“Behold this heart which has so loved the men that it has spared nothing for their salvation.”
These are the words by which Jesus revealed his Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary through a series of apparitions to her in the chapel of the Visitation monastery in Paray-le-Monial, France, which began on December 27th, 1673. In the course of these apparitions, Jesus made twelve promises to St. Margaret Mary and to all who would devote themselves to this tender heart of mercy and peace. You can find the complete list here.
Of these promises, three in particular have stood out over the centuries and have given way to one pious practice that has somewhat fallen away, namely the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Catholic homes. The first promise states that Jesus will give those who honor his heart “all the graces necessary in their state of life.” Where else do we live our state of life more completely than in the home? The second promises that Jesus will establish peace in these homes. And finally, the Lord promises that he will bless abundantly those places “in which an image of my heart is exposed and honored.”
This year, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be celebrated on June 12th. In honor of our nation’s 250th birthday, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is preparing to consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the solemnity this year. I want to invite all Catholics and those who love the Lord to consider enthroning an image of the Sacred Heart in their homes on this day as well.
Images of the Sacred Heart are very easy to obtain. You can find something that suits your own needs and artistic style; there are some available in fancy frames for hundreds of dollars, and there is a $2 digital download available on Etsy. (I have one available on Etsy this year!) You might even consider drawing or painting your own, or asking your parents or grandparents if there is a family image stored away somewhere that a distant relative may have had.
Typically the enthronement service is led by the father of a household, but it may certainly be led by another or even divided so that everyone can participate more fully.
What is Enthronement?
“The Enthronement is the official and social recognition of the rule of the Sacred Heart of Jesus over the Christian family, a recognition affirmed, outwardly expressed and made permanent by the solemn installation of the image of that divine Heart in a conspicuous place in the home, and by the Act of Consecration.” (Jesus, King of Love, p. 125)
That language — official, social, permanent — is deliberate. The Enthronement is not merely a pious sentiment or a decorative gesture. It is a declaration. It says something about who governs this household, about whose law is honored here, about where this family’s ultimate loyalty resides. In an age when the home has become perhaps the last remaining space a family can actually shape according to its own convictions, the act carries a particular weight.
The devotion lives at the intersection of two great Christian instincts: the hunger for the real presence of Christ and the desire to let that presence reorganize everything else. It is the logic of the Incarnation applied to the domestic church — God does not stay in churches any more than He stayed in the manger. He moves into the places where people actually live.
“O God, what will you do to conquer the fearful hardness of our hearts? Lord, you must give us new hearts, tender hearts, sensitive hearts, to replace hearts that are made of marble and bronze.
You must give us your own heart, Jesus. Come, lovable heart of Jesus. Place your heart deep in the center of our hearts and enkindle in each heart a flame of love.
O Holy Heart of Jesus, dwell hidden in my heart, so that I may live only in you and only for you, so that, in the end, I may live with you forever. Amen.”
(Prayer of St. Claude la Colombiere)
For a printable version of these instructions and an enthronement certificate template, please click below.
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Home
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“Behold this Heart which has so loved all that it has spared nothing for their salvation.”
- Jesus to St. Margaret Mary
I. Preparation for the Ceremony
Before the day of the enthronement, the family should attend to the following:
The head of household may preside at this ceremony, or you can ask your parish priest to do so.
Arrange for the entire family to receive Holy Communion at Mass on the day of the enthronement.
Obtain a beautiful image — a picture or statue — of the Sacred Heart, if you do not already possess one.
Prepare a “throne”: a table, mantelpiece, or shelf of honor. Cover it with a white cloth and decorate it with flowers and candles. Place the image upon it, and arrange photographs of departed or absent family members nearby.
Keep holy water handy for the blessing of the image.
Invite relatives and friends to take part in the ceremony.
Plan a family celebration afterward. Make the day as joyful and solemn as possible.
II. Guide to the Ceremony
The presider (priest or head of household) leads the family. Children gather nearest to the presider. The ceremony unfolds as follows:
1. All gather around the throne. Family members assemble, with children nearest the presider.
2. Blessing of the image. The presider (in surplice and stole if a priest) recites the blessing prayer and sprinkles the image with holy water.
3. Installation. The presider or head of household places the image in its honored position.
4. Apostles’ Creed. All stand and recite the Apostles’ Creed together: “I believe in God, the Father almighty...”
5. Words of exhortation. The presider offers a brief reflection or exhortation to those present.
6. Act of Consecration. All kneel. The presider leads the family in the official Act of Consecration (text below).
7. Prayers for the absent. The presider invites all to pray one Our Father and one Hail Mary for absent family members, both living and departed.
