Erin FoxA look at an important feast day
The feast of the Sacred Heart is a movable feast celebrated on the Friday two weeks after Pentecost Sunday. This year we celebrate it today, June 26. You can practise your devotion to the Sacred Heart by attending Mass in the evening and going to the First Friday Masses of every month. You can also take the time to learn about St Margaret Mary Alacoque who was responsible for promoting the devotion.
Although it is celebrated in June, the first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated on August 31 1670, in Rennes, France through the efforts of Fr Jean Eudes. It was from Rennes that the devotion spread but it only became universal after St Margaret Mary Alacoque received visions. In one of her visions, the Sacred Heart of Jesus appeared during the octave of the feast of Corpus Christi. Christ asked Margaret Mary to request that the feast of the Sacred Heart be celebrated after the octave of the Corpus Christi.
In another of her visions, Jesus permitted her to rest her head upon his heart, and then disclosed to her the wonders of his love, telling her that he desired to make them known to all mankind and to diffuse the treasures of his goodness, and that he had chosen her for this work.
The Church had doubts about the credibility of Mary Margaretís visions and she had to face many trials to prove that they were genuine. It wasnít until 1765, 75 years after her death that the devotion was made official and celebrated throughout France. In 1856, Pope Pius IX extended the feast to the universal Church.
Here is a prayer to recite on the feast of the Sacred Heart: 'O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.'