ENTHRONEMENT
OF THE
SACRED HEART OF JESUS
In A
school
If Mass will be celebrated, it is recommended that a votive Mass of the Sacred Heart be used unless there is another overriding Liturgical celebration.
♥OPENING
PRIEST OR LAY APOSTLE OF THE SACRED HEART: Opening Remarks
STUDENT/TEACHER OF THE SCHOOL:
This is one of the most important gatherings of our lives since the Enthronement brings countless blessings to individuals, families, and all of our undertakings. By the Enthronement we proclaim Jesus as King who rules over us through love….but He is more like a Father than a ruler. He becomes our generous Provider, our Friend, our Guide, our Counselor, our spiritual Physician, our constant Companion on the journey.
We certainly want Him to be all these things because each and every one of us needs His help. It is not easy to be good and do good. We can’t do it alone, but with Jesus’ help, we can.
Reading from Deuteronomy 7:6-12
PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER:
Jesus is your Lord and He rules through His Heart! He desires to be enthroned as King and Lord of your hearts and of your school as your brother and friend. He longs to share your everyday life, your joys as well as your sorrows.
Scripture says, “My people, whom I love so dearly, behold I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with Me.” (Rv 3:20)
Jesus is your Savior and your Liberator. He wants to save you from the evil forces working to destroy you, to liberate you from the slavery of sin and the shackles of fear, depression and worry.
Jesus is ready to release the power of His Spirit. He is the Healer, the Consoler, the Sanctifier, and the Teacher. But He will not force His way into your heart or this place. He wants to be invited. He is waiting to hear you say to Him:
ALL: Come, Lord Jesus! Stay with us; we need you! Be the Lord, the Brother, our friend. Send us
your Holy Spirit and give us new hearts, a new spirit! Say to us as you did to John: “Surely I am coming soon.” (Rev. 22:20)
PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER:
Yes the Father loves you, Jesus loves you, the Holy Spirit loves you. What have you to fear? His Wounded Heart is the sign and pledge of His merciful love. His Heart is open to receive you.
♥BLESSING OF IMAGE
♥PROCESSION AND ENTHRONEMENT
Selected members process in song (to be determined) with the image of the Sacred Heart and the Bible (Knowing the Heart of God in the Word of God… “Your word, Lord, is a lamp unto our feet.”)
Votive lights are carried by all as a sign/pledge of our covenant with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a representation of our hearts and our intentions.
Arriving at the “throne,” all gather in a semi-circle. Before enthroning the Sacred Heart the PRINCIPAL proclaims:
ON BEHALF OF ALL ASSEMBLED, I ENTHRONE YOU, MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS, AS KING AND FRIEND OF ALL OF US AT ______(name of school).
The PRINCIPAL then places the image of the Sacred Heart in the selected place of honor.
Other participants then place the Bible near the Sacred Heart image and say,
WE ARE NOURISHED BY THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST AND THE WORD OF GOD.
ALL: God is enthroned as King forever! (Ps. 29) All that the Lord has said, we will
heed and do. (Ex. 24:7)
PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: As an act of faith in the teachings of Christ, the King of Truth, and as
an act of reparation for all society which ignores them, let us say the Apostles’ Creed.
ALL: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
♥ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART
ALL KNEEL and FACE THE IMAGE
ALL: Jesus, we enthrone you as King and proclaim you as Lord and Friend of ______
______(name of school).
O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, You revealed to St. Margaret Mary your desire to rule over the entire world. Behold, to please You, we are assembled here today to proclaim Your absolute rule over ______(name of school). From this point forward, we intend to continue our studies knowing full well that we do so under Your watchful eye and loving concern.
It is our desire to make a covenant of love with You. From now on we are determined to live Your Life. In this school we want to live and to see flourish the virtues which are so pleasing to You and which You promised would bring peace on earth. We desire to keep far from us the spirit of the world which you condemned.
You will rule over our minds by the sincerity of our faith. You will rule over our hearts by our burning love for You alone, and we will keep this fire of love ever burning on our hearts by the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Divine Heart, preside over our gatherings, bless our undertakings both spiritual and temporal, ward off all dangers, sanctify our joys and lighten our sufferings. If one of us should have the misfortune of displeasing you with sin, remind him or her, O Sacred Heart, that You are full of goodness and mercy towards the repentant sinner.
May the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our glorious protector Saint Joseph, and our guardian angels witness this, our act of consecration, and keep us ever mindful of our commitment to You, all the days of our life. Such a commitment extends to our parents, teachers, and other authorities who stand ready to love, guide, and protect us.
Glory to the Heart of Jesus, our King and our Friend!
