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Hymn for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
"All who do not wish to perish in that deluge of iniquity which inundates the earth, 
should seek in the Heart of Jesus an asylum and a shelter."--St. Bernard.

Isa. xii. 3: "You shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountain."


Jesu, Creator of the world!
Of all mankind Redeemer blest!
True God of God! in whom we see
The Father's Image clear expressed!

O Jesu! in Thy heart divine
May that same love for ever flow;
For ever mercy to mankind
From that exhaustless fountain flow.

Thee, Saviour, love alone constrained
To make our mortal flesh Thine own;
And as a second Adam come,
For the first Adam to atone.

For this, Thy sacred heart was pierced,
And both with blood and water ran,
To cleanse us from the stains of guilt,
And be the hope and strength of man.

That self-same love, which made the sky
Which made the sea, and stars, and earth,
Took pity on our misery,
And broke the bondage of our birth.

To God the Father and the Son
All praise, and power, and glory be;
With Thee, O holy Comforter,
Henceforth through all eternity. Amen


First Vespers.

V. I came to send fire on earth.
R. And what will I but that it be kindled?


Second Vespers.

V. With joy ye shall draw water.
R. From the fountains of the Saviour.




The Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Object of Our Love in the Blessed Sacrament

"Let us return love for love."

Ps. lxxxv. 12: "I will praise Thee, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Thy name for ever."


Beneath the outward form of bread
There is a Sacred Heart,
The tenderest Heart that ever bled,
Or felt unkindness' smart.

Chorus: 'Tis ours, blest sacrament, to atone
For wrongs in Thee to Jesus done.



Here then He dwells, and here invites
The gentle and the rude
To make returns of love--but meets
Nought but ingratitude.

Chorus: 'Tis ours, blest sacrament, to atone
For wrongs in Thee to Jesus done.



The Word of God in flesh had clad
Himself in Mary's womb,
The Heart of Jesus now has made
The sacrament its home.

Chorus: 'Tis ours, blest sacrament, to atone
For wrongs in Thee to Jesus done.



Then, brethren of the Sacred Heart,
Be this our single aim,
In Jesus' griefs to have a part,
And sympathise with Him.

Chorus: 'Tis ours, blest sacrament, to atone
For wrongs in Thee to Jesus done.





The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Hope of Sinners

Ps. xxxiii. 8: "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.

All ye who seek a sure relief
In trouble or distress,
Whatever sorrows vex the mind,
Or guilt the soul oppress;
Our Lord, Who gave Himself for us
Upon the Cross to die,
Unfolds to us His Sacred Heart;
Oh, to that Heart draw nigh.

Chorus: O Jesu, joy of Saints on high;
Thou hope of sinners here,
Attracted by those loving words,
To Thee I lift my prayer.



What meeker than the Saviour's heart
As on the Cross He lay?
It did His murderers forgive,
And for their pardon pray.
Ye hear how kindly He invites,
Ye hear His words so blest:
"All ye that labour come to Me,
And I will give you rest."

Chorus: O Jesu, joy of Saints on high;
Thou hope of sinners here,
Attracted by those loving words,
To Thee I lift my prayer.



Wash Thou my wounds in that dear blood
Which forth from Thee did flow:
New grace, new hope inspire, a new
And better life bestow.
Praise Him who with the Father sits
Enthroned upon the skies;
Whose blood redeems our souls from guilt,
Whose Spirit sanctifies.

Chorus: O Jesu, joy of Saints on high;
Thou hope of sinners here,
Attracted by those loving words,
To Thee I lift my prayer.
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Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

OMOST Holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Thy blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Within Thy Heart I place my every care. In every need let me come to Thee with humble trust saying, ‘Heart of Jesus help me’. Amen.


•••••••

O MOST Sacred Heart of Jesus, pour down Thy blessings abundantly upon Thy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff, and upon all the clergy; give perseverance to the just, convert sinners, enlighten unbelievers, bless our parents, friends and benefactors, help the dying, free the souls from Purgatory, and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen. (Pre-1968 Indulgence of 500 days)


•••••••

Memorare to the Sacred Heart

REMEMBER, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought its mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushed beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests.


•••••••

Prayer of St. Gertrude to the Sacred Heart

SANCTITY of the Heart of Jesus, consecrate my heart;
Providence of the Heart of Jesus, watch over my heart;
Un-changeableness of the Heart of Jesus, strengthen my heart;
Purity of the Heart of Jesus, purify my heart;
Obedience of the Heart of Jesus, subjugate my heart;
Amiability of the Heart of Jesus, make Thyself known to my heart;
Divine attractions of the Heart of Jesus, captivate my heart;
Riches of the Heart of Jesus, do Ye suffice for my heart;
Floods of grace and blessing that flow from the Heart of Jesus, inundate my heart;

O Heart of Jesus! be Thou my joy, my peace, my repose in this world and the next.
O Heart of Jesus! adored in heaven, invoked on earth, feared in hell,
reign over all hearts, reign throughout all ages, reign forever in celestial glory.
Amen.



