The Society of Jesus has a mission, which has been reaffirmed since the late 19^th century, to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through the spirituality of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, we are invited to develop an inner understanding of Christ that reaches its pinnacle in the “Contemplation to Attain Love,” enabling us “to love and serve in all things.”

To pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is to respond to His love by expressing our own love for Him and for all that He cherishes. During the month of June, we are especially encouraged to dedicate our prayers to the Sacred Heart.

A Prayer for the Month of the Sacred Heart

Limping and lumbering we come,
Encumbered and heavily laden, bent low.
Each June we make this pilgrimage
To be reminded of a truth eternal:
There is no pain, no sorrow, no suffering
That does not have a home here,
In this sacred space that opens wide for all.
With holy heart and holy hands
Jesus sought out all those excluded,
The fire of His love becoming a hearth of welcome,
His blood pouring out on us a benediction.
O wounded healer, brow pierced, side lanced,
Gather us in with your compassion
So deeply human, so perfectly divine.
Amen.

[Source: Cameron Bellm – Spirit and Verse – Jesuits.org]