION

O HEART of love! I consecrate myself entirely to Thee. I offer Thee my life, my sufferings, and my whole being in order to honor, love, and glorify Thee now and forever.

O most amiable Heart! I love Thee because Thou art my Supreme Good, my happiness, and my only joy, alone worthy of the love of every heart. Oh, that my heart were reduced to ashes by the intensity of the flame of this love, with which I now renew all consecrations of myself I ever made. Permit not that I ever become an object of Thy displeasure, but let me ever accomplish what is most pleasing to Thee.

O Source of pure love! why am I not all heart to love, not all spirit to adore Thee? Grant that I love Thee alone, and all else in Thee, through Thee, and for Thy sake; that my memory recollect, my intellect contemplate, Thy love; that my will and desire!. aspire to it; that my tongue praise Thee, my eyes behold Thee, my hands serve Thee, my feet follow Thee alone; so that lone day may love Thee in the glory of Heaven without fear of ever losing Thee. Amen.

EJACULATIONS

O GOOD SHEPHERD! withdraw me from all earthly things and from myself, that I may become more and more united with Thee.

Let Thy voice, O Lord, be heard in my heart, and draw it to Thy love in such a manner that it may no longer be able to resist Thee.

My heart belongs to Thee, O Lord! Permit it not to attach itself to anything but Thee, Who Thyself art the reward of all my victories, and the sole support of my misery.

PRAYER TO THE HEAVENLY FATHER

O MY GOD! I offer up to Thee Thy well-beloved Son, in return for all Thou dost desire of me. Receive Him as my adoration and gift-offering, as my love, my petition and purpose of amendment, my thanksgiving for all Thy benefits. Accept Him, Eternal Father, for I have nothing worthy of Thee except Him Whom Thou permittest me so affectionately to receive.

VISIT TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

ACT OF REPARATION

O DIVINE Heart of Jesus, boundless source of love and goodness! how much do I regret that I have forgotten Thee so often and loved Thee so little! O Sacred Heart! Thou dost merit the love and devotion of all those hearts which Thou hast infinitely loved and cherished, and Thou dost receive nothing but coldness and ingratitude from them, and particularly from my own ungrateful heart, which justly deserves Thy indignation. But since Thou art a Heart of love, Thou art also a Heart of infinite goodness. from which I hope pardon and reconciliation. Alas, O Divine Heart! it is with profound grief that I acknowledge myself guilty of so much tepidity, and that I consider the unjust proceedings of my wicked heart, which has so unworthily deprived Thee of the love which was Thy due, and has applied it to itself or to some other transitory object. O Heart most gentle, if the grief and shame of a heart which sees its error is capable of satisfying Thee, pardon my poor heart; for this is the state into which its want of love and fidelity has plunged it. Alas! what could it expect but hatred and punishment. if it did not hope all from Thy mercy? O Heart of my God, Heart most holy, Heart to which alone belongs the pardon of sinners, have mercy, I beseech Thee, upon this miserable heart of mine. All its powers are united to make Thee, in all humility, a reparation of honor for all its wanderings and infidelities. Ah, how could I have refused so long to give my heart to Thee, since Thou alone art its rightful possessor! I regret from the bottom of my heart that I have wandered so far from Thee and Thy love, from the source of all good, in a word, from the Heart of my Jesus, Who, without having any need of me, sought me and loved me first. O most adorable Heart, how could I have treated Thee thus,-----Thee on Whose love and goodness I am entirely dependent; and if Thou wert to withdraw but for one instant either the one or the other I should be reduced to the most abject misery or utterly annihilated. How infinite has been Thy goodness, O Heart of love! to have supported my ingratitude so long; it remains only for Thy mercy to pardon my poor inconstant heart. O Heart of my Jesus! I now consecrate and give to Thee all my love and my heart; I give Thee both irrevocably, although with a deep feeling of confusion for having so long refused Thee that which was Thine Own. O Divine Heart! Thou wouldst testify to me the excess of Thy love, by rendering me capable of loving Thee, and, alas! I have profited so ill by this opportunity of meriting Thy favors! I am truly grieved, and I most humbly beseech Thee, O Heart of my Jesus, to renew my heart, which was hitherto so faithless.

Grant that henceforth it may be bound to Thee by the bonds of love, and that it approach so much nearer to Thee as it has hitherto wandered far from Thee; and since Thou art my Creator, be also, I beseech Thee, my eternal reward. Amen.

