The Knights of Saint Benedict, as a faithful Catholic Lay Deliverance Team promotes deeply the devotion to the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We urge every family, individual, children, youth and students, parish-based organizations, religious groups and associations, to be actively involved in the Ministry of Healing and Deliverance through this devotion to the Two Hearts (that also goes with the devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, St. Joseph, The Holy Family, Holy Rosary, Brown Scapular, St.Benedict, and others.)
Please take time to print and read the following notes and prayers for better understanding and appreciation of the devotion. The prayers attached here can be used by every Catholic Christian family to consecrate their home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Please share the prayers to as many families you can possibly reach.
God Bless.
Courtesy of the following sites:
http://www.fisheaters.com/sh.html
http://www.allianceoftwoheartsgeorgia.com/about/
Consecration of the Family to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Nihil Obstat +Most Rev
Leo Drona, SBD, DD, 24 January 1997
Imprimatur + His
Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal, 24 January 1997
Introduction
As we see the rise of the “Culture of Death” in our society
today, Christ’s request for reparation seems to be more urgent NOW. The Enemy
is out to destroy the Church and society’s basic structure – the family. This
only proves why the fiercest spiritual battle is fought right inside the home.
We see parents against their children, children against their parents, spouses
against each other. Division is the Enemy’s diabolical mark. If he succeeds in
dividing the family, it would be easier for him to divide the Church and
society.
Prayer and Reparation are the powerful weapons by which we
can defeat the “Culture of Death” and win in this spiritual battle. Parents are
being asked to pray and make reparation for their children; children are also
being asked to pray and make reparation for holiness of life in their home.
Everyone is being asked to pray and make sacrifices especially in these
troubled times, for the outrages and sacrileges committed against God and the
Blessed Mother and for families to remain united even in face of severe trials.
Through the House-to-House Enthronement, the family is
initiated into the Daily Communion of Reparation which is both
Eucharistic-centered and Marian in spirituality. Through the enthronement of
the Hearts of Jesus and Mary in the home, the family enters into an alliance
with Their Hearts by way of consecration. And as the family fulfills the
requirements of this consecration (Rosary, Confession, Eucharist, and Holy
Hours of Adoration), the family is brought closer together in love and peace.
Holiness then begins in the home.
Millions of homes have already been enthroned in 104
countries since the Alliance of the Holy Family was founded in 1992. The AHFI
has started this apostolate in 1992 under the guidance of the late His Eminence
Alfonso Cardinal Trujillo (Prefect of the Pontifical Council for the Family)
and the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI). We bring the
devotion and the lifestyle of the Alliance of the Two Hearts, which we call the
“Communion of Reparation,” to a level where the Pontifical Council for the
Family and the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith have constantly reminded
and urged us to continue and maintain the spiritual depth and growth of the
apostolate to truly be of help in bringing back holiness in family life.
Questions and Answers
Question: What
is an “Enthronement?”
Answer:
Enthronement is a solemn act of placing God at the center of
people’s lives especially the family. Through a solemn rite, the members of the
family accept “holiness” as a state to which God calls each one of them. In the
Alliance of Two Hearts House-to-House Enthronement, Jesus is Lord and is
worshipped as the King of the family. Mary, on the other hand, is the Mother of
Our Lord, our model for holiness and is honored as the Queen of the home.
Question: When
we enthrone the Two Hearts, what exactly is the role of Mary?
Answer:
When we enthrone the holy pictures of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it means that we worship Jesus as the
Son of God and we honor Mary as the Mother of God. It does not mean that we
worship Her as God. We honor Her because Jesus wanted it so (John 19:25-27).
She is a human being who has been prepared from the beginning by God to bear
Jesus in Her virginal womb. The recognition of the Alliance of Two Hearts does
not in any way intend to make Mary divine. As St. John Eudes explained, Mary is
the author of the Heart of Jesus; he refers to Their Hearts as “one single
Heart,” a unity which is an integral part of the very mystery of the incarnation.
(cf. “Alliance of the Two Hearts: Core of Our Faith,” Manila: THMO, 1995).
Question: Why
do we need to consecrate to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary?
