SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
"Consider often that it is only the humble of Heart that can enter into the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ and converse with Him, Love Him and be Loved by Him."
- St Margaret Mary Alacoque
On this day we especially honour the humility, love and mercy of Our Blessed Lord Who died in atonement for our sins. Let us not forget His tremendous sacrifice and strive to make reparation for all the grave offences we commit against His Sacred Heart through our sinful pride and arrogance.
HISTORY OF DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus goes back at least to the 11th century, but through the 16th century, it remained a private devotion, often tied to devotion to the Five Wounds of Christ. The first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated on August 31, 1670, in Rennes, France, through the efforts of Fr. Jean Eudes (1602-1680). From Rennes, the devotion spread, but it took the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) for the devotion to become universal.
In all of these visions, in which Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary, the Sacred Heart of Jesus played a central role. The “great apparition,” which took place on June 16, 1675, during the octave of the Feast of Corpus Christi, is the source of the modern Feast of the Sacred Heart. In that vision, Christ asked St. Margaret Mary to request that the Feast of the Sacred Heart be celebrated on the Friday after the octave (or eighth day) of the Feast of Corpus Christi, in reparation for the ingratitude of men for the sacrifice that Christ had made for them. The Sacred Heart of Jesus represents not simply His physical heart but His love for all mankind.
The devotion became quite popular after St. Margaret Mary’s death in 1690, but, because the Church initially had doubts about the validity of St. Margaret Mary’s visions, it wasn’t until 1765 that the feast was celebrated officially in France. Almost 100 years later, in 1856, Pope Pius IX, at the request of the French bishops, extended the feast to the Universal Church. It is celebrated on the day requested by our Lord - the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, or 19 days after Pentecost Sunday.
ACT OF REPARATION TO THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS (IESU DULCISSIME – REPARATIONIS ACTUS)
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the act of reparation.
A plenary indulgence is granted if it is publicly recited on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Requirements for obtaining a plenary indulgence:
1. Do the work while in a state of grace.
2. Receive sacramental confession within 20 days of the work (several plenary indulgences may be earned per reception).
3. Receive Eucharistic communion (one plenary indulgence may be earned per reception of Eucharist).
4. Pray for the pope’s intentions (an Our Father and Hail Mary, or other appropriate prayers, is sufficient).
5. Have no attachment to sin (even venial) - i.e., the Christian makes an act of the will to love God and despise sin.
THE MOST FAMOUS IMAGE OF THE SACRED HEART
Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787) is the painter who depicted the most famous image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was born in Lucca in 1708 and his father was a skilled goldsmith who imposed the family trade on his son. As a youth, Batoni displayed his ability in the engraving and decoration of precious metals however, at 19 years of age, he abandoned his father’s workshop in order to study the art of painting in Rome. Once in the Eternal City, the young painter became fascinated by the antique sculptures in and around the Vatican and the frescos by Raphael and Annibale Carracci. Batoni soon became famous due to his ability to copy classical sculptures. Amongst Batoni’s works are some notable portraits that are notable for outlandish hairstyles and impassable compositions, but especially for the psychological penetration of the character and the delicacy of the complexion. Amongst his most well-known portraits are Emperor Joseph II of Austria and Pope Pius VI.
In 1760 Batoni realised the painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that was placed in a Chapel in the Jesuit Church of the Gesù in Rome. This work became the official image for the popular devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was inspired by the apparition of Jesus, under the title of the Sacred Heart, to St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690). In 1673 on the Feast of St. John the Evangelist Our Lord came to St. Margaret Mary, while she was in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. The saint describes His Sacred Heart with the following words: “The Divine Heart was presented to me in a throne of flames, more resplendent than a sun, transparent as crystal, with this adorable wound. And it was surrounded with a crown of thorns, signifying the punctures made in it by our sins, and a cross above signifying that from the first instant of His Incarnation, […] the cross was implanted into it […].”
Batoni represented Christ dressed in a red tunic (which is the colour of blood, of martyrdom and humanity) and a blue mantle (the colour of heaven and of the divine). In the masterpiece, Jesus is young and beautiful with long hair falling down to his shoulders. Christ’s face has a short beard whilst his right hand indicates His inflamed heart which is crowned with thorns with a cross on top.
St Margaret’s account continues with the words that Jesus said to her, “My Divine Heart is so inflamed with love for men, and for thee in particular that, being unable any longer to contain within Itself the flames of Its burning charity, It needs to spread them abroad by thy means and manifest itself to them (mankind) in order to enrich them with the precious treasures which I discover to thee, and with contain graces of sanctification and salvation necessary to withdraw them from the abyss of perdition. I have chosen thee as an abyss of unworthiness and ignorance for the accomplishment of this great design, in order that everything may be done by Me.” Jesus asked Margaret to place her head on His breast asking her to give Him the gift of her small heart to be placed in the furnace of His Divine Heart, before returning to her inflamed by His love.
