The Month of the Sacred Heart

“The thoughts of His Heart are to all generations:
to deliver their souls from death and feed them in famine.”

Thunder and rain are rolling, yet again across our little forest. It’s been a rainy spring, and a cool, rainy start to the summer. The garden is late and small, but the animals are thriving on all the overgrowth where garden-used-to-be. My farmer friend cheerfully predicts a cold, bitterly hard winter again this year and the lady behind me at the grocery checkout tells me she “never buys anything fun anymore” because of the cost. It’s a good time to reach out to Christ “the inexhaustible source of life.”

Here in the Northeast, we have another deep sorrow to offer to Christ’s Sacred Heart. Maine is considering a horrendous bill to extend the slaughter of children right up until birth. We’re all praying they reject making an already vicious act more available, but we’re realistic about the attitudes of many in power. So in the midst of celebrating the Sacred Heart in the month of June, we’re also fasting and offering reparations to Christ whose heart bleeds with the hearts of all who suffer and die by violence.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the feast of the Sacred Heart falls within the month of June. It’s a moveable feast that falls on the Friday after Corpus Christi. Devotion to the Sacred Heart became popular in the 12th century, but it took off exponentially in the 17th century, when Christ appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. By the early 20th century, devotion was so strong that Pope Pius XI raised the rank of the feast of the Sacred Heart to a “double of the first class,” giving the feast an octave of celebration like those at Christmas and Easter.

Unfortunately for those of us who love a good celebration, the Feast of the Sacred Heart’s octave was suppressed right before Vatican II and the feast itself is sadly neglected these days. In some ways, the feast of the Sacred Heart has been superseded by the Feast of Divine Mercy. Both focus on the infinite love of Christ, His death to free all from sin, and the “blood and water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy.”

But feasts and devotions don’t compete with each other the way we often do, instead, they complement each other. Devotion to the Divine Mercy should inspire devotion to the Sacred Heart, devotion to the Sacred Heart should inspire trust in His Divine Mercy. And since we’re no longer blessed with a whole octave in which to delight in the Merciful Heart of Jesus, we should embrace every opportunity to feast with Christ that we’re given.

Both feasts merit a good deal of attention. Both feasts invite us into an intimacy with “the Heart that so loved men.”

The Sacred Heart Devotions

Prior to the 17th century, devotion to the Heart of Jesus didn’t center around a particular image, but did still center around the pierced Heart of Christ – full of the love “which surpasseth all knowledge.”

St. Francis, St. Dominic, St. Albert the Great, St. Catherine of Sienna, and St. Teresa of Ávila were all passionately devoted to the Merciful Heart of Christ. Despite the great love these saints and the religious within their orders often had for the Heart of Jesus, devotion among the laity spread slowly until Jesus Himself appeared to St. Margaret Mary, displayed His Heart to her, and requested she establish a feast in honor of His Sacred Heart.

The images of the Sacred Heart began to spread quickly after this and now we have an abundance of devotions to Christ’s Sacred Heart.

Consecration

Consecrating yourself to the Sacred Heart is a great way to immerse yourself in the tender, loving heart of God. It’s a formal way to dedicate yourself, your family, your community, or your land to Christ’s Tender Heart.

Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited.

Enthronement

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in a home is one of the most beautiful ways we have to invite Christ to truly make His home with us. The Enthronement is a way to welcome God into every aspect of your family life. It creates a place for Christ to make His own and enter into daily life – familiar and so very sacred.

In the Enthronement, you are essentially consecrating your home and family to the Sacred Heart and giving Him an open invitation to participate fully in the life of your family.

Enthronements are usually done by a priest. It’s always a good idea to plan ahead, prepare your family in prayer, and have a great, celebratory meal with your priest and other friends afterwards.

Almighty and everlasting God, who dost approve the painting and sculpturing of the images of Thy Saints, so that as often as we gaze upon them we are reminded to imitate their deeds and sanctity; vouchsafe, we implore Thee, to bless and sanctify this image made in honor and in memory of the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and grant, that whosoever in its presence, will suppliantly worship and honor the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only begotten Son, may obtain through His merits and intercession grace in this life and everlasting glory in the world to come. Through Christ our Lord.

Litany

The litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a lovely prayer. Calming, comforting, and full of trust in the patient, merciful Heart of Christ.

Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, have mercy on us.

Act of Reparation

The act of reparation to the Sacred Heart is a long prayer that I find especially comforting at times when you can truly see the Heart of Jesus being dismissed, discarded, or mocked. In this month of the Sacred Heart especially, this prayer is a way to offer some small reparation to Christ for the way in which His Heart is being offended.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, please receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation!

A Devotion of Tenderness

One of my favorite aspects of the Sacred Heart devotion is the tenderness of Christ. In it, He comes to us, exposes His heart to us, and asks us for our love. It is so simple and so gentle. Because of that gentleness, it’s a perfect devotion for those of us with family or friends away from the faith.

As St. Ambrose once said to St. Monica, “Speak less to Augustine about God and more to God about Augustine.” Likewise, it’s always better for us to reach out to God about our far-away friends and family members, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus is always open to us.

Remember that He loves your family member with all His Merciful Heart. Unite your prayers with those of His Mother, and trust in God. The tender, loving Heart of Jesus is always reaching out to you and to your loved ones.