Answer:
We are living in a time of so much evil, where sin is no
longer considered a sin and where society believes no longer in the existence
of God. Consecration to Jesus means total giving of oneself to God, while
consecration to Mary means allowing her to be truly our Mother who will bring
us closer to Jesus. The consecration to the Two Hearts empowers us to detach
ourselves from sin and unite ourselves to Jesus by imitating the life of Mary.
(cf. “Alliance of the Two Hearts: Core of Faith,” p. 105.)
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
"We the Christians are the true Israel which springs from
Christ, for we are carved out of His heart as from a rock." -- St. Justin
Martyr (d. 165)
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." -- Matthew
11:29
"There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express
image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in
return." -- Pope Leo XIII
The heart has always been seen as the "center" or
essence a person ("the heart of the matter," "you are my
heart," "take it to heart," etc.) and the wellspring of our
emotional lives and love ("you break my heart," "my heart
sings," etc.) Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is devotion to Jesus
Christ Himself, but in the particular ways of meditating on his interior life
and on His threefold love -- His divine love, His burning love that fed His
human will, and His sensible love that affects His interior life. Pope Pius XII
of blessed memory writes on this topic in his 1956 encyclical, Haurietis Aquas
(On Devotion To The Sacred Heart).Below are a few excerpts which help explain
the devotion:
54. ...the Heart of the Incarnate Word is deservedly and
rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that threefold love with which
the divine Redeemer unceasingly loves His eternal Father and all mankind.
55. It is a symbol of that divine love which He shares with
the Father and the Holy Spirit but which He, the Word made flesh, alone
manifests through a weak and perishable body, since "in Him dwells the
fullness of the Godhead bodily."
56. It is, besides, the symbol of that burning love which,
infused into His soul, enriches the human will of Christ and enlightens and
governs its acts by the most perfect knowledge derived both from the beatific
vision and that which is directly infused.
57. And finally -- and this in a more natural and direct way
-- it is the symbol also of sensible love, since the body of Jesus Christ,
formed by the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, possesses full
powers of feelings and perception, in fact, more so than any other human body.
58. Since, therefore, Sacred Scripture and the official
teaching of the Catholic faith instruct us that all things find their complete
harmony and order in the most holy soul of Jesus Christ, and that He has
manifestly directed His threefold love for the securing of our redemption, it
unquestionably follows that we can contemplate and honor the Heart of the
divine Redeemer as a symbolic image of His love and a witness of our redemption
and, at the same time, as a sort of mystical ladder by which we mount to the
embrace of "God our Savior."
59. Hence His words, actions, commands, miracles, and
especially those works which manifest more clearly His love for us -- such as
the divine institution of the Eucharist, His most bitter sufferings and death,
the loving gift of His holy Mother to us, the founding of the Church for us,
and finally, the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and upon us --
all these, We say, ought to be looked upon as proofs of His threefold love.
60. Likewise we ought to meditate most lovingly on the
beating of His Sacred Heart by which He seemed, as it were, to measure the time
of His sojourn on earth until that final moment when, as the Evangelists
testify, "crying out with a loud voice 'It is finished.', and bowing His
Head, He yielded up the ghost."Then it was that His heart ceased to beat
and His sensible love was interrupted until the time when, triumphing over
death, He rose from the tomb.
61. But after His glorified body had been re-united to the
soul of the divine Redeemer, conqueror of death, His most Sacred Heart never
ceased, and never will cease, to beat with calm and imperturbable pulsations.
Likewise, it will never cease to symbolize the threefold love with which He is
bound to His heavenly Father and the entire human race, of which He has every
claim to be the mystical Head.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart has two elements: consecration
and reparation:
We consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart by acknowledging
Him as Creator and Redeemer and as having full rights over us as King of Kings,
by repenting, and by resolving to serve Him.
We make reparations for the indifference and ingratitude with
which He is treated and for leaving Him abandoned by humanity.
To carry out these general goals of consecration and
reparation, there are quite specific devotions authorized by the Church.
Specific Devotions
From the earliest days of the Church, "Christ's open
side and the mystery of blood and water were meditated upon, and the Church was
beheld issuing from the side of Jesus, as Eve came forth from the side of Adam.
