“It is only by starting from the heart that our communities will succeed in uniting and reconciling differing minds and wills, so that the Spirit can guide us in unity as brothers and sisters. Reconciliation and peace are also born of the heart. The heart of Christ is “ecstasy”, openness, gift and encounter. In that heart, we learn to relate to one another in wholesome and happy ways, and to build up in this world God’s kingdom of love and justice. Our hearts, united with the heart of Christ, are capable of working this social miracle.”(28)
On Friday, June 27, 2025, we will celebrate the Solemnity (Feast) of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Are you familiar with the tradition and spirituality of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus?
Here is a summary of the origins and early history of devotion to the Sacred Heart:
“The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus — also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests — is celebrated on the Friday after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This suggests to us that the Eucharist (Corpus Christi) is none other than the Heart of Jesus himself, of the One who “takes care of us” with his “heart.”
On 20 October 1672, Father Giovanni Eudes, a priest from Normandy, celebrated this feast for the first time. But there had already been several German mystics that had begun cultivating devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Middle Ages: Mechtild of Magdeburg (1212–1283), Mechtilde of Hackeborn (1240/1–1298) and Gertrude of Helfta (1256–1302) — and the Dominican, Blessed Henry Suso (1295–1366).
But to popularize the devotion, the revelations of our Lord to the Visitation nun of the convent of Paray-le-Monial, Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), contributed greatly. Margaret Mary had entered the French convent in Saône-et-Loire in 1671. She already had the reputation of being a mystic when on 27 December 1673 she received the first vision of Jesus who invited her to take John’s place, the only apostle who physically rested his head on Jesus’s chest, among those present at the Last Supper…”
Liturgical Holidays / Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Since our new Holy Father has taken the name Pope Leo XIV, there has been a renewed interest in the life and Pontificate of Pope Leo XIII (March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903). On May 25, 1899, Pope Leo XIII published the Encyclical Letter “Annum Sacrum” that included an “Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus” which he had composed. The letter asked all bishops of the world to recite the Act of Consecration, offering up the whole human race to the Sacred Heart. After Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical devotion to the Sacred Heart grew in popularity in many Catholic cultures and countries, leading many families to consecrate themselves and their home to the Sacred Heart, displaying an image of the Sacred Heart in a prominent place in the home.
In recent decades, devotion to the Sacred Heart has not been as popular as it has been in the past, but there are signs that it may be growing once again. In what would be his last Encyclical Letter, Pope Francis published “Dilexit nos” (He Loved Us) on Oct. 24, 2024. The full title of the Encyclical is “Dilexit Nos: On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ.” It is a beautiful, theological reflection on the spirituality of the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as a reflection on papal teachings and saints who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart. It is also a very convincing argument on the importance of and need for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our world today, i.e.:
“In the presence of the heart of Christ, I once more ask the Lord to have mercy on this suffering world in which he chose to dwell as one of us. May he pour out the treasures of his light and love, so that our world, which presses forward despite wars, socio-economic disparities and uses of technology that threaten our humanity, may regain the most important and necessary thing of all: its heart.” (#31)
Over the past five years, many Catholic devotions and much of our rich spiritual heritage are being “introduced” to those who use the Hallow app, which was incorporated on June 21, 2018, and, on its seventh anniversary, announced that 1 billion prayers have been offered on the platform. I was very happy a few weeks ago when I learned that the Hallow app would be offering a three-week “retreat” in preparation for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. I was especially happy when I learned that the retreat would be led by Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Father Piere Toussaint, CFR, and Jonathan Roumie (the actor who portrays Jesus in the streaming series The Chosen). In the daily 8 to 12 minutes of prayer and reflection that comprise this retreat, my own devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been strengthened. The last nine days of the retreat have included praying a Novena to the Sacred Heart.
If you use the Hallow app, it is not too late to go back to the Sacred Heart Retreat and start from the beginning. If you are not familiar with the Hallow app, I (once again) encourage you to “check it out” and consider “trying it for free.”
There is so much that could be said or written about the great “spiritual treasure” of devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. I will conclude by offering one more “link” to the website of the Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. On that website there is information on: “The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart” (as given by Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque), a list of “8 Ways to Grow in Devotion to the Most Sacred Heart,” a 2-minute video on “What is Devotion to the Sacred Heart, and a 4-minute video of the Sisters praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart here.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Thine.
