aeternus

The following prayer is prayed each night at the Pink Sister’s Novena in honor of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, you revealed to St. Margaret Mary your desire to reign over Christian families. To fulfill this desire, we today proclaim your complete dominion over our family. From now on we wish to live your life, to cultivate in our home those virtues which bring us your peace, and avoid that worldliness which you have condemned. You will rule over our minds by simple faith and over our hearts by a love kept aflame by frequent Communion.

Divine Heart of Jesus, be pleased to preside over our family, to bless all we do, to dispel our troubles, sanctify our joys, lighten our sufferings. If one of us should ever offend you by sin, remind us, merciful Jesus, of your goodness and mercy to the penitent sinner. And when the hour of separation strikes, when death brings its grief into our midst, those of us who go and those of us who stay will be submissive to what you have decreed. Then it will be our consolation to remember that the day will come when our entire family, reunited in heaven, will be able to sing forever of your glory and mercy.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious patriarch, St. Joseph, present to you this our Consecration and keep us ever mindful of it all the days of our life. All glory to the Sacred Heat of Jesus, our King and our Father!

Photo above was taken during Prayer before the Noontime mass on Friday.

Today begins my favorite 9 days of the year. The annual novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Mount Grace with the Pink Sisters here in St. Louis. I took this photo after mass (we went to the noon time celebration today) and I thought it would be good to share.

Happy Feast to all, may the Sacred Heart of Jesus reign in your hearts!

Today we can begin our Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Feast day next Friday the 30th of May).

OR

We can pray along with my favorite “PINK SISTERS” (Holy Spirit Sister’s of Perpetual Adoration) up at Mount Grace Convent in St. Louis. This year (for whatever reason they have) the Sister’s will begin their annual Novena on the Friday.

BUT

We can do both novenas!

Pope Leo XIII, wrote and issued his Encyclical Letter, Annum Sacrum, on May 25, 1899. The letter consecrated humanity to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Though there had been devotion to the Sacred Heart before this time, Pope Leo XIII hoped his consecration “shall be in a manner the crowning perfection of all the honors that people have been accustomed to pay to the Sacred Heart, and which We confidently trust will be most pleasing to Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.”

Our wonderful (excuse my obvious adjective of admiration) Archbishop, Raymond Burke is a strong devote of the Sacred Heart and he has built a special altar and shrine in our Cathedral Basilica in this honor. He encourages families to “Enthrone” a photo of the Sacred Heart in their homes and there is a special ceremony for doing this (click here).

In a letter written to the faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Archbishop Burke reminded us of Pope John Paul II’s feelings on the Sacred Heart when he said:

“Placing our hearts, with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, into the glorious pierced Heart of Jesus, we are filled with the divine mercy and love which is our mission in the world. Our devoted love of our Lord Jesus, expressed in our devotion to His Most Sacred Heart, is not some static state or feeling. It is, rather, a relationship with God the Son made man, in which we take up with Him the mission given to Him by the Father, so that all men may be saved and our world may be prepared to welcome our Lord at His coming on the Last Day. Placing our hearts into the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are necessarily engaged in His kingly mission, in which reigning is serving, especially, serving our brothers and sisters in most need (Pope John Paul II, encyclical letter Redemptor hominis [At the Beginning of His Papal Ministry], March 4, 1979, n. 21).”

What words!

Here is a 9 day Novena prayer to start you on your own prayer journey…

Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

OPENING PRAYER

O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, in which dwells the fullness we have all received, who are the fountain of life and holiness.

Grant me a heart that is like unto You. You are our refuge and our strength. You are the Author of Mercy, listen to my prayers and grant that what I ask in faith I may effectually obtain if it be for the good of my soul and the greater glory of God. Amen.

First Day:

Divine and Most Merciful Heart of Jesus, who through Your sincere desire and deep love to bring me into salvation, has given consolation and dispelled the fears that becloud our hearts; inflame my heart with love of You, and wash away the indifference to which my soul is often subjected because of my innumerable sins. Grant me the grace necessary to atone for all my iniquities and ingratitude. O Heart most lovable, may my offering be acceptable to You, so that it may purify me from my sins and grant that I may obtain the grace I need during this novena if it be for the good of my soul and the greater glory of God. Amen.

