PRAYER OF THE DAY

Novena of Confidence to the Sacred Heart

O Lord Jesus Christ,

to Your most Sacred Heart I confide this intention.

[State your request.]

Only look upon me,

then do what Your love inspires.

Let Your Sacred Heart decide . . .

I count on You . . .

I trust in You . . .

I throw myself on Your mercy.

Lord Jesus,

You will not fail me.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I trust in you.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I believe in Your love for me.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

Your kingdom come.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I have asked You for many favors,

but I earnestly implore this one.

Take it,

place it in Your open Heart.

When the Eternal Father looks upon it,

He will see it covered with Your Precious Blood.

It will be no longer my prayer but Yours,

Jesus.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I place all my trust in You.

Let me not be disappointed.

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Reading 1

Hos 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9

Thus says the LORD:

When Israel was a child I loved him,

out of Egypt I called my son.

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,

who took them in my arms;

I drew them with human cords,

with bands of love;

I fostered them like one

who raises an infant to his cheeks;

Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,

they did not know that I was their healer.

My heart is overwhelmed,

my pity is stirred.

I will not give vent to my blazing anger,

I will not destroy Ephraim again;

For I am God and not a man,

the Holy One present among you;

I will not let the flames consume you.

Responsorial Psalm

Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the 

springs of salvation.

God indeed is my savior;

I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

at the fountain of salvation.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the 

springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the 

springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;

let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

for great in your midst

is the Holy One of Israel!

R. You will draw water joyfully from the 

springs of salvation.

Reading 2

Eph 3:8-12, 14-19

Brothers and sisters:

To me, the very least of all the holy ones, 

this grace was given,

to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,

and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery

hidden from ages past in God who created all things,

so that the manifold wisdom of God

might now be made known through the church

to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.

This was according to the eternal purpose

that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

in whom we have boldness of speech

and confidence of access through faith in him.

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory

to be strengthened with power through 

his Spirit in the inner self,

and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

that you, rooted and grounded in love,

may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,

so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Gospel

Jn 19:31-37

Since it was preparation day,

in order that the bodies might not remain 

on the cross on the sabbath,

for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,

the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken

and they be taken down.

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first

and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.

But when they came to Jesus and saw 

that he was already dead,

they did not break his legs,

but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,

and immediately blood and water flowed out.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;

he knows that he is speaking the truth,

so that you also may come to believe.

For this happened so that the Scripture 

passage might be fulfilled:

Not a bone of it will be broken.

And again another passage says:

They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

SAINT OF THE DAY

June 15

Servant of God Orlando Catanii

An unexpected encounter with St. Francis of Assisi in 1213 was to forever change—and enrich—the life of Count Orlando of Chiusi.

On the day a festival was being organized for a huge throng, St. Francis, already well known for his sanctity, delivered a dramatic address on the dangers of worldly pleasures. One of the guests, Orlando (also known as Roland) was so taken by Francis' words that he sought out the saint for advice on how best to lead a life pleasing to God.

A short time later, Francis visited Count Orlando in his own palace, located at the foot of Mount La Verna. Francis spoke again of the dangers of a life of wealth and comfort. The words prompted Orlando to rearrange his life entirely according to the principles outlined by Francis. Furthermore, he resolved to share his wealth by placing at Francis' disposal all of Mount La Verna, which belonged to Orlando. Francis, who found the mountain's wooded recesses and many caves and ravines especially suitable for quiet prayer, gratefully accepted the offer. Orlando immediately had a convent as well as a church built there; later, many chapels were added. In 1224, two years before the death of Francis, Mount La Verna was the location where Francis received the holy wounds of Christ.

In return for his generous gift, Orlando desired only to be received into the Third Order and to have St. Francis as his spiritual director. Under Francis' guidance, Orlando completely detached himself from worldly goods. He zealously performed acts of charity as a Christian nobleman. After his happy death, Orlando was laid to rest in the convent church on Mount La Verna.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips.

And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 99 (100)

Come, let us adore Christ’s Sacred Heart, 

wounded for love of us.

– Come, let us adore Christ’s Sacred Heart, 

wounded for love of us.

Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth,

and serve him with joy.

Exult as you enter his presence.

– Come, let us adore Christ’s Sacred Heart, 

wounded for love of us.

Know that the Lord is God.

He made us and we are his

– his people, the sheep of his flock.

– Come, let us adore Christ’s Sacred Heart, 

wounded for love of us.

Cry out his praises as you enter his gates,

fill his courtyards with songs.

Proclaim him and bless his name;

for the Lord is our delight.

His mercy lasts for ever,

his faithfulness through all the ages.

– Come, let us adore Christ’s Sacred Heart, 

wounded for love of us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

– Come, let us adore Christ’s Sacred Heart, 

wounded for love of us.

Hymn

O Three in One, and One in Three,

Who rulest all things mightily,

Bow down to hear the songs of praise

Which, freed from bonds of sleep, we raise.

While lingers yet the peace of night,

We rouse us from our slumbers light;

That might of instant prayer may win

The healing balm for wounds of sin.

If, by the wiles of Satan caught,

This night-time we have sinned in aught,

That sin thy glorious power today,

From heaven descending, cleanse away.

Let naught impure our bodies stain,

No laggard sloth our souls detain,

No taint of sin our spirits know,

To chill the fervour of their glow.

Wherefore, Redeemer, grant that we

Fulfilled with thine own light may be:

That, in our course, from day to day,

By no misdeed we fall away.

Grant this, O Father ever One

With Christ, thy sole-begotten Son,

And Holy Ghost, whom all adore,

Reigning and blest for evermore.

Psalm 35 (36)

The sinner's wickedness; God's goodness

In you is the source of life; 

we drink from the stream of your goodness.

