Sacred
Heart
A Heart he loves,
a heart that calls
About the design of the novena
The decision to represent the Sacred Heart not as an isolated symbol, but united to the face and body of Christ, has deep theological and liturgical roots. As early as 1879, in response to a consultation by the priest Charles Lecoq, the Sacred Congregation of Rites affirmed that the image of the Sacred Heart was meant to represent Christ, and not only the separated heart. As we read in the decree (Typographia Polyglotta S. C. de Propaganda Fide, Rome, 1900, vol. 3, n. 3492), the Heart of Jesus is inseparable from his Person, and for this reason it must be shown united to the face that looks, to the hands that bless, to the body that gives.
This same sense was underlined by Pope Francis in 2024, in his encyclical letter published on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the revelations of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, where he described in simple and profound words the image of Christ that this devotion offers us:
«That venerated image of Christ, where his Heart stands out, speaks to dialogue, to trust; he has strong hands, capable of supporting us; he has a mouth that speaks to us in a unique and very personal way.» (Dilexit Nos, by the Holy Father Francis, on the human and divine love of the Heart of Christ., n. 54, 2024).
Follow the Novena day by day
June 18
June 19
June 20
June 21
June 22
June 23rd
June 24
June 25
June 26
June 18
Day 1 - June 18
Here I am, because you have called me!
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Mt 9:9)
«As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew, who was sitting at the public tribute bank, and He said to him: Follow me at. And he arose and followed him.
REFLECTION
«That venerated image of Christ, where his loving heart stands out, has at the same time a look that calls us to encounter, to dialogue, to trust; he has strong hands capable of supporting us; he has a mouth that speaks to us in a unique and very personal way».
«He himself says to us: “I am sending you” (Lk 10:3). This is part of friendship with him. Therefore, for this friendship to mature, you must allow yourself to be sent by him to fulfill a mission in this world, with trust, with generosity, with freedom, without fear» (Dilexit nos. 54 and 215).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, your love precedes us. Help us to know that we are loved by you, to discover that dream of love that you have for each one of us, which is your call, and to respond to it by accepting your love and giving ourselves to others.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
June 19
Day 2 - June 19
A call of love
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Jn 19, 28)
«Then, knowing that all things were now accomplished, and that the Scripture might be fulfilled to the end, Jesus said: I am thirsty».
REFLECTION
«Jesus speaks of his thirst to be loved, showing us that the reaction we have to his desire is not indifferent to his Heart: “I thirst, but such a burning thirst to be loved by men in the Blessed Sacrament, that this thirst consumes me; and I can find no one who will make the effort, according to my desire, to quench it, to correspond in some way to my love”. Jesus» request is love. When the believing heart discovers it, the response that spontaneously springs forth does not consist in a heavy search for sacrifices or in the mere fulfillment of a heavy duty, it is a matter of love" (Dilexit us, n. 166).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, teach us to understand life as a call to live in your love. May that thirst for our love that led you to descend, to lower yourself, to become one of us, be a source of eternal life that satisfies the longings of our hearts and brings us closer to you each day.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
June 20
Day 3 - June 20
A response of love
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Lc 1, 38)
«Then Mary said: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to thy word.. And the angel departed from his presence».
REFLECTION
«A human heart that makes room for the love of Christ through total trust and allows it to expand in one's own life with its fire, becomes capable of loving others like Christ, becoming small and close to all. Thus Christ quenches his thirst and spreads gloriously in us and through us the flames of his burning tenderness. Let us notice the beautiful harmony in all this» (Dilexit us, n. 203).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help us to understand that the fullness of life is in accepting your unconditional love that transforms us and in giving it to others. In this way we make your Kingdom present in the world.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
June 21
Day 4 - June 21
Spiritual life, an encounter with Jesus who calls us!
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Jn 1, 39)
«He said to them: Come and see. Then they went and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.».
REFLECTION
«Although in the Scriptures we have his Word always living and current, sometimes Jesus speaks to us interiorly and calls us to take us to the best place. That better place is his own heart. He calls us to bring us in where we can regain strength and peace: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 6:15).Mt 11, 28). That is why he asked his disciples: “Remain in me” (Jn 15, 4)» (Dilexit us, n. 43).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help us to grow daily in friendship with you, to encounter your living presence in the sacraments, in your Word, in prayer, in our brothers and sisters. Let us enter into your wounded side to remain in your love, a love that knows us, calls us and longs to speak to us heart to heart.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
June 22
Day 5 - June 22
The apostolate, an encounter with Jesus who sends us!
