Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O my Jesus, I give myself to You, take all that I am and all that I have, and make me entirely Yours.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I consecrate to You my thoughts, my words, my actions, my joys and sorrows, my life and my death. Inflame my heart with Your love, and help me to live always in union with You.

Grant that I may honor You faithfully, love You sincerely, and serve You in all things. May Your Sacred Heart reign in my heart, in my family, and in my life, now and forever.

Amen.

The "Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus" is a Christian prayer through which individuals, families, or even entire nations dedicate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This devotion emphasizes Jesus' immense love for humanity, symbolized by His heart, which was "pierced by our sins and for our salvation." The act is a profound expression of faith, seeking to align one's life, actions, and sufferings with Christ's love and will.

The history of this consecration is deeply rooted in the revelations received by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque between 1673 and 1675 in Paray-le-Monial, France. She reportedly composed the first personal prayer of consecration under Jesus' inspiration. Following these visions, her confessor, Saint Claude La Colombière, became the first person to consecrate himself to the Sacred Heart after Saint Margaret Mary, and actively spread the devotion.

The practice gained wider recognition and official Church endorsement over time. In April 1875, Jesuit priest Henri Ramière presented a petition to Pope Pius IX, leading to the Sacred Congregation of Rites composing and publishing an Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Pius IX then invited the faithful to consecrate themselves on the 200th anniversary of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque's apparitions.

A significant moment in the devotion's history occurred on May 25, 1899, when Pope Leo XIII consecrated the entire human race to the Sacred Heart through his encyclical letter Annum sacrum. This act, influenced by the requests reportedly received by Mary of the Divine Heart, was proclaimed in every church worldwide on June 11, 1899, and is considered a major achievement of his pontificate.

In addition to personal and worldwide consecrations, specific prayers for family consecration were approved and granted indulgences by Pope Pius X in 1908.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart is also associated with specific promises made by Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque for those who practice it, including graces for their state of life, peace in families, consolation in troubles, and an assured refuge at the hour of death. Special promises are also associated with consecration to the Sacred Heart, such as rejoicing the Sacred Heart, terrifying the devil, providing a remedy against mortal sin, and being a pledge of salvation.

Several countries have also undertaken national consecrations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Ecuador was the first to do so on March 25, 1874, a joint action by President Gabriel García Moreno and Archbishop José Ignacio Checa y Barba. This consecration has been renewed multiple times, including on its 150th anniversary on March 25, 2024. Other nations that have consecrated themselves to the Sacred Heart include Colombia (1902), Mexico (1914, with renewals), Spain (1919, with renewals), Poland (1920, with renewals), Costa Rica (1921), Bolivia (1925, with renewals), Brazil (1931, with renewals), Argentina (1945, with renewals), Honduras (1959), Peru (2016), and Syria (2017). Most recently, the Catholic Church in Turkey was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ on June 7, 2024. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic on March 25, 2020, Cardinal Antonio Marto renewed the consecration of Portugal and Spain and added 22 other countries to the consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima.

The act of consecration is a deeply personal and communal prayer, reflecting a desire to live in conformity with Christ's love and to seek His divine protection and grace.