On the first Friday of every month, the faithful are invited to participate in a private devotion consoling the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This centuries-old devotion, born from Christ’s words to a cloistered nun in 17th-century France, invites Catholics to draw closer to His merciful love through a monthly commitment of Eucharistic devotion and reparation.
CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt would like all Catholics in our nation to unite in embracing this devotion for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. (As noted below, April’s first Friday falls on Good Friday, which is no obstacle; Good Friday services include Communion.)
The devotion’s beginnings
Pope Pius XII’s 1956 encyclical “Haurietis Aquas — on Devotion to the Sacred Heart” recounts how the practice began with the private revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque between 1673 and 1675. According to her account, Jesus showed her His Heart “on fire with love, pierced, bleeding, and crowned with thorns” and said, “Behold this Heart which has so loved men that It spared nothing, even going so far as to exhaust and consume Itself, to prove to them Its love; and in return I receive from the greater part only ingratitude.”
In His appearances, Christ asked for acts of reparation and love, especially that the faithful would receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month. He promised great spiritual treasures to those who would answer this call — not only for themselves, but for the world.
As described in Pope Francis’ 2024 encyclical Dilexit nos, this practice aims to “console the Heart of Jesus” and renew union with Him through the sacraments.
The Vatican’s Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy traces the devotion even further back to biblical sources, especially John 19:34, the recounting of the piercing of Christ’s side — a moment seen as the outpouring of divine mercy. The devotion also builds upon the theological reflections of medieval religious figures like Saints Bernard and Bonaventure, who wrote about the Heart of Christ as a wellspring of compassion and refuge.
In the post-Reformation period, the Sacred Heart devotion gained formal structure as the Church responded to Jansenism’s harsh view of sin and grace, according to the Vatican’s directory. Saints like John Eudes helped promote the Sacred Heart as a counter-sign of divine tenderness.
How to practice the First Friday Devotion
The practice centers around receiving Holy Communion on the first Friday of each month, ideally for nine consecutive months, with the intention of making reparation for sins against the Sacred Heart. Here’s a simple guide, based on the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (paragraphs 171–173) and teachings from Dilexit nos:
1. Receive the Eucharist
Receive Holy Communion in a state of grace. This is the heart of the devotion. If needed, go to Confession beforehand.
2. Offer the reception of the Eucharist in a spirit of reparation
Unite your Communion with an intention to console Christ for sins committed against His love, including indifference, sacrilege, and neglect of the poor.
3. Repeat for nine consecutive months
The “Great Promise” made to St. Margaret Mary includes the grace of final perseverance for those who complete nine consecutive First Fridays with sincerity and devotion (Directory, §171).
This year, the first Friday of April falls on Good Friday — the only day of the year when Mass is not celebrated. However, this does not affect the ability to fulfill the First Friday devotion. Many churches allow for Holy Communion to be received on Good Friday during the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion —- even though no Mass is celebrated — using hosts consecrated and reserved from the previous day’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The stipulation for fulfilling the First Friday devotion is to receive the Eucharist but not specifically go to Mass — a provision that enables the faithful to continue this devotion in the rare instance that Good Friday falls on the first week of the month.
4. Engage in additional prayerful acts
- Eucharistic Adoration (as recommended by Dilexit nos, §84).
- Pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart.
- Make an act of consecration or reparation.
- Encourage family consecration or create a Sacred Heart prayer corner at home.
Fruits of the Devotion
Pope Francis, in Dilexit nos, explains that the First Friday devotion helps “nourish our life with Christ’s love amid modern distractions like social media.” The USCCB summary of the encyclical emphasizes that this practice counters a “heartless” world by inspiring love for the poor, unity in the Church, and personal healing.
Through this simple monthly act, the Church invites the faithful to drink from the “living water” of Christ’s Heart — a fountain of mercy for a weary world.
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