Devotion to Our Lady |
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THE PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS TO FAMILIES WHO HONOR 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 bless every house in which the picture of My Heart shall be exposed and honored. 4. I will console them in all their difficulties. 5. I will be their refuge during life and especially at the hour of death. 6. I will shed abundant blessings upon all their undertakings. 7. Sinners shall find in My Heart a fountain and boundless ocean of mercy. 8. Tepid souls shall become fervent. 9. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection. 10. I will give to priests the power of touching the hardest hearts. 11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart never to be blotted out. 12. I promise Thee, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all powerful love will grant to all who communicate on the first Friday of the month for nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My displeasure nor without their sacraments: My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. WHAT IS THE ENTHRONEMENT? It is a crusade to establish the Social Reign of the Sacred Heart in society through the family, the social cell. It is based on Our Lord’s statement to St. Margaret Mary: “I will reign through My Heart!” It is an organized campaign to restore Christ to the family and the family to Christ. It is the answer to the question: “What can we do to save the family?” HOW DOES THE ENTHRONEMENT RESTORE CHRIST TO THE FAMILY? The Enthronement begins with a beautiful and impressive ceremony. In the home itself, in the presence of the priest, who presides at the ceremony, the family publicly and solemnly acknowledges that Christ is the King and loving Master of its home. This is done by having the head of the family install a picture or statue of the Sacred Heart in the place of honor, in the principal room of the home as on a throne—hence the word “Enthronement.” After this solemn acknowledgment of the sovereign rights of Christ the King over the family, the members consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart. Thereby they pledge themselves to live as though the Sacred Heart were actually dwelling in their midst as He did at Nazareth, treating Him as an intimate member of the family, as a Friend and Brother. IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO THE ENTHRONEMENT? No, the ceremony is only the beginning of a new life, a life of love; of loving obedience to all the commandments of Christ and the Church; a life of prayer; especially of family prayers before the image of the Enthroned King, evening prayers and rosary in common; a Eucharistic life: of frequent and even daily Mass and Communion, thereby linking up the sanctuary of the Church and the sanctuary of the home; finally a life of Christian penance, especially by refusing to give in to pagan customs and ideas which are slowly destroying the Christian home, and by making reparation for the terrible crimes of divorce, birth control and sensuality. WHY WILL THE ENTHRONEMENT RESTORE THE FAMILY TO CHRIST? Because in the Enthronement the family is putting Our Lord and His interests first. In return the Sacred Heart takes over the interests of the family. Our Lord Himself has promised that He will bless and sanctify those families who Enthrone Him as King. He asked Saint Margaret Mary, to whom He revealed His Sacred Heart, that He be allowed to reign over the homes of the rich and the poor; that He be solemnly received as King and Friend, and that His Sacred Heart be honored and loved. “I will establish peace in their homes; I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life; I will comfort them in all their afflictions; I will bless all their undertakings.” Hence we may safely say that this is the means Our Lord Himself has selected to restore His sovereign rights over the family, and through the family, over society itself. HAS THIS WORK BEEN APPROVED? Yes, first by the Sacred Heart Himself, as evidenced by the countless conversions, both of individuals and families, where the Sacred Heart has been Enthroned; secondly by four popes of this century: St. Pius X called it “a work of social salvation;” Benedict XV wrote to Father Mateo, its founder: “Nothing is more opportune than your undertaking;” Pius XI blessed this work many times both publicly and privately, and Pius XII wrote to Father Mateo praising him for his work and encouraging him to continue the work of “the Enthronement, which is so well suited to foster the reign of love and mercy of the Sacred Heart in the family.” WHAT MUST I DO TO ENTHRONE THE SACRED HEART IN MY HOME? 1. Learn what it is and how important it is. 2. It is important to have a priest preside over the ceremony, but it is not essential to gain the indulgences. For serious reasons, the father, or someone else may preside and lead the prayers. In any case, please consult your parish priest. 