A Novena as an Act of Homage to Christ the King (can be said as a prayer separate from a novena at any time during the year) from Raccolta
O Sweet Saviour and Redeemer of mankind, Jesus Christ, who in the impenetrable designs of
Thine infinite wisdom bearest with the audacity of the impious and sufferest the violence of the wicked, reserving to Thyself the sovereign right of judging the impious man and his perverse works, turn Thy merciful regard upon Thy children, who in the blindness of their hearts have turned from Thee in rebellion. With the eyes of a Father, and with the power of the sovereign King of the Universe, stretch forth Thy hand to bless and regenerate modern society, which is rebelliously turning its back upon Thee, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Be moved to compassion for Thy people, whom Thou hast purchased with Thy Blood, regenerated with Thy grace, and exalted with Thy love. Thou hast given them true liberty, Thou hast called them to the inheritance of Thy Father, Thou hast numbered them among Thy brethren; but in the delirium of their rebellion they have preferred the slavery of Satan, and live in abject misery, without joy, without hope.
O my Lord Jesus Christ, King of eternal glory, restorer of all things in heaven and on earth, supreme and omnipotent, who with infinite wisdom reunitest at Thy feet things scattered and dispersed; enlighten the Kings of the earth, the rulers of nations; instill Thy spirit into all civil institutions, into every form of government, into laws and armies; grant that all the powers of earth may recognize in Thee the majesty of the eternal God, the source from which all authority is derived; illuminate the nations that they may understand that Thou art the origin of rights and duties, that it is through Thee that the Kings of the earth rule, and that it is to Thee that Kings and people alike owe obedience. O most sweet Jesus, who hast deigned to descend into this valley of tears, and to dwell with us, suffering and dying for the salvation of us sinners, and who in an excess of charity hast set up thy abode in the midst of men, hidden under the sacramental species, and who in the fullness of the Godhead, corporally present in our tabernacles, makest Thyself the food and life of our souls; oh, receive the humble but sincere and profound homage of our hearts, offered in reparation for the falling away of the rebellious. We firmly believe in Thee and all that the faith infused into our hearts by the Holy Spirit has revealed to us about Thee. We see in Thee the beginning and the end of all existing things, we adore Thee as the one true God, we wish to live only for Thee and in Thy service. Do Thou, O Lord, save our brethren, reunite the scattered members of modern society gone astray, that we as brethren may together be one with Thee, as Thou art one with thy Father in Heaven. May Thy will be done by all and in everything. May thy Majesty shine forth on the throne of thy earthly dominion, and the world confess Thee to be the true Son of God, through whom all things were created. O Lord, do not abandon us; we are Thy children, we love Thee; recognize us still as Thy children, unworthy, yet ever thine; save us, and together with us, save Kings, Rulers, and Nations. Amen. Saint Michael, first champion of the Kingship of Christ, pray for us. (An Indulgence of 300 days) A Fervent Prayer: O Christ the King from the Little Book of Prayers, 1900
To Thee, O Lord, do I turn my face. My body and my soul I commend to Thy Majesty, who hast wonderfully made all things out of nothing. Hear me, O God, Thou who art King of the Angels, Thou who receivest back the sinner, hear me. Open the ear of Thy love to my prayers, that, protected by Thy heavenly grace, I may live for Thee. Give joy to my soul which Thou hast created immortal; nourish it with the bread of angels that it may live in the contemplation of the saints. Direct me, O Lord, along Thy paths. In the morning when I rise from my sleep be Thou my guardian: look down on me as I walk. Sustain me, Thy servant, with food replenished with Thy heavenly blessing. Give my heart to drink full droughts drawn from the fount of life, that armed with the sign of Thy holy Cross, I may vanquish during the night the suggestions of the devil.
