In Ever’s childhood kitchen, an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was at the center of her mom’s day-to-day devotions. And the prayer from the end of the Litany to the Sacred Heart, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Thine,” was a common refrain.
With this redolent family backdrop, it was with delight that, early in our marriage, we found our own Sacred Heart image at a yard sale where we lived in a neighborhood nicknamed “Little Rome” near the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Of course, we’ve already told you the story of that find.
But this week’s Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus brings more attention to this wonderful devotion of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: “On June 11, 2026, as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Parishes around the country are encouraged to join the bishops in celebrating the consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart,” the USCCB states in its historic announcement.
In other words, our families are just a couple of days away from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we hope it doesn’t slip by unnoticed! It’s the perfect moment to teach our kids the most practicable deep truth of our faith in a way that is immediately graspable even by a little child—because it’s about what the heart wants and everyone gets that.
The lesson can be as easy as this. Show your children an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and tell them a simple truth—with Jesus’ help, our hearts can become like His heart and so able to be united with Him for eternity. And what is Jesus’ heart like? It wants only the Father’s will and it turns toward that desire at every moment. And that means turning away from worldly things, partaking of them only when and how God wills them for us.
And to make this interior movement more possible, follow up that simple truth by underscoring that help for turning our hearts in the right direction is close by—in our Blessed Mother, our guardian angel, and our patron saints. Our hearts are a family project and if we make uniting them with Jesus’ heart our goal, all our heavenly family will make sure that leaping progress is not far behind!
We hope you have the opportunity to share this lesson about the Sacred Heart this week with your children. To bring it home, you may be able to attend a consecration at your own parish. Or your family could watch the bishops’ own consecration Mass at their plenary assembly in Florida on Thursday. There will also be a consecration Mass, broadcast by EWTN, at the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Friday at 5:15 pm.
As we celebrate this great devotion, let us all learn to pray, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Thine!”
As we slow down for summer, we’ll move the eletter to every other week. See you in two weeks!
➤ Here is the US Bishops’ Celebration of the Consecration to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. If it won’t be celebrated in your parish, it can easily be adapted for home use.
➤ One of the six public litanies of the Church, formally compiled from older prayers and approved in 1899 by Pope Leo XIII, here is the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
➤ You could even add Pope Leo XIV’s beautiful Prayer to the Sacred Heart to your family’s time of prayer this Friday—and throughout the month of June. Released just last week, it begins, “Lord, I come to your tender heart today, to you who have words that set my heart ablaze…”
➤ Read 6 Things to Know About the Sacred Heart Devotion, a tradition rooted in Scripture and popularized through the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.
➤ In the 3 Prayers composed by saints to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, you’ll find the Efficacious Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by St. Padre Pio.
➤ In Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis’ apostolic letter on the Sacred Heart, Pope Francis reflects on the human and divine love revealed in the Heart of Jesus.
➤ Are you a parent interested in building community among families at your parish, starting this September? Discover all the details here, and easily schedule a quick 15-minute discovery call with our team here. Dioceses can benefit from a special offer: three subscriptions for just $999 (or $499/year for your parish). Take the first step toward strengthening community among families at your parish right here!
