Friday, June 19, 2020 –
The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This year, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (SHofJ) fall on Friday, June 19th…TODAY!!
Truthfully speaking, the Feast of the SHofJ almost always falls in June, but because its date is determined by when Pentecost falls, it does on occasion fall outside of June. The Feast of SHofJ always falls 19 days after Pentecost. This means that it changes depending on when Pentecost falls. The earliest possible date SHofJ has fallen was May 29, 1818 (this will happen again in 2285!). The latest possible date was July 2, 1943 (which will happen again in 2038!).
While today’s feast is raised to a Solemnity, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation (bummer! It should be!). However, because it is a Solemnity, when it falls on a Friday the obligation for Friday penance (i.e. “meatless Fridays”) is lifted.
Private devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus dates to at least the 13th Century. However, the most well-known devotion was from Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a 17th Century nun and mystic. She had visions of Jesus, who requested to be honored under the figure of His Heart and asked for a feast of reparation on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi. In 1856, Pope Pius IX added the feast into the general calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.
In order to celebrate the month of June’s dedication to the Sacred Heart and today’s feast, I made a four page handout with information, coloring pages, and prayers with indulgences attached. Woohoo! You can download it HERE.
Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1471 says on indulgences:
The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance.
What is an indulgence?
“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”
“An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.” Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead.
There are partial and plenary indulgences, and there are necessary conditions for gaining an indulgence. you can also learn more from EWTN HERE. Generally speaking, the conditions of Confession and receiving the Eucharist should be done within a couple of days of the indulgence. The bare basics are listed below.
- Sacramentally confess your sins
- Receive Holy Communion
- Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father
- You must “have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.”
As for the Holy Father’s intentions, HERE is a link to every month in 2020, and I have specifically listed June’s intentions below:
June – The Way of the Heart
We pray that all those who suffer may find their way in life, allowing themselves to be touched by the Heart of Jesus.
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us!
