Saturday, March 31, 2007

New Shrine of the Sacred Heart At St. Louis Cathedral/Basilica


This is NOT an image of Duncan Stroik's new shrine to the Sacred Heart at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica. I have not been able to find an image of it, yet.

March 23, 2007

"Be not afraid!"
Shrine of the Sacred Heart at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica

by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke

"Be not afraid!"

Shrine of the Sacred Heart at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica

Introduction

Having reflected at some length on the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and its central place in our daily Christian living and, therefore, in our Lenten observance, I am happy to announce that a shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be installed in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. The image of the Sacred Heart will be enthroned in the shrine. At the time of the enthronement, I, together with representatives from throughout the archdiocese will solemnly consecrate the archdiocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As I understand, there had been a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the cathedral basilica, but, at one point, it was removed and never replaced. Although there is a symbol of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as it appears on the back of the Miraculous Medal, in the mosaics of the cathedral basilica, at the top of one of the central arches, there is no proper area of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The enthronement and the act of consecration will take place in the cathedral basilica at the regular 5 p.m. Mass on this coming June 17, the Sunday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which will be celebrated on June 15. Since June 17 is a Sunday of Ordinary Time, it will be possible to celebrate the Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The choice of the Sunday afternoon Mass will make possible the participation of priests and other members of the faithful from all of our parishes and Catholic institutions. Please mark your calendar for June 17 with an appointment to participate in Holy Mass at the cathedral basilica at 5 p.m, during which the image of the Sacred Heart will be enthroned and the archdiocese will be consecrated to the Sacred Heart.

Following the Mass with the solemn enthronement and act of consecration, there will be a reception in Boland Hall, the parish hall of the cathedral basilica parish. The reception will provide a good opportunity for those participating in the joyous event to visit with one another.

The Shrine Itself

The shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be installed in the west transept of the cathedral basilica, directly across from the baptistery and ambry, which are in the east transept.The space for the shrine is ample without necessitating the removal of any pews or disturbing, in any other way, the present ordering of the space in the cathedral basilica.

The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been created by the Vatican Mosaic Studio. It is modeled after the image of the Sacred Heart in the Archbishop's Residence, which has been reproduced in various sizes for the devotion of the faithful. It is also on the holy card with the Morning Offering, which is distributed by the archdiocese.

The mosaic image of the Sacred Heart will be placed in an altarpiece made of marble from Pietrasanta in Italy. The shrine will include stands with votive candles to represent our prayers continuously lifted up to the glorious Heart of Jesus.

The shrine has been designed by Duncan G. Stroik of the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. He is internationally known for his design of beautiful churches and chapels, in accord with the long tradition of sacred architecture, at an affordable cost for the parish or Catholic institution. His design of the shrine of the Sacred Heart is truly beautiful and, therefore, inspiring.


Offerings for the shrine

The shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is being funded by gifts of the faithful of the archdiocese. The creation of the shrine is itself an exemplary act of the devotion to the Sacred Heart. If you wish to make an offering for the shrine, please be in communication with Msgr. Joseph D. Pins, rector of the cathedral basilica. Your offering is needed and will bear lasting fruit in the increased knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus in the minds and hearts of all who will pray at the shrine.

Conclusion

The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is most rich in grace for a deeper knowledge of our salvation in Jesus Christ, a fuller participation in the sacramental and prayer life of the Church, and a stronger witness to Christ's living presence in the Church. It is my sincere hope that the installation of the shrine of the Sacred Heart in the cathedral basilica will be the cause of increased devotion among all of the faithful of the archdiocese and among the faithful from outside the archdiocese who visit our magnificent cathedral basilica throughout the year.

Please pray that the enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the cathedral basilica and the consecration of the archdiocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus will bring us abundant grace for the new evangelization. Please pray, too, that many will be inspired to enthrone the image of the Sacred Heart in their homes and to consecrate themselves and their homes to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Archbishop Burke On Lent and Devotion To the Sacred Heart, Part 2

March 16, 2007

"Be not afraid!"
Lent and First Friday Devotion


by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke

Introduction

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a most fitting way to respond to Pope Benedict XVI�s invitation to center our Lenten observance upon the text from the Gospel according to St. John: "They shall look on Him Whom they have pierced" (John 19:37). Our Holy Father, by inviting us to look upon the pierced side of our Lord Jesus, invites us to contemplate the glorious pierced Heart of Jesus, the pre-eminent sign of God's immeasurable and ever faithful love of us. From the Heart of Jesus flow all graces in the Church. Looking upon Him Whom we have pierced by our sins, we come to understand ever more fully the great mystery of His response of love to our indifference and even our hostility in sinning.

