A Novena to the Sacred Heart

O Sacred and adorable Heart of Jesus!.

Furnace of Eternal charity!.

Ocean of infinite mercy!.

Consolation of the afflicted!.

Refuge of sinners!.

and Hope of the whole world!.

I most fervently adore Thee,.

and unite my heart,.

my affections,.

and supplications,.

to the perpetual homage Thou Thyself renderest .

to the Divinity on our Altars..

Most amiable Heart,.

which hast loved us with an eternal love,.

supply Thyself for my insensibility,.

and receive my desire at least of loving Thee .

with all the ardour and sincerity Thou so justly meritest..

But remember, O adorable Heart!.

that Thou hast not disclosed Thyself to us .

only as an object of our adorations;.

Thou desirest much more to engage our love,.

and to become the ground .

and motive of our loving confidence..

For this end,.

Thou wert pierced through with a lance on the Cross;.

and for the same purpose Thou remainest .

a daily Victim of Thine own love on our Altars..

O infinitely compassionate Heart of Jesus!.

which was overwhelmed with sorrow in the Garden of Olives,.

at the view of our spiritual and corporal miseries,.

I recur of Thee now with all the confidence Thou desirest .

I should have in the extent of Thy power .

and the riches of Thy mercy..

Convinced that those things .

which are impossible to human beings .

are infinitely easy to Thee,.

and relying with an humble steadfast faith .

on the sacred words of Truth itself,.

that whatever we ask the Father .

in the Name of Jesus should be granted, .

I now most humbly implore in that adorable Name,.

in virtue of that promise,.

and through the abundant mercies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,.

the particular favour I petition for in this Novena. .

O blessed saint Gertrude!.

and all you glorious servants of Christ;.

who while on earth were particularly devoted .

to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,.

join your prayers with mine,.

and implore from the Divine Object of all your devotion .

the obtaining of the petition which I now make,.

and specially offer up through your intercession..

Beg likewise, from this adorable Heart,.

which has dominion over all hearts,.

and could in a moment change the most obdurate,.

to have compassion on those who are .

in the dreadful state of mortal sin,.

and to open to us the treasure of its mercy .

at the hour of our death.