Dec. 1, 2014 FIRST FRIDAY DEVOTION TO THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Today, I would like to share with you the promises of our Lord to those who are devoted to His Sacred Heart given to St. Margaret Mary. They are the following:

1.  I will give them all the graces necessary in their  state of life.
2.  Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
3.  I will establish peace in their homes.
4.  I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
5.  I will be their secure refuge during life, and all in death.
6.  I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
7.  Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
8.  Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
9.  I will bless every place in which an image of  My Heart is exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out, nor without receiving their Sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their refuge.   
12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those  who receive Holy Communion the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final  penitence; they shall not die in my disgrace.

On the first Friday of the month,  we remember to pray the special First Friday devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In my blog last June, the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart, I related my visit to Paray-le-Monial, France where our Lord Jesus appeared to a nun who has become St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

My mother was a devotee of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus so that it naturally followed that her children developed such love and esteem, too. We always had the icon of Jesus pointing to His Heart in a place of honor in our home, in fact, right at the entryway. It was the first thing that any visitor saw in our place. 
During my growing-up years, I did not know that by having our icon of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus exposed and honored in our home fulfilled one of His Promises. I even doubt whether my mother ever knew of Jesus' Promises. I think she just wanted to manifest her love for Jesus as well as to share that love with others. In my first home and in the succeeding ones, the image of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus had a special place of honor since both Rey, my husband, and I were devotees, too. In fact, his favorite prayer was one addressed to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. And do you know something? My husband died on May 2, 2003, a First Friday. Coincidence? No! I believe that Jesus welcomed him home on a day special to both of them!



              Prayer to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee
Whatever may befall me, Lord, though dark the 
       hour may be
In all my joys, in all my woes, though naught but
        grief I see
Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee.

When those I love have passed away and I am
       sore distressed
Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I fly to Thee for rest
In all my trials, great or small, my confidence shall be
Unshaken as I cry, "Dear Lord, I place my 
        trust on Thee."

This is my own sweet prayer, dear Lord, my faith,
        my trust, my love
But most of all in that last hour when death points 
        up above
Ah, then, sweet Savior, may Thy face smile on
        my soul set free
Oh, may I cry with rapturous love, "I have placed
        my trust in Thee."