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Jn 20, 21)
«Then Jesus said to them once more, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.».
REFLECTION
«The prolongation of the flames of love of the Heart of Christ also occurs in the missionary task of the Church, which carries the proclamation of the love of God manifested in Christ (...) The mission, understood from the perspective of the irradiation of the love of the Heart of Christ, requires missionaries in love, who still allow themselves to be captivated by Christ and who inevitably transmit that love which has changed their lives» (Dilexit us, n.n. 207 y 209).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, teach us to look at the world with your eyes and to love it with your heart, so that, acquiring your same sentiments, we may not remain indifferent to its needs and may respond with joy: «Here I am, send me» (Is 6,8).
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
June 23rd
Day 6 - June 23
Accompaniment, an encounter with Jesus who walks at our side
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Lc 24, 32)
«And they were saying to each other: Were not our hearts burning within us as he spoke to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?».
REFLECTION
«Christ shows that God is closeness, compassion and tenderness.» «If he healed someone, he preferred to draw near: “Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him” (Mt 8.3), “touched his hand” (Mt 8.15), “touched their eyes” (Mt 9,29). And he even stopped to cure the sick with his own saliva (cf. Mc 7:33), like a mother, so that they would not feel him as a stranger in their lives. For the Lord knows the beautiful science of caresses. God's tenderness does not love us in words; he comes close to us and, being close to us, gives us his love with all possible tenderness» (Dilexit us, n.n. 35 y 36).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, open our eyes so that we may discover You at our side, renewing at every moment the most essential call, which is that of holiness, to live a life of communion with You in love.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
June 24
Day 7 - June 24
Formation, an encounter with Jesus that makes us acquire his feelings
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Mt 11, 29)
«Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls».
REFLECTION
«Love for our brothers and sisters is not manufactured, it is not the result of our natural effort, but requires a transformation of our selfish heart. Then the famous plea is born spontaneously: “Jesus, make our hearts like yours. For this very reason, St. Paul's invitation was not: ”Strive to do good works“. His invitation was more precisely: ”Have among yourselves the same sentiments as Christ Jesus“ (Flp 2, 5; Dilexit us, n. 168).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, transform us with your love and your gentleness. Help us to recognize with humility our littleness so that, abandoned in you, you may be the one who loves and works in us, expressing your same sentiments in our hearts.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
June 25
Day 8 - June 25
Team and community life, an encounter with Jesus that brings us together
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Mt 18, 20)
«Because where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.».
REFLECTION
«One should not think of this mission of communicating Christ as if it were only something between me and him. It is lived in communion with one's own community and with the Church. If we move away from the community, we will also move away from Jesus. If we forget it and do not care about it, our friendship with Jesus will grow cold. This secret should never be forgotten. Love for our brothers and sisters in our own community - religious, parish, diocesan, etc. - is like fuel that feeds our friendly relationship with Jesus. Acts of love for our brothers and sisters in community can be the best or, at times, the only possible way of expressing the love of Jesus Christ to others. The Lord himself said: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Mt. 5:15).Jn 13,35; Dilxit us, n. 212).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, aware that faith is not lived alone, help us to form communities of apostles in love with your heart, who live in communion and are joyful witnesses of your love.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
June 26
Day 9 - June 26
Jesus Christ, the call made flesh
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Jn 19, 30)
«Jesus drank the vinegar and said, -.Everything is fulfilled. Then he bowed his head and breathed his last».
REFLECTION
«The wound in the side, from which the living water flows, is still open in the Risen Christ. That great wound produced by the lance, and the wounds of the crown of thorns that usually appear in the representations of the Sacred Heart, are inseparable from this devotion. Because in it we contemplate the love of Jesus Christ who was able to give himself to the end».
