The Full Story
Welcome to Divine Love
Welcome to Divine Love, the ocean of mercy which pours forth from the Father of Love, God Almighty, through the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ straight into your life and soul. This love is ever-present and always available, but can be challenging to perceive.
To enhance our personal ability to perceive God's perpetual love, Christ appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century and shared his Sacred Heart with her. Specifically, Jesus asked this cloistered nun to promote reparative love to his Sacred Heart by establishing the First Fridays Devotion.
It may seem paradoxical that Jesus' heart is broken and in need of repair. After all, how can the God of love, goodness, and perfection be lacking in anything, even lacking in love from his creatures? Yet he does lack, crave, and thirst for our love. We, too, crave and thirst for his ever-present and never-failing love when we lack the ability to perceive it.
Our quest to live in an abundance of divine love can be fueled by our personal commitment to foster devotion to Christ's wounded, Sacred Heart. The First Fridays Devotion is a practical yet challenging commitment that will nurture our love of God and ultimately forge interior union with our Creator, the Father of Love, who sent to the world his only Son–and continues to send to us his Son–to call us home to eternal life and to walk with us now in this valley of tears.
First Friday Devotion
"I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, My divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment."
—Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
On the first Friday of the month, for nine consecutive months, attend Mass and receive Holy Communion in the spirit of loving Jesus' Sacred Heart and as an act of reparation to console his Sacred Heart. If necessary, prior to attending a First Friday Mass, you should go to confession to be certain that you will receive Christ's Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity from Holy Communion in a state of grace.
In thanksgiving to God, as you consume Communion at Mass, you may recite the following consecration prayers:
Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee, and with lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Thy blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. In every need let me come to Thee with humble trust saying, Heart of Jesus, help me. Amen.
Invocations to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Merciful Jesus, I consecrate myself today and always to Thy Most Sacred Heart.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore that I may ever love Thee more and more.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Thy love for me.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, convert sinners, save the dying, deliver the Holy Souls from Purgatory. Amen.
Jesus' Promises to Those Who Complete His Prescribed Acts of Devotion
for Nine Consecutive First Fridays
Jesus promised St. Margaret Mary, and by extension all of us, that whoever completes the First Fridays Devotion for nine consecutive months will receive the following:
1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their homes.
3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
5. I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6. Sinners will find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9. I will bless every place in which an image of My Heart is exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart.
12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in My disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.