# Praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart
*2022-06-11*

> Bill and John lead a prayerful session on the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, followed by reflections on Divine Mercy and a closing prayer for the Legion of Mary.

## Opening and Background

Welcome to Catholic Conscience 2.0. I’m Bill Young, joined by John O’Rourke. June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and our prayer book suggests we pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart today. The litany was approved for public use in 1899 and has its origins in France. Pope Leo XIII consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart in 1900, a devotion also emphasized by Pope Pius X.

## The Litany of the Sacred Heart

We began with the Trinitarian invocation: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Then we recited the repeated petitions:
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Followed by the responses for the congregation: “Have mercy on us.”

We continued with the titles of the Sacred Heart:
God the Father, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, infinite in majesty, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, flame of divine love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, well‑spring of all virtue, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, worthy of our praise, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, king and sanctuary of all hearts, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, treasure of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, dwelling place of the fullness of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well‑pleased, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed from fullness to receive all, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, generous to all who turn to you, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, font of life and holiness, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of forgiveness and salvation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of our consolation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in you, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, light of all saints, have mercy on us.

We concluded the litany with the traditional “Lamb of God” petitions and a short prayer: “Father, we rejoice in the gifts of love we have received from the Heart of Jesus. Open our hearts to share his life and bless us with love. In the name of Jesus, our Lord, amen.”

## Divine Mercy Prayers

After the litany we moved to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. We began again with the Trinitarian sign and prayed:
“Source of life, pour forth mercy on the whole world. Fountain of divine mercy, empty yourself upon us. Blood and water flow from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy; we trust in you.”

We then recited the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed. Following that, we offered a series of petitions invoking Divine Mercy, each ending with the response “I trust in you.” Examples included:
“Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God— I trust in you.”
“Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders— I trust in you.”
“Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell— I trust in you.”

These petitions were repeated several times, emphasizing trust in God’s boundless mercy.

## Closing Prayer and Reflections

We finished with a prayer for the souls who especially venerate the mercy of Jesus, asking that they may be protected at the hour of death. We also prayed for the Legion of Mary, invoking Mary’s intercession for all Christians.

“Eternal Father, look mercifully upon the souls who glorify your generous mercy. May they be filled with joy and become living witnesses of your love. Amen.”

John offered a brief concluding thought: “Remember to pray the Rosary every day.”

We invited listeners to send comments or questions to billyoung12@yahoo.com and thanked everyone for joining the prayer.

*The Litany of the Sacred Heart reminds us that the Heart of Jesus is the source of endless mercy, inviting us to trust wholly in God’s love.*