On June 1, 2008, Pope Benedict in his weekly Angelus address urged Catholics to renew their devotion to the Sacred Heart. The feast day of the Sacred Heart is June 11. The following is a novena that starts on June 2 and leads up to the feast of the Sacred Heart. Praying the following novena will may help jump start your devotion to the Sacred Heart.
O Lord Jesus Christ, to Thy Most Sacred Heart I confide this intention (mention your request). Only look upon me then do what Thy Heart inspires. Let Thy Sacred Heart decide.
I count on Thee... I trust in Thee... I throw myself on Thy Mercy, Lord Jesus! Thou wilt not fail me.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee. Sacred Heart of Jesus I believe in Thy Love for me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Kingdom come.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked Thee for many favors, but earnestly implore this one.
Take it, place it in Thy open, broken Heart, and when the Eternal Father looks upon it covered with Thy Precious Blood, He will not refuse it. It will no long be my prayer, but Thine, O Jesus.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my Trust in Thee. Let me never be confounded.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.)
In a previous post on the tour of the church Pat Thompson wrote about the devotion to the Sacred Heart. The following has been posted again as a reminder.
Why do Catholics reverence and adore the Sacred Heart? On June 16, 1675, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was praying before the Blessed Sacrament in her convent in Paray-leMonial, France, when Our Lord appeared to her. After some discussion, He pointed to His Sacred Heart and said, "Behold the Heart that has so loved men that it spared nothing to bear witness to this love; and which, in exchange, receives from most people only ingratitude, irreverence, sacrileges, indifference and scorn against Me in the Sacrament of Love." He went on to ask St. Margaret Mary to help Him draw His people closer to Himself by working to have the Feast of the Sacred Heart established. He also asked that people be encouraged to honor His Sacred image in their homes a to carry His small "shields" with them.
Thus we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost. In return, Jesus said that for those who worthily receive Communion on that day and make and act of reparation to the Sacred Heart "in satisfaction for the offenses received during the time I have been exposed on the altars," His heart would "dilate to distribute abundantly the influences of its divine love upon those who revere it and endeavor to have others do the same."
How might families honor His Sacred image in their homes? There is a special enthronement ceremony where--in the presence of a priest--the family acknowledges publicly and solemnly that Christ is the King and loving Master of their home and family and the head of the family installs a picture or statue of the Sacred Heart in a prominent place in the home. The family members then pledge to live as though the Sacred Heart was actually dwelling with them in their home.
What about the "shield" or badge? It is meant to express our love of the Sacred Heart and to be a sign of our confidence in His protection against the snares of the devil and other dangers. St. Margaret Mary herself made many of these badges herself, and she and her fellow sisters carried them with them wherever they were. Over the years thousands of the faithful, including many Popes, have worn or carried the badges. Thousands, too, have been distributed among our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Blessed Pope Pius IX declared, "I will bless this Heart and wish that all those made according to this model receive the same blessing without need for a priest to renew it. Futhermore, I want Satan to be prevented in every way from harming those who carry this badge, a symbol of the adorabe Heart of Jesus." Several Sacred Heart parishioners have had the opportunity to pick up these badges in our church and, hopefully, they carry them.In return, for our efforts to repent of our sins, to honor His Sacred Heart, and to live as if Jesus, the Sacred Heart, is actually living with us in our homes, Jesus gave us twelve promises.
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their name written in My Heart, and it shall never be effaced.
12. I promise thee in the excess of the mercy of My Heart, that its all-powerful Love will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of Nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