8. Prayer of thanksgiving. All recite together the prayer of thanksgiving (text below).
9. Hail Holy Queen. All stand and recite the Hail Holy Queen, in homage to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
10. Short prayers. The presider says, “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus”, and all respond: “Have mercy on us”(x3). “Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us”. “St. Joseph, pray for us”. “St. Margaret Mary, pray for us”. All: Glory to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, forever and ever. Amen.
11. Final blessing. The presider imparts the blessing: May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever. Amen.
Note: A certificate of enthronement, which should be signed by the presider and all family members at the close of the ceremony, may be framed and hung near the image of the Sacred Heart, or kept in the family’s archives as a permanent record.
Act of Consecration
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, who made known to St. Margaret Mary Your ardent desire to reign over Christian families, behold us assembled here today to proclaim Your absolute dominion and Lordship over our home. From this moment we resolve to lead a life like Yours, so that your virtues and peace may flourish among us.
You will reign over our understanding by the simplicity of our faith and You will reign over our hearts by an ardent love for You. May the flames of this love be kept burning in our hearts forever by the frequent and worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist.
O Divine Heart of Jesus, we invite you to preside over our gatherings, to bless our undertakings, both spiritual and temporal, to banish all worry and care, to sanctify our joys and soothe our sorrows. If any of us should ever have the misfortune to offend Your Sacred Heart, remind us of Your goodness and mercy toward the repentant sinner.
Lastly, when the hour of separation will sound and death will plunge our home into mourning, may we find consolation in Your eternal promises, and seek peace in the thought that we shall all one day be reunited in heaven, where we shall sing the praises and blessings of Your Sacred Heart together for all eternity.
May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph offer You this our Consecration and remind us of the same all the days of our life. Glory to the Divine Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father!
Short Form — Renewal of Consecration
(To be prayed at night prayers and at renewals throughout the year)
Most Sweet Jesus, humbly kneeling at Your feet, we renew the consecration of our family to Your Divine Heart. Be our King forever! In You we have full and entire confidence. May Your spirit penetrate our thoughts, our desires, our words, and our works. Bless our undertakings, share in our joys, in our trials and our labors. Grant us to know You better, to love You more, to serve You without faltering.
By the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Peace, establish Your kingdom in our midst. Enter closely into the hearts of our families and make them Yours through the solemn enthronement of Your Sacred Heart, so that soon one cry may resound from home to home: “May the triumphant Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved, blessed, and glorified forever!”
Honor and glory to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Sacred Heart of Jesus, protect our family.
III. Suggested Devotional Practices
The enthronement is not a single event but the beginning of a living relationship. The following practices help the family honor the Sacred Heart throughout the year:
Frequent — and, if possible, daily — attendance at Mass by at least one member of the family, with Communion offered in reparation to the Sacred Heart.
Observance of the First Friday of each month: Holy Mass, Communion of Reparation, and renewal of the Act of Consecration before the enthroned image.
Daily family Rosary prayed before the enthroned image of the Sacred Heart, with the short-form renewal of consecration.
Celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart (Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi) by the entire family: Mass, Communion, a family gathering, renewal of the enthronement, and a special celebration for the children.
Observance of the month of June (dedicated to the Sacred Heart): keep fresh flowers before the throne; attend Mass and receive Communion as often as possible.
Assistance at Holy Hour in church.
Night Adoration in the home: at least once a month, one or all members of the family keep a holy hour between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (the Saturday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost): Mass, Communion, and consecration of the family to the Immaculate Heart.
The Five First Saturdays of Reparation: Mass and Communion, five decades of the Rosary, and fifteen minutes of meditation on a mystery of the Rosary. A homily at Mass may satisfy the meditation.
10.Devotion to the Holy Spirit, especially during the season of Pentecost.
IV. Special Occasions for Renewal of Consecration
On the following occasions the family should gather before the throne and renew the Act of Consecration in its long form, making of these moments fresh acts of trust in the Sacred Heart:
The Feast of the Sacred Heart and the Feast of Christ the King.
The anniversary of the enthronement.
Wedding anniversaries and the birthdays of parents and children.
At the birth of a child: after Baptism, consecrate the newborn to the Sacred Heart before the throne.
At First Holy Communion: prepare the child before the image of the Sacred Heart in the home. Upon returning from church, let the child renew the act of consecration made for them by their parents at birth.
Before the departure of any family member — to enter the military, a convent, a seminary, or marriage.
Upon the return of an absent member of the family.
On days of great family joy, and in times of sorrow, sickness, and death.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be Praised, Adored, and Loved
at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world,
even to the end of time. Amen!
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Source: Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Your Home, Oblates of the Virgin Mary — St. Francis Chapel, Boston.