What a divine coincidence that this year's Father's day fall right after the solemnity of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Friday, 6/15) and the memorial of The Immaculate Heart of Mary (Saturday, 6/16)! It is as if God were saying to all Catholic Fathers out there this year, "learn from My Sacred Heart and Mary's Immaculate Heart". Here is one of my favorite prayer, the Morning Offering, that includes both devotion to The Sacred Heart of Jesus and The Immaculate Heart of Mary prayer:
O Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works,
joys and sufferings
of this day for all the intentions
of Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins,
for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,
and in particular
for the intentions of the Holy Father.
Amen.
Offering to God, our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings each and every day. That is what St. Paul asks of us in Romans 12:1-2:
I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. (emphasis mine)
Lastly, I stumbled upon this salutation to The Sacred Heart of Jesus by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque from my iPieta apps a week ago and this particular prayer has resonated and deepened my devotion to The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Here it is in its complete form:
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, grant me pardon!
Hail, Heart of my Father, govern me!
Hail, Heart of my Spouse, grant me love!
Hail, Heart of my Master, teach me!
Hail, Heart of my King, be my crown!
Hail, Heart of my Benefactor, enrich me!
Hail, Heart of my Shepherd, guard me!
Hail, Heart of my Friend, comfort me!
Hail, Heart of my Brother, stay with me!
Hail, Heart of the Child Jesus, draw me to Thyself!
Hail, Heart of Jesus dying on the Cross, redeem me!
Hail, Heart of Jesus in all Thy states, give Thyself to me!
Hail, Heart of incomparable goodness, have mercy on me!
Hail, Heart of splendor, shine within me!
Hail, most loving Heart, inflame me!
Hail, most merciful Heart, work within me!
Hail, most humble Heart, dwell within me!
Hail, most patient Heart, support me!
Hail, most faithful Heart, be my reward!
Hail, most admirable and most worthy Heart, bless me!
One way to meditate on these salutations is to go through each line and think of the state that would want me to pray this particular line. Example: "Hail, Heart of my Creator, perfect me!" Who am I? I am a created being, formed by God Himself. I am an imperfect man. In need of His grace and mercy to perfect me. "Hail, Heart of my Saviour, deliver me!" I am a human being that needs a saviour. I can't stand on my own. I need a God who will deliver me from the eternal hell of damnation. From temptation. From lukewarmness. Deliver me Jesus. So on and so forth. The meditation that comes from this salutation has definitely helped me to grow more in my prayer life. I hope it'll make yours grow too
Enjoy and have a blessed day!
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