Included in many Catholic devotional books is a prayer called the Golden Arrow. It is a prayer that first appeared in the 19th century through the writings of Sr. Mary St. Peter.
Sr. Mary St. Peter was a Discalced Carmelite nun who lived in Tours, France, during the mid-19th century.
She had a devotion both to the Holy Name of Jesus and the Holy Face of Jesus. Her writings were popular at the time and it is likely that St. Therese of Lisieux was influenced by this sister French Carmelite.
Golden Arrow Prayer
During prayer Sr. Mary St. Peter reportedly received a private revelation from Jesus himself:
I heard these words: “My Name is blasphemed everywhere; even children blaspheme.” Then He made me see how this appalling sin grievously wounded His Divine Heart, more than all the others. He made me consider how blasphemy is like a poisoned arrow, which perpetually wounds His Divine Heart; then made me understand that He wished to give me "a golden arrow," to wound Him with delight or to heal the wounds of malice which sinners inflict upon Him.
Here is the prayer that Jesus gave to Sr. Mary St. Peter:
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
She then described the following experience after having received this prayer:
Our Lord having given me this arrow, said to me, “Pay attention to this grace, because I shall ask you for an account of it.” At this moment it seemed to me that I saw graces coming from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which had been wounded by this arrow, in order to convert sinners.
The prayer is a way to give praise to God and “wound” him with your love.
