Devotions for the First Friday in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was born in France in the year 1647, and died in 1690. She was canonized in 1920, and her feast is celebrated on October 17.
Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary several times during her life as a nun in the Visitation Order. Sometimes Our Lord showed His Most Sacred Heart afire with love for men; while at other times His heart would appear torn and bleeding because of sin and indifference.
In 1675 the great revelation was made to St. Margaret Mary that she, in union with Father de la Colombière, S.J., was to be the chief instrument for instituting the Feast of the Sacred Heart and for spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart throughout the world.

The Great Promise of the First Friday

All who receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays have been blessed by Our Lord with the grace of a most wonderful promise. We should listen carefully. It is our Saviour, Himself, who speaks to us through St. Margaret Mary:

"I promise thee in the unfathomable mercy of My hear that My omnipotent love will procure the grace of final penitence for all those who communicate on nine successive First Fridays of the month; they will not die in My disfavour, or without having received their sacraments, since My divine heart will be their sure refuge in the last moments of their life."

Our Lord also told St. Margaret Mary of the following additional blessings:

1) I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2) I will establish peace in their families.
3) I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4) I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death.
5) I will bestow a special blessing upon all their undertakings.
6) Sinners shall find in My heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7) Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
8) Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9) I will bless every place where a picture of My heart shall be exposed and honoured.
10) I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11) Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My heart - never to be blotted out.

PRAYERS

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
R. Make my heart like unto Thine.
V. O sweetest heart of Jesus, we implore,
R. That we may love Thee ever more and more.

Let us pray. May Thy Holy Spirit, we beseech Thee, Lord, enkindle in our hearts that fire which our Lord Jesus Christ came to cast on earth, and desired so earnestly to see enkindled.
R. Amen.
V. Thy kingdom come.
R. Thy kingdom come.

Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast promised that wherever two or three shall be gathered together in Thy name, Thou wilt be there in the midst of them, look down with compassion and mercy and love upon us, who are now united before Thee, in the lowliness of our hearts, to honor Thy Sacred Heart, and in the desire to make it known and beloved by all. Come into the midst of us, my sweet Jesus, and fill our hearts with Thy blessing and inflame them with Thy love.
R. Amen.
V. Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.
R. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THEIR AGONY

O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, we pray Thee, by the agony of Thy Most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thine immaculate mother, cleanse in Thy blood the sinners of the whole world, who are now in their agony, and are to die this day.
R. Amen.
V. Heart of Jesus, by Thy agony,
R. Have pity on the dying.

Morning Offering

O Jesus,

through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intensions of thy Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all our Associates, and in particular for the intentions of our Holy Father for this month. Amen.

Sweet Mother of the Lord most High

Sweet Mother of the Lord most High
To Thee we bow in humble prayer,
To Thee from evil powers we fly.
O shield and keep us in thy care.

Author unknown

The Mother's Hymn

Lord, who ordainest for mankind
Benignant toils and tender cares,
We thank Thee for the ties that bind
The mother to the child she bears.
We thank Thee for the hopes that rise.
Within her heart, as day by day
The dawning soul, from those young eyes
Looks with a clearer, steadier ray,
And grateful for the blessing given
With that dear infant on her knee,
She strains her eyes to look to heaven
The voice to lisp a prayer to Thee.
Such thanks the Blessed Mary gave
When from her lap the Holy Child,
Sent from on high to seek and save
The lost on earth, looked up and smiled.
All Gracious! grant to those that bear
A mother's charge, the strength and light
To guide the feet that own them care
In ways of love and truth and light.

William Cullen Bryant

Familiarity with Our Lord

We have a great difficulty in not looking at Our Lord as a high-and-mighty Personage. We should try hard to realise that Our Lord, in His Humanity, felt just as we feel. Tired, weary, hungry. When left alone, inclined to take a dismal view of life. Tempted to despondency. Our Lord likes us to show Him sympathy. He in His life on earth was just as appreciative of every particle of sympathy offered Him as we should be. Never the smallest kindness done to Him was unnoticed. He hungered for love and sympathy. In the house of Simon, how He appreciated St Mary Magdalene's ministrations. He said to Simon, who was pretending not to notice Mary Magdalene, "When I entered your house you gave Me no water for My feet. This woman with her tears has washed them, and with her hair has wiped them. You gave me no kiss; this woman has never ceased to kiss My feet." We do not realise how much Our Lord has had to bear for us. The one thing He desired when He came into the world was to do good to souls. If we have one great object in life, and that object is thwarted, what a crushing sorrow it is. And yet, Our Lord was thwarted at every turn. His preaching was misunderstood; His miracles and cures He got no thanks for. The one thing He looked for, to gain love, failed Him. Take Our Lord's day; it was one long string of dsappointments. And how we grumble over our trifling, futile, little disappointments. How ungenerous, how mean we are. When you think of your disappointments, compare them with Our Lord's. The way to be happy is to look at things from His point of view. His efforts invariably met with failure. When he had explained fully about His Body and Blood (John vi), we are told that "many of them ceased to walk with Him." What a sorrow for Him. Then it was that, feeling crushed an worn out, He said to St Peter: "Wilt thou also leave Me?" And St Peter anwered: "To whom, Lord, shall we go, for Thou hast the words of eternal life?" What a disappointment even the Apostles were. At the end even of the third year of His ministry how imperfect they were, how little credit they did Him. They had arrived at no greater understanding of Him than to think still that He was to be the Founder of an earthly kingdom, and at no greater virtue than to be wrangling as to who were to have the best places. If Our Lord were to say to anyone here: "I will, if you choose it, give you a life of perfect happiness; everyone shall try to please you, everything you touch succeed", I trust there is no one here who would not say: "No, Lord, what was good enough for You is good enough for me." These thoughts should throw a flood of light on our lives. If we wish to imitate Our Lord and Master, instead of crying our eyes out in moments of gloom and despondency, we should say: "What Thou dost is for the best, I will not wish it to be otherwise. When I am cowardly and inclined to cry out under suffering; if I ask for the pain to be removed - do not take me at my word, Lord, but give me greater strength and so draw me nearer to Thee."

From: Words of Encouragement - Notes of Instructions - delivered by Rev. Daniel Considine S.J., edited by F. C. Devas S.J. 1951

Be Born in Us, Incarnate Love

From: Carmel Oklahoma USA

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands

O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel,
Fruitful vine, spendor of Heaven,
Immaculate Mother of the Son of God,
Help me in my necessity.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands.

O holy Mary, Mother of God,
Virgin most merciful, I beseech thee -
I humbly pray thee from the depth of my heart -
Help me in my necessity.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands.

O Mystical Rose, O Flower of David,
None can withstand thy power;
Thy Son always hears thee.
Help me in my necessity.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in thy hands.

O Queen of heaven and earth, Star of the sea,
Show me herein thou art my mother.
Hear thy child who seeks thine aid.
Help me in my necessity.
Sweet Mother, I place this cuase in thy hands.

Your Cross

Picture: Painting by Br. Rudolf, O.M.Cap.: Saint Francis presents the crucified Saviour to the world.

The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost Heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His grace, perfumced it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.

St. Francis de Sales

Heralders of Divine Love, Rego Park, N.Y.

Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?