Second Day:

O most adorable Heart of Jesus, the heaven’s gate that paves the way to the throne of the Most High, deign to hear my supplications. Grant me the graces that will help me love You more and more, so that I may be worthy to praise Your Glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit for all eternity in Your kingdom. Grant me strength of will and perseverance in the fulfillment of Your commandments so that You may bestow upon me the infinite wealth of Your love and thus make a worthy reparation for all my sins. Heart of Jesus most lovable, I humbly ask you to give me the graces I wish to obtain during this novena, if it be for the good of my soul and for the greater glory of God. Amen.

Third Day:

O most holy Heart of Jesus, the safe way that leads to the eternal home, You are the source and fountain of life and holiness. Deign to give me fortitude so that I may not deviate from the course of holiness You have taught me to pursue in order that I may reach Your kingdom of glory. Enlighten my mind that I may learn Your good counsels so that I may also teach even my enemies as You have set the example of loving Your enemies even unto the death on the cross. Grant me the grace to stay away from sin, in order that I may be worthy to obtain the grace I ask during this novena, if it be for the good of my soul and for the greater glory of God. Amen.

Fourth Day:

O Most Holy Heart of Jesus, the perfect mirror of all purity and goodness that should adorn my soul in this life and in the next, deign to inspire my mind to see the truth in Your love for mankind. Thus, I may think of no other thing but the steps that lead to Your Heart, the abyss of all virtues, and I may follow You in purity of action, thought and desire. Grant me the grace that will help me to strive always to expiate for my acts of ingratitude against Your love and mercy. Let me realize that in so doing alone, I shall be made worthy to obtain the graces that I ask during this novena, if it be for the good of my soul and for the greater glory of God. Amen.

Fifth Day:

O most sweet Heart of Jesus, reach unto all that call upon You, who perfects all our work of holiness, I offer this humble supplication to You as a form of my devoted service for my own salvation and the spread of Your kingdom of love on earth. I desire to advance in the work that will gain for me the glory in heaven. So, dearest Heart of Jesus, grant me the grace that will help me please You all the days of my life. Produce in me divine fervor, whereby, having tasted the sweetness of Your love in Holy Communion, I may learn to despise earthly things and love those of heaven. O pure Heart of Jesus, I beg of You to grant me the favors I desire to obtain during this novena, if it be for the good of my soul and for the greater glory of God. Amen.

Sixth Day:

O most admirable Heart of Jesus, source of all graces and most sacred temple that has contained Your infinite love and mercy, I give thanks to You for all the benefits I have obtained through my good works and for the peace and consolation You have given me from that temple of all virtues. My God, I desire to follow Your laws and persevere in the path of goodness so that I may be worthy to appear before Your throne in heaven. Grant me the grace necessary to help me atone for my sins of ingratitude and sloth in the performance of good works. O Heart most merciful, I also ask of You to grant me the favors I pray for during this novena, if it be for the good of my soul and for the greater glory of God. Amen.

Seventh Day:

O most merciful Heart of Jesus, divine propitiation for the sins of man, I believe in the words of the Gospel that “Anything you ask in my name, it shall be given to you.” I beg You to offer up my humble prayers and pleas of pardon to Your Most Holy Father in heaven in order that I may worthily receive His blessings. Let me offer You all my prayers, works and suffering so that I may do my part in expiating for my sins and those of my relations. Deign, O God, to grant me the graces I ask during this novena, if it be for the good of my soul and the greater glory of God. Amen.

Eighth Day:

O most loving Heart of Jesus, Furnace of Charity and Fountain of Love for man, You have willed that I should return that love with all my heart and mind. I desire to avoid all the occasions of sin that have made the path leading to Your Heart most difficult. Deign to grant, therefore, the grace to cleanse my life with pure love of You and let my desires center on loving You more and more. Your grace of love alone can thaw my indifference and inflame my heart with devotion. I also ask of You to grant me the favors I wish to obtain during this novena, if it be for the good of my soul and the greater glory of God. Amen.

Ninth Day:

O Heart of Jesus, that has been the victim for my sins, I finally ask of You to make me sincere in my efforts to love You and to make reparation for all of my sins. Let me then be rooted in charity and always delight in serving You. Let my works reflect my desire to acclaim You the salvation of all those that hope in You and hope of all who die in You. Let me die in Your Heart. O most loving Jesus, for in You alone is my life and resurrection. Grant me the favors I desire to obtain during this novena, if it be for the good of my soul and for the greater glory of God. Amen.