And when again the sun sheds its light on the world, may I see Thee, the true Sun of Justice, and may I devoutly offer to Thee day by day the solemn service of the Mass. Wherefore, Lord Jesus, receive the prayer of Thy servant, which I offer for the remission of the sins of my father and mother, and of my brothers and sisters who are dead, that their souls may rejoice in Thy eternal brightness. Remember not, O Lord, my past offenses, and be not angry with me for ever. Stay Thy judgments upon the offenses of my brothers, sisters, relations, and friends who are yet alive; rather in Thy love hear, and in Thy mercy spare. They ever adore Thee, the one God, through Christ our Lord. O Holy Virgin of Virgins, aid me: O Holy Mother of God, intercede for me: Holy Mary, with all the saintly Virgins of God, who, admitted into the company of the Cherubim and Seraphim ever follow the immaculate Lamb of God rejoicing in your grace of virginity, in the midst of your gladness hear my prayer. St. Michael, standard-bearer of God, redeem my soul with the Lord's holy Cross in the judgment day. St. Peter, senator of the heavenly palace, chief of the Apostles, with the other holy Apostles, open to me the gates of Paradise and block up the path that leads to hell. St. Stephen with thy crimson palm of martyrdom, and ye other holy Martyrs, obtain for me from God the robe of immortality. By the merits of the college of Confessors may I find favor before God in heaven. O all ye Saints, help me. O all ye Saints, come to my aid. O all ye Saints of God, intercede for me. By your holy intercession may ye deign to reconcile me to God, the King of all ages, that with Him, the Prince of peace, clothed in the robe of Immortality, my flesh may desire to rise in all the glory of the new life to reign with Him for ever in Heaven. Amen. Hymn: Jesus Christ takes possession of the Throne of God "Sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty" "And the Lord Jesus . . . was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God."--Mark xvi. 19 "Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates and the King of glory shall enter in . . . lxxi. 8: and He shall rule from sea to sea."--Ps. xxiii. 7
Rise, glorious Victor, rise
Hymn: Jesus is our Advocate and our High PriestInto Thy native skies,-- Assume Thy right; And where in many a fold The clouds are backward rolled, Pass through those gates of gold, And reign in light. Enter, Incarnate God; No feet but Thine have trod The serpent down; The full-voiced trumpets blow, Wider the portals throw; Saviour, triumphant go, And take Thy crown. O Lord, ascend Thy throne; For Thou shalt rule alone, Beside Thy Sire And blessed Paraclete, The Three in One complete, Before Whose awful feet All foes expire. We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens."--Heb. viii. 1
Rise, O Advocate almighty!
Hymn: Jesus is our GodRise, O Priest and Victim both! Named of old High-Priest for ever, By the Father's steadfast oath! Swiftly, swiftly speed Thy way Back to golden realms of day. Lo, 'tis done! o'er death victorious, Christ ascends His starry throne; There, from all His labours resting, Still He travails for His own; Still our fate His heart employs E'en amid eternal joys. There He sits in tranquil glory; There He stands His aid to lend; There He offers to His Father Every single prayer we send; There Himself receives each sigh As Omniscient Deity. Hail to Thee, High-Priest eternal; Priest without a spot of sin; Veiled of old in mystic figures, Holy, Infinite, Divine! Thou art He Whose blood alone Can for human guilt atone! "But to the Son (He saith): Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever."--Heb. i. 8
Jesus is God! the solid earth,
Hymn: Jesus is our KingThe ocean broad and bright, The countless stars, like golden dust, That strew the skies at night; The wheeling storm, the dreadful fire, The pleasant gladsome air, The summer's sun, the winter's frost, His own creations were. Jesus is God! the glorious bands Of golden angels sing Songs of adoring praise to Him, Their Maker and their King. He was true God in Bethlehem's crib, On Calvary's cross true God; He Who in heaven eternal reigned, In time on earth abode. Jesus is God! let sorrow come, and pain, and every ill; All are worth while, for all are meant His glory to fulfill; Worth while a thousand years of life, To speak one little word, If only by our faith we own The Godhead of our Lord. Jesus is God! Oh, could I now But compass land and sea, To teach and tell this single truth, How happy should I be! Oh, had I but an angel's voice, I would proclaim aloud, Jesus, the good, the beautiful, Is everlasting God. Jesus is God! If on the earth This blessed faith decays, More tender must our love become, More plentiful our praise. We are not angels, but we may Down in earth's corners kneel, And multiply sweet acts of love, And murmur what we feel. "The sceptre of Thy Kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness. Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity. Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows."--Ps. xliv. 7
Crown Him, the Virgin's Son,
Hymn: Jesus Christ reigns! The Eternal King Most HighThe God Incarnate born, Whose arm those crimson trophies won Which now His brow adorn. Awake, my soul, and sing Of Him Who died for thee; And hail Him as thy glorious King Through all Eternity. Crown Him, the Lord of Love; Behold His bands and side,-- Rich wounds, still visible above In beauty glorified: No angel in the sky Can fully bear that sight, But downward bends his burning eye At mysteries so bright. Crown Him, the Lord of Peace, Whose power a sceptre sways From pole to pole, that wars may cease, Absorbed in prayer aud praise: His reign shall know no end, And round His pierced feet Fair flowers of Paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet. "And He hath on His garment and on His thigh written: King of kings and Lord of lords."--Apoc. xix. 16
O Thou eternal King most high,
Jesus Christ reigns! The King of Glory and of LoveWho didst the world redeem, And conqu'ring death and hell receive A dignity supreme; Thou to Thy heavenly throne above Didst in Thy might ascend; Thenceforth to reign in sov'reign pow'r And glory without end. There, seated in Thy majesty, To Thee submissive bow The spacious earth, the highest heaven, The depths of hell below. There, waiting for Thy faithful souls, Be Thou to us, O Lord, Our peerless joy while here we stay, In heaven our great reward. Renew our strength; our sins forgive; Our miseries efface; And lift our souls aloft to Thee By Thy celestial grace. So, when Thou shinest on the clouds With Thy angelic train, May we be saved from vengeance due, And our lost crowns regain. "Sing praises to our King, sing ye. For God is the King of all the earth."--Ps. xlvi. 7
O Jesu, King most wonderful,
Hymn: Jesus Christ reigns!Thou Conqueror renowned, Thou sweetness most ineffable. In Whom all joys are found; Thee may our tongues for ever bless, Thee may we love alone; And ever in our lives express The image of Thine own. O King of glory, King of might, From Whom all graces come; O Beauty, Honour infinite, Of our celestial home; Thy lovely presence shines so clear Through every sense and way, That souls which once have seen Thee near, See all things else decay. O King of Love, Thy blessed fire, Does such sweet names excite, That first it raises the desire, Then fills it with delight. When once Thou visitest the heart, Then truth begins to shine; Then earthly vanities depart; Then kindles love divine. Come then, dear Lord, possess my heart, Chase thence the shades of night; Come, pierce it with Thy flaming dart And ever-shining light. Then I'll for ever Jesus sing, And with the saints rejoice: And both my heart and tongue shall bring Their tribute to my King, O Jesu, Light of all below, Thou Fount of life and fire, Surpassing all the joys we know, And all we can desire: O Jesu, spotless virgin flower, Our life and joy; to Thee Be praise, beatitude, and power, Through all eternity. The God of goodness infinite! our Friend, our Spouse, our Love "Think of the Lord in goodness, and seek Him in the simplicity of heart."--Wisd. i. x
My God, O Goodness Infinite,
Hymn: Jesus Christ is to be our JudgeMy life's true Life art Thou; Flame of my heart, my Spouse most sweet, My love to Thee I vow. Jesus, my sweetest Lord! Jesus, my sweetest Lord! My Good, my Spouse adored! Jesus, for Thee I pine away, My love, and my desire; And, more enamoured day by day, I burn with heavenly fire, Jesus, my sweetest Lord! Jesus, my sweetest Lord! My Good, my Spouse adored! Ah, Jesus, I would ever weep That I offended Thee; Mine was ingratitude too deep, And basest treachery. Jesus, my sweetest Lord! Jesus, my sweetest Lord! My Good, my Spouse adored! My Jesus, when I call to mind That such a wretch as I Have crucified a God so kind, I fain of grief would die. Jesus, my sweetest Lord! Jesus, my sweetest Lord! My Good, my Spouse adored! O Thou my Hope, make me remain Faithful for evermore: Better to die than be again As I have been before. Jesus, my sweetest Lord! Jesus, my sweetest Lord! My Good, my Spouse adored! While night and day my foes allure, In Thee do I confide; Take Thou and place my heart secure Within Thy pierced side. Jesus, my sweetest Lord! Jesus, my sweetest Lord! My Good, my Spouse adored! With Thy sweet chains, O Jesus, bind My rebel heart to Thee: Till death, my safety I will find In such captivity. Jesus, my sweetest Lord! Jesus, my sweetest Lord! My Good, my Spouse adored! "From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead." "And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and majesty."--Matt. xxiv. 30
O Jesu Christ, remember,
"My sweetest Jesus, be not Thou my Judge but my Saviour." When Thou shalt come again, Upon the clouds of heaven. With all Thy shining train; When every eye shall see Thee In Deity revealed, Who now upon this altar In silence art concealed;-- Remember, then, O Saviour, I supplicate of Thee, That here I bowed before Thee Upon my bended knee; That here I owned Thy Presence, And did not Thee deny; And glorified Thy greatness, Though hid from human eye. Accept, divine Redeemer, The homage of my praise; Be Thou the light and honour And glory of my days; Be Thou my consolation When death is drawing nigh; Be Thou my only treasure Through all eternity. (Indulgence 50 days) Little Chaplet and Prayers in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus V. Incline unto mine aid, O God. R. O Lord, make haste to help me. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. I.
My most loving Jesus, when I ponder over Thy most Sacred Heart, all tenderness and sweetness for sinners, then doth my own heart rejoice, and I am filled with the hope of Thy kind welcome. But, alas, how many and how great are my sins! With Peter and with Magdalene I bewail and abhor them because they are an offense to Thee, my Sovereign Good. Oh! grant me pardon for them all. I pray Thy Sacred Heart that I may rather die than offend Thee again, and may I live alone to love Thee. Our Father (once). Glory be to the Father, etc. (five times). Sweet Heart of Jesus, I implore, That I may love Thee more and more. II.
My Jesus, I bless Thy most humble Heart; and I give thanks unto Thee Who in making it my model dost urge me with strong pleadings to imitate it, and also, at the cost of so many humiliations, dost vouchsafe Thyself to point out and smooth for me the way to follow Thee. Foolish and ungrateful that I am, how have I wandered far from Thee! Pardon me, O my Jesus! Takeaway from me all hateful pride and ambition, that with lowly heart I may follow Thee, my Jesus, amidst humiliations, and so gain peace and salvation. Be Thou at hand to strengthen me, and I will ever bless Thy Sacred Heart. Our Father (once). Glory be to the Father, etc. (five times). Sweet Heart of Jesus, I implore, That I may love Thee more and more. III.
My Jesus, I marvel at Thy most patient Heart, and I give Thee thanks for all the wondrous examples of unwearied patience, which Thou has left us. It grieves me that these examples still have to reproach me for my excessive delicacy, shrinking from every little pain. Pour, then, into my heart, 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.
Our Father (once). Glory be to the Father, etc. (five times).Sweet Heart of Jesus, I implore, That I may love Thee more and more. IV.
Dear Jesus, beside Thy most gentle Heart I set my own, and shudder to see how unlike mine is to Thine. How am I wont to fret and grieve when a hint, a look, or a word thwarts me! Pardon all my excesses, and give me grace for the future to imitate in every contradiction Thy unalterable meekness, that so I may enjoy an everlasting holy peace. Our Father (once). Glory be to the Father, etc. (five times). Sweet Heart of Jesus, I implore, That I may love Thee more and more. V.