"Every word of God is fire-tried, and He is a Buckler of Hope to those who hope in Him." (Proverbs.) This means that every word of God is absolutely true, and that He is a shield or protector to those who hope in Him. What is the hope most people have in Him? Withered, shrunk, ineffective. (I am not, of course, speaking on the theological virtue on which our salvation depends, but of hope in God's help in the everyday episodes of our life.) Religion should be a part of one's life. It consists in always thinking of God. The whole day long. Our Lord wants to be Master of your heart, and Master all the day long. Our Lord lives in your heart. He does not want you to tell Him in so many words that you love Him; He knows you cannot be praying all day. But He wants you always to be thinking of Him, to feel that He is with you. People are not intimate with Him because they think they can't be, so they don't try. Our Lord says: "My yoke is sweet and My burden is light." And again: "Come to Me, all ye who labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you." One condition He always asks: Trust. No matter how weak you are, how frail. He will help, if you will only go to Him. If anyone would really belive that God would make her a saint she would become one. We should have bigger hearts, more confidence. We don't trust Him one-tenth part as much as we should. Where do any good thoughts or aspirations we ever have come from? From Him: they are His gift. He says: "If you will only let Me, I will make a saint of you." It is by your want of confidence, hope, and trust, that you tie His hands.

From: Words of Encouragement - Notes of Instructions - delivered by Rev. Daniel Considine S.J., edited by F. C. Devas S.J. 1951

After Mary, St. Joseph is our Greatest Intercessor - St. Joseph, the Masterpiece of Mary's Intercession!

The Pious Union in Honor of St. Joseph, a crusade of prayers for the dying, was founded by Father Guanella (1842-1915) in the Church of St. Joseph's Death at Rome and raised by Pope Pius X to the dignity of an Arch-confraternity. It was canonically erected Jan. 18, 1930 at St. Peter's Church, Chicago, and affiliated with the Archconfraternity.

MEMBERSHIP: Registration of Christian and family names and prayers for the dying sinners. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the best way to aid the dying. We have centered around HOLY MASS, five degrees of membership: to attend a monthly Mass, a weekly Mass, a daily Mass, to have Masses offered and to consecrate one's entire life to this apostolate.

"Oh! shame of the human heart! A beast of burden falls, and there are found pitiful arms to raise it up. A soul, yea millions of souls, fall into sin and into hell every day and no one devotes even a thought to them." - St. Bernard

The greatest act of charity for the neighbor is to pray and offer sacrifice for the salvation of the dying!

Every Wednesday is dedicated in a special manner to St. Joseph.

MAKE THE NINE FIRST WEDNESDAYS (similar to the nine First Fridays) in HONOR OF ST. JOSEPH FOR A HAPPY DEATH FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR DEAR ONES!

Attend Holy Mass, receive Holy Communion and offer prayers to St. Joseph.

The most excellent means to obtain this special grace of a happy death is CHARITY. Therefore, in your devotions on the First Wednesdays, direct them in a special manner for the salvation of dying sinners in honor of St. Joseph.

Litany of St. Joseph

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us
God, the Son Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray of us.
Illustrious Son of David, ...
Light of the Patriarchs, ...
Spouse of the Mother of God, ...
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, ...
Foster-Father of the Son of God, ...
Watchful Defender of Christ, ...
Head of the Holy Family, ...
Joseph most just, ...
Joseph most chaste, ...
Joseph most prudent, ...
Joseph most valiant, ...
Joseph most obedient, ...
Joseph most faithful, ...
Mirror of patience, ...
Lover of poverty, ...
Model of workmen, ...
Glory of domestic life, ...
Guardian of virgins, ...
Pillar of families, ...
Solace of the afflicted, ...
Hope of the sick, ...
Patron of the dying, ...
Terror of demons, ...
Protector of Holy Church, ...
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. - He made him the Lord of His house.
R. - And the ruler of all his possessions.

Let us pray

O God, who in Your unspeakable providence did choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant that as we venerate him as our protector on earth, we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in heaven, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, O most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my protector, St. Joseph: that no one ever had recourse to your protection, or implored your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you. Despise not my petitions, Foster-father of my Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

O Joseph, Foster-father of the Child Jesus and true Spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us and FOR THE DYING OF THIS DAY (OF THIS NIGHT). Amen.

