ENTHRONEMENT
OF THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS
in RECTORIES
If a Mass will be celebrated, it is recommended that a votive Mass of the Sacred Heart be used unless there is another overriding Liturgical celebration.
♥OPENING
PRIEST:
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: This reading is taken from a new book, “Liturgy of the Mystery of the Heart of Christ,” by
Father Wenisch, S.J., National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer inIndia.
The mystery of Christ so powerfully preached by St. Paul, expounded on by Vatican II, occupies more and more a greater place in modern Catholic theology. But in Christ the greatest mystery is what is deepest in Him, what is His innermost nature – the mystery of His love, the mystery of His Heart. That is why Pope Paul VI could write, “The cult of the Sacred Heart should be considered by all as a noble and worthy form of that authentic piety which today, particularly after the decrees of the Sacred Vatican Council, we should foster towards the person of Jesus Christ.” (Pastoral Letter, Investigabiles Divitias Christi, Feb. 6, 1965)
The mystery of the Heart of Christ is the mystery of Jesus in the fullness of His love. The pierced Heart of Jesus is a living sign of that love and the fountain of all graces. It is from the open Heart of Christ that theChurchwas born, the sacraments flow and the Holy Spirit is sent.
This mystery of the Heart of Jesus obviously will have its liturgy. In fact, as Pope Paul VI so beautifully put it in his letter to six superior generals, “Here, in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the liturgy finds its origin and life, since this Heart is the holy temple of God from which the sacrifice of expiation went up to the Eternal Father.” (Diserti Interpretes Facti, May 25, 1965)
Now to participate in this liturgy, to understand the riches of the Heart of Jesus, and so to say, make them our own, we have to listen to what the Father has to say about His Son, to what the Son Himself has told us, and to what the Holy Spirit revealed to us about Him; and so the liturgy of the Heart of Christ is bound to be highly scriptural.
The first reading is from Ephesians (1:3-10). This reading is the beginning of the letter ofSt. Paulto the Ephesians. Paul burst forth into a prayer of thanksgiving to God as he considers the divine plan of salvation centered around Christ: God’s plan of salvation was to bring everything together under Christ as Head and King – “For He must reign,” as St. Paul says elsewhere; a marvelous plan elaborated in the Heart of Jesus, “the plans of whose Heart are from age to age” (Ps.32:11) and manifested to us by the pierced Heart of Jesus, for the whole work of our salvation is but an immense act of love. We priests have been commissioned to make it known to others.
PRIEST: A reading formSt. Paul to the Ephesians
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with all the spiritual blessings of heaven. Before the world was made, He chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless and to live through love in His presence, determining that we should become His adopted sons, through Jesus Christ. Thus He would manifest the splendor of that grace by which He has taken us into His favor in the person of His beloved Son. It is in Him and through His blood that we enjoy redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. Such is the riches of the grace which He has showered on us in all His wisdom and insight. He has let us know the hidden purpose of His will, the hidden plan He so kindly made in Christ from the beginning to act upon when the times had run their course to the end: that He would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and on earth.
This is the word of the Lord.
(PRIEST and those present take a few moments to reflect on the first reading.)
PRIEST: This second reading is from John (17:18-26). This reading, taken from the priestly prayer of
Christ to His Father, reminds priests of the tremendous love that Jesus has for each of us. In the Eucharist as in heaven, this prayer constantly ascends to the throne of God from the priestly Heart of Jesus. Its fulfillment depends upon the way we priests open our hearts to the action of the Holy Spriti, the spirit of Love, which Jesus promised to send us from the Father.
PRIEST: The Lord be with you……. A reading form the Holy Gospel according toSt. John.
As you sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate Myself that they too may be consecrated in truth. I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in Me. May they all be one. Father, may they be one in Us, as You are in Me and I am in You, so that the world may believe it was You who sent Me. I have given them the glory You gave to Me, so that they may be one as We are one. With Me in them and You in Me, may they be so completely one that the world will realize that it was You who sent Me and that I have loved them as much as You have loved Me. Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, so that they may always see the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Father, Righteous One, the world has not known You, and these have known that You have sent Me. I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
PRIEST: As we reflect on this priestly prayer of the Heart of Jesus, “The mouth speaks from the
overflow of the heart,” let us pray that by our consecration today we may be “consecrated in truth.” Let us pray that we may be “completely one” so that the world will realize that it was the Father who sent Jesus, and above all to understand the deep meaning of Jesus’s words, “I have loved them as much as You have loved Me.” (a few moments of reflection)
♥BLESSING OF IMAGE BY THE PRIEST
PRIEST: We will now have the liturgical blessing of the image of the Heart of Jesus. In this prayer,
theChurchasks that “whosoever in its presence humbly strives to serve and honor the Sacred Heart of the Father’s only begotten Son, may obtain through His merits and intercession grace in this life and everlasting glory in the world to come.” At Paray-le-Monial, Jesus also promised that, “Wherever the image of My Heart is exposed and honored it would draw down all kinds of blessings.” The Priests of this house will now gather before the Sacred Heart image.
- Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R/ Who made heaven and earth.
- The Lord be with you.
R/ And also with you.
- Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, Who approves the painting and sculpturing of the images of your saints, so that as often as we gaze upon them we are reminded of their deeds and sanctity. In Your kindness, we implore You to bless and sanctify this image made in honor of the Most Sacred Heart of Your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and grant that whoever in its presence humbly strives to serve and honor the Sacred Heart of Your only begotten Son, may obtain through His merits and intercession, grace in this life and everlasting glory in the world to come.
