“Bless me, Father, for I have not blogged.”

What I have done is about 6000 miles of road-tripping for family reunions. But I’m home now…and have some catching up to do. Here, Fr. Freeh discusses the Feast of the Sacred Heart, in context of the feasts with which it is associated, Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi.

Although I’m too late for the actual feast day, today is the First Friday of the month, a day traditionally set aside for “offering reparation for the outrages committed against the Blessed Sacrament on the First Fridays and the Promises of the Sacred Heart”–so it’s a good day to delve into this expression of God’s love for us.

I encourage you to go beyond the Fr. Freeh’s ten-minute reflection. There are some tremendous resources out there for inviting the Sacred Heart of Jesus into your life, and the life of your family.

Just a little digging on the internet gave me the following links: For more on the origins and history of the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. How to consecrate your family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I’d planned to also include a link to the renewal of the family’s consecration, but I couldn’t find one without a typo! So here it is…

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 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 Heart of Jesus and Mary. Sacred Heart of Jesus  protect our families.
Amen.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus garden on the family farm.

My family has a long tradition of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. My grandparents consecrated their new family to the Sacred Heart on their wedding day, a practice that many of their children and grandchildren have followed.

We say this prayer together at the start of the family reunion, and at the New Year’s day dinner. Many of us make it a part of our daily prayer life.

I hope you’ll begin this devotion in your own homes. Honor and glory to the Sacred Heart of Jesus!