Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a centuries old tradition that praises the great love and mercy that Jesus Christ has for the world. Each year the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated the Friday after Corpus Christi. The Church places great emphasis on the Sacred Heart throughout the entire month of June. Now is the perfect time to start planning how you can bring this rich and beautiful devotion into your home and heart.
Enthrone your home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
A beautiful way to boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ is the sovereign King of your home is to formally entrust your family into His care through an Enthronement ceremony. During the ceremony, the household will pray together around an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and keep the image in a place of honor.
CatholicVote’s Zeale for America 250 website is full of resources to encourage devotion to the Sacred Heart, including reflections from Cardinal Burke, images, and an enthronement guide. The Messy Family Project also has wonderful information and resources for living under His Sacred Heart, including a step-by-step guide for Enthroning the home to the Sacred Heart.
Pray a Sacred Heart novena
In preparation for a home’s Enthronement, you might consider praying a Sacred Heart novena alongside the United States bishops June 3-11. The novena will conclude with the consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in commemoration of the country’s 250th anniversary. Pray with the bishops for a renewal of faith and peace in our country, and in reparation for the ways in which we have all failed to love Jesus.
Practice the First Friday Devotion
Jesus revealed His great love for humanity to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, which helped increase and popularize the devotion to His most Sacred Heart. Jesus gave a set of promises to the faithful who attend Mass, receive Holy Communion in a state of grace, spend time in prayer, and practice acts of reparation in consolation to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus on the first Friday of every month for nine consecutive months.
This beautiful practice will strengthen your love for Jesus and His Sacred Heart and bring deeper intimacy with Him. Jesus promises that those who practice this devotion out of love for Him will have special graces at their hour of death and a heart united with His. This devotion is a great treasure of the Catholic Church and a precious gift that Jesus has offered out of His perfect love and mercy.
Surround yourself with reminders of His love
Ordinary moments can be turned into deep moments of intimacy with Jesus Christ through simple and beautiful reminders of His love. Infuse your home with images of Him and His most Sacred Heart that will elevate your mind and heart to Him in prayer, even during the most mundane tasks.
Set your phone background as an image of His most Sacred Heart. Find beautiful decor items that you can place around your home, such as hearts of the Holy Family, stained glass, pillowcases, an image or statue of His Sacred Heart, photograph holders, or a Sacred Heart medallion. Swaddle the babies you love and wrap them in His heart.
Cover yourself with His Sacred Heart by wearing earrings, necklaces, or rings as a daily reminder of your devotion to Him and His love for you.
Celebrate His love
Feast well on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! For dinner, consider cooking something with a French flair in honor of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Beef bourguignon, Coq au Vin, or Ratatouille are all mouthwatering. For dessert, consider decorating heart-shaped cookies, shaping a Galette like a heart, or make strawberry cupcakes (with strawberries on top in the shape of hearts!).
Bring out the St. Valentine’s Day decorations and deck out the house in red and hearts and read John 3:16 at dinner. To learn more about St. Margaret Mary Alacoque listen to a Saints Alive podcast about her life and legacy. Their website also has a coloring sheet of St. Margaret Mary for children to enjoy.
Let His love transform you
A devotion to Jesus’ most Sacred Heart is powerful. His mercy, compassion, and love are endless and consecrating yourself to the Heart of Jesus is an openness to be radically transformed by Him. Make Jesus the King of your heart and home this June and experience the spiritual graces and renewal that comes with living under His heart.