Evening Novena For Pope John Paul II

Sacred Heart Novena

-- Fourth Day

The heart of the Savior broke during the course of the Passion.

The paschal moon that shone with fierce brilliance over the garden was like a searchlight beating upon the sins of the parading world.

Christ saw that world, knew its horror and vileness, and broke into a bloody sweat.

Yet that heart held Him captive when the traitor came and made Him call the betrayer friend.

Upon the loving Savior, bound, not with cords and chains, but by His heartstrings, tell the blows of the scourging, the mockery of the mob, the spittle of the soldiers, the awful humiliation of public rejection.

It was His heart rather than His head that was crowned with thorns.

Upon the cross it was His heart that held Him fast.  He loved us and delivered Himself for us. He bore our bruises and our infirmities. Greater love than this no man hath, that He die for His executioners.

And that the last drop of love might flow out and the lowest and meanest of His sinners might find safe entrance to His heart, He offers that heart to the lance of the centurion. In the cleft of His heart, as in the cleft of a rock, the penitent world has found warmth, safety, and protection.

Before the suffering Christ of love we say:

O God, who in the heart of thy Son, wounded by our sins, dost deign mercifully to bestow upon us the infinite treasures of thy love, grant, we beseech thee, that we who now pay Him the devout homage of our piety may also perform the duty of worthy satisfaction. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who livest and reignest with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

Amen.