The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a special prayer of the Church that is typically prayed from June 10-19. This novena leads up to the great Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which the Church calls the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It happens every year exactly 19 days after the Feast of Pentecost. In addition to the novena to the Sacred Heart, we should also pray a daily prayer to the Sacred Heart.
What is a Novena?
The word novena is taken from “novem,” the Latin word for nine. A novena is made up of nine days of prayer and meditation usually to ask God for special prayer requests or petitions.
Novenas are an ancient tradition. Jesus taught His Apostles to pray the first novena and that resulted in the birth of our Church. Jesus told His disciples to pray together after His ascension into heaven, so they went to an upper room along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, and joined together in prayer for nine whole days. This led to the first Pentecost. The Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:1-4) and they went out boldly to proclaim the Gospel. This is why we pray novenas today.
Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
This novena was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who asked him for pray. Pray it every day for 9 days.
LEADER: Come Lord Jesus!
RESPONSE: Make my heart like yours!
LEADER: Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus
RESPONSE: I place all my trust in you.
LEADER: O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of (leader adds the intention.)
LEADER: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
RESPONSE: Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
LEADER: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
RESPONSE: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
LEADER: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
RESPONSE: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
LEADER: Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus
RESPONSE: I place all my trust in you.
LEADER: O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask any thing of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of (an increase in virtue and holiness for all of us.)
LEADER: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
RESPONSE: Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
LEADER: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
RESPONSE: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
LEADER: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
RESPONSE: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
LEADER: Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus
RESPONSE: I place all my trust in you.
LEADER: O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of (an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit for all of us)
LEADER: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
RESPONSE: Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
LEADER: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
RESPONSE: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
LEADER: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
RESPONSE: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
LEADER: Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus
RESPONSE: I place all my trust in you!
ALL: O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and our Mother, too.
LEADER: Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
RESPONSE: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
LEADER: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
ALL: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us. Amen.