The devotion to the Sacred Heart consists of an interior veneration for the love that Jesus Christ offered us and that He continues to offer us. It is about deepening and living the human and divine love that Jesus Christ gives to each one of us in an exclusive and unrepeatable way, making us aware of so much love received and translate it into a devout response by desiring to love and repair the Heart of Christ, who “has loved the world so much and does not receive from men but ingratitude and contempt”. Love and reparation are two acts that will be born of anyone who contemplates Jesus’ love.

The purpose of this devotion is “to participate in the immense love of the Son of God that led him to surrender Himself for us to death and to give himself in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar”. This devotion properly speaking, is to love Jesus present in the Eucharist and to manifest such love with regret to see him so little loved, so little honored and even dishonored, to try and repair the scorn and lack of love that every day continue to wound his Heart.

The sensitive object of this devotion is the Heart of Jesus, upon which must be contemplated as such, so that we can then respond by offering our own heart to the One who, for the love of all, wanted to be pierced by the spear.

The expression “Heart of Jesus” makes us immediately think of the humanity of Christ, and highlights his abundant sentiments, his compassion towards the sick, his fondness of the poor, his mercy towards sinners, his meekness towards his enemies, his zeal for the glory of the Father and his joy for his mysterious and providential plans of grace. Concerning the acts of His Passion, the expression “Heart of Jesus” makes us think of Christ’s sadness for the betrayal of Judas, His sorrow caused by loneliness, His anguish before death, the filial and obedient abandonment in the hands of the Father. He speaks to us above all about the love that constantly springs forth from his interior: an infinite love towards the Father and unmeasurable love towards man.

Now, this Heart, so rich in humanity, is united to the Divine Word of God. Jesus is the Word of God Incarnate: in Him, there is only one person, the eternal Person of the Word, subsisting in two natures, the divine, and the human. In reality, Jesus is one. Although anguished before death, at the same time He is perfect in divinity and perfect in our humanity: he is equal to the Father as far as the divine nature is concerned, and equal to us as far as our human nature is concerned: true Son of God and true Son of man. The Heart of Jesus, therefore, from the moment of the Incarnation, has been and always will be united to the Person of the Word of God. Through this union, we can say that in Jesus, God both loves and rejoices humanly. And vice versa: in Jesus’ human love, human suffering and, human glory all, in turn, acquire divine magnitude and power.

The Blessed Virgin lived this mystery in faith: she knew that the flesh of her Son had flowered from her womb, and He was to be “Son of the Most High” (Lk 1:32) and at the same time he transcended her infinitely. She loved him as her Son and at the same time, she adored him as her Lord and God.

May she grant us the grace to love and adore Christ, God, and Man, above all things, “with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind” (Mt 22, 37). 
Let’s put ourselves in the presence of God

Let us ask Him for the grace to obtain every necessary disposition, so that this preparation may produce in our soul’s fruits of true conversion.

Let us promise the Sacred Heart to do our very best in this preparation.
Today’s ejaculatory prayer: (to be repeated throughout the day) Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You!
 
Novena in preparation for the Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Lord Jesus Christ, the only redeemer of man,
look with love to those of us who are preparing to consecrate ourselves to Your Most Sacred Heart.
Open for us the eternal fount of your mercy,
that flows from your Heart opened on the Cross.
Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
we want to be always and only yours: in life, in death, and eternity.
Let nothing separate us from your love!
Grant us a heart similar to yours, meek and humble, that listens to you and keeps your commands;
that is nourished of the Word and the Eucharist so that, rooted, edified and transformed in you, we can grow every day in desires of love and reparation to your Heart, pierced by the sins of men and that we can work tirelessly so you can reign in every heart and every society.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you.
Sweet Immaculate Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
All the angels and saints of God, pray for us.