The artist's skill in painting was able to make Jesus’ gaze penetrate the observer of the piece and His right hand invites those who look upon the piece to place their head on Jesus’ breast, in the same manner as St John the Evangelist and St Margaret Mary. Upon Jesus’ request to give her heart to Him, the nun promptly donated it to be infested with God’s passion for humanity.
Looking at the image and reflecting on the fact that Jesus took St Margaret’s heart and emerged it in His before returning to her, raises the question of who the heart that Jesus is holding belongs to? Is it Jesus’ Heart, or alternatively, that of St Margaret’s made it similar to His?
We may find the response in the prayer that the Church recites during the Month of June, which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart:
“Jesus meek and humble of heart make my heart like yours”
SYMBOLS OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a central theme throughout the Bible. It is not a reference to the actual muscle tissue of His physical heart but it is a reference to Christ Himself. The heart is synonymous with the totality of the person. Christ is offering you an intimate view of the interior reality of his life, which is all love. As we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart, here is a look at the explanation behind some of the features of it:
✓ THE FLAMES.
The flames signify the fire of Divine love. It’s not a fire that destroys but is a fire that purifies. Every step we take in the spiritual life will become more purified and result in a deeper union with Jesus.
✓ THE CROSS
The cross that surmounts the overall depiction of the heart signifies the throne we made for our Heavenly King. But Christ changed this throne of pain into a sign of His love.
✓ CROWN OF THORNS
Unlike the arrows, the crown of thorns is reported in the gospels. But in traditional images, it encircles the Sacred Heart, whereas in Scripture the crown was fixed to Jesus’ head.
✓ WOUND & BLOOD
The wound and blood remind us of the time when His side was pierced and the blood shed for us.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus holds great significance in the Catholic tradition. Here are some important things that Catholics should know about this special feast day:
1. Meaning and Significance: The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a celebration that focuses on the boundless love and mercy of Jesus Christ as symbolized by His sacred heart. It is an opportunity for Catholics to reflect on and honour the compassionate and selfless love that Jesus has for humanity.
2. Date: The solemnity is observed on Friday that follows the second Sunday after Pentecost, which usually falls in June. However, it can be transferred to a different date in some countries or dioceses.
3. Devotion to the Sacred Heart: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has a long history in the Catholic Church. It encourages believers to contemplate the love of Christ and seek to respond to that love by living a life of devotion, gratitude, and compassion.
4. Promises of the Sacred Heart: The devotion to the Sacred Heart is associated with twelve promises made by Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun who received private revelations in the 17th century. These promises include blessings of peace, grace, and the assurance of eternal life for those who practice and promote devotion to the Sacred Heart.
5. Practices and Traditions: On solemnity, Catholics may attend Mass, participate in Eucharistic adoration, recite the Litany of the Sacred Heart, or engage in other devotional practices. Some may also have the image of the Sacred Heart displayed in their homes or participate in processions and special prayers dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
6. Act of Consecration: The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart is an ideal time for individuals and families to make or renew an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This act expresses a personal commitment to entrust one's life to the love and mercy of Jesus, seeking to imitate His heart in thought, word, and deed.
7. Relevance in the Spiritual Life: The devotion to the Sacred Heart calls Catholics to deepen their relationship with Jesus, to grow in holiness, and to respond to His love by loving others with the same selflessness and compassion. It is a reminder of the centrality of love in the Christian life and an invitation to cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus.
Act of Reparation Prayer:
Most sweet Jesus, whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before you, eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries to which your loving Heart is everywhere subject.
Mindful, alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask your pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offences, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow you, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the promises of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of your law.
We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage committed against you; we are now determined to make amends for the manifold offences against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behaviour, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holy-days, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against you and your Saints. We wish also to make amends for the insults to which your Vicar on earth and your priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of your divine love, and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and teaching authority of the Church which you have founded.
Would that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood. We now offer, in reparation for these violations of your divine honour, the satisfaction you once made to your Eternal Father on the cross and which you continue to renew daily on our altars; we offer it in union with the acts of the atonement of your Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of your grace, for all neglect of your great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past. Henceforth, we will live a life of unswerving faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending you and to bring as many as possible to follow you.
O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and by the crowning gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to you, so that we may all one day come to that happy home, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
O most holy heart of Jesus, a fountain of every blessing, I adore You, I love You, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer You this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to Your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.
Collected from different sources...
Dr. Nicholas Macedon, OCD
Carmelite Priory, Oxford.
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