In a particular way, we are drawn to the Heart of Jesus, which is open for us in the Sacrament of Penance to receive the confession of our sins and to pour out upon us the healing grace of forgiveness. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus draws us, above all, to communion with our Lord Jesus in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. From the glorious pierced Heart of Jesus flows the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ for our spiritual nourishment during the days of our earthly pilgrimage home to God the Father.

Enthronement, Consecration and the Apostleship of Prayer

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our homes and the consecration of ourselves and our homes to the Sacred Heart of Jesus are at the heart of loving contemplation of Him Whom we have pierced. The Enthronement and Consecration represent our way of living each day, in the company of our Lord, resting in His Heart and drawing from His Heart the gift of selfless and pure love of our neighbor.

Through the Apostolate of Prayer, that is the daily Morning Offering, we unite our hearts anew to the Heart of Jesus, as we do most perfectly through the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Each morning, we place all our "prayers, works, joys and suffering" of the day into the Heart of Jesus. There, we find rest and strength. We offer our prayers for the intentions of our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, of our bishops, and of all of the members of the Apostolate of Prayer. The Servant of God Father Walter Ciszek, who was confined for some 23 years in the prisons of Soviet Russia and its labor camps in Siberia, recounts how he taught the Morning Offering to fellow prisons during little spiritual retreats for them and how it united them to Christ in the outpouring of His love. He recalls to our minds the profound significance of the Morning Offering:

"In that way, no matter how harsh the conditions in the camps might be, how cruel and useless the work might seem, it took on new meaning and added value. It was something of which a man could be proud each day, because it was his to offer back to God. Each day of labor and hardship, like the grains of wheat ground up to make the host at Mass, could be consecrated to God and be transformed into something of great value in God�s sight; it was a sacrifice each man could offer back to God through the long, hard days. The grinding routine of daily labor, even here in Siberia, could have a meaning, did have a value, even as the lives of all men everywhere � no matter how dull or routine or insignificant they might seem to the eyes of men � have a value and a meaning in God�s providence" (Father Walter J. Ciszek, SJ, He Leadeth Me, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995, pp. 141-142).

Our hearts placed in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the Morning Offering, become truly great with love of God and our neighbor. No matter what our condition, our hearts can bring the divine love, found in the Heart of Jesus, to others, especially those in most need.

First Friday Communion of Reparation

During Lent, we become especially conscious of the significance of every Friday of the week, since the Good Friday of our Lord's Passion and Death. Every Friday is for us a special time to reflect upon Christ's Suffering and Dying, and to unite ourselves to the outpouring of His life, especially through participation in the Holy Eucharist. That is why we are asked to abstain from eating meet on Friday, a small act of penance which keeps the Suffering and Dying of Christ before our eyes. In the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, participation in the Holy Mass on the First Friday of each month, with reception of Holy Communion, is the way of offering reparation to our Lord for our coldness and indifference before the gift of His love.

Essentially connected to the reception of Holy Communion on the First Friday of the month is the practice of a holy hour on the Thursday before the First Friday. The holy hour is spent meditating on the Passion and Death of our Lord. Through the holy hour, we strive to watch and pray with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The final promise of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque reads:

"I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in any disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment" (Timothy T. O�Donnell, Heart of the Redeemer, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992, p. 140).

Some have objected that the practice of the First Friday Mass and Communion of Reparation is an attempt to manipulate God's mercy, in a mechanical way. What must be remembered is that participation in the Holy Mass, on the First Friday of each month, is a sign of deep, interior conversion. Timothy O'Donnell, a contemporary writer about the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and president of Christendom College, has commented on the 12th and final Promise:

"This promise was made to the person who completely surrenders himself in a deep and unconditional act of faith. It is a beautiful expression of the Lord�s desire to share Himself with us in His sacrament of love. This is essentially the same promise which our Lord made in the Gospel to those who would each His flesh and drink His blood" (John 6:65) (Timothy T. O'Donnell, Heart of the Redeemer, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992, p. 260).

Those who observe the First Friday are not trying to buy God's love but are responding to His love with the most perfect expression of love possible for us on this earth. They do not stop the devotion after nine months but continue the devotion as a way of keeping alive in their hearts the mystery of Christ's Suffering and Dying.