I love today’s Saint, Margaret of Scotland, a woman who emulates the virtues of charity and familial love. She was a woman of such great influence to her people and who taught her husband by her own great example how to lead a life of holiness. A very honorable woman, and in St. Louis we have one of the greatest parishes in the city dedicated to her. They have a choir which is absolutely wonderful and no one can deny their outstanding quality of musicianship. They are an inspiration to all the mass goers there for sure!

But let me put that aside and focus instead on another “Saint of the day” because today is also the feast of a great mystical Saint, Getrude the Great.

Gertrude’s life was not lead out on the open as a ruler of a country like Margaret. Instead she lead a hidden life of mystical prayer in a Benedictine cloister uniting herself with Jesus through His Sacred Humanity and had a great devotion to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Gertrude was so loved by St. Teresa of Avila that Teresa took this mystic as her devotional and spiritual exemplar. Both women were so entranced in the mystery of our Lord’s most Sacred Heart.

In a prayer Gertrude wrote:

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
fountain of eternal life,
Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary.

O my adorable and loving Saviour,
consume my heart with the burning fire
with which Yours is aflamed.
Pour down on my soul those graces
which flow from Your love.
Let my heart be united with Yours.
Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things.
May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions.

Amen.

In a book entitled: “Spiritual Works of Louis of Blois” by Louis of Blois he writes of Gertrude:

The Lord sensibly imprinted on her heart the glorious stigmata of His five Wounds, and He prepared for Himself in her so pleasing a dwelling, and so sweetly manifested to her His Heart, that if men did not know the power and goodness of the Lord to be boundless, they could hardly believe that He had shown as much familiar friendship to His most holy Mother on the earth as He showed to her.

Gertrude indeed had many mystical dreams and visions one of which I will include here below. It is from the same book by Blois:

St. Gertrude saw the soul of a certain man of a religious order well known to her, as it were sitting at a table, sad, and with a dejected countenance, as not being yet purified nor worthy to enjoy the blissful contemplation of God. On this table were presented all the Masses, the Office of the Church, the prayers, and other pious works that were offered for that soul, and by these the soul was wonderfully strengthened. The Lord also, moved by his own loving-kindness, and the supplication of intercessors, always added something, in virtue of which that soul rejoiced, being greatly strengthened and relieved. In like manner the Blessed Virgin Mary seemed to place something upon it, that the soul might receive more consolation, which had, while it was in the body, worshipped her with especial devotion. Those also of the Saints whom the soul had more particularly venerated on earth, added to the table in proportion as the soul being in the body had deserved by its greater or less labour and devotion. By all which means the soul, becoming more and more soothed from hour to hour, began more and more to lift its eyes to the most sweet light of the Divinity, which to behold in open vision is in truth to have laid aside the sad memory of all sorrows, and to have found the abundance of all good and of all joy.

Chapter XIII. On the Pains of Purgatory.
Spiritual Works of Louis of Blois by Blois, Louis

Now, most importantly for us today is to remember the prayer our Lord gave to Gertrude. I think you will obviously recognize parts of this prayer which were given to her in the early part of the 14th century because they are so similar to those he gave to dear Saint Faustina in the early middle of the 20th century!

“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

Our Lord told St. Gertrude the Great that this prayer would release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said. O.K. like that is 1,000 souls! So, for the love of these souls I am sure you will write this prayer down and say it MANY times today and each day thereafter! (Of course, this is no magical incantation. The prayer, as all prayers, must come from the depths of your heart united to His most Sacred Heart…)

She has been making herself known to me bit by bit over the last few months. Though I can not say exactly when the first time was that I heard of her messenger, Sister Mary Ephrem. I guess it should be of little surprise that the Mother she has told me about came knocking upon my doorstep in St. Louis. In a haste of movement I scooped up the children yesterday afternoon for a pilgrimage downtown to say hello to our Heavenly Mother, Our Lady of America.

Thanks to our Archbishop Burke, always on the pulse of devotion, the official statue of Our Lady of America has found her way to the Basilica of St. Louis King of France (known here as the “Old Cathedral” down near the Mississippi River and Gateway Arch). From the pictures I had seen of Our Lady of America I thought her to look a little too American, but that is her title so I guess that should be no big surprise. In gazing upon her in the chapel, however, I was to appreciate better her beauty and charm. In any case, it was not the really the statue we were going to see. Our little adventure down to the Basilica was a special type of “appointment in prayer” to learn more intimately about our Mother through this new title of Our Lady of America.