3. If possible have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered that morning for the reign of the Sacred Heart in your home, and as an act of love and reparation to the Sacred Heart. The entire family should try to receive Communion at this Mass, or at another Mass. 4. Obtain as beautiful a picture or statue of the Sacred Heart as possible. If you already have a picture, use that one. 5. Below the place of honor reserved for the statue or picture, prepare a “throne” or “altar,” that is to say, a table (or perhaps the mantelpiece) covered with a white cloth, beautifully decorated with flowers and candles. The picture or statue and holy water should be placed on a small table near the “throne” before the ceremony. 6. Invite your relatives and friends to be present, thus you will already begin to be an “apostle of the Sacred Heart.” Have a family party after the ceremony, with a special treat for the children, who of course, should be present at the ceremony, even the smallest. 7. Make this day one of the outstanding events of the family life — one long to be remembered. The greater the solemnity, the better. NOTE: There is no more appropriate way for a young couple to begin their married life, than to enthrone the Sacred Heart in their new home. THE CEREMONY OF ENTHRONEMENT
A day is chosen for the enthronement ceremony which has a special signification for the family, (a marriage anniversary, for example) or an appropriate liturgical feast day, or a day on which a priest can be present, when possible.
I. PREPARATION BEFORE ENTHRONEMENT The better and more serious the preparation for the Enthronement, the greater will be the blessings on the family coming from this event. This preparation can be extended over three days (a triduum), or over nine days (a novena). It could consist of recitation of the litany of the Sacred Heart, along with the following preparatory prayer: O Divine Heart of Jesus, / come dwell among us, / for we love Thee. Visit our home / as once Thou didst come to Thy friends at Cana, Bethany, / and the home of Zachaeus, the publican. / We wish to place our family under Thy care, / and bring it into intimate union with Thee, / O Sacred Heart of Jesus. / Thou art our most faithful Friend. / No one has ever loved us as Thou hast done. / And we wish to love Thee / for those who do not love Thee, / as Thou art our God and Savior. Thou art also our Lord and King. Since so many scorn Thy kingly might, / we desire to call it down upon our family. / Take Thou possession of this home, / where we shall reserve / a throne as a place of honor for Thee. Grant that the day of Enthronement be / both for our family, and for Thee, / a day of great joy / and the beginning of our life / truly in submission and intimate union with Thee. / All our thoughts and actions must be / in harmony with Thy Sacred Law. / We wish to cast aside / our disordered self-love / and to love our neighbor / as Thou hast loved us, / and dost continue to love us. Living in a world / which has for the most part become / once again pagan, / and no longer knows Thee, / O Divine Heart of Jesus, / we ask of Thy gracious presence / the charity of the first Christians, / of the Apostles, / and of the Martyrs. / Grant that by this household, / which seeks to belong/ to Thee completely, / other families may embrace Thy charity / and that thus from family to family / the entire globe may submit to Thy Royalty. O Immaculate Heart of Mary, / perfect model of fidelity to Our Lord / and of union with Him, / extend and strengthen, / within our hearts and our families / the reign of charity, the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Amen. LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the World, Have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, Have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mother, Have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, Have mercy on us. Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, etc. Heart of Jesus, Holy Temple of God, Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High, Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven, Heart of Jesus, burning Furnace of Charity, Heart of Jesus, Vessel of justice and love, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Heart of Jesus, Abyss of all virtues, Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, Heart of Jesus, in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Heart of Jesus, in Whom dwelleth all the fullness of the divinity, Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father was well pleased, Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, Heart of Jesus, patient and abounding in mercy, Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee, Heart of Jesus, Fountain of life and holiness, Heart of Jesus, Propitiation of our sins, Heart of Jesus, filled with reproaches, Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses, Heart of Jesus, made obedient unto death, Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, Heart of Jesus, Source of all consolation, Heart of Jesus, our Life and Resurrection, Heart of Jesus, our Peace and Reconciliation, Heart of Jesus, Victim for our sins, Heart of Jesus, Salvation of those who hope in Thee, Heart of Jesus, Hope of those who die in Thee, Heart of Jesus, Delight of all the