Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you and with true sorrow for my sins, I offer You this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You.

Protect me in the midst of danger, comfort me in my afflictions, give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

This is one of my favorite personal prayers. It is simple and short but seems to cover everything that I might include for myself alone and my relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. It brings to mind The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order. Could this be because of the connection between Saint Margaret Mary and Saint Francis? Secular Franciscans, pray this prayer to live our Rule more perfectly.

From the writings of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:

"On the feast of St. Francis ( October 4, 1673 ), Our Lord let me see in prayer, this great saint, clad in a garment of light and unspeakable brilliance. He had been raised above the other saints to an extraordinarily high degree of glory, because his life was so like that of the suffering redeemer who is the life of our souls and the love of our hearts. His glory was the reward of his great love for the passion of our Lord, a love which rendered him worthy of the great stigmata and made him one of the great favourites of Jesus' heart. By a very special favour he has been given great power in applying to the faithful the merits of the Precious Blood, a power which made him, in a sense, the mediator of this treasure. After I had seen all this, the Divine Bridegroom, as a token of his love, gave me St. Francis as my soul's guide. He was to lead me through all the pains and sufferings that awaited me."

The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order

Article X

United themselves to the redemptive obedience of Jesus, who placed his will into the Father's hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper to their various circumstances of life. Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ, witness to him even in difficulties and persecutions.

Article XII

Witnessing to the good yet to come and obliged to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters.