Welcome to the Night Adorers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
We have put together a booklet to help you pray the Holy Hour in the home.
It comprises of:
- General advice on how to pray the Holy Hour.
- An explanation of the indulgences you can gain praying the Holy Hour and how to obtain them.
A section with the Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Canon of the Mass, the Litanies of the Sacred Heart and an Act of Consecration to start your Holy Hour. - “A Holy Hour” Father Mateo wrote for all adorers.
A Holy Mass is offered every month for all people having committed themselves to participate in this devotion and for their families.
On the practical level, it is best to pray the Holy Hour in front of an image or statue of the Sacred Heart, ideally the one with which you Enthroned Him in your home or will use to do so.
The best way to start your Holy Hour is to read the Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, uniting yourself in spirit to all the priests who are offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at this exact time, all around the world; followed by the Litany of the Sacred Heart, and an Act of Consecration. You may then add any other prayers you wish.
Nightly Adoration in the home is made in a spirit of reparation. Some sins are being committed every hour of the day and night, so reparation should also be perpetual. Therefore, nightly adoration in the home is organised in such a way that at every hour of the night throughout the entire year, reparation is being made by the sacrifice of an hour of sleep, offered to the Sacred Heart as an act of homage and love during his mystical agony.
Regulations
The Nightly Adorer promises to make one hour of adoration once a month (or more) during the night. The night begins at 21h00 and ends with the hour from 05h00-06h00. Adoration made at any other time is meritorious but is not sufficient to gain the indulgences.
Adorers are perfectly free to choose their own date and hour for any responsible motive, and any time of the month and hour of night may be selected. As an act of generosity and sacrifice, night adorers are encouraged to leave the choice of their hour of adoration to their spiritual director (if they have any).
In order to keep accurate records and to maintain continuous nights of adoration, deaths and withdrawals of members, should be made known to the promoter.
It is not necessary to renew the enrolment each year. Once enrolled, you continue to be a member until death or voluntary withdrawal.
The promise you make does not bind under pain of sin, even venial. Father Mateo started it as an act of loving homage and reparation to the Sacred Heart. Accordingly, its success and duration will depend upon the extent of the faithfulness and generosity of its members. This fidelity will be proved when through sickness or otherwise prevented, you make your hour of adoration some other night. It is not necessary to notify the promoter of temporary change of date or hour.
Recommended intentions for the Holy Hour
- For family members who have lost their faith, whom we shall save by this penance and prayers.
- In reparation for all the blasphemies and insults hurled against God. And for all the insults and profanations directed against Our Lord in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. (Remember that Our Lord Himself asked Saint Margaret Mary for this Eucharistic reparation.)
- For the clergy, the special friends of Jesus – His priests.
For our Holy Father the Pope, who greatly needs prayers. - For those who are in their last agony and perhaps will appear before the tribunal of the Sovereign Judge before the end of the hour’s watch.
- Lastly, pray fervently that the Heart of Jesus may reign over society as King and Master, in social and national life. May His Kingdom come!
- You may add as many intentions as you wish.
INDULGENCES
What is an indulgence?
An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. There are two kinds of indulgences, partial and plenary.
What is a partial indulgence?
Partial indulgences can be acquired as often as one desires. This necessitates one following “the usual conditions” for receiving a partial indulgence:
- One must be in a state of grace (free of mortal sin). A good Confession is not then necessary, but a contrite heart is, even for venial sin.
- One must intend to receive the indulgence.
- One must perform the prescribed action of the indulgence.
What is a plenary indulgence?
Plenary Indulgences can be acquired only once each day for the same work (unless one is at the moment before death, in which case he may acquire another. Another exception is on All Souls Day – 2 November – when the faithful may gain a plenary indulgence, only for the souls in Purgatory, as often as they want). Plenary indulgences are much more demanding than partial indulgences.
What are the required conditions for a plenary indulgence?
- Sacramental confession.
- Eucharistic Communion.
- Pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.
- It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent. If the latter disposition is in any way less than perfect or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be partial only.
It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (8) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope’s intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an “Our Father” and a “Hail Mary” are suggested.
Members can gain:
1. A PLENARY INDULGENCE on the day of their admission as a member of the Sacred Heart Companions (the Promoter).
2. A PLENARY INDULGENCE once a month, when members make their hour of prayer under the ordinary conditions (Confession, Communion, prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions)
3. A PLENARY INDULGENCE at the hour of death if the members, having received the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist, or at being contrite, invoke the holy name of Jesus — if possible with their lips, otherwise in their heart — and patiently accept death as coming from the hand of God.
4. A PARTIAL INDULGENCE of 7 years for every extra hour of adoration made with a contrite heart.
5. If all the conditions for a plenary indulgence are not fulfilled, you may still gain a partial indulgence.
