What Is My Purpose?

I thought I knew what it meant to be Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: I would follow certain guidelines and grow holier and more joyful. Well… I confess that, in the seven years since my personal act of consecration, I haven’t followed the guidelines to this particular devotion very well.

I was almost able, one year, to go to Mass and receive Holy Communion for the first Friday of nine consecutive months. Almost. Of course, I can always claim my handicap as, well, a handicap. But my parents would gladly have helped me to push to make it happen. Yes, I know that I can be, perhaps, too hard on myself sometimes, because spiritual communion (as we know these days) can be very beneficial, and I try to always watch and participate in televised broadcasts of First Friday Masses. As for holy hours every Thursday, however…

I know that I don’t need to go to a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in order to make a holy hour. All I need to do is spend an hour with the Lord in prayer, reading and reflecting. Once a week. Not too much to ask. But… well, apparently it is too much to ask of me on Thursdays, because, though I sometimes participate in a holy hour on other days of the week, I just seem to keep failing on Thursdays. Jesus could very well say to me, as He did to the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, “Could you not tarry with me for one hour?”

Thank God, He is merciful.

Being consecrated to the Sacred Heart is about more than schedules, of course. Truly being a Christian means that I belong to God, not to the world — not to a profession, occupation, paycheck, bank account, social media profile, blog, book, not to anything finite, not even to friends and family members — and the Sacred Heart Consecration further drives this truth home and fulfills it into a lived reality.

Because, through Consecration, I am asking to be divinely hardwired into the Heart of Christ: the Heart of God, the fullness of reality and the soul of who I am. Everything that enters into me — through what I look at, listen to, and touch — goes directly to Christ’s Sacred Heart, and everything that comes forth from me — in thoughts, actions, and words — also goes directly to the Sacred Heart.

Shall I wound Him?

Or shall I console and delight Him?

Purpose and Prayer

Earlier this week, I thought my usual morning question to myself: “What am I going to do today?” Things that I need to get done came to mind, as well as some things that I would enjoy doing. But then another question occurred to my mind … to my soul. I think what I really need to be asking myself every morning on waking is, “What am I going to do to serve God today?” Perhaps just adding those three little words, “to serve God,” will rephrase my entire day, my entire life. I’m surprised, and maybe even a little ashamed, that I didn’t think of this before. The idea and knowledge is here now, and I hope that it will be a remembered reminder that I am dedicated to the divine, that I am hardwired into the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As I near the end of this summer of particular prayer for all Christians — including me — to bear respectful witness to God’s love for every human in every stage, age, ability, appearance, and walk of life through our humble, loving words on social media, I pray again the words of my 2013 act of Consecration:

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, all my thoughts, words, actions, trials, joys and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, Christ, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my advocate at the throne of Divine Justice, and screen me from the wrath which my sins deserve.  I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.  Hold me in your Sacred Heart, O Jesus Christ, my Lord and Lord of all.  I implore that I may love You more and more.

I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart – for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory: to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.

Amen.

© 2020 Christina Chase

“Through Consecration, I am asking to be divinely hardwired into the Heart of Christ: the Heart of God, the fullness of reality and the soul of who I am.”

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Feature image from an old prayer card

Other image created by me and free for anyone to use