One of the most inspiring reasons to practice a deep and personal devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is that it unites you to the "Heart of the Church." The month of June, dedicated to the Sacred Heart, is a perfect time to grow closer to His Most Sacred Heart. This month also highlights this devotion with the Feast of the Sacred Herat of Jesus, celebrated on June 19th.
Devotion to and Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The practice of devotion to the Heart of Jesus has been lived out since Saint John the Apostle placed his head on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper. This devotion is for all the faithful who are members of the Body of Christ.
There are many important aspects of this devotion, but one that is far-reaching is to enthrone your home to the Heart of Jesus.
The idea of Enthronement is a spiritual surrender where we allow Jesus to touch us in a way that is life-changing. The simple act of placing the Heart of Jesus as the King of Love in your home can give you new graces to deepen your relationship with the Lord. In a vision to Saint Margaret Mary, Jesus shared that:
Wherever the Image of My Sacred Heart is publicly exposed and honored, I will pour out graces of sanctification and salvation, I will touch unfeeling hearts, I will reunite divided families, I will help them in all their needs.
Now more than ever we need to have the strength and grace to live out our Faith in the home. As Jesus promised, devotion to His Sacred Heart will reunite divided families. This also gives us an opportunity to pass our Faith on to our family in a new way!
The Heart of Jesus in the Church
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is based on Scripture, Tradition, the Church Fathers, and Doctors of the Church. This foundation is best explained in an Encyclical of Pope Pius XII entitled Haurietis Aquas (On Devotion to the Sacred Heart) which is a Latin phrase from Isaiah 12:3 meaning “You will draw waters.” The full quote from Isaiah 12:3 is “With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
In this encyclical, Pope Pius makes the point that the principle objective of devotion to the Sacred Heart is to unite ourselves to the Divine Love that flows between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the living water that Jesus invites all of us to drink, which was foreshadowed in the Old Testament prophets and brought about from Christ’s side on the Cross. Pope Pius concludes that devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the most effective school of the love of God, which is the foundation on building the Kingdom of God in the hearts of individuals, families, and nations.
Some of the more recent endorsements for devotion to the Sacred Heart from our popes come from Pope Saint John Paul II:
We are called not only to meditate on, and contemplate, this mystery of Christ’s love, we are called to take part in it. It is the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, the center of our faith, the center of our worship of Christ's merciful love manifested in his Sacred Heart.
And most recently, Pope Francis stated:
The Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God's Mercy, but it is not an imaginary symbol, it is the real symbol. Which represents the center, the source from which Salvation for all Humanity gushed forth.
Christ the King
When Christ reigns in both our hearts and our homes, we give Him the opportunity to pour forth His mercy and graces. Not only for ourselves but for those closest to us. Let’s allow the Lord to use these uncertain times as a means of strengthening our love for Him and for others.
To learn more about enthroning your home to the Sacred Heart, click here.
Why You Should Enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Your Home #BISblog //Click to tweet
Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, and her latest book is Pray Fully: Simple Steps for Becoming A Woman of Prayer published by Ave Maria Press. She is the Executive Director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network and co-founder of www.inspirethefaith.com. Emily lives in Ohio with her husband and children and manages to keep busy with ministry work, raising a large family and always trying to make time for friends!