saints, Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart, R. Make our hearts like unto Thy Heart. Let us pray Almighty and eternal God, consider the heart of thy well beloved Son, and the praises and satisfaction He offers Thee in the name of sinners; appeased by worthy homage, pardon those who implore Thy mercy, in the name of Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee, world without end. R. Amen. II. ORDER OF THE CEREMONY It is, again, recommended to have Mass celebrated for the intentions of the family the day of the Enthronement, or at least to attend Mass as a Family and to receive Holy Communion (at least the Sunday before). The place reserved for the image is set up as a small altar The image of the Sacred Heart is prepared on another table covered in white with candles and flowers. A small bottle of holy water is also prepared. 1. BLESSING OF THE HOUSE, OR APARTMENT At the set hour, parents, children, and friends assemble in the main room of the house for the ceremony. If the house is not yet blessed, the priest, in surplice and white stole, first blesses it. LATIN VERSION V. Adjutorium nostrum in Nomine Domine. R. Qui fecit caelum et terram. V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. Oremus. Bene + dic Domine, Deus omnipotens, domum istam; ut sit in ea sanitas, castitas, victoria, virtus, humilitas, bonitas, et mansuetudo, plenitudo legis, et gratiarum actio Deo Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto; et haec benedictio maneat semper hanc domum et super habitantes in ea nunc et in omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. ENGLISH VERSION 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. O Lord God Almighty, bless + this house. In it may there be health, chastity, victory over sin, strength, humility, goodness of heart and gentleness, full observance of Thy law and gratefulness to God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And may this blessing remain upon this house and upon those who live here, now and for ever and ever. Amen. 2. BLESSING THE STATUE OR IMAGE OF THE SACRED HEART When it is impossible to have a priest present the image is blessed beforehand. The family kneels before the image. The priest, in surplice and white stole, begins by the blessing. LATIN VERSION V. Adjutorium nostrum in Nomine Domine. R. Qui fecit caelum et terram. V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. Oremus. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui Sanctorum tuorum imagines sculpi aut pingi non reprobas, ut quoties illas oculis corporis intuemur, toties eorum actus et sanctitatem ad imitandum memoriae oculis meditemur, hanc quaesumus, imaginem (seu sculpturam) in honorem et memoriam Sacratissimi Cordis Unigeniti Filii tui, adaptam bene + dicere et sancti + ficare digneris, et praesta ut quicumque coram illa Unigenitum fillium tuum suppliciter colere et honorare studuerit, illius meritis et obtentu, a te gratiam in praesenti, et aeternam gloriam obtineat in futurum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Ultimo aspergat aqua benedicta. ENGLISH VERSION 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, everlasting God, Thou dost not forbid us to represent Thy saints in stone or paint, so that, as often as we look upon their likenesses with the eyes of the body, we may with the eyes of the mind meditate upon their holiness and be led to imitate their deeds. In Thy kindness, we beg Thee to bless and sanctify this picture (statue), meant to honor and call to mind the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May all who in its presence humbly strive to serve and honor Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by His merits and intercession gain from Thee grace in the present life and eternal glory in the life to come. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen. Then the priest sprinkles the image with holy water. 3. ENTHRONEMENT OF THE IMAGE Then the head of the family sets up the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a place of honor, in order to render homage to the Reign of the Love of Jesus Christ which is everywhere so unknown. 4. RECITATION OF THE CREED After the blessing, in order to give explicit expression to the faith of the family, all recite the Apostles’ Creed out loud and standing. I believe in God the Father Almighty, / Creator of Heaven and Earth; / and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord; / Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, / born of the Virgin Mary, / suffered under Pontius Pilate, / was crucified, died, and was buried. / He descended into Hell, / the third day He rose again from the dead; / He ascended into Heaven/ and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, / from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead. / I believe in the Holy Ghost, / the Holy Catholic Church, / the Communion of Saints, / the forgiveness of sins, / the resurrection of the body, / and life everlasting. Amen. 5. A TALK IS GIVEN BY THE PRIEST Everyone is seated while the priest addresses a few words to those present. He recalls: ► the signification of the Enthronement; ► the Christian life of obedience, confidence and love that the Sacred Heart awaits from the families who have given Him this honor; ► the special and abundant blessings which are given to those families faithful to their engagements; ► the family’s oblation to renew frequently its consecration, especially during the evening prayers. 