During the entire month of June, Holy Mother Church honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated this year on June 23. The Directory of Popular Piety and the Liturgy says, “The term ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’ denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being, and his person…Devotion to the Sacred Heart…calls for a fundamental attitude of conversion and reparation, of love and gratitude, apostolic commitment and dedication to Christ and his saving work” (166, 172).

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is an essential element of Pope John Paul II’s call for a “new evangelization” in the Church.

In facing the challenge of the new evangelization, the Christian who looks upon the Heart of Christ and consecrates himself as well as his brothers and sisters to him, the Lord of time and history, rediscovers that he is the bearer of his light. Motivated by this spirit of service, he cooperates in opening to all human beings the prospect of being raised to their own personal and communal fullness. “From the Heart of Christ, man’s heart learns to know the genuine and unique meaning of his life and of his destiny, to understand the value of an authentically Christian life, to keep himself from certain perversions of the human heart, and to unite the filial love of God with love of neighbor” (Message to the Society of Jesus, 5 October 1986; L’Osservatore Romano English edition, 27 October 1986, p. 7).[1]

In light of the family being the “center of the New Evangelization” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 71), we offer this prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

Family Prayer to the Sacred Heart[2]

Sacred heart of Jesus, we entrust our family to you. Look down upon us and reveal to us the treasures of love, goodness, and grace in your heart. Forgive our sins and fortify our weakness, that we may serve you faithfully as you deserve. These favors we ask for ourselves and for every family in our neighborhood and homeland. Heart of Jesus, pierced by a soldier’s lance on Calvary, be our refuge in life and our gateway to paradise. Amen.

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[1] Message on the centenary of the consecration of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, §2.3, internet: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=1117 (accessed June 18, 2017).

[2] Catholic News Agency, internet: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/prayers/sacred-heart-of-jesus/family-prayer-to-the-sacred-heart/ (accessed June 15, 2017).