The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most beautiful and moving prayers of the Church; it is traditionally prayed on the first Fridays of the month (in accordance with the devotion popularized by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque) and on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart (celebrated this year on June 24); of course, it can be prayed at any time, with great profit.
The thirty-three invocations of the litany correspond to the thirty-three years of Our Lord's earthly life. Very often, those not in full communion with the Church criticize our prayer life as unbiblical, largely because they have not taken the time to understand the depth of our prayers. Sometimes, even Catholics do not appreciate the scriptural roots of our liturgy and devotions.
The reader will find a scriptural source for each invocation below. Finding this passage in Holy Scripture will allow for an even deeper meditation on the profound mystery of Christ's love.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, 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.
Jn 5:18: This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because not only did he break the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother
Lk 1:35: And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God
Jn 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty
Heb 1:8 [Ps 45:6-7]: But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, stands forever and ever; and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.”
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God
Rev 21:22: I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High
Jn 1:14: And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven
Gen 28:17: Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Truly, the LORD is in this place and I did not know it!” He was afraid and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity
Ex 3:2: There an angel of the LORD appeared to him as fire flaming out of a bush. When he looked, although the bush was on fire, it was not being consumed.
Heb 12:29: …for our God is a consuming fire.
Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love
Rev 3:19: Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.
Psalm 89:14: Justice and judgment are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love
Eph 3:19: …and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues
Heb 1:8-9: But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, stands forever and ever; and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. You loved justice and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.”
Ps 45:6-7: Your throne, O God, stands forever; your royal scepter is a scepter for justice. You love justice and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellow kings.
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise
Rev 5:13: Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.”
Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts
Eph 3:16-17: …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…
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
Col 2:2-3: …that their hearts may be encouraged as they are brought together in love, to have all the richness of fully assured understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells all the fullness of the divinity
Col 2:9: For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily…
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased
Lk 3:22: …and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received
Jn 1:16: From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace.
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills
Mal 3:1: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy
Heb 4:16: So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
Eph 2:4-5: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ…
Heart of Jesus, rich to all who call upon you
Rom 10:12-13: …For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Heart of Jesus, source of life and holiness
Jn 7:37-38: On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.’”
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins
1 Jn 2:1-2: My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches
Rom 15:3 [Ps 69:9]: For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses
Is 53:5: But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed.
Heart of Jesus, obedient unto death
Phil 2:8: …he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance
Jn 19:34: But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation
Mt 11:28: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection
Jn 11:25: Jesus told her [Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live…”
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation
Rom 5:10: For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
Eph 2:14: For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity…
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins
Heb 9:26: …for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in you
Col 1:27: To them God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in you
1 Cor 15:19, 22: If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all. …For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life.
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints
Rev 7:9-10: After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”
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Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
- Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
- Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
- Have mercy on us.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
- Make our hearts like unto Thine.
Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of your most beloved Son and the praises and satisfaction He offers You on behalf of sinners; and to those who implore Your mercy, in Your great goodness, grant pardon in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You forever and ever. Amen.
This article was originally published by Catholic World Report ( Article Link ). It is republished and translated with the author's permission.