The Raccolta - Section IX - Sacred Heart of Jesus

61.  THE FEAST.

The most loving Heart of our Saviour Jesus Christ has ever been the object of the special devotion of the greatest saints; and in our own times it may be said to have become also the devotion of all holy persons without exception, from the time that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself chose a holy Salesian nun, the Venerable Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque, of the convent of Parài le Monial, in the diocese of Autun, in Burgundy, to originate this devotion, and to establish and propagate it in the Church through her. This we learn from the acts of the process of her beatification. This devotion was accordingly established and approved with public rite by the Sovereign Pontiff; and at the present day it is extended to the whole Catholic world; the Feast of the Sacred Heart being every where celebrated on the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi. Pope Pius VII., by a Rescript of the Segretaria of the Memorials, July 7, 1815, granted -
A plenary indulgence on this feast to all the faithful who, after Confession and Communion, shall visit a church or public oratory where the feast is celebrated, and pray there according to the intention of the Pope. He gave permission also that this feast might be transferred to any other day in the year with leave of the ordinary, and that the proper Mass, &c. might be celebrated on the day of the transferred feast.
The original of this Rescript is kept in the Archivium of the Pious Union of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, at the church of S. Maria in Capella, afterwards transferred to the church of S. Maria della Pace, where many other Rescripts and Briefs are kept regarding the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to which reference will be made in the following pages.

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62.  VISIT TO A REPRESENTATION OF THE SACRED HEART.

Pope Pius VI, to increase devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, granted, by a Rescript dated from Florence, Jan. 2, 1799, to all the faithful in the whole Catholic world -
An indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines, as often as, with contrite hearts and devotion, they visit a representation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, exposed for public veneration at any church, oratory, or altar, and pray there for a time according to the intention of the Pope.
The original Rescript is kept in the Archivium of the Episcopal Palace of Fiesole at Florence, near S. Maria in Campo, where it was deposited by the pious persons who prayed the Holy Father for the grant of this Indulgence; and an authentic copy of it is kept in the Archivium of the Pious Union of the Sacred Heart above named.

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63.  "PATER NOSTER" "AVE MARIA," "CREDO," WITH THE EJACULATION, "SWEET HEART OF MY JESUS."

Pope Pius VII., by the Rescripts of March 7, 1801; March 20 and November 13, 1802; July 12 and 15, 1803; July 7, 1815; Sept. 26, 1817, granted to all the faithful who shall say devoutly every day one Pater noster, one Ave Maria, one Credo, and the Ejaculation,

Sweet Heart of my Jesus,
Make me love Thee ever more and more!

i. Two Plenary Indulgences: one on the first Friday or first Sunday in every month, the other on any one other day in the month, provided that on these days they, after Confession and Communion, pray according to the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
ii. A plenary Indulgence on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, i.e. the Friday or Sunday after the octave of Corpus Christi, provided that on one of those days they pray, &c., as aforesaid.
iii. An Indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines on the four Sundays immediately preceding the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
iv. An Indulgence of 60 days for every good work done devoutly by the faithful who have the pious custom of saying these prayers.
v. A plenary indulgence, in the article of death, to all who have been accustomed during life to say these prayers, provided that being penitent they invoke the Holy Name of Jesus, at least with their heart, if not able to do so with their lips.

Moreover the same Pope granted, by a Rescript of Sept. 10, 1814 -
i. An indulgence of 300 days to all who say three times a day, morning, noon, and evening, three Gloria Patri's in thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity for the particular privileges granted to the Blessed Virgin, and above all for her Assumption into heaven.
ii. An indulgence of 100 days each time these prayers are said, and -
iii. A plenary indulgence, once a month, to all who say them three times a day for a month together, on any one day after Confession and Communion.

N.B. The general condition for all these indulgences, besides the prayers above-named, is, Enrolment in the Pious Union of the Sacred Heart of Jesus canonically erected in Rome, Feb. 14, 1801, in S. Maria in Capella, transferred to S. Maria della Pace, or else in some other Congregation of the Sacred Heart out of Rome aggregated to this Pious Union.

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64.  OTHER DEVOTIONS.

