On Friday, we celebrated the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was also a First Friday, which means, in the Sacred Heart devotion, the devotees spend the day making reparation to the Sacred Heart for their sins and the sins of the whole world, go to confession (if possible) and to Mass, and focus on making acts of charity throughout the day. It is also suggested we make five visits to the Blessed Sacrament, each for a different intention stated in the devotion, but these intentions can be offered up in one visit if your state of life limits you from coming to the church that frequently throughout the day. In the spirit of prayer, we are to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, say the rosary, renew our consecration, and spend half an hour to an hour in meditation on the Sacred Heart. Seems like an awful lot, doesn't it? It really isn't if you make the time to do it, and the benefits of honoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus are overwhelming! (See this link for the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: http://www.sacredheart.com/PromisesOfTheSacredHeart.htm)
There is another fortunate and fitting reason why this feast day of Our Lady falls on a Friday this year. Traditionally, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary are prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the Passion of Christ is closely tied to the Sacred Heart devotion. We meditate on the wound the Heart received when it was pierced by the lance on Calvary. Commonly, you will see images of the Sacred Heart with the Cross mounted on the top, the Crown of Thorns encircling the heart, and on the one side an open wound dripping blood.
I went to Mass that morning at 6:30 at St. Joseph's Church in Lancaster. The chapel there also has Perpetual Adoration, so I spent some time with the Lord before and after Mass. When I'm before the Blessed Sacrament, there's a common meditation I do that's written in my Sacred Heart devotional book that I would like to share here. You don't have to be a devotee to use it!
Thirty-five Salutations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Hail, Heart of Jesus! Save me.
Hail, Heart of my Creator! Perfect me.
Hail, Heart of my Saviour! Deliver me.
Hail, Heart of my Judge! Pardon me.
Hail, Heart of my Father! Govern 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! Guard me.
Hail, Heart of my Friend! Caress me.
Hail, Heart of my Infant Jesus! Draw me to Thee.
Hail, Heart of Jesus, dying on the Cross! Ransom me.
Hail, Heart of Jesus! in all Thy States! Give Thyself to me.
Hail, Heart of my Brother! Dwell with me.
Hail, Heart of incomparable goodness! Pardon me.
Hail, Magnificent Heart! Shine forth in me.
Hail, Most amiable Heart! Embrace me.
Hail, Charitable Heart! Operate 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! Atone for me.
Hail, Most Admirable and Most Worth Heart! Bless me.
Hail, Peaceful Heart! Calm me.
Hail, Most Desirable and Excellent Heart! Enrapture me.
Hail, Illustrious and Perfect Heart! Ennoble me.
Hail, Sacred Heart, Precious Balm! Preserve me.
Hail, Most Holy and Profitable Heart! Make me better.
Hail, Blessed Heart, Medicine and Remedy of our evils! Cure me.
Hail, Heart of Jesus, Solace of the afflicted! Console me.
Hail, Most loving Heart, burning Furnace! Consume me.
Hail, Heart of Jesus, Model of perfection! Enlighten me.
Hail, Heart of Jesus, Origin of all happiness! Fortify me.
Hail, Heart of eternal blessings! Call me to Thee.
I usually say each line and then spend some time meditating on what I'm asking the Heart of my Lord to do for me, and how He has been able to do these for me. The Lord's mercy abounds for us, and He is waiting to pour forth this mercy upon all those who ask for it. All we have to do is simply pray for His mercy and trust in it. His love is an undying, fiery furnace in which all of us should be consume, for it is not a fire that destroys, but a fire that purifies and unites us to Christ. So, may we burn for love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and be immersed in His mercy!
Laus Deo!
No comments:
Post a Comment