The Month of the Sacred Heart

By Fr. Alex Kramer

Having entered into the month of June earlier this week, the traditional devotion of the month likewise changed. May is dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but June is when we turn our focus to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

There are many great prayers that take up the image of the Sacred Heart. A personal favorite of mine is the prayer to the Sacred Heart by St. John Henry Newman. It draws on the great verse and response from the Litany of the Sacred Heart as it begins, "O make my heart beat with thy heart."

This year, the celebration not only of the month, but the actual solemnity of the Sacred Heart, takes on special importance. In order to celebrate the semiquincentennial of the United States, the bishops are consecrating the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They will ask that our one nation, under God, be transformed and conformed unto the great Sacred Heart of our Lord. We will be joining the bishops in this prayer next weekend.

As we do this, it is also an opportunity for us to reflect on God's love for us, which is so beautifully depicted in the image of Christ's Sacred Heart. I encourage you to find a prayer in honor of the Sacred Heart that stands out to you and make it your own. Pray it daily this month, dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!