The importance of keeping a Holy Hour (at least on Thursdays)

[Xavier]

The importance of keeping a Holy Hour at least on Thursdays, (1) in celebration of the institution of the Holy Mass and the Christian Priesthood on Holy Thursday, (2) in union with the Holy Hour of Agony, Expiation and reparation Jesus Himself kept, and was disappointed His disciples did not keep with Him, can hardly be overstated. It was heavily indulgenced by traditional Pontiffs, and highly recommended by the Church once upon a time. It is good to keep it between 11:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M on the eve of Friday, but it can be kept at other times on Thursday; it is good to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, but if not reasonably possible, we can make it from the comfort of our own homes, with the stipulation that we imitate as closely as possible the dispositions in our heart as we would have if we were in His Eucharistic Presence. Time and space don't matter to Jesus, we can participate before His Eucharist at home, just as we would if we were in chapel, but our hearts' reverent surrender to Him must be the same as it would be there. By keeping Eucharistic hours, we become living victims. Jesus and Mary have been especially asking this of all serious Catholic Christians for a long time, let's do our best to make worthy reparation.

http://www.catholictradition.org/Two-Hearts/holy-hour.htm




His Hour: A Holy Hour of Reparation


----------For One Fold and One Shepherd----------
----------For Reparation----------
----------For Sinners----------
----------For Thanksgiving----------
and
----------For a Just Peace----------

Contents:

HIS HOUR
OPENING PRAYERS
ACT OF CHARITY WITH PRAYER TO CHRIST THE KING
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART
CONSECRATION OF THE HUMAN RACE TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
ACT OF REPARATION
THE HOLY ROSARY: SORROWFUL MYSTERIES WITH SHORT MEDITATIONS
PRAYER TO THE QUEEN OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY
PRAYER TO JESUS ABANDONED
VENERATION OF THE THORN-CROWNED HEAD OF THE SAVIOR
PRAYER TO OUR LORD ON THE CROSS
DEVOTION IN HONOR OF THE FIVE WOUNDS
PRAYER FOR INCREASE IN DAILY HOLY COMMUNIONS
PRAYER FOR THOSE IN THEIR LAST AGONY
PRAYERS FOR THE HOLY FATHER
PRAYER FOR PEACE and PRAYER FOR MERCY FOR THE HOLY SOULS
FINAL PRAYERS

JEWEL

HIS HOUR

THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS . . . began this devotion of the Holy Hour of Reparation, when He entered the Garden of Gethsemane on Mount Olivet. He said to His Apostles: "My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Stay ye here and watch with Me." Later He said to them: "Could ye not watch one hour with Me? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." [Matt. 26:38, 40, 41]

As Jesus spoke to His Apostles, so He pleads with us to stay and watch and pray with Him. His Sacred Heart is filled with sadness, because so many doubt Him, despise Him, insult Him, ridicule Him, spit upon Him, slap Him, accuse Him, condemn Him. In the Sacrament of His Love, so many forget Him. Every mortal sin brings down the terrible scourges on His Sacred Body, presses the sharp thorns into His Sacred Head, and hammers the cruel nails into His Sacred Hands and Feet.

The ingratitude of mankind continually pierces His Sacred Heart.

When Jesus saw the sins of the world and the reparation that must be made to His Heavenly Father, He began to fear and to be sad and sorrowful. "Kneeling down, He prayed: 'Father, if Thou will, remove this chalice from Me; But not My Will, Thine be done: There appeared an Angel from Heaven to strengthen Him; and being in agony, He prayed the longer, and His sweat became as drops of blood trickling to the ground." [Luke 22:41, 44]

The Sacred Heart of Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary: "Make reparation for the ingratitude of men. Spend an hour in prayer to appease Divine justice, to implore mercy for sinners, to honor Me, to console Me for My bitter suffering when abandoned by My Apostles, when they did not WATCH ONE HOUR WITH ME."

"That the necessity of Expiation and Reparation is especially urgent today must be evident to everyone who considers the present plight of the world, 'seated in wickedness' [John 5:9]. The Sacred Heart promised to St. Margaret Mary that he would reward abundantly with His graces all those who should render this honor to His Heart."

