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Is your prayer life dull and dry? Do you feel bored and stagnant in your spiritual growth? Or are you looking for a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ? If you answered yes to any of these questions, get ready to supercharge your spiritual life and benefit from the 12 awe-inspiring promises of Jesus to all those who embrace devotion to His Sacred Heart!

“In the Sacred Heart, every treasure of wisdom and knowledge is hidden,” said St. John Paul II. “In that divine heart beats God’s infinite love for everyone and for each of us as individuals.” 

You’ve probably seen those iconic images – the heart of Jesus aflame, encircled by thorns, and crowned with a cross. But where did this devotion come from, and why has it captured hearts worldwide? Get ready to be enlightened and inspired as we delve into the rich history and profound spiritual depths of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

HOW IT BEGAN

Although the modern devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was popularized by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun who had several visions of Christ in the late 17^th century, it actually had its roots in early Church history. Church Fathers such as St. Justin Martyr, St. Irenaeus, and St. Augustine, made references to the Heart of Jesus as a symbol of Christ’s love for humanity.

In the Middle Ages, the devotion grew through the writings and visions of mystics such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Anselm in the 12th century, who referred directly to the love of the Sacred Heart. In the 13^th century, the writings of St. Gertrude the Great spoke extensively of the love of the Sacred Heart for humanity on earth and the souls in Purgatory. During the same century, the Franciscan and Dominican Orders also helped spread this devotion through their preaching on the Sacred Heart as a symbol of Divine Love. All of this laid the groundwork for the revelations of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a nun of the Visitation Order in Paray-le-Monial, France, from 1673 to 1675.

During the 1600’s, the Catholic Church in France was plagued with schisms and heresy, especially Jansenism, a strict, puritanical interpretation of morality with a very limited view of salvation. The dogma of God’s infinite love for man was looked upon with coldness, indifference and doubt.

But on Dec. 27, 1673, during the first revelation of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary, Jesus told her, “My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with humankind that it cannot contain itself within the flames of its ardent charity. It must spread them abroad by your means, and manifest Itself to them.”

Of the second vision, Margaret wrote: “The Divine Heart was presented to me in a throne of flames, more resplendent than a sun, transparent as crystal. It was surrounded with a crown of thorns, signifying the punctures made in it by our sins, and a cross above.”

During the third revelation, Jesus appeared brilliant with glory, His five wounds shining like five suns. He revealed to Margaret His wish to be known, loved, and honored by all, and to draw them away from damnation. He said that the ingratitude He received from humankind in return for His great love was much more painful to Him than all He had suffered during His Passion. He asked that an image of His Heart be venerated and worn over a person’s heart, promising to “imprint His love on their hearts and destroy all unruly inclinations.”

During the last of the four Sacred Heart revelations, Jesus made known to St. Margaret Mary His requests for devotion to His Sacred Heart and His promises to those that followed it. He charged her with the mission of making this devotion known throughout the world. Keep reading to find out more about the requests and the promises of Jesus!

Because of the visions and revelations of St. Margaret Mary, devotion to the Sacred Heart slowly began to spread from convents and monasteries to the faithful public. It began with images of the Heart, and then with little devotional booklets, which met with considerable success and soon spread to areas outside of France. But so far the devotion was on a private, individual level. For it to be raised to the level of public devotion, it would need the approval of the Pope.

As is usually the case when the Church approves a new revelation or devotion, this was very slow in coming. But public celebrations were allowed on a diocesan level with the permission of the Bishop. On Feb. 4, 1689, on the First Friday of the month, the first Roman Catholic Mass in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was celebrated in France. It took place in the chapel of the Convent of the Visitation in the presence of only the Community. The first public celebration of Mass in honor of the Heart took place that same year on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, 19 days after Pentecost, in the Church of the Visitation.

After this, spread of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus gradually grew. Progress was slow, however, until 1720, thirty years after Margaret Mary’s death, when an outbreak of bubonic plague swept through the city of Marseilles, France, killing 40,000 people. On Nov. 2 of that year, the prelate of Marseilles, Msgr. de Belsunce, solemnly consecrated his diocese to the Heart of Jesus. From that day on, the plague disappeared from Marseilles. Other cities followed the Monsignor’s example, and soon the whole south of France proclaimed devotion to the Sacred Heart. It gradually spread from France throughout the Mediterranean countries. But still Rome had not given its final approval.

Then, on Jan. 25, 1765, Pope Clement XIII officially approved the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in all the dioceses of France, for Poland, and the Archconfraternity of the Sacred Heart in Rome. In 1856, Pope Pius IX established the feast for the whole Church. A Portuguese nun named Sister Mary of the Divine Heart received visions from 1863-1899, requesting that the whole world be consecrated to the Sacred Heart. This was done by Pope Leo XIII in 1899.

The first church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was in the United States, in the little Pennsylvania town of Conewago, not far from Gettysburg. The year 1787 is cut into a stone near the roof, just above a slab of marble bearing a Heart encircled with a crown of thorns and surmounted by a cross.

The Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart) Basilica in Paris, France, was built in response to the violence and war in France over the previous century. The church is located on the Montmartre hill, where the first Christians of Paris were martyred in the 3rd century. The site is also traditionally associated with the martyrdom of Saint Denis, the patron saint of Paris. Construction of the Basilica began in 1875 and ended in 1914, after delays due to World War I. It was formally consecrated in 1919, after the War. The basilica has maintained a perpetual adoration of the Holy Eucharist since 1885, and attracts pilgrims from all over the world. 

WHAT IS THE DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS?

The Sacred Heart devotion focuses on the physical heart of Jesus as representing his Divine love for humanity. On June 16, 1675, during the last of the four Sacred Heart revelations, Jesus showed His Heart to St. Margaret Mary, saying “Behold the Heart that has so loved men…Instead of gratitude, I receive from most only ingratitude.” He made known to her the following requests for devotion to His Sacred Heart:

1. Reception of Holy Communion on the First Fridays: Jesus asked for the faithful to receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of each month for nine consecutive months, a practice intended to honor His Sacred Heart and to promote a deeper communion with Him.
2. The Holy Hour: Jesus requested the observance of a “Holy Hour” of prayer to provide an opportunity for the faithful to spend time in adoration and reparation to His Sacred Heart.
3. Consecration to the Sacred Heart: Jesus called for the faithful to consecrate themselves to His Sacred Heart, an act of dedication and acknowledgment of His sovereignty and love.
4. The Celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart: Jesus desired the establishment of a feast day in honor of His Sacred Heart, 19 days after Pentecost, on a Friday, as a liturgical expression of devotion and love towards His Heart.
5. The Exposition and Veneration of an Image of the Sacred Heart: Jesus requested that an image of His Sacred Heart be publicly exposed and venerated, promising blessings to those who honor the image, thereby fostering a visual reminder of His love and presence.
6. Acts of Reparation for the indifference and ingratitude shown towards His love, encouraging the faithful to express sorrow and atonement for their own sins and those of others.
7. Spreading the Devotion: Jesus asked St. Margaret Mary to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart, promising that it would be a source of grace and blessing for those who embraced it, aiming to rekindle love and faith in the hearts of believers.

THE 12 PROMISES OF JESUS

To those who practice devotion to His Sacred Heart, as revealed to St. Margaret Mary, Jesus made the following 12 promises:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their homes. 
3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
5. I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6. Sinners will find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9. I will bless every place in which an image of My Heart is exposed
   and honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11.    Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My              Heart.
12.   I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays for nine consecutive months, the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in My disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

For more about the life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, be sure to check out my upcoming post, “St. Margaret Mary, Sacred Heart Visionary.” Subscribe so you won’t miss any of my upcoming posts!

A SHORT ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART

Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with infinite love, broken by my ingratitude, pierced by my sins, yet loving me still, accept the consecration that I make to You, of all that I am and all that I have. Take every faculty of my soul and body, and draw me, day by day, nearer and nearer to Your Sacred Side, and there, as I can bear the lesson, teach me Your blessed ways. Amen.