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Offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

MY LOVING Jesus! out of the grateful love I bear Thee, and as a reparation for all my unfaithfulness, I [N. N.] give Thee my heart and I consecrate myself wholly to Thee, and with Thy aid, I purpose never to sin again.

V/. Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us,
R/. Inflame our hearts with love of Thee.

Let us pray.
LORD, we beseech Thee, let Thy Holy Spirit kindle in our hearts that fire of charity which our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, sent forth from His inmost Heart upon this earth, and willed that it should burn with vehemence. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. (Pre-1968 Indulgence of 7 years)



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Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
COMPOSED BY ST. MARGARET MARY ALOCOQUE

OSACRED Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honouring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.

I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants. Amen.

In union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I consecrate my loved ones, family members and my future to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.


•••••••


Short Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

O SACRED Heart of Jesus,
filled with infinite Love,
broken by my ingratitude,
pierced by my sins,
yet loving me still;
accept the consecration
that I make to Thee
of all that I am
and all that I have.
Take every faculty
of my soul and body
and draw me,
day by day,
nearer and nearer
to Thy Sacred Heart,
and there,
as I can understand the lesson,
teach me Thy blessed ways.
Amen.



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Prayer of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

ADORABLE Heart of Jesus, glowing with love for us and inflamed with zeal for our salvation. O Heart that understands the misery to which our sins have brought us, infinitely rich in mercy to heal the wounds of our souls, behold me humbly kneeling before Thee to express the sorrow that fills my heart for the coldness and indifference with which I have so long returned the numberless benefits which Thou hast bestowed upon me.

With a deep sense of the outrages that have been heaped upon Thee by my sins and the sins of others, I wish to make reparation to Thy most Sacred Majesty. It was our sins that filled Thy Heart with bitterness; it was the weight of our guilt that pressed down Thy Face to the earth in the Garden of Olives and caused Thee to die in agony on the Cross. But now, repentant and sorrowful, I implore Thy forgiveness.

Adorable Heart of Jesus, source of true consolation and ever merciful to the penitent sinner, impart to our hearts the spirit of penance that we may be sincerely sorry for our sins. Pardon them, O Lord, in Thy mercy, and let all who have sinned against Thee in the Sacrament of Thy love be converted and return unto Thee. Deliver us from our sins. And in order to repair the sins of ingratitude by which we have grieved Thy most tender and loving Heart, may we love and honour Thee in the most adorable Sacrament of the Altar, where Thou art present to hear and grant our petitions and to be the food and life of our souls.

Merciful Jesus, be our Mediator with Thy Heavenly Father, Whom we have so grievously offended. Help us to amend our ways. As Thy Sacred Heart is our refuge and our hope when we have sinned, so let it be the strength and support of our repentance, and nothing in life or death shall ever separate us from Thee. Amen.



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Act of Reparation to Sacred Heart of Jesus (#1)

O SACRED Heart of Jesus, animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy and on behalf of all mankind, pledge love and fidelity to Thee.

+ The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred Heart of Jesus!

+ The more hearts despise and ignore Thy Love, the more we shall love Thee, O loving Heart of Jesus!

+ The more that scientistic unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore Thee, O Divine Heart of Jesus!

+ The more Thy Sacraments are despised and blasphemed, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, most generous Heart of Jesus!

+ The more Thy holy laws are transgressed and ignored, the more we shall take care to observe them, most holy Heart of Jesus!

+ The more Thou art blasphemed and scorned in the Holy Eucharist, Thy Sacrament of Love, the more ardently we shall adore Thee, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

+ The more the imitation of Thy virtues is scorned and forgotten, the more we shall endeavour to practice them, most obedient Heart of Jesus.

+ The more the devil strives to destroy souls, the more we shall be inflamed to save them by penances and prayers to Thee, most zealous Lover of Souls!

+ The more sin and impurity deface and destroy Thy divine image in man, the more we shall try by purity of life to be a living temple of the Holy Spirit, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

+ The more Thy Holy Church is scorned and compromised, the more we shall endeavour to be her faithful children, Most Loving Heart of Jesus!

+ The more that hubris, heresy and apostasy threaten Holy Church, the more we shall turn to Thy Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Thy Mother to save us, O Sacred Heart of Jesus!

+ The more Thine Immaculate Mother is blasphemed, the more we shall increase our fervent devotions to her, Most Devoted Heart of Jesus!

+ The more Thy Church is persecuted, the more we shall pray and sacrifice for her triumph and exaltation, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Let us pray.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, always obedient to the Eternal Father, teach us to be ever obedient and humble in the face of the diabolical disorientation that has sown such chaos in the Church and disheartened so many. Suffer us not to be scandalised by this long, dark night of the soul of our Church, but to persevere in loving obedience trusting always in Thine Sacred Heart and in Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Amen.


