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How to Pray the Novena
This Novena is to help you prepare for the Feast of The Sacred Heart on 16 June, 2023. You may pray the Novena privately or with members of your family, neighbours or friends.
Read the given Scripture meditation slowly, pausing when something strikes you. A prayer takes up the theme of the day, and you end with the Novena Prayer. You may include any intention you would like to pray for yourself or for others.
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CLOSING PRAYER (to be said each day)
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Lord Jesus, Your Sacred Heart is always open, with love, to each of us, especially when we are suffering. To all who come to You seeking Your help, You show Your compassion and healing power. You care for us when we are lost, sympathise with us in loneliness and comfort us in mourning; You are closest to us when we are weakest. You reach out Your hand to us when we stumble and have most need of Your help. I ask You to listen to my prayer during this Novena, and grant what I ask. ... If what I ask is not for my own or other’s good, grant me always what is best, that I may build Your kingdom of love in our world. Amen.
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First Day (8th June): Open Heart How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
Micah 6:6-8 "With what gift shall I come into the Lord's presence and bow down before God on high? Shall I come with holocausts, with calves one year old? Will He be pleased with rams by the thousand, with libations of oil in torrents? This is what Yahweh asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God."
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| Meditation: |
In this prayer, Micah turns to God out of fear more than love. He sees God as one who must be pleased, or He will send disaster your way. God speaks to the heart rather than the mind and gives a clear message that remains central to our call to be better people. It is easy to remember these lines, but they bring a challenge, and if accepted, it brings a deep sense of peace.
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| Prayer: |
O, Sacred Heart, remind me of Micah's question, and that God is not vengeful. May I recognise the many opportunities life presents to me where I can act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with You, my God. Strengthen me for the journey, open my eyes to see and my heart, like Yours, to respond. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer. |
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Second Day (9th June): Tender Heart
How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
Luke 7:11-14 "Now soon afterwards, He went to a town called Nain, accompanied by His disciples and a great number of people. When He was near the gate of the town, it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her, He felt sorry for her. 'Do not cry', He said. Then He went up and put His hand on the bier, and the bearers stood still, and He said, 'Young man, I tell you to get up."
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| Meditation: |
Nain apparently was, and is, a very small town where a woman grieves the loss of her only son. This moment speaks to the willingness of Jesus to be where He is needed, irrespective of who needs Him or the size of the location. He stops with you as He did with the grieving mother. Tenderness is truly a blessing.
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| Prayer: |
O, Sacred Heart, may I see, at this moment, Your tender heart and Your abiding presence. This woman's grief is real and present, and today there are many like her. Give me a compassionate heart, eyes to see and ears to hear, the depth of grief being carried by many in my town too. With you, may I encounter and bring peace to troubled and grieving souls. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer. |
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Third Day (10th June): Listening Heart
How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
1 Kings 19:11-13 Then Elijah was told, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before The Lord'. Then the Lord Himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
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| Meditation: |
We often go on pilgrimages to religious locations at home and abroad. Places like Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, Knock, or St Anne's Bukit Mertajam. Perhaps we have been to or would like to go to The Holy Land. Why do we go? In the hope that we will receive blessings for ourselves and others, that our prayers might be answered and our eyes open to a truth that needs to be revealed. As in this Scripture passage, God is found not in the dramatic but in the simple moments of life. Do you feel a breeze on your cheek? Maybe just stand where you are now, feel and listen.
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| Prayer: |
O, Sacred Heart, Elijah did not find You in earthquake, fire or mighty storm. You revealed Yourself to him in the gentlest of breezes. May I recognise You in the simple moments of life, moments of kindness, trust and life. Perhaps You will speak to me today in the embrace of a loved one, the smile of a child, the wave across the street, the car that stops to let me cross the road. Allow me to be the pilgrim and remind me that the pilgrimage may need to take me no further than my front door. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer. |
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Fourth Day (11th June): Generous Heart
How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
John 6:5-9 Jesus saw the crowds approaching and asked Philip, 'Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?' He only said this to test Philip; He Himself knew exactly what He was going to do. Philip answered, 'Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each'. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said, 'There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish, but what is that between so many?'
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| Meditation: |
The boy's example in today's Gospel has led to a moment of kindness. The little boy at the centre of this story must have been a good example. He offered all he had and did so with an innocence that did not consider the crowd's vastness. The adults did the math S and knew that the offering was not sufficient. God does not see things as mathematically as we might. He saw quality, not quantity.
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| Prayer: |
O, Sacred Heart, give me the innocence of the child who offered what was his to offer. This reminds me that I can make a difference even in the most difficult of situations. Allow me to draw from the example of the generations and lead me to the way of life that may, in time, be an example for others. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer. |
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Fifth Day (12th June): Saddened Heart
How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
Matthew 9:35-37 Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. And when He saw the crowds, He felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest'.
