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Blessed Sacrament
EUCHARISTIC HOLY HOUR
Arranged for Individual or Group Prayer
This booklet, "Eucharistic Holy Hour," has been prepared for the purpose of offering
the Roman Catholic faithful a suitable compilation of prayers and hymns to be used either
individually or as a congregation for Holy Hour devotions.
Our Lord, Himself, instructed St. Margaret Mary Alacoque on how to make a Holy Hour.
This revelation took place on the Feast of All Saints in 1673.
In 1674, Our Lord appeared again to St. Margaret Mary and complained to her of the
indifference with which mankind treated His Love for them and asked her to make
atonement for this ingratitude. He said: "Every night, between Thursday and Friday, I
will make you a partaker of that sorrow unto death which it was My will to suffer in
the Garden of Olives."
"To join with Me in the humble prayer which I then offered to My Divine Father in
agony, you shall rise before midnight, and remain with Me upon your knees
prostrate for one hour, with your face to the ground, to appease the anger of My
Eternal Father and ask of Him pardon for sinners."
The Eucharistic Holy Hour has received the approval of several Popes and is enriched
with indulgences. By Apostolic Letter, dated March 30, 1886, Pope Leo XIII allowed the
faithful to make their "Holy Hour" on any day and hour of the week.
Jesus made it clear to St. Margaret Mary that through this devotion, He wishes His
faithful friends to become partakers of that "sorrow unto death" which He willed to suffer
in the Garden of Olives and to join with Him in the humble prayer which He offered to
His Father at that time. He also wishes the faithful to appease His Father's anger and to
ask Him to forgive all sinners.
It is a noble and sublime deed to keep Our Eucharistic Lord company while meditating
on His bitter Agony and consoling His Most Sacred Heart. This is best done at the altar
where Jesus is truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. In His
presence we can best console Him for the negligence of men; make known our needs to
Him; beg graces and favors from Him for ourselves and others; and assure Him of our
undying loyalty to Him.
If we do not hesitate to ask favors of the Saints, all the more we should not hesitate to go
directly to the Source of Life Himself, to the Heart of God, to obtain material and
spiritual help. He has promised never to turn a deaf ear to our petitions.
The prayers in this booklet have been carefully selected as those appealing most to the
Sacred Heart of Our Eucharistic Lord and are all approved by the Church. Other booklets
such as "To Jesus Through Mary" can be used in conjunction with this text.
"To Jesus Through Mary" is particularly appropriate for use when reciting the Rosary
during a Holy Hour. The Rosary may be scheduled at any time during a public or private
Holy Hour.
-- INDULGENCES –
THE GENERAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR GAINING ANY INDULGENCE(S):
1. The person must be in a State of Grace,
2. The person must have the intention of gaining the indulgence(s),
3. The prayer(s) or holy work(s) must be performed accurately.
THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR GAINING A PLENARY
INDULGENCE(S):
1. Sacramental confession,
2. Eucharistic Communion,
3. Prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.
The three conditions may be fulfilled several days before or after the performance of the
prescribed work; nevertheless it is fitting that Communion be received and the prayers for
the intention of the Supreme Pontiff be said the same day the work is performed.
"The condition of praying for the Supreme Pontiff's intentions is fully satisfied by
reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary; nevertheless the individual faithful are free
to recite any other prayer according to their own piety and devotion toward the Supreme
Pontiff."
("Enchiridion of Indulgences," N. 8, 10) "A partial indulgence is granted for the faithful,
who visit the Most Blessed Sacrament to adore it; a plenary indulgence is granted if the
visit lasts for at least one half an hour."
("Enchiridion of Indulgences," N. 3)
HIDDEN GOD
(Adoro te devote)
Hidden God, devoutly I adore you,
Truly present underneath these veils:
All my heart subdues itself before you,
Since it all before you faints and fails.
Not to sight, or taste, or touch be credit,
Hearing only do we trust secure;
I believe, for God the Son has said it -- Word
of Truth that ever shall endure.
Contemplating, Lord, Your hidden presence,
Grant me what I thirst for and implore,
In the revelation of Your essence
To behold Your glory evermore.
(Partial indulgence)
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Partial indulgence)
The following prayers may be recited aloud by a group or silently by individuals.
When recited as a group, pause in unison at the commas and periods.
When used individually, prayers may be used in any order of sequence.
OPENING PRAYER
Jesus, my Lord and God, I bow down in humble adoration before You. From the depths
of that humility, I raise my eyes to You and, in humble supplication to Your Sacred
Heart, implore Your mercy and forgiveness for my many sins. Give me the grace to
spend this hour of loving reparation with all the holy dispositions You desire.
Enter into my heart Yourself, dearest Lord, and work your pleasure in it; directing all my
faculties, senses and powers to Your greater honor and glory. Help me to console You for
all the wrongdoings Your loving Heart receives from an ungrateful mankind.
Mary, dearest Mother, and you, great St. Joseph, lend me all the love of your hearts and
the love of all the angels and saints with which to love Jesus more and more.
Teach me to pray, to love, to make reparation and to adore the loving Heart of Jesus -- so
often abandoned -- hidden in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR A VISIT TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori
My Lord Jesus Christ, Who for the love which You bear to men, remain night and day in
this Sacrament full of compassion and of love, waiting, calling and welcoming all who
come to visit You; I believe that You are truly present in the Sacrament of the altar.
I adore You humbly, and I thank You for all the graces which You have bestowed upon
me; in particular for having given me Yourself in this Sacrament, for having given me
Your most holy Mother Mary as my mediatrix and for having called me to visit You in
this church.
I salute Your most loving Heart, and this for three purposes: first, in thanksgiving for this
great gift; secondly, to make amends to You for all the outrages which You receive in
this Sacrament from all Your enemies; thirdly, to adore You, by this visit, in all the
places on earth in which You are present in this Sacrament and in which You are least
revered and most abandoned.
My Jesus I love You with my whole heart!
I grieve for having so often offended Your infinite goodness. I promise, by Your grace,
never more to offend You and, as unworthy as I am, I consecrate myself to You
completely; renouncing my entire will, my affections, my desires, and all that I possess.
Do with me as You please and whatever You please with all that I have.
All that I ask and desire of You is Your holy love, final perseverance, and the perfect
accomplishment of Your will. I entrust to You the souls in purgatory, especially those
who had the greatest devotion to You in the Most Blessed Sacrament and to the most
Blessed Virgin Mary. I also recommend to You all poor sinners.
Finally, dear Savior, I unite all my affections with those of Your most loving Heart and I
offer them, thus united, to Your Eternal Father, beseeching Him in Your Name because
of Your love, to accept them and to grant my petitions.
Amen.
AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that You are in the Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things,
and I long for You in my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at
least spiritually into my heart. As though You have already come, I embrace You and
unite myself entirely to You; never permit me to be separated from You.
(Partial indulgence)
PRAYER TO OUR LADY
OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
O Virgin Mary, our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, glory of the Christian people, joy of
the universal Church, salvation of the world; pray for us, and awaken in all the faithful
devotion to the Holy Eucharist in order that they render themselves worthy to receive it
daily. Amen.
The following may be sung as a hymn or recited as a prayer.
JESUS, MY LORD, MY GOD
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All,
How can I love You as I ought?
And how revere this wondrous gift,
So far surpassing hope and thought.
Sweet Sacrament we Thee adore,
O make us love Thee more and more,
O make us love Thee more and more.
Had I but Mary's sinless Heart,
To love You with, my dearest King.
O with what bursts of fervent praise,
Your goodness Jesus, would I sing.
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
R. Make our hearts like unto yours.
Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Your most Beloved Son
and upon the praise and satisfaction which He offers You in the name of sinners; and to
those who implore Your mercy, in Your great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of
the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You forever and ever.
R. Amen.
NOTICE
If this is a congregational Holy Hour and a sermon is going to be preached, the
hymn "Come Holy Spirit" is sung at this time and is followed by the sermon.
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who assist with devotion and attention at
the sacred preaching of the Word of God ("Enchiridion of Indulgences," N. 41).
At the conclusion of the sermon, some of the following prayers may be omitted so that
the devotion may be finished in the time allotted for it.
If there is to be no sermon, omit "Come Holy Spirit" and continue with the prayers on
the following page.
INTENTIONS
Let us recommend to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament the following intentions:
1. Reparation for sin,
2. Our spiritual needs,
3. Our temporal needs,
4. The Church and our Holy Father,
5. The conversion of all to our holy faith,
6. The sick and the dying.
PRAYER FOR THOSE IN AGONY
O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray that by the agony of Your most Sacred
Heart, and by the sorrows of Your Immaculate Mother, cleanse in Your Precious Blood
the sinners of the world who are now in their agony and are about to die this day. Amen.
Heart of Jesus, once in agony, pity the dying.
FOR OUR FAMILY MEMBERS IN PURGATORY
My dearest Jesus, whose loving Heart was ever touched by the sorrows of others, look
with compassion on the souls of our dear ones in purgatory.
O You Who "loved Your own," hear our cry for mercy and grant that those whom You
called from our homes and hearts, may soon enjoy everlasting rest in the home of Your
love in heaven.
Amen.
ETERNAL REST
(Requiem aeternam)
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest
in peace. (Roman Breviary)
(Partial indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory.)
AN ACT OF REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
O sweet Jesus, whose overflowing charity for men is repaid by so much forgetfulness,
negligence, and contempt, behold us prostrate before Your altar, eager to repair by a
special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Your loving Heart is
subjected.
Mindful that we, ourselves, have had a share in such great indignities, which we now
deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Your pardon and declare our
readiness to atone by voluntary expiation not only for our own personal offenses, but also
for the sins of those who straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their infidelity
to follow You, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their Baptism, have
cast off the sweet yoke of Your law.
We are now resolved to expiate each and every outrage committed against You; we are
determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in
unbecoming dress and behavior, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the
innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holy days, and the blasphemies
uttered against You and Your Saints. We wish also to make amends for the insults to
which Your Vicar on earth and Your priests are subjected to, for the profanations by
conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Your Divine love;
and lastly for the public crimes of nations, who resist the rights and teaching authority of
the Church which You have founded.
Would that, O Divine Jesus, we were able to wash away these abominations with our
blood. We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Your Divine honor, the
satisfaction You once made to Your Eternal Father on the Cross and which You continue
to renew daily upon our altars. We offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Your
Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely
promise to make recompense as far as we can with the help of Your grace, for all neglect
of Your great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past. Henceforth
we will live a life of unwavering faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the
precepts of the Gospel, especially that of charity.
O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary our model in
reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this expiation; and by
crowning gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance
we owe You, so that we may all one day come to that happy home, where You with the
Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign one God, world without end.
Amen.
HEART OF JESUS
Heart of Jesus, we are grateful
For Your answer to our prayer;
We have sought You, ever hopeful,
That Your blessings we might share.
You have heard us interceding,
With Your love which is untold.
And in answer to our pleading,
All Your treasures You unfold.
Heart of Jesus, we will thank You,
We will love You more and more;
Heart of Jesus we will praise You,
And give thanks forevermore.
Heart of Jesus, You have taught us
How to seek and how to find,
And the lesson now has brought us
To Your Heart so sweet and kind.
What we ask, with faith believing,
You have pledged Your word to give,
And Your word is not deceiving,
But the truth by which we live.
"AND THIS IS THE WILL OF MY FATHER THAT SENT ME: THAT EVERYONE
WHO LOOKS UPON THE SON, AND BELIEVES IN HIM, MAY HAVE LIFE
EVERLASTING. AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP ON THE LAST DAY."
--John 6:40
THE BLESSING
O my Jesus, Fountain of inexhaustible blessings, Who did bless Your Apostles before
ascending into heaven,
bless me also and with Your Presence sanctify me.
Bless my memory, that it may ever call You to mind.
Bless my understanding, that it may always think of You.
Bless my will, that it may never seek or desire anything which may be displeasing to
You.
Bless my body and all its actions.
Bless my heart with all its affections.
Bless me in life and at the hour of my death.