«From the wound in Christ's side continues to flow that river which never runs out, which does not pass away, which offers itself again and again to whoever wants to love. Only his love will make possible a new humanity» (Dilexit us, n.n. 151 y 219).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You are the one called par excellence, the «lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world» (Jn. 1, 29). Help us to understand that only in you is the concrete path to our fulfillment and teach us to drink from the overflowing fountain of your pierced heart, from which your love is poured out into the world.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 1 - June 18
Day 1 - June 18
Here I am, because you have called me!
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Mt 9:9)
«As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew, who was sitting at the public tribute bank, and He said to him: Follow me at. And he arose and followed him.
REFLECTION
«That venerated image of Christ, where his loving heart stands out, has at the same time a look that calls us to encounter, to dialogue, to trust; he has strong hands capable of supporting us; he has a mouth that speaks to us in a unique and very personal way».
«He himself says to us: “I am sending you” (Lk 10:3). This is part of friendship with him. Therefore, for this friendship to mature, you must allow yourself to be sent by him to fulfill a mission in this world, with trust, with generosity, with freedom, without fear» (Dilexit nos. 54 and 215).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, your love precedes us. Help us to know that we are loved by you, to discover that dream of love that you have for each one of us, which is your call, and to respond to it by accepting your love and giving ourselves to others.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 2 - June 19
Day 2 - June 19
A call of love
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Jn 19, 28)
«Then, knowing that all things were now accomplished, and that the Scripture might be fulfilled to the end, Jesus said: I am thirsty».
REFLECTION
«Jesus speaks of his thirst to be loved, showing us that the reaction we have to his desire is not indifferent to his Heart: “I thirst, but such a burning thirst to be loved by men in the Blessed Sacrament, that this thirst consumes me; and I can find no one who will make the effort, according to my desire, to quench it, to correspond in some way to my love”. Jesus» request is love. When the believing heart discovers it, the response that spontaneously springs forth does not consist in a heavy search for sacrifices or in the mere fulfillment of a heavy duty, it is a matter of love" (Dilexit us, n. 166).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, teach us to understand life as a call to live in your love. May that thirst for our love that led you to descend, to lower yourself, to become one of us, be a source of eternal life that satisfies the longings of our hearts and brings us closer to you each day.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 3 - June 20
Day 3 - June 20
A response of love
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Lc 1, 38)
«Then Mary said: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to thy word.. And the angel departed from his presence».
REFLECTION
«A human heart that makes room for the love of Christ through total trust and allows it to expand in one's own life with its fire, becomes capable of loving others like Christ, becoming small and close to all. Thus Christ quenches his thirst and spreads gloriously in us and through us the flames of his burning tenderness. Let us notice the beautiful harmony in all this» (Dilexit us, n. 203).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help us to understand that the fullness of life is in accepting your unconditional love that transforms us and in giving it to others. In this way we make your Kingdom present in the world.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 4 - June 21
Day 4 - June 21
Spiritual life, an encounter with Jesus who calls us!
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Jn 1, 39)
«He said to them: Come and see. Then they went and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.».
REFLECTION
«Although in the Scriptures we have his Word always living and current, sometimes Jesus speaks to us interiorly and calls us to take us to the best place. That better place is his own heart. He calls us to bring us in where we can regain strength and peace: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 6:15).Mt 11, 28). That is why he asked his disciples: “Remain in me” (Jn 15, 4)» (Dilexit us, n. 43).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help us to grow daily in friendship with you, to encounter your living presence in the sacraments, in your Word, in prayer, in our brothers and sisters. Let us enter into your wounded side to remain in your love, a love that knows us, calls us and longs to speak to us heart to heart.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 5 - June 22
Day 5 - June 22
The apostolate, an encounter with Jesus who sends us!
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Jn 20, 21)
«Then Jesus said to them once more, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.».
REFLECTION
«The prolongation of the flames of love of the Heart of Christ also occurs in the missionary task of the Church, which carries the proclamation of the love of God manifested in Christ (...) The mission, understood from the perspective of the irradiation of the love of the Heart of Christ, requires missionaries in love, who still allow themselves to be captivated by Christ and who inevitably transmit that love which has changed their lives» (Dilexit us, n.n. 207 y 209).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, teach us to look at the world with your eyes and to love it with your heart, so that, acquiring your same sentiments, we may not remain indifferent to its needs and may respond with joy: «Here I am, send me» (Is 6,8).
