Devotion to the Sacred Heart: the plea for special graces

Jesus adored, today is the solemn day that you asked for to be consecrated as a "special feast" in honor of the Sacred Heart. Already dead on the cross, You allowed that the spear of a soldier, tearing your chest, open the intimate of Your Divine Heart, already consumed with pain and love for us.

From that last wound he gave birth to us mystical body, to you intimately united, in a spousal way. The Blood and Water that flowed from you, since then symbolize the sacra-ments, for which the people of God are built, lives and grows.

Today all the redeemed from the charity of Your Heart, children of your Church, from all parts of the earth spiritually united, gather close to You, to celebrate that blessed instant in which Your wounded Heart lavished our sign of infinite love. O Jesus, listen mercifully to every prayer we raise to respond to the sigh of your Heart, to the affection of our souls, to the needs of the time we live!

From sincere charity pushed, united in one voice we exclaim: Glory, Love, Repair to the Divine Heart of Jesus, who gave us the Church! Glory to the Father ...

Jesus adored, You live forever and continue your ministry of salvation, on earth, in the Church our mother; for it, even in the difficulties of the world, we find peace of mind in its infallible teaching, peace of freedom in its law of love, peace of heart in the certainty of eternal life.

Therefore all men should have admiration and love for the Church; instead, in the likeness of You, it lives in the sign of contradiction! Comfort her in her passion, and support her while she drinks her bitter cup. To those who in the church crucify you, forgive, as you did on the Cross, and give light and grace of conversion; also hasten the day, when all humanity recognizes Your Presence in the Church and exclaims me: this is the bride of the Redeeming God! O Jesus, open Your Heart with infinite sweetness, to your loved one, who lives, like no other on earth, intimately united to your love and your sufferings; to him, high priest, he communicates the gift of guiding the most hardened hearts towards You, eternal Life, Truth and Way!

The bishops who together with the Pope carry your cross of salvation are of your charity: instill in them total dedication for the greg-ge you entrusted to them.

Give all priests the desire for the most exalted virtues of Your Heart, and light them with apostolic anxiety for souls. For them, deign or Jesus, to repeat in this hour the prayer of the Upper Room: "Holy Father, put in your name those whom you have given me ... sanctify them in truth" (Jn. 17,11ss). In the infinite Your Priestly Heart makes the holy priests more holy, and the less fervent it starts to perfection: remember what love you loved them!

In us and in all the Christian people, increased love for the Church. Make us all, with the power of your Spirit, effective tools of salvation, in filial obedience, in fidelity and courage.

Only then, O Jesus, less unworthy of the gift of your Heart, will we repeat more ardently: Glory, Love, Reparation to the Divine Heart of Jesus, who has given us the Church! Glory to the Father ...

O adored Jesus, that blood and that water that truly gushed out, together with you, we offer to the Father today in this feast of the mysterious outpouring!

Accept our thanks for calling us to live in your people.

We ask you to reinvigorate in us and in every Christian the virtue of baptism and perseverance in faith. Accept our offer until the baptismal wave increasingly attracts those who do not believe, within the Catholic Church.

With immense gratitude we thank you for giving us the Eucharist, which is the Heart of the Church, and for us it is strength, to keep faith in the promises of Holy Baptism.

In this hour a new and powerful wave of grace pours out from your wounded Heart, which throbs in every consecrated Host; Bring the gift of faith to unbelievers in the Eucharist and forgiveness to those who adore you with their lips in the Sacrament of Love, but do not testify to your charity in life. Your grace draws all men to daily nourishment so that your life will become more and more affirmed in families and in society.

Finally, it creates in young people the ability to give themselves, with courage in faith, to welcome a vocation of special consecration or the priestly ministry.

O adored Jesus, your unstoppable love, pushes us to be even more insistent in this petition. In fact, is not your Heart become the most sacred center of the whole church that struggles down here or that atones, or that triumphs?

In this solemn hour a throb of new, immeasurable mercy of your Heart, call to glory all the souls who sigh in Purgatory. May your Divine Heart cause the Blessed, who praise you in heaven, to ascend with eternal joy; of new exultation, the Virgin who is the Queen of the universal Church.

This day will truly be a Feast of your Heart, because a feast of infinite charity! And on earth, in Purgatory and in the glory of the Father, the song will sound very high: Glory, Love, Reparation to the Divine Heart of Jesus, who has given us the Church! Amen!