Saints

Here you will find quotes from various saints who had a particular devotion to the Heart of Jesus. Some may even surprise you. The quote from a particular saint is given as a as a prayer starter for yourself. Borrow the words that help you pray. Feel free to adapt the thought or insight into your own words. If you wish, you may use these quotes to help you journey into the Heart of Jesus.

Saint Albert the Great

I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person.

I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God.

I adore You enclosed in the veins of Jesus, preserved in His humanity like the manna in the golden urn, the memorial of the eternal Redemption which He accomplished during the days of His earthly life.

I adore You, Blood of the new, eternal Testament, flowing from the veins of Jesus in Gethsemane, from the flesh torn by scourges in the Praetorium, from His pierced hands and feet and from His opened side on Golgotha. I adore You in the Sacraments, in the Eucharist, where I know You are substantially present....

I place my trust in You, O adorable Blood, our Redemption, our regeneration. Fall, drop by drop, into the hearts that have wandered from You and soften their hardness.

O adorable Blood of Jesus, wash our stains, save us from the anger of the avenging angel. Irrigate the Church; make her fruitful with Apostles and miracle-workers, enrich her with souls that are holy, pure and radiant with divine beauty.

St. Bonaventure

Christ is both the way and the door. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant, and the mystery hidden from the ages.

A man should turn his full attention to this throne of mercy, and should gaze at him hanging on the cross, full of faith, hope and charity, devoted, full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude, and open to praise and jubilation.

Then such a man will make with Christ a pasch, that is, a passing-over. Through the branches of the cross he will pass over the Red Sea, leaving Egypt and entering the desert. There he will taste the hidden manna, and rest with Christ in the sepulcher, as if he were dead to things outside. He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living, what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ: "Today you will be with me in paradise."

St. Claude La Colombiere

Reflections on the Way of the Cross drawn from the writings of St. Claude

From Retreat Notes of 1674

The love of our Lord’s Heart was in no way diminished by the treason of Judas, the flight of the apostles, and the persecution of his enemies. Jesus was only grieved at the harm they did themselves; his sufferings helped to assuage his grief because he saw in them a remedy for the sins committed by his enemies. The Sacred Heart was full of most tender love: there was no bitterness in it; no cruelty and injustice that he received moved it to feelings other than those of compassion and affection.

I turned to Mary and asked her to obtain for me the grace to imitate our Lord’s Heart. I saw how perfectly her heart copied his: she loved those who put her Son to death and offered him to God the Father for them. This enkindled a very great love of virtue in my heart.

O Sacred Hearts of Jesus and of Mary, truly worthy of possessing all hearts and of reigning over humans and angels, you shall be my models; I will try to copy you. May my heart live always in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and may their hearts live in mine, so that I may never do anything that is not in accordance with them.

From Retreat Notes of 1677

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, teach me an entire forgetfulness of myself, since that is the only way one can find entrance into you. As all that I shall do in the future will be yours, grant I may do nothing that will be unworthy of you. Teach me what I should do to come to the purity of your love, the desire of which you have breathed into me. I feel in myself a tremendous inclination to please you, and a great impotence of succeeding without a great light and a most special help which I can expect only from you.

Lord, do your will in me. I well know that I oppose it. But I dearly wish, I think, not to oppose it. It is yours to do all, divine Heart of Jesus Christ. You alone will have all the glory of my sanctification if I become holy. That seems to me clearer than the day. But for you it will be a great glory, and it is for that reason alone that I would desire to be perfect. Amen.

From Spiritual Notes of 1678

My Jesus, let me live in your Heart and pour all my bitterness into it where it will be utterly consumed. Sheltered in your Heart I shall not fear impatience. There I will practice silence, resignation to you will, and constancy. I will thank you daily for my crosses and ask your pardon for those who offend me. I will try to acquire patience. I know it is not the work of a day, but it is enough for me to be sure that it can be attained by effort.

O my sweet Jesus, pray for me as you prayed for your enemies; do not refuse me this for I long to love you and even to love my cross and my enemies for love of you. Amen.

From Retreat Notes of 1677

O adorable Savior, grant my desire to consecrate myself entirely to love and reparation to you divine Heart and to accept the gift I make to you of all that I am and all that I have. In reparation for all the outrages committed against you and for the terrible ingratitude you suffer from people, I consecrate to you myself and my life. Give and take what you will; use me or set me aside as a useless instrument; give me consolations or give me trials; may you will be done in all things. May all this glorify your divine Heart and make reparation to it. I wish to make a full gift of all this to you, begging you to accept it and to use it freely for the salvation of sinners. Amen.

Saint Gertrude

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary.

O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is aflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.

St. John Chrysostom

Water and blood are a symbol of baptism and the most holy sacrament [of the Eucharist]. Now the Church is founded on the spiritual renewal by the bath of rebirth and on the most holy sacrament [of the Eucharist], both of which have their origin in the side of Christ.

Therefore Christ built the Church from the side of Christ, just as he made Eve from the side of Adam. Therefore St. Paul says, 'We are of his flesh and of his bones.'"
"Now we see how intimately Christ has been united to his spouse (the Church); see with what food he satisfies us. He himself is our food and nourishment; and just as a woman nourishes her child with her own blood and milk, Christ also constantly nourishes with his own blood those to whom he has given birth (by Baptism)."

St. John Vianney

The priest continues the work of redemption on earth… The Priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.

Lanspergius, the Carthusian

O my Most Loving and Gentle Jesus, I desire with all the affections of my heart, that all beings created and uncreated, should praise you, honor you and glorify you eternally for that sacred wound wherewith your divine side was rent. I deposit, enclose, conceal in that wound and in that opening in your Heart, my heart and all my feelings, thoughts, desires, intentions and all the faculties of my soul. I entreat you, by the precious Blood and Water that flowed from your most loving Heart, to take entire possession of me, that you may guide me in all things. Consume me in the burning fire of your holy love, so that I may be absorbed and transformed into You that I may no longer be but one with You. Amen.

St. Margaret Mary

"Oh, how fortunate you shall be to be able to receive every day this divine Sacrament, to hold this God of Love in your hands and place Him in your own heart!
I desire but this one grace, and long to be consumed like a burning candle in His holy Presence every moment of the life that remains to me. For that I would be willing, I think, to suffer all the pains imaginable till judgment day, if only I should not have to leave His sacred presence.

My only motive would be to be consumed in honoring Him and to acknowledge the burning love He shows us in this wonderful Sacrament. Here His love holds Him captive till the end of time. It is of this one can truly say, "Love triumphs, love enjoys/ Love finds in God its joys!"

St. Margaret Mary

Loving Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, your move hearts that are harder than rock, you melt spirits that are colder than ice, and you reach souls that are more impenetrable than diamonds.

Touch my heart with your sacred wounds and permeate my soul with your precious Blood, so that wherever I turn I will see only my divine Crucified Lord, and everything I see will appear colored with your blood.

Lord Jesus, let my heart never rest until it finds you, who are its center, its love, and its happiness. By the wound in your heart, pardon the sins that I have committed whether out of malice or out of evil desires. Place my weak heart in your own divine Heart, continually under your protection and guidance, so that I may persevere in doing good and in fleeing evil until my last breath.

Heart of Jesus, save me.
Heart of my Creator, perfect me.
Heart of my Savior, deliver me.
Heart of my Judge, forgive me.
Heart of my Father, govern me.
Heart of my Spouse, love me.
Heart of my Master, teach me.
Heart of my King, crown me.
Heart of my Benefactor, enrich me.
Heart of my Pastor, defend me.
Heart of my Friend, embrace me.
Heart of my infant Jesus, draw me.
Heart of Jesus dying on the cross, pray for me.
Heart of Jesus, I greet you in all your states.
Give yourself to me.

St. Margaret Mary
The Sacred Heart of Christ is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure.

From this divine heart three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of mercy for sinners; it pours into their hearts sentiments of contrition and repentance. The second is the stream of charity which helps all in need and especially aids those seeking perfection in order to find the means of surmounting their difficulties. From the third stream flow love and light for the benefit of his friends who have attained perfection; these he wishes to unit to himself so that they may share his knowledge and commandments and, in their individual ways, devote themselves wholly to advancing his glory.

This divine heart is an abyss filled with all blessings, and into the poor should submerge all their needs. It is an abyss of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows. It is an abyss of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an abyss of mercy for the wretched, an abyss of love to meet our every need.

Are you making no progress in prayer? The you need only offer God the prayers which the Savior has poured out for us in the sacrament of the altar. Offer God his fervent love in reparation for your sluggishness. In the course of every activity pray as follows: "My God, I do this or I endure that in the heart of your Son and according to his holy counsels. I offer it to you in reparation for anything blameworthy or imperfect in my actions." Continue to do this in every circumstance of life.

But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the divine heart. In this way his will can carry out for us whatever contributes to his glory, and we will be happy to be his subjects and to trust entirely in him.