Devotion to the Sacred Heart of the Jesus is a common practice in our Catholic faith. Indeed, since the 17th century, alongside the Rosary, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been one of the most popular expressions and devotions of our Catholic faith. In my parish of St James in Tupelo Mississippi, and in many Catholic churches throughout the world, the mass of the first Friday of the month focuses on the devotion to our Savior’s Sacred Heart. The Friday in June following Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ) is the day we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
How did this practice come about? Until the late 1600s, adoration and veneration of Jesus' Sacred Heart was common, but mostly a devotion done in private. However, in 1673, when a 24-year-old nun, St Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Order of the Visitation of Mary received three revelations in which Jesus asked her to promote public devotion to His Sacred Heart. She claimed to have been visited by Jesus on three different occasions between 1673 and 1675.
Margaret Mary said Jesus was deeply saddened by the ungrateful way he was being treated by humanity. He explained how His heart burned for all of God’s creation, how he had perpetually given his mercy and love to every one of us, yet so many did not give that love to him in return. Jesus asked Margaret Mary to honor the affection pouring from His heart by frequently receiving holy Communion, especially on the first Friday of every month. He invited her to spend a holy hour the night before, offering recompense for the world's indifference. He urged Margaret Mary to promote a Church feast day in which the faithful would acknowledge His Sacred Heart as the source of love, indicating that he wanted this feast to be celebrated on the Friday after Corpus Christi Sunday. He desired people throughout the world to celebrate the day by receiving holy Communion and by prayer.
As we celebrate the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus today, it calls us out of our complacency and to delve more deeply into our faith.
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