About this prayer
An original devotional prayer written for this companion. Pray slowly, bringing your own intentions before God. This is not a prescribed liturgical formula.
Prayer text
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of mercy and patient love, draw my heart close to yours. Forgive my coldness and the ways I have wounded others. Teach me to love without counting the cost and to speak with gentleness and truth. Bring peace to our home, courage to those who suffer and hope to those who feel forgotten. Receive my joys and sorrows as an offering of love. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. Amen.
Extended community prayer
The original prayer above is unchanged. This separate community version includes additional intentions and responses. One person leads; everyone joins in the shared parts.
Let us gather in the presence of God, remembering those who pray with us and those who cannot be here. We bring our gratitude, our needs, and our willingness to care for one another.
God of love, unite our hearts in prayer and teach us to serve you together.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of mercy and patient love, draw my heart close to yours. Forgive my coldness and the ways I have wounded others. Teach me to love without counting the cost and to speak with gentleness and truth. Bring peace to our home, courage to those who suffer and hope to those who feel forgotten. Receive my joys and sorrows as an offering of love. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. Amen.
Community intentions
For those who doubt that they are loved, let your compassionate heart become known through our patient presence.
Lord, hear our prayer, and help us become instruments of your mercy.
For our indifference to suffering, forgive us and form in us a love that listens, protects dignity, and remains faithful.
Lord, hear our prayer, and help us become instruments of your mercy.
Pause for silent prayer. Intentions may be offered aloud freely; no one is required to share.
For the intentions spoken and those held quietly in our hearts, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, receive our prayer and sustain us in your love.
Let us entrust ourselves and those for whom we have prayed to the Father.
Merciful Father, receive our prayer through Jesus Christ. Where we can offer help, make us willing; where we must wait, give us patience. Keep us attentive to one another beyond this gathering. May the grace of this prayer take root in our homes, our work, and our choices, so that your love becomes visible through our lives. Amen.