Jesus’ Promise: Every family that prays this devotion will be under My protection
The inspiration for establishing the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus came from the French town of Paray-le-Monial, following the apparition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675.
From 1673 to 1675, Saint Margaret Mary experienced several visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In one of the final visions, commonly known as the “Great Apparition,” on June 16, 1675, during the Octave of Corpus Christi, Jesus instructed that the Feast of the Sacred Heart be established:
“Therefore, I ask you that the first Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi be dedicated to a special feast in honor of My Heart. On that day, an act of reparation should be offered to My Heart, together with a Communion of reparation, to make amends for all the acts of irreverence committed while My Body in the Eucharist was exposed upon the altars.”
At the end of the message, Jesus promises a reward to all those who celebrate the Feast of His Sacred Heart: “I promise you that My Heart will open wide and pour out abundant streams of its divine love upon all those who honor it in this way and who encourage others to do the same.”
It was not until 1765 that Pope Clement XIII permitted the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and even then only for those who had specifically requested it. These were the Polish bishops of the time and the Roman Archconfraternity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The feast was soon adopted by the Visitation nuns, the religious order to which Saint Margaret Mary belonged, as well as throughout Rome. It was later embraced by bishops, the Queen of France, and the superiors and members of the Society of Jesus. In this way, within a relatively short time, the devotion spread throughout almost the entire Church.
Jesus’ Promise to Saint Margaret! Pray this prayer: “I will protect the families that consecrate themselves to Me, and I will bring them peace.”
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, You revealed to Saint Margaret Your desire to reign over Christian families. Therefore, today we come before You to openly acknowledge Your unlimited sovereignty over our family. We desire that the virtues and peace You promised here on earth may flourish within it. We want the spirit of this world, which You condemned, to remain far from us. Reign, then, most merciful Heart, over our minds, so that we may believe firmly in You. Reign over our hearts, so that we may be set ablaze with a burning love for You. We will sustain the flame of this love through prayer and frequent reception of Holy Communion.
O Divine Heart of Jesus, deign to remain always with us. Bless our spiritual and temporal goods, sanctify every Christian joy we experience, and ease our sorrows. If any one of us should offend You, mercifully forgive us. And when death knocks at the door of our family and takes one of its members from us, grant that we may all submit to Your holy will, in the hope that one day we shall all be reunited in Heaven, where we will praise and bless You forever.
May the Most Pure Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph present this act of consecration to You and remind us of it throughout all the days of our lives. Glory to the Heart of Jesus, the Heart of our King and our Father! Glory and praise to You, O Divine Heart of Jesus, for establishing the throne of Your reign within our family! Share in our joys and sorrows, and through Your inexpressible love, lead us along the path to eternal life. Amen.
Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for all the gifts You have given me: for the gift of life and health, for the grace of faith, and for the gift of belonging to the Catholic Church. Today, I consecrate myself to Your Divine Heart. Through this act, I first profess and reaffirm my Christian faith and my commitment to You. I also affirm my acceptance of all the truths of the Catholic faith as taught by the Holy Church, into which You granted me the grace to be born and raised.
I renew my baptismal covenant with You and reaffirm my decision to live according to it. I acknowledge You as my Lord and King. From this moment on, You and the love of Your Divine Heart will be the highest treasure of my life, which I receive into my very being. Help me to live in a manner worthy of Your love and to bring happiness to those around me through that same love.
