Unique Ways to Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June
In June, the Church remembers and celebrates the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In June, the Church remembers and celebrates the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Sacred Heart is a profound reminder of the humanity of our Lord and of His immense love for us. It is often depicted as a heart, bloodied and broken, but burning with Love. This image beautifully illustrates the great sacrifice that Christ made for you.
As Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: “Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love.”
Here are some unique ways to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially in the month of June:
Consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart
Jesus gave us His whole heart, it seems only right to offer our hearts in return. The consecration promoted by St. Margaret Mary (as seen below) is a specific way for the faithful to unite themselves more closely to Jesus. Pietra Fitness is consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and strives to put Jesus at the very heart of all we do.
Here is a prayer of consecration written by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque:
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.
I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.
I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants. Amen.
Enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful way to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your physical space. This ceremony involves your family solemnly acknowledging the Sacred Heart as King of your home by putting an image of the Sacred Heart in a place of honor. You can look to this image often as an example of the sacrificial love to which we are all called.
Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
The Divine Mercy Chaplet offers you the chance to meditate on the Sacred Heart of Jesus which poured itself out for our salvation with the words: O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in you.
This simple prayer can be prayed any time during the day but is especially efficacious at 3:00 pm, also known as the Hour of Mercy.
Commit to the First Friday Devotion
The first Friday of every month has been set aside as a remembrance of the Sacred Heart, a devotion that began at Jesus’ request during His appearance to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
This special devotion requires you to receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays with the intention of making reparation to “the Heart that has loved men so and is loved so little in return.” Jesus promised to shower special graces––including final perseverance in the Catholic faith, reception of the sacraments before death, and death in the state of grace–– to those who devote themselves to His Sacred Heart in this way.
While you can begin this devotion any time during the year, how special it would be to begin it during the month of the Sacred Heart.
Spread the Love
If we seek to imitate the Sacred Heart, inflamed with love for others, then we should seek to share that love with others through service and Evangelization. There are many people right in your own community who do not know the Good News that Jesus died for our sins and that we are called to be in relationship with Him for eternity.
Go out of your way this month to pray with someone else, share your faith, or witness to Jesus’ love through acts of kindness and service.
Work your Heart
The Sacred Heart is a profound reminder of the Incarnation, that God Himself took on flesh in order to save us from our sins. The Sacred Heart reminds us of the goodness of our human bodies.
Take some time this month and pray with your body through exercise. Pietra Fitness combines Christian meditation and exercises for every fitness level to help get your heart pumping.