Evil whispers to the sinner in the depths of his heart:

the fear of God does not stand before his eyes.

Evil’s flattering light disguises his wickedness,

so that he does not hate it.

His words are false and deceitful,

he no longer considers how to do good.

Even when in bed he plots mischief;

he follows the wrong path; he does not hate malice.

Lord, your mercy fills the heavens,

your faithfulness rises to the sky.

Your justice is like the mountains of God,

your judgements are like the deeps of the sea.

Lord, you protect both men and beasts.

How precious is your kindness, O God!

The sons of men will take shelter under your wings;

they will eat their fill from the riches of your house,

drink all they want from the stream of your joy.

For with you is the spring of life-giving water.

In your light we shall see true light.

Hold out your mercy to those who know you,

offer your justice to the upright in heart.

Let me not be crushed under the heels of the proud,

nor dispossessed by the hands of sinners.

The doers of evil have fallen where they stood,

they are cast down and cannot rise.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

In you is the source of life; 

we drink from the stream of your goodness.

Psalm 60 (61)

An exile's prayer

When my heart was faint, you raised me up.

Listen, O God, to my appeal:

turn, and hear my prayer.

I call to you from the ends of the earth,

for my heart is troubled.

Lead me to the rock I cannot reach!

For you are my hope,

a strong tower in the face of my enemies.

I shall live in your tent for ever,

I shall hide in the shelter of your wings:

for you, my God, have accepted my vows;

you have given me the inheritance of those 

who fear your name.

Add days to the life of the king:

add years, for age after age.

Let him sit always in the sight of God:

let kindness and faithfulness guard him.

This is the song I shall sing to your name,

for ever and for ever.

I shall repay my vows to you

day after day.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

When my heart was faint, you raised me up.

Psalm 97 (98)

The Lord has brought salvation

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Sing a new song to the Lord,

for he has worked wonders.

His right hand, his holy arm,

have brought him victory.

The Lord has shown his saving power,

and before all nations he has shown his justice.

He has remembered to show his kindness

and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth

have seen the saving power of our God.

Rejoice in God, all the earth.

Break forth in triumph and song!

Sing to the Lord on the lyre,

with the lyre and with music.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn,

sound jubilation to the Lord, our king.

Let the sea resound in its fullness,

all the earth and all its inhabitants.

The rivers will clap their hands,

and the mountains will exult at the presence of the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge all the world in justice,

and the peoples with fairness.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

I will remember what the Lord has done.

– I will remember the wonders he has worked from the beginning.

Reading

Romans 8:28-39

We know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those that he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.

After saying this, what can we add? With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us – he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us.

Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. As scripture promised: For your sake we are being massacred daily, and reckoned as sheep for the slaughter. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Responsory

God brought us to life in Christ when we were dead through our sins, because he loved us with so great a love.

This was to show for all ages to come how infinitely rich he is in grace, because he loved us with so great a love.

Reading

St Bonaventure

With you is the source of life

Take thought now, redeemed man, and consider how great and worthy is he who hangs on the cross for you. His death brings the dead to life, but at his passing heaven and earth are plunged into mourning and hard rocks are split asunder.

It was a divine decree that permitted one of the soldiers to open his sacred side with a lance. This was done so that the Church might be formed from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death on the cross, and so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘They shall look on him whom they pierced’. The blood and water which poured out at that moment were the price of our salvation. Flowing from the secret abyss of our Lord’s heart as from a fountain, this stream gave the sacraments of the Church the power to confer the life of grace, while for those already living in Christ it became a spring of living water welling up to life everlasting.

Arise, then, beloved of Christ! Imitate the dove ‘that nests in a hole in the cliff’, keeping watch at the entrance ‘like the sparrow that finds a home’. There like the turtledove hide your little ones, the fruit of your chaste love. Press your lips to the fountain, ‘draw water from the wells of your Saviour; for this is the spring flowing out of the middle of paradise, dividing into four rivers’, inundating devout hearts, watering the whole earth and making it fertile.

Run with eager desire to this source of life and light, all you who are vowed to God’s service. Come, whoever you may be, and cry out to him with all the strength of your heart. “O indescribable beauty of the most high God and purest radiance of eternal light! Life that gives all life, light that is the source of every other light, preserving in everlasting splendour the myriad flames that have shone before the throne of your divinity from the dawn of time! Eternal and inaccessible fountain, clear and sweet stream flowing from a hidden spring, unseen by mortal eye! None can fathom your depths nor survey your boundaries, none can measure your breadth, nothing can sully your purity. From you flows ‘the river which gladdens the city of God’ and makes us cry out with joy and thanksgiving in hymns of praise to you, for we know by our own experience that ‘with you is the source of life, and in your light we see light’.

Responsory

Bless the Lord, my soul, remembering all he has done for you; he rescues your life from deadly peril, crowns you with the gifts of his kindness and compassion.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: he rescues your life from deadly peril, crowns you with the gifts of his kindness and compassion.

Hymn

Te Deum

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!

You, the Father, the eternal –

all the earth venerates you.

All the angels, all the heavens, every power –

The cherubim, the seraphim –

unceasingly, they cry:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:

heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”

The glorious choir of Apostles –

The noble ranks of prophets –

The shining army of martyrs –

all praise you.

Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.

– Father of immeasurable majesty,

– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,

– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.

You, Christ:

– You are the king of glory.

– You are the Father’s eternal Son.

– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.

– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.

– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.

– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.

And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.

Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.

Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance.

Rule them and lift them high for ever.

Day by day we bless you, Lord: 

we praise you for ever and for ever.

Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.

Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.

In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame.

Let us pray.

Almighty God and Father,

we glory in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, your beloved Son,

as we call to mind the great things his love has done for us.

Fill us with the grace that flows in abundance

from the Heart of Jesus, the source of heaven’s gifts.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.