♥CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: Our Holy Father has urged all to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, therefore let this school honor her with this prayer:
ALL: Queen of the most Holy Rosary, and tender Mother of the Church, we consecrate ourselves to you and to your Immaculate Heart, and place in your loving care our school and all those gathered here, as well as our friends and our families, and all families.
Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us and this school to accomplish your designs upon the world. O Spouse of the Holy Spirit, kindle in our hearts, school, and home the love of purity, the practice of true Christian charity, and the courage to witness our Faith even at the cost of ridicule and suffering.
Take our minds, hearts, and bodies, our thoughts and desires, our energy and our time, our whole being; and guide us each day more quickly and more securely to the Heart of your beloved Son Jesus. Help us to know Him as you know Him. And give us your Heart to love Him as you love Him.
Make our hearts, our school and our homes, into your shrines. And through us make the Heart of Jesus rule and triumph in every school and family in the world. Amen.
PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: Let us pray the following prayers for the intentions of the Holy
Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for all families and for absent members of the school:
Our Father….; Hail Mary….; Glory Be….
ALL BE SEATED
PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: Lord Jesus, you told us, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name,
He will give it to you.” In Your Name and with great confidence we pray:
ALL RESPOND: Lord Hear Our Prayer. (Petitions to be read by those participating.)
For the grace of being faithful to this covenant with Jesus and our new way of life in Him. We pray to the Lord….
For in increase of personal, generous love for Jesus. We pray to the Lord….
For greater trust in His merciful love. We pray to the Lord….
That the Holy Spirit may always find our hearts responsive to His call. We pray to the Lord….
For a deeper appreciation of the greatest gift of the Heart of Jesus, the Eucharist, through frequent Mass and Communion and especially on First Fridays and First Saturdays. We pray to the Lord….
That we may receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation more often, in order to increase our love for Jesus and avoid sin. We pray to the Lord….
That Bible reading and the Rosary recitation become part of our daily spiritual formation. We pray to the Lord….
That the Holy Spirit may heal all our hurts and remove from our hearts anything that is preventing us from giving ourselves lovingly to Jesus and one another. We pray to the Lord….
ALL: Sacred Heart of Jesus, You promised to bless in a special way all those who honor your Divine Heart by enthroning you as King and Lord and who make a covenant of love with you. Please shower your blessings on all who are here and all to come. Amen.
♥PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
PRIEST/LAY PROMOTER: To thank the Sacred Heart for His many blessings, let us say together this prayer of thanksgiving:
ALL: We thank You, Lord Jesus, for all the gifts You have granted to us through the merciful love of Your Sacred Heart. We are truly grateful for the gift of our faith received in Baptism when we were made children of Your Father and heirs to heaven. We thank You for the gift of our parents and teachers. We also thank You for the gift of the priesthood and of the other Sacraments which increase Your Divine Life in our souls. We thank You for the gift of Your Blessed Mother, whom You have given to us as our Mother and our Queen, and for our protector, St. Joseph, as well as for all our Guardian Angels who care for each of us.
Above all, good Jesus, we are grateful for the greatest gift of Your Loving Heart: the gift of Yourself in the crib, on the cross, and in the Holy Eucharist. To show our gratitude for all You have done for us, we promise to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as often as we can, and to unite ourselves with You in Holy Communion, especially on the First Friday of each month.
In the future, may this school’s students and programs be a source of consolation to Your Heart crowned with thorns; may its activities bring You nothing but honor and glory. In and through this school and those assembled may Your Triumphant Heart, O Jesus, be forever loved and glorified. Thy Kingdom come. Amen.
♥CERTIFICATE
At this time, the certificate will be signed by the Priest/Lay Promoter, Principal, and a student representative.
♥CELEBRATION
To celebrate this important event, refreshments may be served.
ENTHRONEMENT OF THE SACRED HEART WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOM
The more elaborate the “throne” prepared for the image of the Sacred Heart, and the greater the love put into preparing it, the more honor is given to Jesus, and the greater the impression given to the students.
1. CLASSROOM ENTHRONEMENT: The images to be enthroned in the individual classrooms are taken in procession to the classrooms and placed on the altars prepared for them beforehand.
2. TEACHER: The teacher proclaims: “Jesus, we enthrone you in our classroom. May your love fill the room and our hearts.”
3. Now follows a moment of silence for each one present to say his/her own special message to Jesus and Mary. The teacher may also with to include any form of prayer which has been used in the class, i.e. spontaneous petitions, or whatever will be familiar to the students that will lend to the solemnity of the ceremony.
4. The teacher then leads the class as they slowly, solemnly recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.
Then pray the following:
ALL: Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we love you.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, your kingdom come.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
5. Conclude the individual classroom enthronement ceremony by singing one or two appropriate songs.
6. CELEBRATION: To celebrate this happy occasion, refreshments may be served to the students, staff and other parties present.
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School