Evening Novena For Pope John Paul II

Sacred Heart Novena

-- Seventh Day

Love is always generous. It gives without the prospect of reward. It asks only to give in a flooding desire to be lavishly generous.

Much as the heart of the Savior had during His public life sought love and responded to love and been divinely grateful for the slightest sign of love, that heart always thought first in terms of giving...giving...and more giving.

Miracles for the needy, forgiveness for the sinful, faith for those in darkness, hope for the despairful--these were the outpourings of the heart of the Savior.

Now again He speaks, this time to promise the sweet gifts of His love.

To those who love Him, assurance of eternal salvation...

To those who honor a picture of Him, peace in their households and blessings upon their family.

His reward for little acts of devotion just before death...His presence in the Blessed Sacrament...

Favors, gifts--promises made out of the greatness of His love--to anyone who will show some little signs of love for Him...

With that vision the great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, old as Christianity itself but new in its present manifestation, moves in the wind-fed fire of love across the earth.

Loving the lover of our souls, 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.