June, Month of the Sacred Heart

June has long been designated by the Church as the month of the Sacred Heart. As written faithfully and lovingly by  Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, “If there is an age whose sole hope lies in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, it is our own. The evils committed by mankind today can scarcely be exaggerated. To mention just a few, these include blasphemy, the destruction of the family through abortion, divorce, euthanasia, widespread pornography, immoral fashions and lifestyles, homosexuality and so on.

As Pope Pius XI once said, the contemporary world is so morally depraved that at any moment it could be plunged into a deeper spiritual misery than that reigning in the world when Our Blessed Redeemer was born. In consideration of so many crimes, the idea of divine vengeance naturally comes to mind.

When we view this sinful world, groaning beneath the weight of a thousand crises and a thousand afflictions but nevertheless unrepentant; when we consider the alarming progress of neo-paganism, which is on the verge of conquering humanity; and when, on the other hand, we consider the lack of resolve, foresight, and unity among the so-called remnant, we are understandably terrified at the grim prospects of catastrophes that this generation may be calling upon itself.  There is something liberal in imagining that so many crimes do not deserve punishment, that such a widespread apostasy of humanity is merely the fruit of some intellectual error without moral accountability.

The reality is otherwise, for God does not abandon His creatures. Rather, He continuously assists and supports them with sufficient grace to aid them in choosing the right path. If they choose to follow a way other than His, the responsibility is theirs.  Behold the grim picture of the contemporary world: on one hand, an iniquitous and sinful civilization and, on the other, the Creator holding high the divine scourge.

Is there nothing left for mankind but fire and brimstone? As we begin a new millennium, can we hope for a future other than the scourge foretold by Sacred Scriptures for the final impenitence of the last days?  Were God to act solely according to His justice, there is no doubt what we should expect. Indeed, could we even have made it as far as the twentieth century?

In venerating the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church specially praises the infinite love demonstrated by Our Lord Jesus Christ to men. Since His heart is the symbol of love, by venerating His Heart, the Church celebrates Love.”

June is widely recognized as the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus primarily because the solemnity of the Sacred Heart is celebrated during this month. This year, the solemnity falls on June 16. The specific date changes annually as it is observed on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi or the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost.

Additionally, the origins of the feast trace back to 1673 when Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun from the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, started experiencing visions of the Sacred Heart. In these apparitions, Jesus revealed methods of venerating His Sacred Heart and conveyed His boundless love for humanity. The visions depicted Jesus with His heart visibly exposed outside His chest, aflame and encircled by a crown of thorns.

These practices included participating in a holy hour on Thursdays and receiving the Eucharist on the first Friday of every month. Jesus instructed Sister Margaret Mary, saying, "My Sacred Heart is so full of love for mankind, and especially for you, that unable to contain within itself the flames of its burning charity, it needs to spread them abroad through your means."  These visions continued for a period of 18 months.  On June 16, 1675, Jesus instructed Sister Margaret Mary to promote a feast dedicated to His Sacred Heart. He also revealed 12 promises for all those who venerate and spread devotion to the Sacred Heart. Jesus requested, "I ask of you that the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be set apart as a feast to honor My Heart by receiving Communion on that day and making reparation to it by a solemn act, in order to make amends for the indignities which it has received during the time it has been exposed on the altars. I promise you that My Heart shall expand itself to pour out abundantly the influence of its divine love upon those who shall thus honor it and cause it to be honored."

Sister Margaret Mary passed away in 1690 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV on May 13, 1920.

Let us keep the month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  We can not let it be supplanted by secular and profane ideas like “Pride Month” and the like.  We need to embrace the fire of love which emanates from the Sacred Heart.