# The Feast of the Sacred Heart: Promises, First Fridays, and the Litany
*2020-06-18*

> Bill Young reflects on the 12 promises of the Sacred Heart revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, explains the First‑Friday devotion, shares the Litany of the Sacred Heart, and invites listeners to join a nightly Rosary.

## The Sacred Heart and Its 12 Promises

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received private revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus between 1673 and 1675. In those visions Jesus promised twelve graces to those who honor His Heart. The promises include: 
1. All the graces needed for each state of life. 
2. Peace in the home. 
3. Comfort in afflictions. 
4. Protection in life and especially in death. 
5. Abundant blessings on one’s undertakings. 
6. An infinite ocean of mercy for sinners. 
7. The lukewarm soul becoming fervent. 
8. Rapid growth to perfection. 
9. Blessing of every place where an image of the Sacred Heart is exposed. 
10. The gift for priests to touch hardened hearts. 
11. The names of those who promote this devotion written in the Heart of Jesus. 
12. The promise that those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays for nine consecutive months will not die without receiving the sacraments, and the Sacred Heart will be a safe refuge at the hour of death.

## The First‑Friday Devotion

To obtain the twelve promises, the Church asks the faithful to receive Holy Communion on the First Friday of each month for nine consecutive months. Bill recounts attending Mass at St. David’s with his Legion of Mary sisters, receiving communion, and feeling the warmth of the Sacred Heart. He invites listeners, especially those from St. David’s, St. Max, or St. Gregory’s, to join him in beginning this nine‑month devotion.

## The Litany of the Sacred Heart

Bill leads a prayerful recitation of the Litany of the Sacred Heart, a devotion approved in 1899 and rooted in the spirituality of the French missionaries. The litany repeatedly invokes the mercy of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and then proclaims a series of titles for the Heart of Jesus—"Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love," "Heart of Jesus, well‑spring of all virtue," "Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection," and so on—each concluding with "have mercy on us." He concludes with a short prayer asking the Lord to open our hearts to the love of Jesus.

## Continuing the Nightly Rosary

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been offering a nightly Rosary and the Litany of Divine Mercy during the pandemic, but the schedule is being reduced. Bill asks for volunteers to help keep the Rosary alive, whether by joining a Zoom call, sharing a recorded audio, or simply praying together over the phone. He emphasizes that at least two people are needed for the prayer to be valid, and he is willing to share the workload.

## Closing Thoughts and Contact

Bill reminds listeners that the Sacred Heart devotion is a source of peace and mercy for the whole world, especially in troubled times. He shares his contact information (954‑559‑0104, w.r.young12@yahoo.com) and invites comments or offers to help with the Rosary. He notes his long service as a Eucharistic minister and Legion of Mary member, and ends with a blessing.

*The promises of the Sacred Heart invite us to a deeper love of Jesus, lived out through communion, devotion, and communal prayer.*