Day 4: Novena to the Sacred Heart
Let us pray to the Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ who sent forth the Holy Ghost as the first gift of his love.
God, in the beginning, your Holy Spirit hovered over the waters. In the wake of our redemption, it wrapped the Virgin Mary in its shadow, grew the Heart of her Son within Her chest, and filled it with love. May your Holy Spirit come unto us and pour Your love into our hearts.
Through Christ our Lord, Your Son, Who lives and reign in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen
From the Gospel of John 7,37-39
"On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, "let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: 'Rivers of living water will flow from within him'. He said his in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. There was, of course, no Spirit yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified."
Meditation
We can place our hopes in the Heart of Christ. His Heart is the salvation of those who believe in him.
The Lord, who on the eve of His passion asked the Apostles to trust Him - "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God; have faith also in me." (John 14: 1) - asks us today to trust him entirely. He asks this of us because he loves us: His heart was pierced, His hands and feet were nailed for our salvation.
Whoever believes in Christ and in the power of his love, renews within themselves the experience of Mary Magdalena, as shown in the paschal liturgy: "Christ, my hope, is risen!"
Let us then seek refuge in the Heart of Christ! He offers us the eternal Word (cf Mt 24,25), an endless love, a perpetual friendship, and His everlasting presence (Mt 28,20).
Closing Prayer
O God, Your Son didn't reject Thomas for his lack of faith: instead, He allowed him to touch His hands and side. Lord, we know our faith is frail, we pray that You may make it stronger. Through Christ Your Son, who sits by your throne, bearing the glorious scars of his wounds, now and forever. Amen.
Pray the Sacred Heart Chaplet. Here's how to proceed:
- Begin with the following prayer on the Crucifix (written by St. Ignatius of Loyola, or St. Thomas of Aquinas):
'Soul of Christ, sanctify me/Body of Christ, save me/Blood of Christ, inebriate me/Water from the side of Christ, wash me/Passion of Christ, strengthen me/O Good Jesus, hear me/Within your wounds, hide me/Permit me not to be separated from you/From the wicked foe, defend me/At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you/That with your saints I may praise you forever and ever. Amen.
- On the large beads say:
'O sweetest Heart of Jesus, I implore that I may ever love you more and more.'
- On the small beads say:
'Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.'
- At the end of each decade, say:
'Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation'.
- Upon completing the chaplet, say:
'May the Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be blessed, adored and praised with grateful affection, at every moment in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time.'
Thank you! 42 people prayed
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Col 4:6