R/ Amen.
The PRIEST sprinkles the image with holy water.
♥PROCESSION AND ENTHRONEMENT
Accompanied by his associates, the PRIEST will now carry the Sacred Heart image to the place of honor, where it will be enthroned as an acceptance of the rule of the Heart of Jesus over this rectory.
ALL 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 PRIEST proclaims:
Let us proclaim the permanency of this act of Enthronement by saying from Psalm 29:
THE LORD IS ENTHRONED AS KING FOREVER!
The PRIEST 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: Jesus Christ is not only the King of Love but likewise the King of Truth. Today, His
teachings are ignored, questioned or rejected, even by some of our brother priests. As an act of atonement, we will recite 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
Facing the image, the rectory now makes its covenant with the Heart of Jesus, our Lord and Friend.
PREIST: We will kneel and renew our covenant with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
ALL PRIESTS:
Jesus, we enthrone you as King and proclaim you as Lord and Friend of our rectory.
Lord Jesus, to continue Your work as Mediator, Teacher, Sanctifier, and Reconciler, You selected apostles and priests from among men. From Your own words we know that this was an unmerited choice, for You told us, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you.”
Today, we priests are assembled in Your name, to renew our joyful acceptance of this gratuitous choice; to express our sorrow for the many times we have failed You, and to promise You greater fidelity in the future.
We want Your Father to be able to say to each of us, as He said of You, “This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” And likewise what He said of David, “A man after My own heart.” We will be priests after Your own heart, if we imitate Your gentleness and humility, as You Yourself taught us, “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”
At the Last Supper, You instituted the priesthood of the New Testament, and gave priests the power to offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice in Your name. At the same time You established a covenant of love and mercy with Your priests and people and wrote the law of this covenant in their hearts.
Freely and gratefully, we renew this covenant. At the same time we renew the consecration we made to Your Heart on the day of our ordination. Without any reservation on our part, and relying on the graces we received with the laying on of hands we affirm:
ALL THAT THE LORD SAYS, WE WILL HEED AND OBEY.
Fully and painfully aware of the truth of Your words, “Without Me you can do nothing,” we promise to intensify, or if need be, rectify our prayer life, mindful that we have been delegated to offer sacrifice, to pray in Your name and in the name of theChurch.
In a spirit of reconciliation, we will endeavor to practice patience, kindness, forbearance and forgiveness toward all men. But especially towards our brother priests with whom we live, and towards those priests most in need of understanding, counsel and companionship.
Finally, we who preach Your commandment to “Love one another as I have loved You,” but who so often have failed to practice what we preach, in a spirit of atonement for our sins of commission and omission now sincerely ask You:
Take our hands – make them instruments of helpfulness and self-sacrifice for others.
Take our lips – let them speak words of sympathy, justice, peace and truth.
Take our hearts – make them gentle, humble, generous and pure.
In Your merciful kindness, You announced the good news to the poor – in our words and deeds we will be joyful messengers of Your love and concern for those in want, materially and spiritually.
With deep compassion You came to the sick – we will continue to bring You to the sick and suffering, to the lonely and rejected.
You forgave sinners – help us always to show mercy to sinners, to give them joyfully the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
O Lord, help us to understand that true love means self-sacrifice. By the sacrifice of Your own will and inclinations, may we show to all men that we are truly Your disciples, ready to serve and not to be served.
We entrust the fulfillment of this covenant to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Queen and Mother, asking her to make up by her love what we lack in loving generosity.
“Glory be to Him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory be to Him from generation to generation in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21)
The Lord bless us and keep us!
The Lord let His face shine upon us and be gracious to us!
The Lord Look upon us kindly and give us peace!
PRIEST: Let us praise the Lord.
ALL: And give him Thanks.
PRIEST: In thanksgiving to Our Lady, Queen of the clergy and to ask her continuing intercession, we will now recite:
ALL: Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope, to thee do we cry poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of they womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
PRIEST: Pray for us O Holy Mother of God and Queen of the Clergy
ALL PRIESTS: That we priests may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
PRIEST: Eucharistic Sacred Heart of Jesus, (spoken 3 times)
ALL: Thy Kingdom come! (replied 3 times)
PRIEST: Immaculate Heart of Mary
ALL: Pray for us!
PRIEST: St. Joseph
ALL: Pray for us!
PRIEST: St. John Vianney
ALL: Pray for us!
♥CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
PRIEST: Our Holy Father has urged all to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, therefore let this rectory honor her with this prayer:
ALL PRIESTS:
Queen of the most Holy Rosary, and tender Mother of the Church, we consecrate ourselves to you and to your Immaculate Heart and recommend ourselves to your loving care. We recommend our country and rectory to your Immaculate Heart.
Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us to accomplish your designs upon the world.
O Spouse of the Holy Spirit, kindle in our hearts the same love that burns within your heart for Jesus, your Son. Give us the courage to witness our faith even at the cost of ridicule and suffering.
Mary, our Mother, stay with us, pray for us, that Jesus may be proclaimed as King and Lord and loved as Brother and Friend.
We entrust the fulfillment of our covenant to your Immaculate Heart and toSt. Joseph, Head of the Holy Family and patron of theUniversalChurch. We ask for their protection and intercession.
May we be empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring the fire of God’s love to all through this consecration. Amen.
PRIEST: All priests will sign the certificate of Enthronement. All present may exchange a sign of peace. Closing hymn is optional.
♥CELEBRATION
To celebrate this important event, refreshments may be served.
