The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Did you know that Jesus made twelve promises to those who honor His Sacred Heart through a special devotion? It’s called the First Friday Devotion! This devotion was made popular by St. Margaret Mary Alocoque after Our Lord appeared to her, saying,
“Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to consuming itself to witness its love. And in return, I receive from most of them only ingratitude from their irreverences and their sacrileges and by the coldness and contempt that they have for Me in this sacrament of love.”
Jesus asked for reparation to be made for the sins of all the world which grieve His heart so much.
To those who dedicate themselves to making reparation, Jesus promised:
- I will give them all the graces
necessary in their state of life. - I will establish peace in their homes.
- I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
- I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
- I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
- Sinners will find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
- Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
- Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
- I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored.
- I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
- Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.
- I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
So how do we receive these graces? For the first Friday of nine consecutive months, a person must:
- Attend Holy Mass
- Go to Confession (if we are not in a state of grace)
- Receive Holy Communion with the intention of making reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the sins of the world
Are you ready to take on this devotion? For help staying on track and developing a deeper love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, check out Behold this Heart by Fr. Thomas Dailey!