Let us sing praise to Jesus for His generous Heart, Conqueror of death and hell; for well does it merit every praise. Still more than ever confounded am I, looking upon my cowardly 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 myself on earth I may one day rejoice triumphantly with Thee in heaven. Our Father (once). Glory be to the Father, etc. (five times). Sweet Heart of Jesus, I implore, That I may love Thee more and more. NOW LET US TURN TO MARY; AND DEDICATING OURSELVES YET MORE AND MORE TO HER, AND TRUSTING IN HER MATERNAL HEART, WE SHALL SAY TO HER:
By all the virtue of thy most sweet heart, obtain for me, O great Mother of God, my 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, I may fulfill each duty of my state, serving Jesus, the loving King of my heart, ever more with readiness of heart and especially this day. Heart of Jesus, burning with love of us, Inflame our hearts with love of Thee. Let us pray:
O 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 burn exceedingly, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. (Indulgences: 300 days each lime, and plenary once a month, on the usual conditions, for daily recital.) Prayer for an Elderly Person (by Saint Ephrem the Syrian)
Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, Who hast power over life and death, Thou knowest what is secret and hidden, neither our thoughts nor our feelings are concealed from Thee. Cure me of duplicity; I have done evil before Thee.
Now my life declines from day to day, and my sins do but increase. O Lord, God of souls and bodies, Thou knowest the extreme frailty of my soul and my flesh. Grant me strength in my weakness, O Lord, and sustain me in my misery. Give me a grateful soul, that I may never cease to recall Thy benefits, O Lord most bountiful. Be not mindful of my many sins, but forgive me all my misdeeds. O Lord, disdain not my prayer--the prayer of a wretched sinner; sustain me with Thy grace until the end, that it may protect me as in the past. It is Thy grace which has taught me wisdom; blessed are they who follow her ways, for they shall receive the crown of glory. In spite of my unworthiness, I praise Thee and I glorify Thee, O Lord, for Thy mercy to me is without limit. Thou hast been my help and my protection. May the name of Thy majesty be praised forever. To Thee, our God, be glory. An Offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
My loving Jesus! I (N.N.) give Thee my heart, and I consecrate myself wholly to Thee, out of the grateful love I bear Thee, and as a reparation for all my unfaithfulness; and with Thy aid I purpose never to sin again.
(Indulgence: 100 days once a day; Plenary Indulgence once a month for daily recitation) With Our King by Fr. Lasance
"In what place soever Thou shall be, Lord my King, either in death or in life, there will Thy servant be." Which of us will have the courage to say this as we kneel before our King crowned with thorns? Or at the foot of the cross? Let me look into the heart of my King. What makes Him suffer willingly in spite of the repugnance of nature? The same recognition of the Father's hand in all that befalls Him, to which His word in the Garden testified: "The chalice that My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?" The faith that sees the Father's hand in every trial, this it is that holds the secret of meekness. To it alone belongs the strength of endurance, the peacefulness of trust, the crown of thorns today, the crown of glory hereafter."-- Mother Mary Loyola.
Christ the King from Sacred Scripture
And they put over his head his cause written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.--Matthew 27:37
Prayer to Mary, Mother of Christ the KingWhom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.--Acts Of Apostles 17: 7 Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.--John 18: 37 And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.--John 19: 19 And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest it.--Matthew 27: 11 Pilate therefore went into the hall again, and called Jesus, and said to him: Art thou the king of the Jews?--John 18: 33 When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.--Matthew 2: 1 Let Christ the king of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.--Mark 15: 32 And they began to accuse him, saying: We have found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is Christ the king.--Luke 23: 2 from the Augustian Manual
O Mother of our eternal Prince and King of Glory, by those sharp thorns wherewith his most holy head was pierced, we beseech thee that, by thy intercession, we may be delivered here from all feelings of pride, and in the day of judgment from that confusion which our sins deserve. Amen.
Meditations on the Sacred Heartfrom the Catholic Prayer Book and Manual, 1883
I.
