The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus honors the love of Christ under 33 titles, each answered with “have mercy on us.” Pope Leo XIII approved it for the whole Church in 1899. Catholics pray it especially on First Fridays, throughout June (the month of the Sacred Heart), and on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which in 2027 falls on Friday, June 4.
The Litany of the Sacred Heart (full text)
The leader says each invocation and everyone answers with the words in italics.
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, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, sacred temple of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in Whom dwells the fulness of divinity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father was well pleased, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of Whose fulness we have all received, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, obedient unto death, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints, have mercy on us.
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.
V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
R. Make our hearts like unto Thine.
Let us pray.
O almighty and eternal God, look upon the heart of Thy dearly beloved Son, and upon the praise and satisfaction He offers Thee in the name of sinners and for those who seek Thy mercy; be Thou appeased and grant us pardon in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
What the invocations mean
The 33 titles are traditionally linked to the 33 years of Christ’s life. Most come straight from Scripture:
| Invocation | Scripture |
|---|---|
| Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mother | Luke 1:35 |
| Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven | Genesis 28:17 |
| Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge | Colossians 2:3 |
| Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fulness of divinity | Colossians 2:9 |
| Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased | Matthew 3:17 |
| Heart of Jesus, of whose fulness we have all received | John 1:16 |
| Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills | Genesis 49:26 |
| Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins | 1 John 2:2 |
| Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses | Isaiah 53:5 |
| Heart of Jesus, obedient unto death | Philippians 2:8 |
| Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance | John 19:34 |
The closing versicle, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart,” echoes the Lord’s own words: “Learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls” (Matthew 11:29, Douay-Rheims).
What the Church teaches about the Sacred Heart
The Catechism explains that Jesus “has loved us all with a human heart,” and that his Sacred Heart, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, “is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that… love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings” (CCC 478). Devotion to the Sacred Heart is therefore devotion to the person of Jesus and his love.
The modern devotion grew from the revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque at Paray-le-Monial in France in the 1670s. Popes have written about it many times, including Pius XII in Haurietis Aquas (1956) and Pope Francis in Dilexit Nos (2024).
When to pray the litany
- On First Fridays. Many Catholics attend Mass and receive Communion on the first Friday of nine consecutive months in honor of the Sacred Heart.
- During June, the month of the Sacred Heart.
- On the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost (June 4 in 2027).
- At a Holy Hour. See Eucharistic adoration prayers.
- When consecrating a family or enthroning an image of the Sacred Heart in the home.
Frequently asked questions
How many invocations are in the Litany of the Sacred Heart?
Thirty-three, after the opening invocations of the Trinity.
Who approved the Litany of the Sacred Heart?
Pope Leo XIII approved it for public use throughout the Church in 1899, the same year he consecrated the human race to the Sacred Heart.
What is the First Friday devotion?
The practice of receiving Holy Communion in reparation on the first Friday of nine consecutive months, which St. Margaret Mary associated with Our Lord’s promises to those devoted to his Heart.
More litanies and prayers
- Feast of the Sacred Heart
- First Friday devotion
- Chaplet of the Sacred Heart
- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque prayer
- Litany of the Precious Blood
- Padre Pio prayer
- Litany of Humility
- What is a litany?
- The Sacred Heart novena
- The Litany of St. Joseph
- The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Eucharistic adoration prayers
- The Anima Christi
- The Morning Offering, traditionally made to the Sacred Heart
- Novenas: how to pray a novena
Texts and sources
- Litany and prayer: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Litanies, public domain; responses written out on each line.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 478.
- Francis, Encyclical Dilexit Nos (October 24, 2024).
- Scripture references from the Douay-Rheims Bible.