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Pray to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
I still remember sitting at the dinner table as a child and my dad standing up holding a holy card.
He announced, “we are going to pray this prayer”.
And after we prayed our normal “Grace Before Meals” prayer, he read the words on the card that also had a picture of Jesus and His Most Sacred Heart:
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I ask you to bless this house and all of us who live in it.
Help us to live in peace and happiness.
May your love enable us to strengthen and support each other, in every need, so that together we may grow in Your love and our love for each other.
Amen.
From that day on, each night before dinner, we prayed Grace Before Meals and that Most Sacred Heart of Jesus prayer.
Soon, we all had it memorized.
A Prayer for Young Families and Empty Nesters
As my parents children started to leave the nest, they changed the wording a little bit. We prayed that prayer every night we sat down at the dinner table together, but as some of us moved out of the house, my parents continued to pray for all of us – including those who no longer lived in that house.
I’m not exactly sure their exact wording now, but I can share with you how my husband, myself and our children pray it:
Since I think of my parents and siblings as we pray it – we changed “this house and all of us who live in it” to “our family, wherever they may be”.
So whether you are a young family or an empty nester – single or married – you can pray this prayer!
When my husband and I sit down with our 3 children to eat our final meal of the day, we pray Grace Before Meals, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus prayer and the Spiritual Adoption Prayer.
You can have all these prayers to print out – click here!
A Simple Devotion that Brings Abundant Blessings
As I look back on my childhood, I can see that the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was very much an important devotion in our home.
It was subtle, but it was there.
There was picture hanging up in our dining room of Jesus and His Most Sacred Heart.
And in addition to the art hanging in our dining room and the prayer we prayed each night, I found a picture that my parents took when I was about 10 years old.
It’s my mom, my brother, sister and me – all standing in front of a statue of Jesus that displayed His Most Sacred Heart.
A Prayer to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus that Children Can Understand
My brother and sisters had the prayer memorized fairly quickly. It only takes about 20 seconds to recite, and by simply praying it every evening, it allowed us to remember the words and pray as a family.
The prayer had such a profound impact on me, that I made sure it was included in the book: Be Yourself: A Journal for Catholic Boys.
Part 3 of the Boy’s Be Yourself Journal is titled: Who Does God Want You to Be?
In that part, the reader is encouraged to be a peacemaker, a spiritual warrior, a “fisher of men”, a good friend and a Saint.
In the section that explores being a peacemaker, the journal encourages the reader to really think about bringing peace into his family. There are practical ways discussed on how to do this, and this prayer is given on it’s own page so that the reader can color or simply just read it.
Since it was my father who introduced the prayer to our family, I thought it would be a perfect prayer for a young man who is beginning to dream about – and make a plan for – the man he will one day become.
(Want this book? Get it here!!)
The gifts of Peace, Strength and Protection for your family
I’m not sure if my dad had ever heard of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque- but I know growing up he attended Catholic School in Philadelphia. One practice these schools had in place from his childhood to mine was to bring the students to Mass each first Friday.
According to Saint Margaret Mary, Jesus offers 12 promises to those who respond to the pleading of His Heart and make an effort to return His love.
The 12th promise is often familiar with anyone who went to Catholic School – from Baby Boomers to Gen X – in the Philadelphia region. That promise was explained to the students for the reason behind the First Friday Mass practice.
(12)” I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.” You can see all the promises on EWTN’s website.
But I’m not sure any of the other promises are quite as well known.
The second promise concerns peace inside the home.
“Establish your dwelling in the amiable Heart of Jesus, and you will find unalterable peace, strength to carry out all your good desires, and protection agains voluntary faults.” – Saint Margaret Mary
Our family life was not perfect. I have plenty of memories that are not warm and fuzzy. But I will tell you this: my parents and 4 siblings are getting together this weekend for my niece’s birthday. We love getting together. Perhaps this subtle devotion to the source of absolute eternal true love, has allowed us to enjoy one another into adulthood.
I want you to have this for your family too.
If you would like a Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayer Coloring Page, one is included in the Catholic Coloring Pages available here: Coloring Pages from the Be Yourself Journal (20 in all)
[…] friend Amy of Prayer, Wine, Chocolate (because, yes please to all three) wrote this lovely prayer to the Sacred Heart. I especially like how she has prayers specific for your stage of life, like young families, empty […]