The features which mark his boundless love are thus described in the Canticles: "Behold he standeth behind our wall, and clothes himself with his sacred humanity. He renders himself visible through his wounds and bleeding side, looking through these apertures as through the windows and through the lattices." We may consider Divine Love residing in the Heart of our Redeemer as a sovereign seated on his throne. Through His wounded side it beholds the hearts of the children of men, never losing sight of them. As those who look through a lattice see without being seen, so the love of this Divine Heart, which may be called the Heart of Divine Love, being in reality its center, incessantly considers all that passes in ours.--Francis of Sales.
Apiration: One thing have I asked of our Lord, that will I seek: to dwell for ever in His Sacred Heart.II.
My dove in the clefts of the rock! come and contemplate my heart through the aperture of my bleeding side. The Heart of Jesus calls us all to him. "Come you all to me." (Matt. xi. 28.) I place no bounds to my promises; my Heart is an inexhaustible source of goodness, which can efface all crimes. "Come you all to me, and I shall relieve you; the crimes--the wounds--are yours; the remedy--the cure--is mine." Come you all to me; my Heart is vast enough for all; the sea of my mercy is boundless enough to receive all sinners who rush into it--to absorb, to drown their offenses. "I have found a Physician," you may say now, my soul, "who knows my disease and its cure. I have found what my soul thirsted for; I shall never any more suffer want."
Aspiration: "Lord, give me of that water" flowing from your Heart, "and I shall never thirst."III.
All the wounds of our Lord are so many gates of salvation open to the whole world; but that of His Heart is the largest. All His wounds are fountains of grace, but that of His Heart is the clearest and most delicious. All His wounds are so many purple streams, in which we can plunge all the powers of our soul, to enhance the price of our thoughts, words, and actions; but the wound of the Heart gives them a higher color, a more lively tinge, a more precious luster. All His wounds are so many places of refuge, where the most criminal find shelter; but that of the Heart is the most secure. Redite praecaricatores ad cor.
Aspiration: "I have found the Heart of my King, my brother," my kind friend Jesus. "What more can I desire in heaven or on earth?"IV.
"My son, give me thy heart." Perfect resignation and entire conformity to the divine will, is the most grateful and most acceptable sacrifice that a man can possibly offer to God out of His own stock and treasure. God sets so high a value and esteem upon this holocaust of our heart, that it is this very one thing precisely He demands of us: "My son, give Me thy heart." God does not need the gifts, no matter how precious, which we offer: what He most regards is the heart. Our heart cannot be divided and He satisfied. The heart of man is a narrow bed; it cannot contain any besides God alone. Had we a thousand hearts, we ought to offer them all to God, and look upon it as but little in regard of what we stand indebted to Him. The love of God consists not in words, but in actions. Jesus Christ, speaking Himself of the love He bore His Heavenly Father, says: "That the world may know that I love my Father, and that as the Father hath given me commandment, so do I. Arise, let us go hence." (John xiv. 31.) Where was it He went? To suffer death on a cross. Behold the Sacred Heart of Jesus! Adore and imitate.
Aspiration: Heart of Jesus, you sought me when I fled from you; will you fly from me now that I seek you?V.
The Heart of Jesus is the sweet support of those who worship it. O strong and delightful support! Thanks be to God, the support of creatures has failed me. Such support always fails sooner or later, and that for many reasons. None save God can adequately appreciate our spiritual and corporal distresses. His heart only then can adequately compassionate our miseries. Our distresses may be so long and so complex, so various and so intricate, as to try the patience of our dearest friends. Love only can sustain and pass through all opposition, and that love such as the embrace of Jesus Christ is alone able to inspire. Would you have him in readiness to press you to his bosom in the hour of your distress? Would you have him ready in the hour of fear to whisper, " It is I, be not afraid?" Would you, in your last agony, let fall your head on a pillow such as only he can furnish? O, then, secure now that adorable rest, and accept the invitation, " Come and learn of me, all ye that are meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest for your soul."
Aspiration: "Place me near Thee, O Heart of Jesus, and let my enemy fight against me." Pone me juxta te, et cujusvis manus pugnet contra me.VI. "I sleep, and my heart is watching."--Cant. v. 2.
"I sleep," He says, "and My heart is watching." Ah! had Jesus simply said "I sleep," and no more, His words, far from giving me that delight which they now convey, would but have created inquietude and alarm. Jesus sleeps, and the devil, my enemy, is awake, and going about like a lion ready to devour me! Jesus sleeps! and my senses, ever on the watch, are brooding over my soul in order to enslave it! Jesus sleeps! who then will keep guard over me? My beloved sleeps! in whom, then, shall I confide? My strength sleeps! who will sustain me? My hope sleeps! in whom shall I hope?But He who is at once my love, my hope, and my strength, does not leave me long in suspense. "I sleep," He says, "but my Heart is watching." O words of sweet encouragement! That sleep which leaves the heart awake is not a torpid, inert sleep; that sleep in which the heart sleeps not, is not a sleep of forgetfulness. The Heart of Jesus is watching! He can then still love me. The Heart of Jesus is watching! He can then still aid me. That sacred Heart will never want secret words wherewith to instruct me, nor secret delights wherewith to charm me. What matters it if all within him sleep, provided His Heart be watching! His Heart, is it not most especially himself? Sleep, Lord Jesus, I am comforted. Thy Heart is watching!
VII.
So it is, then; the Heart of Jesus neither slumbers nor sleeps. Its love excites it, and keeps it ever in action. It is incessantly watching over my dearest interests--over my mind to enlighten it; over my heart to inflame it with its pure love; over my senses to quiet them; over my thoughts to direct them aright; over my commonest actions to ennoble them; over my entire life to make it divine.
Aspiration: Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in thee, have mercy on me!Between the Heart of Jesus, and mine, alas, what a contrast! When Jesus appears to sleep, His Heart is watching; but I sleep and my heart watches not. My senses are ever wakeful, my passions ever active, my mind is constant excitement. It is my heart that sleeps! O my God! let all within me sleep, all except my heart, for it is upon my heart that Thy divine gaze is ever fixed. Dominus intuetur cor--"The Lord looketh at the heart." Thus let me pass my days, O my God! loving Thee with my heart, adoring Thee with my heart; serving Thee with my heart, and when Thou shalt call me to Thyself, be it mine to exclaim with my last sigh, "I am now about to sleep the sleep of death, but it will not be an utter sleep. My heart shall watch; it shall watch near Thee and in Thee, through a blissful eternity! Amen." VIII.
How blind am I! I have received wonderful graces that I never thought of; and none the less wonderful because they did not strike any of my senses. I felt nothing; I received what would surprise me, did I know it. How blind!--worse than that, I have been and am ungrateful! Perhaps I have been actually dissatisfied--almost displeased with certain graces and signal favours. A little wholesome severity on the part of him who reconciled me to God, disturbed my peace in the very moment that the angels rejoiced over one sinner doing penance. I am indeed blind and ungrateful! But the Heart of Jesus! O the Heart of Jesus! what consolation it felt--what thanksgiving, what delight, what sorrow for me; sorrow and joy, sorrow that I thought so little about such magnificent favours;--joy that God at least was appeased, and reconciled to justify me again. The Heart of Jesus then, has loved for me when I would not love--has thanked God for me fervently when I thanked Him only a little. And now I stand indebted! My debts have accumulated since first I drew breath. The Heart of Jesus has done all these good offices for me, and the time has come to make payment. I owe gratitude, I owe thanksgiving, I owe sorrow, I owe reparation--I owe an act of love and thanksgiving for each of those times that the Sacred Heart made those acts for me. Let me look back and remember, and see how often.
Aspiration: Heart of Jesus, wounded for my sins, have mercy on me. Give me, O Jesus, wherewith to pay thee! Ego vero egenus et pauper sum; Deus adjuva me!Music: Te saeculorum Principem |