5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS IN THE MONTH OF JUNE
Meanne M. Mijares
Did you know that the month of June is the traditional month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus? While it’s easier to remember a month like May—the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mother’s Day—sometimes we have a tendency to forget about the other months of the year. Now let me share with you a few meaningful ways and ideas we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June.
With the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus settling on June 28th this year, you can start doing small but special things running up to its feast day. Are you ready? Here are five ways to get you into the spirit of the day/month.
1. Make an enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Do you have an image of the Sacred Heart in your home? Is it blessed? If not, you may consider doing an Enthronement. It is one of the easiest and best ways to show your devotion to the Sacred Heart. After all, Jesus told St. Margaret Mary, “I will bless every dwelling where an image of My Heart is both exposed and honored.”
To do it is quite simple. You should go to Mass and receive the Eucharist the day of the enthronement, get an image of the Sacred Heart that is clean and blessed if the priest won’t be there at the ceremony, have the enthronement ceremony with your family present, and then you see and experience the graces flow into your home. It’s best still to have a priest do the ceremony but the head of the household can also do it if you’re unable to get a priest to do it.
2. Start a First Friday Devotion
If you already haven’t tried it, begin the Nine First Friday Devotion to the Heart of Jesus. What exactly does this involve? You will need to receive Holy Communion and recite the Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on each First Friday for nine consecutive Fridays. What will you receive in return? To quote Our Lord (to St. Margaret Mary),
“I promise you, in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the first Friday for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance; they shall not die in my disgrace nor without receiving the sacraments; my divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in that last moment.”
3. Make an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Find yourself feeling overwhelmed with the possibility of being busy this month? Consider doing the Act of Reparation on the solemnity. Yes, there are indulgences attached to it. For a single recitation, there is an indulgence of 300 days. A plenary indulgence is given once per month if done as part of the first Friday devotion.
Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (official text)
Most sweet Jesus, You have bestowed on men the benefits of Your charity, but their ingratitude only responds with forgetfulness, negligence and spite. Thus here we prostrate ourselves before Your altar, inspired by the desire to make reparation through a special homage for their culpable indifference and the outrages which, in all ways, they oppress Your most loving Heart.
Nevertheless, we remember that we ourselves have been guilty of unworthy conduct in the past, and filled with profound sorrow, we implore Your mercy for us first of all. By voluntary expiation, we are ready to atone for the faults we have committed, ready also to expiate for those who, led astray from the way of salvation and remaining obstinate in their infidelity, refuse to follow You, their Shepherd and chief, thus throwing off the yoke of Your law and trampling the promises of their Baptism.
We would like to expiate for too many lamentable faults, making reparation for each of the following: our disorderly conduct, indecent fashions, scandalous corruption of innocent souls, profanation of Sundays and feasts, detestable blasphemies against You and against Your Saints, insults to your Vicar and to Your priests, reckless violations and odious sacrileges to the divine Sacrament of Your love, and finally the public sins of nations who revolt against the rights and authority of Your Church.
If only we could erase so many offenses with our own blood! At the least we wish to make reparation to Your outraged honor. We present to You even the satisfaction that You have offered to Your Father on the Cross, and the offering You have renewed each day on the altar. We present that sacrifice to You, accompanied with all the acts of atonement made by the Most Holy Virgin Your Mother, the Saints, and by faithful Christians. We promise You with all of our hearts, with the help of Your grace, to use all our means to do penance for our past faults and those of our neighbor. By the fervor of our faith, the purity of our life, and by perfect docility to the precepts of the Gospel, we desire to atone for the indifference toward such a great love, to which belongs all charity. We also promise You to make every effort to spare You new offenses and to lead the most souls possible to follow You.
Agreed, we offer You in this matter, O most good Jesus, by the intercession of the gracious Virgin Mary, Reparatrix, this spontaneous homage of expiation. Guard us until death, keeping us unshakably faithful to our duty and to Your service. Accord to us this precious gift of perseverance, which leads us finally to our native land where, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, You reign, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days. Plenary indulgence one time per month for the customary recitation (with confession, communion and visit to a church). For public recitation on the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Indulgence of seven years and 280 days, and a plenary indulgence for those who confess and receive communion.
(Source: https://www.ewtn.com/series/pilgrims/ep9_act.htm)
4. Make a 9-day Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and visit our Eucharistic Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
You can make the novena on your own or attend a novena in your parish or any Catholic church. On those days, make a good confession, do works of charity and visit our Lord in the Adoration Chapel. Attend the Fiesta Mass (it is considered a High Mass) and receive Holy Communion. After receiving Holy Communion. you pray,” Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, may the whole world burn with love for You!”
5. Distribute novenas and leaflets to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
You may purchase copies of the novena and stampitas in Catholic bookstores and give it to your friends and loved ones or even strangers. This will encourage them to pray and have a fervent devotion as well to our Lord and His Most Sacred Heart.
However you may choose to celebrate the June month (or just the solemnity itself), may the Sacred Heart of Jesus stir up our hearts with love for Him.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You!
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, may Your Kingdom come!
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