This Christmas

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most recognized and beloved images of Our Lord across the entire world.  While references to the Heart of Jesus appear in the Gospels, the devotion in its current form comes from the mystical revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, whose memorial we celebrated just two weeks ago. 

Over the next nine weeks, together we’ll prepare each of our family homes to enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Christmas.  This beautiful tradition of consecrating the home, the Domestic Church, to the Sacred Heart was first promoted by South American priest Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey in 1907 and approved by Pope St. Pius X in 1908.  In his private endorsement to Fr. Mateo, the Pope reportedly encouraged his mission with the words: “To save the family is to save society.  Consecrate your life to it.”   

Just one year later, Patrick Peyton was born in Ireland.  Young Patrick’s family honored an image of the Sacred Heart in their home, and just before he and his brother Tom departed to make their new lives in the United States, their father asked them to kneel down before that picture and make a promise to “be faithful to Our Lord in America.”  At that moment, who, other than God and His Blessed Mother, could have known that Patrick Peyton, like Fr. Mateo, would also dedicate his life to saving the family, in his case, by promoting the family Rosary! 

Why are consecrating the family home to the Sacred Heart and praying the family Rosary so important?  Because through these devotions, family members learn that prayer, faith, and holiness are not reserved for one hour a week on Sunday.  Jesus wants the devotion of our entire life, whatever our age, whatever our vocation, whatever our profession.  From the elderly to the un-born, from the Pope to the priest to the parishioner in the pews, from the farmer to the businessperson to the artisan to the teacher, from great-grandparents, to moms and dads, to brothers and sisters, to sons and daughters.  The Sacred Heart of Jesus wants none of these souls to remain lukewarm.  Indeed, He calls every single person, every single family, to receive and embrace the fire of His Love.   

This is the mystery of the feast we will celebrate in a few days, on the Solemnity of All Saints.  We rightly honor the great canonized saints in the Church, and we devotedly pray for the canonization of those who are on the path to such recognition, like Venerable Patrick Peyton.  But there are countless other holy men and women, people from our very own families, who also live before the glorious face of God in eternity.  These are the women and men who passed on the faith to us, who comforted us in our sorrows and doubts, who taught us how to live lives of value and virtue.  These were the leaders and the members of our homes, of our domestic churches.  They allowed the Sacred Heart to draw them close to Himself, and they drew us along with them.  And now, although unknown to most of the world, they securely rest in His Heart forever. 

In our prayer of preparation over these nine weeks, perhaps we can try something simple, just praying, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.”  This prayer hands control of our lives to Jesus and surrenders our worries to Him.  Maybe you can begin praying this prayer a few times throughout the day.  In the morning, when you’re thinking about all the tasks ahead and might feel a bit burdened.  Before you face a challenging situation or a difficult conversation. As you prepare for bed, that you might let go of the past day’s concerns and rest in the warmth of His love.  And so, we’ll now close together with these very words, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.”