"It is in the adorable Heart of Jesus that we shall find every help for our necessities, every remedy for the cure of our ills, the most powerful assistance against the assaults of our enemies, the sweetest consolation to soothe our sufferings, the purest delight to fill our souls with joy.
Are you in sorrow? Do your enemies persecute you? Does the recollection of your past sins disturb you? Is your heart troubled or full of fear? Throw yourself…in the wounds of Jesus Christ, even into His Sacred Heart, it is a sanctuary, it is the retreat for holy souls, and a place of refuge wherein your soul is safe.
It is to Him and through Him that we should ask for all we require, it is through Him and in Him that we should offer to the Eternal Father all we do, because this Sacred Heart is the treasury of every supernatural gift, the source of every grace. It is the channel through which we unite ourselves more intimately to God, and through which God communicates Himself more freely. It is…to this Sacred Heart we should continually strive to unite ours, no longer wishing to have other desires or sentiments than those of Jesus, and then we may be sure that His will and His Sacred Heart may…merge into our heart, and that the two will be as one.
Draw waters at leisure out of the Savior's fountains, you will never exhaust them."
Cardinal St. Peter Damian, Doctor of the Church, c. 1007-c. 1072
“If all shall follow [this Consecration to the Sacred Heart] out with hearty good will, we not unreasonably expect extraordinary and lasting benefits for Christendom in the first place and also for the whole human race…And since there is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another, therefore is it fit and proper that we should consecrate ourselves to His most Sacred Heart, an act which is nothing else than an offering and a binding of oneself to Jesus Christ, seeing that whatever honor, veneration and love is given to this divine Heart is really and truly given to Christ Himself.
…the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a cross rising from it and shining forth with dazzling splendor amidst flames of love. In that Sacred Heart all our hopes should be placed, and from it the salvation of men is to be confidently besought.”
Pope Leo XIII
Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has said he chose “Leo” because of the inspiration of Pope Leo XIII, who was devoted to the Sacred Heart, particularly after being healed of an illness. Leo XIII pronounced an encyclical, Annum Sacrum (Sacred Year): “On Consecration To The Sacred Heart,” May 25th, 1899. This consecration of the whole world to the Sacred Heart, he considered to be his greatest contribution, an excerpt of which is above. It is beautifully written and well worth reading, rife with deep Christology, mentioning both Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. Leo XIII also discusses some of his social teaching (regarding Church and state), which everyone is talking about now, since this is what Leo XIV has pointed us towards. Part of this consecration was the Litany of the Sacred Heart (PDF). This effort was a completion of the investigation into the Sacred Heart devotion, under Pius IX. Of course, Saint Margaret Mary of the 17th century, brought forth the Sacred Heart in a profound way, but it was not a new idea. It is traced back to the Gospel account of the piercing of Our Lord’s Heart, and you can see Saint Peter Damian’s writings above, well before Margaret Mary. Leo XIII’s encyclical brought this wonderful gift to a great fulfillment for our modern era.
Pope Pius XII renewed the Vatican’s uplifting of the Sacred Heart with his encyclical, Haurietis Aquas (You Shall Drink the Waters): “On Devotion to the Sacred Heart,” May 15th, 1956. It is likely he had read Peter Damian’s words above, “Draw waters at leisure out of the Savior's fountains,” and used this as inspiration for the title. This encyclical is an exhaustive work, having 127 points, as opposed to Leo’s 15 points. Again, well worth reading, I’m sure (I was able to read Leo’s but this one will be a project for the coming month).
The theme of the Sacred Heart of Jesus pops up right away this month, on the First Friday, the 6th. What a fabulous time to begin the “9 First Fridays Devotion to the Sacred Heart!” This was given to Saint Margaret Mary directly by Our Lord and comes with 12 great promises. It is longer than the Marian “5 First Saturdays” devotion, but simpler. The 27th is the feast of the Sacred Heart and the 28th is the Immaculate Heart. It is no accident that the Church placed these feasts together, as Our Lord and His Mother are inseparable. See these words from Haurietis Aquas…
"In order that favors in greater abundance may flow on all Christians, nay, on the whole human race, from the devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, let the faithful see to it that to this devotion the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God is closely joined.
For, by God's Will, in carrying out the work of human Redemption, the Blessed Virgin Mary was inseparably linked with Christ in such a manner that our salvation sprang from the love and the sufferings of Jesus Christ to which the love and sorrows of His Mother were intimately united.
It is, then, entirely fitting that the Christian people, who received the divine life from Christ through Mary, after they have paid their debt of honor to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, should also offer to the most loving Heart of their heavenly Mother, the corresponding acts of piety, affection, gratitude and expiation. Entirely in keeping with this most sweet and wise disposition of divine Providence is the memorable act of consecration by which we ourselves solemnly dedicated Holy Church and the whole world to the spotless Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
Pope Pius XII
Theologically related to Jesus’ Heart, is the feast of Corpus Christi on the 19th, as this honors His Body and Blood. On Sunday the 22nd, we celebrate Corpus Christi once again, so important is this feast (this is a simplified explanation of the 2 feasts).
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June begins with the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord in the post-conciliar calendar, which is effective in most provinces of the US. (See blog post below for a meditation and litany you can print.) Pentecost Sunday is the 8th. The Novena to the Holy Ghost is prayed for 9 days prior (the original “Novena” of the 9 days between the Ascension and the Gift of the Paraclete), but don’t worry if you’re a bit late (see blog post below). Pentecost has a vigil and an octave in the trad calendar, a week of joy. Within this octave, we have the Ember Days of Summer on the 11th, 13th and 14th, which temper this octave with prayer and penance for the season. One week after Pentecost, we have Trinity Sunday, which marks the beginning of “Time After Pentecost” in the trad calendar, extending till Advent.
His Holiness Leo XIV’s pontificate began in the month of Our Lady, who he has shown deep devotion to, and proceeds to the Month of the Sacred Heart, so loved by his patron predecessor. Let us rejoice in this new day for Holy Mother Church and her children!
Here are some additional feasts, in the trad and post-con calendars:
9th-BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
13th-Saint Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church
24th-Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (with vigil)
29th-Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles (with vigil)
30th-Commemoration of Saint Paul / First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
Homeschool Activities for June
1) Draw of picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus & the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
2) What are the Ember Days? Write a short explanation.
3) Make a craft for the Ember Days, celebrating the season of Summer in a spiritual light.
