The Nine First Fridays Devotion

 

In Reparation for outrages and offenses committed against the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 

The First Friday of each month was designated by Our Blessed Lord Himself as a day to be consecrated to honoring His Most Sacred Heart. The object of this devotion is to make the Most Sacred Heart more ardently and perfectly loved, and to make proper reparation for the outrages, indifference, and neglect offered Him in the Holy Eucharist.

 

The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was officially recognized and approved by Pope Clement XIII in 1765, seventy-five years after the death of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque to whom Christ appeared and revealed His Sacred Heart as a symbol of His love for mankind. In 1794, Pope Pius VI issued a decree approving the devotion and granting indulgences to those who practice it.

On June 11, 1899, in what he referred to as "the great act" of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIII solemnly consecrated all mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.


The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:

1. "I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life."
2. "I will establish peace in their homes."
3. "I will comfort them in their afflictions."
4. "I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death."
5. "I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings."
6. "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy."
7. "Tepid souls shall grow fervent."
8. "Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection."
9. "I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored."
10. "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts."
11. "Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out."
12. "I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment."


The following are customary for those making this devotion:

1. The Sacrament of Penance
2. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

[If there are no means to make a valid confession and receive Holy Communion in your area (which is the case almost everywhere during these times), you may do the Act of Perfect Contrition and Spiritual Communion, respectively.]

 

The following First Friday devotions are efficacious in honoring the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:

1. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: It is always most beneficial to make a fervent act of charity to the Sacred Heart before the tabernacle [if the Mass has been usurped in your area, this can be done "spiritually" from afar], to thank Him for having instituted this Great Mystery of His Love, and to make reparation for the offenses He daily receives in this august Sacrament by an ungrateful and indifferent world.

2. An Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: O SACRED Heart of Jesus ! to thee I devote and offer up my life, thoughts, words, actions, pains, and sufferings. My entire being shall henceforward only be employed in loving, serving, honouring, and glorifying thee, be thou, O most sacred Heart ! the sole object of my love, the protector of my life, the pledge of my salvation, and my secure refuge at the hour of death. Be thou also, O most bountiful Heart ! my justification at the throne of God, and screen me from his anger, which I have so justly merited. In thee I place my confidence, and, convinced as I am of my own weakness, I rely entirely on thy compassionate mercy. Annihilate in me all that is displeasing and offensive to thy pure eyes. Imprint thyself like a divine seal on my heart, that I may ever remember my obligations, and never be separated from thee. May my name also, I beseech thee, by thy tender goodness, ever be fixed and engraved in thee, O Book of Life ! – and may I be a victim consecrated to thy glory, ever burning with the flames of thy pure love, both in time and in eternity. In this I place all my happiness, this is all my desire, to live and die in no other quality but that of thy devoted servant. Amen.

 

Sweet Heart of Jesus, be Thou my love. (300 days Indulgence)