Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart
May He Reign in your heart, your home, and all the world
The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a powerful reminder of Christ’s boundless love for humanity—a love that flows from His pierced heart, offering mercy, grace, and redemption. On this special day, let us pause to reflect on the beauty of this devotion and its profound spiritual significance.
One of the most moving prayers to the Sacred Heart comes from St. Francis de Sales, a saint known for his deep love of God and his gentle, pastoral heart. His words capture the essence of what it means to entrust ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
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To the Sacred Heart
by St. Francis De Sales
May Thy Heart dwell always in our hearts!
May Thy Blood ever flow in the veins of our souls!
O sun of our hearts, Thou givest life to all things by the rays of Thy goodness!
I will not go until Thy Heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus be the King of my heart!
Blessed be God.
Amen.
The Historical Roots of the Sacred Heart Devotion
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has its origins in Scripture, particularly in the Gospel of John, where the Apostle describes the moment a soldier pierced Christ’s side with a lance:
*"One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out" (John 19:34).*
This image of Christ’s wounded side became a profound symbol of His love and sacrifice, inspiring early Christians to contemplate the depth of His mercy. Over the centuries, saints and mystics expanded on this devotion, seeing the Sacred Heart as a wellspring of grace and a reminder of God’s infinite compassion.
However, the devotion as we know it today took shape in the 17th century through the revelations of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun of the Visitation Order. Between 1673 and 1675, Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary and revealed His Sacred Heart as a symbol of His burning love for humanity. He expressed His desire for greater devotion to His Heart and asked for practices like Holy Hours, the reception of Communion on First Fridays, and the establishment of a feast day in honor of His Sacred Heart.
St. Margaret Mary’s confessor, St. Claude de la Colombière, played a key role in spreading this devotion. His writings and missionary work helped make the Sacred Heart a central devotion in the Church.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart: From Private Devotion to Universal Celebration
In 1856, Pope Pius IX officially established the Feast of the Sacred Heart for the universal Church, placing it on the Friday after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This placement highlights the connection between the Sacred Heart and the Eucharist, as both are profound expressions of Christ’s self-giving love.
Later, in 1899, Pope Leo XIII consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart, emphasizing the devotion's importance for all Christians, not just individuals. This act of consecration reflected the Church’s recognition of the Sacred Heart as a source of renewal for society, a theme explored in depth by Charles Coulombe in his article, The Politics of the Sacred Heart. The Sacred Heart reminds us that Christ’s love is meant to transform not only our personal lives but also the world around us.
Living the Devotion Today
Enthrone the Sacred Heart in Your Home
Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey, a South American priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, was inspired by God, after his instantaneous cure at Paray-le-Monial, to preach everywhere the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart to verify this promise of the Saviour given to St. Margaret Mary: "I will bless every dwelling where an image of My Heart is both exposed and honoured."
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a solemn act of a family giving formal recognition of the kingship of Christ over their family and home and the official, ceremonial beginning of a family's commitment to live out the effects of their recognition of Christ's Kingship. During the Enthronement ceremony, a blessed image of the Sacred Heart is hung in the most prominent place in the house and Sacred Scripture is placed before it.1
Periodically, the family might want to renew the Consecration, especially on the Feast of the Sacred Heart
Renewal of the Consecration of the Family
Most sweet Jesus, humbly kneeling at Thy feet, we renew the consecration of our family to Thy Divine Heart. Be Thou our King forever! In Thee we have full and entire confidence. May Thy spirit penetrate our thoughts, our desires, our words and our works. Bless our undertakings, share in our joys, in our trials and in our labors. Grant us to know Thee better, to love Thee more, to serve Thee without faltering.
By the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Peace, set up Thy kingdom in our country. Enter closely into the midst of our families and make them Thine own through the solemn enthronement of Thy Sacred Heart, so that soon one cry may resound from home to home: "May the triumphant Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved, blessed and glorified forever!" Honor and glory to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
A Prayer for the Christian Family
O God of goodness and mercy, to Thy fatherly protection we commend our family, our household and all that belongs to us. We commit all to Thy love and keeping; do Thou fill this house with Thy blessings even as Thou didst fill the holy house of Nazareth with Thy presence. Keep far from us, above all things, the taint of sin, and do Thou alone reign in our midst by Thy law, by Thy most holy love and by the exercise of every Christian virtue. Let each one of us obey Thee, love Thee and set himself to imitate in his own life Thine example, that of Mary, Thy Mother and our Mother most loving, and that of Thy blameless guardian, Saint Joseph.
Preserve us and our house from all evils and misfortunes, but grant that we may be ever resigned to Thy Divine will even in the sorrows which it shall please Thee to send us. Finally give us all the grace to live in perfect harmony and in the fulness of love toward our neighbor. Grant that every one of us may deserve by a holy life the comfort of Thy holy Sacraments at the hour of death. O Jesus, bless us and protect us.
O Mary, Mother of grace and of mercy, defend us against the wicked spirit, reconcile us with Thy Son, commit us to His keeping, that so we may be made worthy of His promises. St. Joseph, foster father of our Savior, guardian of His holy Mother, head of the Holy Family, intercede for us, bless us and defend our home at all times. Amen.
*For more on the history and significance of the Sacred Heart devotion, check out Charles Coulombe’s article here.
https://fisheaters.com/sh.html