Devotion Towards The Sacred Heart of Jesus:
This special devotion is traditionally associated with the month of June. Mary of the Divine Heart, a member of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd received several visions of Jesus Christ during the 19th Cent. She passed on requests to Pope Leo XIII to consecrate the World to the Sacred Heart. At first the pope attached no credence to the request and no action was taken. However, further requests were made including the promotion of the first Fridays of the month as days of devotion to the Sacred Heart and an investigation followed. She died in her monastery during first vespers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the 8 June 1899 and the next day Pope Leo XIII consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart.
The powerful message of the devotion underlines the unlimited love and compassion of Jesus Christ’s love for the whole of humanity. A powerful gift that is given freely and overcomes the erroneous teachings that claim we have to earn God’s love. By our dedication and prayerful reflection of His Passion and Death we are awakened to Jesus’s commitment to us and of the joy of receiving the grace of sharing in His Resurrection. Hence the importance that we cultivate the regular practice of reception of Holy Communion of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and churches being open for those quick and quiet visits we make to be with the Real Presence of The Lord at the heart of our parish communities.