ACT OF CONFIDENCE

IT is out of the abyss of my nothingness that I prostrate myself before Thee, O most sacred and Divine Heart of Jesus, in order to render Thee all the homage of love, adoration, and praise of which I am capable; to lay before Thee all my wants, by revealing to Thee, as to my best friend, all my miseries, my poverty, and my lukewarmness, in a word, all the wounds of my soul: beseeching Thee to have pity and compassion on me, and to help me according to the greatness of Thy mercies. O Heart of charity, I beseech Thee, by all that is capable of moving Thee, to accord me this grace, that I may save my soul, and that the souls of all those who, like myself, are in danger of being lost eternally, may be saved. O Heart most merciful, let me not perish in the deluge of my iniquities. Do with me what Thou wilt, provided only that I love Thee for all eternity. In Thee I have placed all my trust; reject me not forever. I call upon Thee, I invoke Thee as the sovereign remedy of all my ills, of which the greatest is sin. I beseech Thee to destroy it in me, and to grant me pardon for all the sins which I have committed in my life, and of which I repent from the bottom of my heart. O Sacred Heart, make me and all those hearts which are capable of loving Thee to feel and experience Thy sovereign power; I ask this grace for my parents, friends, and for all those who have been recommended to my prayers, or who pray for me, and for whom I have a special obligation to pray. I beseech thee to help them according to their several necessities. O most loving Heart! soften hardened sinners, and relieve the Souls in Purgatory; be the sure refuge of the agonizing and the consolation of the afflicted and of those who are in need. Finally, O Heart of love! be my All in all; but particularly at the hour of my death be the haven of rest for my longing soul, and receive me at that moment into the bosom of Thy mercy. Amen.

THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

IT was the special desire of our Lord Jesus Christ, revealed to Blessed Margaret Mary, that the first Friday of each month be consecrated to the devotion to and adoration of His most sacred Heart. In order to better prepare for it, it would be well to read, the evening before, some book treating of this devotion, or of the Passion of Our Lord, and to make a short visit to the Blessed Sacrament. On the day itself we should, on awaking, offer and consecrate ourselves, with all our thoughts, words, and actions, to Jesus, that His sacred Heart may be thereby honored and glorified. We should visit some church as early as possible; and as we kneel before Jesus, truly present in the tabernacle, let us endeavor to awaken in our soul a deep sorrow at the thought of the innumerable offences continually heaped upon His most sacred Heart in this Sacrament of His love; and surely we cannot find this difficult if we have the least degree of love for Jesus. Should we, however, find our love to be cold or lukewarm, let us consider earnestly the many reasons we have for giving our hearts to Jesus. After this we must acknowledge with sorrow the faults of which we have been guilty through our want of respect in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament, or through our negligence in visiting and receiving Our Lord in holy Communion.

The Communion of this day should be offered by the adorers of the Sacred Heart with the intention of making some satisfaction for all the ingratitude which Jesus receives in the Most Holy Sacrament, and the same spirit should animate all our actions during the day.

As the object of this devotion is to inflame our hearts with an ardent love for Jesus, and to repair thereby, as far as lies in our power, all the outrages which are daily committed against the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, it is evident that these exercises are not confined to any particular day. Jesus is equally deserving of our love at all times; and as this most loving Saviour is daily and hourly loaded with insults and cruelly treated by His creatures, it is but just that we should strive each day to make all the reparation in our power. Those, therefore, who are prevented from practising this devotion on the first Friday can do so on any other day during the month. In the same manner they may offer the first Communion of each month for this intention, consecrating the whole day to the honor and glory of the Sacred Heart, and performing in the same spirit all the pious exercises they were unable to accomplish on the first Friday.

Moreover, Our Lord suggested another feature in this consoling devotion of the first Friday, by the faithful practice of which he led Blessed Margaret Mary to expect the grace of final perseverance, and that of receiving the Sacraments of the Church before dying, in favor of those who should observe it. This was to make a novena of Communions in honor of the Sacred Heart on the first Friday of the month for nine successive months.

THE MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART

Interior Practices

I. AT the beginning of this month examine yourself, and see what is your predominant passion, or the fault which you most frequently commit, and the best means of overcoming it. Having discovered this fault, make a firm purpose to use the means to overcome it, commending your resolution with a childlike confidence to the Sacred Heart. Choose some short ejaculatory prayer which you will repeat often each day during the month, in order to remind you of your resolution, and to implore the grace of God to help you to fulfill it.

2. Each morning, offer all the actions of the day to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and renew the resolution you took at the beginning of the month, humbly praying for grace to keep it during the day.

3. Take for your subject of meditation the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for which end the consideration of Its many virtues and attributes is recommended.

4. Make the resolution made at the beginning of the month the subject of your particular examination of conscience morning and evening, thanking the Sacred Heart for the good you may have done, and begging pardon for the faults you have committed.

Exterior Practices

I. IN a convenient situation, place a PICTURE or statue, suitably adorned, of the Sacred Heart; for ought to be entirely consecrated, in silence and recollection, to the love of your Saviour. Strive to perform all your actions in the spirit which should animate this Feast. Let your visits to the Blessed Sacrament be frequent, and remain in conversation with Jesus as long as your health and the duties of your state of life permit you. Prepare your heart with diligent care to receive Jesus worthily in holy Communion, and offer your Communion to God the Father in satisfaction for the unworthy Communions of so many Christians, testifying at the same time your gratitude and love to Jesus.

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