What Is The Sacred Heart of Jesus?

Growing up, I always saw the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus next to my mom’s bed and she grew up seeing it next to her mom’s bed and her grandma’s bed. 

When I asked her about it, she said she always found the image a great source of comfort, peace, and calm. My grandma also has fond memories of praying the Sacred Heart of Jesus novena with her parish community. They used to come together to pray the novena each night.

Both my mom and grandma have also devoutly gone to First Friday mass, which also came from the Sacred Heart apparitions. 

Along with the many beautiful images of the Sacred Heart, there are also many prayers devoted to and inspired by it. But before we get to those, let’s take a look at where this devotion came from. 

The Origin of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Jesus revealed his Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque through a series of apparitions in the late 1600s. The first apparition came while she was praying before the Blessed Sacrament. She gave Jesus her heart and He took it and placed it in His fiery, burning heart before returning it to her. 

He said, “My well-beloved, I give you a precious token of My love, having enclosed within your side a little spark of its glowing flames, that is may serve you for a heart and consume you to the last moment of your life; its ardor will never be exhausted, and you will be able to find some slight relief only by bleeding.” (Source: The Revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Paral-le-Monial, France by George Pollard)

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Image

There are many images and depictions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and all of them contain the same elements: a heart encircled by the crown of thorns with flames coming from the top, pierced through by a knife. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayers

The most popular Sacred Heart of Jesus prayer is the Holy Heart of Jesus prayer. 

O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore You, I love You, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer You this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen. 

- Priests of the Sacred Heart 

Source: Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 

There are many other Sacred Heart prayers that are beautifully cataloged here. 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena

The Novena is another powerful devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You can find the prayers for each of the nine days here. You can pray the novena any time. The feast of the Sacred Heart is celebrated on the Friday after Corpus Christi. 

Learning More About The Sacred Heart of Jesus

I’ll be honest- it wasn’t until recently that I dove into learning more about the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I have always been familiar with the image, but it wasn’t until I was prompted by Amy Brooks of Prayer, Wine, and Chocolate, that I took the time to learn more about its beauty. Through her evangelization, I’ve also recently discovered the book Secrets of the Sacred Heart: Twelve Ways to Claim Jesus’ Promises in Your Life by Emily Jaminet. I’m also excited to learn more about Sacred Heart Enthronement, which she talks about on her website, welcomehisheart.com. 

Given that June is the month of the Sacred Heart, I’ve decided it's a perfect time to dive into this book and learn more. Will you join me in reading it this month?