Sacred Heart Devotions - June

Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. --John 19:34
Sacred Heart of Jesus - Devotions

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

Throughout the month we urge the faithful to special zeal in the worship of the Heart of our Savior, considered as a part of His sacred Humanity and as the emblem of His infinite love.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart became widely known in the seventeenth century even though homage paid to the Heart of Jesus is mentioned by spiritual writers as early as the twelfth century. 

Devotion to the Sacred Heart was promoted by Margaret Mary Alacoque, a humble and holy French nun.  Margaret Mary Alacoque, within the space of a religious life of only nineteen years, became the apostle of the beautiful and now universal worship of the loving Heart of our Blessed Savior.

Margaret Mary was born in the village of Lhautecour, in France, in the year 1647. After a childhood remarkable for sanctity, she entered the community of the Visitation nuns at Paray-le-Monial in 1671. Here she lived a life of mortification and prayer, and in return for her fidelity and fervor our Divine Lord is said to have granted her visions through which He communicated His will and desires to her.  In one of these visions He showed her His Heart, pierced with a wound, encircled with a crown of thorns, surrounded by flames and surmounted by a cross. He commanded her to practice and to teach others the devotion to His Sacred Heart, because of His ardent desire to be loved by men and His wish to give to all mankind the treasures of His love and mercy.

Throughout the month our church seeks the love and mercy of Christ's Sacred Heart by holding special devotions on Friday evenings at 7 PM.  These devotions include the recitation of a Litany to the Sacred Heart, Scripture, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and Benediction. We adore the Sacred Heart as the Heart of Christ, an inseparable part of Him.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart occurs on the first Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi.  On account of the importance of this great June festival, the whole month of June is considered as being specially devoted to the worship of the Sacred Heart.