3º DAY
Means of acquiring this devotion:

The dispositions necessary to reach the devotion to the Sacred Heart are four:

a. A great horror of sin

Sin separates us from God, separates us from his love and prevents us from responding with all our hearts. The practice of devotion to the Sacred Heart helps us to achieve true purity of heart and to keep our soul in grace, as long as we embrace the resolution to do everything in our ability to renounce sin.

b. A lively faith

To love the Sacred Heart, a livley faith is necessary, which is achieved through the frequent repetition of acts of love. Those, for example, who venerate the body of the saints and their relics, but when they find themselves before the living Body of Christ and his Blood, and show no love or respect, these do not have a living faith. (and again) Those who get ready for an important appointment but then attend Holy Mass like any other event and arrive at any time, neither do they have a living faith.

c. A great desire to love Jesus Christ ardently

This devotion is nothing other than a continuous exercise of ardent love. Jesus Christ gives his love only to those who desire it with passion. The desire to obtain his love is always effective and it has never been heard that Jesus Christ has not granted it. To have a heart that truly wants to be inflamed of divine love, it must necessarily be purified first with this ardent desire, which not only ignites it but also compels the Lord to kindle this sacred fire within it.

d. Interior recollection

Interior recollection is the foundation of the soul’s entire spiritual building, without this one cannot be constant in the battle for perfection or advance in the spiritual life. The origin of our imperfections is usually the lack of recollection and attention to ourselves. Therefore, the devil puts all his effort into making us lose this recollection because he knows very well the great advantages we gain from it. When he doubts being able to take away peace in the exercises and good works, he uses these same good works and forces us to lose ourselves in that which is external. In short, interior recollection is a gift from God and it is important to ask for it many times as a necessary disposition to ardently love Jesus.

Let’s put ourselves in the presence of God to meditate on these truths. •Ask the grace: to gain the necessary dispositions to ardently love Jesus.
•Today’s resolution: Let us put ourselves in the presence of God at any moment of the day, thinking for a few seconds how He constantly watches over me.
•Jaculatory prayer of the day: (to be repeated throughout the day) To You O sacred heart of Jesus, I give my all!

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.