The month of June is devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque on December 27, 1673, and revealed to her His Sacred Heart.
When explaining facts and information pertaining to Jesus and His Church to our children, my husband and I have found that keeping things simple and fun are the best ways to engage them and allow them to understand the topic.
Prayers
Simple prayer examples to teach children would be: “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I love you, help me to love others as you would.” “Sacred Heart of Jesus, be merciful to me and give me peace.” “Sacred Heart of Jesus, help me to do what you want me to do each day.” “Sacred Heart of Jesus, bless my family and friends.”
Another prayer that I personally love that our late Pope Francis encouraged us to pray is “Sacred Heart of Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.” (I added the Sacred Heart before Jesus.)
Arts & Crafts
Another fun idea for children is to print out coloring pages for them. One of our favorite websites is CatholicPaperGoods on Etsy and there is a beautiful digital download for both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary (save that one for August!) that you can purchase and reuse over and over. Or you can use construction paper, playdough or modeling clay to create the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the flame, cross, thorns, wound and blood. When coloring or creating, it is important to explain each part of the Sacred Heart to children so they can understand why it is such a beautiful and important devotion to carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Snacks
Our children love it when I make snack plates and other treats on Feast days. While it can be time consuming to create fun snacks for each Feast Day, the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a major day and calls for special celebrations. I’ve made a fruit and veggie plate with an apple cut in half for the heart, carrot sticks for the cross, pepper slices which I crisscrossed on top of the apple for the thorns and raspberries or strawberries for the blood. I have also come across more elaborate ideas on social media such as beautiful cakes with fondants or strawberries and chocolate to create the Sacred Heart image on top.
Enthroning our Home & Hearts to His Sacred Heart
When Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque he said: “Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love.”
Jesus promised her that he, “will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.”
This year, our family will enthrone our home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Enthroning or consecrating our home and ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is more than just placing His image in our home.
We will first prepare ourselves spiritually by going deeper into prayer both as individuals and as a family. We will also make sure to go to confession and receive the Eucharist as close to the day of the enthronement as possible. We will purchase and place an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our home. Then, we will use St. Alacoque’s personal prayer:
“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.
I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.
I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.
Amen.”
I pray you and your family have a wonderful month of June filled with humility, love and joy from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christina Frye is a lifelong Rhode Islander, wife, mother and founder of Catholic Mom Rhode Island, www.CatholicMomRI.com.