6. ACT OF CONSECRATION OF THE FAMILY TO THE SACRED HEART This form was approved by St. Pius X on May 19, 1908 and is required as such to gain the indulgences. Thus, it cannot be modified. It is recited kneeling by both the priest and the family. If a priest is not present it is led by the head of the household. 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 propose / 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 ever 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 / towards the repentant sinner. Lastly, when the hour of separation will sound, / and death will plunge our home into mourning, / then shall we all, / and every one 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. The following prayer, formerly used, can be recited on other occasions. Lord Jesus, / deign to visit this home/ in company with Thy Most Holy Mother, / and to pour out upon its inhabitants / those graces which Thou hast promised / to families specially consecrated to Thy Divine Heart. / It was Thou alone, O Savior of the world, / who in revealing Thyself to St. Margaret Mary / didst demand, for an end most merciful, / the solemn homage of universal love to Thy Divine Heart, / that Heart which has so much loved men / and was so little loved in return. This family seeks urgently / to answer Thy call, / and, in reparation for the indifference / and the apostasy/ of so many souls, / it comes, O Divine Heart, / to proclaim Thee as its loving Sovereign/ and to consecrate Thee, / without hope of gain, / its joys, labor, and sorrows, / the present and the future of this household, / which henceforth belongs to none other than Thee. Thus bless those who are here present. Bless also those who, by the will of the Most High, / have passed away. Bless those who are absent, O Jesus! In the name of the Virgin Mary, / we beseech Thee, / O Heart of Love, to establish this household in the reign of charity. / Pour forth on it Thy spirit of Faith, / of holiness, / and of purity. / Be Thou the unique Master of these souls:/ detach them from worldliness and empty vanities. /Open to them, Lord, / the adorable wound of Thy most merciful Heart; / and as an Ark of Salvation keep them therein, / for they are Thine unto eternal Life! May the Triumphant Heart of Jesus dwell among us, / forever loved, blessed, and glorified! Amen. 7. PRAYER FOR ABSENT AND DEAD FAMILY MEMBERS No one should be absent on this solemn occasion, therefore those who have died should be called to mind. Thus say one Our Father and one Hail Mary for these, and for those who are absent. Our Father.....& Hail Mary...... V. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. R. Amen. V. Sanctify, O Lord, those who devote themselves to Thy service. R. And all those who place their hope in Thee. 8. CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS FOR CHILDREN If the children are present, they may recite the following prayer: O Sacred Heart of Jesus, / Heart of our best Friend and most lovable King / Thou hast set up Thy throne in this house, / in order to always live with us, / Say to us those same words: / ”Let the little children come unto Me.” / Behold us, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, kneeling at Thy feet/ and promising from now on / to be as obedient and respectful as Thou wast to Thy holy Parents / at the little house at Nazareth, / so that we may grow both in virtue and wisdom along with age. Most lovable Heart of Jesus, / Thou wishest also to posses our hearts, / for Thou hast said: / “My child, give me your heart” / Thou wishest to remain alone in our hearts, / and we must console Thee by our love, / for all those who do not know Thee / or do not desire to love Thee. / Most sweet Jesus, Divine Friend of children, / receive our hearts, / make them pure, holy and happy, / Receive also our bodies, our souls, / and all our strength. We consecrate ourselves to Thee / now and forever. Be Thou alone our King. / All our thoughts, and our words, / our actions, and our prayers, / we consecrate to Thee, / our Friend and our King. All for Thee, / O Sacred Heart of Jesus! The children may recite a poem or sing a hymn in honor of the Sacred Heart. 9. PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING The whole family recites the following prayer: 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 as 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 innocent 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 beloved 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” (Lk. 19:5). 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! Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! (thrice) Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! St. Joseph, pray for us! St. Margaret Mary, pray for us! Long live the Sacred Heart of Jesus forever and ever. Amen. 10. HOMAGE TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY All stand in order to thank the Heart of Mary for the grace of the enthronement that Jesus has granted to the family, and to proclaim this good Mother as the Queen of the home. Her image is installed next to that of the Sacred Heart. All recite the “Hail Holy Queen.” Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, / hail 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. FAMILY CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY O Immaculate Heart of Mary, / Mother of the Heart of Jesus, / Mother and Queen of our household, / that we may fulfill Thy ardent desire, / we consecrate ourselves to Thee, / and we beseech Thee to reign over our family. / Reign over each one of us, / and teach us how to make the Sacred Heart of Thy Divine Son/ reign and triumph in us and about us, / as He has reigned and triumphed by Thee. Reign over us, O Beloved Mother, / so that we may be Thine both in prosperity and in adversity, / in joy and in sorrow, / in health and in sickness, / in life and in death. / O most compassionate Heart of Mary, Queen of Virgins, / watch over our souls and our hearts / and preserve them from the flood of pride, / impurity, / and paganism of which Thou hast complained so bitterly. / We desire to do reparation / for the numerous crimes committed against Jesus and Thee. / We call upon our home, / upon the homes of this country / and upon those of the entire world, / the peace of Christ in justice and charity. Wherefore we promise / to imitate Thy virtues, / by a practical Christian life, / and by frequent and fervent Holy Communion, / regardless of human respect. We come with confidence to Thee, / O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love; / inflame us with the same divine fire/ which has inflamed Thy own Immaculate Heart. / Kindle in our Hearts and homes, / the love of purity, / an ardent zeal for souls, / and desire for the holiness of family life. / We accept now, / all the sacrifices that the Christian life will impose on us/ and we offer them to the Heart of Jesus, / by the Immaculate Heart, / in a spirit of reparation and of penance. To the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary / be love, honor, and glory forever and ever! Amen. 11. BLESSING OF THE PRIEST The priest blesses those present by the usual formula: Benedictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, descendat super vos et maneat semper. Amen. May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain with you forever. Amen. Both the priest and the family sign the Certificate of Enthronement. This great document is to be reserved with the other keepsakes of the family, or framed and hung near the Sacred Heart. III. RENEWAL OF THE FAMILY CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART If possible, recite as a family each day the following small consecration: RENEWAL OF THE CONSECRATION O Sweet Savior, / kneeling humbly at Thy feet, / we renew the consecration of our family to Thy Divine Heart. / Be forever our King; / we have full and complete confidence in Thee. May Thy spirit fill our thoughts, / our desires, / our words, and our works. / Bless our undertakings. / Take part in our joys, / our trials, and our labors. / Grant to us to know Thee better, / to love Thee more, / and to serve Thee without fail. / From one pole of the earth to the other may the cry resound: / “Beloved, blessed, and glorified / be everywhere and forever / the Triumphant Heart of Jesus!” Amen. PARENTS! PRAY TOGETHER WITH YOUR CHILDREN! IV. SUGGESTED PRACTICES OF DEVOTION 1. Frequent and even daily attendance at Mass by at least one member of the family, and Communion of Reparation. 2. Observance of the First Friday of each month. (Holy Mass, Communion of Reparation, renewal of act of consecration before enthroned image). 3. Daily family rosary before the enthroned image of the Sacred Heart, with renewal of the act of consecration. (short form). 4. Celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart by the entire family; attendance at Mass, Communion for the extension of the Reign of the Sacred Heart through the Enthronement; family gathering and celebration at home, with renewal of Enthronement; special party for the children. 5. Observe the month of June, the month of the Sacred Heart; keep flowers before the “throne.” Mass and communion as often as possible. 6. Night adoration in the home. Any hour between 9 and 6, by any one or all the members of the family at least once a month. 7. Celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the 22nd of August. Mass, Communion, and consecration of the family to the Immaculate Heart. 8. Make the five First Saturdays in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and for the conversion of Russia; Holy Mass and Communion of reparation; five decades of the Rosary plus a fifteen minutes meditation on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. The Rosary and meditation may be carried out at any hour on the First Saturday; a sermon in church will satisfy the obligation of the meditation. 9. Practice devotion to the Holy Ghost. Recite the chaplet of the Holy Ghost. |