Claiming June for the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sacred-space
Spiritual Nourishment for Ordinary Time

Upon the heels of the glorious Easter season, Catholics celebrate Pentecost, followed by two more liturgical feasts. Ordinary Time has begun, and yet our spirits feel the extraordinary effects of Lent, Eastertide, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi. Amidst the flowering roses, wedding bells, and vacation destinations of June, our spiritual selves need continual nourishment as we move on with the business of life in a secular culture.

For the conservative Christian, the culture during this June of 2022 has concerning issues. Supreme Court justices, expected to deliver an overturn of a decades-long poor decision by the 1973 Court, have been threatened in their very homes, along with their families. Violence abounds in other ways as well, with terrorism against pregnancy aid centers and senseless shootings in far-off and nearby places. And the moral dilemma related to June’s status as Pride Month challenges us to acknowledge and defend the dignity of every human being while remaining true to Church teachings, particularly those contained in John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

Managing Conflicts with the Culture

Discerning how to respond to violence against other humans as well as attacks on our faith can be overwhelming. Christians may not cooperate with evil, be it cruelty against people with same-sex attraction, favoring abortion as a human right, or forcing individuals to act against their faith. God’s people must not submit to lies, however well-intentioned the promoters of those falsehoods may be.

At the same time, in social situations, to enter into arguments over Catholic morality, especially morality surrounding sexual or gender issues, is not always practical or appropriate. Heated debates on doctrine rarely change people’s minds, but rather solidify prejudices between conservative and mainstream cultural factions. A truth told at an inopportune time or with a derisive tone can estrange family members and result in employees being disciplined or outright fired from their jobs. Some topics are veritable minefields of indignation, offense, and emotional turmoil. Before approaching them, Christians must ask the Holy Spirit for the grace that will transform their justified anger into words, or perhaps more likely, into actions to attain only good outcomes.

An Interior Retreat in the Sacred Heart of Jesus

It may help Catholics to take some time during the remainder of this month to reclaim June in an interior retreat from the culture. As the month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so Catholic tradition dedicates June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This proceeds from Jesus’ apparitions to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a young girl in 17th century France.

While still a child, St. Margaret Mary consecrated her heart to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. At age twenty-three, she joined the Visitation Order of nuns at Paray-le-Monial in Charleroi (Hoever). In 1675, Jesus asked St. Margaret Mary to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus throughout the Christian world. The success of St. Margaret Mary’s endeavor is evident in the many orders of religious dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in the fact that the Church recognizes the month of June, and in particular the Feast Day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which this year will be celebrated on Friday, June 24.

Why the Heart?

One may question, in his request to St. Margaret Mary, why did Jesus specify his Heart? He could have told her simply, “Spread devotion to me.” Why the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

First, the heart is recognized as the seat of emotion. Jesus wanted St. Margaret Mary to spread awareness that he loves each person. Devotion to this reminder from Jesus transforms those who meditate upon it. What might one’s response within a culture war be, if tempered by both theological truth and an acute consciousness of Jesus’ infinite love for men and women?

Second, the fact that Jesus has a heart illustrates his humanity, and hence our brotherhood with him. The heart is a physical organ, part of our earthly bodies. Because Jesus is the Word Incarnate, the Son of God who took on flesh, he has a heart. What’s more, Jesus’ heart continues to beat, as his resurrected body still lives, for all eternity. This Heart of Jesus, beating with love for us, warrants our attention and affection.

In calling our attention to his Sacred Heart, Jesus shows the importance of our physical bodies. A recent meme, circulating in social media, says something like, “Some people tell you that although you are a body, you have a soul. But really, you are a soul; you have a body.” Actually, neither of those statements is precisely true. God created humans with both a physical body and a spiritual soul. Each person is body and soul.

This is a critical point in Pope Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. While with prayer and spiritual reflection we care for our souls, we need to reverence our bodies also. We need to care for them, to treat them as temples of the Holy Spirit. As such, we are obliged to refrain from harming the body, whether with dangerous substances, stressful lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, or immoral acts. In his magnificent work, Man and Woman He Created Them, John Paul II reminds us that after the resurrection, we humans will have our bodies again, still male and female, but newly spiritualized and even divinized (TOB 66-67)! Plato viewed the body as a prison which kept the soul captive until death. However, Thomas Aquinas rejected Plato’s view that the body is only temporarily linked with the soul. Rather, the body together with the soul “constitutes the unity and integrity of the human being” (TOB  66.6). Mulling over these points may help Catholic Christians to discern appropriate responses to certain aspects of the culture war that rages around us.

In addition to the importance of the human body, in calling for devotion to his Sacred Heart, Jesus highlights his sacred nature. Jesus is one Person with two natures, human and divine. We feel devotion to the Heart that beats like ours, and we revere the God who took flesh to be our Brother.

Theological Lessons in Prayers and Art

We can learn more about the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the many prayers that have been written to practice this devotion. The Priests of the Sacred Heart in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, publish booklets of such prayers. In one booklet, a Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus offers valuable insights. The Litany recalls events in Jesus’ life as it identifies Jesus’ Heart as “formed by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mother’s womb,” “bruised for our iniquities,” and “pierced with a lance” (Daily Prayers). In addition, the Litany attests to Jesus’ kingship, describing his Heart as “of infinite majesty,” “holy temple of God,” and “wherein dwells the fullness of the Godhead” (Daily Prayers). Finally, the prayer reveals the infinite love of Jesus in the phrases, “glowing furnace of charity,” “vessel of justice and love,” “patient and rich in mercy,” and “fount of life and holiness” (Daily Prayers).

Over the years, artists have painted images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which offer more insights. Some images depict the Heart encircled with the crown of thorns, and pierced on the lower right side, reminders of Jesus’ suffering for our redemption. Flames emanate from the top of the heart, the fire of charity. Rays of light shine from all sides, as Jesus is the Light of the world.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart and Responding to the Culture

The old-fashioned phrase “the Church militant” is particularly suitable for the culture war in which Catholics find themselves. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can direct our response to the culture. Our response should be the product of prayer, meditation, and graces gained in the sacraments. Pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, meditate on his kingship and love, and listen for the instruction which his Spirit sends through the Church. Following is a prayer to foster this devotion for the month of June and beyond:

“Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore You, I love You, and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer You this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to Your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.

Amen.

Works Cited

Daily Prayers. Priests of the Sacred Heart. Hales Corners, Wisconsin.

Hoever, Hugo. Lives of the Saints. New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co. 1989.

John Paul II. Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body. Translated by Michael Waldstein. Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2006.

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