The same Pope Pius VII., besides the indulgences already mentioned, granted, by two Briefs of April 2, 1805, to all members associated as above -
i. The Indulgences of the Stations at Rome, for visiting the church of their Congregation on the days of the Stations, as specified in the Roman Missal, and praying there according to the intention of the Pope. These Indulgences are granted in a decree of the S. Congr. of indulgences of July 9, 1777, which will be referred to again in its proper place.
ii. A plenary indulgence, on the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M., the Nativity of the B.V.M., the Annunciation of the B.V.M., the Purification of the B.V.M., the Assumption of the B.V. M., of St. Joseph, the Holy Apostles SS. Peter and Paul, St. John the Evangelist, and all Saints, and also on All Souls' Day, provided that the members of the association, after Confession and Communion, visit the church of their Congregation.
iii. An indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines on all other feasts of our Lady and of the Apostles, on condition of visiting the church of the Congregation.
iv. An indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines, by another Rescript of March 4, 1806, to all members of these Congregations who shall keep a devout novena before the Feast of the Sacred Heart, visiting with contrite heart the church or public oratory where the feast is kept, and praying there for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff; to be gained each day of the said novena.
v. A plenary indulgence each of the six Sundays or Fridays before the feast, to all who, after having Confessed and Communicated, visit the church or oratory where the feast is kept, and pray there as before. And observe, that in order that all these indulgences may be the more easily gained, the two Pontifical Rescripts quoted above, which are in force both in Rome and out of Rome, state that if, on the days of the said novena, or the said six Sundays and Fridays before the feast, the faithful are not able to make the visit there enjoined to the church of the Pious Union or Congregation where they are enrolled; or if they cannot visit the church or public oratory where the feast is celebrated, through sickness, absence from home, or any other sufficient reason, - they may still gain all the above-named indulgences on condition of their performing on the days stated some good work enjoined them by their own confessor.
Furthermore, the same Pope Pius VII., by another Rescript of the Segretaria of the Memorials of May 15, 1816, made the additional concession that all the above-named indulgences for members of the Pious Union of the Sacred Heart of Jesus might be gained by all the faithful, wherever in the whole world they might be residing, where no confraternities or pious unions can be erected, or where, for any sufficient reason, it may be difficult for them to aggregate themselves to the Pious Union here in Rome, provided they only perform the other pious works enjoined and mentioned above.
Again, Pope Leo XII., of holy memory, by a Rescript of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, May 21, 1828, granted to all the members of the Pious Union as above, who keep devoutly a Triduo upon the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus -
vi. An indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines, every day of the Triduo, on condition of visiting with a contrite heart the church or public oratory where the feast is kept, and praying there according to the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
Further, in order to keep up a continual "cultus" or worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that there may always be some one to adore It, to glorify It, and to give It some special homage, every member of the said Pious Union may also have himself enrolled for the Perpetual Adoration, choosing one or more fixed days in the year whereon to dedicate himself to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in the following manner:
1. By Confession and Communion. 2. By visiting a church or public oratory, and praying there for a time. - i. For the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff, and for all the sacred ministers of the altar; ii. For the conversion of sinners; iii. For all the associates of this pious practice, and the souls in purgatory. 3. By making mental or vocal prayer, either for one whole hour continuously, or else at intervals during the day, provided there he a good reason for so doing; and also by offering up frequently during the day some ejaculatory prayers in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 4. By renewing to our Blessed Lord the promises made in baptism, as well as any other particular promises made during life. On all days when any one of the associations shall practise this exercise, it shall gain -
vii. The plenary indulgence, granted by Pope Leo XII., at the prayer of the priests of the said Pious Union, by a decree of the S. Congr. of Indulgences. Feb. 18, 1826.
Lastly, Pope Gregory XVI., of blessed memory, by a Brief of June 20, 1834, kept in the Archivium of the said Pious Union, confirmed anew for ever all these Indulgences for the associates as above; and, in addition to the above, granted them -
viii. The plenary indulgence, on the feast of Pope Gregory the Great (March 12), commencing with First Vespers; provided that, after Confession and Communion, they visit the church or oratory of their Congregation, and pray there for our holy mother the Catholic Church, &c.

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65.  OFFERING.

