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Pastor’s
Corner - Rev. Anthony J. Manuppella, KHS
- May 4, 2008
Enthronement of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate
Heart of Mary in Your Homes
It is with great pleasure that I introduce
to you the “Alliance of the Two Hearts” which is a group of Brothers and
Sisters and Priests founded in the Philippines. Their central
headquarters in the United States is in Dover, Delaware.
They will be willing to go to your home and
enthrone the “Two Hearts” of Jesus and
Mary.
What a blessing it would be for you and for
our Parish!
Today, after Mass the Brothers and Sisters
will be available to take your name, address and phone number and a good
and convenient time for them to visit.
Since we are a Parish whose foundations of
success rest on the Eucharistic Heart of Christ and our love for the
Blessed Virgin Mary, I heartily encourage and endorse this beautiful act
of homage in your homes.
Here are some questions and answers about
enthronement:
What is an “Enthronement”?
It is a solemn act of placing God at the
center of people’s lives especially as a family. Through a solemn rite,
the members of the family accept “holiness” as a state to which God calls
each one of them. In the Alliance of the Two Hearts House-to-House
Enthronement (known formally as House-to-House Evangelism), Jesus is Lord
and is worshipped as the King of the family. Mary, on the other hand, is
the Mother of Our Lord, our model for holiness and is honored as the Queen
of the home. (N.B. For conversion to take place in a family, the
parents and the children go to Confession if a Priest enthrones the home.)
When we enthrone the Two Hearts, what
exactly is the role of Mary?
When we enthrone the holy pictures of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it means that we
worship Jesus as the Son of God and we honor Mary as the Mother of God.
It does not mean that we worship her as God. We honor her because Jesus
wanted it so (John 19:25-27). She is a human being who has been prepared
from the beginning by God to bear Jesus in her virginal womb. The
recognition of the Alliance of the Two Hearts does not in any way intend
to make Mary divine. As St. John Eudes explained, Mary is the author of
the Heart of Jesus; he refers to their Hearts as “one single Heart”, a
unity which is an integral part of the very mystery of the Incarnation.
(cf. “Alliance of the Two Hearts: Core of Our Faith, Manila: THMO,
1955).
How is the Enthronement Rite done?
Different religious organizations have
different ways of enthroning homes. The Alliance of the Holy Family
International movement uses the “Enthronement Rite Booklet” approved by
the AHFI founding bishops and by the Congregation for the Doctrine of
Faith. In brief, the procedure and prayers include: Examination of
Conscience, Act of Contrition, Prayer to the Holy Spirit, Bible Reading (1
Corinthians 13:1-11 and John 15:9-17), a short talk by the promoter,
witnessing (optional), Prayer to St. Michael, the Prayer for the Home,
Procession and Blessing of the House, Consecration to the Hearts of Jesus
and Mary, Praying of the Rosary and Scapular Investiture. Songs of praise
will help enliven this solemn rite.
Either a cleric or a lay leader can preside
over the enthronement procedure. The host family receives a picture of
the Alliance of the Two Hearts which they enthrone in the family altar.
Ideally, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima and/or the Holy Family may also
be brought to the host family. There the image will stay for a week while
the family prays the Rosary together every day. After a week, the image
is transferred to another family where the enthronement of the Two Hearts
will be held. In cases where enthronements are done every day and in many
homes by a busy apostolate group, it will suffice that an Alliance of the
Two Hearts picture and the family acts of piety prayer guide be left with
the family.
Other religious articles needed in the
ceremony include: the Bible, crucifix, holy water, candles, rosaries,
brown scapulars and the certificate of enthronement.
What is being promoted during the
enthronement?
The Enthronement promotes to the family the
living of the “daily” and “monthly” Communion of Reparation. By “daily”
it means, praying of the Rosary, going to Holy Mass, adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament whenever possible, and examining one’s conscience at the
end of the day. If at the extreme case daily Mass is impossible, one can
say the “Spiritual Communion Prayer” instead. By “monthly”, it means
inviting the family to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus on First Fridays
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary on First Saturdays of the month. It
means going to Confession, attending Mass on both days, making the Nine
Holy Hours in honor of the Two Hearts, during the All Night Reparation
Vigil at the Parish with the intention of making reparation for all our
sins, our family’s and the world’s. This is God’s love in actual giving
and our response to His love. It is also the love of one’s neighbor for in
the practice of living the Communion of Reparation, we aspire for holiness
of life, for the spiritual well-being of others by maintaining a good
relationship within the family, with others, and in the larger community.
Why do we need to consecrate to the Hearts
of Jesus and Mary?
We are living in a time of so much evil,
where sin is no longer considered a sin and where society believes no
longer in the existence of God. We need to choose whose side we are on
and which direction we are headed: good or evil. A decision to do good
needs a change of heart and mind, a spiritual transformation. We are not
fighting flesh and blood, but principalities of darkness. (Ephesians
6:12)
Consecration to Jesus means total giving of
oneself to God, while consecration to Mary means allowing her to be truly
our Mother who will bring us closer to Jesus. The consecration to the Two
Hearts empowers us to detach ourselves from sin and unite ourselves to
Jesus by imitating the life of Mary. (cf “Alliance of the Two Hearts:
Core of Faith”, p. 105.) |