By Mary Powers
The image of the Sacred Heart has long been a refuge of hope for many—a physical reminder of the great love of God. Originally made after Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a 17th century French Visitation nun, the image is found in places such as churches, schools, homes, offices, and hospitals.
The image and promises
At the time of the apparitions, the heresy of Jansenism was spreading throughout France and western Europe portraying God as angry, harsh and distant. Jesus’ message to St. Margaret Mary was the opposite. It reminded mankind of the deep and abiding love of God for each person.
Jesus revealed the Sacred Heart devotion to St. Margaret Mary in several mystical visions between 1673 and 1675.
On July 2, 1674, Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary for a second time with His heart set as a throne of flames with His wound from the cross. It was surrounded by a crown of thorns and a cross above it. Jesus revealed to her that the manifestation of the passion of His heart (the cross, crown of thorns, etc.) was present from the moment of His conception.
“My Divine Master revealed to me that it was His ardent desire to be known, loved, and honored by men, and His eager desire to draw them back from the road to perdition, along which Satan is driving them in countless numbers, that induced Him to manifest His Heart to men with all the treasures of love, mercy, grace, sanctification and salvation that it contains,” St. Margaret Mary wrote in her autobiography.
Jesus told St. Margaret Mary that His heart must be honored under the form of a heart of flesh, desiring that the image be exposed and venerated so that He can pour out “all of the gifts it contains in its fullness.”
“Everywhere this holy image was exposed to be honored, He would pour forth His graces and blessings,” wrote St. Margaret Mary. “This blessing was, as it were, a final effort of His love. He wanted to bestow upon men during these final centuries such loving redemption in order to snatch them from the control of Satan, whom He intended to destroy.”
A channel for the graces
More than 230 years later, Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey, a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, would create the structure to make this promise a reality in homes across the world through the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart.
In 1907, after his health deteriorated, he traveled from his home in Chile to Europe. He visited Paray-le-Monial in France where the Sacred Heart apparitions took place. While there, he was inspired to start an apostolate for the social reign of the Sacred Heart, enthroning the image of the Sacred Heart in the home, which is the basis for all civilization. Upon receiving the blessing of Pope Pius X, he went back to pray at Paray-le-Monial for the strength and graces necessary to achieve his mission. In response to his prayer, he received a miraculous healing before returning to Chile, setting him on fire to conquer every heart, home and the world for the Sacred Heart.
From that small chapel in France, countless families have put Jesus at the center of their home, bringing His great love and protection to reign in their families amid the sorrows and joys of life.
Consecrating the United States
Providentially, the founding of the United States of America has a connection with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. More than 100 years after Jesus revealed His heart to St. Margaret Mary, the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776 (promulgated on July 4, 1776).
As one of the events marking the 250th birthday of America, the bishops of the United States consecrated the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, the eve of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The consecration places our country under the protection of His great love and places Him at the center of our hearts and nation. In a way, it’s a more prominent version of Father Mateo’s “home enthronement.”
Consecrate your own home
As the bishops consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart, consider enthroning your own home this year. Begin by setting a date to have a priest bless your home and lead the enthronement. Prepare with your family by learning more about the Sacred Heart devotion and praying a novena leading up to the enthronement. Traditionally, a Prayer of Consecration is said in the home by the priest and family, inviting Jesus to reign in their hearts. An image of the Sacred Heart is blessed with holy water by the priest along with the entire home.
“Deign, O Divine Heart, to preside over our meetings, to bless our undertakings both spiritual and temporal, to banish all worry and care, to sanctify our joys and soothe our sorrows,” reads the prayer. “If any of us should ever have the misfortune to grieve Thy Sacred Heart, remind him of Thy goodness and mercy towards the repentant sinner.”
The priest blesses the family, and a certificate of enthronement can be signed by the priest and family.
For more information about the USCCB consecration of the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, visit: https://www.usccb.org/weholdthesetruths
For more information on the Home Enthronement to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, visit: https://www.catholiccompany.com/pages/sacred-heart-jesus-enthronement-ceremony or https://welcomehisheart.com/
Photo: Painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park.
