Shortly after my conversion in my early 20s (during the 1990s) I ended up doing street evangelization in NYC. More specifically, I was sharing the faith in lower Manhattan at Washington Square near NYU. I noticed that one young man in my group was both extremely truthful and extremely charitable in his outreach to a very hostile neighborhood. I asked his secret to this balance. He told me that he prayed the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus every day.
I had never heard of it.
The Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a 12 minute prayer stemming from the apparition of Christ to St. Mary Alacoque in Paray-Le-Monial, France. Of course, that 17th century apparition was all about the great love for mankind found in the burning furnace of charity, namely, Christ’s Sacred Heart.
For those of you wary of new chaplets and new devotions, I totally understand. So, please know that Fr. Father John Croiset, S.J. was St. Margaret Mary’s spiritual director from 1647-1690. He wrote The Devotion to the Sacred Heart in which you can find this strong but short devotion which will follow below with full instructions.
You may have seen when I asked Fr. Carney on my channel here to discuss his great Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. His talk included the Chaplet to the Holy Face. Amazingly, you can use that exact same physical chaplet (6 large beads and 33 small beads) to pray the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart. Both take only about 12 minutes a day. The chaplets can be purchased here or here.
Again, I believe the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart may be the key to living a life that is both truthful and charitable. Here is how you pray it, according to that old school Jesuit, Fr. John Croiset, S.J. who writes:
As there is nothing so ingenious as love, several great saints in their great eagerness to make, each day, numerous acts of their favorite virtues according to the various inspirations of grace, have Invented several kinds of chaplets composed of acts of these virtues. After their example, the beads of the Sacred Heart has been formed. It is composed of five large beads and thirty-three small ones in honor thirty-three years Our Lord spent on earth.
Instead of the Creed the following prayer may be said.
Soul of Jesus Christ, sanctify me.
Heart of Jesus, inflame me with love. Body of Jesus Christ, save me
Blood of Jesus Christ, inebriate me.
Water our of the Side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy Wounds, hide me.
Let me not be separated from Thee.
Defend me from the malignant enemy.
At the hour of death,
call me And bid me to come unto Thee
That with the Saints, I may praise Thee For all eternity.
Amen.
Then, before each large bead say:
Jesus most meek, make my heart like unto Thine.
On each large bead say:
We adore Thee, O Jesus, who hast been afflicted in the Garden of Gethsemani and who still in our time art outraged in the Blessed Sacrament by the impious conduct of men. O most amiable Saviour, we recognize that Thou alone art Holy, Thou alone art Lord, Thou alone art Most High.
On each small bead say:
I adore Thee, O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, inflame my heart with the divine love with which Thine Own is all on fire.
At the end of the beads say an Our Father and a Hail Mary, and then the following prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, who by an ineffable miracle of love, hast deigned to give Thy Heart to men to serve as their nourishment, in order thereby to gain their hearts, graciously hear our humble prayers, and pardon us for the sins of which we confess ourselves guilty before Thee. Cast an eye of compassion and mercy upon those towards whom Thou dost condescend to direct the affections of Thine amiable Heart. And since we desire to honor Thee in the adorable Mystery of the Altar to the utmost of our power and to render Thee most pleasing homage and for that intention, weep for and detest from the bottom of our hearts all the outrages, contempt, mockery, sacrileges, and other acts of impiety which ungrateful men in every part of the world have committed against Thee, enkindle therefore in our hearts this divine love with which Thine Own is inflamed, and inspire us with sentiments like unto Thine, in order that we may be able worthily to praise for all praise for all eternity the love with which this Sacred Heart burns for us. This is our prayer to Thee who livest and reignest with the Father, in unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
