Building a Kingdom of Love » ENTHRONEMENT OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS IN AN INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

ENTHRONEMENT OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS IN AN INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

ENTHRONEMENT

OF THE

SACRED HEART OF JESUS

IN AN INSTITUTE

OF HIGHER EDUCATION

If Mass will be celebrated, it is recommended that a votive Mass of the Sacred Heart be used unless there is another overriding Liturgical celebration. Either a picture or a statue of the Sacred Heart may be used. If the institute already has a blessed statue/image, it would be appropriate to accentuate with flowers and candles.

♥OPENING

PRIEST OR LAY APOSTLE OF THE SACRED HEART: Opening Remarks

STUDENT/TEACHER:

This is one of the most important gatherings of our lives since the Enthronement brings countless blessings to individuals, families, and all of our undertakings. By the Enthronement we proclaim Jesus as King who rules over us through love….but He is more like a Father than a ruler. He becomes our generous Provider, our Friend, our Guide, our Counselor, our spiritual Physician, our constant Companion on the journey.

We certainly want Him to be all these things because each and every one of us needs His help. It is not easy to be good and do good. We can’t do it alone, but with Jesus’ help, we can.

Reading from Deuteronomy 7:6-12

PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER:

Jesus is your Lord and He rules through His Heart! He desires to be enthroned as King and Lord of your hearts and of this Institute as your brother and friend. He longs to share your everyday life, your joys as well as your sorrows.

Scripture says, “My people, whom I love so dearly, behold I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with Me.” (Rv 3:20)

Jesus is your Savior and your Liberator. He wants to save you from the evil forces working to destroy you, to liberate you from the slavery of sin and the shackles of fear, depression and worry.

Jesus is ready to release the power of His Spirit. He is the Healer, the Consoler, the Sanctifier, and the Teacher. But He will not force His way into your heart or this place. He wants to be invited. He is waiting to hear you say to Him:

ALL: Come, Lord Jesus! Stay with us; we need you! Be the Lord, the Brother, our friend. Send us

your Holy Spirit and give us new hearts, a new spirit! Say to us as you did to John: “Surely I am coming soon.” (Rev. 22:20)

PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER:

Yes the Father loves you, Jesus loves you, the Holy Spirit loves you. What have you to fear? His Wounded Heart is the sign and pledge of His merciful love. His Heart is open to receive you.

♥BLESSING OF IMAGE

♥PROCESSION AND ENTHRONEMENT

Selected members process in song (to be determined) with the image of the Sacred Heart and the Bible (Knowing the Heart of God in the Word of God… “Your word, Lord, is a lamp unto our feet.”)

Votive lights are carried by all as a sign/pledge of our covenant with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a representation of our hearts and our intentions.

Arriving at the “throne,” all gather in a semi-circle. Before enthroning the Sacred Heart the HEAD OF THE INSTITUTE proclaims:

I NOW ENTHRONE THE LORD JESUS AS KING AND FRIEND OF ______________ AND ALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INSTITUTION.

The HEAD OF THE INSTITUTE then places the image of the Sacred Heart in the selected place of honor.

Other participants then place the Bible near the Sacred Heart image and say,

WE ARE NOURISHED BY THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST AND THE WORD OF GOD.

ALL: God is enthroned as King forever! (Ps. 29) All that the Lord has said, we will

heed and do. (Ex. 24:7)

PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: As an act of faith in the teachings of Christ, the King of Truth, and as

an act of reparation for all society which ignores them, let us say the Apostles’ Creed.

ALL: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy CatholicChurch, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

♥ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART

ALL KNEEL and FACE THE IMAGE

ALL: O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, You revealed to St. Margaret Mary your desire to rule over the entire world. Behold, to please You, we are assembled here today as a special family to proclaim Your absolute dominion over all students, faculty, administrators, parents, and benefactors of _____________________ (name of institute).

It is our desire to make a covenant of love with You. From now on we are determined to live Your Life. In this special family we want to see flourish the virtues which are so pleasing to You and which You promised would bring peace on earth. We desire to keep far from us the spirit of the world which you condemned.

You will rule over our minds by the sincerity of our faith. You will rule over our hearts by our burning love for You alone, and we will keep this fire of love ever burning in our hearts by frequent Mass and communion and intimate prayer.

Deign O Divine Heart, to preside over our gatherings, to bless our undertakings both spiritual and temporal, to ward off all dangers, to sanctify our joys and to lighten our sufferings. If one of us should have the misfortune of displeasing you, remind him or her, O Sacred Heart, that You are full of goodness and mercy towards the repentant sinner.

And when this Institution, its families, faculty, associates and benefactors are faced with tragedy of any kind, even death, we shall al bow humbly before your eternal decrees. This shall be our consolation: to remember that the day will come when our entire special family, once more united in Heaven, shall be able to sing of Your glory and Your goodness forever. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph vouchsafe to offer You 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 Friend!

PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: Let us pray the following prayers for the intentions of the Holy

Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for all families and for absent members of this Institute:

Our Father….; Hail Mary….; Glory Be….

ALL BE SEATED

PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: Lord Jesus, you told us, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name,

He will give it to you.” In Your Name and with great confidence we pray:

ALL RESPOND: Lord Hear Our Prayer. (Petitions to be read by those participating.)

For the grace of being faithful to this covenant with Jesus and our new way of life in Him. We pray to the Lord….

For in increase of personal, generous love for Jesus. We pray to the Lord….

For greater trust in His merciful love. We pray to the Lord….

That the Holy Spirit may always find our hearts responsive to His call. We pray to the Lord….

For a deeper appreciation of the greatest gift of the Heart of Jesus, the Eucharist, through frequent Mass and Communion and especially on First Fridays and First Saturdays. We pray to the Lord….

That we may receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation more often, in order to increase our love for Jesus and avoid sin. We pray to the Lord….

That Bible reading and the Rosary recitation become part of our daily spiritual formation. We pray to the Lord….

That the Holy Spirit may heal all our hurts and remove from our hearts anything that is preventing us from giving ourselves lovingly to Jesus and one another. We pray to the Lord….

ALL: Sacred Heart of Jesus, You promised to bless in a special way all those who honor your Divine Heart by enthroning you as King and Lord and who make a covenant of love with you. Please shower your blessings on all who are here and all to come. Amen.

♥PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: To thank the Sacred Heart for His many blessings, let us say together this prayer of thanksgiving:

ALL: We thank You, Lord Jesus, for all the gifts You have granted to us through the merciful love of Your Sacred Heart. We are truly grateful for Your gift of life. We thank You for the gift of our faith received in Baptism when we were made children of Your Father and heirs to heaven and receive Your own Divine Life in our souls. We thank You for the gift of our parents and teachers. We also thank You for the gift of the priesthood and of the other Sacraments which increase Your Divine Life in our souls. We thank You for the gift of Your Blessed Mother, whom You have given to us as our Mother and our Queen, and for our protector,St. Joseph, as well as for all our Guardian Angels who care for each of us.

Above all, good Jesus, we are grateful for the greatest gift of Your Loving Heart: the gift of Yourself in the crib, on the cross, and in the Holy Eucharist. To show our gratitude for all You have done for us, we promise to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as often as we can, and to unite ourselves with You in Holy Communion, especially on the First Friday of each month. We thank You, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for all those who have made this institution possible. Finally, dear Master, we thank You for coming into our gatherings to share our activities as our King our Brother, and our Friend.

In the future, may this special family be a source of consolation to Your Heart crowned with thorns; may its activities bring You nothing but honor and glory. In and through this special family may Your Triumphant Heart, O Jesus, be forever loved and glorified. Thy Kingdom come! Amen.

♥CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: Our Holy Father has urged all to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, therefore let this Institution honor her with this prayer:

ALL: Queen of the most Holy Rosary, and tender Mother of theChurch, we consecrate ourselves to you and to your Immaculate Heart, and place in your loving care our special family, our personal families, and families throughout our country.

Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us and this Institution to accomplish your designs upon the world. O Spouse of the Holy Spirit, kindle in our hearts, Institution, and home the love of purity, the practice of true Christian charity, and the courage to witness our Faith even at the cost of ridicule and suffering.

Take our minds, hearts, and bodies, our thoughts and desires, our energy and our time, our whole being; and guide us each day more quickly and more securely to the Heart of your beloved Son Jesus. Help us to know Him as you know Him. And give us your Heart to love Him as you love Him.

Make our hearts, our Institute and our homes, into your shrines. And through us make the Heart of Jesus rule and triumph in every institution and family in the world. Amen.

♥CERTIFICATE

At this time, the certificate will be signed by the Priest/Lay Promoter, Principal, and a student representative.

♥CELEBRATION

To celebrate this important event, refreshments may be served.

ENTHRONEMENT OF THE SACRED HEART WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOM OF INSTITUTES OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The more elaborate the “throne” prepared for the image of the Sacred Heart, and the greater the love put into preparing it, the more honor is given to Jesus, and the greater the impression given to the students.

CLASSROOM ENTHRONEMENT: The images to be enthroned in the individual classrooms are taken in procession to the classrooms and placed on the altars prepared for them beforehand.

TEACHER: The teacher proclaims: “Jesus, we enthrone you in our classroom. May your love fill the room and our hearts.”

Now follows a moment of silence for each one present to say his/her own special message to Jesus and Mary. The teacher may also with to include any form of prayer which has been used in the class, i.e. spontaneous petitions, or whatever will be familiar to the students that will lend to the solemnity of the ceremony.