--------Pope Pius XI, the Encyclical, Misserentissimus

OPENING PRAYERS

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

[Here make the intention for the Holy Hour.]

O Sacrament most holy
O Sacrament Divine!
All praise and all thanksgiving
be every moment thine!

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, didst instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that in the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in Thee.

Act of Contrition

O MY GOD,  I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

O Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, have mercy on us!

Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe Thou art really present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. I love Thee above everything else, and I long to receive Thee into my soul. I cannot now receive Thee in Holy Communion, but I beg Thee to come to me at least spiritually. I embrace Thee as already there, and unite myself entirely to Thee. Grant that I may never be separated from Thee!

I adore Thee every moment, O Living Bread from Heaven,great Sacrament!

Offering of the Holy Hour

O my Sweet Jesus,  I desire to spend this Hour with Thee, to console Thee, and to make some reparation by the love of my poor heart for the agony Thou didst suffer in Gethsemane. In that lone hour Thou wast forsaken, and the creatures, whom Thou didst create to love Thee, loved Thee not. The weight of all our sins pressed on Thee, and mine as well;  and for the sorrow which I caused Thee then by my sins, I will endeavor to repay Thee now by my love. Strengthen it, my Jesus, that it may in some small measure give Thee consolation.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, strengthened in Thine agony by an Angel,comfort us in our agony.

Opening Prayer to the Blessed Sacrament

My Lord Jesus Christ, it is Thy great love for men that keeps Thee day and night in this Sacrament, full of pity and love, expecting, inviting, and welcoming all who visit Thee. I believe that Thou art really present in the Sacrament of the Altar. From the depth of my nothingness, I adore Thee; and I thank Thee for the many graces Thou hast given me, especially for the gift of Thyself in this Sacrament, for the gift of Thy most holy Mother as my intercessor, and for the privilege of visiting Thee in this Church.

I now speak to Thy most loving Heart with a three-fold intention: to thank Thee for the great gift of Thyself; to atone for all the insults which Thy enemies heap upon Thee in this Sacrament; and to adore Thee wherever Thy Eucharistic Presence is dishonored or forgotten.

My Jesus, I love Thee with my whole heart. I am very sorry for my ingratitude to Thine infinite goodness. I now resolve, with the help of Thy grace, never to offend Thee again. And, sinful as I am, I consecrate to Thee ny entire self, my whole will, my affections, my desires, and all that I have. From now on, do with me and mine as Thou pleasest. I ask for and desire only Thy love, final perseverance, and the grace always to do Thy holy will.

I intercede with Thee for the Souls in Purgatory, especially for those who were most devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, and to Thy most holy Mother. I recommend to Thee also, all poor sinners. And lastly, my dear Savior, I unite all my desires with the desires of Thy most loving Heart. Thus united, I present them to Thine Eternal Father, and beg Him in Thy Name and for love of Thee, to hear and answer them.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Thine.

Act of Faith

O MY GOD, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.

Act of Hope

O MY GOD, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and Life Everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.

Act of Love

O MY GOD, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Jesus, I live for Thee, Jesus, I die for Thee, Jesus, I am Thine in life and in death. Amen.

Act of Charity

O good and merciful Savior, it is the desire of my heart to return Thee love for love. My greatest sorrow is that Thou art not loved by all men, and, in particular, that my heart is so cold, so selfish, so ungrateful. Deeply sensible of my own weakness and poverty, I trust that Thine Own grace will enable me to offer Thee an act of pure love. And I wish to offer Thee this act love in reparation for the coldness and neglect that are shown to Thee in the Sacrament of Thy love by Thy creatures. O Jesus, my sovereign good, I love Thee, not for the sake of the reward which Thou hast promised to those who love Thee, but purely for Thyself. I love Thee above all things that can be loved, above all pleasures, and in fine above myself and all that is not Thee, protesting in the presence of Heaven and earth that I will live and die purely and simply in Thy holy love, and that if to love Thee thus I must endure persecution and suffering, I am perfectly satisfied, and I will ever say with St. Paul: "Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ."