A POWERFUL DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
The Nine First Fridays
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, received the unique favour of being visited by Our Lord Himself, who asked her to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart. This she most humbly did, once she had received the permission and approbation of her superiors, especially her spiritual director and confessor, St. Claude La Columbiere.
For all Catholic men and women, families and young people troubled by the many afflictions of modern life here is the greatest source of spiritual and temporal help, graces and blessings for those who truly love the Sacred Heart of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and practice His requested Devotion with the essential prayers and acts including the "First Friday's". The Nine "First Fridays" must be made in honor of His Sacred Heart on nine consecutive months, and communion must be received.
The Great Promise of Jesus to Saint Margaret M. Alacoque
To all those who, during nine months on end, will receive Holy Communion on the first Fridays of every month. I promise the Grace of final perseverance. They will not die in My disgrace, but will receive the Sacraments (if necessary), and My Heart will be sure shelter for them in that extreme moment.
The nine Friday promises of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary
- I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life.
- I will establish peace in their houses.
- I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
- I will be their strength during life and above all during death.
- I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.
- Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.
- Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
- Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
- I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored.
- I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
- Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
- I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant all to those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
THE HOLY ROSARY
Mysteries:
Mon/Thu: Joyful
Tue/Fri: Sorrowful
Wed/Sat: Glorious
Sun: Joyful, Sorrowful or Glorious
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Our Father
Hail Mary (x3)
Glory Be
Decade 1
Our Father, Hail Mary (x10), Glory Be
O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Decade 2
Our Father, Hail Mary (x10), Glory Be
O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Decade 3
Our Father, Hail Mary (x10), Glory Be
O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Decade 4
Our Father, Hail Mary (x10), Glory Be
O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Decade 5
Our Father, Hail Mary (x10), Glory Be
O my Jesus, forgive us of our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our Life, our Sweetness, and our hope. To thee we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us, the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God, That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord.
THE THIRTY DAYS PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through the sword of sorrow which pierced your tender heart while your only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for you, grieving at your grief, while from His cross He recommended you to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, Saint John, take pity, I beg you, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of what kind so ever.
You are the Mother of Mercies, the sweet Consolatrix and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, where can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, than under the wings of your maternal protection?
Attend, therefore, I beg you, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request.
I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of your dear Son; through that love and condescension which He embraced our nature, when in compliance with the divine will, you gave your consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months, you brought forth from the chaste enclosure of your womb, to visit this world, and bless it with His presence.
I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith your beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on Mount Olivet, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion.
I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the Garden, from where afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, you accompanied Him to the doleful theatre of His death and suffering.
I ask it, through the welts and sores of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots.
I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience.
I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation, His sadness and grief of heart.
I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and sacred head, when struck with the scepter of a reed, and pierced with His crown of thorns.
I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross.
I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall.
I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross, when He exclaimed: "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?"
I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired saying: "All is consummated."
I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His sacred side when pierced with a lance, and from where a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us.
I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion, and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and darkness of the sun and moon.
I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He comforted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led captivity home.
I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave you, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in yours and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven.
I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, infused into the hearts of His Disciples; when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues; and by which they were inspired with zeal for the conversion of the world when they went forth to preach the Gospel.
I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire.
I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in this life, and the ineffable joy you felt at your assumption into heaven, where you are eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections.
O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! Comfort the heart of your supplicant, by obtaining for me (here mention your request)
And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour, I honour you as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because you ask nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of your powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of your maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, Who mercifully grants the requests and complies with the desires of those that love and fear him.
O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also from your dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self will a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the church worthily, and die in your friendship and favour.
Lastly, obtain through your Son, I beg you, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life ever lasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty: to whom be all power, now and forever. Amen.
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