My dear parishioners,
Peace! The Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions the Heart of Jesus variously. “Scripture is a unity by reason of the unity of God’s plan, of which Christ Jesus is the center and heart, open since His Passover. The phrase ‘heart of Christ’ can refer to Sacred Scripture, which makes known His heart, closed before the Passion, as the Scripture was obscure” (CCC, 112; cf. Luke 24:25-27, 44-46; Psalm 22:14). how in view of the incarnation He loves with a human heart, and “the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation ‘is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that … love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings’ without exception” (cf. CCC, 470, 478; John 19:34; Pius XII Encyclical Haurietis aquas). One part of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM (+1690) mystically received the promises. Here we consider the eleventh of the twelve promises: Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in My Heart.
How does one go about propagating the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Three ways of looking at the propagation of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus include: example, encouragement, equipment.
Example propagates the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If none of us are devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus we fail to give a good example of this core devotion. Some examples of the Sacred Heart devotion would include: active participation in First Friday Mass and Communion, regular sacramental Confession, praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Prayers of reparation for sin, our own and of our age, made to the Sacred Heart are another aspect of devotion to the Sacred Heart. Pilgrimages, to the Cathedral locally or to Sacre Coeur du Paris on Montmartre or Paray le Monial on the way to Lyon in France exemplify devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Encouragement propagates the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If we never encourage another to participate in devotion to the Sacred Heart we are not doing all we can to spread this central devotion to the Lord.
Equipment propagates the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If we never see an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus how are we going to grow in our devotion to Him? There are statues and pictures and scapulars and badges of the Sacred Heart which all might fit under the heading of “equipment.” It is one thing to have an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on or near ourselves, it is another to recognize the social reign of the Sacred Heart by living holy lives.
In holy Baptism our names have been inscribed upon the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We retrace this inscription each time we renew our faith and devotion.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr