Ezekiel 34 : 11-16 / Romans 5 : 5-11 / Luke 15 :3-7
Devotion to the Sacred Heart began in 1676 after St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received an apparition.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is centered on reparation to Christ for man's ingratitude, manifested particularly by an indifference to the Holy Eucharist.
This feast highlights the unrequited love which Jesus gives us in the Eucharist.
But even when man is lukewarm or indifferent to this love, or even reject this love, Jesus still continues to love us.
And He even made 12 promises to us when we have a devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Generally these are promises of blessings of peace and protection and a growth in love and holiness.
Those promises are very inspiring, yet the fact is that when we take the Eucharist seriously, we are also assured of all these blessings and graces.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart is merely an extension of our response to the love of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Certainly it is a good practice to have a picture of the Sacred Heart in our homes and to say a prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
May our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus lead us to participate more fully and fervently in the Eucharist.