It is in the eleventh and twelfth centuries that we find the first unmistakable
indications of devotion to the Sacred Heart. Through the wound in the side, the
wounded Heart was gradually reached, and the wound in the Heart symbolized the
wound of love." (Catholic Encyclopedia)
St. John Chrysostom (b. ca. 347) in his 85th Homily
on the Gospel of St. John wrote:
For "there came forth water and blood." Not without
a purpose, or by chance, did those founts come forth, but because by means of
these two together the Church consisteth. And the initiated know it, being by
water indeed regenerate, and nourished by the Blood and the Flesh. Hence the
Mysteries take their beginning; that when thou approachest to that awful cup,
thou mayest so approach, as drinking from the very side.
The waters of Baptism, and the Blood of the Eucharist,
pouring forth from Christ's side, brought the Church into existence just as Eve
was formed from Adam's side. And just as God took man and "breathed into
his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul," so at the
Pentecost did the Holy Ghost come down over the Church and bring Her to life.
General devotion to the Sacred Heart, the birthplace of the Church
and the font of Love, were popular in Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries,
especially in response to the devotion of St. Gertrude the Great (b. 1256), but
specific devotions became even more popularized when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
(1647-1690), a Visitation nun, had a personal revelation involving a series of
visions of Christ as she prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote,
"He disclosed to me the marvels of his Love and the inexplicable secrets
of his Sacred Heart." Christ emphasized to her His love -- and His
woundedness caused by Man's indifference to this love.
He promised that, in
response to those who consecrate themselves and make reparations to His Sacred
Heart:
He will give them all the graces necessary in their state of
life.
He will establish peace in their homes.
He will comfort them in all their afflictions.
He will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in
death.
He will bestow abundant blessings upon all their
undertakings.
Sinners will find in His Heart the source and infinite ocean
of mercy.
Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
He will bless every place in which an image of His Heart is
exposed and honored.
He will give to priests the gift of touching the most
hardened hearts.
Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names
written in His Heart.
In the excessive mercy of His Heart that His all-powerful
love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in
nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in
His disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. His divine Heart shall be
their safe refuge in this last moment.
The devotions attached to these promises are:
1. Receiving Communion frequently
2. First Fridays: going to Confession and receiving the Eucharist on the
first Friday of each month for nine consecutive months. Many parishes will
offer public First Friday devotions; if they do, you must perform First Fridays
publicly. If it isn't so offered in your parish, you can do this privately,
going to Confession, receiving the Eucharist, and offering your prayers for the
intention of the Holy Father.
3. Holy Hour: Eucharistic Adoration for one hour on Thursdays ("Could
you not watch one hour with me?"). Holy Hour can be made alone or as part
of a group with formal prayers.
4. Celebrating of the Feast of the Sacred Heart (see below)
Note also that June is devoted to the
Sacred Heart.
Feast of the Sacred Heart
The Friday that follows the Second Sunday in Time After
Pentecost is the Feast of the Sacred Heart which brings to mind all the
attributes of His Divine Heart mentioned above. Many Catholics prepare for this
Feast by beginning a Novena to the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Corpus Christi,
which is the Thursday of the week before. On the Feast of the Sacred Heart
itself, we can gain a plenary indulgence by making an Act of Reparation to the
Sacred Heart.
Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus on the Feast of Christ the King
On the Feast of Christ the King, celebrated on
the last Sunday of October (the Sunday before the Feast of All Saints) and
initiated in 1925 by Pius XI in his Encyclical Quas Primas, there follows after
the Mass a Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We
kneel before the Sacrament and recite the following consecration. Afterwards,
there is a Litany and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. In praying the
Consecration, going to Confession, and receiving the Eucharist on this day
(when devoutly done), the faithful receive a plenary indulgence.
Most sweet Jesus,
Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine
altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but, to be more surely united
with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy most
Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never
known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on
them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy sacred Heart. Be Thou King,
O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the
prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return
to Thy Father's house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be Thou King of those
who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call
them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but
one flock and one Shepherd.
Be Thou King of all
those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and
refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of
mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they
called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon
them a laver of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Thy
Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all
nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry:
"Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory
and honor for ever." Amen. 1
Please read about the
Kingship of Christ and come to understand the concept's absolute importance.
Truly pray the Mass -- at all times, but especially on this day. Pray the
Consecration with your whole heart!
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart
Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey, a South American
priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, was inspired
by God, after his instantaneous cure at Paray-le-Monial, to preach everywhere
the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart to verify this promise of the Saviour
given to St. Margaret Mary: "I will bless every dwelling where an image of
My Heart is both exposed and honoured."
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a solemn
act of a family giving formal recognition of the kingship of Christ over their
family and home and the official, ceremonial beginning of a family's commitment
to live out the effects of their recognition of Christ's Kingship. During the
Enthronement ceremony, a blessed image of the Sacred Heart is hung in the most
prominent place in the house and Sacred Scripture is placed before it. Formal
prayers are prayed and then each member of the household signs a certificate of
the Covenant.
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart Ceremony
Preparation: It is good if all can attend Mass
that day and receive the Eucharist. If a priest won't be present for the
Enthronement Ceremony, an image of the Sacred Heart will have already been
blessed. The wall will have already been prepared for hanging the image (if
it's to be hung on the wall), flowers and such should adorn the table or mantle
under where the picture will be placed/hung, the frame for the Certificate and
the Certificate itself should be ready, refreshements will already have been
prepared, Sacred Scripture will be handy, any candles used should be lit, etc.
If a priest will be attending the ceremony, it is good to have him bless your
home.
All are seated while the father explains what
is about to happen. The priest or natural father may begin with a short talk on
the meaning and importance of the Enthronement, and comment on various steps of
the ritual.
V. Our help is in the
Name of the Lord.
R.
Who made Heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with
you.
R.
And with your spirit.
Let us pray. Almighty
and everlasting God, who dost approve the painting and sculpturing of the
images of Thy Saints, so that as often as we gaze upon them we are reminded to
imitate their deeds and sanctity; vouchsafe, we implore Thee, to bless and
sanctify this image made in honor and in memory of the Most Sacred Heart of Thy
only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and grant, that whosoever in its
presence, will suppliantly worrship and honor the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only
begotten Son, may obtain through His merits and intercession grace in this life
and everlasting glory in the world to come. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The priest or natural father now sprinkles the
image with holy water. Then the father, or in his absence, the mother or some
other member of the family, enthrones the image in the place of honor prepared
for it. This is the symbolic act of Enthronement. All stand.
I believe in God, the
Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth, and in in Jesus Christ, His only
Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He
descended into Hell. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into Heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again
to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy
Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
All sit and remain seated while the priest or
natural father addresses a few words to those present, reminding the members of
the family of what the Sacred Heart expects from families which have
acknowledged Him as King; recalling the magnificent promises of the Sacred
Heart; urging the family to live its Enthronement and frequently to renew the
act of consecration which they are about to make.
Then all kneel, while the priest and the father
[or father alone, or his representative] recite the official Act of
Consecration.
O Sacred Heart of
Jesus, who didst make known to St. Margaret Mary Thine ardent desire to reign
over Christian families, behold us assembled here today to proclaim Thine
absolute dominion over our home.
Henceforth we purpose
to lead a life like unto Thine, so that amongst us may flourish the virtues for
which Thou didst promise peace on earth, and for this end * we will banish from
our midst * the spirit of the world which Thou dost abhor so much.
Thou wilt reign over
our understanding by the simplicity of our faith. Thou wilt reign over our
hearts by an ardent love for Thee; and may the flame of this love be kept
burning in our hearts by the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Deign, O Divine Heart,
to preside over our meetings, to bless our undertakings, both spiritual and
temporal, to banish all worry and care, to sanctify our joys and soothe our
sorrows. If any of us should ever have the misfortune to grieve Thy Sacred
Heart, remind him of Thy goodness and mercy toward the repentant sinner.
Lastly when the hour
of separation will sound and death will plunge our home into mourning, then
shall we all and everyone of us be resigned to Thy eternal decrees, and seek
consolation in the thought that we shall one day be reunited in Heaven, where
we shall sing the praises and blessings of Thy Sacred Heart * for all eternity.
