FIRST FRIDAY-2

[Based on the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart]

Commentator

 Catholic Tradition has taught us to

venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the first
Fridays of the month, and to thank Him for his great
love for us, men. And this evening we have
gathered here to fulfill this duty of ours: to tell Jesus
that we appreciate His Love for us, and that we
thank Him for the same.

 The same Jesus is going to come on

our Altar. Let us stand and welcome Him with a
hymn: “Sweet Heart of Jesus”, No. STL 895
[After the exposition and a few words of prayer
by the celebrant.]
Commentator
 We have the theological foundation for this veneration in the words of God in the Old
Testament, “I have loved you with an everlasting love!”. It is the same God, who loved
us with an everlasting love in the Old Testament that sent his Son, Jesus to tell us about
that love, to love us also with a human heart and to give us his life, his all – till the last
drop of his blood, and even water from his heart!
 And we read about that touching scene in the Gospel of St. John. After the death of Jesus
on the Cross, his side was pierced by a lance.
A Reading from the Gospel according to John 19,31-35
Commentator
 And down the centuries many saints have taught their disciples to love and venerate the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, and also to make reparation to this Sacred Heart for the many
insults that it receives from others. And this devotion has spread widely and has become
very popular after our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alaquoque in the seventeenth
century and revealed his Promises or Blessings to her. During this Adoration Service, we
shall thank Jesus for his great love for us, for giving us these promises, and for having
loved us with such great love. We shall meditate on those promises, and make a short
reflection and prayer on each of them.

Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

1. I will give you all the graces necessary for your state of life.
 Yes, Jesus, we need many graces to live faithfully - our Religious Life, our life as
students. Thank you Jesus for promising to give us all the graces we need in our state
of life.
 Give me and all my companions and superiors all the graces that we need to live a life
pleasing to you.

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2. I will establish peace in your families.
 Yes, Jesus, we need peace. We need peace within ourselves, we need peace in our
Nations, we need peace on inter-national level, on the world level. In a special way,
we Indians need peace with our bordering nations, especially with Pakistan. Thank
you Jesus for promising to establish peace in our families.
 Lord, Jesus, give us peace, give us your peace – peace within us, peace around us,
peace in our individual families and the international families. Make us all channels
of your peace.
3. I will comfort you in all your afflictions.
 Yes, Jesus, often we are immersed in afflictions. We rush to all other people, except
you to seek comfort and consolation. Thank you Jesus for promising to comfort us in
all our afflictions.
 Lord, Jesus, teach us to come to you when we are afflicted, teach us to bring to you
all our afflictions. Comfort us, Lord, in all our afflictions.
4. I will be your secure refuge during life, and above all in death.
 Yes, Jesus, often in our life we need to rush to someone for refuge. When we are
tossed about by various problems, we need a secure refuge. Thank you Jesus for
promising to be our comfort in all our afflictions.
 Lord Jesus, teach us to come to you when we need a secure refuge. Be our refuge
Lord, during our life and above all at the moment of our death.
5. I will bestow a special blessing upon all your undertakings.
 Yes, Lord Jesus – we need your special blessing upon our undertakings; without your
blessings, our doings are useless, and often they are a failure. With your blessing,
Lord, even our failures turn into victories. Thank you Jesus for promising to bestow a
special blessing upon all our undertakings.
 Lord, Jesus, teach us to come to you before every undertaking to seek your blessing
upon it. Teach us, too, to come to you at the completion of an undertaking to thank
you for its successful outcome. Bestow a special blessing upon all our undertakings,
Lord.
6. Sinners shall find in my heart the source and the
infinite ocean of mercy.
 Yes, Lord Jesus – often we and our brothers and
sisters commit sins, big or small. Often, too, we feel
discouraged. Make us realize Lord, that you are the source
of mercy and the ocean of mercy, always ready to forgive
us, when we are sorry and contrite for our mistakes. Thank
you Jesus for promising that we sinners shall find in your
heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.
 Lord Jesus, teach us to come to you and receive
mercy from you, you who are the source of all mercy, the
infinite ocean of mercy. Jesus Lord, may we sinners always
find in your heart the source and the infinite ocean of
mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
 Yes, Lord Jesus – often in spite of our promises, resolutions and efforts we are very
tepid and lukewarm in our religious life, in our prayer life, in our love for you. We
want to become more fervent, Lord. Thank you Jesus for promising to make us, who
are tepid souls grow fervent.
 Lord Jesus, make us realize that often we are tepid – make us realize that you want us
grow fervent, and not remain tepid. Make us to open our hearts to you, the source of
fervour. Make our tepid hearts grow warm and fervent with your love, Lord.

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8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
 Yes, Lord Jesus, though we are sinners and imperfect, and not so fervent, by our
Religious Profession we have accepted to strive for perfection. That is the aim of our
life as Religious, the pursuit of perfect love, to be perfect as your heavenly Father is
perfect, as you told us. Thank you Jesus for promising to help us quickly mount to
high perfection.
 Lord Jesus, make us realize that we are not sufficiently fervent; make us realize that
we are far from the height of perfection, to which you have called us, to which we
have promised to strive. Yes, Lord, make me, make us quickly mount to high levels of
perfection.
9. I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be exposed and honoured.
 Yes, in all our families – families in which we were born or in our religious families,
and in the sanctuary of our hearts – we have enthroned your picture and we venerate
it. We proclaim you the Head of our Family, the Lord of our hearts! Thank you Jesus
for promising to bless us who honour your Sacred Heart.
 Lord, Jesus, may we always honour you as the head of our families and the master of
our hearts and lives. Yes, Lord, bless us, bless our families, bless our religious family
and the community in which we live, where we have exposed and honour your image.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
 Yes, Lord, we have our superiors who are priests, and we ourselves are studying to
become your priests. Our superiors go for Retreats, and to hear confessions. We too
teach catechism on Sundays, and speak of your love for sinners. Thank you Lord, for
promising to us the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
 May we always rely on you to touch the hearts of our penitents and students with
your love. Yes, Lord, give to us, to our superiors and to us all the gift of touching the
hearts of the faithful, thus bring them to you.
11. If you promote devotion to my heart you shall have your names written in my heart –
never to be blotted out.
 Yes, Lord, in our own way we try to promote the devotion to your Sacred Heart.
Thank you for promising us that since we promote the devotion to your Sacred Heart
our names shall be written in your heart – never to be blotted out.
 Yes, Lord, we shall always try to promote the devotion to your Sacred Heart. Write,
Lord, our names in your heart – never to be blotted out.
12. I promise you in the
unfathomable mercy of my heart that
My omnipotent love will procure the
grace of final penitence if you
communicate on nine successive first
Fridays of the month. You will not
die in my disfavour nor without
having received your sacraments,
since my divine heart will be your
sure refuge in the last moment of
your life.
 Yes, grant us the grace not to
die in your disfavour, or without
having received the last sacrament.
May your Sacred heart be our sure
refuge in the last moment of our life.
Amen.

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Eucharistic Hymn - “Father in my Life I see”, STL 196
Final Hymn –“Heart of Jesus”, STL 896