Many saints have been deeply affected by the Sacred Heart devotion, which spread throughout the Church in the last four hundred years.
Below is a short list of three prayers from three different saints, directed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
St. Padre Pio
Efficacious Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of …… (here name your request)
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Glory Be to the Father …. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
II. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of ……. (here name your request)
Our Father …. Hail Mary ….Glory Be to the Father …. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
III. 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 ….. (here name your request)
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Glory Be to the Father … Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
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 ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen, and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
St. John Eudes
Here is one of St. John Eudes‘ prayers that he used to help promote devotion to the Sacred Heart.
O Heart all loveable and all loving of my Savior, be the Heart of my heart, the Soul of my soul, the Spirit of my spirit, the Life of my life and the sole principle of all my thoughts, words and actions, of all the faculties of my soul and of all my senses, both interior and exterior. Amen.
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Here is a prayer from St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that expresses this same spiritual truth, placing your own heart in the Heart of Jesus, desiring that it may be unified, purifying it of whatever may be preventing us from a more complete union.
Lord Jesus,
let my heart never rest until it finds You,
who are its center, its love, and its happiness.
By the wound in Your heart
pardon the sins that I have committed
whether out of malice or out of evil desires.
Place my weak heart in your own divine heart,
continually under your protection and guidance,
so that I may persevere in doing good
and in fleeing evil until my last breath.
Amen.
And today we celebrate...