Triduum Prayers in honor of the Sacred Heart

This triduum is so made that it is rooted in the Word of God and relevant to the life of the community. The first two themes about the humanity and divinity of the Heart of Jesus form the foundation of the triduum and may not be changed but the third, which serves as a synthesis of the first two, may be adapted to the various needs of specific communities, say a parish or religious community.

It is also structured in a way that it can be easily integrated into the Sacred Liturgy and intimately linked with the Holy Eucharist. It can be done during the common recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours when after the Exposition, the Salutations and Daily Prayer are to be said, then the Psalmody, the Reading from the breviary or the triduum, the Optional Meditation, Responsory, the Gospel Canticle from the breviary or triduum, the Prayer for the Day in place of the Intercessions and the Closing Prayer, again from the breviary or the triduum then the Reposition. Benediction may be given in the usual form.

All the readings, except that from the prophet Jeremiah, are taken from the options given for the Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart which can be celebrated also for the triduum. After the Greeting, the Daily Prayer may be said and the Prayer for the Day after the Post-Communion Prayer. The Exposition may be omitted.

An alternative version of the traditional prayer Iesu Dulcissime Reparationis Actus that uses simplified, contemporary and inclusive language is also given. This may be recited before the exposed Blessed Sacrament during the Feast of the Sacred Heart in place of the traditional one, or as Closing Prayer on the last day of the triduum if it is not done in preparation for this feast.

TRIDUUM OF PRAISE IN HONOR OF THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Day 1
The Heart of Jesus, A Most Compassionate Human Heart

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

A fitting hymn is sung. All kneel.

V. Heart of Jesus, obedient to the Father, even unto death.
R. Thy kingdom come!
V. Heart of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary.
R. Thy kingdom come!
V. Heart of Jesus, glorious abode of the Holy Spirit.
R. Thy kingdom come!

DAILY PRAYER

Heart of Jesus, Human and Divine, you know our fears and hopes, joys and anxieties. You share and understand the deepest feelings and longings of every human heart. You also fathom the most holy Will of God, what he hopes and desires for each of us; what will bring him joy and what will cause him sorrow. In our sinfulness we have pierced you with a lance. Yet in your infinite goodness, you continually burn with love for all of us.

Conform our hearts to you that we too may be sensitive to the needs of our brethren and keen to discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Pour out on us the infinite treasures flowing from your heart pierced and broken that we may be whole; water and blood, spirit and life, which renews us and gives us strength. Continue to draw us to you, O Lover of our Hearts. Be our refuge and hope in this valley of tears until at last our hearts find in you, our lasting peace and endless joy. Amen.

READING from the Gospel of Matthew 11, 28-30

Come to me all who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest for my yoke is easy and my burden, light.

MEDITATION HYMN Maging Akin Muli

RESPONSORY

Come to me, all you who are weary and I will refresh you.
~Come to me, all you who are weary and I will refresh you.
I am gentle and humble of heart.
~And I will refresh you.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
~Come to me, all you who are weary and I will refresh you.

Antiphon: Hail the Heart born of Mary’s Womb,
Love itself made flesh for us!

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

O Heart of Jesus, Born of the Virgin Mary, your heart is a heart not alien to the heart of man. In your sharing our life, you also share the joys and pains of our existence. You know our deepest longings and desires, our fears, our hopes, our dreams. And you share the dreams and fears, joys and pains, desires and longings of every human heart.

And so we come to you with great confidence knowing that you understand us and we trust in your assurance that you care for us. You invite us to come to you and you offer us yourself as a refuge in our weariness, an oasis in this land of exile you know so well. You renew us always with your goodness and love, our strength and comfort. You show us an example and call us, O Heart full of gentleness and compassion, to imitate you as the model of our hearts.

Heart of Love, conform us to yourself. Help us take on your sweet burden of love with joy and gladness. Teach us to be like you—to help ease the each other’s burden and comfort one another in our pilgrim way that we may share in your divine life of love even as you shared our humanity.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, lead us always to the Heart of your Son who invites us all to come to him and take refuge in his heart. Amen.

