Prayer Life
Novena to Sacred Heart of Jesus
St. Padre Pio prayed the Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus every day for the intentions of those who requested his prayers. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the saint most well-known for spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, wrote this prayer. The faithful pray this novena nine days before the feast of the Sacred Heart, which is observed on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost. However, the novena may be prayed at any time throughout the year.
Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of [insert your intention.]
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
II. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask any thing of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of [insert your intention.]
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
III. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of [insert your intention.]
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be to the Father…Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
Jesus made these twelve promises to those who honor His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun, whom he called “the Beloved Disciple of the Sacred Heart” and the Heiress “of all Its treasures”, in the 1670’s.
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life.
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will comfort them in their trials.
4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and, above all, in death.
5. I will shed abundant blessings on all their undertakings
6. Sinners will find in My Heart an infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls will become fervent.
8. Fervent souls will rapidly grow in holiness and perfection.
9. I will bless every place where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. The names of those who promote this devotion will be written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
12. I promise thee, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
Daily Mass Readings can be found at usccb.org/bible/readings
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Our patron saint, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, showed intense love for the Blessed Sacrament and a devotion to His Sacred Heart. The opportunity to pray and be in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord can change hearts. There is no cross that any one of us carries which cannot be lightened by the grace and mercy of Christ.
All are welcome to come sit in our church and pray. We hope that our church and Eucharistic Adoration Chapel will provide a prayerful space for you to foster your relationship with Jesus.
Eucharistic Adoration Chapel
Our Adoration Chapel provides the opportunity for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Eucharistic Adorers can enroll for a specific hour or on a drop-in basis.
The schedule for the Adoration in the Chapel follows church hours:
Sunday-Thursday: 6:00 am-9:00 pm
Friday: 6:00 am-7:00 am & 9:30 am-9:00 pm On First Fridays, there will be Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the main body of the church from Noon-3:00 pm
Saturday: 7:30 am-9:00 pm
While the Chapel is open and available to everyone, we want to provide security and protection for Adorers. Everyone is required to have a security access card and code for entrance to the Chapel. For access to the chapel, contact Mary Kelly
For more information about Eucharistic Adoration, contact Daphne Patil
Devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help - Tuesday Mornings after the 6:30 a.m. Mass
Devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help is the most widespread Marian devotion throughout the world. As long as we have doubts and fears, uncertainties and preoccupations, worries and problems, devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help will never grow old. Since she accompanied her son Jesus with faith throughout the events in his life (cf. Mt 1:18, Lk 2:35), she is ideally positioned to understand our situation today. Once the woman of prayer in Nazareth, she is now also the woman of help, who set out with haste from her own village to go to see Elizabeth and be of service (Lk 1:39). The public veneration of the icon of our Mother of Perpetual Help has resulted in striking miracles and marvels of grace. Please join us on Tuesday mornings after the 6:30 a.m. Mass to honor our Blessed Mother and ask her to intercede to our Lord Jesus for our intentions.
The miraculous image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help is an icon, painted on wood, and seems to have originated around the 13th century on the Greek island of Crete. The original artist of the icon is unknown is unknown. However, at some point in the late 15th century, the icon was brought to Italy from Crete. In 1499 the icon came to the Church of St. Matthew in Rome where it was venerated for nearly 300 years until the church was destroyed in 1798 during the Napoleonic invasions. The icon disappeared for over 50 years but was discovered through the intercession of our Mother of Perpetual Help. On December 11, 1865, Pope Pius IX entrusted the icon to the Redemptorists and asked them to “make her known throughout the world.” The image was enshrined in the Church of St. Alphonsus Ligouri in Rome, built at the site of the former Church of St. Matthew, where it remains to this day.
Each element of the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help has a specific meaning:
- Mary’s eyes, filled with compassion and love, are directed toward us.
- Our Lady is clothed in the colors of virgins (red) and of mothers (blue). These are also royal colors.
- Jesus, depicted as a young boy, wears the colors of a king.
- The star on Mary’s veil reminds us that she is the dawn announcing the coming of Christ.
- Our Lady’s hands hold her Son securely, and her right hand directs our gaze to Him.
- The Christ Child grasps his mother’s hand as though he is frightened by what he sees.
- On Our Lady’s left and right we see the reasons for the child’s fear. On the right is the Archangel Gabriel, holding a cross and four nails. On the left is the Archangel Michael, holding a lance, a pole with a sponge, and a vessel of vinegar. This vision of the instruments of the crucifixion has driven the young Jesus to his mother’s protective embrace.
- In His hurry to reach his mother, Jesus has almost lost one of his sandals. He became human, like us, in all things but sin.
- Yet Our Lady’s gaze is fixed on us, her children on earth. She is our source of constant comfort and hope.
“Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Help”
O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on thee, for, in all my needs, in all my temptations I shall never cease to call on thee, ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.
The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The first part of the Hail Mary is the angel's words announcing Christ's birth and Elizabeth's greeting to Mary. St. Pius V officially added the second part of the Hail Mary. The Mysteries of the Rosary center on the events of Christ's life. There are four sets of Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous.
The prayers of the Rosary
The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each Mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where Christ's spirit dwells. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group.
The Five Joyful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Mondays, Saturdays, and, during the season of Advent, on Sundays:
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Nativity
The Presentation in the Temple
The Finding in the Temple
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays, Fridays, and, during the season of Lent, on Sundays:
The Agony in the Garden
The Scourging at the Pillar
The Crowning with Thorns
The Carrying of the Cross
The Crucifixion and Death
The Five Glorious Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Wednesdays and, outside the seasons of Advent and Lent, on Sundays:
The Resurrection
The Ascension
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
The Assumption
The Coronation of Mary
The Five Luminous Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Thursdays:
The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan
The Wedding Feast at Cana
Jesus' Proclamation of the Coming of the Kingdom of God
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist
Prayer Requests
The parish community of St. Margaret Mary would be glad to join you in prayer. If you or a loved one is in need of prayers, please call the parish office at 402-558-2255 or email [email protected]
If you’d rather make your request in person, please stop in the parish office during regular office hours.
You can find this list of names for prayer requests in the parish Bulletin each Sunday.
Christians Encounter Christ (CEC) is a Catholic movement within the Archdiocese of Omaha. The CEC Method is introduced on a 3-day weekend retreat. It is a combined effort of laity and clergy toward evangelization of the world in which we live by strengthened spirituality lived and shared in everyday environments. The community spirit of the weekend is continued through group and community gatherings called Avanti Cristo. Contact: Deacon Chuck Adams