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| Meditation: |
Jesus is truly a man of the people and seems to be continually amongst them. Apart from those moments, recorded in Scripture, where He goes to a lonely place to pray, He always seems to be with people. This leads Him to a deepened awareness of how lost so many of them are and to a sincere desire that they may not be left unaccompanied or cared for. Do we allow ourselves to be moved to pity, to sorrow, when we encounter the plight of others? How do we respond?
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| Prayer: |
O, Sacred Heart, I know what it is like to feel harassed and dejected. I know, too, what it means when someone reaches out to me in kindness. Remind me that labourers in the harvest do not have to be ordained and that You recognise in all of us the gifts and talents You have given us. Give me the courage today to open my eyes, recognise the needs there and take the necessary steps to reap the harvest. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer. |
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Sixth Day (13th June): Attentive Heart
How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
Luke 1:59-63 On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. 'No,' she said, 'he is to be called John. 'They said to her, 'But no one in your family has that name', and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, 'His name is John'.
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| Meditation: |
Zechariah, when given the news that, despite their advanced age, he and Elizabeth were to have a baby, was told the son was to be named John. Unable to accept the truth of this revelation, he was struck dumb and remained without speech until this moment in Scripture. Remembering what he had been told, he had communicated this to Elizabeth, and she shared the name with her relations. Only when Zechariah wrote, "His name is John", was the power of speech restored. More importantly, at this moment, God's Will was fulfilled. Zechariah came to a deepened awareness of God's Will in that place and time of silence. It was a time of attentiveness - of attentive listening. That time is ours now.
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| Prayer: |
O, Sacred Heart, give me moments of silence when I can hear Your word again. Remind me of Zechariah, whose disbelief turned to attentiveness and who saw Your Will fulfilled. May I know today that I, too, am part of Your divine plan and have my line to deliver that may bring others to a place where they recognise the wonder of Your name and the blessing of Your presence. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer. |
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Seventh Day (14th June): Transformed Heart
How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
Ezekiel 36:26-27 "I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put My Spirit in you"
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| Meditation: |
The hardness of the heart is a real danger for all of us. We witness much sadness in our world, watch violence unfold on our television screens. Sometimes tensions blind us towards the needs and pains of other people. During these novena days, maybe we recognise the potential for that hardness of heart and give thanks so that we can receive new hearts and spirits. Let us genuinely explore opportunities to be the better person - the Spirit-filled person.
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| Prayer: |
O, Sacred Heart, it is said that Your words put a new heart in people. They recognised in You one who taught with authority, and Your teaching made a deep and lasting impression on those who listened in faith. Open my ears to Your teaching and my heart to respond. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer. |
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Eighth Day (15th June): Open Heart
How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
Matthew 1:19-24- Her husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you must name Him Jesus because He is the one who is to save His people from their sins.' Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Emmanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
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| Meditation: |
Joseph is rightly titled "a man of honour" and one open to God's will though it impacted heavily upon him. Notably, many of Joseph's revelations occurred during his dreams - his sleep. Attentive to these dreams and aware that God speaks to us in various ways, Joseph is open to respond positively to the Lord's requests and promptings. Today, we might reflect on our willingness to be open to God's Will, not least when it seems complicated. As we prepare to sleep, maybe it is an opportunity to invite God into our dreams so that we too may know His wishes - His "dreams" for us more clearly.
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| Prayer: |
O Sacred Heart, as we reflect today on Joseph's role in the unfolding of Your story, may we, like him, be open in heart, mind and body. May we find the courage to walk Your path, even in our uncertainty, confident that You are the author of our journey. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer. |
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Ninth Day (16th June): United Heart
How to pray the Novena
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| Scripture: |
Luke 24:31-32 And their eyes were opened, and they recognised Him, but He had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?'
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| Meditation: |
We recognise these lines from that evening of the first day of the week when two heartbroken disciples walk seven miles to Emmaus. Jesus walks with them, listens to them, speaks to them and joins them at the table. He opens their minds and hearts to the reality of the days that had just passed and their place in the story of salvation. He leaves them, but not before joining His heart with theirs. He left them with a feeling of deepened awareness of the love He held in His heart for all people - for us. On this Feast Day of The Sacred Heart, we might strive to encounter the Lord on our own walk, invite Him to our table, hear His word and allow our hearts to burn as He explains the Scriptures to us.
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| Prayer: |
O, Sacred Heart, may I see in the image with the lamp the presence of One who knows my needs and my gifts. May I allow that image and the lamp to light the path so that I may walk in Your presence and truly show the world that I am Christian in name and in fact. May Your presence ever abide, my faith ever deepen, and my awareness of my need for Your increase. Amen.
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| End: |
Say the Novena Closing Prayer.
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