May the Immaculate
Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph offer Thee this our
Consecration, and remind us of the same all the days of our life.
Glory to the Divine
Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father!
Now all pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and
one Glory Be:
Our Father, Who art in
Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as
it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Hail Mary, full of
Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the
Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now
and in the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Now all pray a prayer of thanksgivng:
Glory be to Thee, O
Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the infinite mercy Thou hast bestowed upon the
privileged members of this family. Thou hast chosen it from thousands of
others, as a recipient of Thy love and a sanctuary of reparation wherein Thy
most loving Heart shall find consolation for the ingratitude of men.
How great, O Lord
Jesus, is the confusion of this portion of Thy faithful flock as we accept the
unmerited honor of seeing Thee preside over our family! Silently we adore Thee,
overjoyed to see Thee sharing under the same roof the toils, cares and joys of
Thy children! It is true, we are not worthy that Thou shouldst enter our humble
abode, but Thou hast already reassured us, when Thou didst reveal Thy Sacred
Heart to us, teaching us to find in the wound of Thy Sacred Side the source of
grace and life everlasting. In this loving and trusting spirit we give
ourselves to Thee, Thou who art unchanging Life.
Remain with us, Most
Sacred Heart, for we feel an irresistible desire to love Thee and make Thee
loved. May our home be for Thee a haven as sweet as that of Bethany, where Thou
canst find rest in the midst of loving friends, who like Mary have chosen the
better part in the loving intimacy of Thy Heart!
May this home be for
Thee, O be. loved Savior, a humble but hospitable refuge during the exile
imposed on Thee by Thine enemies.
Come, then, Lord
Jesus, come, for here as at Nazareth, we have a tender love for the Virgin
Mary, Thy sweet Mother whom Thou hast given us to be our Mother. Come, to fill
with Thy sweet presence the vacancies which misfortune and death have wrought
in our midst.
O most faithful
Friend, hadst Thou been here in the midst of sorrow, our tears would have been
less bitter; the comforting balm of peace would then have soothed these hidden
wounds, which are known to Thee alone.
Come, for even now
perhaps, there is drawing near for us the twilight of tribulation, and the
decline of the passing days of our youth and our illusions.
Stay with us, for
already it is late, and a perverted world seeks to envelop us in the darkness
of its denials while we wish to adhere to Thee who alone art the Way the Truth
and the Life.
Repeat for us those
words Thou didst utter of old: "This day I must abide in this home.
Yes, dear Lord, take
up Thy abode with us, so that we may live in Thy love and in Thy presence, we
who proclaim Thee as our King and wish no other!
May Thy triumphant
Heart, O Jesus, be forever loved, blessed, and glorified in this home! Thy
Kingdom Come! Amen!
All stand and thank the Immaculate Heart of
Mary for the grace of the Enthronement, and to proclaim this loving Mother as
the Queen of the home, all recite the Hail Holy Queen.
Hail holy Queen,
mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor
banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy
toward us. And after this our exile show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb,
Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.
Act of Consecration to the Heart of Mary (her image installed near the Sacred Heart)
Heavenly Mother Mary ,
I come to thy most lovable and sweet Heart, refuge of sinners. I offer myself
to thee and consecrate my entire life to thine Immaculate Heart. In this
consecration of my total person, I offer thee my body and soul with all its
miseries and weaknesses. I offer thee my heart with all its affections and
desires, my prayers, works, joys and sufferings. I offer thee every temptation
that comes to me so that my every thought and desire may be purified through
thy holy intercession.
My Queen, my Mother, I
offer thee in consecration all sufferings which come into my life, both
physical and spiritual. I offer thee especially my death with all that will
accompany it. I offer thee my last agony. Accept all this, my Mother, and take
all into thy Immaculate Heart as I give to thee irrevocably all that I am and
all that I have, together with all property and possessions. I offer thee my
family and all who are near and dear to me. Take them all into thine Immaculate
Heart and keep us ever one in thy Son Jesus Christ.
I renew today the vows
of my Baptism and Confirmation. Keep me ever faithful to God and to Holy
Church, and loyal in obedience to the Holy Father, the Pope. I desire to pray
the Rosary properly, meditating on its mysteries. I desire to participate in
the Sacrifice of thy Son perpetuated at Holy Mass and receive Him frequently,
even daily in Holy Communion. I attach special importance to the first Saturday
of the month in reparation to thine Immaculate Heart and I will work for the
conversion of sinners. I will strive to live daily the spirit of Eucharistic
reparation.
O Queen of the Angels,
my Queen and my Mother, I humbly prostrate myself before thee as I approach
thee with my Guardian Angel. I desire all the holy Angels, and especially my
Guardian, to venerate thee always as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Command my
Guardian and all holy Angels to keep me always in thy love and in the union of
grace with thy Divine Son. Send forth thy Angels to assist me in spreading
devotion to thine Immaculate Heart so that through thine intercession there may
be peace in the world and in the Church, and the Kingdom of Christ may come on
earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.
The ceremony ends with a short litany:
V. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
R. Have mercy on us!
V. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
R. Have mercy on us!
V. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
R. Have mercy on us!
V. Immaculate Heart of Mary
R. Pray for us.
V. St. Joseph
R. Pray for us.
V. St. Margaret Mary
R. Pray for us.
All: Glory to the Most Sacred Heart
of Jesus forever and ever! Amen.
Sing a song fit for the Sacred Heart of Jesus or the
Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Then, priest gives his blessing in the name of the Church,
or the natural father gives a paternal blessing:
May the blessing of Almighty God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, descend upon us and remain forever. Amen.
***************************************************************
Periodic Renewal of the Consecration
Periodically, the family might want to renew
the Consecration, especially on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, at the Feast of
Christ the King (the last Sunday in October), at births, deaths, major life
events, such as First Communions, Confirmations, a child leaving for College,
etc. The following prayers are for this purpose:
Renewal of the Consecration of the Family
Most sweet Jesus,
humbly kneeling at Thy feet, we renew the consecration of our family to Thy
Divine Heart. Be Thou our King forever! In Thee we have full and entire
confidence. May Thy spirit penetrate our thoughts, our desires, our words and
our works. Bless our undertakings, share in our joys, in our trials and in our
labors. Grant us to know Thee better, to love Thee more, to serve Thee without
faltering.
By the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, Queen of Peace, set up Thy kingdom in our country. Enter closely
into the midst of our families and make them Thine own through the solemn
enthronement of Thy Sacred Heart, so that soon one cry may resound from home to
home: "May the triumphant Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved, blessed and
glorified forever!" Honor and glory to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary!
A Prayer for the Christian Family
O God of goodness and
mercy, to Thy fatherly protection we commend our family, our household and all
that belongs to us. We commit all to Thy love and keeping; do Thou fill this
house with Thy blessings even as Thou didst fill the holy house of Nazareth
with Thy presence. Keep far from us, above all things, the taint of sin, and do
Thou alone reign in our midst by Thy law, by Thy most holy love and by the
exercise of every Christian virtue. Let each one of us obey Thee, love Thee and
set himself to imitate in his own life Thine example, that of Mary, Thy Mother
and our Mother most loving, and that of Thy blameless guardian, Saint Joseph.
Preserve us and our
house from all evils and misfortunes, but grant that we may be ever resigned to
Thy Divine will even in the sorrows which it shall please Thee to send us.
Finally give us all the grace to live in perfect harmony and in the fulness of
love toward our neighbor. Grant that every one of us may deserve by a holy life
the comfort of Thy holy Sacraments at the hour of death. O Jesus, bless us and
protect us.
O Mary, Mother of
grace and of mercy, defend us against the wicked spirit, reconcile us with Thy
Son, commit us to His keeping, that so we may be made worthy of His promises.
St. Joseph, foster father of our Savior, guardian of His holy Mother, head of
the Holy Family, intercede for us, bless us and defend our home at all times.
Amen.
Sing a song fit for the Sacred Heart of Jesus
or the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Then, priest gives his blessing in the name of the Church,
or the natural father gives a paternal blessing:
May the blessing of
Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, descend upon us and remain forever.
Amen.