Bless me in time and in eternity; and grant that Your blessing may be to me a pledge of
eternal happiness.
Bless all the faithful.
Bless all my loved ones.
Bless everyone to whom I owe any gratitude, and bring us all to rest in Your Sacred
Heart forever and ever. Amen.
If there is to be Benediction, the following prayers are recited as preparation.
PRAYER BEFORE BENEDICTION
O Jesus, Who are about to give Your blessing to me, and to all who are assembled here, I
humbly ask You that it may impart to each and every one of us the special grace that we
need.
But more than this, I ask:
Let Your blessing go far and wide.
Let it be felt in the souls of the afflicted who cannot come to receive it in Your Presence.
Let the weak and the tempted feel its power wherever they may be.
Let the poor sinner feel its influence and be drawn to Your goodness.
Let it cross the seas and animate and comfort Your missionaries far from their homes and
families, toiling for the salvation of souls so dear to Your Sacred Heart.
I humbly beg Your blessing for N__________and N__________etc., and may it affect
that salutary purpose for which, O Lord, You do so lovingly impart it. Amen.
THE LAST WORD
Jesus, I must soon leave You, but I carry away with me the memory of Your love which
is an inspiration to come and visit You again in the Most Blessed Sacrament very soon.
Until my next visit, I leave my heart, in spirit, before Your Eucharistic Presence. Let its
every beat tell You how much I love You and that I am longing to soon be in Your
Presence again.
Bless me before I go, dear Jesus. Bless my home and all my undertakings. Bless my
family and friends and bless, also, my enemies.
PEACE BE STILL
Peace be still our God is dwelling
Silent on His altar throne;
Let us kneel, our hearts a'swelling,
With a joy, but seldom known.
Heart of Jesus, come we hither,
With our burdens meekly in
From a world where spirits wither,
From a world whose breath is sin.
Heart of Jesus, strength supernal,
Send us power from above;
Heart of Jesus, light eternal,
Fill our souls with light and love.
You have called the heavy laden,
Called the poor and frail to You,
See me then, Son of a Maiden,
I'm a poor and frail one too.
You know all the woes and weakness,
Of our nature, prone to ill,
Heart of mercy! Heart of meekness!
Be our help, our shield still.
The English version of the Tantum ergo is on the next page.
TANTUM ERGO
(Down in Adoration Falling)
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui,
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui,
Praestet fides supplementum,
Sensuum defectui.
Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque,
Sit et benedictio.
Procedenti ab utroque,
Compar sit laudatio.
Amen.
Priest: Panem de coelo praestitisti eis; (Alleluia)
People: Omne delectamentum in se habentem (Alleluia).
Priest: Oremus: Deus, qui nobis sub Sacramento mirabili Passionis tuae memoriam
reliquisti; tribue, quaesumus; ita nos Corporis et Sanguinis tui sacra mysteria venerari, ut
redemptionis tuae fructum in nobis jugiter sentiamus. Qui vivis et regnas in saecula
saeculorum.
People: Amen.
DOWN IN ADORATION FALLING
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who reigns on high,
With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen.
V. You have given them bread from heaven, (Alleluia)
R. Having all sweetness within it. (Alleluia)
Priest: Let us pray. O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament left us a memorial of Your
Passion: grant, we implore You, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of Your
Body and Blood, as always to be conscious of the fruit of Your Redemption. You who
live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
(A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who devoutly recite the above strophes.
But a plenary indulgence is granted on Holy Thursday and on the feast of Corpus Christi,
if they are recited in a solemn manner.)
"'LORD, YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU . . . LORD, YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU'
(John 21:15-17). THE EUCHARIST IS, IN A CERTAIN WAY, THE CULMINATING POINT
OF THIS ANSWER. I WISH TO REPEAT IT TOGETHER WITH THE WHOLE CHURCH
TO HIM WHO MANIFESTED HIS LOVE BY MEANS OF THE SACRAMENT OF HIS
BODY AND BLOOD, REMAINING WITH US 'TO THE CLOSE OF THE AGE'
(Matthew 28:20)" --Pope John Paul II, Address at the General Audience, June 13, 1979