Beginning or renewing the practice of the First Friday Communion of Reparation and of the Thursday Holy Hour in preparation for it is an excellent way to make our Lenten observance rich in grace for us throughout the year. The First Friday and the Thursday which precede it become privileged times for our looking upon Him Whom we have pierced and lifting up our hearts to His glorious pierced Heart with ever greater love and devotion.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Archbishop Burke On Lent and Devotion To the Sacred Heart


From The Saint Louis Review:

Introduction

Pope Benedict XVI has invited us to live the Season of Lent "as a Eucharistic time in which, welcoming the love of Jesus, we learn to spread it around us with every word and deed." Surely, the source of our Lenten observance is our communion with Christ in His true Body and Blood, through participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice and through the various forms of�Eucharistic devotion.�Our prayer, fasting and almsgiving are empty of their true meaning, unless they are inspired by the love of God, which is given to us, most fully and perfectly, in the Most Blessed Sacrament. If our Lenten penance is to bear fruit, it must, as our Holy Father has reminded us, flow from the Holy Eucharist, the great Mystery of Faith.

To assist us in making Lent a truly Eucharistic time, the Church provides us with various devotions which prepare us for participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice and worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament.�These devotions also extend our privileged communion with our Eucharistic Lord to the circumstances of our daily living.

The praying of the Rosary, for example, deepens our appreciation of the mysteries of our Redemption, which are all contained in the Eucharistic mystery. Through the praying of the Rosary, our Blessed Mother leads us to a deeper knowledge and love of her Son, our Redeemer, Who gives Himself Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity to us in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Making the Stations of the Cross is also an excellent way to meditate upon the mystery of the Suffering and Dying of Christ for our salvation. Walking mystically with Christ on the sorrowful way to Calvary and His Crucifixion helps us to keep before our eyes the tremendous reality, the truly incomprehensible reality, of the Holy Eucharist, in which the Passion and Death of Christ on Calvary are made present for us in our time and place.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart, enthronement and consecration

The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is at the heart of our Lenten observance, for it draws us near to Christ in the Holy Eucharist and helps us to remain in His company throughout the day. Our Holy Father, in fact, has proposed as the theme for our Lenten observance the text from the Gospel according to St. John: "They shall look on Him Whom they have pierced" (John 19:37). During Lent, as we look upon the image of Christ crucified, we especially gaze upon His pierced Heart, which He permitted to be opened by the soldier�s spear, pouring out every ounce of His being for our salvation. The glorious pierced Heart of Jesus is the source of all the graces we receive in the Church.

Lent would be a good time to enthrone the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home or your places of work and recreation. The image of the Sacred Heart reminds us, throughout the day, that our Lord Jesus accompanies us all along the way of our earthly pilgrimage. It also invites us to pause and reflect upon the mystery of our life in Christ, letting Christ look into our hearts.

When we enthrone the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we also make our prayer of consecration, giving our hearts completely to our Lord Jesus, placing our hearts totally into His open Heart. If you have already enthroned the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and made the consecration of your life to the Sacred Heart, Lent is a good time to renew your consecration.

If you have not enthroned the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home, make the enthronement a central part of your Lenten observance. The archdiocese has published a very practical handbook to help you to prepare for the enthronement and to celebrate the enthronement once you have prepared properly. It is available through Father Thomas G. Keller, archdiocesan promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Also, Father Keller is happy to answer any questions which you may have regarding the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Morning Offering and the apostleship of prayer Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is expressed daily by the praying of the Morning Offering, upon rising. Through the Morning Offering, we unite our hearts to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. With Mary, we spiritually unite ourselves to the Eucharistic Sacrifice, offering to the Heart of Jesus our "prayers, works joys and suffering" of the day. The Morning Offering is an excellent way to make all of our time "Eucharistic," as Pope Benedict XVI urges us to do during the Season of Lent.

We offer our lives for the love of our Lord Jesus, for the intentions which have been placed into His Heart.�Each month, our Holy Father gives us two intentions which he asks us to remember especially. Through the apostleship of prayer, we offer our hearts to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, calling to mind the intentions of our bishops and of all members of the apostleship, especially the intentions of the Holy Father. Three intentions are mentioned specifically in the Morning Offering: the salvation of souls, reparation for sins and the reunion of all Christians.

Conclusion

Next week, I will continue to reflect upon the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially the holy hour on the Thursday before First Friday, commemorating the Passion of our Lord, and the First Friday participation in Holy Mass and reception of Holy Communion in reparation for sins committed against the love of God, poured out upon us from the Heart of Jesus.