Jubilee 2025

The devotion of the Holy Hour consists in spending an hour in prayer in union with the prayer which Our Lord made in the Garden before His Passion.

Its object is to make atonement for the insensibility of men’s hearts; to share, in desire at least, in what the agonising Heart of Jesus bore for us; to beg grace for sinners; to appease the anger of God. Our Lord Himself revealed this devotion to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque,

Love causes Jesus Christ to make our sins His. – Can it be love which does not make His sorrows, His interests ours ?

The sources of His sufferings.

“And He began to fear, and to be weary, and to grow sorrowful, and to be sad.” (Mark, 14:33. Matthew, 26:37.)

First ¼ — Mœstus esse. — To be sorrowful.

Consciousness of sin… Estimate of sin… God’s majesty… Malice and mischief of sin, bringing degradation and misery, here and hereafter.

Jesus suffered as a sinner. What a pain that must have been… Sins made His own… He, responsible for them.. His contrition for each… Each of mine weighed Him down.. God hurt… His loved ones hurt… His own love wounded, thrown away.

– Listen to the words He addresses to you:

Five minutes. — “Unite yourself with Me, prostrate, adoring in silence.

Five minutes. — Confess with Me the sins of mankind your own…particularly your predominant passion.

Five minutes. — Hide your shame in My Heart… whilst I bear alone and unsheltered My Father’s anger. “

Second ¼ — Pavere. — To fear.

Under this head are to be ranged the pangs and fear of each particular suffering in the whole of His Passion, which was now thrust down like a sharp knife upon His Heart, — each torment of it, bodily pain — dishonour — moral anguish — fear of death, of the destruction of that beautiful human life of His — anguish of His Mother and His Saints, of all whose pain would be of the same kind to the end of time.

Five minutes. — Consider the nature of sin. “Non serviam, I will not obey.” The creature who has received all from God, rebelling against God.

Five minutes. — Consider its malice: an inexcusable ingratitude.

Five minutes. — Consider its dreadful consequences in man — degradation — suffering — death; the eternal loss of God! …… [a loss which will not allay the eternal hunger and thirst for a happiness which is only to be found in God.]

Third ¼ — Todere. — To be weary.

From the natural weariness and fainting of the body, which went on increasing during all the long hours of His Passion, to the extreme of mental and spiritual desolation which the soul can feel, when even prayer, etc. are painful and wearisome.

The utter misery of disappointment at the ingratitude of man. He spends His Life, His Blood, His Heart in vain, only to reap neglect, to see the treasures He has toiled for despised and made of no account.

And here, we may reckon even the shortcomings of His chosen servants, and still more the waste of grace, the profitless use or neglect of Sacraments, etc.

His prayer then was full of submission and resignation to His Father’s will.

Five minutes. — Accept the chalice of reparation of which Jesus drank the most bitter draught….. Say with Him: “Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me, yet not my will, but Thine be done.”

Five minutes. — Accept also the Cross of penance, renewing your baptismal vows. — “Yes, my God, I renounce Satan, his works and his pomps, and I give myself to Thee to carry my cross after Thee, all the days of my life, and to be more faithful than I have hitherto been.

Five minutes. — Accept death…… “O my God, I accept it, and commend my sprit into Thy hands.

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart and my life. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, may I peacefully expire in your holy company. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my refuge at the hour of death.”

Fourth ¼ — Bloody sweat. — The Angel comforts Him.

He prays even more earnestly… He is twice disappointed in His three Apostles… The Angel comforts Him, showing the fruit of His Passion.. And Jesus goes full of courage to meet His enemies and accomplish His Sacred Passion.

Five minutes. — Praise God who grants you pardon. Our Father…. Glory be…… Pardon injuries done to you.

Five minutes. — Thank Jesus, Who has so loved you, in taking your nature, and dying for you; in giving you the right to say to God: “My Father” and to Mary, “Mother;” — above all in instituting the Holy Eucharist, and remaining nearer to you than He was to His faithful disciples before His death Say: “What could I have done that I have not done? — Now, at least, can I not make a sacrifice?” (Here determine what you mean to sacrifice).

Five minutes. — Unite yourself to Mary your Mother in making an act of love: “I love Thee, O Jesus, my Saviour…. I love Thee through Mary and with Mary with all my heart, with all my strength, with my whole soul, and I desire, like her, to love Thee more each day.”

Repeat slowly and frequently, after the example of the humble St. Francis:

“MY GOD AND MY ALL.”

Then make a Spiritual Communion: