 |
| Catholic faith and moral catholicharboroffaithandmorals |
 by Rev. R. S. Dewey, S.J. 1890 Blessed Margaret Mary exhorted all Christians, even as they value their salvation, to consecrate themselves to the Heart of Jesus. These are her words: "The devil fears above all things else the accomplishment of this good work . . . by the saving of so many souls, through devotion to this loving Heart, of those who shall consecrate themselves wholly to Its love, honor, and glory." A sure means of having all Christians consecrate themselves to the Divine Heart is to begin with the children. The year 1889 was the year of the reign of the Sacred Heart over society, promoted by the Consecration of Families to the Divine Heart. The year 1890, the 2d Centenary of Blessed Margaret Mary, should be the crowning and completion of the work so well begun. Under the auspices of this blessed seer a special effort will be made to consecrate to the Sacred Heart the "heart of the family"--the children so dear to the Divine Master. A special motive urgently pressing the proposal of this Consecration of Children, is the relentless and unholy warfare against the Christian education of children. A more powerful protection than this Consecration could not be given them.
Form Of Consecration(To be said by all the children after the priest, or teacher, or one in the family leading.)
Priest or teacher: Divine Heart of Jesus, behold us prostrate in Thy sight to give Thee our love and consecrate ourselves to Thee for ever. In the name of Mary, our Mother in heaven, sweet Heart of Jesus, have pity on us.
Children: In the name of Mary, our Mother in heaven, sweet Heart of Jesus, have pity on us.
Priest or teacher: O good and most loving Jesus, during the days of Thy mortal life, Thou wert pleased to bless little children and didst allow them to press close to Thee, saying to the bystanders: Suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not. "We thank Thee, O good Jesus, for Thy great love toward us and we offer in return our whole heart and all our love.
Children: We thank Thee, O good Jesus, for Thy great love toward us and we offer in return our whole heart and all our love.
Priest or teacher: O good and most loving Jesus, Thou delightest in the prayers of children and dost listen to their innocent desires. On this beautiful day, more than ever, give ear to their wishes and grant their requests. Together we will say: Heart of Jesus, bless our father, bless our mother, bless our relatives and our teachers.
Children: Heart of Jesus, bless our father, bless our mother, bless our relatives and teachers.
Priest or teacher: Heart of Jesus, bless our companions and pardon poor sinners.
Children: Heart of Jesus, bless our companions and pardon poor sinners.
Priest or teacher: Divine Heart of Jesus, we pray Thee, also, for the children of the whole world: guard the cradle of tho new-born, the school of children, the vocation of youth; be Thou Thyself the support of poor children and a father to orphans. But, most of all, O Jesus, Thou fulness of mercy and of love, we beseech Thee to aid us in the hour of death; then, more closely than ever before, unite us to Thy Divine Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Thy gracious Mother; be our shelter and our refuge, and our resting-place; and when, one after the other, we shall have fallen asleep in Thy blessed bosom, O Jesus, may each of us in Paradise find again all his family unbroken in Thy Sacred Heart.
All together: --Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Great Saint Joseph, pray for us! Holy Guardian Angels, intercede for us! Amen.
Note: This consecration may be made by children at any time, either in common in church, or privately at home.
|
Act of Consecration of Families
ReplyDeleteO Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thou didst reveal to the blessed Margaret Mary Thy desires to rule over Christian families; behold , in order to please Thee, we stand before Thee this day, to proclaim thy full sovereignty over our family. We desire henceforth to live Thy life, we desire that the virtues to which Thou has promised peace on earth, may flower in the bosom of our family; we desire to keep far from us the spirit of the world, which Thou hast condemned. Thou art King of our minds by the simplicity of our faith; Thou art King of our hearts by our love of Thee alone, with which our hearts are on fire and whose flame we shall keep alive by frequently receiving the Holy Eucharist. Be pleased, O Sacred Heart, to preside over our gathering together, to bless our spiritual and temporal affairs, to ward off all annoyance from us, to hallow our joys and comfort our sorrows. If any of us has ever been so unhappy as to fall into the misery of displeasing Thee, grant that he may remember, O Heart of Jesus, that Thou art full of goodness and mercy toward the repentant sinner. And when the hour of separation strikes and death enters our family circle, whether we go or whether we stay, we shall all bow humbly before Thine eternal decrees. This shall be our consolation, to remember that the day will come when our entire family, once more united in Heaven, shall be able to sing of Thy glory and Thy goodness forever. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph vouchsafe to offer Thee this our act of consecration, and to keep the memory thereof alive in us all the days of our lives. Glory to the Heart of Jesus, our King, and Our Father! Amen.
a) The members of a family, on the day when for the first time the family is consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, if they recite the above prayer before a likeness of the Sacred Heart, are granted: An indulgence of 7 years. A plenary indulgence, if they fulfill the usual conditions.
b) The members of a family, on the day when this consecration is renewed, if they make use of the same prayer before a likeness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, are granted: An indulgence of 3 years. A plenary indulgence, if they fulfill the usual conditions.(Pius X, Rescript in his own hand, May 19, 1908, exhib. June 15, 1908; Benedict XV, Letter, April 27, 1915; S.P. Ap., Dec. 10, 1923 and March 18, 1932).