Pope Pius VII., by Rescripts of June 9, 1807, and Sept. 26, 1817, issuing from the Segretaria of the Memorials, granted -
i. A plenary indulgence, once a month, and remission of all sins, to all the faithful who, every day for a month, shall say the following offering to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus before a representation of the Sacred Heart, to be gained on any one day when, after Confession and Communion, they shall pray according to the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
ii. An indulgence of 100 days, once a day, to all who shall make this offering with contrite hearts.

THE OFFERING.

My loving Jesus, out of gratitude to Thee, and to make reparation for my unfaithfulness to grace, I (N. N.) give Thee my heart, and I consecrate myself wholly to Thee; and with Thy help I purpose never to sin again.

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66. PRAYERS, WITH THREE "PATER NOSTER'S," ETC.

The same Pope Pius VII., at the prayer of several bishops, priests, and devout lovers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, confirmed for ever by a Rescript of Feb. 12, 1808 -
i. An indulgence of 300 days, granted previously, once a day, to all the faithful who shall say with devotion the following prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with three Pater noster's, three Ave Maria's, and three Gloria Patri's. He added the grant of -
ii. A plenary indulgence, once a month, to all who shall have said them daily for a month, on any one day when, after Confession and Communion, they shall pray to God for the wants of the Church, &c.

THE PRAYERS.

i. Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis.
The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt amongst us.

Eternal Word, made Man for love of us, humbly kneeling at Thy feet we adore Thee with the deepest veneration of our soul; and in order that we may make reparation of our ingratitude for this great benefit of Thy Incarnation, we unite ourselves to the hearts of all those who love Thee, and together with them we offer Thee our humble loving thanksgiving. Touched with the great humility, goodness, and sweetness which we behold in Thy Divine Heart, we beseech Thee to give us Thy grace, that in our lives we too may imitate these virtues so dear to Thee.

Pater noster. Ave Maria. Gloria Patri.

ii. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis, sub Pontio Pilato passus, et sepultus est.
He was crucified also for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried.

Jesus, our loving Saviour, humbly kneeling at Thy feet we adore Thee with the deepest veneration of our soul; and in order that we may give Thee proof of the sorrow we feel for our insensibility to the outrages and sufferings which Thy loving heart made Thee undergo for our salvation in Thy painful Passion and Death, we here unite ourselves with the hearts of all those who love Thee, and together with them we give thanks unto Thee with our whole soul. We wonder at the boundless patience and the generosity of Thy Divine Heart; and we entreat Thee to fill our hearts with such a spirit of Christian penance as may enable us courageously to embrace suffering, and to make Thy cross our great comfort and all our glory.

Pater noster. Ave Maria. Gloria Patri.

iii. Panem de coelo praestitisti eis,
Omne delectamentum in se habentem.
Thou didst give them bread from heaven to eat,
Containing in itself all sweetness.

Jesus, who dost burn with love for us, humbly kneeling at Thy feet we adore Thee with the deepest veneration of our soul; and in order to make Thee recompense for the outrages which Thy Divine Heart daily receives in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, we unite ourselves with the hearts of all those who love Thee and give Thee tender thanks. We love in Thy Divine heart this incomprehensible fire of love towards Thy Eternal Father; and we entreat Thee to inflame our hearts with ardent charity towards Thee and towards our neighbours.

Pater noster. Ave Maria. Gloria Patri.

Lastly, O most loving Jesu, we entreat Thee, by the sweetness of Thy Divine Heart, to convert the sinner, to console the afflicted, to help the dying, to lighten the pains of the souls in purgatory. Make all our hearts one in the bonds of true peace and charity, deliver us from sudden and unforeseen death, and grant us a death which shall be holy and peaceful. Amen.

V. Cor Jesu, flagrans amore nostri,
R. Inflamma cor nostrum amore Tui.

Oremus.
Concede quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, ut qui in Sanctissimo dilecti Filii tui Corde gloriantes, praecipua in nos charitatis ejus beneficia recolimus; eorum pariter et actu delectemur et fructu. Per eumdem Christum, &c.

V. Heart of Jesus, burning with love of us,
R. Inflame our hearts with love of Thee.

Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who glory in the Most Sacred Heart of Thy well-beloved Son, and call to mind the great benefits of His heavenly charity towards us, may be gladdened by the operation and fruit of those graces in our souls. Through the same Christ our Lord.

