Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Attributed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
I, N.N., give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, pains, and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being save to honour, love, and glorify Him.
This is my unchanging purpose, namely, to be all His, and to do all things for the love of Him, at the same time renouncing with all my heart whatever is displeasing to Him.
I therefore take Thee, O Sacred Heart, to be the only object of my love, the guardian of my life, the assurance of my salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for all the faults of my life and my sure refuge at the hour of death.
Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before God the Father, and turn away from me the strokes of His righteous anger. O Heart of love, I place all my trust in Thee, for I fear all things from my own weakness and malice, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness and bounty.
Remove from me, then, all that can displease Thee or resist Thy holy will; and may Thy pure love be so deeply impressed upon my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.
May I obtain from all Thy loving kindness the grace of having my name written in Thee, for in Thee I desire to place all my happiness and all my glory, living and dying in very bondage to Thee.
Amen.
Contexte Historique
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in its modern form, originates from the private revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French Visitation nun, between 1673 and 1675. In these apparitions at Paray-le-Monial, Christ revealed His Heart, burning with love for humanity, yet wounded by its indifference and sin. He asked for a devotion of frequent Communion, especially on the First Friday of each month, and the establishment of a feast in honour of His Sacred Heart. This Act of Consecration is a personal response to that call, a way for the faithful to offer their lives in return for His infinite love and to make reparation for the coldness of the world.