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Act of Reparation to Sacred Heart of Jesus (#2)


O SWEET Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thy altar eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary expiation not only for our own personal offences, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy Law.

We are now resolved to expiate such and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offences against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behaviour, – for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent, – for the frequent violation of Sundays and holy days, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints.

We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on earth and Thy priests are subjected, – for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Thy divine love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and the teaching authority of the Church which Thou hast founded.

Would, O Divine Jesus, we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood! We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honour, the satisfaction Thou didst once make to Thine eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou does continue to renew daily on our altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.

Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and by the crowning gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all one day come to that happy home, where Thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.



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The Divine Praises

BLESSED be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.

Admirable is the Name of God!



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The Reproaches (Improperia)

Choir I: O My people, what have I done to Thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.
Because I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, thou has prepared a Cross for thy Saviour.

Choir II:  Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

I: Because I led thee through the wilderness forty years, and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good, thou hast prepared a Cross for thy Saviour.

II: Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

I: What could I have done for thee that I have not done?
I planted thee indeed My fairest vine, and thou hast become exceeding bitter unto Me; for when I was thirsty thou gavest Me vinegar to drink, and piercedst with a spear the side of thy Saviour.

II: Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

I: For thy sake, I scourged Egypt with her first-born, and thou didst deliver Me to be scourged.

II: O My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.

I: I led thee out of Egypt, drowning Pharaoh in the Red Sea; and thou didst deliver Me to the Chief Priests.

II: O My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.

I: I opened the sea before thee; and thou openedst My side with a spear.

II: O My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.

I: I went before thee in a pillar of cloud; and thou leddest Me to the judgement hall of Pilate.

II: O My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.

I: I fed thee with manna in the desert; and thou hast beaten me with buffetings and scourgings.

II: O My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.

I: I gave thee to drink the Water of Salvation from the Rock; and thou gav’st Me gall and vinegar.

II: O My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.

I: I gave thee a Royal Sceptre; and thou gav’st My Head a crown of thorns.

II: O My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.

I: I exalted thee with great power; and thou didst lift Me up upon the Cross.

II: O My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me.

I: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory,

II: Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy Blood;

Adagio.I: for Thou becamest obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.




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Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart

I. O my Jesus, Thou hast 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 I ask for the grace of [state your request].

Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be …
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.

II. O my Jesus, Thou hast said: “Truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in Thy name, I ask the Father for the grace of [state your request].

Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be …
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.

III. O my Jesus, Thou hast said: “Truly I say to you, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Encouraged by Thy infallible words, I now ask for the grace of [state your request].

Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be …
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.

Let us pray.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for Whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have mercy on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of Thee, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, thy tender Mother and ours.

Hail Holy Queen …
St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.



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Litany of the Sacred Heart

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, (* have mercy on us)
God, the Son, Redeemer of the World, (*)
God, the Holy Ghost, (*)
Holy Trinity, one God, (*)

Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, (*)
Heart of Jesus, formed in the womb of the Virgin Mother by the Holy Ghost, (*)
Heart of Jesus, united substantially with the word of God, (*)
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, (*)
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, (*)
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, (*)
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, (*)
Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, (*)
Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, (*)
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, (*)
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, (*)
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, (*)
Heart of Jesus, king and centre of all hearts, (*)
Heart of Jesus, in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (*)
Heart of Jesus, in Whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Divinity, (*)
Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased, (*)
Heart of Jesus, of Whose fullness we have all received, (*)
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, (*)
Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, (*)
Heart of Jesus, rich to all who invoke Thee, (*)
Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, (*)
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, (*)
Heart of Jesus, saturated with revilings, (*)
Heart of Jesus, crushed for our iniquities, (*)
Heart of Jesus, made obedient unto death, (*)
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, (*)
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, (*)
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, (*)
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, (*)
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, (*)
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, (*)
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, (*)
Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints, (*)

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, (spare us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, (graciously hear us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world, (have mercy on us.)

Jesus, meek and humble of Heart. (Make our hearts like unto Thine.)

Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well-beloved Son and upon the acts of praise and satisfaction which He renders unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, in Thy great goodness, grant pardon to them who seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Thy Son, Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, world without end. Amen.

(Partial Indulgence, 1968; taken from Fisheaters.com)



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The Love of the Sacred Heart by St Mechtilde


Can be read online at CatholicSaints.info (html text) or FishEaters.com (photocopy of a beautiful 1922 edition in .pdf format) or listened to below:



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Nine (9) First Fridays Devotion

“I promise you, 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 for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance; they shall not die in my disgrace nor without receiving the sacraments; my divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in that last moment.”


Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque
12 Promises of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary

1.  I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2.  I will give peace in their families.
3.  I will console them in all their troubles.
4.  I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5.  I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6.  Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7.  Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8.  Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9.  I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.