O Divine Heart of my Jesus! I adore Thee with all the powers of my soul; I consecrate them to Thee for ever, together with all my thoughts, my words, my works, and my whole self, and I purpose to offer to Thee, as far as I am able, acts of adoration, love, and glory, like unto those which Thou dost offer to Thine Eternal Father. I beseech Thee, make reparation for my transgressions, be the Protector of my life, my refuge and asylum in the hour of my death. By Thy sighs and by that sea of bitterness in which Thou wast immersed for me throughout the whole course of Thy mortal life, grant me true contrition for my sins, contempt of earthly things, an ardent longing for the glory of heaven, trust in Thy infinite merits, and final perseverance in Thy grace.

Heart of Jesus, all love! I offer Thee these humble prayers for myself and for all who unite with me in spirit to adore Thee; vouchsafe of Thy infinite goodness to receive and to answer them, and especially for that one of us who shall first end this mortal life. Sweet Heart of my Saviour, pour down upon him in the agony of death Thine inward consolations; receive him within Thy sacred wounds; cleanse him from every stain in that Furnace of Love, that so Thou mayest open to him speedily the entrance into Thy glory, there to intercede with Thee for all those who yet tarry in this their land of exile.

Most Holy Heart of my most loving Jesus, h purpose to renew these acts of adoration and these prayers for myself, miserable sinner, as well as for all who are associated with me in adoring Thee, and to offer them to Thee every moment while I live, down to the last instant of my life. I recommend to Thee, my Jesus, the Holy Church, Thy well-beloved Spouse, our own true Mother, all just souls, all poor sinners, the afflicted, the dying, and all men over the face of the whole earth: let not Thy Blood be shed in vain for them; and vouchsafe lastly to apply it to the relief of the souls in purgatory, and above all to those who in the course of their life were wont devoutly to adore Thee.

Most loving Heart of Mary, who, amongst the hearts of all creatures of God, art at once the most pure, most inflamed with love for Jesus, and most compassionate towards us poor sinners, gain for us from the heart of Jesus our Redeemer all the graces which we ask of thee. Mother of mercies, one sigh, one movement of thy heart inflamed with love towards the Heart of Jesus, has power perfectly to console us. Grant us, then, this favour, and then the Heart of Jesus, full of that filial love It had for thee and will ever have, will not fail to hear and answer our request. Amen.

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67.  LITTLE CHAPLET AND PRAYERS.

Pope Pius VII., in order to extend throughout the Christian world the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, granted, by a decree of the S. Congr. of indulgences, of March 20, 1815, and Rescript of the Segretaria of the Memorials of September 26, 1817 -
i. An indulgence of 300 days, once a day, to all the faithful who, with contrition and devotion, say the following little Chaplet, or rather prayers, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
ii. A plenary indulgence, once a month, to all who say them once a day for an entire month; to be gained on that day, when, after Confession and Communion, they shall pray for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.

THE CHAPLET AND PRAYERS

V. Deus in adjutorium meum intende.
R. Domine ad adjuvandum me festina.
Gloria, &c.

i. My most loving Jesus, my own heart is glad when I think upon Thy most Sacred Heart, all tenderness and sweetness for sinners, and I am filled with confident hope of Thy kind welcome. But O, my sins! how many and how great are they! Grieving now, like Peter and like Magdalene, I bewail and abhor them, because they are an offence to Thee, my Sovereign Good. O, grant me pardon for them all. Would that I might die before I offend Thee again! I pray Thee, by Thy Sacred Heart, that I may live only to requite Thy love.

Say one Pater, and five Gloria Patri's in honour of the Sacred Heart, then -

Sweet Heart of my Jesus,
Make me love Thee ever more and more.

ii. My Jesus, I bless Thy most humble Heart; and I give thanks unto Thee, who by making It my model dost not only give me strong and urgent inducement to imitate It, but also, at the cost of so many humiliations, dost vouchsafe Thyself to point out, and to smooth for me the way to follow Thee. Cool and ungrateful that I am, how have I wandered far away from Thee! Pardon me, my Jesus! Take from me all hateful pride and ambition, that with lowly heart I may follow Thee, my Jesus, amidst humiliations, and so obtain peace and salvation. Strengthen me, Thou who canst, and I will ever bless Thy Sacred Heart.

One Pater and five Gloria Patri's.

Sweet heart, &c.

iii. My Jesus, I admire Thy most patient Heart, and I give Thee thanks for all the wondrous examples of unwearied patience which Thou hast left us. It grieves me that these examples still have to reproach me for my extraordinary delicacy, which shrinks from every little pain. Pour, then, into my heart, O dear Jesus, a fervent and constant love of suffering and the cross, of mortification and of penance, that, following Thee to Calvary, I may with Thee attain to glory, and the joys of Paradise.

One Pater and five Gloria Patri's.

Sweet heart, &c.

iv. Dear Jesus, when I look first upon Thy most gentle Heart and then upon my own, I shudder to see how unlike mine is to Thine. How I am wont to fret and grieve when a hint, a look, or a word thwarts me! Pardon for the future all my violence; and give me grace to imitate in every contradiction Thy unalterable meekness, that so I may enjoy an everlasting and holy peace.

One Pater and five Gloria Patri's.

Sweet heart, &c.

v. Let me sing praises to Jesus for His most generous heart, the Conqueror of death and hell; for well it merits every praise. I am more than ever confounded whilst I look upon my coward heart, which dreads even a rough word or injurious taunt. But it shall be so with me no more. My Jesus, I pray Thee for such strength that, fighting and conquering on earth, I may one day rejoice triumphantly with Thee in heaven.

One Pater and five Gloria Patri's.

Sweet heart, &c.

Let us now have recourse to Mary; and dedicating ourselves wholly to her, and trusting in her maternal heart, let us say: By all the virtue of thy most sweet heart obtain for us, great Mother of God, our Mother Mary, a true and enduring devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thy Son, that, bound up in every thought and affection in union with his Heart, we may fulfil all our duties, serving our Jesus evermore with readiness of heart, and especially this day.

V. Cor Jesu, flagrans amore nostri,
R. Inflamma cor nostrum amore tui.

Oremus.
Illo nos igne, quaesumus Domine, Spiritus Sanctus inflammet, quem Dominus noster Jesus Christus e penetralibus cordis sui misit in terram, et voluit vehementer accendi. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

TRANSLATION.

V. Heart of Jesus, burning with love of us,
R. Inflame our heart with love of Thee.

Let us pray.
Lord, we beseech Thee, let Thy holy Spirit kindle in our hearts that fire of charity which our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, sent forth from his inmost heart upon this earth, and willed that it should be kindled exceedingly. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

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68.  FATHER BORGO'S NOVENA.

The same Pope Pius VII., desirous of increasing the devotion of the faithful to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, granted, by a decree of his Eminence the Cardinal Pro-Vicar, of March 15, 1809 (kept in the Segretaria of his court), and a Rescript of the S. Congr. of indulgences of Jan. 13, 1818, to all the faithful who should make, with contrite hearts, the above-named Novena before the Feast of time Sacred Heart -
i. An indulgence of 300 days, each day of the said Novena, and -
ii. A plenary indulgence, to be gained either on the Feast of the Sacred Heart or on some one day in the Octave when, after having assisted at every day of the Novena, they shall pray, after Confession and Communion, for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
This Novena may be used any one other time in the year, with power to gain these indulgences on the same conditions as above.
Any of the faithful who are not in possession of F. Alphonso Rodriguez's book on Perfection, which F. Borgo's Novena assigns as spiritual reading during the Novena, may, by the permission of the same Pope Pius VII., use any other book of devotion or spiritual reading they like.
This Novena of F. Charles Borgo, S.J., is divided into several meditations, full of doctrine and spiritual unction; it had passed through three editions before it was printed by Bourliè in Rome, in the year 1809, who has also published several other editions of the work. Its idea was suggested by a devout exercise composed concisely by the Ven. Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Visitation, already mentioned above, hearing for its title "The Life of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and the way of honouring Him throughout the Octave of His Feast." See her life, reprinted at Rome in 1768, book vii.

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69.  THE PRAYER, "BEHOLD, MY MOST LOVING JESUS," ETC.

This Prayer is to be found at the end of the Indulgences relating to the Blessed Sacrament, above.