O most merciful Jesus, Lover of souls, I pray You by the agony of Your most Sacred heart and by the sorrows of Your Immaculate Mother, cleanse in Your blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony and are to die this day. Amen.
O Agonizing Heart of Jesus, have mercy on the dying!

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

In honor of the Seven Joys and the Seven Sorrows of St. Joseph, recite seven Our Fathers, seven hail Marys and seven Glorys, for the dying.

Brother André of Mt. Royal recommended the Stations of the Cross as a powerful means to aid the dying and the Souls in purgatory.

Also keep the dying sinners in your Rosary.

Nihil Obstat: Rev. Luke Dittami, O.F.M. Censor Librorum - Imprimi Potest: Very Rev. Pius Barth, O.F.M. Ph.D., Provincial - Imprimatur: + Samuel Cardinal Stritch, D.D., Archbishop of Chicago, November 21, 1955
Pious Union of St. Joseph, 110 W. Madison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602

O Spirit of Love descend within me

Mariazell - Magna Mater Austriae

Mariazell, situated in the Austrian federal province of Styria, is the most famous sanctuary of the Virgin Mary in Central Europe and the spiritual and religious centre of the Catholic peoples in the Danube area. The shining of burning candles and never ceasing prayers have been filling Mariazell for more than 800 years since the monk Magnus had brought here a statue of the Virgin carved in linden wood from the Benedictine convent of St. Lambrecht. A small cell over the image was the beginning and gave Mariazell its name. The reputation of miraculous hearings of prayers soon attracted pilgrims from many countries, and about the year 1200 margrave Henry Vladislav of Moravia built the first church for the "Mater Gentium Slavorum" in gratitude for his healing from a serious disease. King Louis the Great of Hungary founded around the year 1370, after his glorious victory over the religious enemies from the east, a pilgrims' chapel that is still preserved today. Thus, Mariazell and the "Magna Hungarorum Domina" became the major place of pilgrimage for the Hungarians too.
Unlike any other place of pilgrimage Mariazell has been bound to this date with the Catholic peoples of Central and Eastern Europe, and the history of pilgrimage to Mariazell is part of the history of the Christian Occident. Emperors, kings and princes from all European nations have visited Mariazell during the centuries and found inner peace and consolation before the imperial sanctuary.
The chruch, standing in the midst of a beatiful mountainous landscape, is in its actual form the work of the famous Italien architect Domenico Sciassia of the 17th century. The high altar, a present of gratitude by Emperor Charles VI, was erected according to plans by Johann B. Fischer von Erlach; the altar of grace, for which the great Empress Maria Theresa endowed the splendid silver trellis, was designed by his son Emanuel. Beyond that, the greatest artists of the period created the magnificent interior decoration and made the durch, raised to the rank of basilica in 1907, one of the most beautiful baroque buildings of the Christian art.
Innumerable votive pictures in the galleries of the church and two treasure vaults with valuable and simple oblations from seven centuries impressively show how great a confidence was placed by millions of pilgrims in the miraculous place of Mariazell.
Even though the roots of Mariazell's attraction go back to the past of a formerly larger empire the "Magna Mater Austriae", Austria's great mother of God, has today become more than ever before a symbol of living Christian belief. The door of the basilica, the world-renowned "Door of Peace", is open to the faithful from all over the world.

During the period of pilgrimage (Easter to All Saints' Day) there are daily services at every full hour from 6.00 to 12.00 a.m., and at 6.30 p.m. There is a light procession every Saturday. Confession opportunity throughout the day in all European languages. The Superir's Office A-8630 Mariazell, accepts bookings for pilgrimages at any time and will be glad to give any additional information required.

My Day... A Mass ! ...

I bear the world in my heart, and with Christ and through Him, I offer all to the Father...

May our life be a host

My Daily Offering:

• I offer all...
• Heavenly Father, I place myself upon the paten, with my whole being, my soul, my body, with my intellect and my will, for I offer You all that I am and have.
• I place upon this paten, all my joys, my sorrows of today, my work with its fatigue, my crosses with their bitterness.

Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary

• I unite all this to the offering of Jesus as a holocaust of love for the salvation and sanctification of priestly and religious souls and for my own sanctification.

The drop of water - it is our life

• United to Christ
• By this drop of water which represents me, O my God, permit me to cast into the Chalice, with Jesus Christ, every moment of my life so that all may be sanctified, supernaturalized in the Blood of Christ and may pass through Him to the Adorable Trinity.
• I cast also into the Chalice and I offer Thee the life and sufferings of those who do not offer them, that their lives and sufferings be united to those of Christ who suffered as they do and who dies for them.
• In all the Masses
• O my Jesus, I unite myself to all the Masses which will be celebrated this day throughout the world, in union with the intentions of your Sacred Heart. O my Jesus, I beg of you to retain for me, from each of these Masses, a drop of Thy Precious Blood, in expiation for my sins.
• O Divine Heart of Jesus, give to the world many and holy priests to continue the work of your Redemption. Amen.

With Ecclesiastical Approval

A Treasure to exploit...

The death of our Saviour Jesus Christ upon the Cross - That is the great Treasure! The Holy Sacrifice of that Mass is the key which unlocks this treasure from which we can derive an abundance of graces.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the centre, the heart of our religion, a heart which, without ceasing, sends a stream of grace into the veins of Christianity, so that it may vivify each and every member of the great Mystical Body of Christ - which is our Holy Mother the Church. (Mgr. Mader).

Let us use this Treasure...

• By assisting often devoutly at Holy Mass,
• By having Masses said,
• By uniting with all the Masses which will be celebrated in the world, at every hour of the day and night.

More than 400,000 Masses are celebrated each day - that means 5 Elevations every second. He who unites himself with them, shares in them. Let uns therefore gain for ourselves a Treasure in eternity...

Offering of the Holy Hour for Priests

O my God, poor, weak and miserable as I am, I have come to spend this hour alone with YOU, in reparation for the priests who have forgotten that they are Your chosen souls. Especially, dear God, do I offer this holy hour for the priest who at this moment needs it most. In praying for consecrated souls, help me to remember my own utter weakness, misery and nothingness. Were it not for your grace, I would be far worse than those for whom I pray.
O my God, help those priests who are faithful to remain faithful; to those who are falling, stretch forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. And for those poor unforunate souls who have fallen, lift them up in the great ocean of Your Mercy, that being engulfed therein, they may receive the grace to return to Your Great Loving Heart. Amen.

Nihil obstat: M. J. Grupa, censor librorum, Feb. 23, 1951 - Detroit
Imprimatur: + Edward Cardinal Mooney, Feb. 23, 1951 - Detroit
The Franciscan Marytown Press, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Daily Prayer for Priests

Paul Wante pinxit - Maria-Mediatrix Genval

O almighty eternal God, look upon the face of Thy Christ, and for love of Him who is the eternal High-priest, have pity on Thy priests. Remember, O most compassionate God, that they are but weak und frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which is in them by the imposition of the Bishop's hands. Keep them close to Thee, lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation.
O Jesus, I pray Thee for Thy faithful and fervent priests; for Thy unfaithful and tepid priests; for Thy priests laboring at home or abroad in distant misssion fields; for Thy tempted priests; for Thy lonely and desolate priests; for Thy young priests; for Thy aged priests; for Thy sick priests; for Thy dying priests; for the souls of Thy priests in purgatory.
But above all I commend to Thee the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Thy Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me or helped me and encouraged me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way, particularly... O Jesus, keep them all close to Thy heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us; obtain for us many and holy priests. (300 days. ind.)

Cum approbatione ecclesiastica
Claretian Center, Claretian Missionary Fathers, 3523 West 12th Street, Los Angeles, California 90019