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 6 - June 23rd
Day 6 - June 23
Accompaniment, an encounter with Jesus who walks at our side
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Lc 24, 32)
«And they were saying to each other: Were not our hearts burning within us as he spoke to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?».
REFLECTION
«Christ shows that God is closeness, compassion and tenderness.» «If he healed someone, he preferred to draw near: “Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him” (Mt 8.3), “touched his hand” (Mt 8.15), “touched their eyes” (Mt 9,29). And he even stopped to cure the sick with his own saliva (cf. Mc 7:33), like a mother, so that they would not feel him as a stranger in their lives. For the Lord knows the beautiful science of caresses. God's tenderness does not love us in words; he comes close to us and, being close to us, gives us his love with all possible tenderness» (Dilexit us, n.n. 35 y 36).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, open our eyes so that we may discover You at our side, renewing at every moment the most essential call, which is that of holiness, to live a life of communion with You in love.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 7 - June 24
Day 7 - June 24
Formation, an encounter with Jesus that makes us acquire his feelings
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Mt 11, 29)
«Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls».
REFLECTION
«Love for our brothers and sisters is not manufactured, it is not the result of our natural effort, but requires a transformation of our selfish heart. Then the famous plea is born spontaneously: “Jesus, make our hearts like yours. For this very reason, St. Paul's invitation was not: ”Strive to do good works“. His invitation was more precisely: ”Have among yourselves the same sentiments as Christ Jesus“ (Flp 2, 5; Dilexit us, n. 168).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, transform us with your love and your gentleness. Help us to recognize with humility our littleness so that, abandoned in you, you may be the one who loves and works in us, expressing your same sentiments in our hearts.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 8 - June 25
Day 8 - June 25
Team and community life, an encounter with Jesus that brings us together
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Mt 18, 20)
«Because where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.».
REFLECTION
«One should not think of this mission of communicating Christ as if it were only something between me and him. It is lived in communion with one's own community and with the Church. If we move away from the community, we will also move away from Jesus. If we forget it and do not care about it, our friendship with Jesus will grow cold. This secret should never be forgotten. Love for our brothers and sisters in our own community - religious, parish, diocesan, etc. - is like fuel that feeds our friendly relationship with Jesus. Acts of love for our brothers and sisters in community can be the best or, at times, the only possible way of expressing the love of Jesus Christ to others. The Lord himself said: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Mt. 5:15).Jn 13,35; Dilxit us, n. 212).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, aware that faith is not lived alone, help us to form communities of apostles in love with your heart, who live in communion and are joyful witnesses of your love.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
Day 9 - June 26
Day 9 - June 26
Jesus Christ, the call made flesh
OPENING PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of true love, living sign of the tenderness of God who becomes flesh, who draws near and gives himself without reserve. In you we discover the deepest truth of our existence: that we were created out of love, for love, and that our life is a constant call to accept that love and to give it to others.
O Sacred Heart, help us to remain in you. By listening to your heartbeat may we experience the sweetness of your love, may your fire transform us and send us forth, may the blood and water that flow from your side be a source of life and nourishment for our soul.
Amen.
GOSPEL
(Jn 19, 30)
«Jesus drank the vinegar and said, -.Everything is fulfilled. Then he bowed his head and breathed his last».
REFLECTION
«The wound in the side, from which the living water flows, is still open in the Risen Christ. That great wound produced by the lance, and the wounds of the crown of thorns that usually appear in the representations of the Sacred Heart, are inseparable from this devotion. Because in it we contemplate the love of Jesus Christ who was able to give himself to the end».
«From the wound in Christ's side continues to flow that river which never runs out, which does not pass away, which offers itself again and again to whoever wants to love. Only his love will make possible a new humanity» (Dilexit us, n.n. 151 y 219).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You are the one called par excellence, the «lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world» (Jn. 1, 29). Help us to understand that only in you is the concrete path to our fulfillment and teach us to drink from the overflowing fountain of your pierced heart, from which your love is poured out into the world.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like yours.
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Coming soon:
Here I am, because you have called me!
An essay on culture, pastoral care and vocation promotion in Regnum Christi to be published on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 27, 2025).
Interview with part of the authors' team
Discover how this essay was created, how it relates to the celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and what's new in it.
