Solemnity of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

June 23, 2023
Author: Hannah DeVivo

Peace be with you! Last Friday, June 16th, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

When Did This Devotion Begin?

In 1673, Jesus chose a young French Visitation nun, Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque, to receive the revelations of His Sacred Heart and bear them to a world desperately in need of the warmth and fire of His intensely passionate love. During one of these visions, Margaret Mary was shown the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Lord revealed to her that He desired to be honored under the symbol of His Sacred Heart through the reception of the Eucharist on the first Friday of every month and a holy hour of Eucharistic adoration on Thursdays. During these holy hours, Margaret Mary was asked to meditate on Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus appeared to Margaret Mary in another vision and showed her the wonders of His love. He desired for these wonders to be made known throughout the world. He chose her to share the truth of His powerful and immense love for us all. Margaret Mary soon became Novice Mistress and led the monastery in observing the feast of the Sacred Heart. Under her inspiration, a chapel was built specifically to honor the Sacred Heart. She died on October 17th, 1690, at the age of 43. Her last recorded words were, “I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the Heart of Jesus.”

After her death, the Jesuits adopted the devotion to the Sacred Heart, but it was not until 1856 that Pope Pius IX officially added the devotion to the Church calendar. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was canonized on May 13, 1920, by Pope Benedict XV. Eight years later, Pope Pius XI reiterated the Church’s position that her visions of Jesus were, in fact, authentic. He said that Jesus had indeed manifested Himself to Margaret Mary and expressed that the main elements of the devotion to the Sacred Heart are a Holy Hour of adoration each Thursday and the reception of the Eucharist on the first Friday of every month.


Explaining the Sacred Heart

God showed us the extent of His divine love when He sent His Son to be crucified in atonement for our sins. When Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary, He desired that the immensity of this gift be made known to all. Jesus had already died for us, and yet not all were fully aware or accepting of what this meant. The love of God is like a gift that has been delivered to your doorstep. It has already been purchased and delivered. We need only to open the door and bring it inside to dwell within us. Jesus is always seeking us, knocking on our door, and ready with a gift. The choice to let Him in is completely up to us.

Let’s examine the Heart of Christ and what It symbolizes. His Heart was shown with a piercing on the side and a flame at the top, all encircled by a crown of thorns. The bleeding wound on the side signifies the piercing of Jesus’ Heart by a soldier at the Cross. The crown of thorns represents the great suffering Jesus endured, and the flame is symbolic of His burning and overwhelming love for us.

The Promises of the Sacred Heart

Jesus revealed many promises to Saint Margaret Mary for those who would devote themselves to His Sacred Heart. Of these, the principal ones are as follows:

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. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.

5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.

6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.

9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.

10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.

11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in My Heart.

12. In the excess of the mercy of My Heart, I promise you that My all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in My displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and My Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

Novena to the Most Sacred Heart

The Novena to the Most Sacred Heart is beautiful, powerful, and encouraged by our Lord Himself. Here is an excerpt from our book Catholic Novenas, which can be purchased here.

Novena to the Sacred Heart

Pray every day for nine days:

O most loving Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, behold us humbly

prostrate before Your altar. We are Yours and Yours we wish to be.

But to be more surely united to You, behold each one of us freely

consecrates himself today to Your most Sacred Heart. Many, indeed,

have never known You; many, too, despising Your precepts, have

rejected You. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw

them to Your Sacred Heart.

Be King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken

You, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You.

Grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house, lest they

die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry,

whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth

and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one

Shepherd.

Grant, O Lord, to Your Church, assurance of freedom and immunity

from harm. Give peace and order to all nations. Make the earth

resound from pole to pole with one cry: “Praise to the divine Heart

that wrought our salvation! To It be glory and honor forever.”

Amen.

Products To Help You Adore the Sacred Heart

The following items are lovely tools to aid in your devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

  • Sacred Heart Prayer Books. Our Sacred Heart Prayer Book is a guide to help you receive the Lord's gift of Divine Love and to grow ever closer to His Most Sacred Heart. It contains the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart, Prayers of Reparation to the Sacred Heart, Prayers for Priests, First Friday Devotions, and more! Another great book that we have can be found here. This complete prayer book features a history of the Sacred Heart devotion, the story of Saint Margaret Mary, the Consecration to and Enthronement of the Sacred Heart, First Friday Meditations, and the Litany and Novena of the Sacred Heart.
  • Altar to the Sacred Heart. It is a good idea to include images and other items of devotion on your prayer table. Here are some great ones!

Daily Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with Infinite Love, broken by our ingratitude, and pierced by our sins, yet loving us still, accept the consecration we make to Thee of all that we are and all that we have. Take every faculty of our souls and bodies; only day by day draw us nearer and nearer to Your Sacred Heart, and there, as we shall hear the lesson, teach us Your Holy Way. Amen.

Before You Go

Do you practice the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

Did you grow up with an image of the Sacred Heart in your home?

I encourage you to open the door to God’s love and accept that He gives it freely. Is anything preventing you from doing this?

Have you learned anything new in this article?

I would LOVE to hear from you. Send me an email to Catholic-Living@Autom.com Be sure to follow and subscribe to the links below for more tips and information.