‘”Behold, O my children, the tears of your Mother! Shall I weep in vain? Assuage the sorrow of my Heart over the ingratitude of sinful men by the love and chasteness of your lives. Will you do this for me, beloved children, or will you allow your Mother to weep in vain? I come to you, O children of America, as a last resort. I plead with you to listen to my voice. Cleanse your souls in the Precious Blood of My Son. Live in His Heart, and take me in that I may teach you to live in great purity of heart which is so pleasing to God. Be my army of chaste soldiers, ready to fight to the death to preserve the purity of your souls. I am the Immaculate One, Patroness of your land. Be my faithful children as I have been your faithful Mother.”

“These are my words, O my daughter. Make them known to my children. I desire to make the whole of America my shrine by making every heart accessible to the love of my Son.”

I read these words to my children before we entered the church (we actually melted our way in during another 100+degree day here in town). As I finished speaking my son gasped, “Mom,” he said, “that sounded like YOU were really speaking those words to us!” (He had a little frightened look on his little face! — at least I know he was listening.)

I think that these words of our Mother to Sr. Mary Ephrem are not unique only to us here and now in America. I am sure such similar statements have been made by our Mother before as she endeavors to help us and guide us to do the will of her Son. These words, this plea, however, is a distressing call to us. She wants us to become pure, chaste and chivalrous and she implores us to listen to her. This is a tall order for those faithful who live in a country who seems so committed to destroying human life through a culture of death which is so vile and so cruel. But our Mother also sees the good, the virtuous, the prayerful and loving children. She sees how we adore her own Immaculate Conception, her Immaculate Heart, her purity and chasteness. She knows how we struggle to emulate her and how we yearn to grow closer to her Son and to bring everyone we know and love to the ever burning love and mercy of His most Sacred Heart.

But let us try to understand the importance of Our Lady’s words as she has a particular mission here in America. She said to Sr. Mary Ephrem:

“Peace is from within, not from without. If mankind were at peace with itself, there would be peace in the world. Man will only have peace if he has in his heart that true love of neighbor that springs from a whole-hearted love for my Son.”

“My sweet child, if love does not have its roots implanted deeply within the soul, it will die out or be rooted up by the first storm that besets it.”

“O child of my Pure Heart, tell my children to come to me and learn this true love of my Son, which is so necessary for their peace of soul.”

I had visited this “Old Cathedral” of St. Louis many years before this day. Though upon this sojourn I was more keenly aware of its beauty. The “New” Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis is distinguished by its millions of shiny mosaic glass tile and beautiful marble. This “old Cathedral”, by contrast, is flat in color though punctured and highlighted with the radiant beams of afternoon light streaming through its tall windows. The altar is lit from a circular domed window above and instead of a crucifix there is an immense and most beautiful oil color painting of Christ on his cross. While the light gently lay on the pale blue walls, the dark painting seemed to envelop and absorb all the natural light around it. The crucified One then shined forth in His agony. His heart bursting in loving obedience as He hangs there as our eternal Redemptor.

Our Lady of America was to be found on the left side altar. She was standing in front of her spouse and protector, St. Joseph who normally occupies this place in the church. As he stood behind Mary holding baby Jesus he smiled upon her. Indeed this new statue of our Lady was noticeably bright and shiny and so she looked rather new and important among the older and more familiar statuary. Of course we were happy to see St. Therese and the Infant of Prague. And a beautiful painting of Saint Louis King of France which hung in a back altar of the church. (My son was eager to let me know that Louis is always pictured with the crown of thorns as this was his mission in going off to Crusade in the Holy Land. Alas, Louis was not able to retrieve this precious relic! This beautiful little boy is fascinated with knights, crusaders and chivalry. No doubt than that his mind has been stirred with our Lady of America’s call to gallantry and honor as her children!) Anyway, there was no one in the church besides we three and so we took the opportunity to kneel before Our Lady of America on the steps before the altar rail.

As I knelt before her beautiful statue I really had not planned what I would say to her. I thought maybe we would “talk” about her desires for America, about the evil of abortion or injustices of society. But that was my agenda… Instead, in the silence of prayer, the words which came to me were “I need to sacrifice more, I need to sacrifice more, I need to sacrifice more”. The phrase just kept rolling over and over in my heart. These were, of course, not easy words for me to hear or say. I am sure this sacrifice shall not be easy to do and I am not exactly sure what it include. I suppose I will have to rely upon grace. I suppose I will have to hope she will ask her Son to give this grace to me…

There is lots to learn about Our Lady of America and you can visit the official website here. There is also a story in the St. Louis Review Newspaper which sums up her story quite nicely. Finally, if you wish to learn more about St. Mary Ephram’s conversations with Our Lady, Our Lord and St. Joseph you can read a PDF file of transcripts here.

