I have been a Sacred Heart of Jesus devotee since the age of thirteen. I learned about his Novena when I was once reading the newspaper and a devotee posted an ad giving thanks to it. I tried praying the Novena myself, praying to get better grades in my 8th-grade finals. My grades totally improved and that caused me to increase my faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ. I would like to introduce to others my sweet devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Meaning of Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Sacred Heart of Jesus represents the love that our Lord Jesus Christ has for all of us. It represents how He gave his life for us for the forgiveness of our sins. Through his Sacred Heart, Jesus tells us to love one another just like He has loved us, and to learn to forgive and forget the same way God has forgiven us. Also, to live in harmony and peace and to be united in love with Jesus through his noble heart.
History of the Sacred Heart
It first started with meditations made by pious Christians of the Five Wounds of Christ. These meditations focused on Jesus cavalry during his passion and crucifixion. In 1670, a French priest called Fr. Jean Eudes, celebrated the first Sacred Heart feast. Later in December 1673, Saint Margaret Mary started having visions of Jesus Christ. In one occasion, Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret and let her rest on his chest closest to where his Heart was. St. Margaret Mary experienced comfort while leaning on Jesus. During this, Jesus told St. Margaret Mary about how much He loved her and how she was chosen to spread the knowledge of His love to the world.
A year later in June 1674, Jesus re-appeared to St. Margaret and told her that He wanted to be honored under His Heart of Flesh and have a Holy Hour dedicated to the prayers of his Sacred Heart on every first Friday of the month. During the octave of Corpus Christi, in 1965 Jesus came to St. Margaret again (this is called by the Catholic church as the "great apparition"), where He asked for his Feast of the Sacred Heart to be celebrated every year on the first Friday after Corpus Christi. Ever since the Feast of the Sacred Heart is celebrated by Christians all throughout the world.
Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
