St. Padre Pio would frequently recite a prayer composed by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque to the Sacred Heart.
Often when someone asks us to pray for a specific intention, we have a specific prayer that we use, whether it is a spontaneous prayer, or a memorized prayer. It could be the Rosary, an Our Father, or a Chaplet of Divine Mercy. St. Padre Pio’s favorite prayer was the called the “Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
This prayer was composed by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. She was a religious sister and mystic in France in the 17th century. She received multiple visions of Jesus during her lifetime. She is most well-known for spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Every day a large number of people, either in person or through a letter, would ask Padre Pio for his prayers. St. Padre Pio would pray the Sacred Heart Novena and often his intention was miraculously answered by God.
Many believe the power of this prayer lies in its connection to the Heart of Jesus, imploring him to have mercy on us and our petitions. Jesus is meek and humble of Heart and the love in his Heart overflows for all of humanity. The last part of the prayer summarizes this love and may be one of the reasons why St. Padre Pio would frequently recite it.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Philip Kosloski
Philip Kosloski is the Digital Content Manager for the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network (USA) and is also a spirituality writer for Aleteia.org and has been featured on such places as The Huffington Post, Crisis Magazine, The Catholic Herald, Catholic Exchange, National Catholic Register and EWTN Radio.
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