… We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Im-
maculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under
your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make
all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving
maternal care…

It has been quite the busy busy these past nine days, but before the clock strikes midnight, I want to write a quick little summary of this final night of the Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the Carmelite Monastery in St. Louis.

Tonight we were so very blessed to have our very own Archbishop Raymond Burke preside over Holy Mass. He could not have been more wonderful. His homily was so very thoughtful as he spoke to the congregation about the great gift of the Brown Scapular that our Heavenly Mother gave to the Order as a sign of her maternal protection and love. Some, well perhaps lots, of people think our dear Archbishop Burke to be a stern man, a business man, and just another cleric in our church. But what they fail to notice about him, and what is truly most remarkable about this man, is that he is a deeply spiritual man. His soul is united to our Lord in deep devotion to His most Sacred Heart and it is most indeed evident when he speaks just how much this devotion animates his life. A great shepherd is he, a beautiful and most humble soul teaching us by example and with a brilliant mind inspired through the great grace of God.

The first reading from mass was from the Book of Kings when Elijah is upon Mount Carmel instructing his companion to look into the sky. When the first little cloud appears like a “hand” or in other translations “the heel of the foot”, Elijah knows this to be the sign from above. This formation in the clouds is symbolic of our Mother of Mount Carmel and how she would help to stamp out the evil one as she bears the Son of God on high. As the first reading was being recited my son looked up into the sky and saw the clouds forming above with a beautiful light from the setting sun adding glory to our holy mass. He quickly snapped this photograph which I am dubbing Elijah’s Cloud.

May we spend our lives in imitation of our humble and most perfect Mother of Mount Carmel. It is she who draws us up to her as our dearest Mother so she can introduce us to her most beloved Son, our Savior and our King.

Happy Feast day to all!!

— ooops the time just past beyond the stroke of 12!

May Thy Heart dwell always in our hearts!
May Thy Blood ever flow in the veins of our souls!
O sun of our hearts, Thou givest life to all things by the rays of Thy goodness!
I will not go until Thy Heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus be the King of my heart!
Blessed be God. Amen.

- Saint Francis De Sales

TO THE SACRED HEART.

Beside the tomb wept Magdalen at dawn, —

She sought to find the dead and buried Christ;

Nothing could fill the void now He was gone,

No one to soothe her burning grief sufficed.

Not even you, Archangels heaven-assigned!

To her could bring content that dreary day.

Your buried King, alone, she longed to find,

And bear His lifeless body far away.

Beside His tomb she there the last remained,

And there again was she before the sun;

There, too, to come to her the Saviour deigned, —

He would not be, by her, in love outdone.

Gently He showed her then His blessed Face,

And one word sprang from His deep Heart’s recess:

Mary! Hisvoice she knew, she knew its grace;

It came with perfect peace her heart to bless.

One day, my God! I, too, like Magdalen,

Desired to find Thee, to draw near to Thee;

So, over earth’s immense, wide-stretching plain,

I sought its Master and its King to see.

Then cried I, though I saw the flowers bloom

In beauty ‘neath green trees and azure skies:

O brilliant Nature! thou art one vast tomb,

Unless God’s Face shall greet my longing eyes.”

A heart I need, to soothe me and to bless, —

A strong support that can not pass away, —

To love me wholly, e’en my feebleness,

And never leave me through the night or day.

There is not one created thing below,

Can love me truly, and can never die.

God become man — none else my needs can know;

He, He alone, can understand my cry.

Thou comprehendest all I need, dear Lord!

To win my heart, from heaven Thou didst come;

For me Thy blood didst shed, O King adored!

And on our altars makest Thy home.

So, if I may not here behold Thy Face,

Or catch the heav’nly music of Thy Voice,

I still can live, each moment, by Thy grace,

And in Thy Sacred Heart I can rejoice.

O Heart of Jesus, wealth of tenderness!

My joy Thou art, in Thee I safely hide.

Thou, Who my earliest youth didst charm and bless,

Till my last evening, oh! with me abide,

All that I had, to Thee I wholly gave,

To Thee each deep desire of mine is known.

