Devotions to the Sacred Heart - Catholic Prayers for June
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Devotions to the Sacred Heart - Catholic Prayers for June
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the oldest and most popular forms of Catholic piety. Pope Pius XII regarded it as “the most effective school of the love of God†and Saint Mary Margaret Alacoque knew “no exercise of piety in the spiritual life, better calculated to raise, in a short time, a soul to the highest state of sanctity.â€
On the 150th anniversary of the extension of the Feast of the Sacred Heart to the universal Church Pope Benedict XVI reiterated that the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus “has an irreplaceable importance for our faith and for our life in love†and that
“it is still a fitting task for Christians to continue to deepen their relationship with the Heart of Jesus, in such a way as to revive their faith in the saving love of God and to welcome him ever better into their lives.†(Apostolic Letter 15 May 2006).
The modern form of the devotion emerged in France in the 18th century following a series of visions in which Our Lord revealed his Sacred Heart - a heart pierced, enthroned in flames, surrounded by a crown of thorns and surmounted by a cross - to Saint Margaret Mary, a religious of the Order of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The devotion spread quickly throughout France and was approved and extended to the universal Church by Pope Pius IX in 1856.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, observed on the first Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi, as requested by Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary, occurs in June, the month which the Church has consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In addition, the Church has consecrated the first Friday of each month to the Sacred Heart, so that the faithful may receive Our Lord in Holy Communion on the first Fridays of nine consecutive months to receive the grace of final perseverance that he promised to Saint Margaret Mary.
This book contains a wealth of traditional devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Introduction traces the origin and development of the devotion and examines its spiritual value. There is a section on the Practice of the Devotion and a series of Meditations in preparation for the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
There is a chaplet and rosary, and several novenas and litanies, including the Litany of the Sacred Heart which was approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1899 for both public and private devotion throughout the world.
This second edition has been fully corrected, revised and expanded and its length is now equivalent to 150 printed pages.
The book is easily navigable using the Active Table of Contents which contains hyperlinks to every prayer.