WANT TO PREPARE FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS?

 

This coming Friday, we will be celebrating the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Perhaps, the immediate question which follows is:

WHAT IS THE SOLEMNITY OF
THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS ALL ABOUT?

It would be helpful to cite the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH in this regard:

• “Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony and his Passion, and gave himself up for each one of us: ‘The Son of God. . . loved me and gave himself for me.’ HE HAS LOVED US ALL WITH A HUMAN HEART. FOR THIS REASON, 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 (n. 478).”
• “The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. IT ADORES THE INCARNATE WORD AND HIS HEART WHICH, OUT OF LOVE FOR MEN, HE ALLOWED TO BE PIERCED BY OUR SINS (n. 2669).”

With the abovementioned ideas, the solemnity consists in the ADORATION of the HEART of Our Lord Jesus, which is the CHIEF SIGN and SYMBOL of his CONTINUOUS, NEVER-ENDING AND MERCIFUL LOVE for ALL OF US, PIERCED BY OUR SINS AND FOR OUR SALVATION.

God chose ST. MARGARITA DE ALACOQUE to spread the devotion to the His Sacred Heart. Jesus appeared to her saying: “LOOK AT THIS HEART WHICH HAS LOVED MEN SO MUCH, AND YET MEN DO NOT WANT TO LOVE ME IN RETURN. THROUGH YOU MY DIVINE HEART WISHES TO SPREAD ITS LOVE EVERYWHERE ON EARTH.”

He also promised the following to those who have a sincere and pious devotion to His Sacred Heart:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.

The THREE CONDITIONS in order to receive these graces are the following:

1. Receive the Holy Communion during 9 First Fridays of the month in a consecutive and uninterrupted manner.
2. Have the intention to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of persevering till the end.
3. Offer the Holy Communion as an act of expiation or reparation for the offenses committed against Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Dear friends: our preparation for this Friday’s solemnity can be summed up into 2 words: LOVE and REPARATION.

1. Let us thank Our Lord for His immense love for us not only with mere words but with concrete deeds of love and affection. And since love seeks union with the beloved, let us seek union with Jesus, dedicating sometime of DAILY CONVERSATION WITH HIM IN MENTAL PRAYER and RECEIVING HIM FREQUENTLY IN THE HOLY COMMUNION with the proper dispositions, asking Him that we want to REPAY LOVE WITH LOVE.
2. AVOID DURING THESE DAYS WHATEVER THOUGHT, WORD OR ACTION which might OFFEND the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
3. Let us also learn how to OFFER SACRIFICES IN REPARATION NOT ONLY FOR OUR SINS BUT ALSO THE SINS OF MANKIND. Small, constant and daily sacrifices, like:
   1. BITING OUR TONGUE when we have nothing good to say, OFFERING UP CHEERFULLY AN ILLNESS, a headache, a tootache,..or an UNEXPECTED CHANGE OF PLANS, instead of complaining;
   2. Making life pleasant for the others with small acts of service, done for love of God;
   3. Living the virtue of order in our workplace, bedroom, etc. and so on.

Let us then ask Our Immaculate Mother and St. Joseph to help us in this resolve.