CLOSING PRAYER

By the prayer leader

God our Father, (fill our hearts with joy as we prepare for the coming feast of the Heart of your Son.) May we who honor his Heart, Human and Divine, share in his divine life of love who shared our humanity to show us the depths of his compassion. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

REPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
A fitting hymn is sung. All kneel.

ooooo

Day 2
The Heart of Jesus, Heart of Our Loving God

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
A fitting hymn is sung. All kneel.

V. Heart of Jesus, obedient to the Father, even unto death.
R. Thy kingdom come!
V. Heart of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary.
R. Thy kingdom come!
V. Heart of Jesus, glorious abode of the Holy Spirit.
R. Thy kingdom come!

DAILY PRAYER

Heart of Jesus, Human and Divine, you know our fears and hopes, joys and anxieties. You share and understand the deepest feelings and longings of every human heart. You also fathom the most holy Will of God, what he hopes and desires for each of us; what will bring him joy and what will cause him sorrow. In our sinfulness we have pierced you with a lance. Yet in your infinite goodness, you continually burn with love for all of us.

Conform our hearts to you that we too may be sensitive to the needs of our brethren and keen to discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Pour out on us the infinite treasures flowing from your heart pierced and broken that we may be whole; water and blood, spirit and life, which renews us and gives us strength. Continue to draw us to you, O Lover of our Hearts. Be our refuge and hope in this valley of tears until at last our hearts find in you, our lasting peace and endless joy. Amen.

READING from the prophecy of Hosea 11, 1. 3-4. 8-9.

The Lord said: ‘When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks; Yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer.

My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my anger. I will not destroy Ephraim again; for I am God and not man, the Holy One present among you; I will not let the flames consume you.

MEDITATION HYMN Empty Space

RESPONSORY

My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred.
~My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred.
I will not give vent to my anger.
~My pity is stirred.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
~My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred.

Antiphon: How wonderful you care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
All stand and say together.

O Heart of Jesus, Heart of our God, who made us in love and sustains us with every good gift. You show us the depths of the love of God whose compassion triumphs over judgment, and offers his only-begotten Son to ransom a slave! You show us what God can do beyond creating us, seeking us when we are lost and when we refuse to be found, becomes one of us to embrace us and even gives his life to show us the depths of his love. Even if in our sinfulness we continue to turn away from you, you seek us without fail and call us to return to you. You jump with joy upon seeing the return of the prodigal son and run to meet him and welcome him home.

Teach us to be grateful for God’s goodness and love, to acknowledge him as the source and foundation of our being and so to anchor ourselves to him who is our life and strength. Help us to avoid offending God and always to desire to please him in all that we think, do and say.

Mary, Mother of God, lead us always to the heart of your Son and through him, back to the Father’s embrace. Amen.


CLOSING PRAYER
By the prayer leader

God our Father, look upon the heart of your Son, pierced and yet still burning with love for sinful man. Remember your compassion for us and sustain us in your love who make this triduum to honor the great goodness and love you show us in the heart of Jesus. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

REPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
A fitting hymn is sung. All kneel.

ooo

Day 3
The Heart of Jesus, Model of Priests and Seminarians

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
A fitting hymn is sung. All kneel.

V. Heart of Jesus, obedient to the Father, even unto death.
R. Thy kingdom come!
V. Heart of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary.
R. Thy kingdom come!
V. Heart of Jesus, glorious abode of the Holy Spirit.
R. Thy kingdom come!

DAILY PRAYER

Heart of Jesus, Human and Divine, you know our fears and hopes, joys and anxieties. You share and understand the deepest feelings and longings of every human heart. You also fathom the most holy Will of God, what he hopes and desires for each of us; what will bring him joy and what will cause him sorrow. In our sinfulness we have pierced you with a lance. Yet in your infinite goodness, you continually burn with love for all of us.

Conform our hearts to you that we too may be sensitive to the needs of our brethren and keen to discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Pour out on us the infinite treasures flowing from your heart pierced and broken that we may be whole; water and blood, spirit and life, which renews us and gives us strength. Continue to draw us to you, O Lover of our Hearts. Be our refuge and hope in this valley of tears until at last our hearts find in you, our lasting peace and endless joy. Amen.

READING from the prophecy of Jeremiah 3, 15-17

I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart who will shepherd you wisely and prudently. When you multiply and become fruitful in the land, says the Lord, they will in those days no longer say, ‘the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord!’ They will no longer think of it, or remember it, or miss it, or make another. At that time they will call Jerusalem the Lord’s throne; there all nations will be gathered to honor the name of the Lord and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.

MEDITATION HYMN Your Heart Today

RESPONSORY

I will give you shepherds after my own heart
~I will give you shepherds after my own heart .
To shepherd you wisely and prudently.
~after my own heart.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
~I will give you shepherds after my own heart.

Antiphon: I am the Good Shepherd
and I lay down my life for my sheep.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
All stand and say together.

O Heart of Jesus, Human Heart which knows the needs of humanity, Heart of God which desires the good of all his children! Behold the Church ever in need of shepherds to lead them to you.

Heart of our High Priest, help your priests to grow in holiness and shepherd your people with constant care and genuine concern. Be the crown and consolation of faithful priests and the strength and support of those who struggle. Nourish and nurture them who feed and tend your people.

Heart moved with pity at the sight of sheep without shepherd, send more laborers into the Lord’s Harvest as he himself has promised to give us shepherds after his own heart.

Heart of our Good Shepherd, you are the ideal and example of every priest’s heart and of the heart of all who desire to serve God’s people. Mould all shepherds and all who seek to serve your people into your likeness; keen and sensitive to the needs of others, compassionate and forgiving like our heavenly Father, selfless in service, willing to lay down even their life for the fold.

Then we shall seek no more the Ark of the Old Covenant, for priests of the New and Everlasting covenant shall be your shining presence in our midst, leading us with love and humility like our Master, who stooped to wash our feet and told us to do the same.

Mary, Mother of priests and seminarians, lead us all to the Heart of your Son and obtain for the Church shepherds to lead his flock. Amen.

CLOSING PRAYER
By the prayer leader

God our Father, we thank you for bringing us to the end of this triduum honoring the heart of your Son. Dispose our hearts and fill us with joyful expectation and as we prepare for tomorrow’s great feast. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

REPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
A fitting hymn is sung. All kneel.

ooo

ACT OF REPARATION TO THE HEART OF JESUS
To be recited before the Blessed Sacrament solemnly exposed
on the Feast of the Sacred Heart

Most Sweet Jesus, who loves us infinitely and is yet so little loved in return: behold us prostrate before you, eager to repair by special honor the ingratitude and disregard to which your loving heart is everywhere subjected.

Mindful alas that we ourselves have shared in these offences! We are sorry and beg pardon from the depths of our hearts for all our sins and all the disrespect we commit against you, against each another and against ourselves. For the many times we disobey you, both individually and as a people, and turn away from you (here may be inserted a brief list of prevalent social sins); refusing to follow you and betraying our baptismal dignity as children of God.

If only we can amend those sins even with our blood! Let us now offer you in reparation, the perfect sacrifice you once made to your Father on the Cross and which you continue to renew daily on our altars, one with Mary and all your holy people. And we sincerely promise to make up with your help for our many sins by prayer and good works. We now resolve to live a life that clearly and consistently witnesses to your love. And we commit ourselves to follow you more closely and to bring as many as possible closer to you.

Bless this offering which we make through the hands of Mary, your Mother and ours. And grant that we may persevere in holiness, loving you and seeking you in our brethren until at last we all come to our home with the Father and the Spirit, your Kingdom of peace and joy forever and ever. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus reign in our world, in our Church, in our nation, in our homes and in our hearts. Amen.