PRAYERS TO OUR LADY

ACT OF REPARATION AND CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O Sweetest Jesus, Thou dost pour forth Thy Love abundantly on men, while they repay Thee most ungratefully with neglect, indifference, and contempt. Behold us humbly kneeling before Thine altar (outside a Church or oratory say: in Thy presence); we would fain repair this heartless in gratitude on the part of men, and the manifold injuries that are everywhere done to Thy most loving Heart, by a special act of homage.

Yet we are not unmindful that we, too, have had our part in this unworthy behavior; therefore are we moved to deep contrition, and, above all, we beg Thy mercy for ourselves; we are ready to atone, by this voluntary act of expiation, for the crimes which we ourselves have committed, as also for the sins of those who, straying far from the way of salvation, either refuse, in the blindness of their unbelief, to follow Thee, the Shepherd and Guide of their souls, or who trample upon the vows of their Baptism and shake off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

Not only are we anxious to expiate all of these deplorable crimes, but in an especial manner do we purpose to make reparation for these following: immodesty and shameful excesses in life and in dress; the many snares of corruption laid for the souls of the innocent; the neglect of holydays; the hateful blasphemies that are hurled against Thee and Thy Saints; the reproaches uttered against Thy Vicar on earth, and all the priestly order; the neglect, also, of the very Sacrament of Thy love, as well as its profanation by horrifying sacrilege; and finally the public sins of the nations in rebellion against the just rights and the teaching authority of the Church established by Thee.

Would that we were able to atone for all these outrages even to the shedding of our blood! Meanwhile in order to atone for the violations of the honour due to Thee, we offer unto Thee that self-same satisfaction which of old Thou didst offer to the Father upon the Holy Cross and which from day to day Thou dost continually renew upon the altars of Thy Holy Church. To this we add the expiatory merits of Thy Virgin Mother, of all Thy Saints, and of the devout faithful upon earth.

With all our heart we promise to atone, Thy grace assisting us, for our own past sins and those of all other men, as also for our coldness towards Thine exceeding great love, by a firm faith, spotless purity of life and the perfect fulfillment, so far as in us lies of the law of the Gospel, and in particular of the precept of charity.

We likewise pledge ourselves in accordance with our strength to prevent such injuries being done to Thee, and to invite as many as we can to follow Thee. Accept, we pray Thee, most gracious Jesus, through the intercession of Our Lady of Reparation, this our free-will offering of reparation, and be Thou pleased to keep us, by the great gift of final perseverance, faithful even unto death in our dutiful service of Thee, so that in the end we may all come to that, our true native land, where Thou, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest for ever and ever Amen.

An indulgence of 5 years; plenary indulgence once a month under the usual conditions, for the daily recitation of this prayer, on condition of Confession, Communion and a visit to some Church or public oratory. The faithful, moreover, who, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, assist at this same act of reparation, adding thereto the Litany of the Sacred Heart, in any Church or oratory, even semi-public(for those who lawfully frequent it), in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament solemnly exposed, may gain: An indulgence of 7 years; a plenary indulgence , provided that they atone for their sins in sacramental confession and partake of the Eucharistic Table (S.P. Ap., June 1^st 1928 and March 18^th 1932)