Whoso his life shall lose, that life shall save; —

Let mine be ever lost in Thine alone!

I know it well, — no righteousness of mine

Hath any value in Thy searching eyes;

Its every breath my heart must draw from Thine,

To make of worth my life’s long sacrifice.

Thou hast not found Thine angels without taint;

Thy Law amid the thunderbolts was given;

And yet, my Jesus! I nor fear nor faint.

For me, on Calvary, Thy Heart was riven.

To see Thee in Thy glory face to face, —

I know it well, — the soul must pass through fires.

Choose I on earth mypurgatorial place, —

The flaming love of Thy great Heart’s desires!

So shall my exiled soul, to death’s command,

Make answer with one cry of perfect love;

Then flying straight to heaven its Fatherland,

Shall reach with no delay that home above.

Therese Martin, October, 1895.

Photograph:
Nr. 65 • Herz-Jesu-Symbol (Kloster Maria Medingen)
Foto und Text: Sr. Gerlinde Fehr OSF
Bruder-Firminus-Stiftung • Postfach 24 01 41 • 4000 Düsseldorf 1

Ah, we have reached the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! AMEN! The novena at the Pink Sisters will conclude tonight with Bishop Robert Hermann and the most outstanding Alleluia Chorus! There seems to be a little bit of a “let down” when the final night of the novena is over. Just when you get into the habit of going every night it is over and everyone seems to linger in the chapel with the Blessed Sacrament a little longer tonight. And of course, one must have an extra cup of pink lemonade to hold them over until next year!!

Today, also, Archbishop Raymond Burke will anoint two Deacons into the priesthood at the Cathedral Basilica. These young men are from the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest and they follow the traditional Latin Mass and have their St. Louis home at the beautiful St. Francis de Sales Oratory. Apparently this is the first time the traditional Latin liturgy will be used in an ordination here in more than 40 years!

Also of “Sacred Heat” news is that Archbishop Burke will be consecrating a new altar at the Cathedral Basilica on Sunday afternoon. The shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be installed in the west transept of the cathedral basilica, directly across from the baptistery and ambry, which are in the east transept. The space for the shrine is ample without necessitating the removal of any pews or disturbing, in any other way, the present ordering of the space in the cathedral basilica.

The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been created by the Vatican Mosaic Studio. It is modeled after the image of the Sacred Heart in the Archbishop’s Residence, which has been reproduced in various sizes for the devotion of the faithful. It is also on the holy card with the Morning Offering, which is distributed by the archdiocese.

The mosaic image of the Sacred Heart will be placed in an altarpiece made of marble from Pietrasanta in Italy. The shrine will include stands with votive candles to represent our prayers continuously lifted up to the glorious Heart of Jesus.

The shrine has been designed by Duncan G. Stroik of the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. He is internationally known for his design of beautiful churches and chapels, in accord with the long tradition of sacred architecture, at an affordable cost for the parish or Catholic institution. His design of the shrine of the Sacred Heart is truly beautiful and, therefore, inspiring.

The Archbishop has also encouraged the faithful to prayerfully consider “enthroning” an image of the Sacred Heart in their homes. There are 12 promises that go with the displaying of the Sacred Heart in a family home. Usually this is done by hanging the image of Jesus on the wall and having a priest come and “Enthrone” Him. The “Enthronement” is a small ceremony with special devotional prayers that invoke the protection of the Sacred & Immaculate Hearts. These 12 promises were not given in a “list” form to Saint Margaret Mary by Jesus, but as she wrote about what Jesus had told her about His loving Heart, these promises emerged. Some long time later an American businessman gleaned these promises from Saint Margaret Mary’s writings, and made a list for us to contemplate and hold.

The Twelve Promises of Our Blessed Lord to St. Margaret Mary for those who are devoted to His Sacred Heart (taken from her autobiography and letters):

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.
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. The All-Powerful Love of my Heart 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.

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.
The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.

Here are some great prayers to the Sacred Heart:

INVOCATION

O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude

FOR THE CHURCH

O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.

A PRAYER OF TRUST

O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal

ACT OF LOVE

Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val

MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought it mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushes beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Hear. of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O’Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

A great link from EWTN for Meditating on the Sacred Heart

NOVENA TO THE SACRED HEART

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

I’m not able to write today, if I did it would be upon the subject of detachment.  A photograph says more than I could anyway…